Fault Lines and Smoked Salmon

I didn't actually ride fault lines this weekend, but 60 riders participated in Seismic Challenge, a ride that crosses four, I think, fault lines around the Bay area. The ride is a two-day 200 or so mile ride with some lovely vistas and challenging climbs.

Jerry and I joined the Positive Pedalers at the rest stop they were staffing-- Rest Stop 3, in Petaluma. The rest stop was in the yard of a tiny school that looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie. We set up, cut up oranges and bananas and arranged other snacks, including potato chips, Clif Bars and the ALC favorite, peanut butter and jelly on graham crackers. And we waited.

And we waited some more. Beau and I drove into downtown Petaluma and went to Peets to get some coffee and we ran into a couple more people we knew who were putting up road signs for the ride.

Beau bought us all coffee and we headed back to the rest stop, but even in the few minutes we had, Beau and I had a good talk. I feel he is one of my closest friends, even though I don't see him that often. But when I do, I can really tell him anything and he listens and always has a good response. It was wonderful to spend a little time with him today.

Bob, one of the other staffers, brought his dog, Brodie. a little Scottie. He had enough energy for all of us, chasing balls and playing a one-dog game of tether ball. He was adorable and Beau had such a good time playing with him. Beau's wonderful dog, Henry Earl, died a few months ago and he misses him terribly, but I understand he is not ready to get another dog. But I hope Beau decides, sometime, to bring another dog home because it would be a blessing for both of them.

The riders finally arrived looking like they'd been through a war. The day was kind of chilly, they had already ridden quite a few miles with lots of them into a headwind. They snacked, they stretched and some hung out for a while, not looking forward to the climb out of the rest stop. But with any luck, they would be getting some tail winds down the road.

The Seismic Challenge is another fundraiser for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, but in reality, I doubt it raised much money. In its second year, it actually had fewer riders than in its first year. Perhaps it's the economy, but I'm not sure how they went about recruiting riders. I was disappointed that they hadn't tried to tie it into the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. I wonder if they will do another Seismic Challenge. The AIDS ride is really the best known AIDS-related event, and I do believe they are diluting the brand by doing another cycling event. They have also added at least one marathon, and I think a triathalon, but I think they are viewing fundraising events like these too narrowly. Time to think outside the serious athletic realm and get creative. By doing these athletic events all they are doing is drawing people away from the premiere event and I think it's a mistake. But that's just my opinion and if I'm wrong and they are raising a ton of money through these events I'm thrilled. There is no better cause.

After we broke down the rest stop, Jerry and I didn't really feel like going home, so we stopped in at Rest Stop 4 in San Anselmo. They were grooving to an 80s theme, and Annette, one of the staffers, looked like she stepped right out of Flashdance. We hung out a little then headed to downtown San Anselmo.

After strolling a bit, we stopped in at a cafe we frequently cycle by. Usually, there are a gaggle of cyclists out front, drinking coffee, but this being around 4:30, there were only two bikes in the rack.

We hadn't eaten much lunch, so we wanted a bite, and I wanted more coffee. Jerry got a bowl of clam chowder and I got a bagel with lox and cream cheese. Jerry's soup was full of clams and he enjoyed it. My bagel and lox came with capers, thin sliced red onion and tomato. I hadn't had that treat in quite some time and it tasted great. And the coffee was good too.

We're home now and I'm sorry to say we did not ride at all this weekend. Next weekend is the ALC kickoff ride, and I'm looking forward to getting on the tandem and trying new shorts and a new saddle.