Share the Ride -- California AIDS Ride 8 -- Day Six

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California AIDS Ride 8
Day Six -- June 8th, 2001
Lompoc to Ventura
87.52 miles -- five hours, 3 minutes, 29 seconds

6:30am! We finally did it! We finally got out of camp at 6:30am. At the urging of all our friends who ride fast (John Metallic, Christian Bentley, Fitz), and with sage advice from Philip Wood & Jerome Lourme about how to get out of camp early ("Brush your teeth? Who needs to brush their teeth?" Don't worry, I did brush my teeth), Tom & I were bound and determined to get out of camp by 6:30am. And we did it!

So, we finally got to ride with the big guys! Zip! Zoom! We were flying! But by the time we got to Pit Two, I knew that this wasn't the way I wanted to spend my day. Too much stress and not enough fun. I missed riding with the slower riders. I missed riding with folks who weren't sure they'd finish the day. I missed being silly and meeting new people. I missed the true spirit of the AIDS Ride.

So, we rode into lunch in Santa Barbara in the top 100 riders that day, and left in the top 500. We relaxed at lunch, Tom & I each got a massage (my first and only massage of the week), and we made sure we were riding with the fun crowd again.

After lunch, we stopped at a cool coffee house in Santa Barbara. Even with our cycling clothes and helmet decorations (oh, and my wings), the local college students studying for finals didn't bat an eye. Ah, but did they know what heroes we were? The iced latte was amazing and the sofas made it difficult to get back on the bikes. And a flush toilet! Wow! I flushed twice just for fun.

A little ways down the road is one of the highlights of the Ride -- the "ClifBar Free Zone." This is an unofficial pit stop, put together by former AIDS Riders from the Santa Barbara area. They decorate a little park in a tropical theme, bring in a local radio station, have port-a-potties that actually flush (wow!), and there's not a healthy snack in sight. Even though we weren't really hungry, we munched on hot dogs, ice cream, chocolate covered strawberries, candy bars (the huge family size) and soda. I don't even like junk food, but after a week of ClifBars, trail mix, and gatorade, this was heaven!

Each day on the ride, there are designated pit stops, staffed by volunteers. The Pit Crews are pretty incredible. Each day, each pit has a different theme. Pit Four was definitely the most creative -- high school cheerleaders, a wedding, even a construction zone. But my favorite was on Day Six.

That day, Pit Four's theme was Christmas in June, with all the guys dressed as elves, a butt balm snowman (if you want to know what butt balm is, you'll have to ask me), and holiday treats. They really went all out this day!

We got into camp in Ventura pretty early, so we carried lots of gear bags & put up tents for some of the Schwabbies we knew were having a slow day. This camp is right on the beach, so it's a really beautiful place to stay.

April Fredrick and Catrina Borger at dinner

A bunch of the riders were going to In & Out Burger for dinner, and although it sounded positively gourmet after a week of AIDS Ride food, I decided to stay in camp and really soak in our last night together as an AIDS Ride community. The mood was very sentimental. It was a time to remember the Ride, remember why we were riding, and remember those we were riding for.

I realize that, as I write this, I haven't said much about AIDS. It was an incredibly emotional week, along with being fun. Everywhere we rode -- cities, towns, and farm communities -- people were waiting by the road, cheering us on, offering popcicles and water, with hand-painted signs expressing their gratitude that we were riding (many times for them or loved ones). It's a very strange feeling to repeatedly be called a hero for doing something so simple as riding a bike. But it's the folks who were thanking us who reminded me of just why we ride.

So, I went to sleep that night, reliving the week's experience, thinking mostly of the children, and hoping that by the time they become adults, there won't be the need for an AIDS Ride anymore.....

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Created on June 30th, 2001 by Lorri Lee Lown
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