Journey with Jeff

November 5, 2018
Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv

As I sit here in the departure lounge awaiting our flight back to New York, I can finally reflect back on these last two amazing weeks.  The Wheels of Love ride speaks for itself and I hope that you have enjoyed the daily reports and photos.  We had five pretty rough days in the Negev, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem totaling about 375 miles and over 25,000 feet of climbing.  Israel is nothing short of magical from its geological splendor to its biblical roots, from the mystical city of Jerusalem to the cosmopolitan and spectacular Tel Aviv.  Jerusalem and Tel Aviv each embody opposite ends of the cultural spectrum.

I remember sitting here six years ago in the aftermath of the rocket war of 2012.  I wrote to all of you – my friends and supporters – about the experience of waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of sirens signifying incoming rockets and having 30 seconds to find shelter – several times.  During the days that followed, we watched Iron Dome intercept missiles explode overhead in the desert or on the beach.  Other years were fraught with their own unique challenges.  One year, we had terrorists crashing their cars into populated streets and bus stops.  Another time, we had the threat of chemical attacks from Syria.  Several years, we had wind and rain of biblical proportions.  The one guarantee?  It’s never boring.

By any measure, this year was quiet and uneventful.  But it is never boring.  The ride was challenging and emotional.  The children of ALYN are special and we are humbled each year at the close.  And most importantly, the ride raised over $3.5 million – and still counting.  Thanks to your generosity, Joanne and I (The BlyeCycles) account for $18,000 of that total.  And Joanne helped facilitate an estate bequest of $75,000 for a Renovated Psychology and Speech Therapy Treatment Room.

I want to thank you all again for following me on this special edition of Journey With Jeff and especially for supporting the ALYN Wheels of Love.  I am deeply grateful to you all.

If you are still considering making a donation to this amazing place, you can do so here:  Why I Ride.  Or copy and paste this link: www.wolusa.org/goto/jeffblye

L’hitra’ot
להתראות

…Jeff
Wheels of Love Challenge Rider
2007-2018

November 1, 2018
The Nes Harim Climb to the Emotional Finish
Distance: 50 miles, Vertical climb: 5,150 feet

Wow!  What an emotional day!  Day 5 – our final day – is always filled with mixed feelings.  On one hand, we are comforted that the end is in sight and that our aching legs will soon find relief.  On the other hand, we still have a tough 50-mile ride with a tough tough climb up to Nes Harim and the ALYN hospital.

Much of the climb to Nes Harim is at a steady 10-12% grade that seems to go on forever.  Sometimes, as we start snaking and grinding our way up, a new rider will ask me how long the climb is.  I usually tell them that it’s about 50 C’s.  “What’s that?” they ask.   (Wait for it.)  “Well, you go as far as you can see.  Then you go as far as you can see another 49 times.”  I’ve been telling this same stupid joke for 12 years and it’s guaranteed to get some groans.  But a few thousand feet of vertical climbing later, I inevitably get a “I see what you mean.”  If you don’t believe me, check out the 3D replay of the ride.  I dare you to find a flat spot.

About 15 miles or so from the finish, we meet up with the On-Road groups and stop for a quick lunch at Bar Bahar.  This is a beautiful mountaintop café where I always get a cappuccino and stare across the deep valley at Jerusalem in the distance.  My first year on the ride, I actually got a customer loyalty punch card which I sometimes forget/sometimes remember to bring with me.  I’m pretty sure I have enough punches for a free cappuccino next year!

We have a final traffic control stop at Ein Kerem Junction while we wait for clearance from the police.  We usually pass the time here by taking lots of pictures with our other smiling riders.  The smiles don’t last long, as it’s a steep uphill start and a bit of a balagan getting going again.

The final section is killer steep, but worth it as we soon hear the cheers and celebration of ALYN children and families welcoming us home.  After many hugs and kisses, we proceed to the medals ceremony where the children put medals around our necks and we are humbled.   It’s an amazing reminder of why we do what we do, and how thanks to you all, we raised a record amount this year:  over $3.5 million so far.  (2018 books close December 31, so the final total is yet tbd.)

I will have some closing thoughts on the trip in the days to follow as I lick my wounds on the beach in Tel Aviv.

Warning, there are a lot of pictures from today, so please enjoy them.   If you haven’t already, click here for a neat 3D replay of today’s short but tough ride.  I dare you find a flat spot!!

You can click here to find out Why I Ride and to support me.  Or copy and paste this link: www.wolusa.org/goto/jeffblye

To all of my generous supporters – past, present and future – I thank you so very very much.

…Jeff
Wheels of Love Challenge Rider
2007-2018

At the emotional conclusion of the ALYN 2018 Challenge Ride, a sweet child in a wheel chair leaned over to put a medal around my neck and five days of pain went away in a heartbeat. Thank you all for supporting me.

(Day 5 blog will be delayed. Thank you for understanding.)

 

October 31, 2018
Distance 88.3 km (55 miles), vertical climb 1,444 m (4,738 ft), descent 888 m (2,914 ft)

After yesterday’s brutally long ride, it was a bit of a relief to head out on today’s route. It reminded me of those days on my America ride where we’d start to think of 70-80 miles as an “easy” day. But even at reduced mileage, there was nothing easy about today. Leaving Masada for the last time, we headed north into a brutal headwind that forced us to huddle in a double pace-line. We kept the pace slow(-ish) but steady with the stronger riders taking turns pulling and rotating off the front.

I must admit, it was hard to leave the Dead Sea behind. It is such a magnificent geological phenomenon and even though it continues to recede and diminish, it is still spectacular. We rode alongside the massive cliffs that frame the sea, now at about -420 meters, or almost 1,400 feet below sea level. We rode through Ein Gedi, the lowest place on Earth and after climbing a bit, we stopped at the Lido Café at the end of route 90. Oddly, there was a sign billing Lido (too) as the “lowest place in the world” at 394 meters below sea level. This reminded me of an old cartoon. Four pizza parlors are adjacent to each other on the same street. The first one has a sign that says, “Best pizza in the city.” The second says, “Best pizza in the country.” The third says, “Best pizza in the world.” And finally, the fourth one says, “Best pizza on this block.

Our final climb up highway 1 was a brute of a climb. It was hot (around 100 degrees, plus or minus a few) and it just went on forever. The water in our bottles was way too warm and we were all suffering. But I also knew that if we just kept grinding away, a well-deserved lunch awaited us at the finish of this penultimate day.

Please enjoy these photos from the day. (Hmmm, no neat 3D replay yet … Will repost link when it is available.)

You can click here to find out Why I Ride and to support me. Or copy and paste this link: http://www.wolusa.org/goto/jeffblye
To all of my generous supporters – past, present and future – I thank you so very very much.

…Jeff
Wheels of Love Challenge Rider
2007-2018