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!