Prepare to be inspired!

So, someone took me up on my offer to ride the Tour de Park City in exchange for a $170 donation to Huntsman Cancer Foundation. I was so surprised to get my cousin Deborah's email. The last time I saw her she was getting ready to be deployed to Kuwait with the National Guard. She says it's hot and dusty there. She wanted to make sure I had the "opportunity" to do the Tour, so she made the Tour donation PLUS another $170 to make sure I had more sponsored miles. By far the most generous donation from someone who is already sacrificing so much for others. Thanks a million Deborah! I have quite the motivation to do well in the Tour de Park City!

Dwayne and Juanita Durfee: I still owed my aunt and uncle 82 miles after my last post. I'm getting better at gauging some of my rides to match your miles. I did an exciting ride for them. I did my first race, the Porcupine Hill Climb up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Brighton parking lot. I rode in the Citizen 25+ category and won 1st place! It was painful, but exciting. (32 miles) Next I rode to work on Redwood Road and after work I rode out to Millcreek Canyon and up to the gate (which is now open!) and home (38 miles). The last 12 miles took me from my apartment exactly to the top of Emigration Canyon. That was a lot of climbing!! Thanks for your support!

Karie Peterson: This is one of my good high school friends. For her donation I continued the last ride down the backside of Emigration Canyon (down to I-80) and climbed back up the other side (steep!) and back down to the base of Emigration Canyon (It's hard to believe, but that's 20 miles!). I appreciate your friendship over all of these years Karie!

Meili Bell: I finished up the last ride for a fellow violinist. We played in a string quartet for a summer or two. Her donation got me from the base of Emigration Canyon, out to work, and back home (10 miles). Thanks Meili!

Quinn & Jenny Gatrell: Quinn is my dad's little brother. I decided to ride out in his neck of the woods to thank him for his very generous donation. I first rode out to Redwood Road (north until it ends), then took the East frontage road of I-15 up to Lagoon, then crossed over the freeway and wound through the neighborhoods until I hit the south-most border of Kaysville (26 miles). I had to turn around because I promised my sister I'd watch her kids while she had her last OB visit (P.S. they had a healthy baby girl last night. How exciting!). I back-tracked to her place (13 miles) and babysat for a few hours, then headed back out to where I left off (13 miles) then crossed back over to the East side of the freeway and rode on Main Street through Kaysville until it makes you cross back over. To make a long story short I rode out to Gentile street then turned around and headed home (87 miles total). I was able to finish off their miles by riding to work and back the next day (~14 miles). Thanks for your support!

Caroline & Scott Clayton: This was by far my most INSANE ride ever. I rode what my friends endearingly call the Quadruple Bypass. The goal is to ride 4 canyons back to back in one day. We stayed out at my Mom's house at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon and let the torture start from there. Lance rode the same ride, but just waited for me between canyons. First on the list was the most painful, Little Cottonwood Canyon. We rode up to Alta then headed over to Big Cottonwood Canyon. We took a breather up at Brighton, then it was back on the road. I unfortunately blew out my back tire on the way down and had to hitch hike a ride down with some guys from New York. They were very nice. Lance borrowed the back tire off of my sister's bike (luckily it was at my Mom's!) and we drove out to the base of Millcreek to make up the lost time. Millcreek was a treat because it was shady and the forecasted temp was 100 F. After Millcreek, all I could think of was Wendy's chicken nuggets and a Frosty, so we stopped there before hitting Emigration. Unfortunately Lance flatted on this canyon, but we met at the top and I was still feeling good, so I decided to head over to Big Mountain (technically a 5th climb, making it a Quintuple Bypass). Their 100 miles took me to the top and back up to the top of Emigration Canyon. Thanks you guys!!!

Deborah Gatrell: She was so generous that I'll have to do a few posts for her. She was a huge inspiration to me riding over 300 miles last week. It's amazing how much you all have driven me to train my hardest. I only have 50 miles of hers done at this point. She gets the last 15 miles of my Quintuple Bypass ride. I'll admit I was the most tired/bonked. I could barely drag myself off my bike at the gas station to fill up my water bottles. What a sight. I had a unibrow of dirt from the road construction by Little Cottonwood, not to mention the cakes of dirt on my legs. Anyhow, I miraculously made it home after 115 miles of climbing (~15,000 vertical feet!). Her next set of miles brought me to work and out to Emigration Canyon to meet up with Lance and a huge group of fellow roadie friends for a Mellow Mondays ride. After Saturday I needed a mellow ride. We rode to the top of Emigration Canyon and back home for 35 miles. I still owe her 290 miles at this point (170 of which will be the Tour de Park City). I'll keep you posted.

Training miles to date: 2794
Hours in the saddle: 152 + (more than 6 full days!)