NM Law Enforcement Memorial Ride - Cycle

This is the second time I've done this ride. The first time I did the full metric century up to the Law Enforcement Memorial in Santa Fe. This time my lack of bike fitness barely got me to the 30k :)

That being said, I love this event. During the first 30k we passed 6 memorials, including a bagpiper, at sites where officers had made the ultimate sacrifice. Sadly, one of them was added this year for an officer who was killed in 2016. That was APD Officer Webster. His killer plead guilty this morning. Officer Webster's widow rode with us. When I went past his memorial she was off her bike kneeling in front of the memorial crying. These always put a lump in my throat, but that one made me cry. It's hard to cry and ride. :'( The city I live in also lost an Officer last year. He wasn't memorialized on this route because of the location, but his name is on my bike jersey. I will never forget the final dispatch call at his funeral.

There is natural slowing of the group at these locations but the organizers also chose to stop us mid-ride in a couple other spots to keep the group closer together. They hadn't done this the last time I participated.

Once we turned off of Central in ABQ they no longer tried to keep us grouped and it got much more spread out. I kept up with Coach to about this spot but eventually let him go, although I was never too far behind.

This ride was basically a constant uphill so the legs were getting tired. In the last few miles I tried to stand on the pedals to give the sit bones a break from the bumpy roads, but my legs were too shaky to sustain a stand.

Nothing really. I hadn't been bike focused, at ALL, but wanted to do this ride.

I was happy to see the finish! I leaned my bike on a wall and grabbed a breakfast burrito from the aid station. I chatted with Coach before he began his ride home, and S before he headed out to continue on to Santa Fe.

Eventually I loaded my bike on the trailer for the SAG back to the start then talked with some other LEO's that I know.



lack of training


This event shuts down a major street in Albuquerque for a few hours. Each intersection is blocked by APD officers. Their presence is welcomed, and profound.

The food at the aid stations is great and the volunteers are very friendly. The people riding the metric century finish at the NM Law Enforcement Memorial and get to attend the annual ceremony. It is a great atmosphere, with sad and serious undertones for the entire ride.