June 18th - Wrigley Field Road Tour Update

Hi everyone!
I started training this week for the Wrigley Field Road Tour, and I thought it would be fun to keep all of you who have donated updated on my progress. If for some reason you do not want to receive these emails, let me know and I will take you off the list. I'm doing a blog on the T2EA fb app, so I will just post that here after every update.
Thank you so much for your donations again. You have no idea how much they mean to me.
I'm still trying to reach my $1500 goal, so if you know anyone else that is willing to help out, feel free to pass on my website link: http://afc.aidschicago.org/netcommunity/vegabells

Also, for those of you in the Chicago area, if you are interested in volunteering for any of our group rides please let me know. For every person that volunteers, I get $15 in fundraising credit and you get to feel good about doing something to help others. We have group rides scheduled for July 2, 16, 23, 30, August 13 and of course the big day of August 27th.

Thank you thank you thank you!
Vega



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First Group Ride
My alarm didn't go off this morning. It was set for 5:42am, which would have given me enough time to eat breakfast and bike to the training site to be there at least 15 minutes before our 7am start time. But I woke up at 7:10. I have never jumped out of bed so quickly. I was nearly in tears. I never oversleep! I shoved some blueberries in my mouth, threw on my bike gear and left. I got to the site quickly, and was added to a group that was practicing skills and agility. We did "slow races" and circles, practiced looking behind and grabbing our water bottles. Then they taught us how to ride in a pack. It was nothing new to me, except the little chicken wing signal to switch off leading the pack. We left for the 15 mile ride (which turned out to be 18 or 19) at 9am and ventured onto the streets of Chicago with maybe 40 cyclists. I was at the head of the pack and got to lead for a few miles. I've always been a solo rider, mostly because when I try to ride with friends, they don't move as quickly and I get frustrated. This was a different experience. Even though we weren't at a higher speed, I was enjoying meeting some of the other riders and entertained by the shouting of random things all the way through the pack. We somehow got separated and I was the first one back to the starting point by 15 minutes. The best part was shoving my face full of banana and nutella after the ride (I was staaaaaarving). I'm looking forward to the first computrainer session this tuesday, and when they determine who gets put into smaller training packs according to strength. This will be a fun experience!