Race2live

Taking a year off from the Ironman in 2012

2011-07-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

A story that started in 2007 in the
USA... (First triathlon: Wendies sprint).

I started triathlon in 2007 when I was 33 years old, inspired by a 58 year young Ironman triathlon veteran named Chip Bruchac in Columbus Ohio. It was initially a way for me to lose weight, increase self confidence, make new friends and do something out of the ordinary. Little did I know that I would one day race Ironman distances. However, it took me little time to understand I was hooked. After a year of training, I ran my first half Ironman and my first marathon despite a doctor telling me I would never run long distances due to a ligament injury in my right knee.

After four years, many thousands of hours of training, 5 Ironman, 5 half ironman, 1 marathon, a handful of half marathon, many centuries, olympic distances, a few sprints, 10 ks, 5 ks, swim competition, & workshops later, I can safely say that those initial goals have been met. Actually, it would not surprise you that triathlon has grown on me to become a way of life. I also met many friends via triathlon and sport in general but it would not be fair to publish the photos of one or the other. You know who you are if you are reading this blog...

(souvenirs, souvenirs...)

From May 2009 to May 2011 I worked 100% in my company in 4 days (paid 80%) so I could train on Thursdays. This gave me a much needed balance between work, play and family time. I followed a structured training regimen from Toni Hasler, one of the best triathlon trainer in the world. I influenced our family vacations to train on the bike, and took some vacations alone to train in Lanzarotte, the Meca of triathletes. I went to the mariage of a friend in Aix en Provence, France from Switzerland by bike because it was peak training, while I learned to direct a choir using Itune. Laurence followed me all the way through Le Galibier and other over 2600 meters passes: what love can endure... For the past two and 1/2 years, I biked to work every day, wether it rained or snowed... I tested the world fastest bike prototype ("the Cheetah") and bought the latest triathlon gears (including a "ferrari": the Look 596). I learned a lot from my mistakes, how to heal and avoid the most frequent injuries. I flew over continents for races...Triathlon became my passion. A demanding, physical, intellectual and spiritual journey into self discovery of my limited capabilities, augmented by knowledge and training.

And the results came...(Below, Rapperswill 2011)

I am a much fitter and endurant individual, and I feel better now (physically and intellectually) than when I was 10 years younger. I have a better feeling of what I can do during a race. I improved in all segments and learned to finish strong. In a half Ironman, from 265 th in my age group in 2008, I became 80th a year later. At Ironman in Regensburg, I was 64 th in my age group after the first bike lap and 264 th overall before I ran into a technical issue. However, in 2011, my results plateaued, despite becoming a stronger competitor, especially in the running part.

2011 was a year of transition (Below, Eloise and I).

I left my job in May, to follow my entrepreneurial instincts. I became the father of a little Eloise on July 1st 2011, 9 days before the Ironman. That did not help with training, stress, and recuperation but also put my triathlon goals in a new perspective. I realized that my quest for a better Ironman time was not only selfish (all the time I spent alone training), but also not very meaningful. One reason is that I could not go below a 4:22 time on the run part of the Ironman in 5 attempts. I solved the material, the heat, the training and the nutrition issues, but I could not yet get over my knee weakness, despite a change in run technique, the use of inserts and mental efforts to forget the pain. During an Ironman, the pounding on my knees, especially the left one is too stressful and I get an inflammation. I can take the pain for 32 kms, but it blocks me from delivering a fast run (which needs to be around 3:10 to qualify for Hawai!). At 67 kg, this problem is reduced. However, pounding increases with speed. Even if I went to 63 kgs, it is not guaranteed my knee pain would not flare up at a higher speed.

So, what next? (Below, a recent training at the furkapass, 2436 m).

I have decided to take a year off from the Ironman to concentrate on enjoying shorter distance triathlons in 2012 with a few half Ironman, half marathon, 5 and 10 ks. Training wise, I will reduce the quantity and focus on quality high speed workouts, in swimming, biking and running, with a goal to shed 4 kgs (down to 63 kg, 1m74.5). As an entrepreneur, I need to save cash and will also probably organize my training myself, despite my coach, Toni Hasler doing a fantastic job (I highly recommend him for any serious triathlete).

This definitely put Triathlon in the right order of priorities after my family and the start up. I plan to become a better father, a better husband, and a more accomplished professional for it, without losing my passion for Triathlon.

Sincerely,

Mathieu

Happy New Year... and the idea of the 1854 Indian Chief of Seattle

2010-01-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

I wish you a happy new year, with the hope that we make the world a slightly better place in 2010. Speaking of which, here is an inspiring story that still resonates today... The 1854 American indian chief of Seattle replying to the US government who wanted to buy Indian land.

"How can you buy or sell the sky? The warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air...... and the sparkle of the water how can you buy them? We don’t own them. Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle... every sandy shore...Every midst in the dark woods...Every humming insect.... is holy in the memory and experience of my people. This beautiful earth is the mother of the Red man. We are part of the earth as it is part of us. The rivers are our brothers. We give the rivers the kindness we would give to any brothers. But the white man does not understand our ways. He is a stranger who takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother but his enemy. And when he has conquered it, he moves on. He kidnaps the earth from his children. And he does not care. I do not know. Our ways are different from your ways... "

Watching the Copenhagen debacle, it is clear to me that our governments are quite inefficient at addressing world ecosystem issues and that the Indian Chief of Seattle had a point. One of the biggest question of our time is a question of pricing: how to value the Common Goods? How to value clean air? How to value a forest creating oxygen for the planet? How to value clean water? The answer of the Indian Chief: priceless, hence an absolute respect of Nature with a life in harmony with natural cycles. The answer of our governments is far less clear. But maybe we should look at ourselves. What is our answer?

I think that Copenhagen failed mostly because we asked the right question to the wrong people.

Copenhaguen could not succeed because environmental issues are 1 connected, 2 systemic, and 3 a question of governance at the local level.

1 Connected: pollution has no border. It is no surprise we have to pay for our excess sooner or later via CO2 increases, polluted water, and other birth defect since all causes and consequences are connected.

2 Systemic: we intuitively understand that the Earth is a natural organism. The rivers are its arteries. The forests its lungs. The species its laboratory for evolution. However, we act as if it was not, creating dams to block the arteries, killing the forest for its wood and eliminating species or parking them in zoos.

Pollution and other natural catastrophies are just a symptom of an aging, non regenerating Earth. The disapperances of species, non renewables resources and biodiversity a signal of a poorer ecosystem with lesser potential for future generations. To heal this system, we need time and to address the root causes to create positive reinforcing loops.

3 An issue of local laws

Under the Indian Chief, Nature was protected by time tested traditions. Some areas were holy and forbidden to men facilitating the development of diverse ecosystems. Under the rule of capitalism, Nature is a free good to plunder to churn out a profit. The problem is, we cannot realistically live like the Indian Chief or the Evenes nomades in Siberia in a modern society with soon 9 billion individuals. My experience from Switzerland is that when you pile on people on a limited area of land, (80% of Swiss people live on 20% of the land, the rest being occupied by mountains) the only way to maintain social stability is to build strong local governance. The solution of our environmental issues start and end with our behaviors and the local laws that govern them. And, to be most efficient, this can only be a bottom up approach.

Some would like us to believe that there is no problem, and if there was one, governments would solve it, or companies, or entrepreneurs who may invent ways out of our energy crisis, warming planet and water pollution issuess. All of this is partly true but is is not the full story. Our ability, as local citizen of the world to change our mindset on nature from a predatory or ignorant approach to an educated and nurturing approach can and will make the most difference.

Instead of trying to solve the problem at the international level, why not starting in our local communities?A lot of the environmnent related issues are connected and start and end at the local level because they start and end with our behaviors. This is why putting some good governance in the hand of the local communities where it belong is the natural thing to do to solve these kinds of problems.

I have a Dream. What if...

(1) ...we define what the "Common Good" is at the scale of a "local community", a pilot for the rest of the world to value and protect natural resources, things that we take for granted every day, our undergrounds and its riches, our air, our environment, our surrounding level of noise, our access to clean water, how it smells, how we dispose of our trash, ...basically, what the Indian Chief describes.

(2) ... then, what if, we then create laws in this local communities to govern this common good...

(3) ... and then what if we facilitate the world wide roll out of this definition of common goods and local body of laws via a website that would be translated in all languages across the world by volunteers reviewing each others like in Wikipedia ...

Each community could then reuse this common goods definition and body of laws and adapt them to their local situations without having to invest in heavy legal fees, while giving back to the global community the changes they made to the original templates as many variants that would enrich its original and accelerate its exponential growth. This would then make the template even more attractive to other communities to use until every community on the planet has a shared definition of common goods with a localized body of laws to protect them.

At that stage, this living web of local laws governed by local communities would turn some serious accountability on greedy corporations who want to exploit our limited resources, forcing them to become “better corporate citizen” "playing by the rules" if they want to operate and turn a profit in any given community. It would deter the world bank or governments to create a few billion dollar dams projects and displace millions of people to instead create millions of projects for a few thousand bucks to purify local water relying on those organized communities to implement them. Now, these millions of better decisions happening all over the world would start healing the planet more efficiently that handing out a few billions dollars accross border to take care of the Amazon forest.

Now of course, this is a Dream, influenced that I am by the country I live in (Switzerland) which is known for local democracy...(and we know its limits) but please, let me know what you think... Could we make this happen? Do we even care?

The Average Joe Ironman Challenge 2010

2009-10-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

Since day one I heard about Triathlon (I was trying to get in shape with my friend and Ohio Triathlon Legend Chip Bruchac in Dec. 2006), I have always wondered if I had what it takes to qualify for Hawai, the holy grail of triathletes doing Ironman distances (3.km swim, 180 km bike, 42 km run). Now more than ever, I believe 2010 is my time to give it a go.

In truth, hardly anything in my DNA favors me to do so.

I am built like an average joe. 35 years old. 6 foot 5 (1m75). I have short legs and a long torso. I am short sighted and can t wear contact lenses, which is a handicap in the swim. Due to my passion for triathlon, and the speed at which I went from being overweight to becoming an Ironman (in a year and a half), I have developed a history of injuries, some of which may now seriously impede my ability to compete:

1 A ruptured PCL ligament in my right knee due to a bike accident: according to the doctor, this means I cannot run long distances and push hard on the pedals anymore

2 Some plantar fascitis and achilee heel tendonitis on both legs: this means I cannot run on the front of my foot like I used to, to run fast despite my bad right knee.

3 An unknown hurt in the front of my right knee that appears after I run more than 30 minutes

The Ironman Qualifying time for Hawai in Europe is incredibly fast, well below the 10 hours mark, around 9:25 for IM Zurich. My current best time in Zurich is 11:40. I only need to shave 5 min on the swim (1:09 instead of 1:14), 1:10 hour on the bike (4:50 instead of 5:55), 1:07 hour on the run (3:20 instead of 4:27) and perform among the top 50 fastest swim to bike and bike to run transition possible. This would bring me around 9:25.

On the plus side, I have:

1-285 days to heal and get ready for Ironman Regensburg (my choice of race because it is the newest Ironman on the block in 2010, with perfect race conditions relative to my training in Zurich with a hilly course and a flat run along the Danube, and fewer competitors (50% the amount of competitors for 2/3 the amount of slots for Hawai) or tired competitors (from IM Switzerland a week prior). I believe a 9:40 should do it.

2-A clear goal: qualifying for Ironman Hawai 2010

3-Faith and a lot of Dreams

4-A strong mental and competitive spirit

5-An absolute determination to succeed

6-Fantastic supporters (I won t name them, but they will know whom I talking about...) with a lot of family and friends support

7-Two years of experience racing at Ironman Distance with 2 hours improvement year over year and lots of races under my bellt

8-A very methodical and detailed approach to race preparation (plan, nutrition, sleep, ...)

9-an excellent know-how of my Strengths & Weaknesses

10-A good base with above average Ironman endurance (I still feel "fresh" after the IM)

11-Great discipline

12-The ability to train around my weaknesses: substitute impact training (running) with skating and Nordic Ski in the winter and possibly roller blade in the summer (or running on treadmill and low impact trails at my work ) ; using elliptical rotors cranks and high cadence on the bike to compensate for my lack of strength (..)

13-Access to state of the art training facilities at the ETH (Polytechnique Zurich) for weight training and more (biking, swimming if need be...)

14-Time to train... and rest in 2010: I decided I will take an 80% position [not secured yet, I am discussing it with my company]

15-Some fundings. I have some savings and will try to raise a little bit of sponsorship from extended friends, families and companies I know in 2010.

16-The latter will help finance the equipment and the coaching needed to up my training and get from average Joe Ironman (I placed 256 out of 428 in Zurich in 2009) to being in the top 7 guys who qualify in Germany's 2nd Ironman Race.

17-A strong ethic. No drugs.

In order to start sharing with you my dream, I want to show you the type of bike I am testing in the next couple of weeks, to have a fighting chance to beat the top 35-39 triathlon guys riders from Germany. The bike you are going to see is a 10 years old prototype made by a Swiss Inventor, named Rudi (married to Dane, a lovely British woman) called the Cheetah. There are only 120 in the world. Although its design is 10 years old, Rudi has tinkered with it until it nearly reaches perfection... still today.

It has won 8 Ironman Women WorldChampionship in the last 14 years: for some odd reasons, maybe due to size? (this is a small bike with 650 cc wheels), men pros to my knowledge have never won Ironman races with it. Rudi was gentleman enough to lend me his personal bike (SN# 95) so I can get a feel for it. We are about the same average size, and it is a fantastic fit for me.

Since it is late, I will only upload a few photos of the bike tonight just to wet your appetite.

I will give you a review of the bike once I have time to test it seriously. What I can just say. Having tried it in Buswill (where Rudi and Dane live) for less than 30 min, it litterally took my breath away, and I was more than scared to ride it in the wind... because it takes side wind like a sail!! It is faster than I have ever been. And I believe that properly used, it will give the P4 (the newest and greatest TT production bike in the world from Cervelo) a serious run for its money. In 2007, Ironman Legend Natasha Badman rode it at IM South Africa, and she did the 9th best race of all competitors, theoretically earning prize money reserved to men...

Cheetah from the side. You see it... much lower profile and I believe, 3 cm longer than other bikes on the market.

Now you don't!!!

A beautiful wing shape

Everything is custom made (wheels, aero bar...)

Note the 1920 s like break combined with hydraulics.

To make it even lighter and aero...

Note the entry for the hydratation system (in the body of the bike)

The other opening is for a straw that reaches the rider (no moving)

What the competitors will see during the race

The rear break. The P4's one is more hidden in the frame.

Not sure if this is a big drawback though due to turbulences below the frame.

The vision you have of the road during the ride. You are so close, and it is so fast...

Just imagine yourself on this for 180 km. Isn t it crazy?

A very unique aerobar with the automatic gears ont he right (up / down)

Another view of the Cheetah "arrow piercing the wind"

Last but not least, the custom made carbon saddle. Comfortable and damm light.

To say the least, the only thing which is not arrow on this bike... is me!!! (the rider).

We ll take care of that in due time. :-)

Talk to you soon.

Mathieu

Congratulation to Chrissie Wellington

2009-10-11T16:19:00.001-07:00

She won her third Ironman in a course record time.

Her final time of 8:54:02 for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile marathon was nearly 20 minutes faster than Australia’s Mirinda Carfrae and broke Paula Newby-Fraser’s mark of 8:55:28 set in 1992 as she finished 23rd overall passing many men pros.

This young woman (32 years old) is an inspiration to me in many ways, not least because she is the most smiling triathlete I have ever seen... and she is a wonderfull, and generous human being.

Check this out: Chrissie Wellington is freaking fast..

Also, a little bit about her Life.

Wikipedia article. Chrissie reflecting after her win at Ironman Hawai.

"Poverty, conflict, violence, crime, exclusion and so forth are not givens. They happen for a reason. We have the power to change things. And sport is one vehicle for doing so. It has the power to build bridges, to empower, to teach, to heal – this is what triathlon and every other sport should be about. I hope that I [...] can, in a small way, help to inspire people to take up sport, realise their own dreams and their full potential"

Park to Park Montana

2009-10-11T12:14:00.001-07:00

I have been burdened with a lot of work this year, due to our SAP project implementation in Switzerland, and did not take the time to travel to Montana to support my friends from Casa. This is something I am not feeling right about. I will do better in the future.

In the meantime, If you are like me an avid rider and you Love biking adventure and supporting a good cause, check this out and put it in your agenda for next year (September 2010). It is a fabulous trip (see my comments from 2008) and you will not regret doing it.

Analysis of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Since this blog is about my Life's inspirations, (not only sport), I thought it would be ok to share with you my analysis of

Obama's early nomination to the Nobel Peace prize on October 9th which struck me as a surprise. I warn you that I am a supporter of Obama, however, I tried to remain balanced in my analysis of this event, which, to say the least is a controversial one.

1] Was it politically motivated?

Definitely yes, but not in the sense of Republican versus Democrats which is largely irrelevant on the world stage. In the history of the Nobel prize, as many Republicans as Democrats received it. However, it sends out a powerful message to support Obama's agenda towards peace. A message of hope and openness towards old adversaries, to repair the fracture between the Muslim world and the West, to fight global warming, further dialogues between Palestine and Israel, and prevent nuclear holocaust. In my mind, it is no coincidence if this Award will be given to Obama in Sweden on Dec 10, when the Global Summit on Climate Change conclusions will be reached in Coppenhagen between December 7 and December 18th... My bet is Obama will fly to both.

2] Does it reward Obama's accomplishments over the last 9 months?

Deinitely yes. Obama's symbolic achievements have been enormous. Who could have imagined that a black US President would be elected, sit in Cairo, praising the value of Islam and offering peace to the middle east after 9/11 and 8 years of Bush's bully foreign policies with the prospect of a scary religious confrontation between 2 billion Muslims and 2 billion Christians? We should not underestimate the power of words. Leaders have more influence (positive or negative) through speeches that through acts in the short term, because their message gets amplified and repeated in the media shaping our consciousness and behaviors. Acts are harder because they need to be executed via many governments bodies which suffer from inertia (see the recent counter productive role of the US negotiators in the Global Climate Change). Some contend that speeches have no impact in international politics, if they are not followed by acts, which in the long run must be true. However, a vision must be set by Leaders for acts to follow.

3) Was it deserved? Was the timing right?

The Nobel Peace prize does not only recognize concrete achievements, it also recognize efforts towards making the world a better place. For instance, the Burma 1991 Nobel peace prize, Aung San Suu Kyi, has not freed her country from its dictatorship yet. However, she has set a path for her citizen towards democracy and national reconciliation. When Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank received in 2006 the Nobel Peace prize, it is not because they put an end to poverty. It is because they gave hope and a better life to millions of people via access through micro credit. Obama gave hope to billions of people around the world, that we could go beyond our differences, respect each others and find peace, without giving up on our values or appearing to be weak. This vision has started a chain of events towards finding solutions to several conflicts on the Global stage, be it the nuclear arm race, global warming, Iran, or Israel-Palestine conflict by re-engaging the US Administration as a player in the concert of nations. Although it will take time to bear fruits and more effort that just the US President star power to solve the most intricate ones, in that sense, it was deserved. The question of timing remains, but giving it in 2010 is definitely better than giving it in 2011 for two reasons. 1 It puts some pressure now on the US Administration to deliver on its promises. 2 It avoids to mingle with US politics a year before the 2012 election.

4) What is the impact of this award?

This is the $1.4 million dollar question. (the reward amount, which, by the way, will be given to charity).

1 - World stage

(+) It makes Obama even more into a symbolic moral authority figure, a tough act to follow when you manage the first power in the world. It puts the US back on its leadership course, as a beacon of Democracy. It maximize Obama's star power and influence over other leaders and his own administration. The US international policy, led by somebody of the caliber of Hillary Clinton (whether we like her or not, we must recognize her leadership, intelligence and sheer determination) will be in the best position to convince other world leaders to be on the right site of history instead of following their petty short term interests (thinking of the Israel / Palestine conflict for instance). You can already see some of that in the signing of the peace agreement between Armenia and Turkey which just happened this w-e in Zurich, just a few blocks from my home at the ETH University not least without the influence of Obama and the hard work of Hillary. I also think this will have an impact on the US Aministration on Global Climate Change esp. if Obama goes to Copenhaguen in December after receiving his prize.

(-) On the other hand, it might tie his hands and put in an odd spot. How he is going to deal with the Talibans in Afghanistan? Can he send more troups there if this is the right thing to do? I am not an expert on this very complex part of the world and do not know if there is a solution to the complex equation between the Talibans, Al-Quaeda, Pakistan, India, and maybe corrupt? Afghan Political leaders. How can he react with Israel who has a history of ignoring the freezing of the settlements in Palestine despite repeat requests from Clinton, Bush and Obama? The situation in Irak? Having the Nobel Peace prize is not a guarantee for success, but at least some of the ingredients for the recipe are there. If Israel passes on this historic peace opportunity, I do not know if it deserves long term to be supported (military and economically speaking) by the West anymore because it would become a major reason (Iran being the other one) for the instability in the Middle East. Last but not least, by upping the ante for Obama with a Nobel Prize, there is also a greater risk for disapointment if acts and success do not follow.

2- USA

I do not believe that this will have any significant impact on the vote in 2012 because my belief is that the average Joe in America doesn t care about the Nobel Peace Prize, but will judge Obama solely based on his economic records at home. If any, this would have an influence on the Republican party to present a decent candidate and take the higher ground in politics instead of smear tactics, which is a good thing for the US Democracy. I praise John Mc Cain for saying: “we, as American are proud when the American President receives the Nobel Peace Prize”. As much as I support Obama, I believe the Republican party could win, if it presents a winning ticket in 2012 sticking to the best of the Conservative values. It will be interesting to see how hard core Republicans react to this nomination. For that, check out for the article in Conservapidia about Obama.

3 - Obama as a human being

It must feel good to see that your efforts are being noticed and that you have a coalition of the willing, out there to support you to make the world a better place. The risk for Obama is to bask in the glory of foreign politics and lose sight of internal politics and basic economics where his political survival is at stake. The other risk is to feel the pressure, lose patience and start making mistakes to push an unrealistic agenda for his own Administration to carry through. I hope Michelle and trusted advisors will help him to stay in touch with reality.

Conclusion:

I commend the Nobel Comity for their choice. It is a courageous and controversial one that will no doubt offer flank for criticism, although I believe that it will be justified in the long run. My intuition is that people fail to grasp we are dealing with a very troubled and complicated world in which we desperately need for inspiration. Democracy and Peace are not something we can take for granted. It is something to fight for. This is what the Nobel Peace Prize is about. Supporting inspirational people who carry an agenda for a more Peaceful world.

History will be the sole judge if the timing was right. 2010 will be the time to deliver some concrete results starting in Coppenhaguen on Global Warming in Dec. 2009. In any case, I admire Obama for his courage and pray that he is well protected and keep his famous cool under pressure. What an amazing man, and an amazing time for an amazing country.

I am proud to be an American.

Mathieu

Day 2 in Yellowstone

2008-09-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

I ran out of camera battery in Yellowstone but the memories are burned in my brain forever.

I would have preferred to ride Yellowstone on my bike, but I ended up renting a car to see more of the park in the couple of days I had left. I read everything tehre was to read, and travelled as much as I could eating in my car and stopping only to spot some animals or beautiful places.

People in Europe cannot understand how big this park is, unless they get a chance to see it.

Maybe one day I will come back?

Leg 7: Yellowstone: day 1

2008-09-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Please find below some of the amazing views of Yellowstone National Park I encountered at the end of my trip with the ride Park 2 Park in Montana in September 2008. I am grateful to http://www.park2parkmontana.org/

who enabled me to make this amazing journey, and although I did not participate in 2009, I plan to make another go in the future... if the opportunity presents itself.

The hotel / Lodge in the heart of the park in the middle of the geysers.

The geysers. A natural wonder. You have to come see them for real at least once in your life.

I was pretty close (no teleobjective). Hiding behind a tree, just in case...

One of the sunset in Montana in the Park. it does not pay tribute to the vast plains, sauvage beauty and wilderness you find there. A trip to remember.

Leg 6: Livingston to Gardiner

2008-09-07T09:53:00.001-07:00

Dear friends and family,

First, I can 't thank you enough for your donations for CASA. It was extraordinary to me that not only American people, but also people in Europe gave for helping children in Montana. BTW, did you know that a high proportion of these children in Montana taken care of by CASA are of Indian origin? This is because Montana still host some of the biggest Indian reservations in the US, with 6 percent of the population (about 56,000 Indians), but about 20 to 30 percent of the CASA kids. The reservations are the poorest places in Montana and some Indian children pay a hefty price. Indians are the biggest minority in Montana and Casa has a hard time recruiting volunteers. Casa is trying to recruit more Indian volunteers to support these children. Casa of Montana has had tribal programs and would like to have them going again – it’s tougher for a court system on the reservation to find volunteers.

For those who still want to give, but have not done it yet, the link for donation is here. All your donations are 100% tax deductible and you will receive a letter from CASA (don t forget to write your address).

Second, today is our last leg to complete the 400+ miles bike ride of Park to Park. And, we had a great finish as we rode through the well named "Paradise Valley". Only 50 miles, this is a "promenade"! I took fewer photos as usual, because I just had so much fun riding with some of the fastest in the group... and believe me, it is kind of difficult to ride hard and take pictures at the same time!

Who would not want to live here?

There is even a coffee shop better than starbucks ;-)

Below, the "hammer fest team": Tom, Richard, Ben, Susan, ... and I who hammered at 20-22+ miles per hour all morning while peaking at 25+.

Then, everybody wears their P2P jersey for a group photo... You can t see it, but the sun was hidding and it was freezing...

And we are back on the road to Gardiner.

Hammer fest team, again in their P2P jersey. Susan in the middle was the only woman who could follow us (and pass us). She actually beat a New Zealand Olympic bike champion in a long distance race: she was something!!

Photo finish in Gardiner at the entrance of the Park.
We feel kind of sad and happy at the same time.

My Friends Brian and Pam, who supported us during the all trip.
A ton of thank you guys!!!!

Two generations: Richard and father in law Fred, Blake and father Richard.

Me and my groupies...

The North Entranace of Yellowstone. The famous (Theodore Roosvellt) Arch.
"For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the people". Yellowstone was the first National Park established in 1872, to conserve the beauty and wilderness, a radical idea at a time when it seemed the resources were unlimited. It became a model for all other parks around the world.

Time to celebrate! I have a bunch of videos with moving testimony from our fellow riders. Unfortunately, those won t fit on the blog and the quality is uneven. Will share them with Ellen for the DVD prepared by Randy and Tim. These testimony talked about the special stories that happened during this ride, coaching of beginners who just started biking in ... April and completed the tour (Awsome, Megan!), Father and son relationships (Richard and Blake, Fred and Richard), A rider (Jim I believe) who gave one kidney just before the ride to save a friend, Kate who completed the ride despite 2 hips replacement, stories of generosity and support. Everybody was very emotional, and Rick and Ellen and all the supporters got a special ovation for the awsome ride they had pulled off. The 4 th Edition of P2P had been a resounding success. A lot of new connections would tie the P2P riders and the CASA volunteers throughout the State of Montana, and the Children will be a lot better off for it. Someboy said, the ride is a metaphor for life. You go through some tough challenges, and then you overcome them. And you do so, because you have something that motivates you. Something beyond yourself. Making a positive impact on somebody else life. Helping some kids to go to school, find a supportive and safe environment to learn. Give somebody else the chance we all had.

At the heart of it, the Beauty of Montana lies in its people, and I fellt lucky to be able to share this ride with them, and with you. And I will cherish these memories forever.

Time to return to Bozeman to rent a car to visit Yellowstone. Tom and his wife Dar give me a ride in their RV (BTW, riding in a RV is pretty cool, and you can t beat the view) and host me for the night. A thousand thank you!!!!

Leg 5: White Sulphur Spring to Livingston

2008-09-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

If you pass by White Sulphur Spring, do experience the hot springs: The motel we stayed at was simple, but the springs were awsome. I could have taken a day or two off just relaxing there.

After an excellent breakfast with French toasts at (need to put the name here) it was already time to go: only 72 miles today, it is a "recovery ride" compared to the previous day.

I can t thank you enough our trusted support crew (here Aubrey and Rebecca), who have taken the load off of us so we can ride without 40 pounds on our back...

Back on the road, we cross our friends again, and the ever changing colors of the vast plains for Montana.

Here is how our morning pit stop looks like. It is a good time to chat with fellow riders, crack jokes with the support crew, and take some carbs to help fuel our body until lunch time.

Lunch! If there is something you will never lack thereof on this ride, this is food (and you need a lot of it to complete the 400+ miles). The Livingston crew surpassed themselves (we even had some hot soup) and we had lunch in the beautiful setting of the Judge's ranch. Thanks again to all the Casa supporters we met along the way: we could not have done it without you.

How enjoyable is that?

Back on the road again...

We finally arrive to Livingston, just when it started to rain: just in time!

Passed by Brian and Pam, office Manager for Casa. Thanks so much guys for supporting us the whole way!!!

In Livingston, we had a bus to go for dinner... (it was nice to put to rest these legs!!)
It also was kind of fun to see that after 350 miles we were transported in the Senior and Disable Van!!

After a benediction,

we eat

...and are merry. We just have one more leg to complete the trip to Gardiner... There is a spirit of celebration in the air... and Rick has a hard time holding us up to the traditional review of the upcoming trip (every day, we receive a little card that shows us the way for the day after)

We will see if Kate and Carolyn wake up with a headache the day after...

Last but not least, on a more serious note. Bob Worthington, one of our most experienced rider had a an accident the prior day. It was totally unexpected and his helmet protected him from a serious head injury. Cinthia also had an accident arriving in Livingston. Again, the helmet protected her. Never bike without a helmet, it is not worth it to have a crack in your head.

Leg 4: Great Falls to White Sulphur Spring

2008-09-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the most challenging day for the ride from a physical standpoint. 108 miles including 4000 feet climb, up to 7473 feet, at the top of Kings Hill pass following the famous Kings hill scenic bikeway near Showdown Ski area.

Click here for more details about the Kings hill scenic bikeway and some information to prepare a ride if you are interested

Unfortunately, my three batteries went dead so I had no picture for this ride. I will try to add some from different sources to give you a feel.

We started our journey early in the morning leaving Great Falls in an impeccable order following a local police officer (thanks for the help!). Then we passed Bellt, Riceville, Monarch.

We then stopped for a rest at Armington Junction. On the way to Reihnart, we stopped for the vista to admire the Sluice Box (a place in the mountain which used to be mined for its ore) . Apparently there used to be a train that went to Reihnart that passed there, transporting both workers, tourists, and… fresh fish so it was called the “fish train”. As we were biking up the hill, we had our first casualty of the ride. My friend Bob Worthington, an experienced rider, went down, hurt his head first, but the blow was luckily softened by his helmet. Can’t repeat enough how important it is to wear a helmet while biking, Bob would not be with us to finish the ride if he did not have his It can happen to anyone, at anytime, no matter how good or lucky you are.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF KING S Hill Scenic Bikeway.

We stopped for lunch at Bellt Creek Ranger Station, and there, I was interviewed by Tim and his wife, a reporter / cameraman crew who have worked with Good morning America and now were shooting for Casa to create a DVD to communicate about its action, volunteers and donors.

Up to Reihnart, we had a 2000 feet climb than spanned 33 miles. After Reihnart, the famous King Hill also has 2000-2500 feet climb, but in less than 12 miles: that is a good 6% grade. Despite the effort required, the wind in the front, the cramps in the legs, nothing can replace the feeling of joy that overcomes a Casa rider arriving at the top.

2 photos courtesy of Casa of Montana

1 Here is a photo of our fast 2008 riders:.

2 Note the difference with the previous year. It was much colder in 2008!

Kings Hill is a turning point of this 4000 miles bike ride: and with a little sadness, we can ‘t help but think: it is all downhill from here! Kudos to the entire support group and fast riders who stayed at the top to encourage their fellow riders.

After Kings Hill, it is effectively downhill, except for a small 1.5 miles hill where we had a lot of cross wind. Some thought that this hill was the most challenging of the day. I respectfully disagree, but could understand the feeling, given the 90 miles we already had under our bellt!

In White Sulphur Spring, we were welcomed by a local volunteer, who is also a Lakota Indian, who told us a moving story how Casa helped her and her family with two adorable little girls. We ate dinner in a movie Theater and devoured an unknown number of pizzas to compensate for the ride. I freaked out about losing my papers / computer … and everybody was concerned about it but in the end, everything was safely stored in Ellen’s car, and everybody, including Bob despite his injuries finished the ride, which was an accomplishment on its own. Last but not least. Met with some Hutterites. They have historical roots similar to the Amish and Mennonites, are from German descent, still speak a German Dialekt, (and still like to drink beer!). They are about 50,000 in North America.

Leg 3: Dupuyer to Great Falls

2008-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

09/02/2008 Dear Friends and Family

First, I wanted to thank you all for your donation for Casa. I don t have the precise count yet, but you represent between 30% and 50% of all the new online donors for the ride so something is obviously working. Thanks again for your generosity, and If you have not done it yet, remember that your donation is tax deductible.

Today was simply a great day. After a good night sleep in the community house at Dupuyer, we were greeted by some nice sunshine for breakfast.

It is amazing how a little bit of sunshine can lift up your spirit for a whole day.

Thanks for our sponsors...

You girls rock!

There were a lot of neat stories during this ride. One of them was Blake riding with his father Richard. As you probably noticed on my photos, all generations were represented: 17+ to 60+!

Then we head for Bynum. On the way, some beautiful vista of North Montana mountains that had eluded us the previous days because of the challenging weather conditions.

In the middle of all this beauty, the very innocuous site of the Minuteman balistic missiles.

Bynum is a small community that offers a Dinosaur museum and a stone shop.

I did not get a chance to see the stone shop, but the Dinosaur museum is awesome. Thanks to the efforts of David Trexler, Paleontologist and a team of Bynum Volunteers, this small museum opened in 2000 offers high quality replica of dinosaurs, including a 30 feet long Seismoseurus.

David and I

The Seismoseurus. In the forefront, Brian, who leads our support team.

A peaceful herbivore found only in New Mexico. BTW, did you know that several dinosaurs have been found in Montana, and that Jack Horner, Paleontologist at the University of Montana was the inspiration behind the scientific research in Jurassic Park?

After Bynum, we resume our trip and notice some Indian history artefacts about the Black Feet, the dominant Indian Tribe in Montana. Here is on example about the Blackfeet and the Buffalo ecosystem (click on the picture to see the details).

Have not seen a buffalo yet, but here is an example of long horn.

Then we arrive to Choteau, a neat city with some typical buildings from the Far West

There, we are greeted by the United Methodist Church who offered us lunch.

That s what I am talking about...

After a copious lunch, it is back on the road again, and … after a great ride with lots of downhills (that s a change) and some rolling hills.

Finally, after 91.3 miles, we arrive in Great Falls, named after the falls nearby.

In the past, the site of the falls was occupied by some heavy industry

Today: only the falls and the dam remain and it is more a tourist attraction.

In the middle, my friend Bob Worthington, former mayor of Great Falls, who took us to see the site of the falls, Carolyn, a fellow rider, and I.

Kevin, Carolyn and I

Then we headed for dinner and were welcomed by another United Methodist Church involved with CASA. We even had a Blue Grass Band playing for us (when I solve the video issue, I will include the music, it is kind of cool).

Finally, last but not least: we are on tv!

OK, I will keep it short tonight because we have 108 miles to ride uphill tomorrow, so I need to get some sleep.

I will talk to you tomorrow.

Mathieu

Leg 2: Saint Mary to Dupuyer

2008-09-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

09/01/2008. Dear friends and family.

I hope you had a great Labor day w-e.

First, let me give you an update from CASA. The 42 riders together have collected $37,000 which is $7,000 more than last year. # 1 contributed $6,000, #2: $3,700, #3 $1,900.
Right now, we are the 18th contributor but I think we have a shot at the 3rd place if we keep doing what we do: giving (even small amount), and sharing the object of the blog with friends to find more donors (if each of you forward the blog and one line about Casa to a friend, we can double the amount given). BTW, update to the info I sent previously, any online donation is 100% tax deductible (don t forget to enter your name and address). Instead of giving to the taxman, make a difference for the children. To show you Casa in action, I was planning to include in this blog a video from Ann Gilkey, President of the board of Casa,

Ann is also a volunteer, and told us a moving story of caring for 2 foster children whose parents were addicted to Met Amphetamines. However, the file is too big to be uploaded :-( Ann and Casa went up to the supreme court after 5 years of procedure to help out these children. This is the real deal.

Second, let me get back to our trip through Montana.

Today was tough. Morning was really cold and really foggy.

I even had to buy myself a a $32 “Grizzly jacket” because I did not have any warm clothes with me. Then something interesting happened. Some Indians from the Black Feet Tribe were invited to perform a blessing for the riders. This included a mix of spells to protect us during our ride and an Indian Song about the journey that we were going to start.

Later on during the trip, I will meet the black feet again in one of their reservation. The black feet is one of the only tribe in the US still living on their ancestor land.

After the Indian benediction, we hop on our bike, and depart for Dupuyer, 73 miles away. Our trip starts with a long 10 miles, 800 feet climb. It was snowing. A few riders like me did not have the proper gears for the cold (special jacket, special shoe protection, long pants…). My bike had stayed out all night, the back tire was nearly flat, and my two lowest gears did not work anymore, making the up hills even more challenging. My fingers were frozen, my feet were wet and soon frozen. Because I was sending the blog in the morning, I missed breakfast, and had devored anything I could find in a few minutes before the start of the ride, hence no usable calories for the start. The start was real tough. Here is a photo at the top of the climb. 635. Still smiling, a plastic bag that I used to cover my hand from the cold. I was wondering to myself: what am I doing here? 636
Then it is a long ride through the plains and rolling hills of Montana. No sun, still this harsh cold.

No life. And suddenly, the impossible happens. Coming from nowhere, three wild horses are galloping towards me on the road. Although I was unable to film them, I was able to capture this moment on picture. It was both magical and poetic.

That's the reason why you want to go to Montana. For this mineral and desertic space, and for this wild life that springs from nowhere and passes you like it did 200 years ago and dissapears like it only existed in your imagination.

The ride continues. Despite the cold, everybody is doing their best and even smile!

Then we arrive in Browning. This photo is from one of the village just before Browning, but it gives you a realistic idea of how modest this city is. The main economic activity here seems to be the trading posts by the local Indian tribes.

We eat in Browning. The eldest daughter of Rick and Ellen has found an abandoned adorable puppy on the road. Could not resist to share this one with you. 646. It seems to be snugged confortably there (it was really cold outside).

Then more rolling hills. I am so cold, and my knee hurt, that I am trying to go as fast as possible to end this ride (over 20 mph average). We finally arrive in Dupuyer, a little ranch community (essentially farming). Take a shower, eat.

(Rick, the director of the ride is the one in the front). Things are getting better already!

I got the bike and knees take care off (BTW, if your knee ever hurt, put some grapes in the freezer, then ice your knees with it, it works way better than real ice!).
Tomorrow is a long 90 miles ride heading to Great Falls, and I will ride with the fast bikers. I am heading for a good night sleep…. Today, Labor day was hard work.

Looking forward to sharing the rest of this adventure with you.
A bientot,

Mathieu

Leg 1: Kalispell to Saint Mary

2008-09-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

08/31/2008. Dear friends and family,

In the end, if you receive this update, it is thanks to the KOA internet satellite connection, because I am writting to you from Saint Mary, MT, in the middle of nowhere, in the land of grizzly bears. I took a boatload of pictures / video and will share the best with you. Unfortunately, the connection is not good enough today to upload the pictures (replaced by #), I will add them asap at my next stop when I have a better connection.

First, let me congratulate you on your donations to CASA. For now, we place19 out of 42 riders for total donations, and we are just getting started. However, I won’t tell you the total amount yet, because we have the potential to do much better. We are the only group doing our fundraising via the Internet, and I believe this gives us an unfair advantage. Two ways you can make a difference. One: make a donation here (all donations above $20 are tax deductible). Two: forward this blog to friends who could be inspired to give. If we increase our reach, even small amounts will help! All the funds are used to train children advocates in court to find a good home for neglected and abandonned children, and train volunteers to mentor these children in their life. You are truly making a difference in someone’s life.

Second, let me get back to our trip through Montana.

I did not mention to you in my previous blog that I got my bike only around 12am because it was locked in and the receptionist did not have the key. As a result, I spent the next 2 hours to put it together and went to bed at 2:30am. So, after 3:30 hours of sleep, I got up, shared breakfast with the locals and headed for the start at 6:30am.
It was really cold and the arm and leg warmers I just bought really came handy. Despite them, I was still shivering. I took road 2 North towards West Glacier. You could tell that in Kalispell, the mountain are not far at all.

Montana is the third state by superficy, but also one of the least populated (only 800,000 people). ,

Things seen along the road...(click on the picture to widen it)

Note: the sun road is named this way because of a mountain bearing this name.

However, I was not getting any at that time!!!

Animals met during the trip. I saw some elks (some kinds of big deers), a wild moose in the Park, an eagle, and some bears, but only the tamed version :-)

By the way, did you know that if you cross a bear territory, you have to let yourself be heard before entering, to make sure that bear won't feel threatened by you (if they hear you, they will simply move their cobs away and let you go). It is extremely rare to find aggressive bears and only grizzly bears are really dangerous. In the park, most of them are tracked by GPS but unfortunately accidents still happen. Never give food to a bear. It creates aggressive behaviors to obtain food.

After 33 miles, I stopped at the park entrance for a warm Americano.
Was already feeling much better.

Now, imagine you are at the park gate, it is 10:40am, and the park ranger tells you you are not supposed to ride along the lake between 11am and 4pm.

I insist I need to go. Although a little puzzled, she lets me enter the park (she probably knew I would need to break the law to pass the lake). I took my chance, rode furiously (over 22 mph) along the lake, and got away with it w/o being pulled over by the rangers. The lake is at least 10-15 miles long.

Then, change of scenery, we are starting a slow climb on the road to Logan pass, following a river coming from the mountain..

What was a little impressive for me was to imagine crossing the bears who will soon fish in the river to accumulate some fat for the winter. It was my luck that I did not meet any.

Park ranger bus to visit the park

Moving up in the mountain. I feel really great, although it is getting colder as I climb higher.

During my climb, I met with another bike rider, Al, who just came back from the top, and told me that it was really cold there. I did not have any gloves, and he gave me some small plastic bags to keep my finger warm. Looking at his gears, I could tell I was not prepared for the cold like he was.

10 miles later, reality struck, I was at the start of the big climb to Logan pass (12 miles, 6% inclination), and some panels on the side on the road clearly indicated that it was forbidden to bike there between 11am and 4pm due to constructions…It was 1:30pm. There was no way I could wait until 4pm. If the park rangers pulled me over, I was going to stay stuck there and I still was still 30 miles away from Saint Mary. I had just biked 60 miles.

I had to continue.

As I was starting the climb to Logan Pass (6646 feet), Bob and his wife Marsha (whom I had met the previous day in Kalispell), had decided to go through the sun road through the park, passed me with their truck, and offered to take me to the top. Although I felt in good enough shape, I accepted as I was concerned to stay stuck in the park at that time, and was not properly equipped for the cold.

God thank Bob and Marsha. 578

Without their help, I would have had a hard time to reach the top. See for yourself. The climb was pretty impressive. It included 3 miles of semi finished road with high chance of punctures for the tires, lots of one way traffic, and the weather kept deteriorating.

Finally, we arrived at the Visitor Center at the pass.
You can t really tell on this picture, but it was snowing. I was glad I did not finish the climb by bike.

After the visitor Center, we decended to Saint Mary. Passed beautifull Saint Mary lake.

and arrived at the Campground. There I met with Ellen and Rick (the organizers), their daughter Kathrin who is learning French. And a host of other people, 100 people, including 42 riders from all horizons. I shared the night with two other riders in a little cabin which was really cute and had a little electric heater.

Dinner was pretty cold as we were outside, but in a good spirit and we tried to keep each others warm. Rick gave us our instructions for the ride. Our first leg is Dupouyer, only a 72 miles ride with some climb.
The meteo foresees two inches of snow in the morning so we ll see how many riders will ride and how many will stay in the sag wagon. Apparently, some Indian elders will come tomorrow morning to send us a benediction for the ride. I think we are going to need it!!!

Looking forward to sharing the rest of this adventure with you.
A bientot,

Mathieu

Arrived in Kalispell

2008-08-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

8:25 PM Mountain time (10:25 EST), I just arrived in beautifull Kalispell, Montana.

From what I was able to see from the sky, Kalispell is in a vast plain, surrounded by moutains, glaciers, dense forests, pristine lakes and wild rivers. Kalispell itself was a small community of 7000 people 10 years ago, which has grown to 75,000 attracting lots of telecommuters from the Bay area. I was welcomed at the airport by Bob Worthington and his wife Martha, long time residents of Montana. Bob is a friend of Ride Organizer Rick Bush, recently retired and an experienced rider. He and Martha were kind enough to drop me at my hotel and will pick up my gears tomorrow morning. This will give me a chance to ride my bike tomorrow from Kalispell to West Glacier,

then cross Glacier National Park.

(click on the image to see it in big)

A total of 90+ miles with a steep climb to Logan pass at 6,646 feet in the Park along the Sun road, with lots of turns and traffic from tourists. This won't be an easy ride. More than 5000 feet climb from Kalispell, the meteo gives a 40% chance of rain so it could be chilly in the mountain. Of course, there is no cell phone connection in the park so I will be on my own. I was told I must be at Logan pass by 11am because of some constructions out there. Since Logan is 67 miles away from Kalispell, and Bob told me I have a 3 hours steep climb during the 15 miles before the pass, I need to leave 6 hours before 11am, around 5am assuming 17 miles / hour for the first 3 hours. Unfortunately, at 5am, I won t see anything. Therefore, I plan to leave at 6am (the sunrise is at 6:30am), ride ast fast as possible, and take a chance. As a plan B, if I get stuck or too tired during the climb, I should be able to take a free park shuttle which will take me to Saint Mary. I plan to take some pictures during the ride to share with you this adventure.

If you can't wait, click here to see the types of landscape I will go through tomorrow: Lake Mc Donald, the sun road, Logan pass, and Lake Saint Mary.

I might not be able to send you an update tomorrow night and Monday night, so bear with me. The first two nights, I am staying in a campground, then in a small community with less than 10 houses... After that, I should have an access every night.

I wish you good night, I now need to set up my bike that I finally received and go to sleep to be ready tomorrow! (Kudos btw to the Tritech store in Columbus OH, for having done a fabulous job packing my TRI bike)

Yes, I have two wheels, I should be allright ;-)

A bientot,

Mathieu

QUICK DESCRIPTION OF THE RIDE

2008-08-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

-Arrival on Saturday night in Kalispell. Put the bike together on Sunday and leave early for Glacier National Park. If the weather conditions allow, will ride to West National Glacier (29 miles), cross the park (50 miles) during the day, (at night the cougars are dangerous), to arrive to Saint Mary KOA on the east side of the park. See security recommendations for bikers here

-In Saint Mary, I will join the CASA fundraiser trip which will depart on Monday morning.-After 5 days of epic adventures (soon to come), I will arrive in Gardiner (North of Yellowstone).-On Saturday, I will return to the civilization (Bozeman), rent a car, and visit Yellowstone for two days, before departing for Columbus on Monday morning and go back to work.
More information on the ride: here.

I look forward to sharing this adventure with you, and making a difference for the children of Montana.

What is CASA and how to give online?

2008-08-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was created in 1977. It is an organization that speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courts. Every year more than half a million abused and neglected children are in need of safe, permanent, nurturing homes. That's where CASA steps in.Casa promotes and support quality representation for children to provide each child a safe, permanent, nurturing home. As trained advocates, CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to be a voice for these children in court. The result is that a child is placed into a safe, loving home where he/she can thrive. It is the CASA vision to provide a volunteer for each and every abused and neglected child who needs one. During this ride, we will support in particular CASA of Montana.

CLICK HERE TO GIVE:

Click on "Guest transaction link" then, enter amount in front of Park-2-Park rider the amount: $5 or more Enter rider name: "Stremsdoerfer" (so we will know the total we collected) Click continue. Enter your credit card information, confirm the payment. That's it, you have made a donation to CASA and will receive a receipt / confirmation. Feel free to forward to friends!

Welcome to Race2Live!

2008-08-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I thought it would be fitting to start this blog with the story of my soon to come trip to Montana from September 1st to September 5th. Essentially, I will be riding over 400 miles by bike between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park with a group of 49 riders to leverage some funds for CASA, a non profit that protects neglected and abused children and find them a home and a mentor.

During this ride, I will strive every evening (internet connection permitting), to share with you some pictures and notes from the ride, and hope to inspire you to donate online a modest amount of $5 or more. In addition, I will include a couple of entertaining"bonuses" like some pictures of Yellowstone that I will visit at the end of the ride, and hopefully no close up of a Cougar or a Bear met while crossing alone on my bike Glacier National Park :-))