One Day To Go

We received our registration materials including our cycling jerseys at work late on Thursday. This is a major perk as it eliminates the need to go to The JFK Library today to register (or to stand in a line Saturday morning to register before the ride starts.) The jerseys are high quality cycling jerseys with 3 deep pockets in the back and wicking material all around. Here's a look:


Very cool, eh!

I'm working half a day today to run some errands in the afternoon. Here's what tomorrow should look like:

• 4:30 -up
• 4:31 - make coffee
• 4:32 - shower, shave, and dress for the ride! I plan to wear a pair of Assos Bib Shorts and my cool 2009 Best Buddies Jersey!
• 5:00 - eat breakfast (and drink that coffee!) Breakfast will be Fiddlers Green Oats & Barley Pancakes (mine never look that good...) made the night before. I don't put butter or syrup on them (I have witnesses) but I do use a little Fiddlers Green Jam (blueberry and orange rhubarb) when the pancakes are hot. These will be cold pancakes made Friday night. I add blueberries and protein powder when I whip these up. I use soy milk, too. They're delicious hot or cold. My coffee of choice is Carpe Diem Coffee Mocha Java (a mostly Maine breakfast) as I am half way through a bag of of those beans.
• 5:15 - load bike on car including 2 bags (one to be taken by the ride crew to be used at the end of the ride, and one for the rest of the weekend that stays in my car.)
• 5:20 - drive to Milton. Meet up with my sister Roberta. My sister Roberta will drive me in my car to the start. Then she's taking my car (actually, her old car) to The Cape where she, my mother and my sister Linda share a house in Harwich.
• 5:45 - arrive in Milton. Say Hi to Ralph (dog) and thank Roberta again for doing all this.
• 5:50 - drive to the start
• 6:15 - arrive start (drop bag with ride crew), look for port-a-johns, find a good place to wait, take some pictures, etc.

Formal ceremonies start at 7:00. There's a breakfast being served (a lot of people are in hotels) but I'll be set for food at that point.

We're supposed to be riding at 7:30. The first 10 miles are a controlled start: police escort at 12mph. Then we're set free to ride on our own. Word is that it's a little congested for the first 10-15 miles, so I will likely hang back and avoid potholes, glass, and entanglements with 2 and 4-wheeled vehicles. The roads are open for this ride, and we are obeying the traffic laws (which I always do.)

I plan to stop at every other water stop (so I have time to stop and take pictures along the way and still complete the ride in sufficient time to enjoy the festivities at the end including a hot shower.) I'll have a small CamelPak and 2 water bottles to keep me hydrated. I'll be carrying enough food to last for the ride, too.

Once The Bangles have taken their final encore, I'll collect my bike and wait for Roberta to pick me up at 8PM. That should allow the buses returning to Boston plenty of time to clear the area (at 7:30) as well as other vans, buses and trucks.

Thanks again for sponsoring me and for supporting the Best Buddies Program.

Cheers,

Greg