Rider Recap - Dani

Hey ya’ll, this is Eric’s sister, Dani reporting from down in Auburn, Alabama. I was asked to provide the Sea Gull Century report this year. It was so exciting to be able to actually participate in the ride this year, since I have been working it for the past few years. It was a weekend of fun, family and friends, wind, rain, innovation, celebration, and honoring the man who got us all into biking in the first place!

My boyfriend Tim and I traveled the farthest for this year’s ride, and we had a very rocky start getting to Salisbury. After attempting to leave Thursday afternoon and having to install an innovative tag light (a flash light attached by duck tape!) on the back of Tim’s car, we ended up making the 14 hour trek up to Salisbury on Friday.

We were not the only people who traveled far. We had Adam Trexler from Yale University in Connecticut, Aunt Tammy and Uncle Larry from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Greg from Mt. Ranier, MD, JB, Andrea and Larry from Gaithersburg, MD and Eric and Gina (and baby boy) from Pittsboro, North Carolina. We also had the P-11 support crew traveling from Western Maryland and Ellicott City. Work and school commitments prohibited attendance this year of our regular Support Crew, Aunt Jackie, Rachel and Abby, along with one of our primary P-11 riders, Uncle Bobby. They were missed by everyone!

The weather report was grim, calling for rain showers and wind. The night before we packed all of our supplies (some having more supplies than others!) to get ready for the ride. Grandma Jean made sure we all had plastic baggies for our phones so they wouldn’t get wet (a valuable lesson Tim and I learned at the West Virginia- Auburn Game a few weeks prior), along with hand sanitizer. Everyone attached their numbers to their bikes. The Timmer pumped up bike tires, and MaryAnn (always the crafty one) created her own helmet and bike numbers when they found to be missing from her packet.

The ride was lots of fun. The more serious riders, (Adam and Eric), went out around 6 a.m., and the 2nd wave (Mom, Larry, Greg, Mary Ann, Tim and I), started about 8 a.m. Everyone had a blast, and completed their own personal goal as far as distance. No crashes were reported, however there was a flat tire but it was quickly repaired, and the rain even held off for the majority of the ride. The wind presented a challenge for Tim, Larry, and Greg, in the last leg of the metric but they pushed through to the finish line!

The P-11 Support crew for this event, (Gina, Patty, Tammy, Grandma and Cookie), had everyone’s back, driving our own Sag Wagon, transporting cherished iced tea for Aunt Mary Ann, (they didn't miss a stop), and Mom’s first aid kit--just in case!

Eric, Adam, Tim, and I had low numbers this year 16-19, and it was great getting so many comments throughout the ride! People would say, “hey look at that # 16!” or “what did you do to get that low number?” We all felt super special, and we extend a big thank you to Amy Waters!

Following the ride, we all headed home and enjoyed a warm home cooked meal and visited with one another and some additional guests.

Dad would have been excited and thrilled for so many people to come to ride in one of his favorite events, especially those first time Sea Gull Century riders. He was really riding too, as his good friend Jim Phillips wore 2 numbers, one for him and one for Dad. I’m sure he was looking down with pride at all of our family and friends who came to the event.

We would like to thank Mom for hosting the event. She made sure to have everyone’s favorite food and drinks, have sleeping arrangements for 12 people, organize P-11 shirts for everyone, and of course all of the other wonderful things she does for everyone. We would also like to thank the P-11 crew for the support, all of the wonderful cooks, and everyone who traveled to Salisbury for the weekend. We hope to make this an annual event!