Monday, June 9, 2008

Update 6/6

The exciting time has come to kick-off the 2008 training season and begin preparing for our incredible ride down the coast. Over the next 20 weeks we look forward to helping you prepare your body, mind and spirit for the cycling experience of a lifetime. There is a wonderful section in your 2008 Rider Guide called "The Journey," and we encourage you to take some time to read it and reflect on what lies ahead. Finishing the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge won't be easy, but few truly rewarding things are. We are honored to share this experience with you and thank you again for your support of CAF. As your life changes, so will the lives of many challenged athletes that will be helped through your generosity.

QMDC Training Schedule - First Group Ride Sunday, June 8th
The first official ride will be held this Sunday, June 8th. Pick up of uniforms, handbooks, etc will also be available at this time. Please meet at 7:00am at Flower Hill Promenade, 2720 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014. Park near the Ultra Star movie theaters. (Note, generally the rides will depart from Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach but this week there is a civic event/street closure in that area this Sunday).
There will be a few announcements, photographs, introduction of the XX 1090 Radio Contestants and then we will be on our way for a ride up to Oceanside and back.

Additional Training Activities Week One
Wednesday 6/11 - Private spin class, 7-8:00 a.m. at The Sporting Club, 8930 University Center Lane, San Diego, CA 92122. Registered riders, alumni and radio contestants will be on a list at the front desk. You must check in and sign a waiver.
Thursday 6/12 - Cycling workout, 6:00 p.m., location TBAMediaFLO USA and XX1090 Free Rider Spot Contest
Congratulations to the 30 finalists who were selected from the many entries to compete for a FREE rider spot in the QMDC. Morning show host Scott Kaplan from XX1090 AM will again be leading the Scott & BR Cycling Team who will train together and have the opportunity to show their enthusiasm for CAF. Participants will be eliminated from the team until one lucky person remains! The team will meet for the first time at this Sunday's training ride, and we wish everyone good luck.

Coach's Corner from Mari Holden
Ready, Set, Go!
Sunday is the first group ride for the QMDC training program. I wanted to give an overview of what you can expect at the kick off ride. We will be meeting at 7am in the Flower Hill parking lot. After this weekend we will move to our normal meeting point at Fletcher Cove.

We will self divide into four groups. The way we will determine what group to ride in will be by average speed for this first ride. After that, we will be able to make adjustments to the groups, but we need a starting point. My advice for this first ride is to choose a bit slower speed than you can ride, so that you are comfortable and can complete the whole ride. Plus, there will be a nice social aspect and you can get to know some of your teammates.
The group speeds are broken down as follows:
Group 1: 22 mph+ average
Group 2: 18-21mph average
Group 3: 15-18mph average
Group 4: 12-15mph average

We will have some ride food and beverages at the start. We are sponsored by PowerBar and will primarily be using their products. If you have a special drink or food item that you like, I would suggest bringing it with you. One of the QMDC leaders with your group will have beverages for after the ride. Dan Plummer with Wheels on Wheels will be supporting our ride, and will be there beforehand to help with any last minute mechanical issues. Please feel free to direct any questions to your group leaders. They are there to help you, and want to make your ride is the best possible experience.

We have all of our routes for the entire training program mapped on:
www.mapmyfitness.com/community/groups/58336492
As a final note, please remember safety. We all are required to wear helmets, and follow traffic rules. As a courtesy to your teammates, we also request that you don’t ride in your aero bars in the group, and also please don’t wear headphones so that we can all communicate.
All of us from the training program are looking forward to getting started. See you soon!
~Mari


Alumni Program
We invite our 2006 and 2007 QMDC alumni who aren’t able to join us for the full ride from San Francisco to San Diego to join the ALUMNI CIRCLE OF RIDERS. Don't miss out on the camaraderie, friendship, support, team spirit and training benefits that you experienced by being part of this epic ride.
Your $500 donation to be part of the circle covers the benefits of the program and in addition supports the mission of CAF. To register go to
www.mdcalumni2008.kintera.org and sign up today.

QMDC Notes
Our thoughts and support are with alumni rider Fane Robinson as he continues to heal from a recent cycling accident.

Have you missed any of our past Friday emails? Do you want to see who else is registered? Go to
www.cyclemdc.blogspot.com to read an archive of our email announcements as well as see a list of individuals registered for the 2008 journey.
I truly look forward to meeting so many of you on Sunday and continuing to hear from our out of town riders regarding your training activities. Ride Safely and Have Fun!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Update 5/23

SAVE THE DATE - Training Kick Off Celebration Wednesday, June 4th

Registered riders and alumni please join us on Wednesday, June 4th at the Trek store in Kearny Mesa for a kick off of the QMDC training program. We will be distributing training uniforms, rider handbooks (which include the detailed training program and routes) and introducing our incredible cycling group leaders. Mari Holden, QMDC coach, will provide an overview of the weeks ahead as well as share some great training tips.
Gear distribution starts at 6:00pm, with refreshments, snacks and the presentation beginning at 7:15pm. Come meet your fellow riders and let our team answer any questions you have about the ride. If you live outside of San Diego all your items will be mailed to you.

(The Trek store is located at 4240 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, CA 92111, directions at
www.treksandiego.com)
QMDC Training Schedule - First Group Ride Sunday, June 8th


To help you plan your calendar for the weeks ahead below is an overview of the training schedule.

Wednesday - Private spin class, 7-8:00 a.m. at The Sporting Club (starts June 11th)Thursday - Weeknight cycling workouts, 6:00 p.m., locations vary (starts June 12th)Sunday - Group rides, 7:00 a.m. depart from Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach(note our first training ride on 6/8 will start from Flower Hill Promenade due to a community event)
XX1090 Radio Contest underway for a FREE rider spot

Someone you know could be the lucky winner of a FREE rider spot valued at $10,000. Morning show host Scott Kaplan from XX1090 AM will again be part of our epic ride and thirty finalists will be selected to join the Scott & BR cycling team to train, ride and compete alongside Scott. Participants will be eliminated from the team until one lucky person remains who will receive the $10,000 rider spot! Register online at
www.xxsportsradio.com through Wednesday, May 28, 2008 then tune in weekday mornings from 5 to 9am.

Finalists to be announced Friday, May 30th ON THE AIR. Last year's contest winner, Jim Carbaugh, will be back as a liaison to our radio team. Thanks Jim and we look forward to riding with you again.

Alumni Program

We invite our 2006 and 2007 QMDC alumni who aren’t able to join us for the full ride from San Francisco to San Diego to join the ALUMNI CIRCLE OF RIDERS. Don't miss out on the camaraderie, friendship, support, team spirit and training benefits that you experienced by being part of this epic ride.
Your $500 donation to be part of the circle covers the benefits of the program and in addition supports the mission of CAF. To register go to
www.mdcalumni2008.kintera.org and sign up today.

Coach's Corner from Mari Holden

The countdown is on! The start of our training program is right around the corner. I have been out riding our courses and making sure we have fun, challenging, and safe training routes. I feel so lucky to be in San Diego. We have worked hard to find some new routes, and I think everyone will be happy to see these fun and scenic rides.
One thing I want to make sure everyone understands before the ride starts is that if you commit to the training program, you WILL finish our ride down the coast. It is a great week of riding. We make friendships and accomplish a huge goal. I guarantee you will feel fit and get swept away in the excitement of the ride. The best part of the training is the knowledge that with every pedal stroke you are helping to make another athlete’s dreams come true. The next time you have a chance to get out on your bike, I hope that you take advantage of it.
I’m looking forward to meeting everyone soon.
May the wind be at your back:)~Mari

QMDC Blog and More

Have you missed any of our past Friday emails? Do you want to see who else is registered? Go to
www.cyclemdc.blogspot.com to read an archive of our email announcements as well as see a list of individuals registered for the 2008 journey.
Special request, If anyone is selling a bike, size 52" or 54" please contact Jeffrey Essakow at
jessakow@proteaproperties.com
Looking for an entry to a closed-out North American Ironman Race? Team CAF has a limited number of slots for IM Coeur d’Alene, IM Lake Placid, IM Canada, IM Wisconsin, IM Arizona (fall) and IM Florida. All you have to do to join Team CAF and claim your slot is commit to raising a certain level of funds (varies by race) and pay the entry fee. As an added bonus, you will get the opportunity to access online coaching, the opportunity to purchase a team uniform, a chance to earn great incentive prizes and more. Contact Barbi Ramage, CAF Fundraising Manager, at 858.526.6576 for more information. But hurry – these spots won’t last long.