Day 7: Ventura to Los Angeles
61.0 miles, 4:00:07 pedaling, 15.2mph avg. (Another above-15mph average day!)
I felt like racing today. I sprinted up hills. I was so excited! Not that I wanted the Ride to be over, because I would miss my friends greatly, but I was done with the super-early mornings. For me, the hardest part of the ride was waking up in the morning and getting moving. I’m less of a morning person than I was a few years ago.
My parents were cheering on riders in a turnout on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Mom made a sign saying “The Chris Fava Fan Club from Chicago. You are the Best.” Almost all of the riders said thank you or waved, some stopped to give my parents a hug or to chat. I think Mom and Dad really got into it!
I rode into the finish around 2:30pm. The experience of riding in was every bit as special as last year. Riders ride through a very long, windy chute with family and friends on both sides cheering. Although I wasn’t driven to tears of joy this year, it was still a deeply moving experience.
The closing ceremony was pretty nice. About half of it was dedicated to congratulating and thanking the riders and roadies, and the rest to talking about the draconian budget cuts our California politicians are about to enact. A very nice video was shown of the highlights of the week. I always love watching those highlight videos.
I want to give a shout out to my friends who showed up on Day 7 - Steve, Jimmy, Jen, and Frank. You guys are great!
So I can’t believe how quickly time flew by on the ride. Seven days, passed in a flash. The riding was not as difficult as it was last year, even though I hadn’t trained as much, which is why I believe the difficulty is only perceived. I was also fortunate to not injure myself at all.
I signed up for the Ride next year, but as a roadie on the Motorcycle Safety crew. That job appeals to me more than any other roadie position. I’d like to see what it’s like to Roadie one year, then maybe get back into cycling.
Thanks again for your support. I could not have done this ride without the support of many, many friends and family members.
See you next year, friends…… looking forward to it already.
2 years ago