What a ride! Team Wound Care Advantage participated in the Tour de Cure 2011, in Long Beach, CA. Christi and I wobbled our way toward the start which was scary since we had to be conscious of other bikers, and scarier considering we hadn't even started the ride! This year, over 2,000 riders participated in this event, raising over $500,000 for the American Diabetes Association. Not having picked up a bike since I was about 16, I pulled out my dad's Peugot from the 70's and retaught myself (the day of, in the parking lot) how to ride a bike. For bike guru's, the Peugot was missing a front derailleur, and I had no idea how to shift gears because they weren't on the handle so I just left them where they were. That's right, I didn't shift gears the whole time, and my knees, thighs and gluteus paid for it. Participating in the 11 mile ride with Christi was an eye opening experience. There are so many things that you overlook when you're in a car; a bike actually gives you a 360 degree experience not to mention no protection from the road. Going up the the westbound lanes of the Vincent Thomas and Gerald Desmond bridges was grueling, yet Christi and I cheered each other on while discussing how much we hated the incline. The journey down hill was a solitary moment with a mix of emotions like, "Oh goodness, my brakes better not fail me, wow I'm getting a ridiculous amount of speed, did that kid really just pass me going down hill? Road rash wouldn't be good, it's ok though I work for a wound care company, I'm so glad I'm not pedaling..." It wasn't until the last bridge that I embraced the speed of a long downhill especially with my dad's Peugot, I felt like a pro-cyclist. I ducked my head down and took my hand away from the break. Talk about just letting go of control. Our team Captain, Kurt did an amazing 60 miles. He came through the finish line barely looking winded. Food, live entertainment and free goodies like Clif bars and Vita CoCo (coconut water) wrapped up the beautiful day with Tour de Cure. What was lovely was that it was a ride, not a race. Christi and I took advantage of our gorgeous day and took every photo opportunity we could. I encourage everyone to participate in an ADA bike ride, they are across the country. You get to experience something that you won't forget and really appreciate your surroundings. Very happy and proud of our team, and looking forward to next year's ride! Written by: Katrina Tracy, PR Coordinator/cyclist for WCA **Will update with photos when ADA releases them**
