Last but not least…the final show is now ready! This show covers the arrival into Austin and our events while there such as the Ride for the Roses. The final group pulled into Austin late Thursday night on the 13th and they were greeted with supercharged emotion and many hugs. Thank goodness for Skype because our Greenville friends that weren’t there with us were still able to congratulate via the web!! very cool. The next morning everyone was ready for the ride from the Fairfield Inn to the Embassy Suites downtown Austin. Team Livestrong was there to ride us all in and even take us by Lance Armstrong’s home for a very quick picture. This was my first time to Austin and I cannot wait to go back…what a cool city!

Our time in Austin ended with the annual Ride for the Roses. 5:15am came awfully early, but by this time we were all used to very little sleep 🙂 The Ride for the Roses weekend attracted thousands of riders from all over, all with the same goal in mind, to help fight cancer. There is one thing for sure, we are all experts at crossing cattle guards after that ride!! whew.
This is the 5th and last slideshow from our week long events. I will have one show that is shorter and condensed sometime tomorrow for those that are interested in a copy.

Thank you for taking the time to watch our journey. This was truly and experience of a lifetime!!

~lisa

This is the last slideshow that shares our tour up until we reach Austin. While the music on this show is very upbeat and high energy, there was a lot going on emotionally at this point in the trip and I cannot get through this one without the tears flowing. And speaking of music, these slideshows would not be complete without the Wobble song!! Riders and support were extremely sleep deprived, sore and craving a real meal. What many may not realize about the vans for the riders is that they were VERY cramped. Imagine being very cramped after riding 100 miles! Too all the teams: you are simply AH-MAZING!! A shout out to support…Maribel was always taking care of her peeps. I knew she was exhausted but she managed to put together a quick sandwich for her riders to help them recover after a ride. Keith’s bed consisted of a hammock on the bus and was handed McDonald’s when we were able to drive it by him. Jerry ALWAYS had a smile no matter how tired he was and was so good and cheering his team on. Cara & Jennifer…well need I say more??? Uhm, awesome! Sally wore that pink cancer cape everywhere and wore it proudly..you go girl! Dave was just steady eddie, which is a darned good thing. Jeff & Dawn, did you two ever require sleep? I never even saw you complain ONCE! Mimms & Tom, thanks for the many giggles along the way. Kelly was simply amazing at getting everyone their massages when needed and did so with a smile 🙂 Taylor is the Energizer Bunny x4 and when he hit the wall, he hit it hard. This was about the time that I said it was time for me to drive – no questions. And yes, I had my moments too. But a moment I didn’t expect to have was a very emotional one. The midnight to 6 am shifts had one night of In Honor of Miles and then the In Memory of Miles. We were connected by radio and the names started to flow and then silence while they rode in the dark. Well, you can only imagine the intensity of emotions at that time. There were WAY TOO MANY names mentioned during those miles. But that is why we are here. Yes it is fun & games, giggles & tears, music & beer, miles & pain, accomplishment & some defeat. But it all boils down to one thing…we want to find that DAMN cure for cancer. This is why we ride.

Stay tuned for the final show that shares our Austin experience 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to view all of these!

~lisa