School Yard Ride - Pasadena Tri-club

We were emailed the following information:

We hope you are gearing up for the “School Yard Ride” this Saturday November 22nd at 7:30 am. Bring your bike, running shoes, goggles, $10 cash and your wits too…

Plan on a 25 mile ride including some hills. This is very much a ride, and not necessarily an easy one, but you must bring running shoes and goggles because there just might be a surprise or 2 or 3. Plan on having a very “fun” workout. Coffee and snacks will be provided post ride.

We arrived at the schoolyard at 7:30am. There are going to be three teams of eight and I was one of the team leaders, Haroon and Benny were the other two.

As team leaders we were given 60 seconds to shoot as many baskets as possible. The one with the most baskets got to choose first. “I don't shoot hoops!”, oh, but I am a team captain. Out of the 3, not me, shot one basket, so he got to picked first. We are not basketball players!

The rules were that we had to do the race as a team. All eight team members had to be there to get the clue as to where we were supposed to go next. Didn't I mention, there were also clues and activities we had to do in addition to the racing.

So with the teams all picked we had to take a test to determine which group would head out first. It was a multiple choice quiz of about 10 to 15 questions. I am glad I picked the right team members so they could answer all the questions! My team won that round and got a 2 minute head start!

The clue was a picture of a smoothie place, off we went! We were to buy 1 smoothie, drink it down and hand the cup back to the girl to get our next clue.

We were off again! To the top of Lake Ave. We found bubble gum and chalk. We had to chew up some stringy bubble gum, blow a bubble and then write our name in chalk on the pavement. Our next clue!

The front of the Rose Bowl. We get to the Rose Bowl and we are told we have to change a tire. Doesn't sound like much but you have to deflate the tire first and then change it.

Our next clue is the library in South Pasadena. Luckily someone recognized the picture. We had to ride around the block then eat a lemon Meringue Pie. Go to the coffee shop and each drink a shot of espresso.

Next clue is to take the blue line to take the Sierra Madre exit. We pile onto the train with our bikes. At the exit we had to take our bikes to the top on the parking structure. One bike has to get down without being walked or ridden. Waiting for us at the top: a kiddie bike, a scooter, and skate board. So one volunteer carries his bike down with all of us guarding the bike so it doesn't fall.

Nest stop is to Ralph's to buy 12 bagels and cream cheese. We didn't have to eat them. But how to carry them. One bright idea was to make it like a back pack and put his arms through the holes. We are running neck and neck with team Benny.

Next clue, a place called Hyper Coffee. There we found our running shoes lined up waiting for us. So we hopped off the bike, threw our sneakers on and ran a mile.

Still running neck and neck we are wanting to win. We had to come through the finish line holding hands.

Team Lynda came through the ribbon first!