Ride 4AReason 2022

Well, the big day was this past Saturday. I was one of 300+ riders to participate in Ride 4 a Reason, a cycling event to benefit Oakland and Alameda public schools. I rode the event once before in 2018. In 2019 I had surgery in January that kept me off a bike for the first quarter of the year, and the pandemic was responsible for its cancellation in ’20 and ’21. Determined to ride this year, I spent the first quarter of ’22 preparing for what would be my first century.

Things that made this a very special event:

It’s a fundraiser for a very good cause, one that’s close to my family and my community. My kids had very good experiences as students in Oakland public schools. They are worthy of our support. I was able to raise a little money, and I recruited 3 riders new to the event.

The event is extremely organized, an amazing team of volunteers were responsible for getting us started and keeping us rolling all the way to Sac.

I improved my fitness level after 2 years of weirdness that COVID brought on. I probably could have exercised more, eaten smarter, etc., but with a tangible goal, I was better able to focus.

The group I trained with consists of people that are fun, funny, dedicated and supportive. Training rides became the highlights of my weekends.