June

The 2008 Livestrong Portland Challenge. ~3,000 participants. This is what it's all about. These kids were from the local kids hospital and were either survivors, terminally ill, or in treatment and healthy enough to come out. This is just before the start of the ride.

This was part of the first wave of 100 milers. The options were 10, 40, 70, or 100. I had a co-worker that went out for 40mi. (4:30am) before he started his 100mi (7:30am). It was ~100 again today with 78% humidity. The guy on the far left is Harry (read below) and LA on a one off yellow accented Madone. I spoke to two of the Trek guys the evening before - one local region rep. (learned he lives near our neighborhood) and another corporate marketing guy from Durand, WI. who now lives in Mt. Horeb if I'm not mistaken. He has 8 bikes in his bedrooom so forgive me if I forgot a few details as I not only was absorbed in the visual that created but I was also surrounded by about a dozen Madones hanging in their tent as we spoke...

I couldn't get this guy to turn around but he's Charlie Denson (#2 guy at Nike). If you've ever read one of LA's books, he's likely refered to in there. I watched his 2 young kids burning up the parking lot while they waited. I am amazed we didn't have to patch one of them up before we left...

This shows how "cable-inept" I am - the guy on the left is Charlotte's husband from Sex & the City (Harry Goldbatt) and LA. I talked with him a bit and now the bell goes off on why he needed to fly back to L.A. He enjoyed my "I hear you, my wife's at home with our 5 young guns while I'm out doodling here!"

Part of the security detail stuck to LA.
That's Doug Ullman in the background, president of LAF, and LA in the foreground.
This is what I did (sort of). The guy on the right is the Livestrong Challenge Nat. Medical Director (Rahul Rastogi) and Brooks Rademacher the PDX Med. Coordinator. I traded Brook my last year's (barely used) Hincapie Medical jersey for a new one more my size (seems like there was a catch there but there wasn't). I, like Brooks, had the distinct pleasure of carrying another 15lb in a backpack which made the hills a little more noticeable in the heat. Only one kind of bad accident (13mi into it) but that was the only big thing. I dispensed a lot of encouragement and cooling with water to those bonking (bike lingo) on the hard spots.