Archive for the ‘Biking’ Category

Where patience is no virtue.

Monday, January 15th, 2007

The following exerpt by Lance Armstrong from”Saving Your Life” broke the all-time page view record on CNN’s site just this weekend. As some will know Flowerbud.com has been a very active supporter of Mr. Armstrong and his foundation over the years and has contributed many thousands of yellow roses to cancer survivors around the US as they peddle, run and walk across finish lines at the Challenge Series. It has been our privilage to have participated. Last summer at a dinner held In the Tiger Woods building on the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Oregon, Lance Armstrong informed the assembled that with biking now a hobby, lobbying on cancer related  issues would be his proffession. Well, as good as his word it looks as if he is now hard at work at the coal-face! We wish him the very best.

Lance Armstrong, one of cycling’s all-time greats and possibly the world’s best known cancer survivor, founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation with the goal of inspiring and empowering people with cancer. He now campaigns for more government funds for cancer research and treatment.

AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) — I’m not known for my patience. Patience is a polite quality and often appropriate, but it rarely gets things done. Impatience, however, is the hunger for results and intolerance for excuses and delays. Impatience got me over countless mountain passes, across the finish line in New York City and through four rounds of ruthless chemotherapy 10 years ago.

Yet this election season I patiently waited to hear a candidate for office explain to constituents what he or she planned to do about one of the leading threats to the health and well-being of all Americans — cancer. My patience was greeted with silence. (more…)

Yellow Roses for a yellow weekend

Tuesday, August 1st, 2006

This was a weekend dominated by yellow. Yellow wrist bands, yellow tablecloths, a yellow light show wash on the walls within the Tiger Woods Pavillion on the Nike campus, yellow rain ponchos on the volunteers and of course Flowerbud’s own contribution: the beautiful yellow roses, fresh in from Costa Rica.

A lot of yellow to be sure but not a jaundiced moment as I stand at the finish line after my own ride, beneath the galloping neon horses at Delta Park in Portland watching the most determined and remarkable people cross the finish line, yellow Rose in hand. All are survivors or are surviving cancer and have just completed walks, runs or cycle rides of distances up to one hundred miles. The momentum to the day of course being given by Lance Armstrong himself, hopping on a bike and leading this most determined of pelotons eastwards into the breezy mouth of the Columbia River Gorge.

This is the year’s second in a series of events known as Livestrong Challenges. In 2006 they traverse the country as follows: Orange County in June, Portland in July, Denver in August, and Philadelphia in September, all culminating in Austin with The Ride For The Roses in October. The proceeds going to The Lance Armstrong Foundation which works to benefit those living with and through cancer.

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Bonjour

Friday, July 28th, 2006

Just back from sixteen days astride a bicycle through a good many of the steeper regions of France. Often in the shadow of the Alps and the pro peloton of the Tour De France. Talking of shadows, yesterday’s charges leveled at Floyd Landis, the Pennsylvanian who eventually won and who I saw in stirring technicolor action are long and dark indeed. Needless and baseless, I trust.

In the process of broadening the mind and revelling in the pure escapism that travel allows, in the reinvention of oneself and the enjoyment of there being no preconceived ideas of who you are or may be, there are those moments when you make the inevitable comparisons between cultures. The ones sure to annoy someone, somewhere and without fail. The simple greeting of bonjour or bonsoir is the one that readily lent itself to such and prompts from me a passing opinion. (more…)

Fish or Cut Bait

Thursday, July 6th, 2006

In much haste and with an endless list of things to do at home and work. It is time to stop reading about the exploits of others and head to France to go ride a bicycle through Les Alps myself. While it is day four of the Tour de France ‘06 for some, day one starts for me late this week. None too soon! Ready or not, the next three weeks will test my passion for cycling… and my ability to keep up with laundry on the road.

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White Salmon/Glenwood/Trout Lake.

Wednesday, June 14th, 2006

That was one ass-busting ride yesterday being almost the full course of the Little White Salmon River. From confluence with the Columbia to just about where the first drops fall from its glacier’s icy fingers.

As it turns out the steeps are not as bad as thought and the new 29-tooth cog never got used. The 27 saw much good sweat though! The cool of the morning at 45f gave way to an afternoon’s 87F. No wonder my tank ran dry. The last uphill sprint to avoid traffic into White Salmon ended with me wheel sucking a 70 year old for the last five minutes. No excuses… I was whipped much as Levi Leipheimer was by Floyd Landis in the inaugural Amgen Tour Of California. One has to try though! Miscalculations being a fact of life.

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