Grand Rapids Press on 1/31/09

Reading the Grand Rapids Press this morning... and Steve says: "Um, wow, look at that". A HUGE picture of the JDRF West Michigan Chapter ride team in Death Valley on the top half of the Outdoor section.

The trailer for the documentary, "More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes", by Tom Scheidel will be shown at the Bicycle Film Festival that is the feature of the article.

Tom is quoted in the article as well. Nice work on getting JDRF Ride to Cure some press coverage! http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2009/01/grand_rapids_film_festival_to.html

Hopefully you all can attend the event:

BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Wealthy Theater, 1130 Wealthy St. SE

When: Feb. 7

Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., films begin at 7:30 p.m.

Admission: $20 for adults 21 and older (includes two beverages); $15 for those younger than 21; free for ages 15 and younger

OKAY FOLKS......TIME TO STEP UP!

Yep, that's egg-zac-lee what time it is, ya'll! Registration is open and our reserved spots will only be "ours" until the 29th of January! That's this Thursday for those of you that are w/out a calendar handy! I don't wanna hafta bust all pushy on ya but.........I'd really hate to see anyone that wants to ride w/ us in VT or DV miss out!!! (Remember to use the link that Mary sent out to register, otherwise you will get a "This Ride is Full" message!)

As if that wasn't enough...I need to hand in the roster and the money for the Ultimate Cycle Challenge @ the end of this week too! So - if you are on my list of riders and your name ISN'T Nicole, Derek, Kris, Scott, Linda, Melanie, Amy, Jack or Dawn.........I need your 30 bux! You can send me a check (77 East 8th, Holland Mi 49423), stop in the shop or catch me @ Van Andel tonight or Saturday. ( I still have one hour open.........if you wanna ride @ 7:00am let me know)

It's gonna be a great year! Preliminary indications are that every Ride is gonna fill up and there will be more JDRF riders is 2009 than ever before. I can't wait!

Be sure to get ahold of me, Coach Nicole or Mary if you have any questions, okay?

O-Kay!

Mike

me - mike@velo-citycycles.com
Mary - Msheidel@jdrf.org
Nicole - nicole.nelles@gmail.com

THE POWER OF THE PIX

So...I have this cool digital photo-frame-dealie in our kitchen. Some of my best friends gave it to me back in November and ever since that day it's been in the kitchen, right there next to the radio/I Pod dock thingie that plays NPR 24-7. There's approx. 17 gazillion bazillion photos in there and since it's not been shut off since we brought it home I kinda figure that I've seen them all.

And then I see a new one, like this morning.

But the thing is..............it doesn't matter whether it's a new shot or one I've seen a hundred times.

Katie riding on the lizard in McCarren Airport.
Ross and J2 on the picnic table before the ride to Zabriske.
Did w/ a bear on his head.

And all the rest....the smiles, the sweat, the bikes, the medals, the hugs, the dollar dogs, the door posters, Ann's pool, Joe's patio, Ada Park, Whitefish, Asheville, Furnace Creek, Jubilee Pass.........I catch a glimpse of a picture while on my way through the house on one mission or another and...............I just stop.

Mesmerized.

Remembering.

A smile spreads on my face and off I go to wherever I was bound, but I'm happier than I was a few seconds ago.

One of my favorite songs contains the line "thank you for the memories that I'm about to have". As we start rollin' into the new Ride to Cure season I just wanted to thanks you guys for all the memories I already have, and all the new ones we're gonna have soon!

MC

PS - I'm registered...are you?

Registration is Open!

Hey gang...Can you believe it? We've waited, we've asked, we've bugged Mary incessantly...and now it's finally here...time to register for the 2009 Ride to Cure Diabetes!

You should have received an e-mail from Mary this morning with a unique link to register for the Ride of your choice (for us, Killington or Death Valley). There was also a second message with more details about registration--be sure to check that out as you go through the process.

Let us know if you have questions or issues with registration...including details about that get-yourself-there fundraising option.

See you soon!

CAN YOU FEEL IT ? ! ? ! ? ! ?

Well...can you?

I can! The 2009 Ride Season is a-comin' at us like a freight train!

It's here!

Proof? You want proof? Okay!

#1 - I met w/ Coach Nicole for 3 hours yesterday - planning the Training Ride schedule.
#2 - The agenda for next week's Ride Commitee Meeting would get us in trouble w/ the E.P.A for the amount of paper it'll take Katie to print it!
#3 - More and more of us are signin' up for Van Andel events!
#4 - Ross is back on his bike!
#5 - Mary got a trainer!!!!!!!!!!!!! And is using it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#6 - There's all this talk of who's in and who's out for 2009. (Out!?!?!?!)
#7 - I get at least 10 e-mails a day that are 100% JDRF content.
#8 - Planning for the Holland Hundred is well underway! (Including the BRAND NEW NEWS that the bike club has named JDRF as the ride's prime beneficiary!)
#9 - I got my first flat of the year last night - on my rollers! (#@$%^&*%$@#!@!)
#10 - Heather mentioned "fund-raising" on her FB page!

Let the hoo-hah commence! Let there be get-togethers and parties and the swapping of tall tales and outright bald-faced lies! Let there be indoor rides and outdoor rides and spin classes and XC skiing and running and all manner of efforts towards fitness! Do you realize that we leave for Killington in only 32 weeks??

Okay...............I took a coupla yoga breaths there and I'm all right now. I just get kinda fired up, y'know? Looking ahead we have the Super Bowl party, the Ultimate Cycling Challenge and various other chances to hang together comin' up and I can't wait. I hope the new year is treating you well - it's kinda scary out there to hear the news tell it but I hope nothing but the best for you and yours! Any day now we'll be able to register for VT and/or DV and then we can REALLY get after it, huh?

I can't wait!

If your name isn't on this list I don't have you down for the Ulimate Challenge ride and I still need $ from everyone!
Heather A
Chris R
Brian B
N2
Did
J2
Ross S
Kevin O
Kris C
Joe S
Scott-n-Linda
Mel W
Amy F2
Steve-n-Katie
Jack C
Dawn A
Brad S
Scott W

I have 3 openings left - lemme know if you want in! If you're niot riding you can still come down to hang and do the support thing y'know!

Be well, ride some if you can and I hope to see you soon!

MC

Not JDRF - but pretty cool ride thing

Was passed this by a coworker of mine. Pretty cool idea...

http://realgeeksride.com/

They are looking for support/places to stay on their route. I've hopefully got Rawlins, WY covered by trusty Rawlins Daily Times sports-writer, cousin Kirk (that would be Nicole's 2nd cousin ;-).

If you know anyone on their route, send it onto them.

Hopefully they tweet their ride: http://twitter.com/realgeeksride

I'm sure there will be some twitpics as well.

New Year Fitness!

Happy New Year everyone!

Now is an exellent time to begin some strength training to help your performance on the bike. I found this great article to share with everyone. If you've been to any of my yoga classes or workshops some of these exercises will look familiar.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-4-20-15681-1,00.html

Cheers and looking forward to riding with y'all soon.

FIRST!!!

SO: Who's ready to rock this year? 

We got a goal: top 1 million dollars raised for our team since it's official founding in the 2005 ride year. 

Best way to get there? Start now! 

Now's the time to seek out corporate sponsorships, both at the individual and team level. For team sponsorships, there are official levels of support, so contact Mary at the chapter office for more info and for packets you can send out to prospective supporters. 

Now's the time to send out first letters, and to sign up to work at Van Andel Arena. 

Now's the time to get on that wheeled wonder that carried you to success in 2008 (you too, Katie).

Once I'm through this chainsawish throat affliction, I'll commence to bubblin' over with excitement. Somehow every year with this team, with you, is better than the last, and 2008 was beyond any expectation. 2009 will be even better - I can't imagine how, but it will be. Finding out will be part of the adventure.

Onwards!