Sunday night we had special rider meeting where we all received our official Coast to Coast Jersey and a plaque with a photo from the opening group picture in San Diego on the beach! Bubba thanked us all and then encouraged each of us to share their feelings/memories of the ride. He said it took perseverance and luck because we could have had a mechanical problem, a medical issue or even an accident. I recalled how I started the ride wearing an ankle brace for four weeks due to an injury prior to the start, then had mechanical issues with my gears, three flat tires, a trip to an ER for a UTI, followed by intestinal issues for a few days, and just when I thought it was going great, I finally contracted the cold/laryngitis bug that had plagued the tour for weeks. I ended by saying “I wondered how the ride would have been even that much better if none of that would have happened.” The ride was my trip of a lifetime, so make no mistake, I was not complaining. I will cherish the past 52 days forever.
The meeting ended with the announcement of who would lead the group for the last mile to the beach. It would be Rita!! I was thrilled for Rita as she rode with a medical condition that I will be riding for in just two weeks – Rita has MS. She rode across the country!! There was no better choice to lead us in!
The day started with an emergency rider meeting at 6:45 am. The weather forecast had changed from bad to worse with thunderstorms expected. The group decided to hit the roads with no SAG stop, skipping our lunch plans and heading for a McDonalds as the meeting place. We wanted to be there by 10:30am and hopefully get a group photograph in front of the welcome to St. Augustine sign. Well, it rained the whole way there. As we turned the last corner, I saw a group of people cheering and waving. With the rain, I could not see through my sunglasses all that well. Janet asked who it was, and I replied “I don’t know, but I’m waving back.” When I pulled into the Mc Donald’s, I saw my friends Owen, Randy, Ray and Sylvia; walking just behind them I also saw my sister Janice!! I almost had a heart attack there on the spot! I had no idea that she would be there and I burst into tears. She had flown in from Detroit. A few people that witnessed the interaction told me later that the look on my face was priceless!! The feeling in my heart was joy. I had so wished that I could share the moment with someone from my family and my sister made that wish come true. Not everyone had a family member there due to travel/work/other commitments, so I wouldn’t have been the only one without family, however, having a family member there added an extra layer of jubilation. The last rider made it in a little after 11:00 and there was a downpour. Everyone crowded into McDonald’s; we took an impromptu group photo and as we did that, the rain stopped and we charged out to the welcome sign for one last group photo. We then lined up with Rita in the lead and headed for the beach about one mile away. Everyone dipped their front tire into the crashing waves and received a medal from Bubba. It was quite the scene. A few people jumped into the water (after all, we were all wet anyway) – the first ones in were Rita and her significant other. It was priceless.
I will follow up with the final stats from the ride when I get home, so please come back one last time!
Stats from the day:
Start city: Palatka, FL
End city: St Augustine, FL
Miles: 36.41
Total miles to date: 2926.50
Pedaling time: 2 hours, 46 minutes
Avg. speed: 13.2
Feet climbed: 322 (flat)
Fatigue factor: 2 out of 10 (10 is the worst);
Wind: start: S 5 mph; end S 6 mph
Road condition: 4 out of 5 (1 is the worst)
Temperature extremes: 72 at ride start, 70 at ride finish
My sisiter's surprise!
Randy, me, Owen and Janice.
I am in front of the "T." in the abbreviation for saint,
Dipping my front tire in the water of the Atlantic!!!
Pure joy!
