RIDE FOR THE ROSES - THE FINALE

After a weekend of festivities,The Ride for the Roses was finally here. I never got to meet Lance.

We, Theresa and I, arrived early for the event and spent the morning preparing the bikes, drinking coffee, and waiting. I was in Lane 3 which was the class of the fastest Century riders and at the front. After hearing Lance speak and Robbin Williams tell a few jokes the celebrities took to the road, followed by the major fundraisers, tandems, then Lane 3. When we took off, I led for the first 9-10 miles. Then a peloton caught me and I maintained with them until we go to Elgin, which was 20 miles from the start. It felt a little fast,averaging 30 mph, so I fell back to the second peloton which was about 25 riders. Then we maintained a 26mph pace which was much more comfortable for me. At 10:15 the wind picked up,, which was a cross wind or tail wind, blowing 15-25mph but by that time we were headed back to Elgin. I passed all the rest stops and ate as I rode because I was shooting for a time of under 4 hrs. The peloton I was in fell to just four of us. We took turns dragging off one another until the last five miles when we hit some hills. I was third in the group and the leader fell to the rear to drag. The second rider said he did not want to lead so I knew he was tired or just did not want anyone dragging off him. I attacked the hill hard, maybe a little too hard but when we got to the top the other three fell well back. I descended down the hill and had another climb. One of the guys caught me and said to me, "let's work together and bring it home." I said ok but was unable to stay with him up the climb or catch him over the last two miles. He beat me by about two hundred yards. When I finished I looked at my time which was different than Theresa's watch. My computer acted up during the ride from time to time and read a finish time of 4hours eight minutes. Theresa checked her watch when I left and when I finished and she showed 3 hours and 50 minutes. Either way, it was 29 minutes faster than last years 4hours and 37 minutes and my best century. When I finished and got back to my truck, all I could do was cry. Theresa came over to me and gave me a BIG hug and was so proud of the whole accomplishment. I asked her about her ride and she had completed the 7 miles and was so impressed by the whole atmosphere. To me, she was the real winner today. I was so proud of her and her accomplishment.

I want to thank everyone whom made this dream ride a reality. Special Thanks to Emily and Theresa - although it was very long and sometimes demanding, I could not have completed this without you. We got some great press and publicity for the LAF and Red River. Also, without the support of everyone, it could have never happened. I have learned a lot about cycling, people and myself. I also hope that I have taught my readers something as well:
"One Person CAN Make a Difference."
Thank you once again to everyone,
Live Strong and Ride ON.
Paul Schnatz
Red River Town Councilor

SCHOOL VISIT

Today I went to Pflugerville Elementary School and spoke to the children about having a dream and being able to do whatever they put their little minds to. I discussed my ride, bicycle safety, where Red River is, and the support team that I had following me. I asked each of them what they wanted to do when they grow up and I heard football player, teacher, a mom, soccer player, police woman, and several other fields of expertise. I encouraged them all to follow their dream and how they can make a difference in the world. I then told them about the snakes and tarantulas that I saw while training and riding, and that is when the crowd got the best of me and they switched the conversation to Halloween and costumes. I finally got them back on track which was no easy task - what a tough crowd. LOL. They were so cute. They all received Live Strong bracelets and a Winter Visitor Guide from Red River.
Live Strong and Ride On

TEXAS REDS IN SAN MARCOS

Theresa and I went to the Texas Reds Steakhouse in San Marcos.

We visited with owners Nancigail and Troy Miller prior to their opening. They treated us to a delicious aged beef dinner with baked potatoes. It was fantastic and we really appreciated their hospitality. We had a tour of the facility and was just amazed with the atmosphere and the motif. The restaurant use to be a cotton gin in the 1800's. When it burned down, it was rebuilt in 1906 with a mostly brick shell and wooden interior that had a warm and welcoming feel. Thank you for being a sponsor and for the great meal.

Texas Reds
120 W. Grove
San Marcos, TX 78666.
(512) 754-8808

Visit the other Texas Reds in Red River, NM and Eagle Nest, NM.
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 9 CEDAR PARK TO THE CAPITAL OF TX

Theresa and Emily shuttled me to Cedar Park to start the final stage.

Before I speak of my ride, I must tell you about last night. Theresa found the promoter of the concert and spoke to Big Joe about my ride. Just prior to Rik Trevino coming on stage, Big Joe thanked all the sponsors for the concert and then preceded to tell everyone that they had another special guest here from Red River. He spoke of the ride and I got a very nice applause as I took off my hat and waved to the crowd. What a nice reception.

Due to not taking yesterday off, my ride today was only 38 miles and 1 hour 30 minutes.
I rode down highway 183 to Mopac then took Mopac to Caesar Chavez. The ride was a little uncomfortable due to heavy and fast traffic but it is exactly what I expected. The fast and the furious. I took a left on Congress and I saw the Capital towering at the end of the street. I stopped about 5 blocks before and reflected on the ride and my accomplishment before riding to the finish. I was excited yet sad that it has come to an end. It was an awesome trip and if you are reading this, I want to thank you for taking the time to keep up with me and the interesting happenings that occurred along the way. I rode up to the steps of the Capital and Theresa and Emily took photos as a last hurrah. Tonight is the first night I feel tired, I guess because I have nothing left to do tomorrow but rest. I will go for a ride tomorrow but I know it will be different in many ways. The state police referred me to some phone numbers to call first thing in the morning the get in touch with Governor Rick Perry. I will keep you updated. Tonight and for the next week, we will be staying with my stepdaughter and son in law and my two beautiful grand sons. Emily is leaving tomorrow to head back to Red River as Theresa and I wait for the Ride for the Roses next weekend. I will keep you posted on any updates this week.
Live Strong, Ride On, and Goodnight.

STAGE 8.5

Although I wanted to sleep in and rest, I just couldn't do it.

I awoke at 5:00am and by 7:00am I was real restless so I went for a bike ride. I rode to Cedar Park, TX, which is 38 miles through the hill country toward Austin at an average speed of 25 mph. Like I stated ionone of the earlier stages, the longer the ride went on, the stronger and faster I got. This was Theresa's first day of SAGing with Emily and she was very impressed and speechless (I finally did - write this on your calender - Theresa Buck speechless). Now a SAG is responsible for supporting the rider during a ride, however, with both SAG's in the same vehicle and myself on a bike, guess who had to help who with a flat. Yep, the SAG's went down (like a sack of potatoes) with a flat and I had to wait on them. I would have completed the ride today but I have family and friends that will be on the Capital of Texas steps at 10:00am on Sunday. Tonight is the concert so we plan on having a good time and enjoying the atmosphere.
One observation that I found out to be very interesting was that I did not have to deal with one single dog the whole route.
Live Strong and Ride ON.

STAGE 8 BROWNWOOD TO LAMPASAS

I want to start this out with an apology to Ron Key of Lubbock. Ron won the 2004 Ride for the Roses cycling jersey at the Red River Century Tour as part of a fund raiser raffle for the L.A.F. When I arrived in Lubbock, Ron wanted me to have the jersey back so he gave it to Debbie Callaham's father to give to me. I received it Ron and thank you for the gift.

Today we had coffee and muffins with Anna at Gate 1 Inn. Shortly after signing my first autograph on the trip, I began to ride to Lampasas. Another perfect and blessed day was ahead of me. We also passed out many of the Winter Visitor Guides promoting our lovely community. Today's 72 mile route was completed in 3 hours and 45 minutes. Aside from a lot of road kill, the ride was pretty uneventful until I was between Lameta and Lampasas. I saw a truck go by and the gentleman looked real familiar to me but I continued on. I saw the truck turn around in my helmet mirror and to my surprise, Bill Gill, owner of Texas Reds in Red River pulled off the road. Bill and I visited for about 10 minutes before we parted ways. Bill's foster mother passed away and he came down for the funeral. Bill, our prayers are with you and yours. Also while traveling down highway 84, iI saw a tractor driving on the shoulder. My first thought was I am going to catch him. I caught him at the bottom of a hill and thought I would draft uphill. Then I thought I can take him. I pulled up beside him and gave him the infamous look (like Lance gave Ullrich) and blew by him on the long climb. I owned that farmer from then on. When I arrived in Lampasas, we checked in to the Holiday Inn Express and already I feel smarter. General Manager, Paul W. Thomas welcomed us and presented us with tickets to see John Conlee and Rick Trevino performing tomorrow night, therefore, I am taking tomorrow off from riding to Austin until Sunday, besides that, I am two days ahead of schedule. How cool is that. Then we went to eat at the Best BBQ house in Texas (The Roadhouse). Owner, Barry Linthicum, visited with us for a while and then donated $20.00 to the L.A.F. Thanks for the great food Barry. Emily and I then went to The Darn Good Radio Show "The Best Music you Ever Heard & The Best Music you Never Heard" KCYL AM - Q102 FM Radio Station and did a live interview about the ride and our adventures. Disc Jockey Bob Fullerton actually used to live in Eagle Nest about 20 years ago which is 18 miles from Red River. Theresa Buck will be here shortly to Sag the last leg for me. Looking forward to a good nights rest and sleeping in past 5:00am. One last thing that caught our attention was a prickly pear cactus without the pricklies. Wouldn't that just be a pear?
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 7 ABILENE TO BROWNWOOD

I woke up at 4:45am to face the toughest day of my journey to date.

Leaving Abilene the roads were my toughest challenge but I still have many great and funny stories to share. The roads started out great - smooth and flat. Approximately 7 miles later the roads changed as did my good easy ride. I found myself riding on a chip seal shoulder and highway. Chip seal is tar then topped with chunky rocks - it was like riding on cobblestone for the duration of the 77 mile ride. Even the white lines were rough, however, it was not the bikes fault, wasn't the routes fault, It was the ASPHALT. (LOL) Then I was faced with about a 5mph head wind along with the rolling hills of the outer hill country. Put them all together along with 85 degree temperature and high humidity and it made for a long ride (77 miles in 4 hours and 11 minutes). This was the first day I had to make multiple stops during the ride instead of just one. There was a lot of road kill on the highways from skunks to deer. Fortunately the buzzards I saw were pre-occupied with the deer and they didn't circle me, therefore I knew I was doing better than I felt. My knee pain I discovered was due to fatigue and my knees coming away from the frame of the bike while peddling instead of a smooth circular motion. Once I figured that out I focused on my spinning and the pain subsided. I also saw my first redneck today. I knew it was a redneck when his boat trailer stuck out further than his vehicle and seemed to be very close to me as he passed. When I looked up, I saw a pole sticking up in the rear of the boat with a pair of pants flying full staff as he drove by me at Brownwood lake. You might be a redneck.......I couldn't help but laugh. When I arrived into Brownwood, Emily and I stopped at a gas station and a gentleman from Verizon came up to me and asked if I was the guy that is biking to Austin. I said, "yes" and he reached out and handed me $20.00 and said, "I think it is great what you are doing." I asked him how he heard about my ride and he said it was on the front page of the newspaper on Monday. After he left, I turned around and there was a lady checking me out in my cycling shorts. Emily and I smiled at her and she asked if I was riding cross country. I told her about my mission and and she replied, "Oh Lord, God be with you." We left there and went to the Chamber of Commerce. Emily went to visit with them to see if we had a room for us in town. A lady that was in the Chamber at the time asked if we had a room yet and when Emily said no. She replied, "I will take care of it." This young German lady was Anna Iller, owner of the Gate 1 Motor Inn. The room must have been a suite because it is so large with everything you could possibly need with two very comfortable queen size beds and a steak house right next door. Thank you Anna and Jessie for your hospitality and generosity. It is greatly appreciated and we look forward to having breakfast with you in the morning. We also stopped at the Brownwood Bulletin, the local newspaper , and I was interviewed and photographed by Managing Editor Gene Deason. Due to your efforts, I was recognized by several individuals throughout your lovely community. I would also like to thank Nadene Lyles in Abilene for offering to put us up. Unfortunately I decided to ride on to Brownwood and after a long day I didn't feel like driving back to Abilene only to return back to Brownwood to travel on south. Tomorrow I am sleeping in until 6:00 tomorrow and hoping for smoother highways. Until then,
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 6 LUBBOCK TO JUSTICEBERG/ROSCOE

Today started strangely mostly due to my error in considering the time change.

I started out thinking we were still on New Mexico time only to find out that I had to ride the first hour in absolute darkness until a vehicle came up behind me. So the first hour I only averaged 9mph because I could not see. When the sun started to light up the sky is when I lit up the pavement. My total ride today was 117 miles in 5 hours and 44 minutes, not bad considering the first hour. This was the first day I rode in which I had feeling in all my extremities because the weather was very nice. Low 70's I believe was the high and the only wind I felt was the wind I created by riding. When I got to Justiceberg, I was still feeling great except for some knee discomfort, so I decided to Ride ON. Shortly after that decision, I discovered a montropolis of Windmills (farm)again. This time they were just moving enough to cool me off. When I got to Snyder, Emily had already contacted the Snyder Newspaper and they reported that someone was on the way. They never caught up to us so I guess I was going too fast. Thanks for the effort though. I decided to continue on due to a 40% chance of rain tomorrow and the fact that I did not get off work so I have to call my customers tomorrow - Thanks to the ones that called in their orders today. This will enable me to make it to Brownwood and still conduct business. The state police indicated that I could not ride on the interstate so I will have to be shuttled from Roscoe to Abilene (a 45 mile variance). This is beyond my control so I hope no one looks down on me for this. I completed the day with another NEW Hot Chicken Parmesan sandwich with the Toasted Cheese Bread. Yummy - If you haven't tried it, you should. Thank You Bill Huskinson for setting this up with Subway. I will try to get to bed early tonight (by 10pm) but I haven't been able to so far so I don't know why today would be any different. I saw a sign today that I wanted to have my picture with but we left the camera behind. For those of you who know Nolan, the sign read, "Entering Nolan County." We miss you Nolan. We will get the picture tomorrow. I had a few shifting issues today but I got them worked out and the bike is handling great and is getting fantastic gas mileage. Oh, by the way, the TV camera's do add about 10 pounds to your body. Thanks again to the Callaham's for having us again in you home. God Bless.
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 5 CLOVIS/TEXICO TO LUBBOCK

Woke up at 4:45 and got ready for a long day - or was it.

I left Texico due to my extended ride to Texico yesterday (see Stage 4 details) which was against my better judgment but it was a decision I had to make. The temperature was 35 degrees when I left. Again, my feet froze but my saddle was just fine (thank you Mr. Ointment). Emily did a great job of SAGing today which is a more difficult job than one may think. There are signals to deal with, planning, communications, food passing, and having to deal with my demands (that is the hard part) only because I should only have to deal with riding and she does everything else. How lucky I am to have her here helping. The 92 mile trip took a mere 4 hours 15 minutes with about a 5-10 mile per hour tail wind. Around Muleshoe, the sun came over the horizon but was quickly covered by clouds until around 10:00 - which is when my feet began to thaw and I was able to finally shed my layers around 10:30. I arrived at the Lubbock city limit sign at 10:45 (NM time) and was hungry for a delicious and NEW Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with toasted cheese bread and HOT marinara and lots of cheese from Subway. What a perfect way to end the ride. Shortly afterwards, Fox Channel 34 from Lubbock came and interviewed me as I spoke of the L.A.F and the Town of Red River. I am presently sitting at Max and Debbie Callaham's lovely home in Shallow Water, TX waiting to have lots of pasta and beer. Must have carbohydrates. Thank you Max and Debbie for your hospitality, you guys are awesome. The interesting part of my day was when I noticed that I felt a little different. Being an ex long distance runner from many years past, it was as if I had runners high (not sure what it is called in cycling but your endorphans take over) My brain began to block everything out, including my music, breathing, and I had tunnel vision, as if I became a machine. I am riding stronger than I ever have and faster. Part of that is due to high elevation training but the other part is just the miracle of the body. I was told my mind would take over about day three but I had no idea it would be like this. I will also miss the New Mexico drivers - they know how to share the road. Thank you
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 4 SAN JON TO CLOVIS

After awakening at 4:30am and a hearty breakfast, I was ready to face the monsters on the mesa (see stage 1)

Again the weather was cold (low 40's) and rained off and on with winds blowing 30mph. I left San Jon on a newly paved highway which extended to Grady (24 miles of sweetness). As I climbed the mesa, the windmills (80 total in all) worked hard to move the fog. The cross winds were blowing the tarantulas across the highway and was numbing my feet to the point that it felt that I had needles in them. After the 24 miles of sweetness, my saddle became unbearable on the next six miles of broken highway. I asked Emily at one point to go see how far it is to highway 209 because I knew it had to be better than this. She drove about two blocks and there it was LOL. The next 10 miles was under construction for shoulder work but it was in the oncoming lane and not a factor. When I arrived in Clovis, Theresa Buck was on the phone with Emily and said it had snowed about 5 inches in Red River and it was still coming down. At that point, due to the unpredictable weather the next morning, I decided to Ride On to the state line.
I rode to Texico and had a few freezing photos by the state line sign and got in the car to warm up. We still had no room facilities at this time. I call one of the commissioners that I met at a MOLI certification course, Isidro Garcia, and he called another commissioner that had a son, Ted, working at the Holiday Inn. They were able to help us with a very comfortable room and a HOT shower. ahhhhhhhhhh. We are comfortably resting and enjoying the room waiting to see what the weather has in store for us tomorrow. I have a new friend that I met today and we will stay in touch forever. His name is Ointment - Desitin Ointment. This creamy zinc oxide ointment has a fresh scent, goes on easly and wipes off easy. It is great for overnight relief. LOL
Live Strong and Ride On

STAGE 3 RED RIVER, NM TO CIMARRON

After a days of sales at Zanios Foods, I started my ride to Cimarron at 3:00pm.

For those of you that are not familiar with Red River, we are a Cool Mountain Town nesteled in the mountains with a ski area within walking distance.

Jerry Hogrefe, our Town Marshall showed up at my home and began his escort through town with sirens blaring. Many lined the streets to wish me the best as I rode through, primarily by Brandenburg Park where the 1st Annual Oktoberfest was taking place. The weather was in the 40's and the chance of rain became a reality as I climbed Bobcat Pass surpassing 9200 feet in altitude. As I started my decent down the backside of Bobcat, I was amazed at the beauty of the leaves on the aspens and the snow covered Wheeler Park (the tallest mountain in New Mexico)
It continued to rain until I passed the rodeo grounds and then the wind came. This would not subside. As I entered Eagle Nest, NM, the clouds hovered over the lake (which is now a state lake) resting peacefully over the boat infested waters. I stopped at Texas Reds 5th briefly to visit with owner Rik Gill. As I traveled up the next pass, I was met by Kathy, the Chronicle Newspaper reporter in Angel Fire, for a few words and photographs. I then continued to ride through Cimarron Canyon where the wind was whipping the golden aspen leaves around the road. This was a serene and peaceful ride but I had to work hard due to the wind and the rain that began to fall throughout the canyon until I was just a few miles from Cimarron. This 42 mile ride took me 1 hour 58 minutes. My SAG, Emily Kohn, met me and we continued on to Tucumcari which was my second overnight stay. Special thanks to City of Tucumcari Fire Chief Mike Cherry and his lovely wife Barbara, and Town Admistrator Clara Rey for making arrangement for us to stay at the Holiday Inn and for taking us to dinner. We enjoyed the hospitality and the company as we shared stories and conversation. Thanks for everything.
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 2 CIMARRON, NM TO ROY, NM

This was an uneventful ride that I will not forget but will probably wish for when I get to the heat of Texas.

Foggy, misting, and cold. Today was a 71 mile stretch that went from Cimmaron, NM to Roy, NM. My legs felt a little weak this morning primarily due to only having a mini muffin for breakfast, a very cold crosswind for the last 26 miles, and traveling on a rough road surface. Visibility was less than 200 yards at some points with a little mist that forced me to remove my glasses early on due to condensation and lack of visibility. I also had to wear a cotton T-Shirt over my jersey to stay warm. I was unable to see the mountains disappear through the fog like I have been able to on some of my training rides but I knew I was distancing myself from them. The most adrenaline moments is when vehicles drive by and honked their horns which really startle a cyclist on a very narrow road. Tomorrow will be a very exciting day for me as I leave my beautiful resort town of Red River.
Live Strong and Ride On.

STAGE 1 ROY, NM TO SAN JON, NM

After a morning of meetings at Zanios and a mini in house food show in Albuquerque, Stage 1 began.

The three things that worry me the most were not a factor today. Heat. Wind. Snakes. The Stage began in Roy, NM and traveled to San Jon and then back to Logan totaling 110 miles. This was due to no SAG in San Jon so I had no choice but to ride back to Logan (20 miles) to the Budget Inn Express. Hotel owners Gary, Jessica and Virginia Knight donated a room and treated me like royalty as I enjoyed their newly remodeled and comfortable Inn. Go see them when you visit Logan's beautiful Ute Lake. Cloud Coverage, no wind, low temperatures (52 degrees) and a destiny with darkness forced me to ride a little faster than I would have liked (5 hour 25 minutes) but I felt pretty good. Tarantulas and an enormous pony looking mailbox were the only varmint that I encountered today. However, when in San Jon I saw the monsters on the horizon which I will attempt to slay on Monday. The windmill farm on top of the mesa, which has a total of 80 windmills, produces energy for homes. Where there are windmills there must be wind. Subway representative, Jennifer Ellerd, from the Lubbock Texas District called me today and donated Subway sandwiches within her district which includes Lubbock for two days, Abilene, and Brownwood. Who knows, maybe I will be the next Jared. LOL
Live Strong and Ride on.

Fundraising Thank You

Capo's Corner in Red River hosted a magical night of fundraising. Surrounded by family and friends, the all you can eat spaghetti dinner raised $470.00 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. My ride is much more than getting on a bicycle and peddling down the highway, it is about individuals coming together, showing support and sharing stories. That is what I hope to accomplish as I ride on this magical journey.

Last night at the fundraiser, I experienced two heart felt moments. One was when I was visiting with a table, discussing the ride to Austin. A little 4 year old girl named Michaela asked, "Is this going to make Uncle Jimmy better?" I replied touching my heart, " I'm going to try." Jimmy King was sitting at the table and has survived the many spiritual, mental and financial questions that cancer can raise to an individual and family. Although his fight is not over yet, his spirit continues to glow. Later on that evening, Jimmy came up to me and gave me $20.00 for the L.A.F. When I told him to keep the money, he replied, "Take it, it may be just enough to find a cure."

Special thanks to the King family for joining me, The Walkers - owner of the Alpine Lodge, Town Councilors Pat Lamb and George Woerndle for representing the town, and the countless friends that showed up to Share the Magic.

Live Strong and Ride On