The Ride is Over!

What a great ride with a great team. It was truly a great experience. We rode for 590 miles, climbed 24,000 feet and burned around 30,000 calories on the ride. We were in the saddle between 35 and 45 hours during the week. We saw spectacular scenery all the way from Vancouver to Portland. There was a great bonding experience with the entire team. The support from the volunteers was awesome. It was always great to see the roving support vans with the Chasing Daylight Tour sign on the side of the van. Hannah, Melissa and Rich were a great team. Here is what I will remember about each of the team members

• Moiz Shirazi breaking his rear derailleur in half on his way up a steep hill. His legs are too strong.
• Chris Young losing a bet with Michael Clubine and having to be referred to as Big Bird for the rest of the ride.
• Michael Clubine jumping in as our team navigator and setting up everyone's GPS units each morning and all his great pictures he took during the ride
• Arn Clubine moving down the road as a great inspiration to all the young riders on the team. Also I am sure the father/son ride with Michael was a huge bonding experience.
• Carola Paganini and Mark Yawman's perseverance on the ride. They spend the most time in the saddle. I am sure it took a lot of mental focus for them to get to the finish line. They are an inspiration to the entire team.
• Alicia Katsur and her huge improvement is cycling fitness from last year to this year.
• Jody Mortimore and Gordon Newman for always pushing the team at a fast pace.
• Mark Pennington and his cracked helmet after getting hit by an RV. The ride was a great way to end his secondment in the US
• Robert Shutt and his touch and feel navigation skills
• Tom Roy and his shiny new bike he had to buy in Billingham
• Gabe Youtsey always in the main pack. He has also made great strides in his physical fitness from last year to this year.
• Sean Harper and his great fund raising results.
• Conner Donnelly, Tim Whittler and Karissa Goodwin always riding together and riding strong.
• Jeff Waybright and his great commitment to planning and supporting the ride.
• Dan DeYoung and Lynette Richmond and their huge fund raising machine and their crazy ride to Bainbridge on Day 4 to ride with the Seattle office.
• Randi Rosen's powerful climbing ability
• Hannah Kook's relentless organizational ability and motherly instincts for the entire team
• Mellisa Muller's great smiling face always right behind the team ready in support van number 2
• Rich Fifield sitting in the back of the Hertz Penske van at the top of the hills with cold water for the team and the avocado slicer he had to buy.
• Fred Isaak and his great videographer skills after the crash and keeping with the team through the entire ride.

Talk to the riders you see in the office and I am sure they will tell you it was a once in a lifetime experience for everyone. In the coming months we will start planning for CDT IV. It takes almost a year to plan for the event. Given our success this year I am sure we will set our goals much higher next year. The tour will take on a different feel as we grow the number of riders but will still have the common goals of riding for a cause, living KPMG's core values, experiencing life at its fullest always chasing daylight.

Sept 20-Grande Ronde to Portland-70.6 miles, 2630 ft of climbing

Here we are on the last ride of the tour. Everyone is excited about getting to Portland. We gathered at 7 AM for team pictures. Michelle Lanouette from the Portland office joined us for the last day. The ride started out towards McMinnville and was mostly flat. We had a quick stop to refill water bottles and have a quick snack. It was cold but there was no wind and luckily no rain. After that we headed out through the wine country of Willamette Valley. The roads were smooth and rolling. At about 40 miles a long climb started. It was the last climb of the ride. Rich was waiting for us at the top of the hill with cold water. We rode down the other side on a very long downhill (around 4 miles) into a small town where we stopped at a great coffee shop for coffee and scones. We lingered much longer than on previous days.

After that we left on the last 20 miles. The maps were difficult to follow in some places with lots of name changes. The traffic got a lot heavier with lots of stop lights for the last 10 miles. That made for a slow ride into town. Finally, we crested a small hill and rolled down the road into Portland. We all regrouped at the River Front park for a celebratory high five. We road a few blocks to the Bridgeport Brewery for lunch. There wasnt much drama except for a few flat tires.

Sept 19-Tillamook to Grande Ronde-78 miles, 4020 ft of climbing

We left Tillamook at 8:30 and it was cold, around 42 degrees. We took a 13 mile detour along the Three Capes Scenic Route. It was spectacular scenery. The water was glass smooth and there were a lot of fishermen in boats fishing for salmon. We cruised through Oceanside and Netarts then arrived at the bottom of a long 1,000 ft climb, the biggest of the ride. It was long but through nice forests. We connected with another biker who had been on the road for 4 months after starting in Vancouver, biking to the tip of Alaska and back. He was headed to California before returning to Vancouver. You meet a lot of interesting people touring on a bike. The support van was at the top of the hill and we took in some much needed water. After that it was a fast ride down the hill to Neskowin.for lunch where the support team had hot clam chowder for lunch it was very good and warmed us up. It was hard to leave the lunch break but with our muscles getting cold, the longer we waited, the harder it would be to get going.



The ride con tined on old highway 101 that winds up and down through a really big forest. Bike touring often takes you off the main roads through old towns that were once large before the new highways were built. We saw one car in the 10 miles it took us to Otis. After that we headed out highway 18 for 18 miles to Grande Ronde. It was mostly flat, although the road climbed at a very slight grade up to 700 ft so it made us work a little. The only hotel we could find was at an Indian Casino. We checked in, got cleaned up and met for a surprisingly good dinner at the casino restaurant.



A few of the team members tried their luck on the blackjack tables but most of us crashed in our rooms with one more day to go. It was a very good day for the team with no problems. After 7 days the team is very organized. They are excited about finishing the ride but also a bit sad that it's almost over.

Its going to be cold this morning

Well, there is a beautiful sunrise this morning becasue the coast is clear with no low clouds or fog but that also means its going to be cold. The temperature is around 42 degrees right now so its not going to be fun. Lets hope it gets warmer as the day goes on.

Sept 18-Astoria to Tillamook-70 miles, 3000 ft of climbing

Our ride today was down the coast of Oregon from Astoria to Tillamook, home of Tillamook Chedder Cheese. The route took us through Seaside, where the support team met us with hot coffee and hot chocolate. It was a great treat as it was pretty cold in the morning even with leg and arm warmers on. When you are moving at 15 to 25 miles per hour the cold chills you to the bone. There is a positive with the cold. You don't sweat as much so it helps in keeping you hydrated. When you sweat your blood volume decreases which makes your heart rate rise for the same level of effort. This results in a harder or slower ride.

After that we continued through Cannon Beach where we started a nice long climb that include a ride through a big tunnel. Oregon is the number one rated state for biking and it shows since the tunnel entrance had an alert button to hit before you rode into it. There was a large sign above the tunnel with flashing lights to indicate bikers in the tunnel and to slow down. It worked as all cars slowed down. The ride continued a great climb through spectacular forests. At the bottom of the other side of the hill we had a lunch break at a really nice streamside picnic area in Cape Falcon State park. The stream was lined with tall trees, moss and lots of ferns. It was very peaceful. It made me think of one of the lessons in Gene O'Kelly's Chasing Daylight book-looking for that perfect moment each day. It was hard to leave but it was getting cold and we had to get moving. We continued down Highway 101 through Mazanita and Nehalam where the route flattened out considerable. From their it was flat all the way home which made for a fast ride to the hotel. We traveled along route 101 through sleepy beach towns and past the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The ride was very smooth today without issues. About the only excitement today was a last minute detour we had to take because of a large accident with a logging truck that shut down the main road into Tillamook. We were relieved to learn that the detour only added about 2 miles to the route. These are small towns we are traveling through and it could have just as easily been a 30 mile detour. Riders arrived at the hotel between 3 and 5 pm. Many of us took a soak in the hot tub ( a daily ritual) then gathered for the team meeting at 7. Dinner will be a challenge tonight as Tillamook is a small town and there aren't alot of restaurants. The entire group was very strong today.


As I was riding a long straight stretch of the road today I though about a few key points for today. There are a number of riders that have never gone on an 8 day 600+ mile bike ride. For them it was a significant physical and mental challenge. They have made it through the toughest part of the tour, days 4, 5 and 6. They are the hardest because you are no longer fresh, but you still have a long way to go. After today we have a nice ride tomorrow then a great ride through the wine country of Willamette Valley to bring us to Portland. The drive to finish strong will carry the riders. These riders have learned alot about themselves during the ride. The huge increase in physical fitness is a great side benefit.

The second point I thought about what a great group of riders and support members we have. Its really neat to see the team come together not only for the ride but also the fundraising. Its great to be part of this team.

The last point is what great people you meet on the road. When you have 24 KPMG Chasing Daylight Tour jerseys on the road you get noticed and people want to know about it. They are so interested in learning about the tour and many have even donated. That tells me we are reaching critical mass on the tour. We are making a difference.

Tomorrow our ride turns away from the coast and head east towards Portland. It should be another great ride through huge tree lined valleys and farmland. Its a less populated area of Oregon with few towns along the way so we have stocked up with a little more water, Gatorade and food. We probably will have an extra water stop along the way. So far the weather has been great and so long as it doesn't rain we will be happy.

Tillamook Cheese Factory. -AK

Tillamook Cheese Factory. -AK

Hot chocolate break! -AK

Hot chocolate break! -AK

Sept 17th-Chehalis to Astoria-98 Miles, 4200 ft of climbing

Today was the hump day for the tour. We are more than halfway done in terms of miles and days. It started off an hour earlier than normal because of the long day so we all met for a team meeting at 7 am. The hotel had a nice breakfast area so we ate breakfast and discussed the logistics for the day. The ride took us through Toledo, Castle Rock, Coal Creek and West along the Columbia River to Cathlamet where we had to catch a short ferry across the Columbia River. After that we were in Oregon and had 26 miles to the coastal town of Astoria.

The day was a lot cooler than the previous 4 days with quite a bit of fog. It was colder today and most of us had leg and arm warmers and/or wind shells to keep us warm. While the cold can make it uncomfortable, it has the benefit of keeping you cool so you tend to go faster. In the early morning the fog was so thick we had a lot of water dripping off our noses. But it was a very nice ride through farmland and small towns in Southern Washington. The last 50 miles of the ride were due West towards the coast which means you are riding into the wind. This makes for a slow grind as the wind has a huge impact on your speed. Some of the team members said they had to pedal downhill and wern’t going that fast. That makes for a tough mental challenge.

There was a little bit of excitement today. Tom Roy got his foot caught in his rear wheel (don't ask how) and while he was OK his back wheel was out of true. So our great support staff picked him up and got his wheel to a bike shop where it was trued and he was back in action. A group of riders including Tim Whittler, Conner Donnelly, Karisa Goodman, Sean Harper and Kevin Coleman got chased by a growling and very fast dog. They put it it high gear and barely outran the dog. Sean Harper was a quick thinker and took out his water bottle and squirted the dog who then scampered away.

However the entire team did great today and it’s easy to see that everyone is getting stronger. We broke up into three separate groups of about 7 people each. The first group made it to the hotel around 2:50 PM while the second group trickled in between 3 and 3:10 pm. The final group came in mostly between 5 and 6 pm. That was quite an accomplishment for that group since they had been riding since 7:30 AM or more than 10 hours. The team was in great spirits for the nightly debrief and is getting excited for the spectacular ride down the Oregon Coast. It’s only 70 miles and the wind typically comes from the North so it should help in the effort but there are several long climbs and the weather might be a factor.

The First group makes it to Oregon!

Dan DeYoung, Lynette Richmann, Jeff Waybright, Kevin Coleman and

Conner Donnelly under the Oregon sign. Thats not much of a sign.

"Welcome Bikers" 2nd Time's the Charm

"Welcome Bikers" Here's the Proof!

 

 

Sept 16-Shelton to Chehalis-70 miles-1340 feet of climing

Today was a great day and a horrible day. We started out with great weather again. 4 days in a row with no jacket, leg or arm warmers for most people. It actually got quite warm at the end of the day. The team was looking forward to a relatively short day with on a very flat route. After the long day yesterday it provided a much needed boost to the team. The day started out great with all of us agreeing to regroup about 5 miles up the road for a group video shot of everyone riding together. We all regrouped and starting up a paceline. That was a huge mistake. With 23 riders, and some of them not too experienced riding in a paceline we had a lot of challenges getting going. It was like stop and go traffic. The stopping and going got worse the farther back in the paceline until disaster struck. We heard a crash and heard a bunch of the riders yelling man down. We stopped riding and when I turned around, Fred was on the pavement with a banged up face, shoulder and knee. He was dazed and it took him a while to sit up and get him in the van. Off to the hospital to get checked out. Unfortunately he broke a few bones in his shoulder when he slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing into the rider in front of him and flipped over his handlebars. It put a definite dent in the teams spirits for the rest of the day.

Now for the rest of the ride. It was fast and all the riders made great time. We had large groups of riders that were able to stick together for long periods of time so it made for a fun ride. We stopped in the town of Elma to go to the bathroom. One of the riders spotted a local saloon across the street that had a large Miller Lite sign that said "Bikers Welcome. It was 11 AM and the open sign came on so we crossed the street for a quick beer and ended up ordering some food as well. It was a good break from the ride but it was difficult to get back on the ride. Everyone complained of tired legs so it took a while to get going again. We got into a face paced paceline and cruised for 20+ miles without stopping until we came across the support van parked in a parking lot to the Broken Wheel Saloon, an old time country saloon with a huge amount of character. The locals in the bar didn't know what to make of our group and probably have never seen so much lycra and spandex. We had half a beer and got back on the road for a fast 20 miles to the hotel. At one point in the ride the paceline was about 8 riders and we were moving at about 25 miles per hour. The road was very smooth and all you could hear was the hum of the wheels on the smooth pavement and the rhythmic cranking of the chain. During those kinds of rides, you get amazing focus on the task at hand (keeping up the pace), ignore the aches and pains you are experiencing, and keep going. Professional athletes train year round to get into that state of mind and because we all have full time day jobs we can only experience this clarity of focus for brief moments of time.

Everyone arrived back at the hotel within an hour of each other and we road down the road to a nice park were we had a late lunch of southern style barbecue from a roadside shack called 2 old crows and a Hen. It was great. Everyone was stuffed for the quick ride back to the hotel where the team got checked in, took showers and got cleaned up for the 7 pm team meeting where we discussed the events of the day and initial planning for tomorrow.

There is alot of behind the scenes work that has to be done to get the 23 riders on the road in the morning. Its quit busy for the support team. The set up rest stops every 20 or 25 miles, do grocery shopping in between the rest stops and ride the route looking for riders that might need help. Its a lot of work the the team is very appreciative of the support team of Hannah Kook (Jeff Waybright's girlfriend), Mellisa Mueller, Senior Associate from Sacramento and Rich Fifield, a brand new associate in the Silicon Valley office. The work extremely hard during the day to keep us going

Tomorrow is going to be a long day (over 100 miles) with a bit more climbing that the past few days so its going to be a physical and mental challenge for many of the riders given they have already rode 260 miles. It will take a lot of mental focus for the team to complete the day before sunset. We will definitely be chasing daylight tomorrow. The reward is a nice hotel close to the Oregon coast in the town of Astoria.

The sign said: "Welcome Bikers"

Alicia Bought Another Bike!

DSC01744

A little free advertising never hurt anyone!

Sept 15 Port Townsend to Shelton-90 miles, 3120 ft of climing

The team is definitely into its groove. We get up and get breakfast between 6:30 and 8:00 am, get the van loaded with luggage from 8:00 to 8:30, have a quick briefing and get everyone on the road at 8:30. I have definitely noticed everyone is on time and organized. The van drivers are also in a groove. Rich drives the van about 25 miles up and parks at a good location to set up the rest stop (he opens the back of the van :) ) and waits for riders to arrive. When the last one arrives, he moves to the next stop which is usually lunch. Hanna and Mellisa have done a great job for lunches. They find nice parks where we meet up and refuel. Everyone helps pack up and we are on the road again. This goes one three or four times during the day until we get home. Then everyone checks into the hotel, puts their cycling gear in the laundry bag and gets cleaned up. We have a mandatory team meeting at 7 PM to discuss the events of the day, plans for dinner and info for tomorrow. We are definitely in the groove.



That's good because the monotony of the ride will set in over the next 4 days. While everyone loves to cycle, during an 8 day ride eventually you get tired of doing the same thing every day (read above) and just want to get to the end. You are getting physically worn down and it takes alot of mental focus to keep going. For the riders that have not done a multi day tour as long as this it will test their abilities greatly. It is this test however when you learn most about yourself, your ability to achieve more than you though you were capable of and you develop most.



Today was our longest day yet but is was a great ride. The new riders got a sense of challenges that lie ahead. We still have about 450 miles to go and there are two challenging days ahead with lots of climbing. The ride was mostly flat with some short hills to get up. The weather was awesome, around 75 all day with little wind or the wind at our back. The ride was mostly through farmland and small communities or around really neat forests and lakes. Probably one of the best riding days I have ever been on!. There wasn't much drama today other than the long day that took its toll on many of the riders. Moiz got his bike fixes in Port Townsend and was back on the road before lunch. The riders arrived at the hotel between 4:30 and 6:30 PM and it was neat to see that almost all of them made it on their own power.



The ride had a number of flat roads that were newly paved with the wind at your back so it made for a fast ride. During the tour riders naturally group up with riders of similar ability. I was in a group of three other riders, Randi Rosen, Jeff Waybright and Fred Isaak and we got it a nice pace. When riding in a group, the riders can go faster that each individual rider so long as they team well. The riders get into whats called a paceline. You have to ride very close to the rider in front of you (6 to 12 inches). The rider at the front of the paceline breaks the wind and does most of the work for the benefit of the riders behind him. After a short period of time, the front rider peels off and coasts to the rear of the line and a new leader drives the team. Its amazing the increase in efficiency the team has when working together. A majority of a bikers energy goes to overcome wind resistance. My heart rate proves the point. When I am at the front of the line my heart rate is around 150 to 160 beats per minute. I can sustain that for a long time but not 7 hours. When I am behind the leader my heart rate drops to around 125 to 135 which is about a 20 percent decline. That means that the lead rider is working 20 percent harder then the followers.

It takes a lot of communication and teamwork however. Since you are riding right behind the leader, you cant see the road in front of you. You are depending on the lead rider to keep everyone safe, call out road obstacles, keep the line steady etc. The followers have to keep a consistent even pace so the riders behind don't kiss tires and crash. Our paceline worked great today.

Pacelines are a great lesson in teamwork that carries over into our worklives. Everyone has a role on a team, roles can and do change often, it requires alot of communication, and you have to be willing to put alot of effort into the team to make is succeed.

Sept 14-Bellingham WA to Port Townsend WA- 68.5 miles, 3120 ft of climbing

Today was a bit longer than the previous day with a little more climbing. For the riders from the Midwest, the little rollers looked like mountains and made the day a little challenging. But the scenery was great. The weather was perfect with the temperature around 75 degrees and very little wind. The day started off riding in cooling forests of tall pines, with lots of ferns. We were riding the same route as the MS bike ride so there were a lot of riders on the same course and it made for an interesting day. When there are a lot of riders on the road it makes it a little bit easier to pass the miles because there is always a rider in front of you that you are trying to catch. This provides the much needed motivation to keep you moving forward at a reasonable pace. We passed so many rest stops for the MS ride that the organizers for the MS ride started to notice up and began referring to us as the "other" ride. A few of the riders rode with workers from a tri shop in Bellingham that were riding in the MS ride. They were so interesting in our CDT that they donated money to support it. You meet lots of interesting people on long bike rides.

We road through Bow and Bayview before arriving at Deception Pass State Park where we had to ride across a really long and narrow bridge that spanned a lot of water. The views were spectacular. We had lunch at the State park. There was about 25 miles left after lunch to Ft. Casey Historical Park where we picked up the ferry to Port Townsend. The ferry only runs every 90 minutes so we had to time our ride to not end up waiting forever at the ferry terminal. With 23 CDT jerseys on the Ferry, you get noticed. A number of passengers asked about the ride and we even got a few more donations!

The ride across Admiralty Inlet was great and a perfect ending to a reasonably long ride. The water was calm and the sun was shining. At the end of the ride we had less than half a mile to get to the hotel. Everyone checking it and we hit the hot tub for a much deserved soak. Dinner was great at the Belmond Saloon on Water Street. Everyone was tired and ready for bed after dinner.

There was a little bit of excitement during the ride when Mark Pennington got clocked in the head by a passing RV. A bar on the side of the RV hit his helmet and put a big dent in the side of it. Luckily he didn’t fall over but we will have to find a bike shop tomorrow to replace the helmet as once they are "dented" they don’t offer much protection. Also, Moiz Shirazi was hammering up a hill and his rear derailleur gave out and ended up severely bent so he had to be SAGed into town. Hopefully we will find a bike store open tomorrow that can make some quick repairs and get him back on the road.

The team is doing great and really enthusiastic about the ride and already there is lots of talk about next years ride. 2 days down and 6 more to go.

Sept 13 Vancouver to Bellingham WA-41 Miles, 1300 ft climbing

We started the tour with an easy ride of only 40 miles and mostly flat riding. The ride from Vancouver to the border was great with lots of farmland and rolling hills. Our plan was to meet up at the border. The plan didn’t work so well because half the group missed a turn off and ended up at a different border crossing. We were waiting for everyone at the border when a Border agent became very agitated and told up to leave the border area. Fred tried in vain to tell the guy we were just waiting for the rest of our team but he would have none of it. We had to high tail it out of the border area. We then spend the next half an hour on a street corner in Blaine WA calling people on our cell phones trying to figure out where everyone was. Eventually we got everyone back together and continued on our way to Bellingham.

The ride was uneventful and we arrived at the hotel around noon only to find out that the rooms would not be available until 3 pm. So we hung out at a nice greek restaurant across the street. The owner and his wife were working that day so it was quite an interesting lunch. While it was a short ride, it helped us work out some of the logistics and reinforced the need to pay careful attention to the maps. Otherwise you end up miles from your destination!

It was really neat to see all the KPMG riders flying down the highway. It created a great sense of pride to be working for KPMG. The back of the jerseys says it all-Committed to our Communities-and when there are 23 bike riders that kind of commitment gets noticed.

Sept 12-Getting Organized

About half of the team flew directly into Vancouver and took taxis to the hotel in Surrey about 20 miles to the east of the hotel. The other half flew into Seattle and road to Vancouver in the support vans. The Tour started off with Tom Roy not being able to locate his bike after being shipped to Vancouver via UPS. It was stuck in a UPS warehouse. Tom did what any smart guy would do and went to the only two bike shops in Bellingham WA and looked for a bike. He settled on a very nice (and expensive) Trek Madone. Finally after getting the bike fitted the second half of the team was on their way to Vancouver.

Everyone arrived at the hotel and we set up shop in one of the ball rooms to assemble the bikes that were boxed for shipment. It was quite a task getting everyone’s bike back together and in working condition. It was especially difficult for Jeff Waybright whose bike was almost completely torn down including all of the cables. After a lot of work we finally got it together and properly shifting. As we were leaving the ball room a few more riders showed up so a number of us stayed to help them get their bikes together before crashing in the hotel room. The start of a long ride is always filled with anticipation and a bit of anxiety. Will your bike work fine and will your legs keep you going. It takes a few days to get into the groove of the ride.

All 23 riders and 3 support staff are really excited about the ride and a great representation of the KPMG values of serving your communities. While they are spending a week riding through a really nice part of the US, they have also worked very hard to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, which is the real reason for the Ride.

Our Support Team

We have a great support staff! They are doing an outstanding job keeping everyone on the road and organized. We get a lot of comments from people we meet on the road asking about the tour so I know we are getting recognized. We have even picked up some donations. Everyone at KPMG should be proud of the entire team. Our support team is comprised of Rich Fifield, a brand new associate in IT advisory in Silicon Valley, Mellisa Muller an IT advisory associate in Sacramento and Hannah Kook, Jeff Waybright's girlfriend. They are awesome!

Lunch in Deception State Park -AK

Lunch in Deception State Park -AK

More Chasing Daylight Photos

For more chasing daylight photos, check http://gallery.me.com/mpennington2#100181
and http://gallery.me.com/mpennington2#100188 .

Moiz warms up!

Lounging in Bellingham -AK

Lounging in Bellingham -AK

Back in the USA

Back in the USA

Moiz' Story

Dear friends,

I want to start by thanking all of you for supporting me and this great cause. While the challenge of riding 700 miles will test both my physical and mental endurance, it is nothing in comparison to the millions of people who suffer from cancer or have loved ones impacted by it. Fear is just a reaction to the unknown and the cause of cancer still remains a mystery.

I am also riding to inspire myself to go through a journey and to gain life experiences and new friends that will last a lifetime. While cancer tries to destroy life, we ride to preserve it. I hope this inspires all of you to do your part to make a difference and to challenge yourself to live life without regrets. A lifetime can very long, but cancer has shown time and time again that there isn't much time.

Please visit this site often to see out team's progress and the ups and downs that will surely come along with the journey. Thanks again for all the support.

Vancouver - Bike Friendly City!

Vancouver - Bike Friendly City! -AK

Connor Donnelly – Audit Associate

Approaching my one year anniversary with the firm, I am excited for the opportunity to participate in the Chasing Daylight Tour. My love for cycling began when I was young and has grown and matured drastically over the years. When I was younger it was hard for me to see biking as anything much more than a means of transportation. As I pedaled to and from elementary school, I would wonder what kind of enjoyment my father could possible obtain from sweating and panting through the California heat, when he didn’t have to and could have easily driven anywhere he wanted!

As I grew older, I came to enjoy biking as a recreational hobby. It began with BMX bikes, then mountain biking (a hobby that continues to this day) but road bikes held an allure I could not grasp. I think it had something to do with the tights. As you can probably guess, I got over the tights (now I call them “chamois”) and I now consider cycling one of my favorite hobbies. My father lost his battle with melanoma in 2000 and yet his memory lives on and I cannot think of a better way to honor his memory than participating in this tour.

I should also say that I have never rode competitively or done a ride of this magnitude, but I am extremely excited for the challenge to do something good for those effected by cancer. I am also eager to ride through the beautiful northwest; a place I called “home” for four years as I attended college in Tacoma, WA.

Thanks for your support!

The Route

Vancouver skyline at night

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Alicia's New Bike

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Alicia testing out her new bike after it arrived in Vancouver!

Jeff Waybright-Three Year Veteran

Jeff Waybright is a third year veteran of the Tour having participated in the first tour to Los Angeles.  Read his bio as it’s a great inspiration to those looking to achieve fitness.  Jeff was roped into the first tour by Fred and by the end of it was hooked on cycling. 

This year will be my third Chasing Daylight Tour.   That first year in the spring of 2006 I was innocently minding my own business when Fred Isaak started talking about a bike tour he wanted to put together.  A month later I had a bike and was busy falling over at stop signs as I got used to clipless pedals.  That first tour was an amazing experience.  Each long day I was breaking my personal record for my longest bike ride and the last day at 103 miles was my first century.   It was on that tour that I fell in love with long distance cycling.   There is something wonderful about being on a long tour where your only job is to get up, eat and ride.  The simplicity and clarity of the task and the camaraderie of a shared goal is wonderful counterpoint to the lives we live most of the year – and, of course, the feeling of being in a good paceline at 20 mph is sublime.    The second year was as wonderful, just with more climbing.  Why do they call it the Eastern seaboard if it’s not flat?

Even more than the cycling, the people I have met on the rides has made the tours so special.  We work every day with amazing people at KPMG.  It’s been a privilege to meet some of them I likely never would have if not for CDT.   Matt “Lance legs” Gorman, is someone even faster than Gordon.  Sadly Matt can’t make the ride this year.   Even so he has spent hours and hours organizing all of the hotels for us.  Alicia Katsur with her talent with the camera and owner of the bike I want.   Michael Clubine and his discovery of road side pizza.  I, with my high-tech gels, scoffed at first but by day three I was happily eating road side pizza too.  I can’t wait to meet everybody on this year’s ride.  Folks I’ve emailed and heard on the phone for this year’s tour I will finally be able to meet.

However, despite my love of cycling it is the goal of raising funds for ACS that gives this ride purpose and meaning and makes it such a powerful experience.  Shortly before that first ride, one of my parents was diagnosed with mid-stage cancer.  I vividly recall the sense of fear of losing someone I love so much and the feeling of helplessness that I couldn’t do anything to make it better.  Well, this ride is something I can do.  It’s going to be a great tour.  I can’t wait to get started!

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Gabe Youtsey

Gabe has been involved since the beginning of the ride and has been a
great inspiration to the newbies on the ride having suffered through the
first year. You have to give him huge props for riding to LA that first
year with the amount of training he did. As he mentions, he has been
busy this year putting in more than enough training miles to have a
great ride this year. If you are looking to get on a bike for the first
time in a long time or are thinking I would love to ride in next years
tour but cant fathom being sufficiently prepared for the ride, it would
be great to talk to Gabe. I am sure he can convince you to ride.

Gabe Youtsey-Manager, Sacramento Advisory

My cycling career began sometime in 2006 when Fred Isaak invited me to
participate in a ride he was thinking of organizing down the California
coast. I grew up riding a mountain bike in the hills of southern Oregon,
but had never ridden a road bike. I now live near Davis, California
which many consider to be the bike capitol of the US and have a number
of "roadie" friends. I quickly got outfitted with all the gear,
spending way more money than was probably necessary and did a bit of
training with my friends in preparation for Chasing Daylight 2006. Talk
about a rude awakening, what was I thinking! The ride was very
physically and mentally challenging, and I was unprepared. The first
several days were very difficult, but I completed the ride in the end.
Looking back I can truly say it was one of the highlights of my life so
far. Fast forward to 2008, I decided to get serious about training for
this ride. I live in a relatively flat area, so I've been riding 40-50
mile training rides (usually in the dark) 4-5 days per week over the
last several months with longer weekend rides. This year Chasing
Daylight has new meaning for me. I'm passionate about this cause as a
close friend of my family may die of cancer this month, losing the fight
after a year of intense treatments that ultimately didn't work. It is
for her and finding a cure for this terrible disease that I ride.

Thomas Roy-Rookie tour rider

Thomas Roy, Senior Associate IT Advisory Philadelphia

I am really looking forward to joining the Chasing Daylight Tour this year. This will be my fist year on the tour and most ambitious cycling event I have participated in. I have been riding a road bike for 3 years now and spent many a year on mountain bikes. I am participating to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society as cancer has affected friends and family members and this tour is a great way to pay tribute to their memory or successful fights against cancer. I have been training in and around Historic Valley Forge Park whenever I can and often find my self reflecting on the title of the tour as I chase the daylight hours getting rides in after work.

Alicia Katsur-Returning Veteran

Alicia Katsur is an associate from the Trade and Customs Practice in Long Island on her second tour. Long Island is a long way from Vancouver and shows a great commitment. I have heard Alicia has bought a fancy new road bike this year so she is going to be hard to match pace with. Here's what Alicia had to say about the tour.

I look forward to participating in my second Chasing Daylight Tour. Prior to last years ride, I had regularly mountain biked for close to 15 years and had about a total of 150 miles on a road bike. The thought of the ride was so exciting that I decided to give it a go with only two weeks prior notice. Mountain biking is not proper training for a road ride of this length so I made it through last years ride on mental power. I have spent most of my weekends this summer road riding in the Catskill Mountains and am ready for the ride this year. (My mountain bike is presently collecting dust with only around 7 rides on this year). I’ve completed 3 century rides this summer and organized a two day adventure with some friends that covered 165 miles from NYC to our favorite ski resort, Hunter Mountain located in upstate NY.

I never met Gene O’Kelly but wish I did, his “Chasing Daylight” book is quite an amazing story, I am happy to be contributing to a worthwhile cause such as the ACS in his honor.

Lynnette Richmann, Advisory Partner, Seattle

I have always thought that the best vacations are active vacations, so riding nearly 650 miles in eight days on my "vacation" should not be too surprising to people who know me. Maybe I get it the sense of wanderlust and need for excitement from growing up in Iowa, or maybe I have just learned that the best way to forget about work while on vacation is to travel where there are no phones and computers and then take on something so physical or mentally challenging you can't do much else but concentrate on the task in front of you. I am really excited about the Tour this year! I remember that first ride four years ago (even before "Chasing Daylight Tour" was born) when Fred and Kevin road from San Francisco to San Diego, and I recall hearing stories from Fred each year after that about how the Tour was evolving. I have always thought it was a great idea and I have always wanted to be a part of it. This year, with a field of 24 riders, the CDT Team looks to be exceptional! I am looking forward to meeting my fellow riders in only 4 days!

Even though I have not done much cycling in the past few years, at one point in my life I was a very avid cyclist, covering long distances ever since I was in college. After I had a bike accident that destroyed my road bike 8 years ago, and I didn't replace it and opting to ride her mountain bike because it was a great workout. Over the years, the demands of work and other interests took over, and cycling stopped altogether. Last year, I decided to purchase a new road bike, thinking it might inspire me to focus on getting back in shape. The bike sat in my garage for nearly a year. Then, after being pushed by several marathon-running clients at the State of Oregon, I purchased a pair of running shoes in February of this year and said "this time, I'm serious." (And besides, I had to save face with my clients by this point.) By April, not only was I on a consistent running schedule, I had set my sights on a longer term goal -- Ironman in 2009. Finally, it was time to start riding that bike I bought a year earlier. My strategy was to tell everyone I knew about my Ironman goal and to enter any event during the summer that I could fit into my schedule, as a way to continue to inspire me to train. Since May, I have ridden 3 centuries and the Seattle to Portland ride (200 miles in one day), finished 3 triathlons (a sprint, olympic and Half Ironman), finished a half marathon and ran with a group of 12 awesome women in the Hood to Coast relay in Oregon (17,000 participants, 197 miles, 26 hours, dubbed the "Mother of all Relays"). In addition to these "events" I have also logged hundreds of additional training miles on my bike, more miles than I care to think about running (I hate running the worst!) and hours in the pool and lake. Believe it our not, I keep saying "after Chasing Daylight, I will get serious about my training." It is just too hard to achieve the balance needed, when you are constantly focusing your training for the next event. Nevertheless, Chasing Daylight promises to be a highlight and perfect end to my summer!

When the email came out on June 2, soliciting additional riders for CDT 2008, I shortly received another email asking if I was planning to ride. Feeling that I was on a roll, without hesitation I replied, "Yes!" In addition to money, I have also been collecting stories and names from my friends, clients and colleagues of people in their lives who have battled cancer. I also have a number of people who have touched my life, through their courage, strength, gratitude and hope as they themselves have fought the fight, and have sometimes lost. Gene wrote in his book that getting to learn that you are dying is a curse, but also a blessing. It is not a blessing we wish on anyone, of coarse, and that is one of the reasons we are riding. In addition to raising awareness and donations for the American Cancer Society, I hope that it inspires everyone who rides or donates to the Tour to live the messages that Gene shared through his book, Chasing Daylight: find perfect moments which will lead to perfect days, foster relationships and "Move it up" (meaning don't wait, do it now).

Thanks to each of my fellow CDT Teammates and our awesome volunteers who will support us along our 650-mile journey. But most of all, thanks to the over 550 people who have heard our story and have provided their support to our fundraising effort so far!!

A great introduction to Randi Rosen

Randi Rosen, Partner San Diego

I am excited to participate in this years Chasing Daylight Tour as it gives me a chance to bike through a part of the country that has always been on my list to see. It also gives me an opportunity to meet a new group of KPMG colleagues and raise funds for a very worthy cause. I have had the privilege to complete the "Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge" ride the past two years. I was one of 100 cyclists, who pledged to raise over $10,000 each year, to raise funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. We rode 650 miles (San Francisco to San Diego) over 7 days and raised $2.5 million in 2006-2007. This past year three close friends and family members faced (and won!) battles with cancer. So, when this ride and cause came to my attention, I felt this was my year to participate in this event. I am riding in memory of Gene O'Kelly as well as to honor friends and family members who bravely won their battles with cancer this past year. I continue to train with the QMDC group in San Diego, which consists of long weekend rides and a few spin classes during the week. I have been doing distance cycling since 1998. I am not speedy at all, but I am tenacious.

Introducing Sean Harper-Master Fund Raiser

I was born in Cape Town where I spent many an afternoon on my bike growing up. In the mid 80's I made my way to the U.S.A. to take advantage of an opportunity to study Accountancy at BYU. The friends I made quickly introduced me to Skiing at Alta, and shortly thereafter, biking in Moab. Of the offers I received from the Big 8, I proudly accepted the offer from Peat Marwick Mitchell, and started in Audit in the Salt Lake City Office, Fall '88. Milt Thackeray (Partner) and Brent Halladay (Senior Manager) first got me into road riding. We did many a Century together before I took a 2 year rotation in Audit Technology to Montvale, NJ, Spring '92. I immediately took to the New York Metro area, but quickly realized how spoiled I had been in Utah. The congestion caused me to hang up my road bike, and I took to mountain biking locally (Ringwood and Ramapo State Parks).

I chose not to return to Salt Lake and settled in Ramsey, NJ, with my wife Joanne. We have 4 children - Jonathan (14), Christofer (11), Courtney (9), and Matthew (4) – all who love biking. Gratefully, they have all discovered one of the truly great life-sports.

In 1994, I had the privilege of meeting and personally giving Gene O'Kelly (the then Financial Services, West leader) an introduction to KMan and a one-on-one tutorial. I got a first-hand appreciation for his passion and ideals. About the same time, I developed an infatuation with a young American rider who was turning heads at the Tour DuPont – Lance Armstrong. At work, I became friends with Bill Orton, an avid biker, who shared my interest and passion for biking. He got me to dig my road-bike (an old Cannondale R600) out of the garage, and showed me the roads of NY/CT (Harriman, Katona, Cortlandt, Newburgh, Cold Spring, Saratoga, Bedford, Greenwhich…). We've been riding together since.

Bill is in recovery from Colon Cancer surgery this past January. While Lance is one of my heroes, and I'm grateful to Gene for the perspective and lessons shared and documented in 'Chasing Daylight,' Bill remains a steady and constant source of daily inspiration. Know that Bill will be saturating my thoughts as we ride this year's Chasing Daylight Tour.

Tim Whittler - Audit Associate - San Francisco

Before starting with KPMG I went to school at UC Santa Barbara where I competed on the UCSB Triathlon team and found my love for cycling.  Now, as a first year associate with the Firm I am excited to continue to push myself in cycling by participating in such a tremendous event that will challenge me both physically and mentally.  Although Gene O’Kelly passed away before I began working with KPMG, the cause that we are riding for holds a big significance for me as I lost my Aunt to cancer in the Fall of 2002.  I believe that this tour will be a great opportunity to ride for an outstanding cause as well as provide us with a chance to experience a part of the states a lot of us have never seen.  So far my training has mostly consisted of indoor spins during the week with long rides on the weekend with a focus on climbing whenever possible.  While I am familiar with long hours on the bike I’ve never come close to putting down the miles like we will be doing and must admit that I’m a bit anxious so see how the various stages of soreness come and go throughout the trip.  Overall I am extremely excited to participate in this year’s Chasing Daylight Tour and look forward to challenge ahead.

Team Clubine joins the Tour!

We have our first Father Son team for the Chasing Daylight tour, Michael Clubine a Senior Manager in the Advisory practice in Detroit and his father Arn Clubine. I am sure they will have a great time on the ride together. The Clubines are riding on some very nice bikes. They are going to be in the leaders pack!

Michael Clubine, Senior Manager-Advisory, Detroit

The pressure is on to get in shape for this year's Chasing Daylight Tour. This will be my second year riding the tour, and I am excited to have my father join me on the trip. I was able to recall one of my favorite memories of summer rides' past when Dad and I cycled from Buffalo, NY through Niagara Falls, Ontario and through Niagara-on-the- Lake as part of our training regime over Labor Day. Our last week-long cycling trip together took us from Buffalo to Albany, NY along the Erie Canal a few years ago. After a friend's father was diagnosed with
cancer last year, this ride has become all the more important to me. I believe that we're riding for an honorable cause and that we are making a real difference. The friends we make and relationships we develop during the ride are invaluable. I am riding a Look 555 on the
road and a Trek 6500 when training on the trail. I ride 2-3 times a week and supplement the riding with a variety of weight training designed to strengthen specific leg muscles.


Arn Clubine, Michael's Father and an engineer at M/E Engineering

My name is Arn Clubine and I am honored to be riding as a guest of KPMG on this year's Chasing Daylight Tour. My son Michael Clubine is a KPMG employee out of Detroit, and as always, I will be enjoying his company, on the ride, (as long as he is capable of holding my wheel). I am an engineer by vocation, and manage the Mechanical Group of M/E Engineering, in Buffalo N.Y. The longest ride I have taken was a full century, over flat terrain, and about 20 years ago, when I was a much younger man. I have been busy training on my Specialized Roubaix for the last few months, and I cross train by running 5Ks. Regardless, I do not expect the training to be enough and I am sure that the ride will be the most physically challenging thing that I have ever done.

I am surrounded by folks who are cancer survivors, or have family that have lost someone to cancer, and I think what we do for ACS is of utmost importance. I lost a sister to cancer, back when early detection and treatment were not what they are today. We have a wonderful research and treatment facility in Buffalo, called Roswell Park Cancer Institute, which has a worldwide reputation for the level of care that is provided. I have supported Roswell for many years as a rider in their annual fund raiser, "The Ride for Roswell". The Ride for Roswell attracts over 6,000 riders and annually raises in excess of $2,000,000 for cancer research. Those rides are limited to a metric century, so this is a step up. I am really looking forward to meeting the KPMG riders, and exploring what my physical capacities on the
road, really are.

More pictures of theKPMG Team in a tough training ride

Less than two weeks to go!

The CDT starts in less than two weeks and we are half way to our fund raising goal of $50,000.  We raised the $25K in a flurry of activity last week and it will take the same amount of effort the next two weeks to raise the rest.  So make sure you are sending emails, making phone calls, connecting with your office mates and other friends so that we can close the gap.