Sept 27: A Long Day
Our flight to DC went great. The Northwest Airlines pilot was kind enough to give a shout out to the Team Michigan crew during the flight, which prompted some scattered applause for our efforts. That was pretty neat, being that I had never been recognized over an airline announcement before. The best thing, however, was that the reason as to why we are doing this was also mentioned. That, in the end, was the most important part and it really tugged at my heartstrings. Thanks to that pilot for recognizing the cause.
When we were waiting for our luggage, I looked over and saw a very tall man that looked a lot like the Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. The resemblence struck me, and I mentioned my observation to my fellow teammate, Brian. "Yeah, he was on our plane," he said. Well, for those of you who know me, I am a bit relentless when it comes to getting PR for a cause, so I immediately went over to his posse (can I call them that?) and asked if he'd mind getting his picture taken with our team.
I was surprised to find no hesitations, and before I knew it, I was rustling up as many teammates as I could for this photo opp. Unfortunately, many of us were scattered as we were looking for our luggage, but I was able to get a few of us together. Kwame had mentioned that he clapped for our group when the pilot had mentioned us and had nothing but the best of wishes for us. In fact, he may just come by the race on Saturday to cheer us on, especially since that is his day off from his conference.
After all was said and done, I walked away being struck by the fact that this man --who has certainly been the focus of attention of many for quite some time -- seemed like the normal average Joe. No attitude, no I'm-mightier-than-though persona. Just a guy who was going about his daily routine. That was a nice surprise.
Once we made it back to the hotel, we decided to go to the race check-in and expo. I'd guess this was about a two mile walk, but it seemed longer because of the heat and humidity. We sat through the safety meeting, where the race organizers went over the dos and don'ts of the race. The expo had a few good items that one could drule over, but not much. We arrived back at the hotel at 4:30 to put our bikes back together.
This part was the longest part of my day, by far. Team in Training had shipped our bikes out via UPS, and when they arrived, there were parts missing, parts damaged, and all sorts of problems. Fortunately, my bike made almost made it in once piece, minus a part that goes to my handlebars that is easy to replace. Others didnt' have it so well. Aman ended up having to take his bike to a bike shop because it was so badly damaged. The whole process left a bad taste in some peoples' mouths, but we have learned to expect the unexpected in this kind of stuff, so we just took it with a grain of salt. All will be well by race day, and that is what matters.
We did finish the day off with a delightful Italian dinner (and a beer, but don't tell anyone). It was very good. So now I'm off to bed, for tomorrow is another long day, starting off with a tour of the White House JUST for Team Michigan! More later!
Chrissy, Pete, Carly, Brian, Ron and Mary Ellen all wait gleefully before boarding the plane heading for DC.
Amelia goes with the flow.
Brian, Ron, myself, Elisia and Carly pose with Detroit's main man.
Aman, holding his one and only bag, is perplexed how I could pack so much for this trip. My "I had to pack my pillow" arguement didn't hold much weight in this debate.
I was happy to have Carly on this trip, who helped me prove the theory that girls just need more stuff.
Our hotel, the Embassy Suites.
Putting our bikes back together.
Pete, Brian and Ron contemplate what they will do in the hours before the big race.
When we were waiting for our luggage, I looked over and saw a very tall man that looked a lot like the Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. The resemblence struck me, and I mentioned my observation to my fellow teammate, Brian. "Yeah, he was on our plane," he said. Well, for those of you who know me, I am a bit relentless when it comes to getting PR for a cause, so I immediately went over to his posse (can I call them that?) and asked if he'd mind getting his picture taken with our team.
I was surprised to find no hesitations, and before I knew it, I was rustling up as many teammates as I could for this photo opp. Unfortunately, many of us were scattered as we were looking for our luggage, but I was able to get a few of us together. Kwame had mentioned that he clapped for our group when the pilot had mentioned us and had nothing but the best of wishes for us. In fact, he may just come by the race on Saturday to cheer us on, especially since that is his day off from his conference.
After all was said and done, I walked away being struck by the fact that this man --who has certainly been the focus of attention of many for quite some time -- seemed like the normal average Joe. No attitude, no I'm-mightier-than-though persona. Just a guy who was going about his daily routine. That was a nice surprise.
Once we made it back to the hotel, we decided to go to the race check-in and expo. I'd guess this was about a two mile walk, but it seemed longer because of the heat and humidity. We sat through the safety meeting, where the race organizers went over the dos and don'ts of the race. The expo had a few good items that one could drule over, but not much. We arrived back at the hotel at 4:30 to put our bikes back together.
This part was the longest part of my day, by far. Team in Training had shipped our bikes out via UPS, and when they arrived, there were parts missing, parts damaged, and all sorts of problems. Fortunately, my bike made almost made it in once piece, minus a part that goes to my handlebars that is easy to replace. Others didnt' have it so well. Aman ended up having to take his bike to a bike shop because it was so badly damaged. The whole process left a bad taste in some peoples' mouths, but we have learned to expect the unexpected in this kind of stuff, so we just took it with a grain of salt. All will be well by race day, and that is what matters.
We did finish the day off with a delightful Italian dinner (and a beer, but don't tell anyone). It was very good. So now I'm off to bed, for tomorrow is another long day, starting off with a tour of the White House JUST for Team Michigan! More later!
Chrissy, Pete, Carly, Brian, Ron and Mary Ellen all wait gleefully before boarding the plane heading for DC.
Amelia goes with the flow.
Brian, Ron, myself, Elisia and Carly pose with Detroit's main man.
Aman, holding his one and only bag, is perplexed how I could pack so much for this trip. My "I had to pack my pillow" arguement didn't hold much weight in this debate.
I was happy to have Carly on this trip, who helped me prove the theory that girls just need more stuff.
Our hotel, the Embassy Suites.
Putting our bikes back together.
Pete, Brian and Ron contemplate what they will do in the hours before the big race.
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