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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