Today the team had our last “real” ride which consisted of 57 miles from Healdsburg to San Rafael. The day started out strong with a team circle where everyone awkwardly held hands as we heard some of Justin’s inspiring words for the mosher. We then took off, knowing San Fran was only a day and 80 miles away. It’s really crazy to think that we are finally reaching the destination that we have all been riding almost 80 days toward. It is in grasp and in sight. Tomorrow we will zip up our jersey, lace up our shoes and clip in for the last time on the ride. The routine that we have grown so accustomed to will be over in a matter of hours. All the days sleeping on floors, eating off parking lots and living the nomad lifestyle.. will become a memory after tomorrow. There are few things I have learned on this ride that I would like to share with all of you. First, people will surprise you! We have met some of the most amazing people on this journey, many of which had their share of hardships. They still continue to give and to support us in any way they can. I want to take this time to thank everyone who has opened their doors to let us stay, or provided a meal, or even to the people we met at gas stations who give us a thumbs up. It is easy to get caught up but if you slow down and have a conversation with someone you will realize how much good this world has. Secondly, you don’t need much to be happy. On this ride we have been dirty, sore, and tired. We have not had beds or any possessions besides our black bags. However, you realize what little things you need in order to still be happy. When you remove some of the privileges life can seem more simple and authentic. Third, your limits are created by you! I think most of us can agree that signing up for this ride was scary. We were giving up our summer with a bunch of strangers and biking everyday. There were days we all struggled and times when you didn’t think we could make it through the day. Times when we felt that this venture could be too much but we pushed through. Congrats to everyone for pushing their limits, none of us would be here if we didn’t push through our hardest days. Lastly, that cancer affects us all. There are people that we touch by doing this ride each and every year. With our fundraising efforts and rides each summer we do make a difference. It has been a pleasure writing the blog this summer and getting to document the journey for the team. I hope you all felt you could be apart of this experience with us. I thank all of you for reading and I hope that I kept you well informed. I will still be writing on last time tomorrow!

A special thank you to Sofies family who put together a very special evening for us, complete with hotels and a lovely dinner. We appreciate all the work and support! The ride dedication today was for Lauren’s grandfather who passed away from Leukemia.

Lastly today we had our superlatives ( The phillies) each of us were voted on superlatives and presented them tonight!

~ San Fran here we come!~

Mandy

Flat count: 5
Song of the day: Closing time
Memorable moment: Lighting sparklers in the hotel parking lot to celebrate!