This is our second trip to Memphis, TN. What a great city! We intentionally planned to make it here at lunch time so we had a valid excuse to eat as many meals here as possible. I see trips to Blues City (http://www.bluescitycafe.com), Gus’s Fried Chicken (http://www.gusfriedchicken.com), and other establishments in our near future. I have been craving a sausage and cheese plate for months! If you have some suggestions, facebook or tweet me soon. We leave for Iowa in the morning.

— Patrick

Sharing the Road During RAGBRAI

We started the Sharing the Road Campaign to help make everyone more aware on the roads. We’ve continually pushed our message of road safety since April. It has been a great spring and summer. We have participated in a lot of really great events. For those who have followed our progress, thank you! I hope our posts have inspired you to at the very least, assess your driving habits. I also hope you have made positive changes in some of those habits. I also hope that you immediately think, “Share the Road” when you see a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcycle, school bus, or any other vehicle on the road.

Today we leave for Iowa to participate in the legendary RAGBRAI. During our bicycle ride across Iowa, I will continue to post updates and experiences from the road.

While the Sharing the Road campaign is coming to an end, please continue Sharing the Road!

Thank you again for following the campaign. I hope it has made a positive impact. We’ll see you next year.

–Patrick

Members of Team STS will participate in 2013 Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Look for exclusive photos, videos, and stories from the iconic ride on the STS blog.
STS is Sharing the Road!

STS Cycling and Support Team - 2013

Share the Road

I get to travel to some really great places for work. Each time I go somewhere new I look for some good local food and, with luck, a local brewery. Charleston, WV did not disappoint on any front. For reference, my criteria for a restaurant is some place I cannot visit at home. Sometimes it is a mom & pop diner; sometimes it is a regional chain. This trip I tried Pies & Pints, and the Charleston Brewery! I’ve decided to make everyone a little jealous with photos.

Thank you Pies and Pints for the best wings I’ve had all year. Thank you also for the classic pie! Thank you for the Bridge Brew Works Longpoint Lager (Fayetteville, WV). These were all delicious!

http://www.piesandpints.net

http://www.bridgebrewworks.com/

Pies and Pints - Wings

Pies and Pints - Pizza

Thank you Charleston Brewing Company. I thoroughly enjoyed my glass of “Miss-Leading,” my glass of “Mr. Malum,” my berry cobbler, and my spare ribs and noodles (all this spanning 2 nights).

http://www.facebook.com/CharlestonBrewingCompany

Charleston Brewing Company - Cobbler

During my trip I was also fortunate to see a very impressive Capitol building. Thank you Charleston, WV. The blisters were completely worth it. I look forward to visiting again!

WV View

Capitol Building Dome

WV Capitol Building and Bell

Inside Capitol Building

Charleston, WV - Blisters

I am not a huge snowboarding fan. I am also not a huge fan of documentaries. Regardless, I found myself with the TV on when the new documentary The Crash Reel came on HBO. I wasn’t really watching it to begin with, but slowly it pulled me in and kept my interest. The documentary chronicles the life of Kevin Pearce. It details his rise within the sport of snowboarding. It shows him and Shaun White, along with others as they train and compete. Kevin was weeks away from competing in the Olympics, his ultimate goal, when he suffered severe head trauma while training. The second half of the documentary focused on his recovery and how he and his family have dealt with his traumatic brain injury.

Kevin was extremely lucky considering the severity of his injuries. The documentary also showcased others with similarly injuries who were not as lucky. It talked about and showed how this can happen in other sports like football, surfing, water/snow skiing, motorcycling, etc.

The documentary acknowledged that these athletes take a chance every time they compete or train. While they take as many safety precautions, accidents still happen. Kevin Pearce will never competitively snowboard again. But he has dedicated his life to talking about his TBI and helping others. This was a very good documentary that hits on a lot of different issues within extreme sports, TBI, healing, and growing.

I would recommend this documentary to anyone.

Stay safe and continue sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles, and all other vehicles.

Thanks for reading!

Patrick

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/07/14/kevin-pearce-winter-olympics-hbo-snowboarding-crash-reel-lucy-walker/2511977/