Day 2

Departing from Lake City with warmer temperatures than Day 1, we approached absolutely spectacular scenery. We were met with breathtaking views of Lake Pepin and gorgeously lush green hills for the first 36 miles.

As I reached Pit Stop One at Wabasha Park I stopped my bike and looked around in total praise at the wondrous sites I had come upon. Equally wondrous was the sight of the Pit One crew dressed as questionable nuns. You had team leader Jennifer Weiler decked out as hot Sister Scarlet, the nun du jour; hmmm, strangely you could not find any red on her clothing but plenty of riders hovering around her. Team Oz member Bridget Galeigh dressed as Sister Death, or First Aid relief. You'll have to ask Annie Hickman, another Team Oz'er what her Sister name was. Then you'll understand why you have to ask. To be sure, this bunch was immensely fun as many riders posed for pictures with them.

A Team Oz assistance car

My feelings of fun and joyous wonder took a back seat to other feelings for a while. Strong head winds developed challenging my riding pleasure like no others I had seen before. Along with the winds were some of the ride's most difficult hills. To make matters worse, riding alone, I had missed the right turn at County 81, proceeding instead along Highway  61 South four miles off the path. How could I have done this? [Read on for more "How could I have done this" situations] I knew about the turn as it was marked. Thank God a sweep van came to retrieve me back to the correct turn off or I would've ridden eight extra miles. [Call me delusional but I still say I've never been swept since I completely rode the designated path]. Bless the sweepers, though. They truly were there when you needed them and are such motivators when they cheer you on as they drive by.

Humor was important during the toughest day of the ride!

Back on the road again, those butt breakin' hills kept a comin' and I kept a peddlin'. Gretchen Harris, one of the three people who created the route path, rode the ride herself; we had a laugh when I mentioned to her that while I was riding those mightily cruel hills, I was muttering "that Gretchen hill!"

Pit Stop Two came just in time for some serious relief. Pajamas were the theme for today and a bed seemed liked the only place to be at this point. WCCO-TV interviewed me about why I do the ride. They had done an outstanding job filming a feature on me previously broadcasted June 24. How exciting to hear coverage was shot each day of the ride with various riders telling truly inspiring stories. WCCO's Noelle Walker could be seen faithfully covering her trek with 5 PM reports as well. She is as charming and dedicated to talk to in person as she is on television-a true trooper.

Tail winds became my friend as I rode those hills that kept a comin'. We road a gravel road as we hit Pit Stop Three for lunch in Plainview. The Lunch theme, aptly titled "My Big Fat Geek Wedding", offered a dollar a dance with a male bride. At the end of the day, that busy bride garnered $31.00 that he gave back to the ride-so he says. Another "How could I have done this" situation cum sitcom occurred for me. I took pictures of the bride with a rider, pushing my sunglasses to the top of my head. I then proceeded to put my helmet on. I just couldn't find my sunglasses at this point. Imagine! I borrowed a pair from Pit Stop Five's Manager, took off wondering where I had lost my shades.

Soon, things changed for the worst. A downpour of rain fell upon us as we hit a bike trail. This rain poured hard for a ten mile stretch soaking us completely-trust me, it isn't fun squishing in your nylon socks. Then head winds developed and stayed with us until we reached camp site. Arduous is putting it mildly to describe how difficult it was to tackle these winds with the few remaining hills. As I approached Assisi Heights, our camp site, and as the sun broke through from the raining clouds, it had finally dawned on me for some reason that my helmet was unusually tight. I removed it to realize that sitting on top of my blue nylon do rag were my sunglasses. At least I was near camp, only to discover we had yet one staggering hill to climb before we finished.

Crew members delight in dressing up for the entertainment of weary riders.

Assisi Heights, a cavernous nunnery, generously donated their grounds and conference room for us this evening. Sweetly hospitable, these nuns define the essence of what charity is all about. They even offered two floors for riders and crew to stay overnight for $26.00 a room. Though not enough space for 300 of us, some 50 of us were able to stay in the rooms on a first come, first serve basis. And oh how nice it was to sleep in a room with your own private sink.

Announcements

• Kari 'Hammer' Johnson, ride director, informed us that we had raised over $380,000. The crew, who are not required to fundraise, contributed a record breaking $15,000 themselves. The first rider today came into camp at 11:54 AM-he probably missed the rains and head wind as well. No wonder he came in so fast! 17 of the last riders came in a bunch to camp at 7:15 PM. In all we had ridden roughly 90 miles today -consider it one of the most difficult days with the weather and steep hill terrain in the history of Twin Cities AIDS rides. And yet, remarkably, only one rider was brought to the hospital for a knee injury.
• Hammer aptly recited the prayer of St. Francis that is part of the ritual the nuns do each morning as they begin their day. She mentioned that media exposure of the ride today was so extensive that she received a list two pages long of news outlets that covered the ride. Along with the difficult hills, riders had to encounter loud construction at Pit Four today. And some obstruction. Road Crew Coach Eddy Fabian inadvertently parked flush against the door of a porta-potty blocking the exit of its user. Nothing like being stuck in a porta-potty-poor rider.

We all gathered together at sunset and walked outside down a hill to a forest-like clearing to discover our remembrance bags had been placed like tombstones before us. As we walked silently reading each bag, the sky grew pitch black. We would drop a glow stick into each bag after we read them. The bags grew brighter and brighter as our beautifully haunting silent ceremony progressed. It was an evening I'll never forget.

Michael Reinbold, a continuing web reporter, freelances as a writer and banquet caterer. A passionate believer in SJA's mission of social justice and collaborative ministry, Michael is an SJA Choir member, mass reader, Team Oz AIDS rider and Grace House volunteer cook. With an extensive background in theater, photography and fundraising, he relishes all aspects of the arts, staying fit and inspiring and working with people.

Rick Spaulding is a photographer specializing in digital photography for the theater and works for National Camera Exchange. He is also an antique dealer and eBay afficianado who enjoys collecting marbles but his true joys in life are his two boys and his beautiful wife, Tinia.

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