MAY 1 TEAM RIDE!!!!!!!

Hey Team!
As detailed in the previous post Coach Did and I have added a Training Ride for this coming Sunday and here's the scoop:

When - 2pm Sunday 5/1
Where - Johnson Park in GR (http://tinyurl.com/johnsonparkride)
How much - 20 and 35 mile (ish) options
Who - You! Your teammates and anyone else you wanna invite!
Why - 'Cuz it's May! 'Cuz it's time to ride! 'Cuz VT is only 12 / Lacrosse is only 14 / Tahoe is only 18 / DV is only 23 / Tucson is only 28 weeks away!

So - I really really really hope to see you there! I'll bring a cooler fulla drinks and a buncha snacks.

Also - there's a really good chance that I'll be meeting BikeFace Originator & past teammate Patti Bills @ Luton in the AM to get some dirt miles in before the ride if you'd like to join us. I'll post details as I have 'em.

So - see you this weekend!
Keep rockin' you rockstars!

Coach MC

3 Degrees of separation

I received an interesting note from a work friend today.  He's an IT guy and works in our plant in Toronto.  Apparently his sister is a recipient of the "Edmonton Protocol", an islet cell transplant.  I'll let you read Scott and his other family member's note.  Related, I remember listening to an early transplant patient who visited GR several years ago and will never forget her saying "I never knew how sick I was"...  That's always stuck with me.

Scott's relation - "A short but sweet note to let you all know that Tracey stopped taking insulin on Monday evening. She is insulin free for the first time in 30+ years.  She feels better each day and looks amazing. We are so very PROUD of her. She has gone through a lot to attain this goal and she's been very brave."


Scott - "Of particular interest to you…. this is a note from my mom about my sister.. she just went thru 2 islet transplants in Edmonton Alberta. She was quite a sick lady prior to this procedure. This has really turned around her life. She was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a teenager; she’s now 46. I know that this also impacts your family.. FYI…there is amazing work happening in the research field; the evidence is here."
 
I have 3 degrees of separation from an islet cell transplant recipient!  Ride on friends
 
- Mike

TEAM RIDE REPORT - AND MORE!!!!!!

Hey Team!

Well -whichever one of you irritated good ol' Ma Nature may wanna 'fess up so she can back off a bit......jus' sayin'! Regardless of yet another less-than-ideal weather report a goodly chunk of The World's Coolest Team gathered to show the world (and each other) that We. Will. Not. Be. Deterred. Okay - so m-a-y-b-e we all sorta opted for the shorter route (at the most!) and m-a-y-b-e some of us did a few less than that.......so what? We were there. We rolled. We ate. We were together and that's what matters most!

"Roll" Call: (har!)

B-Day Girl Heather A-B (Back on the team after a 1 yr hiatus!)

John J

Jay Dee

Tyson S (new guy! - 1st Team ride!)

The HellKaat

Steve C

Becky M

Nicole N

The lovely and talented Linda C

Tom M

Coach Did

Coach Me

We enjoyed able moral and caloric support from:

Katie C

Kirsten D

Chris M

Team Scheidel x 3

and - a host of misc chilluns

Needless to say there was much eating and drinking and laughing and tales of bravado once we got back to casa da Clark! It was a typical West Mi Team All Around Good Time - we missed you if your day took you elsewhere and hope to see you soon!

Speaking of that - we've added a NEW TEAM RIDE to bridge the gap 'tween this'n and the one set for 5/15. Check it: Sunday 5/1 - 2:00pm - Johnson Park in GR. We'll have 20 & 35 mile options and I'll bring some snacky stuff. (You can too!)

The 5/15 Team Ride will be hosted by Tom Miller up in Grand Haven. The "main event" will be a 20-ish miler @ 2:00pm. There will also be the option of doing some extra miles prior to the 2:00 start - in addition to the option of riding up there w/ MC from Holland. (Details to follow.)

KEEP READING, THERE'S MORE! (as promised) Team Jersey Poll - We're still exploring the idea of a new Team Training Jersey. There's a poll here on the Blog (look to your right......see it?) and it'd be helpful to your friends on the Ride Committee if you'd take a sec and fill it out. Thanks!

Team T-shirt Design Contest - As per usual we'll be looking to chose the winning design for our team tee shirt. Limber up your pencils, CAD programs, crayons and imaginations and get your designs to Katie by May 15 if you wanna be included in the contest. (Gotta a fav screenprinter? Let her know that as well). clarkkat@gmail.com

GR Bike Summit on 5/6 - The Bike Summit is a big meeting to promote commuting and practical bike use and we'll be having a booth to promote the Ride and our Team there. Wanna help out? Let me know. mike@velo-citycycles.com (www.bikegrandrapids.org)

That's it for now my friends........remember to keep riding (or start, as the case may be), keep fund-raising and remember that you guys all ROCK! Thanks for all you do to make this Team the force that it is.......we are gonna make a difference! See you on May 1st if not before...........hopefully before!

Coach Mike (for Coach Did and the entire hard-workin' Ride Committee - Nicole, Cathy C, Tom M, Katie C and Cindy A)

Jake's Music Festival on Saturday

It is upon us. The musical event of the year. Jake's Music Festival takes place this Saturday, April 16th at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. This 7th annual celebration of local music starts at 3:00 p.m. and runs until 11:00 p.m. Performers include A.B! and Coconut Brown, Igby Iris, Chance Jones, Poor 'Ol Jim, The Fainting Generals, Karisa Wilson, Ritsu and many more. Click here for the full lineup.
The festival is organizer by West Michigan Ride Team members Tom and Mary Scheidel along with Clay Grueber and Todd Herring. Because of the generosity of sponsors Frames Unlimited, The Gordon Group, and Magic Hat #9 this will be a free show. Donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will be cheerfully accepted. There is also a silent auction with items from the GR Symphony, Art Museum, Public Museum, Whitecaps, Grand River Grocery, and over a dozen more local businesses.
So please stop by on Saturday. See one or two bands or stay all day. It's promises to be a great day of great music.

4th Annual Family Fun Day

Want to raise some ride funds this weekend? I am looking for a few volunteers to help with the Family Fun Day this weekend. The event runs from 9:30am-1:00pm and you can be there 2 hours or the whole time. I am able to contribute to your ride account similar to working a VanAndel event. Click here to see the flyer with more details on the event. Click here to send me an e-mail so I can plan on your help.

If you interested in the winning the prizes, poker hands start at $5.00. I have many coupons and gift certificates (think free Corner Bar, Dam Dogs, Chili's, Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Kayak Rental discounts, Running apparel discounts and more!) which will be handed out to all participants. Looking forward to seeing you there and at Jake's Music Festival!

TEAM RIDE TAKE 2! (err....1? 2? ummmm....)

Whether you're counting the ride from Ada Park last week or not (and Heather, Kaat & Coach Did have EVERY RIGHT INDEED to count it!!!!) the fact remains that we have another TEAM RIDE comin' up this Sunday - and that is cause for excitement! The season is well-n-truly upon us, folks are back from Spring Break and trips hither-n-yon and the World's Coolest Team will indeed be pumping air into tires, blood into legs and air into lungs to once again tell that a-hole Type 1 that its days are numbered! So - I sure hope to see you @ the Clark's house this Sunday! (Steve-n-Katie's that is). Here are the details: We roll @ 2:00pm so get there by 1:30 to get ready puh-leeze 2 route options - 20-ish and 30-ish miles. Somewhat "roll-y" as I recall. Child care is available - plan on contributing 2 bux per kid per hour if you take advantage of same. (Whatta cool deal!) Katie sez that she will have "some food" - feel free to bring along something to share if yawanna. Annnnnd here's a map! http://tinyurl.com/katieandstevesplace Remember - the more the merrier! If you have riding buds that are still on the fence about joining the team bring 'em along! Okay - that oughta do it. Speaking for Coach Did & the entire Ride Committee we sure hope to see you this Sunday! And I know I say this all the time (like everything else I say) but that;s just 'cuz it's so true - YOU GUYS ROCK! See ya Sunday! Coach MC

Team Ride Zero Report Haiku

Heather, Kaat, did, hail
Lightning, thunder, thirteen miles
Can't feel toes anymore

*ADDENDUM*

By the powers vested in me by my cat and the weird guy who lives in the apartments by our house, I hereby declare that yesterday's team ride was actually the ZEROETH team ride of the season. Boom.