Big Ol’ Event Report: 2012 LiveStrong Challenge – Davis
You know how after you do something really awesome for the first time (I’m talking about bike-related stuff, so just put any other “first time” related train of thoughts you were having right out of mind), you immediately start thinking, “I’ve got to go do that again?”
And then, after a while, you start wondering about whether you’ve managed to exaggerate the awesomeness of that thing. Maybe, you think, it’s going to be one of those things where the next time you try it, the novelty will have worn off, leaving you to question whether there’s any point in trying it the third time.
Then you go back for the second time. And sometimes it doesn’t live up to your recollection from the first time. And that’s disappointing.
Every once in a while, though, when you go back and try something a second time, it’s every bit as awesome. Maybe even better in some ways, because this time you notice details you missed the first time.
That’s how an event becomes a tradition.
And that is, in a nutshell, my experience with the 2012 LiveStrong Davis Challenge.
Here are a few highlights.
The Winner
First of all, you need to meet Ed P, the winner of an Ibis with top-end Shimano components, plus a trip out to Utah to get his bike custom-fitted for him by SLC Bicycles, then some riding with The Hammer and me.
Here’s what he had to say in his email upon finding out that he won:
This is awesome; I’m so pumped! I’ve been attempting to convince my wife it was time for a bike upgrade for over a year now. And, as I’m sure a lot of married mountain bikers (any biker for that matter) realizes, this is a difficult case to state. Especially when your wife believes your bike is “perfectly fine.”
I’m a big fan of your blog and think what you do, from raising money for LiveStrong to raising money to buy bikes for kids in Zambia, is great.
I must admit, there was a little selfishness in entering your contest, but I really didn’t think I’d win and knew the money being raised was for a great cause. I was just trying to help out any way I could.
You asked for a pic and I provided one. I probably should offer some explanation for the scars on my forehead and nose….I had Mohs surgery to remove Basal Cell Carcinoma from my nose in April, and plastic surgery to fix it up. Fortunately the doc said he got all of the cancer, but my advice to all is wear sunscreen!
I saw your recent Tweet about this type of skin cancer. The doc told me the same thing about this “being the best cancer you can get.” Best wishes to The Hammer on her treatment. [Note from Fatty: The Hammer is having a basal cell carcinoma removed today.]
I’m definitely a mountain biker, so I’m going with the Tranny or the Mojo (leaning toward the Tranny). But, I need to calm down and take a look at my options. I’m definitely looking forward to the trip to Utah. Once again, I’m going to have to re-read your past blogs and select where I want to go. This will be a tough decision, for sure.
Thanks again, not only for the great blog and contests, but for all that you do to make a difference!
Once Ed’s made up his mind, I’ll let you know what he’ll be riding, and where. And I’m sure a blog post or two or three will come out of this trip.
Congratulations, Ed!
The Dinner
OK, now on to the events of the Davis LiveStrong Challenge itself.
Like last year, Team Fatty gathered Friday night to hang out, as well as get a tour of the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.
There was a group of about 30 of us, which was about the same as last year. However, this year, David stepped things up about five notches by grilling bratwurst — using my recipe — on the patio.
And he did magnificently. I was happy to declare, in fact, that his brats were every bit as good as mine. And I proved my assertion by eating three. Which I felt entitled to do, because I’m sure at least one person in the group was a vegetarian and so probably didn’t eat any.
Here’s Greg Chapek. He’s happy about the bratwurst, too.
I’d go so far, in fact, as to say that he’s very happy indeed. Perhaps the reason he was so happy was that I had just revealed to him what I was thinking. Specifically, that the course was incredibly flat, and the weather was expected to be ideal — not especially windy, and not especially hot.
I was thinking, I told Greg — a very strong rider — that maybe a group of us should do our utmost to see if we could do our first sub-five-hour century.
Greg was intrigued (and also very very happy).
And of course, there was cake, provided generously by the true organizer of the whole Team Fatty in Davis experience, Angie G.
It may look like a Halloween cake, but it was actually incredibly delicious, and I’m proud to say that I ate two pieces.
I’m not as proud, however, to announce that I then ate another two pieces.
The Day Before
One of the things I love about the Davis event is that it’s mellow. You have time to relax. Plus, the packet pick-up spot is right by a terrific farmers’ market, which of course has expanded way beyond produce to pretty much anything you could want to eat.
The Hammer and I ate. A lot.
And right now I’m becoming uncomfortably aware that I have so far talked about nothing but eating for this entire post.
Oh well, you may as well get used to it.
We hung around, eating pastry and sandwiches and possibly even some produce.
Not to mention admiring the wide variety of t-shirts passersby had chosen to wear for the occasion:
Then the Hammer and I went on a little bike path tour of Davis, which has got to be the bike-friendliest town I have ever been in. Feel free to check out The Hammer’s Strava of the ride, which is interesting primarily in that it may be the only Strava upload she’s ever done that hasn’t netted her at least one QOM.
The Fundraising Award Dinner
The night before the big ride, LiveStrong always puts on a special dinner for its top fundraising teams and people.
And since Team Fatty has raised more than double the amount of the second-place team, that definitely included us.
Here I am, pretending to listen intently to someone about something. You can tell I’m intent because my arms are folded.
This photo is also notable because I believe it is the first time in about five years that I am wearing a button-up shirt, like the big kids wear.
Since we won three out of four awards (Team Fundraising Award, Individual Fundraising Award, Individual Messenger Award), I was supposed to get up and give a five-minute speech.
So I got up and talked for about fifteen minutes, rambling about any old thing that came into my head. Basically, it was like people got to see what this blog is like, except live and unedited, and with — unbelievably enough — even more typos.
The Ride
Eventually I stopped talking and everyone got to go to back to their hotels and get to bed. But then we had to come back early, because — as the top fundraising team — we needed to report to the starting line half an hour early to get our team photo at the starting line.
There was an event photographer taking those pictures for us, and I’m sure we’ll eventually see them, but for now, a few that we took ourselves will have to do.
This one’s my favorite. We had time to scrawl in chalk, nice and huge, the team motto:
It’s probably worth clicking on to see the larger version, because then you’ll get a better view of my magnificent quads, not to mention the strained look on my face as I’m sucking my gut in.
Once all the pictures were taken, the race ride began.
Before long, a good-sized group of Team Fatty coalesced into a paceline, stamping out 23mph miles one after the other. Jeremy. Greg. Matt. Mike. David. The Hammer. Me. And others.
The course was flat. The weather was beautiful: a mild wind that made southbound riding a little hard, but not bad (if you were in a paceline). We flew.
Occasionally, a rider would have to drop off. Matt, David, and Mike early on. Jeremy toward the very end. And occasionally, we would pick up a rider or two.
Elsewhere on the course, other groups from Team Fatty were picking up riders, too. Yesterday morning, I got an awesome email from Phil who got picked up by what I like to call The Big Orange Train:
Team Fatcyclist,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the wheel yesterday. I will try and be brief here; I have only been riding for two months, I am a stocky model with a bad knee. I lost contact with my team on on after the Steiger hill climb. I was alone, battling the Vacaville winds and using a lot of energy. This is when team fatcyclist came up to my left and the leader asked “how ya doing?”, My reply “old and getting tired!” in turn he said “Grab a wheel”. I joined the tail end of the pace line and we were off!! We caught my team mates in short order and they jumped into the line as well. I never counted how many of us were in the line, but it grew and grew as we passed other riders.
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to your team, the pull as well as all you doe for the LiveSTRONG foundation!
Have an awesome day!!
Phil
Our average dropped and it looked like we weren’t going to get that sub-five century after all. We were going to miss it by just a few minutes.
And then — right around mile 75 — we saw the “20 Miles to Go” sign.
Whaa?
So the course wasn’t going to be 100 miles. Which meant we still had a chance to finish in under five hours.
We stepped up the pace.
Greg — who had been pulling way more often than anyone else for the first 80 miles of the ride — was starting to tire. I was feeling great, though, thanks to the fact that I had been sucked along for most of the ride, doing hardly any work.
So for the final 15 miles, I pulled. Yep, for pretty much the whole thing. And I felt great doing it. We flew, passing groups that had passed us earlier.
Thoughts of imminent pie consumed me.
Then I saw Andrew — the fastest guy on Team Fatty. He had finished half an hour ago, and had turned around to come finish with more of us. Then, after he did that, I believe he went out a third time and finished with another group.
I would be that awesome if I had the legs for it. I swear.
In any case, we did it. The Hammer, Greg C, and I crossed the finish line in about 4:56. A sub-five.
Except, of course, it wasn’t 100 miles. But still, I think we can make a claim to being, at the very least, half-fast.
The Pie
Meanwhile, David — yes, the very same David who had awesomely done the brats for the Friday shindig — had arranged for pie to be waiting for us under the Team Fatty tent.
Lots and lots and lots of pie.
I may have had four pieces; I may have had five. I confess that my recollection of the events of the day become foggy and confused after the fourth, because I seem to remember a cyclist with a horse’s head mingling among us.
With such a nice day, a tent, lots of shade trees, and a nice breeze, there was no reason to not just hang around and relax for hour upon hour, talking at length with anyone from Team Fatty (and quite a few people who weren’t) who was willing to put up with me.
The Importance of Celebrating
The LiveStrong Challenge at Davis was a perfect weekend for me. A wonderful town, great friends, perfect weather, a fast ride, and an important cause.
It was, simply, incredibly fun. It wasn’t a serious, sad weekend. The seriousness had all happened before, when we had taken the step to fight cancer and raise money for a cause we believed in. Now we — and everyone there — had a chance to relax, have fun, and celebrate our success before taking a deep breath and diving back in.
I’m incredibly proud of what Team Fatty did for LiveStrong here. And I love the tradition we’ve gotten started here.
The tradition is set: we’ll be back next year: same place, same events. Same silliness, same serious reason.
If I were you, I’d start making plans to be a part of Team Fatty and joining us.
Comment by Lori P. | 06.26.2012 | 11:42 am
I just would love to say a huge THANK YOU to Elden, Lisa and all of the other members of Team Fatty that were there this weekend. The dinner was incredible, I felt so grateful to be there to hear everyone’s inspiring words. Then to line up the next day with all of you was tremendous. Even though I am the undoubtably slowest member (I didn’t even have enough left in me to catch the train at the end, but thanks guys!)of Team Fatty, I still finished my first ever metric and it was great to see that there was pie at the end. You all are awesome! See you again next year!!!
Comment by Janneke | 06.26.2012 | 11:43 am
Great write-up Fatty, of what obviously was a great pie- and ride filled weekend. Good luck to Lisa on today’s operation. Live Strong!
Comment by Lori P. | 06.26.2012 | 11:43 am
Ooops! I forgot to also thanks all the wonderful Texas 4000 kids-they are amazing!
Comment by Angie G | 06.26.2012 | 11:48 am
FC- This weekend is something I look forward to every year. With all the hustle and bustle life throws our way,it truly is an opportunity to move the compass needle a little. Even with all the work I never fail to feel invigorated and energized after the ride.
In fact it’s almost like Thanksgiving in June. A time to reflect on all that we are thankful for.
I am thankful for you and the Hammer. 2 truly amazing and inspiring people.
I am thankful for all the crazy, wonderful member of Team Fatty who make this event spectacular.
I am thankful for my brothers from another mother, MattC and GregC who are with out a doubt the funniest and wackiest friends I have been blessed to have.
I am thankful to DavidH for his cooking skills and of course for the pie!!!!
Finally, I am thankful for Livestrong. An organization that provides so much support to those battling cancer and an outlet for us to feel like we can make a difference.
Fatties- thanks for being wonderful people!!!!
Comment by zeeeter | 06.26.2012 | 11:49 am
Great write-up. So hard to capture the amazing atmosphere of being there with a group of great, highly motivated folks, eating pie, hanging out, even wheeling a bit!
I’d also like to thank the Team Fatty guys who actually stopped to wait for me and a couple of others (I’ll let the other ‘fess up on who they were) to catch up then dragged my sorry carcass for a bunch more miles. You guys know who you are, really appreciate what you did! Awesome strong riders, looking after their teammates for no good reason other than that’s the Fatty way.
Awesome weekend, see you next year for sure.
Comment by NYCCarlos | 06.26.2012 | 11:52 am
Next year, I’m coming out early.
Comment by mykill | 06.26.2012 | 11:54 am
It was a great weekend with a great group, and it was a pleasure meeting everyone i had previously known only as disembodied handles in the comments.
And ClydeinKS, i tried to sprint Clydesendale Road (the signs and maps still misspelled it as Allendale) for you- but i topped out at 24.5 mph, i warned you i needed a hill and a tailwind!
See everybody next year! (hopefully on a bike made for this sort of thing- then *maybe* i’ll be able to run with the pieloton)
Good luck Lisa!
Comment by Jeremy | 06.26.2012 | 11:55 am
It was an awesome weekend. My girls loved going to see the bikes at the museum, they just couldn’t hang on for the late tour. Selfishly, the ride was a great excuse to get down to California and see old friends so I think I have my wife convinced we need to make this an annual event, at least until LiveStrong moves it again.
I missed NYCCarlos and the opportunity to give him a bit of a bad time for needing to bum Clif bars from me. I brought you some of Allen’s rice cakes, Carlos, but apparently the world conspired against you. The good news is MattC got to use the phrase “Shot out the back like peleton diarrhea” appropriately.
Okay. Is this actually true?: “I was thinking, I told Greg — a very strong rider — that maybe a group of us should do our utmost to see if we could do our first sub-five-hour century.” This is the first sub-5 hour (almost) century for you three? First, that is awesome.
Second, now I don’t feel so bad about completely burying myself at the end and not being able to hang on. The pads had me in at exactly 20 minutes after you guys, but I did get to finish with the Thompson clan. I just went back and checked actual time elapsed, not rolling time, for last year. I came in at 6:57 total time last year, compared to 5:16 this year. Sure, it was a different course, but losing the big orange train early last year was a huge motivator for me. I am looking forward to next year.
Comment by ClydeinKS | 06.26.2012 | 12:02 pm
I SO need to start planning for next year! I don’t know the area, can it be guaranteed that Mt. Baldy won’t be part of the course?
Mykill – THANKS for putting in the sprint, sounds like the 24.5 could’ve let you pull the train for a bit, very respectable.
I took Mighty Athena out for her first organized ride over the weekend, representing Team Fatty in Kansas City – and she did GREAT!
MUST GET TO DAVIS IN 2013!!!
Great job Team Fatty!!!
Comment by Susie H | 06.26.2012 | 12:07 pm
Great, great weekend! So good to put faces with names, and names with aka names. (I’m still not sure I have it all figured out!) I’m kinda feeling like we are all just one big fam now.
A highlight for me? I learned that drafting really, really works!
I’ll finish this comment with the question I am sure everyone is asking…
“Will Mark and Susie have road bikes next year???”
Comment by Rich | 06.26.2012 | 12:08 pm
awesome story and awesome group! Sounds like I need to add it to the schedule for next year.
Comment by NYCCarlos | 06.26.2012 | 12:19 pm
@Jeremy HAHAHA… amazing. I’m glad someone got to use my catchphrase! I’m making plans for next year, and I will come out as early as I need to in order to actually make it in time. I’ll bring your pay-back clif bars with me!
Comment by Leigh Anne | 06.26.2012 | 12:21 pm
I had a great time too, hooked up with a fatty train mostly from So. Cal but I won’t hold that against them. The 6 boys even let this chick take a pull or two, but then shot me off the back in home stretch( yes it was windy when riding solo in Dixon) No sub 5 for me but my fastest ever moving time 5:32. Thanks for everything, the team spirit and overall awesomeness.
You bet this will be an annual event for me!
See you at Levi’s Gran Fondo? ( no sub 5 on that one!)
Comment by Rod Martin | 06.26.2012 | 12:28 pm
Awesome post Fatty! I am SO BUMMED my lack of scheduling brains made me miss this year – I am FOR SURE going to make it next year!
Oh, and it’s the last day to sign up for the Utah Tour de Donut and be guaranteed a shirt – check it out, Fatty will have his hands full with this years’ competition!
Comment by Liz | 06.26.2012 | 12:31 pm
Congratulations to Team Fatty! Great to see you all lined up at the start. Kudos to those who got a sub-5 century and even bigger kudos to the ones who were in the saddle a bit longer. And the pie looks awesome!
Comment by Wife#1 | 06.26.2012 | 12:41 pm
An Open Letter to the 2013 Team Fatty for Livestrong/Davis
By Wife#1 aka David’s shorter half
Dear Future Team Fatty for Davis,
While I find myself delighted to read of this joyful and highly successful event, it is clear that no thought at all was given to my own well-being. Therefore, as you look to next year, I have a few requests.
1. You must eat more pie or have a much larger team. It is completely unacceptable that there are 4 pies in my refrigerator right now. And that does not include the triple berry pie that I made for you all and David forgot. My children had pie for breakfast this morning, not to mention for dinner the last two nights. It’s just wrong that we should be so burdened. Clearly the 2012 TF members had inadequate pie ingesting skills. Or perhaps they spent too much time at the Farmer’s Market along with their team captain. Either way, please plan on eating ALL the damn pie or else, be kind enough to send leftovers home with Fatty and The Hammer.
2. The brats. I was thrilled to read that the brats were up to snuff and I am on board with our home once again being the place where the boiling/seasoning happens. Fatty very cleverly set expectations that a terrible aroma that would accompany this process, so that when in fact it was simply a mild funk, my reaction was a relieved “oh that’s not bad at all” – which cleared the way for future brattage at the house. However, regarding the brats, I do ask that you all….
- Remind David to make sure our home grill has propane so we can enjoy some of the brats at home. Broiling them just ain’t the same;
- Leave a few cans of PBR at home for me to enjoy (shudder all you want, I found it surpisingly refreshing and the college flash backs were just awesome);
- Solve the problem of why so many more buns came home than brats. In fact, please arrange to have more brats come home. Unlike pie, I’m surprisingly fine with lots of leftover brats.
I think that’s it for now. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. I feel certain you will give my list of requests the same consideration that the producers of Leverage gave to Fatty’s list.
:-)
Cheers and CONGRATULATIONS to the 2012 Team Fatty/Davis group for again showing your power to raise oodles of money to help in the fight against cancer while also having FUN! You are just amazing people and I know you all have family and friends that are just as proud of you as I am.
Vive le Team Fatty!
Comment by davidh-marin, ca | 06.26.2012 | 12:42 pm
To all those who missed the pie this year, fear not. The leftovers are presently sitting in the back of the freezer, and I’ll pull them out in time for next year’s event…yummmm????
As for Friday night, next year, food suggestions are now being taken. I know Zeeeter would like us to open it up a bit.
Great to see everyone. I’m hoping next year to get them tandem going a little quicker, and get a Fatty Train of our own.
Comment by davidh-marin, ca | 06.26.2012 | 12:48 pm
So you now see how our house operates: Wife#1 making comments that seriously keeps me in my place.
As for the PBR I make no apologies. I already have to live with the situation when out to dinner at the local micro brewery she asks for the ‘lightest’ “most Miller like” beer they have. I don’t know if MattC has this situation at his home, but I bet he understands my situation.
I bow to Wife#1 Maybe next year we’ll get her there.
Comment by Carl | 06.26.2012 | 1:20 pm
What a great post and congrats to Ed on the new bike!
Comment by MattC | 06.26.2012 | 1:27 pm
What an AWESOME weekend!
David, thanks again for the SPECIAL beers you brought for me (boy am I special!) and also for the brats (I had 5…though admittedly I must fess up to Wife#1: I started putting 2 brats in each bun…as they were tasty but kind’a large…so NOW you know why you had extra buns but not enough brats). And the pies. AGAIN. TASTY TASTY Pies!
However, turns out that I SHOULD have done the 70 rather than the 100…as the banana creme pie (which it was I who suggested that one if you recall) was all gone when I got in. Rats.
And Sist’a Angie did an amazing job once again organizing things (and busting my chops repeatedly… it felt just like I was at home, thank you very much! Jeannie would be proud to know you are keeping Greg and I in line).
It was such fun to hang out w/ everybody, putting more names to faces and comment-handles (though I sadly confess those names are disappearing quickly from my quickly deteriorating memory).
I’ll be posting tons of pics on Facebook, and putting names to faces where I can…PLEASE don’t be angry if I blow it, and feel free to tag yoursel an any photo’s you see (also feel free to download any pics you are interested in). I hope to have the pics uploaded tonight or tomorrow.
See ya’ll next year. If you missed it, I’m sorry. This was THE event of the year (for me anyway). Stay safe and keep up the fight everybody!
And a final thanks to Fatty for making this all happen. Just amazing what it’s turned into. And Lisa, it was fun getting HAMMERED by you (and Greg, and Fatty, and the rest of the fast group!)
Comment by Miles Archer | 06.26.2012 | 1:46 pm
Thanks for the nice ride and meet up afterwards. I showed up a few minutes late and missed the team picture.
I didn’t ride with any of you, but it was easy enough to find people along the way to share pulls with.
It couldn’t have been a nicer day.
Comment by Mike C | 06.26.2012 | 1:53 pm
Big thanks to Team Fatty for the great introduction to the team! This was truly one of the funnest rides I’ve done. I’m really looking forward to killing myself to keep up again next year. Hopefully I’ll see some of you at Levi’s Gran Fondo later this year.
Comment by ClydesdalePilot | 06.26.2012 | 2:07 pm
This was seriously the most fun I’ve had on a bike trip weekend. It was awesome finally getting to meet Fatty, and the Hammer, and MattC and everyone else whose name I forget (I’m terrible with names).
I tried to ride with the Big Orange Train at the start, and after 8 minutes I was done. Still, I learned more about drafting on Sunday than I have in the past 18 months of riding!
Can’t wait to see you all next year! Go Team Fatty!
Comment by mykill | 06.26.2012 | 2:07 pm
@MattC, i think if you did 95 or 96 miles like the rest of us instead of taking the 120 mile scenic route, you might have been back in time for the banana creme!
Comment by zeeeter | 06.26.2012 | 2:48 pm
Unofficial response to Wife#1 :)
Hope you realized I had to bribe two adjacent team tents who kindly took four pies off your hands. Otherwise it would have been breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper for the next four weeks!
davidh-marin, ca – The odd few turkey brats would be good, although I found out that dill pickles taste a lot like brats when mixed with cabbage, ketchup and mustard. The funny thing is I don’t like dill pickles, but they went down really well as I hadn’t eaten anything all day! :) Seriously, thanks so much for the food and pie, really appreciate the efforts!
Comment by Bill | 06.26.2012 | 2:55 pm
I will say that riding with Team Fatty was the highlight of my cycling year! I was got picked up by four Fatties that eventually became the Big Orange Train at about the 32 mile mark. As we rode along we slowly picked up more Fatties along the way until we wound up with about 7 or 8 TF riders working together. I’ve never really done much significant pace line riding so being a part of the BOT was an absolute blast!
At one point, the last Fatty pulled off the front of the pace line and the next rider decided to lift the pace. Unfortunately, some of us (me included) suddenly started having trouble keeping up. The stronger TF riders realized that the BOT was coming to pieces and held up to give the rest of us a chance to catch up. Once we were back together, we started back out as a group. I for one REALLY appreciated that our stronger riders would wait for some of the weaker riders so we could keep the team together!
I managed to stay with the Big Orange Train until about 10 miles left when the wind and the pace just became too much. I met up with one other Fatty (hey, Rob!) at the last rest stop and the two of us had a nice leisurely ride to the finish line. Thanks to the BOT, I managed to finish this ride in 6:17 which absolutely crushed my previous time for a 90+ mile ride.
To the other riders in the Big Orange Train: thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys were instrumental in me having one of the best days I’ve ever had on a bike!
And to Elden, thanks for bringing together this incredible group of people. I will hopefully be able to make this a tradition as well!
Comment by MattC | 06.26.2012 | 3:02 pm
Oh, and Fatty…Greg ALWAYS looks like that.
Somebody must have said the word “ride?” sometime in the last 27 days. In case you didn’t know, he likes to ride. Even MORE than he likes PIE (GASP!).
I’m thinking that having pie DURING the ride would be the ticket. Might try blending up pie and squeezing it into a gel bottle.
Wife#1…what flavors you have still left?
Comment by BonzoGal | 06.26.2012 | 3:46 pm
It was so much fun to meet and ride (and EAT) with you all. The horse-head guy is my kooky husband Eric L. He’s now talking about doing next year on our tandem… matching horse-heads optional.
Wife #1, the reason there were extra buns was that some of us (me included) were snatching and eating brats right off the grill. They were delicious. I prefer salt and grease to sugar, and happily ate extra brats to make up for the cake and pie I didn’t eat.
This was my first ever cycling event, and you all made it so much fun that it won’t be my last. Thank you!
Comment by Justin L | 06.26.2012 | 4:13 pm
Sorry i could not make it this year, sounds like a good time. I was out of town, but ill see you all next year!! Good job fatty
Comment by Wife#1 | 06.26.2012 | 4:48 pm
@MattC… so were you the one drinking the left over PBRs? *sniff* What we have left…
Pecan (2)
Pumpkin
Apple
My homemade triple berry
BTW – did anyone try one of my shoo fly pies? If so, honest feedback please as I did something different this time with the spices (the core recipe we use is good but a little bland) so I want to know if this batch turned out very good. Otherwise I will go back to the ginger/cinnamon/clove/nutmeg/brown sugar drawing board.
@Bonzogal – right there with you! Fat+salt always trumps sweet for me.
Comment by GregC | 06.26.2012 | 5:38 pm
So many things, so little time, where do I start: Fatty hit it on the head when he said this event exceeded the awesomeness of last years big time- this is a cant miss event next year. This is my 4th LiveStrong event, its become a gathering of old and new friends that almost overshadows the ride (almost, but there yet). Its hard to come up with anything that was lacking- friends, food, weather, food, roads, food, bikes, good beer, and did a mention food?
Food: Fatty isn’t the only one that ate his way through the weekend. David’s brats Friday night were awesome good- I ate three myself. LiveStrong again put on a great after event feed: the correct reply by all the food servers was yes (can I have two hamburgers, can I have extra macaroni salad, can I have multiple drinks, etc). Grazing our way through the farmers market on Saturday was a fantastic way to kick back and relax. Its amazing that I can burn 4000 calories cycling and still gain weight. Go figure.
Bicycling Hall of Fame Event: Joe at the Bicycling Hall of Fame outdid himself again this year with his hospitality and tour. If you ever are near Davis, you need to go check this out. Hopefully Joe will be able to join us next year for a ride- a great guy.
LiveStrong Award Dinner: Always inspiring speakers, decent food (a recurring theme), beverages and a chance to talk with old and new friends. All good.
The ride: When Fatty first proposed the sub 5 hour century (at first he said 4 ½ hours- I’m pretty sure my posted picture was more cringing in fear than delight), I was intrigued. Team Fatty again got to start a the very front of the line by winning almost every award , that all by itself is really awesome. I could have done without stopping at the early traffic light, even though we had our own personal highway patrol escort and officers on both sides of the cross traffic- and there was no cross traffic for crying out loud! The early group of lots of Fatty’s started to dwindle down as they used themselves up to get our GC leaders (Fatty and Hammer) to the finish line. Riding a paceline with people that know how to do it always a joy. The course was great, and although flat, had enough turns so that it didn’t feel like you were riding a demoralizing straight road into the horizon. The rolling hills were a hoot, incredible scenery. Only two SAG stops allowed by our leaders- we had a goal to meet. By mile 85 I was getting tired and was working really hard to focus only on Hammers rear wheel- if it got more than 4 feet ahead of me I would have lost them forever. Fatty and Hammer are both so amazingly strong. And Andrew- a 4:20 century- dude!
The People: What can you say- what an incredible group. I recall Fatty saying that there were 40 some Fattys at the ride: including Fatty, Hammer, AngieG, MattC (or as he calls himself now, Pat Schleck), DavidH (sorry that Wife#1 didn’t make it), Christine, Jeremy, Zeeeter, Jeffery, AKChick, Mike, David, and so many more (I’m bad with names but remember faces).
I guess you can say I had a great time. Thanks to everyone!
Comment by GregC | 06.26.2012 | 5:53 pm
BTW- thank you Eldon and Lisa for all you do. I very much enjoyed spending a little time with you (and that bike ride thing too!) I look forward to the next time.
Comment by Jenni | 06.26.2012 | 7:08 pm
Now it’s time to sign up for (P)Hilly!! C’mon on out!
Comment by diverkiwi | 06.26.2012 | 7:30 pm
First of all, it was a pleasure to ride with everyone!
I am still smiling from the positive energy I experienced from the whole experience. Everyone at work is asking how the ride was and I can’t help but gush from about the experience and all of you!
This being my first organized ride… any other ride has a lot to live up to. I’m already planning on the ride for 2013. Yes my goal is the 40ish mile next year.
Brats on Friday were incredible. It was great to meet everyone. Angie G thank you so much for organizing all of us crazy fatties!!
I’ll try to cut footage from my GoPro soon, work calls…
P.S. If any of you fatties are from central CA and know a Diane who rode the 20 mile course who just had breast cancer and just had her final chemo treatment, please send my love, let her know it was a pleasure riding with her the first 10 miles and I wish her the best! Thanks!
-Kiwi (Anthony)
Comment by AmyT. | 06.27.2012 | 12:26 am
I agree, it was a perfect weekend. I didn’t think last year’s experience could be improved but this year’s was fantastic.
Thanks to Angie for her organization and work on Friday. Thanks to Dave for cooking Friday and for the pie.
Wife 1, the shoofly pie was great. Thanks for going to the trouble of making pies for the team.
Thanks to Elden and Lisa for graciously sharing a bit of yourselves with everyone.
And, thanks to my husband who suggested we sign up to ride last year with our son, Rob. I thought he was crazy to think Rob could ride 20 miles last year. This year we all rode 43 miles! (A record for Rob and I.)
We will definitely be back next year.
Comment by Rumpled/Jim | 06.27.2012 | 12:27 am
I was sooo disappointed tat I didn’t make this event – even though I signed up and sooo planned to be there.
Turns out I had a lodging/transportation problem. Coming back from Sea Otter my trailer had a big blowout. The $ I was gonna spend on going to Davis instead has been spent on fixing my trailer.
The stories sound so fun and amazing.
I did a sub 7 hour ride time for my 100 MON – sub 5 sounds soo amazing.
If all goes well, I’ll at least see some of you at Levi’s ride – trailer willing. (Yes, the plan is to camp out in Cloverdale for that one yet again)
I hope to do well sub 10 hours for that ride – finishing in the dark wasn’t totally fun.
Way to go all of you!
Comment by davidh-marin, ca | 06.27.2012 | 1:46 am
@rumpledJim we’ll be riding the tandem at Levi’s, keep in touch, hang on and we’ll pull you in. nothing like pacing a tandem uphill. The payoff is on the downs and the flats..
Comment by ChristineG | 06.27.2012 | 6:54 am
I agree with everyones comments about Davis. Had a great time last year, an even better time this year, and am looking forward to next year.
Thanks to Angie for her awesome job planning , David for his cooking and pies ( Wife #1 I loved the shoofly pie, though I have never had it before so I have nothing to compare it to), Fatty and Lisa for all that you guys do, and all the other Team Fatty (and non-Team Fatty members) I got to hang out with. Hopefully I will see all you guys next year!
Comment by Laura S | 06.27.2012 | 8:34 am
Great write up! I’m sorry to have missed it yet again this year. I’m hoping next year it doesn’t fall on the same weekend as the extended family camp out cause I can’t miss that! No pie but the chili is awesome there.
Comment by Lonster | 06.27.2012 | 9:48 am
It was an awesome time on the bike. Great write up Fatty! As part of the Visalia Team Fatty contingent that pulled people in it was nice to finally put faces to names. MattC (yest that one) was great to ride with as were the others. Sorry we lost some of you the last ten miles in the wind. The pie at the end was a bonus and we lived up to the slogan we chalked at the start.
Comment by Angie G | 06.27.2012 | 11:41 am
For any Fatties attending the Granfondo, please keep in touch; angie@bikemonkey.net
I will be there helping manage registration again and would love for you to come by and say Hi.
Comment by Aaron W | 06.27.2012 | 10:04 pm
Eldon it was such a pleasure to meet you and your better half. Yea it was a bit nuts on my part this being my 5th ride of the year, at least not the full century. I have done the last 3 challenges on my own to be part of this amazing team was just a blast. Everyone is accepting and encouraging. I plan on being part of the entire weekend next year, at least I hope to. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do. And thanks to the rest of Team Fatty for just being awesome.
Comment by AKChick55 | 06.27.2012 | 10:11 pm
This was going to be my final Challenge for a while. I have to admit that I’m already scheming on how to get there next year. It’s REALLY expensive to fly to anywhere from Alaska, but I have airline miles so I can get my own ticket (probably won’t be first class though) unless my dear friend offers to get my ticket next year. (hey SusieH, were you serious about a place to stay with air conditioning? :)
Where do I begin? First, thank you to Fatty for having this blog and bringing together such a dynamic and fun group of people. Second, thank you to Fatty again for marrying such a wonderful woman aka The Hammer. She was sweet enough to chat with me at length on Friday, put up with me on Saturday at the fundraising dinner and humored me by letting me take lots of photos of her and Fatty at the start. Then let me sit next to here after we finished. It was all I could do not to scream like a 13 year old girl. Also thank you to Fatty for putting up with my silliness. I forget that people don’t know me very well and when I joke around, sometimes I sound serious. And thank you Fatty for getting everyone that wanted to go to the dinner into the dinner.
Thank you to AngieG for planning Friday’s event. I feel like a slacker as I was supposed to help get food and set-up and I didn’t do any of that though I did keep DavidH company while he sliced pickles and watermelon and got everything set-up for Brats. AngieG was right, this is kind of like Thanksgiving! Thanks to Joe at the Cycling Hall of Fame for being a superb host! I LOVED the tour and now I want a beautiful bamboo bike and a carbon fiber bike from Calfee. They are complete works of art. Thanks to Wife#1 for making pies! And encouraging me to do the 100 miler. Thanks to DavidH and Jeff for pulling me nearly the entire ride on their tandem though our shortcut back to the finish only saved us 5 miles. :) They dropped me in the hills (I’m so out of shape) but I caught up to them at the rest stop and they never let me fall behind again. So awesome! Poor DavidH rode into the wind with little help all day. I would have been useless since I would have been too slow. We did have one really nice guy that pulled for them for a little while. We rode with his sweet sister Weige (not sure how you spell her name) who is a 5 year cancer survivor. i wish I had gotten her contact info!!! I think she’s planning on doing the Gran Fondo though so maybe I can still get her contact info through a fellow Fatty.
I SO enjoyed meeting everyone. It is so nice to put a face to a name.
It is worthy to note that Mykill did all 100 miles on a MOUNTAIN BIKE and was cruising along at insane speeds! He is an animal! When he gets a road bike, I expect he’ll be riding with the fast Fattys.
I have a TON of photos to go through and will put up on my Facebook page and share the link here. Feel free to look me up and friend me (Sasha Prewitt).
I can’t wait for next year!!! :)
Comment by Clydesteve | 06.28.2012 | 12:05 am
Way to go Team Fatty! It was meloncholy for me to miss this year. Hope to see you all next!
Comment by Bill | 06.30.2012 | 5:55 pm
It was great meeting and riding with you last weekend! I wrote up a ride summary on my blog (tdf2012.blogspot.com). You can find it here: http://tdf2012.blogspot.com/2012/06/team-livestrong-challenge-davis-ride_30.html.
By the way, if you are watching the Tour this year, keep an eye out for a shout out for Team Fatty on the roads of the Pyrenees, most likely on the stage finishing in Bagneres-de-Luchon. And you can look for me in the crowd: I’ll be the one holding the black and gold flag with the big tiger head on it (Go Mizzou!)