Seattle To Portland 2008

Seattle To Portland

2008

What a great ride we had this year. I can’t remember a ride that had so many variables, accidents, flat tires, chain derailments, heat, great people, rides, congestion, pain, etc. Our cast of heroes this year had a few additions, but it was our largest team, which also meant the most variables possible. Our team this year was:

From Manhatten, NY Bryant Blanchard

From Sacramento, CA Mark O’Guinn

From Seattle, WA Lisa Petersen

From Gig Harbor, WA Timothy Holmes, Kyle Gomm, Bradford Van Duker, Mark Van Duker, & me

We followed last year’s template with a few changes. Lisa was kind enough to carry out a reconnoissance mission near the UW and she found a 76 Gas station with a 24/7 Convenience store about a mile from the start line. This was our jump off site and we met there at 4:25 AM. All parties were great about being on time, although Brad had a minor equipment hiccup by having his system disrupted when his son borrowed the car the night before and took his riding shoes out. Brad didn’t realize it until he was almost to our house at 3:10 AM.

Lisa, parked in the UW parking lot and rode her bike to our rendezvous point, where we offered a word of prayer for much-needed protection. We departed Seattle at 4:40 AM and the Longest Day commenced. Our good friend Kyle had been suffering an upper respitory condition for the past 10 days and we were concerned about the impact it would have on his ability to endure 206 miles.

Our first hour was very pleasant, albeit, very cold. Heading out of Seattle we could each hear our own teeth chattering which is uncomfortable at best, but my braces provided added enjoyment as each chatter was a clinch down on my cheek tissue.

The M.O. for the day did not occur until mile 20, just before the REI stop in Renton. We were approaching a stop light and a rider was making a routine left turn next to another ride when he went down face first into the asphalt. He was pretty bloody and cut up. Our guess was his left foot hit his front tire as he turned left and down he went.

REI added a smaller level of mishaps as we stopped curb side instead on in the break area. Most of us jumped over or walked through the small hedge into the porta-potties. As I jumped over the hedge onto the asphalt, my cleats slid across the ground and down I went. (Bruised ego and tail bone.)

Our next stop was a quick Puyallup stop, power bars, gu, porta-potty and we hit the hill. By the time we arrived at Jack in the Box in Spanaway we were a little behind last year’s schedule by about 10 minutes. Kyle’s legs were cramping and he was struggling. More accident’s to come as we passed through the Roy Y and into Yelm. One or two ambulances in that area.

Our Tenino stop is no longer a secret as other riders were there. For some unknown reason it seems all 9500 riders decided to leave at the same time we did as the amount of riders on the road seemed overwhelming this year.

From Toledo to Tenino, along the new bike path ((13.5 miles), our Team became a little spread out. I stayed with Kyle, Mark was somewhere in the middle and Lisa, Brad, and Bryant were a little ahead. Lisa remembered the little store, Mark never found it and Kyle and I arrived a few minutes after they did.

About two miles out of our ‘little store’ break, Bryant couldn’t find his sunglasses and figured he left them at the little story, so he turned around to retrieve them. When he caught up with us in Centralia, he related his story. As he arrived at the little store, he inquired if they had found a pair of sunglasses, to which they answered no. As he was explaining his story, it dawned on him that he might have hung them on his own collar, so while he was explaining he was also feeling around his neck for them, and sure enough, they were hanging on the side of his neck all the time. It seems our pace was too slow for Bryant and he needed a little more of a challenge in the 90 degree heat.

In Centralia we got our ice cream bars, Lisa got hers this year and we rode over to Chehalis (mile 106). Lunch was great. Cheri did another incredible job orchestrating the sag wagon brigade. She is so good at seeing what is needed and making sure everyone’s need are met. We arrived in Chehalis to blankets, water refills, food, back rubs, and listening ears met us with outstretched arms, smiles and yells. The Van Duker clan with Lorraine and Andrea Sinden (niece) were there to support Brad. Mark joined our pelaton in Chehalis and finished the ride with us. Lorraine did a great job of providing lots of food, blankets, plates, and just about everything we needed.

Brad really married up and we’re very happy he did. As they would drive by us, Andrea would let out a yell for her uncle Brad and his associates. At one junction, he glanced over his shoulder in my direction and said: “That really helped!”

Cheri had Scot and Sam. Scott was absorbed into the teenage syndrome and was more helpful in years past. It’s still fun to have him around and he did rub my neck and offered to rolling pin my legs in Chehalis.

Tim and Bryant had their respective wives. Heidi and Adam were there for Tim and Rachel, Liam and Ella were there for Bryant. Tim has a fettish for Banana Cream pie on the STP, so Heidi offered the dessert to all the riders, so we could enjoy as well. It was good and refreshing.

Sadly, we had to leave Kyle with the sag support in Chehalis, his body was not cooperating and he looked like he needed a rest. He kept a great attitude and helped us whenever he could as a support. It killed him to pull out of the ride, but two weeks in the infirmary does not lend itself to a 206 mile ride.

After Chehalis we made quick work of the 20 miles to Vader, however the terrain from here until Lexington is hilly and in 94 degree heat, those hills really suck the energy out of us. We saw another very bad injury on this leg, a gal from a team must have hit the bike in front of her and it appeared like she was out face down on the road. Our Vader stop from last year had no other riders, this year it was the official stop and lots of riders.

Another 20 miles and we arrived in Lexington to a shaded spread of fruit, Banana Cream pie, chips, and rest. Mark was doing great and expressed appreciation for the rigors of the ride. He was feeling the pain after 40 miles and we were a 140+ miles into the ride.

Lexington to St. Helens is almost 30 miles and too far without a break, so Cheri gathered the support troops in Golob for our next break, but we didn’t make it without incident. Lisa flatted just before the bridge that crosses the Columbia into Oregon. I took Mark over it and we rested under the bridge at the bottom. As Mark climbed off his bike he staggered. His knee was getting progressively worse and he didn’t look good. The burrito at lunch wasn’t sitting well either. We limped to a convenience store and he took another shot of Vitamin I (ibuprofen).

The gang got up to us only to have Lisa’s tire go flat again. Bryant adjusted Mark’s shoe to help with the knee pain. Tim worked on his derallieur again and everyone pitched in to get Lisa back on the road. We finally arrived at a very busy Golob. After drinking some more liquid and cooling off, Heidi’s car battery went dead. Kyle grabbed our jumpers as Cheri pulled up to give her the needed juice. Next stop, McDonalds in St. Helens.

Air conditioning never felt so good. Hamburgers, root beer and ice cream. Lisa noticed we were running late and so Tim came to the rescue again. He and Lisa barreled at break-neck speed into Portland so Lisa could catch her bus home. Mark and I took off a few minutes before Brad, Mark and Bryant. Mark’s knee was feeling a little better and we made great time.

Brad decided he wanted to catch us quickly so they, with Bryant’s strong legs in the lead, cranked it with all they had to catch us. Mark and I took a short break about 10 miles outside of St. Helens and they rode up to us. Their little burst of energy did not go unrewarded as Brad turned white and found it necessary to lay down in the grass for a moment. The man is a veritable pharmacy as he pulled out another heretofore unknown drug and quickly recovered.

With less than 20 miles to go, we started off again typically passing other teams as we all felt strong enough to keep a good pace (~20 mph on the flats). It was long before little things happened again. With less than 7 miles to the finish, Mark had a flat. Brad, ever the teaching father, decided now would be a good time to teach his son how to change a flat.

We were all too tire to suggest another time so Mark basically changed the tire on his own with Brad’s encouraging suggestions. After pumping up the tire we noticed that it looked like a turnip was stuck near the valve inside the tire. I think Brad just wanted to allow a teaching moment, so we discussed how to avoid letting turnups into the tire. The lesson took more than 30 minutes and we were back on the road.

As we entered the city of Portland, we stopped at a red light preparatory to a left hand turn up a hill. We were about 15 bikers strong turning left and there was a young lady across the street on her bike going straight. She was slow off the line when the light turned green so we proceeded. Brad, hearing some grinding, looked back to the sounds of Mark’s chain coming off again and he almost took out the young lady on the bike. She got stopped in the intersection and as we started climbing the hill, I glanced back to see Mark and the young lady, both in the intersection trying to negotiate their respective ways out.

We waited on the hill for Mark to catch up. Almost there, nothing else could happen and with one light to go, we were separated again with a light change. But our team still crossed that line together amidst all the cheering and clapping of the many volunteers and supporters who made this journey possible.

A big thank you to our Support Team: Heidi, Adam, Rachel, Andrea. A special thank you to Lorraine for all the preparation, food, blankets and water.

And finally, to Cheri, who master minded the sag team and went far beyond expectations getting everyone where they needed to be.