Rob Keleher - peaceonabike

June 1, 2014March 25, 2024

Cancer Ride Sendoff

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Today was the opening ceremony and sendoff for the cancer ride. Good trooper that she is, Kimber Polley gave me a ride from the Metro in Alexandria to Baltimore. We went to the start where I introduced her to Chey Hillsgrove, who is riding his third trip across the country to fight cancer.

Chey Hillsgrove, Trish Kallis

I saw many alumni, too many to mention. I will try. Trish Kallis, Mary Natoli. Bradley Allen. Chey Hillsgrove. Anthony Venida. Meredith Wilson. Liz Kaplan. Rob Keleher. Venkatesh Srinivas. Kevin Barnett. Jeff Graves. Erin Mack.

The four groups, Teams San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle rode from the office start to the Inner Harbor. I did not roll out with them, instead I was still getting ready in the parking lot.

Mary Natoli, Jamie Roberts, Meredith Wilson
Team Portland

When I arrived I did not spend my time getting ready to ride but in saying hello to old friends and meeting new. When I rolled out, last, I turned the first corner, no more than 50 yards from the office and there was a Team Seattle member changing a flat. It may have been a record for the quickest flat on the trip.

At the sendoff it was great to see Chris and Andrea Zahlis, Kim Sheridan, and Chey’s mother, Monica. Help me to remember more names please.

Chey and Barry
Credit: Venkatesh Srinivas

After opening remarks, introductions of the teams, dipping the back tire in the Inner Harbor, and saying goodbye to family and friends, it was time to roll out. I rode out with the San Francisco team from Baltimore to Alexandria.

Cobbles leaving the Inner Harbor

In my group were Katrine Harris, Holden Cookson, Linnea Cripe, Nathalia Gibbs, Sarah Ring, Chris Moskal and 2013 alum, Sara Janakas.

It wasn’t a difficult route or ride. Kevin Levi-Georlich, a 2013 alum, created the route, apparently using 95% of what I created last year. The main difference was substituting College Park for Berwyn Heights. And that worked.

My group was fourth on the road, then first (chalk duty). Then a double flat with a nail through the sidewall for Nathalia, put us in last, or almost last.

Linnea

Riding into DC on Monroe Ave., a turn was chalked wrong, we didn’t follow it, and we were first. Again.

We did a tour of D.C. for Holden, who had never been. Amazed at all the sports going on on the Mall: Ultimate, Soccer, Football, Cricket, Kickball, Softball, Volleyball, Wiffleball.

Once in Alexandria, they were not excited to be first to the host – that means work. So they had ice cream and Starbucks in Old Town while I rolled on ahead.

Godspeed my friends!

April 10, 2013April 29, 2016

Noseeums

SAINT MARYS, GEORGIA

Today I rode with Craig Babst and Paul Lemle. Alex Wright was our driver so I was hoping for good things from him.

L-R: Craig, Barry, Paul, Alex

In our dedication circle I dedicated the day to Abigail “Happy Abby” Bolenbaugh, a soon to be six year old who recently celebrated her five year Cancerversary.

Meg Shipman inking my legs

Too early to get ready to ride, we jumped in the Suburban and headed to Richmond Hill, Georgia, to ride our portion of today’s route. Forgetfulness would plague me today. We were in a parking lot with a CVS and just ready to roll out. Then I remembered I didn’t have on my heart rate monitor. Except that I was wearing it.

Barry, somewhere in Georgia

No longer using cue sheets we simply followed our instructions to ride on US 17. I don’t like 17 in Virginia, I didn’t like it in South Carolina, and I didn’t like it in Georgia.

Alex Wright

The morning was quite pleasant with temperatures near 70. Expected to reach the low 80s I was an hour into the ride when I remembered that I had forgotten to apply Chamois Butt’r.

US 17 is a four lane road but in this section it wasn’t heavily traveled. Craig, Paul, and I had been riding in a pace lane, loosely, and Alex was following blocking one lane of traffic for us. With no traffic behind I told the guys to keep pedaling and I’d catch up. I dropped back to the “team car” and told Alex I had forgotten to use Chamois Butt’r.

Rolling on US 17, he reached for the tube. I extended my hand. He squeezed. Nothing came out. “Uh, Alex” I said, “You need to first remove the foil from under the cap.”

Alex removed the cap, then the foil, and replaced the cap. Reaching out the window he squeezed a sliver of Butt’r on my finger. I looked at him. “Dude, I need a dollop. A dollop” Alex then squeezed out a blob of the stuff on my fingers. I thanked him and rode ahead.

Now what? I was rolling down the highway about 50 meters behind Craig and Paul with a dollop of Chamois Butt’r in my hand. This would be harder than I expected. But I got out of the saddle and was able to apply it to the chamois and keep rolling.

Catching Craig and Paul they asked where I went. “Chamois Butt’r,” I said.

Barry, Paul, Craig

Alex had looked at the route and found a longer but safer alternative. Thankfully. Our first turn was at Mile 25 near South Newport. We first passed The World’s Smallest Church* and then I asked the group to stop. We did and offered up The World’s Biggest Prayer for Meg Shipman’s friend, Kristen.

Once we were off US 17 we could ride more freely. Out in the country I was shocked to see a runner approaching us. It was that remote. But I reached for a Key to Keys card and rode over to his side of the road. I held the card for him to reach and made a perfect hand off. This was that start of something big.

We had business cards about the ride and we were challenged to hand them out. And I took it to a new level. It was easy for me because I believed in the mission. On this day I saw a woman on the side of the road and I stopped and handed her a card and told her what we were doing. And so I would all the way to Key West.

We had a nice ride in to Darien, Georgia, riding on moss covered streets, passing beautiful houses and mileage signs including one to Key West.

Almost Equidistant between Key West and Upyours WV
(There is no Upyours, WV)

Hoping aboard our magic transporter we were taken to Saint Marys, Georgia, which was my first day arriving well before dinner. Saint Marys is a quaint town located on the Cumberland Island National Seashore. It begged of exploration by bike, of which I had time, but I found the one washing machine next door in a small store. I opted to wash clothes instead. I’m sure my teammates were thankful.

The evening dinner was Brunswick Stew presented by a local cycling club. One of the riders warned us to eat towards the picnic area or else the “noseeums” would eat us up. Tiny gnats, biting midges, impossible to see but you could sure feel them. The evening was beautiful but one didn’t want to spend time outside.

Vince presenting a new Gnome to Patti Jackson

I was very pleased that my cousins, whom I had only met online before, Brad and Mindy Lawmaster, drove in from Jacksonville to meet me. I was touched and honored.

L-R with the Lawmaster Family
Hannah, Sam, Mindy, Emma, Brad, Jack, Barry

Next door in a bar the owner made it Karaoke night. It was a throw down of talent between Vince Schiano and Rob Keleher. Everyone else sang for fun but these two sang for keeps. I was explaining to one of the patrons and pointing out each person and why they had no reason to smile or laugh. Everyone’s lives had been changed by cancer but here we were, one group, laughing like we may not have laughed in years.

___
*There are a number of small churches in the U.S. that claim the title of Smallest Church in the World,

April 6, 2013April 29, 2016

Stranger on the Road

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA

I began the day in Baltimore where we rode to Race Pace Bicycles on Key Highway. After a light breakfast of bagels we had a dedication circle on the sidewalk. I dedicated my ride to Jake The Hero Grecco.

Although the ride was billed as biking to Key West, in reality we would drive 3/4 of the way to Key West and bike one fourth of the way. We were formed into four groups with each group riding 1/4th of the day’s mileage. We rode over to the Inner Harbor where Groups 2, 3, and 4 would be transported to their starting locations. My group, Group 2 did the segment from Washington DC to Nokesville, Virginia.

Barry (L); Robert Della Vecchia (R)

We were transported by staff members Abby Ramirez and Vince Schiano. My riding group included Patti Jackson, John Beck, and Rob Keleher.

My group, Group 2, began in NE Washington, D.C. in front of a Catholic church. Two nuns came out and posed for our sendoff photo. We then followed the Metropolitan Branch Trail to Union Station, through and past the Mall and across the Memorial Bridge into Virginia.

Barry, Rob, Nun 1, Nun 2, John, Patti
Credit: Vince Schiano

On the Virginia side we rode up the Mount Vernon Trail to the Custis Trail and connected with the Washington and Old Dominion Trail out to the Virginia suburbs. In Vienna we stopped at Nottoway Park for a lunch of bagels. And peanut butter.

On the Mount Vernon Trail by the Memorial Bridge
Just out for a Saturday run

It was an uneventful but beautiful ride. It was sunny but the temperature struggled to reach 60 degrees. The day would be a day without cues because this was my domain. I have ridden every inch of this route many times and it was fun to just ride without worrying about turns.

Potomac River, Virginia side, looking at Memorial Bridge,
Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument

On the run in to Nokesville on Kettle Run Road, I caught a rider. I asked her how far she was going (a set up question to be sure) and she said “not far” or “just down this road.” Of course when she asked how far I was riding I told her “Key West” (always a good conversation starter).

Jan Roberts Stover

A brief discussion ensued. As we talked and I told her my name she told me my friends, Marty Cox and Acacia Ellis have talked about me. Small world.

John Beck on the Custis Trail
Cramping forced him to be shuttled

My team was astounded that I ran into a cyclist who knew who I was. They were astounded even more when arriving at Nokesville Park even the dog knew me. That was easily explainable since my son, Andrew, brought some items that I wanted to take with me but had forgotten. But Maggie was one that could not ride with us.

Barry, John, Rob, Patti

There’s also a story of the Gnome that traveled the world for years with Patti and somehow got smashed but that’s for Vince to tell.

Gnome. Before and After

We went to the restaurant, Positively 4th Street, in Charlottesville for dinner before driving to the hotel at Zions Crossroads.

At 11:00 p.m. I was visited by friends Scott and Margaret Scudamore for desert at the IHOP next door. At midnight it would be a late night but that was normal for me since it was the beginning of soccer season and, even on this trip, I had to burn the midnight oil to get the games assigned so the kids have refs.