Dan & Kathryn's AIDS/LifeCycle12 Wrap Up Letter

 

Hello everyone.

Well another year has come and gone. And as it has been for the 17 years for me, it happened way too fast, yet leading up to the event seemed like eternity. This would be Kathryn's forth year riding the ride but would be her first on a single bike. The last three years were done on the tandem so it was a totally new experience for her.

Please click on the links for pictures

  • Day 1 - SF to Aptos - 92 miles with 4200’ of climbing. Starting at the Cow Palace, the route took us through SF streets to the Pacific Ocean. At mile 42, lunch was on the coast at San Gregario beach. Then after lunch Highway One to Santa Cruz. Camp was in Aptos which is just past Santa Cruz. A beautiful day!

  • Day 2 - Aptos to King City - 102 miles with 2375’ of climbing. We woke up to a crisp morning at 4:40 am to ride out at 7 am. The route would take us through the agricultural fields of Monterey Bay, then a sharp left turn into the Salinas Valley towards King City. Again, a stiff tailwind would help us most of the way. Only the last twenty miles would turn these winds into our enemy. The longest mileage but also the flattest day.

  • Day 3 - King City to Paso Robles - 78 miles with 2244’ of climbing. Absolutely the worst roads on the planet lead out of King City. The first real challenging hill awaited us at the famous “Quadbuster” after the first rest stop. The route after that took us inland through Fort Hunter-Liggett and then through earthquake country of the Jolon Valley and to Paso Robles. Aches and pains were starting to surface in the legs. This is normal and would go away (hopefully). Stretching is a fantastic medicine.

  • Day 4 – Paso Robles to Santa Maria - 100 miles with 3562’ of climbing. Back to the coast not too far from the Hearst Castle, then south past Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and again into more agricultural areas leading to Santa Maria (not to mention Michael Jackson Country).

  • Day 5 – Santa Maria to Lompoc - 43 miles with 1700’ of climbing. Why 43 miles? Well, the actual distance as the crow flies is about 22 miles. How can you have a 22 mile day when other days are 100? So, we took a nice bike ride in yet more agricultural roads before climbing into the Vandenberg Air Force Base Hills and into Lompoc, the rose capital of the world (or so they say). A good day to rest up.

  • Day 6 – Lompoc to Ventura Beach - 89 miles with 2900’ of climbing. We started out with a long gradual climb and then a great descent to the coast again.Kathryn and I always stop on Santa Barbara Beach and have lunch. It's now a tradition.  This is my favorite day because we ride through Santa Barbara. The people of Santa Barbara came out and gave us an unofficial rest stop called Paradise Pit featuring ice cream, hot dogs, candy, and soda. I cried. Absolutely enchanting…In camp, I realize once again that the ride is coming to an end and even though I’m sad, I’m glad.

  • Day 7 – Ventura Beach to Los Angeles - 82 miles with 2139’ of climbing. Out of camp, we ride through Oxnard and then the route took us to the coast at Point Mugu Air Station and down the Pacific Coast Highway. Then through Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and into LA streets. This was always scary. Then we rode into the Veterans Hospital where the finish has been the last few years.

There. We did it! It was, as usual, a life changing experience. Knowing that we were riding for a cause that is so important made the sacrifices we made insignificant. All the training, the time taking to fundraise, the licking of so many stamps ;-). This event is so very important, not only to me personally, but to the world. We made a difference and we will continue to so. With your generous help, we are making a difference!

 

So, with that, we are getting ready for next years ride which will take place June 1st through June 7th, 2014. This will be my 18th consecutive AIDS ride and Kathryn's 6th!. For you who’d like to get on board right now (more tax deductions!!), you can submit a donation at my homepage located at http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/DanHertleinALC13. Kathryn's homepage is at http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/kathrynchess. Please bookmark it as you’ll be able to get updates on my progress. My ride number is 1519. Again, I will be leading training rides. And I’ll send this invitation out to you all. If you’d be interested in riding next years ride or volunteering in same way, please shoot me an email at dan@danhertlein.com or call me on my cell at 925-207-3776.

 

Thanks again! You’ll be hearing from me within the next couple of months. Have a great holiday season.

 

Love, Dan

 

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