I love to ride my bike.  I love to ride in big groups.  I really love riding my bike in big groups for a good cause.  However, 3 inches of rain tarnishes my affection for said activity.  On May 19, I rode in the Best Buddies Challenge, a 96 mile bike ride to support Best Buddies, an organization which provides jobs and opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities.  There were quite a few "buddies" on the ride, which provided a really nice atmosphere for those of us who want to see our efforts put into action.

For the first 10 miles, we were neutralized at 10mph until we got out of the dense urban area.  I was just riding along, and a familiar male voice rides up behind me and says to me "I am going to stick with you, you look like you know what you are doing".  My first instinct as a female is to ignore it and shrug it off, but I do recognize the voice, so I at least have to see if this is a creep or a friend.  It was neither.  It was Senator John Kerry!  He was making small talk!  A cycling friend had been chatting to him earlier and pointed me out to him as a racer, so apparently he felt the urge to come and chat with me and ask about my racing!  I was flattered.  We chatted for a bit and he asked me all about racing and my goals.  I told him a bit about Pakistan (*see comment).  Turns out, he's been to the same places I have over there!  To have something that unique in common with my Senator was quite exciting.  We talked for a little bot longer until a few other folks introduced themselves to him and our conversation ceased. But it was a real treat to speak with someone who could share in the "Pakistan earthquake experience".  That was certainly a highlight for me.  And a side note - John Kerry is a fast dude!  When we we left to ride at our chosen paces, he left me in the dust, and I never saw him again.

I ended up riding with some of the racers from Castor's Cycle and Fitness and Cox Communications.  They were fun, they had me riding at a higher pace than I would have pushed myself, and it made for a great ride.  Thanks Guys!

And the end of day was capped with a lobster bake at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport and a concert with Rick Springfield.  He looks good, and he still rocks!  He's got more in his repetoire than Jesse's Girl .   And I was treated to a sweaty hug by Mr. Springfield while he sang his way through the crowd.

The ride will be televised on NBC Sports on June 9 at 2:30pm EDT, so check it out if you can!