Why I Ride: Day 5 of the AIDS/LifeCycle

Read Ryan's Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 entries.
Read what got Ryan to do the ride.

DAY 5- Santa Maria to Lompoc
Words and photos by Ryan Elizalde

Day 5 was a short day, but a hard ride. And, of course, today was the famous (or infamous, depending on what you did – OK!) Red Dress Day. Originally created to designate riders to each other doing the long trek many years ago, it has now turned into quite a scene with the majority of people wearing dresses, unusual outfits or simply red jerseys. I found a few that I thought you fine readers would enjoy seeing for yourself, so have a look at the photos below. It's a cross between Halloween, New Year’s Eve and Burning Man, all dipped in red and on bicycles.

When I woke up I was feeling pretty refreshed, much more so than I did at the beginning of day 4. I did a lot of stretching last night and iced my quads. (As a matter of fact, as I type this I have two ice bags on them with a pillow separating my laptop from the cold condensation.) I started out a little late from the campsite, but quickly made up the time (I know it’s not a race...). But it felt like my legs were new again and didn’t have four days of riding behind them.

The first half was filled with stunning views of more mountains and farmland, then as we made our way into the hills outside of Santa Maria, turned to huge farmhouses and spacious estates. It's amazing how quickly the scenery changes.

 
After the lunch break the wind started to kick up, but I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. Boy, was I wrong. I would say the wind against us was roughly 35 MPH, but some would say more; I heard numbers from others at anywhere from 25-50. With all the training I had I was not ready to feel what it was like to have that kind of pressure on me while moving forward. The strength you would normally use to go at higher speeds was now cut down to 10 MPH. It blew – figuratively and literally.

When I finally made it to the campsite my legs felt like goo and I feared I would be suffering from painful quads again, but luckily this was not the case.

Tomorrow we’re back up to an 85-mile ride; then on our final day, a quick jaunt from Ventura to LA which should hopefully be a snap as I’ve done this portion (Ventura to LA) before in a double “century” hosted by the cycling group, Shifting Gears (thanks guys!).

At the end of day 5, and a mere 146 miles to go, I’m feeling incredibly proud (and exhausted as I think you folks can probably tell). Not only am I achieving a personal life goal, I’m helping others in theirs.

Enjoy the photos - my favorite is the 50’s skirts.