For the past 5 years I have ridden in June to raise money to support of research to develop better treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer. This year because of Covid 19 it was moved to September. I began the month with the challenge of raising $500 and riding 250 miles.
I'm still trying to ride 250 miles but because of my having very generous family and friends I have raised more than $1500. That is just amazing. One of the other challenges I gave myself is to document each ride and share that with my friends, family and other Great Cycle Challenge riders. What follows is each of those posts that I placed on the GCC site.
I started posting before September, kind of a prequel to the ride.
Getting ready to seriously ride
For the last 2 months I myself have been going through radiation treatment for prostate cancer. I will be done with that tomorrow and will be able to get serious with my riding. The amount of money that my friends and family have donated to this cause is humbling. So now I've got a month to train for September and I know I'll be ready for this. The attached video is of me getting one of the 44 radiation treatments I received
First ride of the month
Started out this month with a bang at midnight on September first. About halfway through the ride I posted a video to Facebook that is linked below. The ride went well and I had forgotten how much I like riding late at night. I'll do some more this month. It is cooler with less wind and very little traffic if I go later at night or earlier in the morning.
Day Two
I started this ride a little later than yesterday, the sun was actually up. The day looks like it will be a sunny one but this morning is is very pleasant for a ride. I'm at a little over 20 miles for the challenge.
12.7 mi ride - Day 2 - Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Day Three
Today I rode through Philippe Park http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/11_philippe.htm. This is a nice park behind our home.
12.7 mi ride - Day 3 - Thursday, September 3, 2020
Day 4 The Waterfront Park and the Ream Wilson Trail
Today I rode part of the Ream Wilson Trail via the Waterfront Park in Safety Harbor. Most days I ride the trail through the Waterfront Park to the Causeway but today after that I decided to take a right turn down the Ream Wilson Trail.
11.8 mi ride - Day 4 - Friday, September 4, 2020
Day 5, Ride to Patty's house.
Today I headed north to my sister-in-law Patty's house. Patty and my wife Jan are making donuts so I have even more reason to ride. Big news on the fundraising, With everyone's help I surpassed $1000.00 That is an amazing amount of money to help fight children's cancer.
Funny note on today's ride. It was really hot out on the road and near the end I was in the zone of pushing through to the end, focusing on the road ahead, pushing one pedal then the other. I finally looked up and didn't recognize where I was. After a moment I realized that I had over shot my turn by about a mile and a half. Ho well that's another 3 miles on the milage tally. But I quickly got over my heat induced confusion by jumping into the pool. Ahhhhh! That felt good!
16.0 mi ride - Day 5 - Saturday, September 5, 2020
Day 6, A ride with Jan
Today of day 6 of the Great Cycle Challenge. As of today I have completed 75 of the 250 mile goal that I set for myself. I upped the goal of the pledges and with my friends help I met that new goal so I may have to up my riding goal too. Sorry about the video today it is a little glitchy. I guess I should stop and make them when I have a good signal.
12.3 mi ride - Day 6 - Sunday, September 6, 2020
Day 7, Late night ride after a big day.
I'm riding a little later today because we had a big Labor Day adventure planed. Jan and I got up early today to go scalloping with our good friends Kent and Leslie. We went out of the Plantation in Crystal River. We had a good day and managed to grab out of the seagrass 6 scallops. I ate them at the dock in one quick slurp. I was hoping for more but they did make a good appetizer
2.9 mi ride - Day 7 - Monday, September 7, 2020
Day 8, It almost rained on my ride.
This is day 8 and my 8th ride of the Great Cycle Challenge. This has been an amazing few months. My friends and family have so far raised $1,115.58.! I am almost speechless 🙊 But not completely because I still needed to do a video.
I looked at my mileage and I should break 100 miles tomorrow.
11.2 mi ride - Day 8 - Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Day 9
Day 9 and I have ridden 101 miles and with my friends help raised $1131.11. Wow Thanks everyone!
11.0 mi ride - Day 9 - Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Day 10, A little farther
Day 10 and I'm a little closer to the 1/2 way mark. Today I talk a little about my relationship with cancer. I also rode a little farther, all the way to the Pinellas, Hillsborough border. It was a nice ride out there because the wind was from the east so I had it in my face going out there but the wind to my back on the ride back, that is always a nice way to finish a ride.
15.3 mi ride - Day 10 - Thursday, September 10, 2020
Day 11, A ride in the park.
This morning is sunny in Safety Harbor and a good day for a ride. Today I changed my route up a little with a ride in the park. Jan had walked there earlier today and said it was nice. After the park I rode out to the causeway. While there I took a look at the mangroves growing along the way. Last evening I had looked up the different types of mangroves that there are. Red, Black, White mangroves grow in this part of Florida and along the way I was able to identify all three.
When I reached my halfway point I stacked some rocks in honor of the 9/11 victims.
12.7 mi ride - Day 11 - Friday, September 11, 2020
Day 12, RAIN
Ok I don't like starting a ride in the rain and today it started raining as I was starting to ride. So as you can see from the map below my ride was very short. I went inside to wait and as the picture shows the clouds and rain only got worse. I may ride this evening if it stops but Tropical Storm Sally seems to have other plans.
0.6 mi ride - Day 12 - Saturday, September 12, 2020
Day 13, Riding during a tropical storm.
I didn't ride very far yesterday because I waited toll later in the day id it started to rain right as I began. So today I got a little earlier start. I was outside around 5 this morning and the skys looked clear. It was windy but clear . So I waited for daylight. By the time the sun was up the clouds were here but no rain. You can see by my video that about a 1/2 hour the rain had moved in. I cut my ride a little short on the Causeway and turned around to head home. During my ride home I took detour through downtown Safety Harbor and took my picture there.
10.3 mi ride - Sunday, September 13, 2020
Day 14, It's a wildlife!
I was not sure I could ride today and spent most of the day lounging around watching Netflicks. About 4 pm it had dried out enough outside to ride. Once I got riding down along Bayshore I noticed in one of the drainage ditches a small gator. He was out sunning himself and had fallen asleep. As you can see from the video I got very close and he did not move. After I rode away I got worrying that he may be hurt. When I came back by on the way home he was still sleeping only he had moved to the other side of the ditch. I guess he was resting up for a big night.
11.8 mi ride - Day 14 - Monday, September 14, 2020
Day 15 Half Way
Today we are 15 days into the GCC with 15 to go. I'm right on my target of 10 miles a day. But thanks to all of you I am way over my target of money raised. Thank you everyone! The past few days it has been hard to get out to ride with the storm. It stopped raining this morning and I waited till this afternoon for the roads to dry out and they were mostly dry except for a few muddy puddles. I'm hoping that as the storm moves north that the weather will be more to my liking and I can get a few days with more miles on my bike. Or I may just have to start liking riding when it's wet out!
12.8 mi ride - Day 15 - Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Day 16 Ride Down the Trail
So far today has been very nice compared to the previous few days. It was sunny with a slight breeze and only about 77 degrees. Hurricanes are like that, after they are gone the weather is nice.
I'm now at 176 miles closing in on 200 in a few days.
The picture of me is next to the Clearwater Marker on the Causeway. Most times I ride on the other side of the road from the marker but today I decided to change things up a bit.
12.2 mi ride - Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Day 17 a Ride Through Downtown Safety Harbor
Jan and I moved to Safety Harbor almost 4 years ago in an effort to downsize our living. After the kids had grown and moved out we did not need as big a space. We both liked Safety Harbor and found a house that was just right. One of the reasons we liked Safety Harbor was the downtown. There are almost monthly art shows and other street fairs that are fun to go to. I'm hopeful that once this pandemic is over we will get back to this.
11.7 mi ride - Day 17 - Thursday, September 17, 2020
Day 18 Grapefruit?
Today a little more Safety Harbor trivia. I start my ride today at the First Choice Food and Deli. This is a little mini-mart a block off of Main Sr. in Safety Harbor. They make great sandwiches and other things and are very reasonably priced.
The large building you see in my photo is the new continuum we have in in downtown SH. Before it was built there was much concern about traffic but that does not seem to be a problem.
One thing that I find interesting about Safety Harbor is that Count Odet Philippe brought grapefruit to the New World and started citrus groves in this area I have not seen any grapefruit growing around now.
15.6 mi ride - Day 18 - Friday, September 18, 2020
Day 19 Jan came along with me
Today jan and I rode part of the Ream Wilson Trail in Clearwater. This is a nice winding trail with a lot of shady spots. We rode as far as the Alligator Kapok Park before heading back. Nice day for a ride.
13.3 mi ride - Day 19 - Saturday, September 19, 2020
Day 20
You may notice from the map that I started in a different spot today. Well not really I started from home but forgot to start my GCC app till about 2 miles into the ride. That is ok a few days ago another glitch in the system added 2 miles to my ride, don't know why it just did.
On a more exciting note donations have passed $1500! That is great and thank you everyone for making this possible.
8.5 mi ride - Day 20 - Sunday, September 20, 2020
Day 21 Blowing in the wind
Today was very windy. Riding out on the causeway was a challenge I could manage to go about 8 miles an hour into the wind. Heading back with the wind it was 18 MPH. But of course not the whole way. If you look at the map of my route you can see it was rather meandering trying to find a less windy way. I didn't.
13.9 mi ride - Day 21 - Monday, September 21, 2020
Day 22, 252 miles! and I have time for more!
I have ridden every day this month at about 10 miles a day and just surpassed my intended goal of 250 by 2 miles today. With 8 days to go I'm hoping to pass 300. Todays picture is where I've spent quite a bit of time this month waiting for a light both coming and going. It gets longer each time I go.
When we moved to Safety Harbor there was a rumor that a walking and biking bridge was scheduled to be built over Gulf to Bay blvd. As you can see I'm still waiting for the light😃
12.7 mi ride - Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Day 23, Sailing
Almost every ride I start out by riding past these sailboats. I really like looking at them and thinking about where they have been or where they may go. Most of the boats in Safety Harbor City Marina are in good shape. I often see empty slips where boats have gone on a little cruise. Maybe someday I'll have a boat here.
12.1 mi ride - Day 23 - Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Day 24, High Tide
Sorry yesterday kinda got away from me so this update is late. Jan rode with me again today and almost made it out to the causeway. maybe next time she will ride out there to see the tide.
Today it was high tide while I was riding. I can tell that even before I get to the causeway because next to the sidewalk along the bayshore I can see water among the mangroves when the tide is high. Then it it really high it comes over the sidewalk in a few places.
11.6 mi ride - Day 24 - Thursday, September 24, 2020
Day 25 Stacking Rocks
As you may remember from Day 11 I often stack rocks on the Courtney Campbell Causeway when I ride out there. Today's video is of me actually stacking rocks. It was a good day to do that because there was just a slight breeze, not enough to blow over the stack. That has happened on other days .
12.0 mi ride - Day 25 - Friday, September 25, 2020
Day 26, Off by a bit
Today was going to be different. Yea I know there is no video, I'll get to that later. As you can see my mileage is 299.4. I was planning on that being an even 300. That just seemed like a good number to have up there and as I was riding I was calculating in my head and keeping an eye on my odometer to end today at 300. Adding the distance traveled with the miles I already have and the distance back home. All this while riding a bike. I thought I had it. When I got home I figured the mileage would just be rolling over to 300. I got home, came inside and realized that in all that figuring I had forgotten to take a video or a picture. Then to top all that off I looked at my milage....299.4! Aarrrgg! My sense of symmetry is completely out of balance. No video, no picture and no even 300 miles. I guess it is true what Salvador Dali said ""Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."
https://archive.thedali.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=1663;type=101
11.7 mi ride - Day 26 - Saturday, September 26, 2020
Day 27 Now I got 300
As the picture says "So Close". Only 3 more days to ride. This month I have ridden every day and most days 10 or more miles. All for the kids. Together we have raised more that $1500. This has been a great month and I look forward to next year. Maybe next year some of you that are following this will ride with me.
11.4 mi ride - Day 27 - Sunday, September 27, 2020
Day 30 It is a little cooler
We did it! 30 day cycle challenge. This year with your help we raised more money for the kids than ever before. I rode over 300 miles. I tried to post a story about every ride for you to enjoy. This last ride was the farthest from home as you can see by the map. This is part of the reason I missed riding the last 2 days. Jan and I really wanted to see Austin and Morgan and because of the current state of the world a little more was involved than just hoping into the car and driving there.
2.8 mi ride - Day 30! - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
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