A Day In The Life...

...of an AIDS/LifeCycle Cyclist!

Y'know, after a few months under my belt I wanted to share the experience of being an ALC cyclist with all of you. I mean, yeah, I've shared training rides and events and fundraising updates but I've never gotten down to the nitty-gritty of what this experience is like on a daily basis. Probably haven't done that because it's not very exciting. But, y'know, I've always said you were alongside me on this journey so you should know about the nuts & bolts too, eh?

As a first year participant, my experience is probably much different than someone who's done the ride in the past. Many of the tasks, steps or stages are surprises for me. And some aren't surprising, but just required since I'm a newbie. I think many, experienced or not, have similar days. We all have a few focal points... training, gear, fundraising, support... and all that's added to our day-to-day lives outside of ALC. So here's a snapshot of today... March 12, 2013...

6:34 a.m. - Rise & shine! Waking a little "later" now that we've set our clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time. Although it sounds like it's later, I'm still waking up at exactly the same time. The clock just doesn't reflect that. And, the sun is nearly up so I'm somewhat rushed to take my daily sunrise pic.




6:37 a.m. - Feed. The. Dogs. There's no getting around this. They want to eat the moment I roll out of bed.

6:46 a.m. - Coffee is made and I go outside to watch the sunrise. Snap a few pics and post my favorite to Facebook.


6:55 - 7:15 a.m. - While sipping coffee, I email my supporters - sponsors, gear donors, emotional supporters & teammates - about reaching our $10,000 mark in fundraising. Of course, I include this video which I made as soon as I returned from Los Angeles (do you have any idea how much time it takes to do these videos?!?!? Oy! If you ever do it, just plan on watching your favorite show on Netflix while it renders!).

7:15 - 7:18 a.m. - Check my team stats to see our progress. Wow... we're just $25 away from reaching $43,000! But I hold off on posting anything to the team page because, well, we're still twenty-five bucks away.

7:20 - 7:50 a.m. - Spend some time with the pups. Walks. Petting. Treats.

7:51 - 8:15 a.m. Post weekly workout results to those amazing ride supporters at MAVS Reppin' The Ride. Also share the 10K thank you video on the page.

8:15 - 8:40 a.m. - Shower, shave, dress for work. Oh wait... I didn't shave today. So make that 8:15 - 8:35 a.m.

8:36 - 8:52 a.m. - Commute.

8:53 - 8:54 a.m. - Walk from the car to the elevator to my desk.

8:56 a.m. - Make a cup of coffee.

8:57 a.m. - Work (I won't bore you with the details of my job)

9:30 a.m. Work meeting (And PB was taking photographs - what was that about?!??!??!)

10:30 a.m. Another work meeting - I guess I am boring you with details of my job.

12:14 p.m. - Meetings are done. Swing by my desk, check team stats and realize we've crossed the $43,000 mark! Post a message to the team that I really think we're going to hit $50K by April 1st!

12:29 p.m. Taking my lunch break, I stop by McGhie's Bike Shop to buy a new tire. Turns out, when I got that flat last week, I broke the casing on my tire and could have a blowout anytime. Mike, the Cannondale Rep at the ALC Expo this weekend, did a check on my ride and told me about it. Warned me not to ride my bike until it was fixed. Little did he know that I'd already put 130 miles on that tire with the bad casing, heh! But I bought a new tire. And found out how much they cost! Whoa! I also purchased a new bottle cage since mine broke on my ride with Jose on Sunday. And then, after I checked out, I hit the clearance rack just to see what they had. And since I can't pass up a deal (and still need three more sets of jerseys/shorts for the ride), I purchased a Cannondale bib at half-price. Sixty bucks. Walked out of McGhie's spending a mere $130.

12:58 - 1:23 p.m. - Lunch. Chinese. Nom nom nom!

1:24 - 4:28 p.m. - Work. Meetings. Fun stuff for me. But not for you.

4:29 p.m. - Back to my desk, had a voice mail on my cell phone. Bill McDermott, the Corporate Development Officer (CDO) at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center had called while I was in meetings to thank me for raising $10K for ALC.

4:31 - 5:59 p.m. Work. Work. Work.

5:59 - 6:17 p.m. Drive home.

6:18 p.m. Feed dogs (did I mention how needy they are?!?! But I love them even with all their faults!)

6:20 - 6:46 p.m. Hang with the pups & chat with my roommate.

6:47 - 7:00 p.m. - Replace the busted tire on my bike so I can go on a short ride tomorrow.

7:01 - 7:03 p.m. Wash my hands. That chain is greasy.

7:05 p.m. (and later) - Put all my cycling clothes from this weekend in the wash. Hang them up to dry when they're done. I swear, I now have so many "delicates" hanging in the bathroom, it looks like a sorority house in there!


7:06 - 7:20 p.m. - Email back & forth with the co-coordinator for the Wild West Weekend ALC ride to firm up details for our Las Vegas event on the weekend of March 23/24.

7:22 - 7:28 p.m. - Message with a teammate about requirements for gearing up and tips for the ride.

7:29 - 7:35 p.m. - Eat.

7:36 - 7:38 p.m. - Send out a couple emails to fellow ALC participants I met over the weekend.

7:40 - 7:41 p.m. - Pee. C'mon, we all have to do it.

7:42 - 7:54 p.m. - Look for cheaper bike tires online.

7:55 - 7:58 p.m. - Buy a backup tire because they're much cheaper on Amazon.

7:59 - 8:12 p.m. - Work.

8:13 - present - Write this blog entry.

Present - 10 p.m. - Hopefully catch an episode of The New Normal, The Mindy Project, or Glee if any are new & available on Hulu.

10:01 p.m. - Take my pill. Go to bed.

10:02 p.m. ZZzzzzzzzzz

6:32 a.m. - Wake up & ride a few miles.

I know it's not much. But it's my life. And I love it. And our commitment - that of all the cyclists & roadies & staff on ALC - is a full time job. Today I didn't do any fundraising. I didn't ride. But every free moment was dedicated to this event. We all take it on... time... money.... gear... heart... because we believe in this cause. But, more importantly, you join us. And I love that you've got my back during this crazy adventure. Thanks y'all.

J-