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Minuteman Challenge (Boston to New York)
Rob Paddor's Ride 2 Recovery
Sept. 23, 2012 Final Minuteman Challenge Blog
I want to apologize to my Blog followers for the problems I had transmitting my Minuteman Challenge Blog. My e-mail was hacked last month and my iPad had an old password that didn't recognize my new e-mail address and password to transmit. Again, I apologize!
Day 2
Day 1 of my Challenge ride was eventually posted and now I want to share highlights of my other 5 days of riding with Ride2Recovery. As I said previously, Day 1 took us to Providence, Rhode Island. After a lunch stop at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, we rode the remaining 29 miles to Providence. The following day was September 11, the eleven year anniversary of the airplane attacks on our soil. We rode our bikes to the Providence State House where ceremonies of speeches were held. John Wordin, President of Ride2Recovery, spoke first and shared with us why we were there. Our next speaker was, General George Casey, 4 Star Army General who again spoke of our mission and the heroics of the riders who served and sacrificed. At 8:46, there was a moment of silence, to remind us of the first airplane that hit the South World Trade Center Building. Lastly, the Lt. Governor of Rhode Island wished us a safe ride and after posing for a group picture on the State House steps, we made our way to Hartford.
The 66 mile leg to Hartford Ct. was okay in the beginning, but after 40 or so miles, my neck and left shoulder started to bother me. My ride for the day was over, as I got on the Scooby 2, and helped other riders, who dropped out, too.
Soon we approached downtown Hartford and saw thousands of people, 5 deep on Conneticut Street, all wearing blue shirts, United Health Care employees, waving flags yelling USA, USA!! We ended up at Bushnell Park, adjacent to the capital building. Again, there were ceremonies honoring the riders, but 2 riders got a special tribute. Valerie Gambino, lost her fireman brother, Thomas on 9/11 and first responder, Sean Reilly, of Brooklyn was also honored. They both spoke eloquently about their feelings on such a horrible day in American history. Later that evening we had a dinner hosted by a Local American Legion Post. It was lights out early, as we got ready for our next leg, New London, CT.
Day 3
The following morning, Bruce Gustafson, Ride Director, told us of some major hill climbs leaving Hartford. Valerie Gambino and a few other riders decided to hang in Scooby 1 for the first 20 miles and joined the riders for the last 40 at the water break stop. Halfway there, we had our lunch stop that consisted of the usual lunch faire of Ramen noodle, chili Mac, bananas, oranges, pickles, energy bars and energy drinks. Quickly, we left and before long, we entered the Naval Submarine Base in New London. The sailors were waiting for us as thousands of them cheered us on and high fiving us as we passed. We exited the base and crossed the Thames River on a very narrow bike path, one by one. We regrouped after we crossed and before long found our way to our hotel. Dinner was back at the Submarine Base, but my roommate, Andy, and I decided to ditch the group and head to Mystic, Ct., to enjoy some seafood.
I never made the connection, until we got there, but Mystic is famous for their pizza and a well known old movie, Mystic Pizza, with Julia Roberts. Dinner was delicious as I enjoyed a dozen oysters, a salad and a dish called seafood ambrosia, which was scallops, shrimp and crabmeat au gratin. Afterwards we walked over to Mystic Pizza and got a large deluxe pizza that we brought back to the hotel for the riders, it was consumed in minutes.
Day 4
The next morning started out with a 2 mile ride to the New London Ferry, where we boarded and enjoyed a 90 minute ferry ride to the east end of Long Island. We took pics on the top deck and anxiously awaited our Long Island ride. Once we docked, we rode off the ferry and made our way on Highway 25 which dissects Long Island in half, north and south. The pace was quick, as we had a 96 mile leg to Glen Cove, our final stop. We saw beautiful beach communities and plenty of vineyards, as we made our way west. For some reason, I noticed a tremendous amount of road kill of small animals and even a small deer. Our lunch stop was 25 miles later, at a beautiful vineyard. everybody was looking for shade as temperatures were near 80 and with our quick pace of 17, 18 and 19 mph, everyone was hot and sweaty. Lunch was the usual and within 25 minutes, we were back on our bikes. We continued west and Long Island started to look more metro, as we reached neighborhoods and shopping malls. I packed it in 20 or so miles later, with the same aches and pains. Eventually, the hills became problematic for the riders as we stopped at the local VA for a break. I noticed a female rider being attended to by paramedics. From what I understand, she was with the "A/B" riding group and crashed pretty bad. The put neck supports on her and put her on a gurney and then an ambulance, which took her to a local emergency room. I never heard anything about her condition, but the riders continued on to Glen Cove. The final 20 miles or so were extremely treacherous, as I rode with a support car, following the "A/B" riders. The terrain included some 12-15 degree grades and I saw the group struggling up the hills, but slowly they made there way to our final stop, the Glen Cove Mansion. Once we arrived, I noticed many of the riders riding circles around the property. I couldn't quite figure it out, until I was told they wanted to complete a "century"' a 100 mile ride. Andy and I cleaned up and went to the bar for a drink, when we saw General George Casey enjoying a beer. We ordered and then the General made a toast, "here's to the old guys!!" We clinked our glasses and had a chuckle!! We took a bus to the Glen Cove Golf Club, where we enjoyed a patio dining of chicken and pasta. We hurried back to the hotel, to watch the Bear game, but the hotel did not have the NFL network, so we went to bed, disappointed. We set our alarms for a 4:30 wake up call. We had a ride to Macy's in Manhattan for a 7:30 breakfast.
Day 5
The ride briefing began at 5:15a.m. In darkness. I chose to board a bus and join the riders in Queens, NY, for our ride to Manhattan. I wasn't alone as 20-30 decided that riding in the dark could be a problem. 30 minutes later the bus took us to a parking lot, where we got our bikes ready. Shortly thereafter, we saw John Wordin, leading the riders and we joined them as we made our way south to Macy's. After crossing the Queensboro Bridge, very cool, we made our way to 1st Ave. and before long we were at Macy's on 34th St. We parked our bikes and walked in the department store where we saw a wonderful buffet of eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, yogurts, bagels and sweet rolls. All the riders loaded up as we got to meet Harry Carson, Hall of Fame football player, with the New York Giants. Everyone posed for pictures, as we went outside for some speeches by Macy's executives, new sponsors for R2R. The New York Police Department Band played patriotic music and then the National Anthem. Speeches continued, before we made our next stop to the 9/11 Memorial. The hallowed ground was awe inspiring where we saw 30 foot waterfalls flowing over the footprint of both the North and south towers of the World Trade Center. There was a wreath laying ceremony, honoring a recovering victim of 9/11, as well as both Valerie Gambino and Sean Reilly. We quietly spent an hour there, until we rode our bikes to our hotel, in Ft. Lee New Jersey. We enjoyed a bike path on the west side of Manhattan, which was adjacent to the Hudson River. Eventually we made our way to the George Washington Bridge, which included some serious hill climbs to get there. I felt Brian Smith's hand on my back and he helped me up the bridge. we got to our hotel by 1:30, but unfortunately our rooms weren't ready and we just hung out, sweaty and tired from our 30 or so mile New York City ride.
The evening started out with a pizza party at our hotel and then we boarded buses to our journey to Times Square and a performance of Tony award winning, Porgy and Bess. The USO of New York, R2R and myself hosted the riders to the Broadway show, which included a talk back, by the entire cast, following the show. My friend, Michael Alden, Producer of P &B, helped me arrange the terrific evening.
Day 6
The following morning we loaded buses, which took us to West Point, for the Army football game. The grounds were beautiful, with plenty of hills and forests. The campus included some older buildings, mixed in with the new. Miche Stadium, home of the Army Black Knights, was up on a hill as the buses parked and we walked to our seats. The stadium was loaded with young cadets as they stood the entire game cheering on the home team. Unfortunately, Army lost a close game to Northern Illinois University, 41-40.
Afterwards, the buses took us to American Legion Post 1, for our last dinner as a group. Dinner was terrific, with chicken, turkey, fish and pasta and wonderful desserts. Following dinner was a ceremony for our POW/MIAs. Over 88,000 soldiers have not returned home from our wars and a ceremony consisted of speeches and gun salutes. The tired riders boarded the buses for our last night together.
Day 7
Honor Ride and Travel Day.
Sunday consisted of an Honor Ride, a ride open to the public to join the R2R riders. we made our way up the west side of the Hudson River, which included many river communities and beautiful scenes. I took the shorter 20 mile ride and returned to the parking lot to put my bike up and to say good bye.
I have to say, now that I've ridden on 3 Challenges, my feelings didn't include some of the sadness I felt before. Maybe because I know I'm going to be riding with them again and the convenience of staying in touch on Facebook, the R2R forum that the riders connect on.
Next year, I'll be riding the Texas Challenge. I've heard the ride is exceptional, with the flat plains of Texas and good old Southern hospitality. That will be my next Blog!!
I want to thank again, all my ride sponsors. Anyone can still sponsor my ride challenge. I have raised close to $3000. and will match whatever my ride total brings. Because of these riders, we are free!!
Sept. 23, 2012 Final Minuteman Challenge Blog
I want to apologize to my Blog followers for the problems I had transmitting my Minuteman Challenge Blog. My e-mail was hacked last month and my iPad had an old password that didn't recognize my new e-mail address and password to transmit. Again, I apologize!
Day 2
Day 1 of my Challenge ride was eventually posted and now I want to share highlights of my other 5 days of riding with Ride2Recovery. As I said previously, Day 1 took us to Providence, Rhode Island. After a lunch stop at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, we rode the remaining 29 miles to Providence. The following day was September 11, the eleven year anniversary of the airplane attacks on our soil. We rode our bikes to the Providence State House where ceremonies of speeches were held. John Wordin, President of Ride2Recovery, spoke first and shared with us why we were there. Our next speaker was, General George Casey, 4 Star Army General who again spoke of our mission and the heroics of the riders who served and sacrificed. At 8:46, there was a moment of silence, to remind us of the first airplane that hit the South World Trade Center Building. Lastly, the Lt. Governor of Rhode Island wished us a safe ride and after posing for a group picture on the State House steps, we made our way to Hartford.
The 66 mile leg to Hartford Ct. was okay in the beginning, but after 40 or so miles, my neck and left shoulder started to bother me. My ride for the day was over, as I got on the Scooby 2, and helped other riders, who dropped out, too.
Soon we approached downtown Hartford and saw thousands of people, 5 deep on Conneticut Street, all wearing blue shirts, United Health Care employees, waving flags yelling USA, USA!! We ended up at Bushnell Park, adjacent to the capital building. Again, there were ceremonies honoring the riders, but 2 riders got a special tribute. Valerie Gambino, lost her fireman brother, Thomas on 9/11 and first responder, Sean Reilly, of Brooklyn was also honored. They both spoke eloquently about their feelings on such a horrible day in American history. Later that evening we had a dinner hosted by a Local American Legion Post. It was lights out early, as we got ready for our next leg, New London, CT.
Day 3
The following morning, Bruce Gustafson, Ride Director, told us of some major hill climbs leaving Hartford. Valerie Gambino and a few other riders decided to hang in Scooby 1 for the first 20 miles and joined the riders for the last 40 at the water break stop. Halfway there, we had our lunch stop that consisted of the usual lunch faire of Ramen noodle, chili Mac, bananas, oranges, pickles, energy bars and energy drinks. Quickly, we left and before long, we entered the Naval Submarine Base in New London. The sailors were waiting for us as thousands of them cheered us on and high fiving us as we passed. We exited the base and crossed the Thames River on a very narrow bike path, one by one. We regrouped after we crossed and before long found our way to our hotel. Dinner was back at the Submarine Base, but my roommate, Andy, and I decided to ditch the group and head to Mystic, Ct., to enjoy some seafood.
I never made the connection, until we got there, but Mystic is famous for their pizza and a well known old movie, Mystic Pizza, with Julia Roberts. Dinner was delicious as I enjoyed a dozen oysters, a salad and a dish called seafood ambrosia, which was scallops, shrimp and crabmeat au gratin. Afterwards we walked over to Mystic Pizza and got a large deluxe pizza that we brought back to the hotel for the riders, it was consumed in minutes.
Day 4
The next morning started out with a 2 mile ride to the New London Ferry, where we boarded and enjoyed a 90 minute ferry ride to the east end of Long Island. We took pics on the top deck and anxiously awaited our Long Island ride. Once we docked, we rode off the ferry and made our way on Highway 25 which dissects Long Island in half, north and south. The pace was quick, as we had a 96 mile leg to Glen Cove, our final stop. We saw beautiful beach communities and plenty of vineyards, as we made our way west. For some reason, I noticed a tremendous amount of road kill of small animals and even a small deer. Our lunch stop was 25 miles later, at a beautiful vineyard. everybody was looking for shade as temperatures were near 80 and with our quick pace of 17, 18 and 19 mph, everyone was hot and sweaty. Lunch was the usual and within 25 minutes, we were back on our bikes. We continued west and Long Island started to look more metro, as we reached neighborhoods and shopping malls. I packed it in 20 or so miles later, with the same aches and pains. Eventually, the hills became problematic for the riders as we stopped at the local VA for a break. I noticed a female rider being attended to by paramedics. From what I understand, she was with the "A/B" riding group and crashed pretty bad. The put neck supports on her and put her on a gurney and then an ambulance, which took her to a local emergency room. I never heard anything about her condition, but the riders continued on to Glen Cove. The final 20 miles or so were extremely treacherous, as I rode with a support car, following the "A/B" riders. The terrain included some 12-15 degree grades and I saw the group struggling up the hills, but slowly they made there way to our final stop, the Glen Cove Mansion. Once we arrived, I noticed many of the riders riding circles around the property. I couldn't quite figure it out, until I was told they wanted to complete a "century"' a 100 mile ride. Andy and I cleaned up and went to the bar for a drink, when we saw General George Casey enjoying a beer. We ordered and then the General made a toast, "here's to the old guys!!" We clinked our glasses and had a chuckle!! We took a bus to the Glen Cove Golf Club, where we enjoyed a patio dining of chicken and pasta. We hurried back to the hotel, to watch the Bear game, but the hotel did not have the NFL network, so we went to bed, disappointed. We set our alarms for a 4:30 wake up call. We had a ride to Macy's in Manhattan for a 7:30 breakfast.
Day 5
The ride briefing began at 5:15a.m. In darkness. I chose to board a bus and join the riders in Queens, NY, for our ride to Manhattan. I wasn't alone as 20-30 decided that riding in the dark could be a problem. 30 minutes later the bus took us to a parking lot, where we got our bikes ready. Shortly thereafter, we saw John Wordin, leading the riders and we joined them as we made our way south to Macy's. After crossing the Queensboro Bridge, very cool, we made our way to 1st Ave. and before long we were at Macy's on 34th St. We parked our bikes and walked in the department store where we saw a wonderful buffet of eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, yogurts, bagels and sweet rolls. All the riders loaded up as we got to meet Harry Carson, Hall of Fame football player, with the New York Giants. Everyone posed for pictures, as we went outside for some speeches by Macy's executives, new sponsors for R2R. The New York Police Department Band played patriotic music and then the National Anthem. Speeches continued, before we made our next stop to the 9/11 Memorial. The hallowed ground was awe inspiring where we saw 30 foot waterfalls flowing over the footprint of both the North and south towers of the World Trade Center. There was a wreath laying ceremony, honoring a recovering victim of 9/11, as well as both Valerie Gambino and Sean Reilly. We quietly spent an hour there, until we rode our bikes to our hotel, in Ft. Lee New Jersey. We enjoyed a bike path on the west side of Manhattan, which was adjacent to the Hudson River. Eventually we made our way to the George Washington Bridge, which included some serious hill climbs to get there. I felt Brian Smith's hand on my back and he helped me up the bridge. we got to our hotel by 1:30, but unfortunately our rooms weren't ready and we just hung out, sweaty and tired from our 30 or so mile New York City ride.
The evening started out with a pizza party at our hotel and then we boarded buses to our journey to Times Square and a performance of Tony award winning, Porgy and Bess. The USO of New York, R2R and myself hosted the riders to the Broadway show, which included a talk back, by the entire cast, following the show. My friend, Michael Alden, Producer of P &B, helped me arrange the terrific evening.
Day 6
The following morning we loaded buses, which took us to West Point, for the Army football game. The grounds were beautiful, with plenty of hills and forests. The campus included some older buildings, mixed in with the new. Miche Stadium, home of the Army Black Knights, was up on a hill as the buses parked and we walked to our seats. The stadium was loaded with young cadets as they stood the entire game cheering on the home team. Unfortunately, Army lost a close game to Northern Illinois University, 41-40.
Afterwards, the buses took us to American Legion Post 1, for our last dinner as a group. Dinner was terrific, with chicken, turkey, fish and pasta and wonderful desserts. Following dinner was a ceremony for our POW/MIAs. Over 88,000 soldiers have not returned home from our wars and a ceremony consisted of speeches and gun salutes. The tired riders boarded the buses for our last night together.
Day 7
Honor Ride and Travel Day.
Sunday consisted of an Honor Ride, a ride open to the public to join the R2R riders. we made our way up the west side of the Hudson River, which included many river communities and beautiful scenes. I took the shorter 20 mile ride and returned to the parking lot to put my bike up and to say good bye.
I have to say, now that I've ridden on 3 Challenges, my feelings didn't include some of the sadness I felt before. Maybe because I know I'm going to be riding with them again and the convenience of staying in touch on Facebook, the R2R forum that the riders connect on.
Next year, I'll be riding the Texas Challenge. I've heard the ride is exceptional, with the flat plains of Texas and good old Southern hospitality. That will be my next Blog!!
I want to thank again, all my ride sponsors. Anyone can still sponsor my ride challenge. I have raised close to $3000. and will match whatever my ride total brings. Because of these riders, we are free!!
Sept. 10, 2012. Day 1. Minuteman Challenge
(previously posted)
Yesterday's journey to Boston could have started out better, with a 3:30 wake up call, and with a canceled flight and a rebooked flight 3 hours later, it all didn't really matter, because any day that starts a Ride2recovery Challenge, is okay by me. Finally arriving at the hotel after 2:00, it started with hugs with my fellow riders and then I unpacked my bike and put it together. At 4:00 we had our mandatory rider orientation and then a 6:00 dinner hosted by United Health Care. Because of my early wake up call, by 9:00, I hit the sack and got ready for today's ride from Quincy, MA to Providence, RI, 52 miles south.
Today, we had a later than usual start, to allow the riders a break, because tomorrow we ride 73 mile to Hartford, Conn.
At the start, the riders were anxious, because of the late start, but by 9:30 we made our way to Foxboro, to enjoy our first break and lunch at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. We had little or no support from local police, to help us cross busy streets, initially, but with 200 riders, later in the morning portion of the ride, they seemed to find us, and with the help of the Harley riders, we never made a stop.
I felt the tone of the ride was different from last year's 9/11 ride, the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. With the exception of the a few workers, we really didn't see anyone watching us, offering support and encouragement, like we did a year earlier. I don't think it bothered the riders, but I sensed a big difference. I did see a fireman saluting us as we went by, but no schools or business's cheering us on as we continued.The ride did include a few hill climbs, but nothing too difficult, as we made our way to Foxboro.
During our lunch break, we got a chance to walk on the field to take pictures and hot dog. Many of the riders were Tebowing at the 50 yard line, posing for pictures and having a good time. We finally made our way to Providence, with some interesting streets, scenery and history. While the route was no Valley Forge, we did see some Pre Civil War homes and old stack stone fencing. The hill climbs weren't too bad and we made our 29 post lunch ride in less than 2 hours, as the pace was brisk, because it was Day 1 and more difficult portions of the ride are forthcoming.
Dinner was hosted by a local American Legion Post at our hotel. The cuisine was the usual pasta and chicken, but on R2R rides, meals are of little consequence, because the riders main mission is to ride and offer support to their fellow riders, as needed. After dinner, our speaker was a United Health Care VP, who offered encouragement and gratitude to our wonderful military who come to these rides to be challenged, physically, mentally and emotionally. We were told that tomorrow's 73 mile ride is loaded with hills, but I will give it my all and hope to ride all 73.
Lastly, I wanted to share with you my reason for riding. I love the challenge and the camaraderie, but fundraising, to help these fine people, is a big part of my mission. Today I was e-mailed with several notifications that donations are being made, but one of the them was extraordinary. I received a $500.00 donation from one of my Subaru customers, C. Smith. I was blown away and I immediately called her and thanked her. My voice quivered as I told her my appreciation for her kindness. The feelings I feel this week guide me as I continue to offer support anyway I can to these brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for me and America!!
(previously posted)
Yesterday's journey to Boston could have started out better, with a 3:30 wake up call, and with a canceled flight and a rebooked flight 3 hours later, it all didn't really matter, because any day that starts a Ride2recovery Challenge, is okay by me. Finally arriving at the hotel after 2:00, it started with hugs with my fellow riders and then I unpacked my bike and put it together. At 4:00 we had our mandatory rider orientation and then a 6:00 dinner hosted by United Health Care. Because of my early wake up call, by 9:00, I hit the sack and got ready for today's ride from Quincy, MA to Providence, RI, 52 miles south.
Today, we had a later than usual start, to allow the riders a break, because tomorrow we ride 73 mile to Hartford, Conn.
At the start, the riders were anxious, because of the late start, but by 9:30 we made our way to Foxboro, to enjoy our first break and lunch at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. We had little or no support from local police, to help us cross busy streets, initially, but with 200 riders, later in the morning portion of the ride, they seemed to find us, and with the help of the Harley riders, we never made a stop.
I felt the tone of the ride was different from last year's 9/11 ride, the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. With the exception of the a few workers, we really didn't see anyone watching us, offering support and encouragement, like we did a year earlier. I don't think it bothered the riders, but I sensed a big difference. I did see a fireman saluting us as we went by, but no schools or business's cheering us on as we continued.The ride did include a few hill climbs, but nothing too difficult, as we made our way to Foxboro.
During our lunch break, we got a chance to walk on the field to take pictures and hot dog. Many of the riders were Tebowing at the 50 yard line, posing for pictures and having a good time. We finally made our way to Providence, with some interesting streets, scenery and history. While the route was no Valley Forge, we did see some Pre Civil War homes and old stack stone fencing. The hill climbs weren't too bad and we made our 29 post lunch ride in less than 2 hours, as the pace was brisk, because it was Day 1 and more difficult portions of the ride are forthcoming.
Dinner was hosted by a local American Legion Post at our hotel. The cuisine was the usual pasta and chicken, but on R2R rides, meals are of little consequence, because the riders main mission is to ride and offer support to their fellow riders, as needed. After dinner, our speaker was a United Health Care VP, who offered encouragement and gratitude to our wonderful military who come to these rides to be challenged, physically, mentally and emotionally. We were told that tomorrow's 73 mile ride is loaded with hills, but I will give it my all and hope to ride all 73.
Lastly, I wanted to share with you my reason for riding. I love the challenge and the camaraderie, but fundraising, to help these fine people, is a big part of my mission. Today I was e-mailed with several notifications that donations are being made, but one of the them was extraordinary. I received a $500.00 donation from one of my Subaru customers, C. Smith. I was blown away and I immediately called her and thanked her. My voice quivered as I told her my appreciation for her kindness. The feelings I feel this week guide me as I continue to offer support anyway I can to these brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for me and America!!
