Tom Nelson

Day 6 – Lompoc (through Santa Barbara) to Ventura, 84.1 miles

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Jun 062014

Phyllis Stop 11:00 to 12:30 Los Positas & Modoc Road, Santa Barbara.

Camp 6 at San Buenaventura State Beach.

Total miles traveled: 472 (89% of total route). Miles to go: 60.3 (11% of total route).

Tom’s Actual: Dis 87.3 miles, Av 14.7 mph, Mx 40.3 mph, Tm 5 hr 54 min, Oat 10 hr 10 min

Got out of camp 5 at 7:45am. Arv camp 6 at 5:28pm.

Arrive at Girsh Park, Goleta for lunch stop at 12:00.
Leave Girsh at 12:30.

Held at rest stop 1 for CHP.

Out of Vista Point and saw dolphins at 10:45.

Waiting at Rest Stop 1.

Arrived at Girsh Park, Goleta, Lunch Stop at noon.

Ate my Girsh sandwich at Los Positas Rd. Santa Barbara, with Carol, Mary, and Ashe.

Photo-op at the rainbow bridge sculpture, East Beach, Santa Barbara.

At Paradise Pit: greeted by Lynn, Jen, and James .

Carol, Tom, and Ashe.

Phyllis and Tom.

At Paradise Pit: Lucy Harvey and Tom.

Said hello to the good fairy of Oz (David Miller) .

Rod Lathim served McConnell’s ice cream (his last official year).

At the Pit, crossed paths with Maisee and Karen , the unstoppable newbie riders from Santa Barbara.

Carol, ALC banner flagman, Mary, and Phyllis.

Saw Carol P., Mary J., and Ashe at the Los Positas road stop. Ran late and missed Matt Vaughan .

Saw 103 year-young Phyllis at the car along Modoc Rd.

Day 5- Red Dress Day – Santa Maria to Lompoc, 42.0 miles

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Jun 052014

A low mileage, restful, fun day.

Total miles traveled: 387.9 (73% of total route). Miles to go : 144.4 (27% of total route).

Tom’s Actual: Dis 41.3 miles, Av 13.5 mph, Mx 31.1 mph, Tm 3 hr 32 min, Oat 4 hr 45 min
Got out of Santa Maria camp at 7:45am, Arv camp 5 at 12:30pm. Charged iPhone at entry restroom building.
Got into River Park Lompoc camp 5 at 12:30 (under 5 hours , rider #112 arriving into camp).

Wonder Woman Shelly Brayton took a break from TRL leading, in order to work the O-P gear truck.

At lunch stop Ryon Park, friend Gail Clark greeted riders and passed out Lompoc hot spot directory info.

Saw Dr. “Heels”…this year : black stilettos with cleats .

Shark man’s feeding ground was around another gear truck.

Lunch dance & games.

Tom and Gail, Ryon Memorial Park, Lompoc.

Salute, coming into camp 5, River Park, Lompoc.

Maisee & Karen, Santa Barbara based cyclists, enter camp 5.

Fellow Santa Barbara training ride leader, Robert Vasquez in line for dinner.

I set up my tent on the lake shore. Yay, a 7:15pm bedtime to the sounds of ducks and waterfalls.

Day 4 – Paso Robles to Santa Maria, 87.5 miles

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Jun 042014

Arrived too early for Lunch at Duckie’s Chowder House at the Cayucos Pier. Camp at Preisker Park.

Total miles traveled 345.9 (65.% of total route). Miles to go 186.4 (35% of total route).

Tom’s Actual: Dis 88.9 miles, Av 14.5 mph, Mx 34.0 mph, Tm 6 hr 7 min, Oat 9 hr 8 min, Lv camp 3 at 6:30am, Arv camp 4 at 3:38pm

At HALF WAY TO LA rock (1762 elevation) and mile 17.0 A long 6% decent (max attained: 35,9 mph) immediately follows, dropping down to the coastline at Cambria and Harmony.

Mr. Trojan said “I’ve got you covered. Play safe”

Got to Duckie’s Chowder House at Cayucos Pier for
an off the grid lunch at 10:00 to foundnd they open at 11:00

Cylinder hay bales on a farm north of San Luis Obispo

Fire Station rest stop 3

Mr. Viagra said, “You’ve kept it up for four days.”

Day 3 – King City to Paso Robles, 66.7 miles

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Jun 032014

Not much wind to day. Lunch at the small town of Bradley, BBQ. Camp at Paso Robles Fairgrounds.

Total miles traveled: 258.4 (49.% of total route). Miles to go: 283.9 (51% of total route)

Tom’s Actual: Dis 65.6 miles, Av 13.6 mph, Mx 32.2 mph, Tm 4 hr 47 min, Oat 6 hr 0 min, Lv camp 2 at 6:40am, Arv camp 3 at 12:40pm.
Day 2 was 11 hours camp to camp . 9 pm bed showered and fed. Exhausted.
Day 3 was 6 hours camp to camp.

Kids letters greeted us coming into Camp 3 at Paso Robles.

The tiny town of Bradley, the school bus says ‘Bradley Welcomes ALC 2014’…then the kids sell hamburgers and buttons as a school annual fundraiser.

Burgers at Bradley

Charging iPhone after setting up tent at camp 3 Paso Robles. Next year use Tom’s secret outlet.

Training Ride Leaders group photo at 6:45pm

Day 2 – Santa Cruz to King City, 108.3 miles

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Jun 022014

Santa Cruz, the ‘Get out of Town Early’ morning. Lunch (Tip: Eat anywhere but the official lunch stop, Central Park, Salinas). Camp 2 at San Lorenzo County Park.

Total miles traveled 191.7 (36 % of total route) (miles to go 340.6 (64.% of total route)

Tom’s Actual: Dis 106.7 miles, Av 14.4 mph, Mx 59.9 mph, Tm 7 hr 32 min, Oat 11 hr 0 min, Lv Camp 1 at 7:00am, Arv Camp 2 at 6:00pm

Mission Soledad rest stop.

Mission La Soledad, official Water Stop at mile 81.5

Mission altar ladies place white altar cloths with color sharpie pens for cyclists to write memorials……every year.

Day 1 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz, 83.5 miles

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Jun 012014

Out of the Cow Palace in the early morning light. Lunch at an Gregorio State Beach (at mile 44.2). Camp 1 at Harvey West Park, Santa Cruz.

Total miles traveled: 83.4 (16.0% of total route). Miles to go: 448.9 (84.0% of total route).

Tom’s Actual: Dis 83.7 miles, Mx 34.1 mph, Av 13.2 mph, Tm unknown, Oat 8 hr 15 min, Lv Cow Palace at 7:15am, Arv Camp 1 at 2:30pm

Luggage drop off at truck “N”

Bike parking under the Cow Palace

Rolling out from the Cow Palace

Riding along the line leaving the Cow Palace

One last wave and I’m on my way

Lunch at San Gregornio beach

Dinner under the oaks

Bike parking and the tent camp at Santa Cruz

Shower trailers and shower line

Travel & Orientation Day – Santa Barbara to Daly City Cow Palace, 319 miles

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May 312014

Fun ride up to Alpine Inn, Cow Palace, and Orientation.

Packing my Monster Bag consumed all available floor space on Friday

6:36 AM – all set to load up and head north

Ashe with Tom’s monster bag, loading the Volvo

Lunch at 12:00 within Melissa’s Taqueria in Brisbane

1:30 – leaving the Alpine Inn to drop off the Giant
and do ALC 2014 Orientation at the Cow Palace

The chicken lady setting up his bike in the storage area

Ashe and Tom during Orientation

Wristbands, and dog tags…..

Welcome to my blog for AIDS/LifeCycle 2014

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Jan 012014

I’m Riding to End AIDS
From June 1-7, 2014, I’m bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle 2014. It’s a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. Please consider supporting me. Click HERE to do such.

I have participated in the AIDS/LifeCycle ride six other years. Here is a montage containing a few shots from my ride last last year. Clicking on it will enlarge it for a more detailed view.

Day 7 – Ventura to Los Angeles

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Jun 082013

Another 7:45am leaving camp late day. Fed myself well, got past the Malibu Hwy 1 car doors, and around 3:00 pm piled into Ashe’s Volvo for a food stop at Dume grocery (Malibu) and home to a real bed.

Another great AIDSLifeCycle ride complete.

Dis 62.8 miles, Av 13.9 mph, Tm 4 hr 30 min, Oat 5hr 30 min

One job-well-done, tired rider (Vets Center, Los Angeles…..end of the ALC-2013 545-mile ride)

Day 6 – Lompoc to Ventura

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Jun 072013

Started the day with a flat in the camp! On the road at 7:45am, an all time late start.

Saw fellow Santa Barbaran, Andy, at the regrouping Vista Point…he is such a strong dude, he cracked his bike frame (Cannondale, an ALC sponsor loaned him a bike for the ride duration).

Carried my Girsh Park lunch with me to meet friends at Los Positas and Modoc Rds, in Santa Barbara. Arrived in Ventura camp at 5:15

Dis 89.1 miles, Av 15.0 mph, Tm 5 hr 55 min, OAT 10 hr 10 min

Total miles traveled : 481.3 (88.8% of total route)

Yvette and Andy (the guy who broke his bike frame), at bike repairs, Vista Point.

Carol, Tom, Carla at Las Positas & Modoc Rd, Santa Barbara

Tom & Ashe

Phyllis (102 years old) & Tom

Rod Lathim, founder of Paradise Pit for 15 years, serving up McConnell’s ice cream.

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