From B2B to Ironman Florida

Who knows where one decision can lead you? In May 2008, I teetered on my bike during my first few rides and struggled to complete 26 miles. 18 months and 2 Bike to the Beach's later, I stood on the beach in Panama City, Florida about to embark on the most difficult one day endurance event. What struck me at that moment was how fortunate I was to be there and how thankful I was that I said yes to that first Bike to the Beach....

November 7th, 2009 started as great of a day as anyone can ask for. Standing on the beach with 2400 other athletes, I wasn't nervous or anxious but wanted to get started and see what the day held. No question it would be a long one....

After watching the pros swim off, the age groupers stood poised to start the 2.4 mile swim. The gun went off and we were underway. After an exchange of luck with Ann Barton (who talked me into this), I told her I'd see her on the bike course and we were on our separate ways. Ann swam at Notre Dame so there was no doubt she would have a nice lead coming out of the swim.

The first quarter of the swim is a complete mess. Most of your energy is spent trying not to get kicked or punched and really isn't a lot of fun. After turning the first corner, the field starts to thin out a bit and I felt myself settle into a rhythm. What's unnerving about the swim course it takes you about a half mile off the coast, so looking down into the abyss only made the Jaws theme song play louder in my head.

The bike course in the Ironman is 112 miles and Florida is nothing but flat and hot. I spent the better part of three hours looking for Ann and was thrilled to see a familiar face. The second half of the bike is very fast, but it's nearly impossible for the boredom not to sink in....

Entering T2 (bike to run transition), I had a burst of rationality. Was I really going to run a full marathon (26.2 mi) after 112 on the bike and 2.4 in the water? YES...there was no other choice.

Miraculously, I found a comfortable pace and prepared myself for the road ahead. After a few miles, I saw a woman grab a beer from a spectator and chug it. Cissy and I were quickly fast friends and spent the first 20 miles pacing one another. A short while later, I saw my girlfriend, Dad, and two friends cheering me on. Armed with a kiss (from the gf of course) and a few high fives, I was back on my way. At the halfway point of my marathon, my watch showed me at 2:05 and I was feeling good.

One of my competitors, a 65 year old man who's name I didn't catch was feeling a bit better. We shared our personal stories and he confided that this was his 15th Ironman. He said he was feeling pretty good, wished me the best, and sped off ahead of me. It was humbling to say the least....

What was day was quickly turning into night and quickly my body wanted no part of being in motion. Around mile 20, my feet hurt, I was hungry but couldn't eat, and felt the overwhelming urge to be finished. I kept pushing and told myself the finish couldn't be far away. With a mile and a half to go, Mike and Jeff had ventured onto the course and offered some much needed moral support.

Steadily the distance melted away and the lights at the finish got brighter. I turned the final corner and heard "Kevin Houk, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" Then they handed me a finisher's medal and a finisher's hat before pushing me to take a picture to commemorate the occasion. I've never looked more like a deer in the headlights and it's easily the worst picture I've ever taken.

"Nil Volentibus Arduum".....Nothing is impossible for the willing. With small steps and hard work, the unfathomable becomes the achievable. You just might surprise yourself....

Good luck in final preparations and fund raising. I look forward to seeing everyone Friday morning.

ONE WEEK!

CAN YOU FEEL IT!?! I'm so excited I can barely sit still at work. My legs are bouncing up and down, my heart is beating quickly, and I can't focus at all. If B2B wasn't next Friday, I'd think I was having a heart attack!

I remember talking to Robby Walsh the morning of the ride last year (maybe it was more . Well he was joyfully proclaiming how B2B was "like Christmas morning"! I can't agree more. Last year, I woke up exploding with energy even thought it was still pitch black outside. We did our final equipment checks and piled into a car bound for the start point. The conversation was light, but there was a mix of nerves and excitement in the air.

For the first timers out there (like I was last year), I couldn't be more excited for you and congratulations on making a great decision to get involved with Bike to the Beach. This date has been circled on my calendar for 12 months now and you'll soon see why. Nerves happen, but they'll quickly vanish once you see the B2B bus pull up.

Great work on the donations everyone and keep up the good work!

Happy B2Bing,

Kevin

http://events.autismspeaks.org/b2b/kevinhouk

About 4 months ago, Bike to the Beach signed up to compete in the DC BBQ Battle, against 47 other seasoned veteran BBQ teams. We didn't have a recipe or the necessary equiptment, we didn't know how to use the equiptment we didn't even have yet, and we weren't sure what the entire experience would entail... but we signed up, and hoped for the best. Sounds a lot like many of our B2B riders!!

And just like those riders will soon find out, its an amazing thing: the joy and satisfaction of joining a team, and working together to accomplish something that truely didn't seem feasible - whether its biking 100 miles (when you haven't biked in years), or raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Autism Speaks, or learning how to slow-smoke tender, juicy, sweet, savory, spicy baby-back ribs and entering into the frenzy of a BBQ Battle!

In the end, the B2B BBQ team came together, through countless hours of preparation and training, and under the pressure of the prolonged grueling battle, to produce ribs that were "incredibly beautiful" (according to one of our 3 on-site judges, the owner of Facia Luna Restaurant), "well-cooked" (according to another one of our judges, the Washington Post Food Section editor), and "f^#*ing amazing" (according to numerous folks who were lucky enough to get a sample).

Literally, thousands of people came by our competition tent to find out what B2B was all about (and why our smoker was built out of bike parts). It was an amazing - and exhausting - 2 days, and its something the B2B team will never forget. THANK YOU to everyone who came by to offer support; we wouldn't have made it through the battle without you.

The BBQ Battle was an incredible journey, that seemed like a pipe-dream just a few months ago. But, in true B2B fashion, we jumped in the deep end, worked together, and got to the finish-line sweaty, dirty, tired, maybe even a little bloodied.... and glowing with happiness and satisfaction.

With the ride less than a month away, I'm looking forward to an amazing B2B 2009, and I hope all of our riders and volunteers are too!!!

Nil Volentibus Arduum - "Nothing is impossible for the Willing"

-Tommy Schmitz

A Moment of Reflection and Refocus

Last year, my big ride was to head out from Vienna to the end of the WO&D trail and back. It would be a little over 50 miles and the "giant" climbs would be a good test of my fitness. I ended up cramping up and begging for a ride home. That's what I get for only eating gel packets.

Last weekend, I tried this ride again for the first time this year. Those climbs I remembered being incredibly high and long felt like a gentle massage for my legs. Blasting uphill, I was holding speeds normally reserved for flats last year. It's funny how much your perspective can change in a relatively short period of time.

We've got one month left, so I'm asking everyone to change their perspective and refocus their efforts on all aspects of B2B. I'm just as guilty as everyone else. I've trained my ass off, but have done little to raise money and haven't been making the training rides. There's nothing to do but look forward at this point.

Here's a link to a video Lance Armstrong just shot about his motivations for a return to cycling. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/nj2qc4 . Basically, he rides for all those that are fighting cancer as an inspiration and is no different than us riding for Autism Speaks. I'm extremely proud to say that our actions make a huge difference in people's lives.

We all have a million other things to do, but I promise all your efforts are worth it and will pay off when we cruise into Bethany. I cannot express the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes from sipping that first Mango Margarita after the ride.

I look forward to seeing you all at the finish....

Kevin

First Year, First Group Ride, First Blog Post By CR Wooters

So a few months ago my cousins convinced me to do Bike to the Beach. Like most of you we have been touched by Autism, our cousin Eric is Autistic. I figured this is a good cause and a great reason to get in shape. I purchased a bike off Craigslist and started to ride on weekends and in the mornings when the weather cooperated. I figured that I needed to get into some bike shape even before I took a ride with the B2Bers. I am glad I did. Last Saturday I cruised to the Georgetown waterfront to meet up with some folks for a 30 mile ride training ride. I was a little nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect - would I be able to keep up?

The day was nice but a little muggy. Around 11am, twenty or so folks start milling around the waterfront with their bikes. We get to talking and everyone seems cool. Some folks have brand new bikes and others have older beaters. Some folks clearly have been riding for a long time and others were like me - brand new. One rider brought her friend who was in town from NY. She rented a bike for the day and was a real trooper. I am still nervous but feeling a little better because everyone is and totally relaxed. I am thinking ...it's a great day and I am on my bike - how bad could it be?

We take off for the first part of the ride and I am feeling good. As we turn on to the bike trail, the line of cyclist breaks into 2 groups. A group of folks who are riding at the speed of light and the
other group taking it a little more under control. I unfortunately tried to keep up with Greg Lamond and Lance Armstrong at first. This was not the best idea. I almost had a heart attack. Fortunately, I came to a fork in the road and didn't know which way to go (Lance and Company were out of sight) so I waited for the second group. This was maybe the best decision I have ever made. The other guys were great but their pace, especially uphill, was just faster than I was
comfortable.

For the rest of the ride I cruised with the second group. We got into a nice grove. Sometimes we were riding side by side talking and other times we were drafting and really pushing it. It was fun to ride with other folks since most of my training rides are solo. I felt good. I was happy that I was in decent shape and not totally spent as the ride wound down. After the ride, I had a few miles to bike back to my place. There were a bunch of things running through my head ... that was a really fun ride... I met some really nice folks..... I think with some more work I will be able to make it to the beach.... and whatever happens stay away from the front, those guys are way out of my league!

Robby asked me to write something for this blog, another first for me, about what a first time rider is going through. Overall I am really getting addicted to riding. I ride almost everyday, or as much as I can. I try to push out longer rides on the weekends. So that's the first bit of advise ... just ride. It's going to take all of us a few hours to get to the beach (even Lance) so you should be comfortable on the bike. This training ride showed me that there will be enough people for you to ride at any pace you want. I am looking forward to more group rides and I am pumped to bike to the beach. This is a fun and hard but totally doable challenge. I wonder what the feeling will
be like having beer with all of you at Mangos after the ride. I am certain it will be rewarding and only made more rewarding if I roll into Bethany before my cousins! (Bring it Johnny C!)

Kevin Rapp's NYC Reflections

6/11/09 - I am waiting in line behind about 40 people in Bethesda next to the old Shakey's Pizza place for my 12:15pm Vamoose Bus. A guy in front of me has a t-shirt on that says, "Talent is what you have, effort is what you give." I think that is a pretty fitting motto for today's trip and B2B in general.

It's times like these that I am able to pause and reflect on how far Bike to the Beach has come since incorporating in 2007. My first ride 2 years ago had 23 riders. This Monday we eclipsed the 100 registered rider mark. The combination of the talent within the organization and the effort put forth by its members is responsible for this exponential growth.

Talk about dynamic. The three founders, Ben Dalley, Joey Schmitz, and Tommy Schmitz have, "it". By, "it", I mean the ability to effortlessly inspire and captivate individuals. When you pair this it factor with tremendous effort and focus you get something special. You get Bike to the Beach. A growing, vibrant community centered around one audacious event. The 100 mile annual bicycle ride from Washington D.C. to Bethany Beach, DE that has raised over $150,000 for Autism Speaks.

As I wait here my mind wanders to the beginning. To two high school students, 10 years ago, who just wanted to get to the beach and were crazy enough to fathom doing so on their bikes. 12 hour later they arrived. Because of them I am here today about to board a bus to New York City for the first ever Bike to the Beach happy hour in the big apple.

6/12/09 - Exposure! A lot of fresh eye balls were fixated on Bike to the Beach last night. I scanned the bar and saw Bike to the Beach posters, t-shirts, and wristbands in every corner. I spoke with businessmen, baretenders, and babes. As I sit here on this bus back to Bethesda I am content; tired, but happy.

Mike Mahar's NYC Blog

Greetings to Friends of B2B,

Recently B2B’s NY Chapter organized a happy hour soirée in New York City to raise some money and awareness about this fantastic Ride that’s been doing so much good. And you know what else? It’s growing! Like the Rocky Mountains jetting into the sky from plate tectonic shifting, B2B is spreading into cities all over the map. Ben Dalley and Kevin Rapp were among those in attendance along with about 50 other new faces at The Wharf Bar in New York City. These new faces are now wearing glow in the dark wristbands and that spells success for our cause.

For me this event was especially special because of all the special people there. A lot of people I have met while living in NYC don’t know about B2B and the strides it has made, and having them come to The Wharf and hear about the ride and the good it does made the experience even more meaningful to me. Most of the donations I had received from the 2008 ride were DC locals and family, and I felt that my ‘intense’ training was unnoticed by peers in NYC. The fact is that ever since Pat Montague told me, “Sure Mahar, I’ll donate $20 to you riding halfway to Bethany,” I was a man on a mission. It ignited a fire in me that there was no way I would not finish this ride. It’s a fire that burns inside every rider and eventually in their legs when they realize how far 120 miles is. Hopefully, last night helped to spread this fire and those new faces at The Wharf will one day become faces with a helmet on a yellow jersey riding to Bethany Beach!

Special thanks to Allison Puca, Katie O’Leary, Christine McDermott, Paul Baker, and Brian Boland for helping make this fundraiser happen. Also, a big shout out to Ben and Kevin for making the trip to NYC to be with us.

Michael Mahar