Nearing the Achievement of my Goal

Folks, we have almost done it. You have nearly raised $4,200 for Braeden and JDRF! There are not many things I can to do express my gratitude for the contributions you have made. Braeden's life is so dramatically affected by diabetes. Your donations to JDRF are personal and moving to me.

I set out a few weeks ago to put together a slide show that at once helps raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and thanks the many individuals who have helped me get so close to my 2009 Ride goals. That slide show is posted below. This video was first shown two Friday's ago at a benefit dinner for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes team The Braeden Bunch; it was a hit. Thank you for everything you have done to make an improvement of the lives of those with type 1 diabetes.

Allen

Rain = Slower, Cooler

Both yesterday and today I rode a portion of my distance in the rain. This is a first for me, and I'm glad it finally happened. Since there is no guarantee that the weather will be nice on Ride Day, being familiar with riding in weather, including wind, rain, and cold, gives me some confidence.

What did I learn? Staying cool is no problem when riding in the rain. Visibility is reduced quite a bit due to water droplets on glasses and the tendency to squint through the spray. Shoes get heavy once they are waterlogged. Cold rivulets probe your neck and back. The normal sounds of the bike are muffled or inaudible altogether, drowned out by the report of a million rain drops on the road, trees and rider. The water on the road and the extra weight on the bike act like a brake, slowing acceleration and dropping the top speed by a few mph.

Maybe we should all hope for some nice weather on 29 August in Killington!