Mission Accomplished!

It's official, the Ride & Run to Remember was a huge success.

I arose early this morning, got a good healthy breakfast and then headed down to the waterfront at the National Harbor in Maryland. The folks with the NLEOMF had everything set up and ready to go, including plenty of water and healthy snacks. I enjoyed getting to mingle and meet all the folks who were volunteering, organizing and especially those riding in the event.

I took off just after 9am along the very nicely plotted route for the Half-Century ride. It started with a really long, steady climb up and out of the National Harbor area and into the backroads of Maryland. A couple of monster hills awaited, but all in all the first leg of the ride wasn't too bad. At around mile 12 there was a pit stop and the folks there took really good care of us riders...snacks, gatorade and restrooms...what more could a cyclist ask for?

The second leg took us back along pretty much the same route as we re-traced our path back towards the National Harbor, then up and across a major bridge and into the suburbs of DC. A nice ride through Georgetown (I think that's where we were...) and then along the Mt Vernon trail which skirts the river and led us finally into DC proper.

The traffic in downtown DC was killer, with a couple of close calls with tour buses nearly ending my ride, but it was still enjoyable. I finished out the ride pretty much in the middle of the 31 milers...not the first, but certainly not the last either. My loving wife was waiting for me at the finish line to take some pictures, which was really nice. The staff at from the Memorial got us hooked up with our finishing medals, some goodies and clothes, and then made sure we got to eat before the event wound down.

All in all it was a fantastic experience and one that I look forward to repeating next year. I raised $500 for the NLEOMF and I'm pretty proud of that. Next year I hope to double that amount. Cami has already told me she wants to ride next year, so that's something to look forward to as well.

My sincerest thanks to everyone who helped organize and make this event happen...your commitment to honoring the men and women of law enforcement overwhelms me.

Now, for some photos...