Saturday, December 31, 2011
2011 - End of Year Cycling Stats
Statistics for the year (some data incomplete due to only getting the Garmin in April - hence the graph doesn't show rides from Jan-Mar, but I do have distance/time data from those months)
-- 150 bike rides
-- 3123.65 miles ridden
-- Over 209 hours on the bike
-- Over 93 thousand feet climbed
-- Over 93 thousand calories burned
-- Average ride was 20.82 miles at 76RPM, 14.9MPH, with 733 feet climbed, at 135bpm
-- Max speed hit was 43MPH (downhill of course!), max distance, 70.04 miles
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Shaving Day
After I hit $1500 - I readjusted my fundraising goal to $2100 (the next incentive level). I am $150 short of that goal. If you are reading this, and would like to help out - the deadline is Tuesday Sept 20!! So please donate quickly!! Go here to donate... http://www.levisgranfondo.com/fundraising/portal/?user=ccallana
The charities the ride supports are great - Livestrong cancer research, the Forget-me-not farm for at risk kids, lots of local Santa Rosa charities.... It would be great to stay in the top 10 donors, so please consider helping out if you can.
So we worked out with Bill to come up from the Bay Area to take care of his prize - they came up this weekend, and unbeknownst to me, had been conspiring with my wife to do something a bit different. Instead of shaving at home, we went to a local barbershop for a professional shave.
They chose a new place in town, Lucky's - which happens to be in the local bowling alley :) Very different barbershop than I have seen before - the barbers were all young guys with tatoos and piercings and such. We were directed to Joe for the afternoon's hair removal process.
For those of you who already forgot what I looked like, here is the 'before' picture
As the clippers started knocking the beard off, the boys seemed a bit concerned
The guys decided to have a little fun, and create a "new" look - Not sure I like this one....
When everything was all said and done - the 'after' picture
Needless to say, I don't really even recognize myself. I have never cut my hair this short - ever. And of course, it's been so many years that I have had the beard - I forgot what it looks like underneath! But if it is weird for me, it is even stranger for the kids. They have spent a lot of time touching my head and face
If they had not been there to see it - they may not have even known it was me :)
So here we are - my boys, me, and man who made this possible.
A huge thanks goes out to all of you who donated - this wouldn't have happened without you. I'm sure the folks at Bike Monkey thank you too :) Big thanks to Bill as well for such an entertaining way to bring this to fruition. And of course, thanks to my family for being supportive and encouraging.
The open question everyone keeps asking - how long am I going to leave it like this. Honestly I don't know. I will likely grow my hair out a bit longer - it is barely more than stubble right now. I hate shaving, so I'm not sure how long I can keep it up - but we'll see....
Not sure what incentive I'll be able to come up with next year to get ya'll to donate, but I'm guessing it is going to have to be pretty good to top this one!!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
USA Grand Tour
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Last Request (hopefully!)
LIVESTRONG
Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong and based in Austin, Texas, LIVESTRONG fights for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. LIVESTRONG connects individuals to the support they need, leverages funding and resources to spur innovation and engages communities and leaders to drive social change. Known for the iconic yellow wristband, LIVESTRONG’s mission is to inspire and empower anyone affected by cancer. For more information visit www.livestrong.org.
VeloStreet’s Cycling Initiatives Program
VeloStreet, the non-profit arm of the GranFondo, has a series of hands-on initiatives that aim to directly improving cycling resources in the communities in which the GranFondo operates and throughout California. The current program is made of the following promising initiatives:
- Ongoing planing and scoping for the construction of the first Sonoma County Velodrome in Santa Rosa
- A cycling-specific signage program for favored bicycle routes throughout Sonoma County to facilitate lawful cycling for tourists and to increase awareness amongst local residents.
- A competitive grant program to fund cycling infrastructure and education in California and beyond.
Forget Me Not Farm
Since its inception in 1992, Forget Me Not Farm has helped thousands of at-risk children and youth break the cycle of abuse. Located on the grounds of the Humane Society & SPCA of Sonoma County, the Farm offers animal-assisted and horticultural therapeutic activities that provide a haven for children, plants and animals to bond, learn, and heal with one another.
Community Giving
Much of the GranFondo course traverses beautiful rural scenery with little to no development. Looks can be deceiving however, for there are folks living in these fine stretches of country with kids that need as good a dose of learning as their city dwelling brethren. Problem is, much of these school districts have to spend more money to educate fewer students across these widely spread areas. On top of that, since there are less kids in the classroom, less money comes down from local, state, and federal coffers. The GranFondo is working with schools along the route to identify needs and support this community as we enjoy the views and terrain in their backyards. Additionally, this gets these kids excited about cycling at a young age and in a time where childhood obesity and nutrition are major problems for developing children.
This same geographic and financial situation extends to emergency services and other community services, not just schools. The GranFondo supports these vital local resources so that folks who make their life in further flung areas of the county can continue to have the same opportunities as their urban comrades.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
LIVESTRONG
Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong and based in Austin, Texas, LIVESTRONG fights for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. LIVESTRONG connects individuals to the support they need, leverages funding and resources to spur innovation and engages communities and leaders to drive social change. Known for the iconic yellow wristband, LIVESTRONG’s mission is to inspire and empower anyone affected by cancer. For more information visit www.livestrong.org.
VeloStreet’s Cycling Initiatives Program
VeloStreet, the non-profit arm of the GranFondo, has a series of hands-on initiatives that aim to directly improving cycling resources in the communities in which the GranFondo operates and throughout California. The current program is made of the following promising initiatives:
- Ongoing planing and scoping for the construction of the first Sonoma County Velodrome in Santa Rosa
- A cycling-specific signage program for favored bicycle routes throughout Sonoma County to facilitate lawful cycling for tourists and to increase awareness amongst local residents.
- A competitive grant program to fund cycling infrastructure and education in California and beyond.
Forget Me Not Farm
Since its inception in 1992, Forget Me Not Farm has helped thousands of at-risk children and youth break the cycle of abuse. Located on the grounds of the Humane Society & SPCA of Sonoma County, the Farm offers animal-assisted and horticultural therapeutic activities that provide a haven for children, plants and animals to bond, learn, and heal with one another.
Community Giving
Much of the GranFondo course traverses beautiful rural scenery with little to no development. Looks can be deceiving however, for there are folks living in these fine stretches of country with kids that need as good a dose of learning as their city dwelling brethren. Problem is, much of these school districts have to spend more money to educate fewer students across these widely spread areas. On top of that, since there are less kids in the classroom, less money comes down from local, state, and federal coffers. The GranFondo is working with schools along the route to identify needs and support this community as we enjoy the views and terrain in their backyards. Additionally, this gets these kids excited about cycling at a young age and in a time where childhood obesity and nutrition are major problems for developing children.
This same geographic and financial situation extends to emergency services and other community services, not just schools. The GranFondo supports these vital local resources so that folks who make their life in further flung areas of the county can continue to have the same opportunities as their urban comrades.