Granted I am a conspiracy theorist, but after recycling in separate bins growing up and seeing “recycling” trucks in DC look just like garbage trucks and seem to see trash bins and recycle bins being dumped into the same truck I am a bit suspicious when I see a trash dumpster labeled to accept paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, and plastic.  Not only is the container the same one used for trash, but I think it would be hard to separate paper from containers when I believe they use hot water in the automated sorting process.  It would seem to be easier to keep paper and cardboard dry and separated.

DC also allows all in one bin

So I just checked the DC Department of Public Works and they say you can put the rinsed containers in the same bin as paper and cardboard as long as you are residential.  My building sent out a notice that you need to keep them separated.  Apparently the contracted service, required for commercial properties, has different rules.

Not for Commercial…

The next time I see the truck come to my building I will have to check out the company name and then try to find out where they take the recyclables to see why separation is necessary.  The management company claimed that if inspected the they are not separated correctly, the company would get fined and if known, would pass the fine on to the resident.

Sunday, June 12th started very early.  I got up at 5:30 AM and met a friend at the end of the block to head over the 14th street bridge on the Mt. Vernon trail to participate in the non competitive Crystal Ride.  Since Shane was part of “Team Sabre” which is the fundraising team for the ride, he got to start at the Air Force Memorial which was close to the half way mark of the course from Crystal Drive in Crystal City.  We wished each other luck and off he went to his starting location and I mine.

Wave 2

It was not so clear how to line up for the ride, but basically there were 2 waves.  Wave 1 was for those who received a Gold Metal in a previous event or were VIPs, part of “Team Sabre.”  Apparently that wave seemed to start from the Air Force Memorial since there was no division in Crystal City.  Once the serious riders lined up, I lined up with some others I was chatting with who were also first timers and watched the minutes tick down until the 7:30 AM start.  Recently the weather has been pretty hot in DC so it was good the ride was in the AM.

The Ride

The course is approximately 12.5 KM starting in Crystal City and looping around the Air Force Memorial.  There were a few hairpin turns on the leg over, but as the ride progressed, the 1500 participants spread out a bit.

The Goal

Everyone has their own goal of course, but the idea behind this ride was to ride as many laps as you can in the 3.5 hour time allotment and earn medals dependent on the number of laps completed.

• 1-3 Laps Bronze
• 4-7 Laps Silver
• 8 Laps Gold

Ready…Set…Go!

The time arrived and off we went.  I have to tell you I was so excited as I received emails the week before as I registered back in March.  While you hope you don’t have any bike problems, you do expect there to be some flat tires along the way and this ride was no different.  As more laps were completed, the number of riders diminished as did the upside down bikes getting new tubes.  I only saw one scary situation which required emergency medical assistance.  Others just stopped early.  Perhaps they met their goal, not feeling well, or body just said “Not that hill again!.” (The hill up to the Air Force Memorial seemed to take me longer each time I climbed it.  The 8th time up I was going less than 10 MPH!  Got to love gravity! :)

Lap 1 Complete

Since it was a bit slow getting going it took just over 30 minutes to make one lap of the course.   Lap 2 I think only took 20 minutes.  I am hoping to get the results later today or tomorrow to see how my laps did.   I do know my average speed was dropping on my last lap.

Time is running out Lap 8…

So I was not really sure what lap I was on.  The “Laps to Go” was counting up!  I assumed that meant laps completed, so when I crossed the start line at 7 laps with about 25 minutes to go I thought…”This is it, Gold in sight!”  As I approached “the hill” I was a bit worried about my time.  I was not sure I was going to be able to make it back to the start/finish line before 11 AM.  With only 5 minutes to go, I checked my mileage and still had a few miles.  I pushed as hard as I could!  10:59 came around and I was trying to remember how many more turns before the finish line.  At this point I was a bit shaky in my legs.  Eleven am arrived….I thought if I could make it before it was 11:01 I would be golden.  That time came, but I did not give up.  I was so close now and not going to admit defeat!

11:05 AM Course Exit

I was not sure if I had completed 8 laps or not, all I knew was that we all had to exit the course as more events were coming up.  I snagged one more bottle of water from the volunteers who were skilled at delivery while you were biking by which was cool.  I only missed a bottle one time.

Medal Pickup

I walked around the vendors at the finish line to get my medal.  They asked me how many laps I did?  Hmm…I was not quite sure but thought I did 8 laps.  Apparently if you did less than 8 they believed you and you received the medal from the staff there.  They sent me over to a tent where staff were checking the computers and the timing chips we were all wearing to see how many laps we completed.

Gold!

I was so excited when I was told I earned a Gold Medal.  Granted this was not competitive, but it was the longest continuous ride I have ever gone on.  Sadly I use my bike for transportation to cut costs and travel time.  The reason I started biking and gave up the free shuttle bus was because the bus route was changed increasing 5-10 minutes travel time.

My longest trip was about 20 miles.  I did make it to Mt. Vernon with a friend, but we stopped to eat and check out the grounds for a few hours  before getting back on the trail and biking back.

A few weeks back I marshaled Bike DC which was about 20 miles.  I took that at a more leisure pace as we were stopping to help riders in need change flats, etc.

The Day After

I took the free shuttle bus to work today since my knees seemed to not like the ride that much.  That probably means I need to be sure my bike is properly adjusted to prevent issues down the road, especially if I enter more long rides.  Short commutes do not seem to bother my knees.

My Unofficial Stats

• Start Time: 7:30 AM (Crossed start line by 7:33)
• End Time : 11:35 AM
• Average Speed*: 17.9 MPH
• Top Speed*: ~35 MPH (Somehow I cleared my data at the end :( )
• Distance*: ~ 63 Miles or 100 KM

*(According to my bike computer)

Official Stats are in!

Top view sports was kind enough to give me my lap times :)  The data showed 9 laps total with 3:51 for the one, so I added them together for lap 1.

1. 7:33 AM – 7:58 AM ~25 minutes
2. 7:58 AM – 8:23 AM 24:49 minutes
3. 8:23 AM – 8:49 AM 25:48 minutes
4. 8:49 AM – 9:14 AM 25:34 minutes
5. 9:14 AM – 9:44 AM 29:46 minutes
6. 9:44 AM – 10:10 AM 25:54 minutes
7. 10:10 AM – 10:37 AM 27 minutes
8. 10:37 AM – 11:04 AM 27:50 minutes

L to R: Me, Shane, Lisa (Met her day of event)  Why didn’t someone tell me I had helmet hair!  LOL

145542 Contacts Since 3/2007

• 112593 Air and Space
• 30203 Zoo Interpreting
• 42 Zoo Tours
• 2704 Other (Mostly WABA Bike Valets)
• 1068 Hours
• $75 in zoo tour tips which get donated to the zoo :)

This goal had originally been 35 years and was reduced to 27 years at the current rate.  With the Cherry Blossom Festival approaching and now that I no longer have a part time job, I am hoping to increase my contacts this year.  When I started out I had no idea it would take so long, after all $1000000 is really nothing to billionaires.  The zoo gets close to 2 million visitors annually and the Air and Space Museum is the most visited museum in the world, so my odds should be good. :)

I stared back in March 2007.  Currently I have talked to approximately 98429 people.  78318 at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and 19729 at the Smithsonian National Zoo.  At the zoo I have given 32 tours. All told 671 volunteer hours.

98,429 Educated!

I have a great time at the Zoo and Air and Space museum and continue on toward my goal of educating 1 Million!

You can sponsor me here:

My Personal AIDS WALK PAGE

Thanks!

1,000,000

For the billionaires out there, 1 million does not seem like and much.  With me talking for more than 900 people each weekend, I would not think it would take so long, but the calculator does not lie, I checked a while back and changed my estimate to 30 years and now, it looks like 21 years….still a long time, but definitely a long term goal and a fulfilling one :)

To recap…..

• 462 Hours
• 26 Zoo Tours
• 14851 Interpreting at the Zoo
• 47482 Visitor Services at the most visited museum in the world.. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
• 124 days

My philosophy is as simple as that.  I don’t enjoy getting junk mail, though I do like my shredder, I will resist and return the junk mail at the senders expense.  

My Hypothesis

I believe that if enough people do this, companies will either no longer provide postage paid return envelopes which in turn may decrease sales, or simply refer recipients to a website to get the offer and no longer accept replies via mail, or totally rely on email and no longer send via the postal service which would help the environment.  We have spam filters for email which in my case work very well, but postal workers by law cannot discard any mail addressed correctly and are not able to provide spam protection for postal mail.

If you are on facebook, you can search for the group I created.  Let’s combat the junk mail! 

P.S. – I have not tried it yet, but it would be cool to ship back at the senders expense a box of rocks :)  Simply tape the return envelope on the box.  Be sure to remove your name as I am sure they will be upset.

• 114 shifts
• 41471 Contacts at the National Air and Space Museum
• 14088 Contacts at the National Zoo
• 23 Zoo Tours
• 427 Hours
• 55559 total contacts (Should add up if Excel 2008 works.)

39129 Air and Space
14054 Zoo
20 Zoo Tours
409 Hours

53183 contacts

Still a ways to go ;P Come in a say hello to me tomorrow at the National Air and Space Museum. I will be at the Welcome Desk at the National Mall location.

15 min and 45 seconds, 5.21 miles, 19.3  avg mph, 31.9 max mph.

Granted it was downhill most of the way, but I am pretty happy that I averaged close to 20 mph!