kickstand up!

Risk Takers

2011-12-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

My spin class recently ventured outdoors on a crisp, fall Saturday when halfway around the lake, Paul asked about the AIDS reference on my jersey. Then began to tell his story…

Pedaling and listening, I was finally able to answer the long awaited # 1 question in my ALC Top 10. The question I’m most frequently asked about riding is what keeps me going. My off the cuff answer tends to reflect my last ride – the sunny day, the camaraderie of my ride buddies, the scenery, etc. – but I struggled to find the common denominator in the many inspirations that keep me coming back for more, year after year.

Paul’s story began in a familiar way. This Midwest bike shop owner was ready to jump in and make a difference. He could have chosen to lend his bike mechanic skills to any number of charity events but Paul wanted to better understand his anxiety over this disease and the people affected by HIV/AIDS so he signed up to crew the world’s largest AIDS ride.

I took on that very ride for the first time this summer – the AIDS LifeCycle. Listening to Paul, my mind flashed back to the evening of Day 3. We’d arrived at our Paso Robles fairgrounds camp early enough for the sun to dry our wet towels hung over the tents before packing them away at nightfall. Our small team met early for dinner and enjoyed relaxing in the large hall with about 2000 other riders and crew waiting for the evening program to begin. Promptly at 7:30p, after our nightly update on the next day’s route and weather, the program began with remarks from a fellow ALC10 cyclist who spoke of his personal experience as an HIV+ man fighting AIDS in the early days, some 20-30 years ago. His description of those early struggles was meant to highlight how far we’d come by the efforts of such a diverse community of committed, caring individuals undeterred by the stigma of AIDS. The talk ended by recognizing today's community in this room of 2000+ cyclists and roadies – gay, lesbian, HIV+, young, old, transgender, gender-neutral and their “straight allies.”

Paul knew the AIDS rides attracted a gay and lesbian community so he arrived in San Francisco with an open mind, withheld judgment and, over 7 days and hundreds of miles of flat tires and broken part replacements, was bold enough to admit his ignorance and accept their guidance to navigate this unfamiliar culture in a positive and caring way. Because Paul took a risk he soon no longer saw diseased homosexuals, he saw hurting friends. And Paul returned to help them, year after year.

Navigating the stigma of HIV/AIDS has challenged every prevention and treatment approach, worldwide, since the pandemic was first identified. Thirty years of HIV education programs have explained that HIV can spread by such acceptable activities as married heterosexual sex, a blood transfusion or a medical professional’s accidental finger prick yet the belief persists that the scourge of AIDS is due consequence for engaging in illicit or risky behavior. Hard to imagine it has been less than one year since Uganda considered a “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” giving government license to execute a homosexual infected with HIV.

Ironically, risk takers have been the driving force behind rapid progress to slow both the spread of HIV and its progression to AIDS: the San Francisco gay community exposing itself to call worldwide attention to a new, deadly pandemic; Ugandan midwives dispensing HIV treatments to every birthing mother in order to protect the newborn without exposing the HIV+ status of any one mother; the mayor who risks reelection to advocate for a clean needle exchange program; the teenage hemophiliac who went to court to overturn his expulsion from an Indiana public school; research scientists who reach a dead end only to test yet another theory. Fitting right in with these risk takers who make the most meaningful impression to keep me involved in these events are the unemployed woman taking time away from her lengthy job hunt to arise at 4am and serve breakfast to 3000 ride participants, the novice cyclist completing his first 100-mile day, the HIV+ peddler closely tracking his heart rate and hygiene, the elderly couple who empties their wallet to make a donation to a passing cyclist and especially those who risk opening their minds and their hearts to extend compassion without boundaries or qualifications.

This World AIDS Day, I invite you to take a risk. Take just one step further than you’ve gone before toward ending the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. Learn more about HIV/AIDS - how it spreads, who it affects, how it is treated. Teach a child. Volunteer. Reach out to someone affected by the disease and offer your support. You have an open invitation to join me on any AIDS ride. If I'm not already registered, I'll sign up to keep you company or simply help you prepare. Extend compassion without boundaries or qualifications and AIDS doesn't stand a chance.

Some favorite World AIDS Day resources:

Light to Unite

WorldAIDSDay.org

"Sex and the Church"

"40 Days of Prayer for Persons Living with and Affected by HIV and AIDS"

History of HIV & AIDS

UNAIDS

AIDS.gov

Emory Vaccine Center

Top 10 of ALC10 – Red (Dress) Day

2011-09-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

**Post is dedicated to the men and women busy being “all that you can be” who can now also proudly be all that they are in service to their country**

#2 – What’s with all the crazy red outfits?

Every multi-day AIDS ride includes one day reserved for wearing red. Veteran AIDS cyclists likely have an entire red wardrobe from which to make annual selections and are giddy stumbling across just the right article of clothing or accessory throughout the year.

My daughter (in addition to glamorizing the lunch stop) introduced red nail manicures the night before Empire State AIDS Ride Red Days leading to a growing supply of polish shades and the discovery of travel remover wipes.

After his 2008 road crew stint, a red jersey was gifted to me by my son. It became the base of my red Ride wardrobe and enough to take my place in the ribbon of ALC10 red winding through the California hillside while marveling at the creative expression that comes from providing a safe atmosphere for anyone and everyone to be all that they are!

Watch and listen as the two people closest to the source of this tradition offer their version of the story in this video shot amid the spectacle that was the 10th AIDS LifeCycle Red (Dress) Day.

Top 10 Continues

2011-07-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Bret’s birthday seemed the best time to follow through on my promise to complete this list of the Top 10 questions asked about my cycling escapades beginning with a few fun ones:

5. What kind of seat do you have?

When asked by a novice, I know the underlying actual question is more along the lines of “What seat could possibly be comfortable enough for all those miles when my ass is in agony after only a quick trail ride?!”

The answer is always “less is more” which draws puzzled looks so is followed by this story… When I signed up for my first multi-day ride, Steve and I owned a sign shop conveniently located across the street from a bike shop owned by another husband/wife duo interested in upgrading their signage, thus opening trade negotiations. Manny rolled over to our shop one day testing a new bike and suggested I try out its incredible, full suspension seat that was indeed as comfy as a lazy-boy on the behind and would surely bounce so lightly over any rough road that this princess would never feel a single tree root bulging through the asphalt trail.

Manny might have made a sale on the spot but was a better friend, or perhaps could tell he'd more likely make a customer for life by choosing honesty over the quick sale. Instead, Manny told me “less is more” – less for delicate parts to rub against every single time your leg rotates against it – followed by the real answer I needed to hear,

“Tracy, the only way to stop your ass from hurting when you’re in the saddle is to keep riding.”

For the next 3-4 years, the # 1 goal for each of my multi-day rides was not to finish first or even to finish fast but to sit down on day 2 without pain.

For the record, CC has a Terry Gellissima but I prefer Stellar’s Serfas Curva bike seat.

4. “What kind of bike should I get?”

Short answer – One that fits. I’ve already made the assumption you intend to actually ride this bike so making sure the frame fits your body and how you plan to ride (upright or bent-over) is absolutely the most important feature to consider. Everything else can be easily customized to your personal preference and budget. Don’t be fooled by charts using only your height for determining frame size. So much more is involved! Stand any 5 people of the same height side-by-side and you’ll quickly understand why this is true. I rode with aching knees for 2 years before someone told me my bike didn’t fit. I bought a bike that fit me and the knee pain instantly vanished.

This is where I turn you on to the experts I’ve relied on for 12 years and about 20,000 miles to build and service my bikes – R+E Cycles – pioneers and masters of a proper bike fit. Located in Seattle, R+E goes out of their way to accommodate and sell about 22% of their hand-built bikes to out of state customers. Even if you don’t buy from R+E, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of their website FAQs and Articles sections so you can walk into your next bike purchase equipped with a better understanding of what you want and need.

If you do visit R+E, see Smiley and tell him GiGi sent you!

Meet CC! Fit by Smiley, wheels by John

3. “How do you climb a hill?”

One foot after the other? You’ve read many posts about how slowly I ride but you never saw slow until you’ve watched me pedal up a mountain. It’s legendary. I’ve clocked roughly 3.2 mph on both the 4 mile final leg of the climb to the Mount St. Helen’s Johnson Ridge Observatory and the 1.75 mile 23% grade up Mountain Road to finish Day 6 of the Empire State AIDS Ride. Of course, I’m capable of faster speeds on more gradual grades but whether mounting a sudden wall or a 33 mile afternoon ascent of a Rocky Mountain pass, the key to making it to the top is distraction.

One can lean on all that skill gleaned from experts only so long. At some point, your body mechanics will fare better if your head stops trying to convince them to quit! A few of the ways I distract myself through hill-climbing:

Rodney, Tracy, Mary end Day 4 of 2002 Breakthrough Ride

Watch the scenery
Count how many cyclists pass me – “On your left!”
Name that road kill
Eat (not necessarily right after the road kill)
Sing every verse of “Amazing Grace”. ..in my head of course. Some people I know can sing like a bird while climbing a mountain. I am not one of them.
Drink
Count how many pedestrians pass me
Name the wild berry – a seasonal event
Sing “The Ants Go Marching”…usually out loud, in a long line of cyclists climbing very slowly through a particularly steep or narrow-shouldered section of road.
Start a conversation with the 1-2 people I pass, very slowly
Scope out home and garden ideas. After a two season search, I finally found a house with exactly the paint color combo I want to use on my house while on a short climb up W. Lake Sammamish Rd!
Sing the “I Dream of Jeannie” theme song to kill the last song that got stuck in my head
Pray. This is high quality, you have my full attention, prayer time for everything BUT reaching the summit. I have complete faith in reaching the summit with all these distraction tools at my disposal.

Countdown From 10 Much?

2011-06-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Turns out the new mobile Blogger app showed my posts published but when I couldn't see them on the site, I stopped writing. Turns out the posts were held as drafts so have finally been released, albeit out of order.

Have no fear, the second half of the Top 10 of ALC 10 is on its way...

Top 10 of ALC10 - It's a Ride, Not a Race

2011-06-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

**original posting date June 6, 2011**

#6 - the worst part about being such a slow rider is being too tired to write. So forgive me if I wait til tomorrow to fully answer this question...
Day 2 - Santa Cruz to King City 110 miles

Top 10 for ALC10 - Speaking of Gear

2011-06-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

**original posting date June 4, 2011**

#8. No, I do not carry all my gear on my bike from point A to point B. Cyclists have the easy job when it comes to gear. Positively wonderful volunteers sign up to schlep 2000, up to 70lb, bags into trucks each morning, drive to the next camp and haul them out again. A roadie is a cyclist's ride hero.

This post dedicated to the 2 former gear crew roadies I love most - my kids, Caitlin and Kyle - and my favorite gear crew roadies on ALC10 - Chad and Toby - who have ridden with me in the past and made it possible for Jon and me to have solo tents for the next 6 nights. My heroes!

Halfway to LA

2011-06-08T09:22:00.001-07:00

Top 10 of ALC10 - 30 Years of AIDS

2011-06-05T22:03:00.001-07:00

#7. Photographs - Opening Ceremonies of every ride naturally has an enthusiastic air (and lately a lot of Lady Gaga) but when you're riding to end a pandemic of suffering and death and suddenly come face to face with names written on banners and photos pinned to jerseys and bicycle bags and a riderless bike is rolled by...in that moment, a 30 year anniversary isn't one to celebrate. Yet when the eyes are dried, you remember why you came and the photographs become beacons of hope that no more will follow in their path.

My Little AIDS/LifeCycle Team

2011-06-04T13:15:00.001-07:00

Puget Sound Rider teammate Jon, his daughter Liz and her boyfriend Luke (lunch crew) and newlyweds Glen and Mei-yen (honeymoon riders) waiting in the first of many Orientation Day lines. We just came from participating in the 30 years of AIDS group photo. Watch for it on Facebook or aidslifecycle.org

Top 10 for ALC10 - One bag?

2011-06-03T05:41:00.001-07:00

#9. Ziploc bags - Yes, that's a free plug for the brand as generics simply won't do. Over the next 2 days, 3000 cyclists and roadies choosing to follow the lead of the experienced are cramming gear into Ziploc bags, squeezing out all air and zipping them tight. This magically simple solution neatly organizes 7 days of ride clothes in a single duffel, protects them against the elements as your duffel sits out in camp waiting for your arrival, and is a safe place to securely stow the toxic aftermath of a day's ride. 2 gallons are pure gold and as easy to find. Freezer style. ziiiiip!

Top 10 for ALC10

2011-06-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Heading out the door for the 10th anniversary of the AIDS/LifeCycle, I leave you with the first answer to the Top 10 most commonly asked questions about my annual cycling ventures. Stay tuned over the next 10 days as I travel to San Francisco by car, then pedal 540 miles to Los Angeles.

#10. No, we don't ride down I-5. Bicycles aren't allowed on interstate highways, though once, 1000 cyclists on the Montana AIDS Vaccine Ride were allowed to use several closed lanes of I-90 for quite a distance through Montana. That was fun! Check out our entire AIDS/LifeCycle route and step out and give us a cheer if you happen to be nearby.

Thanks to everyone who helped me reach my personal fundraising goal for this ride. The Puget Sound Riders are very close to reaching our $15,000 team goal so if you haven't gotten around to it or feel compelled to give a little more, online donations can still be made all week long. Your participation makes any road smoother for everyone affected by HIV/AIDS.

Amazing Grace

2011-06-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

I spent Memorial Day on my last training ride this season – the Seven Hills of Kirkland. If you know me, you know how I feel about hills. Several classic team stories involve my expertise at slow-hill climbing. Yes, I can go 3 mph without tipping over! But then, for this ride, a few angels showed up…

They showed up at breakfast in the form of several teammate/friends that crawled out of bed at a crazy hour on a holiday just to send Jon and I off as the Puget Sound Rider ambassadors on AIDS/LifeCycle.

It didn’t rain.

The climbs were long and often painful but the downhills were amazing – smooth, clear, fast and long!

My favorite coping mechanism for getting to the top is to work through all verses of Amazing Grace in my head (cuz Elizabeth Sanders is the only person I know who can get enough air to belt out a tune on a hill climb!). If I needed any more proof of angels on our route, I need look no further than the top of hill # 6 where there stood before me a bagpiper playing, you guessed it, Amazing Grace.

San Francisco's Bold Response - 30 Years Later

2011-05-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

30 years ago in a little church tucked into the Bay Area peninsula redwoods, Steve and I exchanged wedding vows. Two months later, the CDC reported the first case of AIDS a few miles north in San Francisco. The city did not succumb to attempts to discriminate and ignore. Community leaders responded with a determination and persistence that has made the San Francisco AIDS Foundation a worldwide model of innovation in education, prevention, treatment and care for those vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

“The Foundation began, in its early days, to teach people they could fight for their lives" -Art Agnos, SF Mayor 1988-1992

In one week, I’ll join 2000 cyclists and hundreds of volunteer crew in commemorating the 30th anniversary of the beginning of AIDS with a renewed commitment to sustain the fight that ends the epidemic where it began, brings hope to the vulnerable and breaks down walls of discrimination and stigma that keep us from caring for one another.

Thank you for honoring the courage and tenacity of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation with your donation to their efforts, either directly or by sponsoring my 500+ miles of pedaling, past that small church, down the California coastline.

Angels Push AIDS Vaccine 200

2011-05-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Headwinds. More sinister than any mountain pass, thunder squall or heat wave to cyclists if only because you can’t see or feel it but know it’s working against you.

PSR at AV200 start line

My first southeast AIDS ride thankfully began, not in the recent 80-90 degree heat wave but on an overcast, misty morning that might have been pulled straight out of my Seattle gear bag. After a brief opening ceremony, a brass band, family and friends cheered 131 cyclists away from the Emory University School of Medicine to begin the 9th annual AIDS Vaccine 200.

Riding out once again with my cycling partner of the last 14 years and fellow Puget Sound Rider teammate, Mary, we caught up to Calvin on the smooth path leading the dozen or so miles to Stone Mountain. Calvin’s camouflage CamelBak® and pack led me to ask if he was the rider in uniform at the previous night’s check-in. Yes, in fact he'd come straight from reserve duty. Before reaching the next pit stop I’d learned Calvin would be visiting Seattle in one month on his way through Ft. Lewis to Afghanistan. Colleagues at Emory Children's Healthcare had convinced him that training with their AV200 team would be great conditioning.

We rolled into the Stone Mountain pit stop and were immediately greeted by Mark Mulligan who introduced himself while handing me water. Mark asked about the picture of Bret taped to my jersey and then opened his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned with a memorial to his brother, Mike, who had passed of AIDS two years prior. Mark told me he was with Hope Clinic, sponsors of this stop but it wasn’t until much later that I discovered he actually ran the place which is the third largest participant in the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.

Mary & Calvin enter bridge

The scenery transformed outside Stone Mountain into lush farm lands where stately oaks and massive magnolia trees gave equally impressive homes a plantation air as we navigated the two-lane roads over rolling hills through countryside that struck me as so very quiet until we rumbled over the wooden planks of the Rockdale County covered bridge. Soon after, we picked up a teammate of Calvin’s struggling up a particularly long hill. Mike was riding a mountain bike in tennis shoes. Not an easy choice on a long road trip, particularly on middle-aged knees, but we plodded along – as fast as possible down hills to quite nearly make it to the top of the next. Along the way, Calvin and Mike quietly shared area history, from the late lynching that rekindled the Ku Klux Klan upon Stone Mountain to Mike’s day job dispensing HIV drugs to, as he observes, “too many teenage girls,” immediately followed by, “but where are the boys?” We don’t talk enough about how HIV spreads, particularly in African American communities, yet Mike goes on to explain that Rockdale County was also home to the largest outbreak of syphilis among affluent, suburban teens. “We’ve got to get the churches on board,” Mike mutters while pushing up yet another hill. I couldn’t agree more as we ride past countless churches in this Bible belt of influence who could do so much to save their children if they dared utter “sex” in the sanctuary.

Milepost 75 - Surely Calvin would successfully achieve his first century but we needed to pick up the pace to arrive at camp by dinnertime so pushed on as cicada song rose in our ears, little red cardinals flitted over field thistles and an old familiar scent of honeysuckle wafted through the late afternoon.

Mary in our Rock Eagle cabin

If I didn’t know 100% of every dollar we raised went straight to Emory University HIV/AIDS vaccine research, I’d have felt guilty about the luxurious accommodations awaiting us at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center. Trust me. When throwing a sleeping bag on a 1” mat in a two-man tent 50-100 yards from the nearest bathroom is the norm, bunking on a mattress-topped steel bunk-bed in an air-conditioned cabin with indoor plumbing is sheer luxury! We turned in early and slept well.

Cyclists were motivated to get out of camp early knowing we had only 9.5 hours to finish the day’s 100 mile return to Atlanta. Oh, by the way, did I mention that 100 mile one-way journey was really 105? Regardless, you’ll remember it’s a ride, not a race. I can complete a century in 8 hours but who wants to rush with so many sights to see and people to meet? Still, no cyclist wants to be swept off the course before reaching the finish line. Did I mention headwinds?

First you decide your legs haven’t warmed up. Then you blame yourself for not doing more back-to-back training rides. Eventually, as you hunker down into your aerobars someone is brave enough to query, “Is it my imagination or are there headwinds from…” Seattle, I decide. The day had dawned quite cool. Again, not the anticipated high heat or humidity of impending thunderstorms but instead the weekend weather in this opposite corner of the country was very Seattle-like and while the gift was welcome, its delivery on a 25-35 mph gale from the direction we were headed was not. Cyclists immediately began opting for the shorter 80-mile route. Those stronger than I pushed past with clenched jaw and muttered curses. Many bonked or simply chose to save their knees for another try rather than push on and though energy drained from bodies, enthusiasm for the joint effort remained high.

At 90 miles into the day, I was swept into a SAG vehicle and carried to the finish line. Shortly after, every cyclist silently lined the path at Decatur Square to silently pay tribute to the riderless bike representing all those lost to AIDS then climbed back on our own once more for the 2-mile finish at the Emory University School of Medicine.

You know it was all worthwhile when Emory Vaccine Center Director, Dr. Rafi Ahmed, and several of the top HIV/AIDS scientists in the world – Dr. Harriet Robinson, Dr. Rama Amara, Dr. Mark Mulligan – enthusiastically share how they turn every one of your dollars into $150 in larger grants they couldn’t hope to receive without the seed money this ride brings to the research required to apply for those big-money grants. It was evident this elite research team humbly acknowledges, supports and works side-by-side a couple hundred cyclists, volunteers and every individual donor doing their small part toward achieving a singular goal – ending AIDS.

Yesterday morning I rolled out of that twin bed in Turman Hall and immediately started packing my bike for the journey home. For insurance purposes, I always snap a picture before closing the lid and noticed Bret’s face staring back at me from the photo pinned to my CamelBak® as if to remind me once again that while ending AIDS might often feel like those invisible headwinds pressing against us, there are quite enough angels at our backs pushing us to the finish.

Service in Action

2011-05-14T18:12:00.001-07:00

This is Calvin. He just finished his first cycling century (100 mile ride). He did it for AIDS research. Next month he leaves for a 400 day deployment to Afghanistan. Then he'll come home and retire. Something tells me he won't be pulling out a rocking chair.

Emory Vaccine Center

2011-05-13T13:09:00.001-07:00

The AIDS Vaccine 200 benefits research taking place right here, within the Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

Sound Sleep

2011-05-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Having only had about 2 hours sleep the night before, I slept like a rock last night, in an extra-long twin size bed on the campus of Emory University. Apart from my teammate, not another soul was in the pristine 4-story, sustainably designed freshman dorm yet all around us was an air of hope – Emory School of Medicine, Children’s Healthcare, Biomedical Research, School of Public Health, Emory Vaccine Center, even the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Reminds me a bit of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance triad and several other major research hubs around the world.

Personally, I could never spend my days bent over a microscope, attempting one new idea after another over an entire career with the very real possibility of never quite reaching your ultimate goal but thank goodness there are others who do. Thank goodness there are scientists and researchers and students with inquisitive minds and an optimism encouraging them to find successful applications for any important step along the way toward improving the quality of any human life.

In a few hours I’ll walk to the Emory School of Medicine to check in for the AIDS Vaccine 200. I’m incapable of curing AIDS, but sleep soundly knowing I can do one small thing to support those who are.

Pull Up the Lawn Chairs, They’re at it Again

2011-05-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

It’s the season of remembrance for Puget Sound Riders co-founders - Jon, Mary and me. It’s the subtle underlying motivation that binds us together year after year to get out in the rain, sacrifice weekends, trade in our PTO and ask every person crossing our paths for money – the memory of a brother lost to AIDS.

Mary Harding and I met in a crowd of 1000 cyclists standing at Vancouver's Science World waiting to begin the 1997 Ride for a Reason to Seattle. The picture taped to her jersey led me ask to whose memory she was riding. As she spoke of her brother Peter, I noticed the dates under that picture and answered, “He died 6 days after my brother.” Mary and I began our first AIDS ride together moments later. Next week in Atlanta we’ll ride together for the 13th time in the AIDS Vaccine 200.

Jon’s brother, Donald David Fehrenbach, led by example, riding as a Positive Pedaler in 5 AIDS rides. DD picked up a discarded teddy bear, promptly dubbed Roadkill, on one of those rides and made him an annual companion up and down the California coast. After his death in 1998, Roadkill continued tagging along on AIDS rides across America in DD’s honor. In 2000, when Jon took on the role of Puget Sound training ride leader in his first cycling event, Roadkill donned new hiking boots stuffed with mylar and joined the newly founded Puget Sound Riders on the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride. This June, I’ll join Jon for my first time on DD’s California ride, the AIDS/LifeCycle.

Our brothers were the athletes - DD cycled thousands of miles, Bret's bike was his transportation all over the world and Peter walked coast-to-coast calling attention to poverty in America – we were not. And while we’ve all become stronger cyclists, age is constantly working against us. Precisely why at roughly this time every year one of us will begin painting the picture of 3 proud siblings cracking open a cold one, pulling up lawn chairs on puffy clouds above, shaking their heads with a knowing smile and, while their language would likely be far more colorful, shouting out to all who’d hear, “This ought to be good, they’re at it again!”

Dedicated to the memory of our dear brothers:
Bret M. Granato July 21, 1959 - May 5, 1995
Peter T. Harding October 5, 1955 - May 11, 1995
Donald David "DD" Fehrenbach - June 3, 1949 - April 10, 1998

Compassion - No Strings Attached

2011-04-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

It’s commendable that every broadcast, article or Facebook post spotted over the weeks since her March 23 death remembers Elizabeth Taylor’s outspoken AIDS activism alongside her lifelong celebrity and tabloid marriage record. That such a well-respected personality chose to defend those affected by this fatal virus long before it was trendy was admirable indeed.

"I call upon you to draw from the depths of your being — to prove that we are a human race, to prove that our love outweighs our need to hate, that our compassion is more compelling than our need to blame." - Elizabeth Taylor, accepting a special Oscar for her AIDS advocacy in 1993

In that first decade since it was named, the fear of an AIDS diagnosis was so great that huge segments of the population were shunned or ignored. An actual AIDS diagnosis branded its victim as a deviant, outcast by family, friends, schools, jobs and churches, with barriers to medical, mental, emotional health, insurance and housing. It was during this period my brother took me on a long drive and told me he had AIDS.

Bret had tried hard for more than a year to keep his diagnosis a secret and was now asking my advice on whether or not to risk telling the rest of the family before his 12-18 month life expectancy time line ran out completely. Of what little I’ve allowed myself to remember of that day, one particular comment made clear the effect of AIDS stigma on my brother – “No red ribbons. Please, no red ribbons.” The AIDS red ribbon was intended as a symbol of compassionate solidarity to end AIDS yet Bret saw it as a scarlet letter – a label on which judgments were made and compassion withheld.

Love for my brother got me on a bike, compassion for the vulnerable keeps me riding it. This spring I’ll pedal another 1000 miles to call attention to those still vulnerable to AIDS, raising money for services filling the gaps left by fear and stigmatism and to keep the brightest minds in innovative research progressing toward effective prevention, sustainable treatments and a cure.

One can always choose how to act on their compassion but compassion itself must never be a choice.

Line in Sight

2011-02-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

Start of the training season is best time to focus on the finish line. Even with storm clouds looming, wearing this bandanna (which she gifted me decades ago) in honor of my sister Tam's last days home before heading back to finish up her year spreading joy to the troops.

Twignorant Argument

2011-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Would I post more often & have more followers if my thoughts were summed in 9 seconds? Discuss in under 140 characters http://bit.ly/fH3jyq

Light for Rights this World AIDS Day

2010-11-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

World AIDS Day 2010 begins with a promising UNAIDS report "citing a downward trend in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths over the past decade and stabilization of the number of people living with HIV" (PlusNews). Next, in thousands of events held across the planet, lights will dim in personal and global remembrance of millions lost over 30 years of AIDS. Finally, light returns to focus on stigma and discrimination preventing universal access to all this progress.

Light for Rights is the theme of tomorrow’s World AIDS Day. Shine your light to expose and demand equal access without retribution to HIV testing, health services, employment and personal support for all people and generate human rights progress to last long after the war on AIDS is finally won.

Sneak-peak opportunity to extend life-saving HIV/AIDS services close to home and take one last 2010 tax deduction.

With Thanks for Giving

2010-11-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful that last post was made before arriving home since I hit the ground running and haven't stopped long enough to unpack my bike so I'm even more grateful for a holiday break to publicly express my gratitude to all who contributed support for the 2010 NYCDC AIDS Research Ride...

Dear Friends,

Surely you’ve done it. Grabbed a camera or phone from purse or pocket and suddenly you’ve snapped a picture of the ground, your foot or dark interior of your bag. When I finally got around to uploading my ride pictures, there it was, that accidental grab shot screaming its message at me.

My brother was an artist. As a kid, Bret was constantly doodling large-eyed, smiling creatures – camel, giraffe, dolphin, fish, turtle; simple drawings, simple scenes, designed to make you smile. This spring, Mom called to say she had turned Bret’s camel into a wall-hanging for my sister, Tammie, currently on civilian duty in Afghanistan. When she suggested making another into a birthday gift to carry on my ride, I knew instantly it had to be the turtle. Too obvious perhaps to suggest my choice had to do with consistently riding at the back of the pack and pressing through long days, hurricane, snowstorm and heat wave to cross the finish line by dinnertime. My eye remains on a bigger prize, slow to achieve but worthy of persistent effort. This year I didn’t pedal any faster but was inspired by a glimpse of this even bigger finish.

At the eastern edge of the Chesapeake Bay on the last night of this year’s NYCDC AIDS Research Ride, Todd Hawley stood in front of 50 cyclists and crew and shared his 2010 turtle story. Todd had been hired by Dr. Wu to manually test hundreds of drugs, one at a time, for the better part of the year. You see, Dr. Wu discovered how HIV tricks a body’s immune system into the fatal move of accepting the virus into its cells. Now these scientists had only to find a way to teach the body’s T-cells to recognize and turn away the deadly virus. Instead of designing a treatment from scratch, Dr. Wu chose to first try testing the wide array of cancer-fighting drugs already much further along in the FDA approval process (nice shortcut!). Cancer research labs have fancy, expensive equipment to make drug-testing fast and easy but these labs aren’t too keen on introducing deadly viruses into their sterile environment so Todd tested each one by hand; slow, tedious work. On this night, after climbing from a tent at 4:30 each of the last 3 mornings to help mark the day’s cycling route, Todd couldn’t hide his excitement in sharing with those who had solicited his funding that one drug had tested with extremely hopeful results. In his Petri dish, after countless failed attempts, a fraction of the normal cancer treatment dose had successfully shut out HIV.

This is the kind of unrelenting, preliminary research not typically funded by the NIH or similar deep-pocket grant agencies. This research was funded by you. The roughly $100,000 generated by this year’s event will take these inspiring results to the next step on Dr. Yuntao Wu’s FDA path to human trial and treatment to end AIDS. A glimpse of the finish line has been revealed. Sometimes it fades from view, around the corner or over the horizon, but knowing it is there and why we so desperately must cross it will keep this turtle plodding along.

Thank you for bringing, and sustaining, hope for the journey.
Tracy

NYCDC AIDS Research Ride 2010

Day 4 Remembered

2010-09-27T14:31:00.001-07:00

Sitting now at gate 14, National Airport, waiting for my flight home. Directly in my window view is the US Capitol, gleaming against dark, storm-threatening skies. Yesterday at this time, I was coastng past its steps on my bicycle, near our 4-day cycling journey's end.
We began our final day donning jackets as we boarded the Captain Buddy and jetted across the Chesapeake Bay where bikes awaited, along with a drenching rain.
Temps had cooled 30 degrees from Day 3 and not a soul complained as we pedaled to Upper Marlboro for lunch. Afterward, rain was replaced by a constant breeze drying out layers as we put them away for another rainy day.
A new bike bridge trail offered a new, far more scenic route into DC this year. Sadly, rain knocked out my phone, and my camera didn't make it past Day 2, so I'll rely on fellow riders and crew to add pics at a later date. Trust me, the Woodrow Wilson bridge bicycle view joins my short list of spectacular city bridge entrances - the Golden Gate, the GW, the I-90. We completed the day's 60 miles with a spin past the monuments before heading to the finish line, rooftop party at the Post Massachusetts, greeted by family friends and several riders from year's past.
Thank you speeches were made, but held a different tone. Dr. Wu couldn't hide the excitement in wanting to reach his finish line goal of ending AIDS, especially for the benefit of his new ride family who he's witnessed for 3 years now, giving their all to prove the first 330miles are only the start of this journey of hope.

Day 3 Haiku

2010-09-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

12 hour day of heat.
Teamed against the wind - spray me!
Many smiles per hour.

-this haiku jointly drafted in massage room 302 by Liz, Annie and me.

94mi - 6hrs 21min (12hrs. w/ferry time) - 93 degrees

Day 2 - Cape May

2010-09-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

Day 2 Defies Reputation

2010-09-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Or lives up to it, depending on your take. Search the archives for the back story behind the infamous Day 2 and you'll find an unexplained history of extreme ride weather. In my 12 "day 2"s there has been snow, torrential downpours, freezing rain, tornado watches and temp swings from below freezing to fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot.
We left camp this AM in a marine layer - like Seattle's misty mornings yet warm enough to ride without layers. Soon, 7 of the 10 female riders were keeping perfect pace at a steady clip of 16-18mph. It was exhilirating!
A lesson in flat tire repair ensued before the AM stop and I assisted with another before lunch yet still was eating a sandwich before 11am. Then the sun came out.
Did I say with a vengence?! Accompanied by some rough roads and a headwind of varying speeds, the 95 degree day zapped energy away in no time. Our road crew was amazing - there when you needed that added boost of cold water, chocolate, an ice collar or, my personal favorite, a cold misting from the spray gun.
Eventually all descended on Cape May and straight into the Atlantic. Perfection!
A quick stop at the Ugly Mug, then just a few miles further to camp and a well-earned shower.
Day 2 - 82 miles - done.

Day 2 - PM stop

2010-09-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

92 degrees, sunny and hot, but the Atlantic is only 22miles away. Iced down and ready to go!

Day 1

2010-09-23T17:32:00.001-07:00

Atlantic Highlands to Chatsworth, NJ
85.55 miles in 5hrs 55min

Pretty amazing how a route can change by removing only one small thing - drenching rain. The 3rd time must have been the charm as not a single drop fell this year, the day was warm but high cloud cover kept the sun from scorching and the breeze held the crispness of fall in place of summer's exhale. What a difference.
Everyone rode strong, making good time to camp, but arrived spent. The dining hall sounded like summer camp, alive with hungry riders and crew. Then, because it's there in all its nostalgic 50s glory, we played 3 rounds of old-fashioned BINGO. Dr. Wu and a couple of his reseachers had to be taught how to play and, in his very first game, Dr. Wu was the winner!
Along the last few miles into camp, my teammate, Jon, reminded us we'd probably have to get up and ride tomorrow, a reference to last year's bus ride past the first, flooded 50 miles. Since he's right, I'll say good night.

There's Your Sign

2010-09-22T19:49:00.001-07:00

For the record, I already climbed THE hill of this ride. I happened to be wearing my route-marking hat at the time, 2pm and about 85degrees, but I posted route signs for the first 5.6miles of our ride and got to test my bike assembly to make adjustments before tomorrow.
The good news about taking the big hill on Day 0 is you get to ride back DOWN on your return. Half way down I met Grace, the school crossing guard who didn't miss a beat before offering to help us in the morning. She'd be on duty at 7:30 and would happily stop traffic for us as we climbed the hill, turned left, then right and kept climbing.
I'm fed by that kind of humble support - the kind that doesn't hesitate to lend the gift you've got. It's the very best kind of sign. I can't wait to see Grace in the morning!

So that's how you do it!

2010-09-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

One of the first questions asked about multi-day rides is if we have to haul our own gear. If I'm pedaling, the answer is an emphatic, "no." Sometimes I help pack the gear from storage but am then happy to turn the heavy hauling over to our quite capable camp crew volunteers.

Loaded truck (with me in it) is now headed to the official ride start point.

This post dedicated to my kids, Caitlin and Kyle, who've often worked as hard at setting up, taking down and moving camp as I have riding a bike.

Good Morning Sunshine

2010-09-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

40 minutes in a morning garden; she's back together and ready to ride.

Home Sweet Home

2010-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

For all the packing fuss, one might think I didn't travel much. Alas, Alaska Air seat 7C was my twice weekly commuter seat for nearly 5yrs, though packing for a work week is a far cry from the prep involved in hauling a bike and camp gear on today's friendly skies.
It's been 4months since I last boarded a plane but little has changed. Security lines are longer once you've lost your "gold" status but I still have the rhythm down - slip on shoes, no belt, in and out in seconds. Alaska Air's staff is still the role model of pleasant and professional, and here is seat 7C, waiting to carry me on to Newark and the start of my 12th AIDS ride. Though there'll be no laptop business on this journey, the next 5+hrs will indeed feel like home.

Done and Done

2010-09-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

In record time - 3.5hrs. Now what have I forgotten?

Time to Go!

2010-09-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Giving myself 6hrs to break it all down - ziplock and bubble wrap, weighed and measured. Ready, set...

Training Season

2010-08-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Blackberry stop 1

2010-08-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way through Seattle

2010-08-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday’s forecast had me packing rain gear just in case but the dawned clear, cool and full of sunshine as Mary and I headed out from Log Boom Park on our tour around Lake Sammamish, over Lake Washington with my favorite detour loop around Mercer Island, and along the Seattle waterfront.

Obligatory pit stop at the Bell Street Starbucks offered sidewalk viewings of Alaska-bound cruisers but a different crowd emerged as we continued north to the Elliott Bay trailhead at Myrtle Edwards Park. We’d run headlong into Hempfest!

Can't Get Enough Ferry Training!

2010-08-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Little Trail Hazard

2010-08-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday

2010-08-15T07:50:00.001-07:00

Headed for Gig Harbor!

"Slow down and enjoy the moo"

2010-07-24T07:54:00.001-07:00

Murphy’s Bike Law #12… or not?!

2010-07-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Chasing dogs only appear when you’re headed up hill. Wait! That’s not a dog! THAT’S A BEAR!!!!

Not a black bear cub but, precisely as my friend Zummer once described cycling this same area, more like a “teenage bear,” barreling down the hill in our direction, ears laid back, looking over his shoulder at whatever had startled him into a sprint.

Seconds later, he’d gone his way and adrenaline pushed me and my brother, Adam, to the top of that hill with eyes wide for more wildlife signs on our way to Carnation.

40 miles later, we’d seen several wild rabbits, a tractor show at Jubilee Farm, Camp Korey, a totally cool chicken coop and a large deer (albeit roadkill) before looping back past “Bear Hill” with quite the story to tell.

Important is Not Forgotten

2010-07-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

Wall Street crash, earth quake. Oil gushes uncontrolled.
Leaders fall from grace as foreign war escalates.
Deficit, heat wave. Do you have a job?

Amid the distraction of urgent, the important is not forgotten.

The Obama Administration could have pointed to flat lining new HIV infection rates, longer and improved quality of life for the infected over the last decade, claimed success and turned back to more urgent matters.

Instead, the Office of National AIDS Policy went on the road to listen to AIDS service providers, activists, faith-based organizations, doctors & researchers, those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Clearly, complacency was not an option.

Today, the White House unveiled its National HIV/AIDS Strategy to decrease the HIV infection rate, increase & coordinate care options and expand stigma-fighting awareness, with a 5 year vision that

“The United States will become a place where new HIV infections are rare, and when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic circumstance will have unfettered access to high-quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”

Every 9 ½ minutes, one person is newly infected by HIV. To that one, HIV is urgent. We know how to prevent HIV infection and can chose to make care available to every affected person without discrimination or qualification if we recognize that right, to all Americans, is extremely important.

Dear Mary,

2010-07-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

I cheated. Had my egg sandwich before even leaving the house... but I did put in 25 miles before coffee!

Doing What Counts

2010-07-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

"Don’t researchers need funding in the millions to end AIDS? How can the mere thousands we raise make any difference at all?"

Ever wonder the same as you write that $100 check? Maybe you don’t even bother if $10 is all you can afford?

The 2008 NYCDC AIDS Research Ride raised nearly $100,000 for Dr. Yuntao Wu’s innovative HIV research at George Mason University. Your contributions through me and those raised by 23 other cyclists kept Dr. Wu’s lab fully staffed through the next summer, completing important work that ultimately accelerates their research by as much as a year.

The scientific among you will enjoy delving into the details behind each step leading closer to a therapy to stop HIV. But if your eyes glaze over just getting to the end of the title, scroll past the summary to see the ride credited for its generous funding.

Last year’s event nearly doubled our funding, moving Dr. Wu ever closer to delivering a short-term therapy to freeze HIV and end the destruction of human T cells that leads to AIDS. According to Dr. Wu, "We have at least three papers that were supported by the 2009 NYCDC AIDS ride. One paper is now in review and the other two will be submitted by the end of the summer."

With the NIH, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett-size money in the game, my young teammate wasn’t the first to wonder aloud if our impact could matter to an AIDS researcher. Over the last two summers they’ve marked my route, served lunch and cycled beside me 330 miles down the eastern seaboard, and around the nightly campfire, Dr. Yuntao Wu and his lab staff ooze with excitement over the progress they’re making with that $100, $500, $50, $10...

We'll be there again this September. Thanks for making it count!

Take the Test, Take Control.

2010-06-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Fellow Boomers! Pay attention!

Today is National HIV Testing Day. Think you aren't at risk? Think again. New AIDS cases in the 50+ age group are growing at twice the rate of younger age ranges. Twice the rate.

Safe sex messages traditionally target young singles yet a growing number of sexually active singles are women past mid-life - newly single in a Viagra world and past the age of pregnancy scares. The CDC estimates 1 in 5 Americans living with HIV do not know their status. Don't be one of them.

HIV testing is simple, safe and secure. Get tested, be well, and fight the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Rear View Mirror

2010-06-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

2009 was a headwind; a relentless gale that stopped forward motion and set far too many reeling at their losses. I took my turn at unemployment, went back to clipping coupons and started investigating formerly unheard of options like “walking away from a mortgage.” Cyclists quickly learn the best way to catch a break against a headwind is to fall in behind another cyclist. I’m grateful to those whose support gave me shelter to regain my strength.

The pause gave me time to look around. Disease, disaster, poverty know no headwind. Annie lost her job and made plans to swim for pancreatic cancer research. Shawna walked for breast cancer and a half dozen more spent weekends training for Leukemia & Lymphoma triathlons. Ian, Tony and Suellen cycled for AIDS services on separate coasts while Scotty and Dave rode to fight cancer. Two friends took time off to help Haiti earthquake victims and a greater than expected share of fellow job-seekers expressed the not terribly lucrative desire to explore non-profit careers.

I lowered my fund-raising expectations for the first time in 15 years and was humbled by your generous response. Generosity doesn’t always come in the form of a big check. You gave from the heart despite your own headwinds and I was inspired.

This fall, I’ll repeat the 330-mile cycling journey from NYC to Washington, DC in support of Dr. Yuntao Wu’s innovative HIV-fighting research at George Mason University. I’m back because I believe Dr. Wu will end AIDS. His research led to the discovery of how HIV gets into T cells, causing them to die. Now Dr. Wu is zeroing in on short-term therapies that help T cells recognize this deadly virus and keep it out. When T cells don’t die, the immune system never degenerates to AIDS. How cool is that?!

Dr. Wu’s theories to stop HIV are proven and his dedication to the fight is as solid as his commitment last summer to participate in the bike shoes of a cyclist along the eastern seaboard, headwinds and all.

Times are still tough, but I won’t lower my expectations for I finally see what you saw. Even as we duck behind others to carry us past the brunt of the storm, a quick glance in the rear view mirror reveals a long line of others counting on us to do the same.

Dedication

2010-06-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

The post I had in mind took on a life of its own this weekend, right under my nose, as not 1 but 3 fellow AIDS riders came to Seattle to raise the bar on cycling for a good cause.

On Sunday, Scotty completed the first of 4 century rides (that's 100 miles each!) in the Livestrong Challenge Series for cancer research. Follow his journey on to San Jose, Philadelphia and Austin and his goal to raise $5000 for cancer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

This morning, Chad and Toby departed Seattle over our most scenic local, mountain pass training route for the Big Ride - the really BIG RIDE Across America. So far, they've raised over $12,000 for the American Lung Association and will be pedaling (er, peddling?) to increase that amount on their 7 week journey to Washington, DC.

Would cancer or lung disease be cured without their efforts? Perhaps. But I tip my helmet to anyone willing to sacrifice their own comfort - of body or pocketbook - to lighten the load of another.

"Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
in all the places you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as ever you can."
- John Wesley

Ferry Loading Training

2010-06-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

International District

2010-06-12T13:59:00.001-07:00

Seattle

The Artsy Entrance

2010-06-12T13:44:00.001-07:00

No cars allowed.

Leaderless Lid Lingering...again

2010-06-12T13:42:00.001-07:00

Never fails. When riding alone I always make one or several detours around the Mercer Island lid before finding my way back to the bridge trail.

My Highway to Seattle

2010-06-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

I-90 alternate. Ditch the car, baby!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Memorial Day in Action

2010-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

One year ago I was coaxing her back into a training regimen to join me on the 2009 NYCDC AIDS Research Ride. My sister, Tammie, found one of very few acceptable excuses not to return to DC with me this year by taking her recreation prowess to the troops. Specifically, MWR Entertainment Specialist at Bagram AFB, shuttling entertainment to our soldiers all across Afghanistan.

This Memorial Day, as we remember those who gave their lives in service to our country, I also salute Tammie and all who strive to motivate the living to serve another day.

Follow Tammie's adventures and find out how she spent Memorial Day 2010.

Celebrate That

2010-05-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

Seems appropriate to return to blogging a new cycling season in earnest today, the 15^th anniversary of Bret’s passing. Though I’ll never again experience May 5 without some sense of loss, there is more to celebrate in each passing year.

Today’s HIV testing is fast, easy and more readily available on a global basis than it was in the early 90’s. Once detected, treatments are less expensive, far easier to manage – think a few pills per day instead of handfuls of pills 3x a day – and much more effective.

Though some have experienced HIV levels reduced to undetectable amounts, no one can yet claim to have a found a consistently effective weapon against HIV and its fatal course to AIDS, particularly when paired with the dual hurdles of poverty and access to regular medical care. Still, a diagnosis no longer comes with the automatic 12-18 month death sentence Bret received. More of those infected with HIV are living longer, better lives.

Today, I celebrate that.

In memory of
Bret Marshall Granato

"Voices of Friends Vanished and Gone"*

2010-02-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

Plugging in the earbuds on my mile walk home along the streets of San Francisco, shuffle mode. The Boss breaks into "The Streets of Philadelphia"...

Flashback 1980... telling Dad I'm moving across the country to California. "San Francisco? Isn't that where all the gays are?" A remark reflective of emerging focus on a mysterious new disease appearing on that scene.

Never could bring myself to see the movie but for 3-1/2 minutes on the streets of San Francisco, the haunting tune transported me through three decades of my own image reel, seemingly sourced in a single ironic prophecy.

*Bruce Springsteen

Status

2010-01-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

Last night, I lost mine. Weekly air commuting never won me any brownie points with Al Gore but it did earn me MVP Gold status on Alaska Air. For 5 years I delighted in short-cuts through SeaTac security lines, first class upgrades and no change fees but this year I was grounded, so begin 2010 as a mere MVP.

Interesting how status is so often used to categorize treatment of people in general; an easy way to conserve the time and energy of considering their value as unique individuals. HIV status is no exception. In fact, it proves the rule in striking and often frightening ways.

Such stigma is attached to an HIV+ status that creative screening methods had to be introduced in countries where even walking into a testing facility could mark you for shunning. The developed world was rightfully stunned by Uganda's recent consideration of a bill that essentially forces HIV status declarations in an effort to imprison and even put to death individuals accused of homosexuality. Yet those stunned individuals need look no further than their own neighborhoods to witness an HIV+ status causing a family, church or community to reject their own at precisely the time their support is most needed.

Society will never eliminate the need to categorize certain treatments by status. I’ll miss jumping to the front of those security lines but lucky for me, Alaska Air delivers top-notch service to every passenger despite their member status. In all cases of status, whether economic, societal, legal or otherwise, we must be diligent to never lose sight of individual self-worth.

"All You Need is Love"

2009-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

Terrific coffee, global reach, giant heart. According to Starbucks, their partnership with (RED)™ over the past year "has generated money equivalent to more than 7 million days of medicine to help those living with HIV in Africa." Watch how they chose to celebrate (below) then visit the Starbucks Love Project, lend your voice to the chorus or a drawing to the Love Gallery to send an even greater Starbucks contribution to the Global AIDS Fund.

World AIDS Day 2009

2009-11-30T22:34:00.000-08:00

Remember the lost...
mothers, brothers, babies,
laborers, teachers, artists,
middle-class, rich, poorest of poor.

Rejoice in the progress...
Widespread treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Infected are living longer.
Stigma barrier acknowledged.
Discriminatory US travel ban lifted.

Renew our commitment...
to treat HIV until it is stopped,
promote universal access without discrimination,
replace stigma and fear with respect for human rights
and compassion for every human soul.

"The theme of this year's World AIDS Day is Universal Access and Human Rights. For me, that means doing everything we can to support countries to reach their universal access goals for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support - all the while protecting and promoting human rights."
-UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe
2009 World AIDS Day message

Optimism in UNAIDS Report on AIDS Epidemic

2009-11-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

UNAIDS today distributed extremely hopeful data reflecting years of tireless, challenging work to change behaviors, formulate new medicines, level the playing field on treatment cost and availability, reduce stigma, keep the money flowing and never, never give up the fight to end AIDS.

Still... too many deaths, no cure, more work needed to end discrimination & treatment inequity, complacency causing return to old, unsafe behaviors and spread of misinformation. Be vigilent, stay informed and contribute to the hopeful trend.

Global summary of the AIDS epidemic, 2008

View more presentations from UNAIDS.

India quickly posted this easy-to-digest summary of the data via livemint.com

Obama Ends US Travel Ban on People with HIV-AIDS

2009-10-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Unlike bird flu or swine flu or various other respiratory ailments, HIV is not an airborne virus. Though widely accepted for many years, America remained one of the last dozen countries in the world banning people with HIV/AIDS from cross-border travel. I applaud President Obama and the advance work of the Bush Administration for finally bringing an end to this practice in the U.S.

Obama Ends U.S. Travel Ban On Visitors, Immigrants With HIV-AIDS - Political Punch

Of course, if you read the comments appended to the linked story, you'll get a sense of why these popular bans stick around long after science proves them unnecessary. Fear and hate continue to fuel discrimination in many forms. While free to express it, such discrimination has no place in public policy.

Impatient Optimism

2009-10-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Bill and Melinda Gates just finished their live webcast "We Are Living Proof". The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation boldly stepped into the growing global health funding gap to significantly bump progress that's generated hope and optimism where none had previously existed. Watch this video and spark the hope in you:

Yet we are impatient. Even the richest man in the world can't do it all alone and has told the US Government as much. Among other advances, a new rotovirus vaccine and immunization expansion are now saving millions of lives. HIV vaccine research is a noble but singular path to eradicate the AIDS pandemic, and I'm impatient...

The first investing rule is diversify, diversify, diversify. Be proud to support safe sex education, services & treatment for those infected by HIV, vaccine research and innovate science that seeks to take on HIV from a different direction. Fuel your optimism and demand that everyone stay in the game. It's making a difference.

BINGO!

2009-09-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Bicycles, 45, lined up against the wind, rolling over 4 states, carried by ferry & bus, winding past National Monuments, moving us along.

Inclusive. Men & women. Young & not so young. HIV positive & negative. Crew & cyclists. Mothers, sons, fathers, daughters, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, friends. Gay & straight. Scientists, office workers, students, doctors, laborers, engineers, artists, job seekers. Riding for one & riding for all.

Needing to unravel the mystery to defeat HIV.

Giving every ounce of strength, time and energy.

Open hearts, open minds, opening your pocketbooks.

! To win a victory over HIV and end AIDS.

The winning combination that was the NYCDC AIDS Research Ride,
four days in September, 2009.

Click for photo album, in progress

Here Comes the Sun

2009-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - Boarding the Patriot to cross the Chesapeake, then on to DC!

Tilghman Island Arrival

2009-09-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

83 miles in 3 states - DONE!
Time for beer and Maryland Blues on George Mason University College of Science.
Sent on the go. Follow along at http://www.kickstandup.blogspot.com

Maryland!!

2009-09-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

After 3.5miles in NJ, 40 miles in Delaware.

Breakfast at Ferry Terminal

2009-09-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

After 3.5miles thru NJ, we'll ferry to Lewes, Delaware. Good thing I did all that ferry training!

Puget Sound Riders Celebrate 10th Season

2009-09-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

When the call went out to round up riders registered for the 2000 Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride, Jon Fehrenbach answered. That year, and every year since, Jon has posted and led a perfectly calibrated schedule to prepare any cyclist for that year's AIDS ride.
Whether 1 or 45 Puget Sound Riders participate in an annual AIDS ride, all PSR are supporters - keeping company our many training rides, making donations, encouraging others and general moral support. Most importantly, in 10 riding seasons, the Puget Sound Riders have generated over $500,000 for AIDS research and service organizations in Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Washington, California and New York. That's cause for celebration and tonight, after initiating our newest PSR member (Dr.Wu), we did.

Back to the Atlantic

2009-09-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sisters make it to the other beach again. Will take a pass on swimming this year.

Ready to Ride

2009-09-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Lunch at bird observatory then 30 miles to Cape May.

A September Ride

2009-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Rain has stopped but much of first half of route is under water and/or debris so we're bussing to 30miles out of Cape May.

High and Dry

2009-09-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

Departing our dry cabin. Headed to PM rest stop where we'll ride into Cap May.

B-I-N-G-O-!

2009-09-11T06:53:00.001-07:00

The National Weather Service...

2009-09-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

Has issued a tornado watch for the entire path of today's route. VERY grateful for a dry spot to hang out on this highly typical Day2.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2009-09-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

Bike shoes dry by the fire.
Sent on the go. Follow along at http://www.kickstandup.blogspot.com

Are You With Me Dr. Wu?

2009-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Admit it, you knew Steely Dan would make an appearance eventually... Our beneficiary, Dr. Wu gave a motivational send off to the riders this morning, then got on his Felt and slid right into our world of "on your left", "right turn", "HOLE!" Who knew we cyclists would make such an impression on our beneficiary that he'd buy a bike, commit to train and push thru the wind and rain right with us.
There was no mystery in how my fellow riders fell protectively in front and behind Yuntao (formality drops on the road), making sure no harm could possibly come to the man who could indeed stop AIDS.
Dr. Wu finished the day in the rain with the rest of us yet still had the energy to explain his HIV research over dinner. In fact, you'll forgive me if I get back to that now...

First We Take Manhattan

2009-09-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

West coast riders Jill Norris (CA ride buddy & colleague), Jon Fehrenbach and sister Tam (both Puget Sound Riders) converged east at the southern tip of Manhattan this morning for a pre-Ride NYC loop. Ferrying in with Tam & Jill were a few more NYCDC riders & crew, in for a day of sightseeing.
Cycling the West Side trail north, we ran (almost literally) into fellow PSR Elizabeth and her sister who lives nearby - small world NYC. Who knew?
We circled around Central Park then grabbed a sandwich at Zabars for a picnic at Riverside Park. Fed and caught up on voicemails, we contined north past the ESAR finish line at St. John the Devine, then on to Grant's tomb.
It was a quick trip back on the trail, hitting the Financial District at rush hour, in time to catch the 5:30 ferry to Atlantic Highlands.
AWESOME happy hour ferry ride (as I type). We'll grab dinner with friends, listen to the Prez and catch some shut eye.
Ride out at 0800!

It's Show Time!

2009-09-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

"Although this is the second NYCDC AIDS Ride, which was founded to raise money for the George Mason University professor and researcher, it will be the first time Wu cycles alongside the roughly 50 others who are riding from New York City to Washington to support his efforts."

Check out yesterday's entire Washington Post article about the exciting new cyclist joining this year's ride, then bookmark this blog for daily updates on everything from the state of my calf muscles, ice cream stops and flat tire counts to how Dr. Wu likes his PB&J and how quickly his lab will halt HIV.

Post your thoughts & questions for the lab team as blog post comments or message me on Facebook or Twitter, where @AIDSRider GG (that's me) will tweet along with the entire cast of NYCDC AIDS Research Ride characters @AIDSRides.

As always, thanks for the support bringing us ever closer to a cure for AIDS.

Riding With, Once Again

2009-09-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

Tammie is jetting to the US Open as I type. No doubt, her suitcase contains a dozen cute tennis outfits, a good pair of sneakers, more than one autograph pen and absolutely no sunscreen. Though packed right next to that are her cycling shoes, 4 pair of bike shorts (3 borrowed from me) and just the right assortment of jerseys to keep her from getting strange biker tan lines. You see, right after finally getting to witness the US Open in person, my sister Tammie is joining me on the NYCDC AIDS Research Ride.

Lest you think my younger sister is merely a sun-worshipping autograph hound, it's important you know that without her influence a certain middle-aged mom of two young kids likely would not have gotten on a bicycle, let alone attempted a multi-day ride. In the late 90s, Tammie was the cyclist. She'd told me for years about her 2-3 day treks around the Puget Sound but that was something for the "recreation professional" in the family, not me. Then I saw a news blurb about a group of cyclists finishing a multi-day AIDS ride at our Nation's Capitol.

Tammie and I sandwiched our brother Bret in birth order. We'd lost Bret to AIDS earlier that year, so when I saw the news story, everything just clicked. I called Tammie immediately, saying I wanted to start riding with her, "One day an AIDS ride will come to our neighborhood and I want to be ready."

The following summer we rode a local MS150 for practice - on a 10-speed no less. Our primary goal was to finish each day on our bikes and not get swept in because we were too slow. We accomplished that and were pretty proud of our 10mph average too!

The very next summer, an AIDS ride came to our neck of the woods. Tammie & I rode together in the 1997 and 1998 Ride for a Reason, then the AIDS Vaccine Rides in Alaska (2000) and Montana (2001). Since then, Tammie plays tennis, cards, bunko, kayaks, sails, swims - you name it, she plays it - but I'm not sure the bike has touched the ground.

One of the reasons my fellow, active Puget Sound Riders chose to take it down a few notches and register for the shorter, flatter ride from NYC-DC this year was to draw back some of our teammates who'd been off their bikes for a while, including Tumblin' Tam - a nickname earned on the finish line of the 1998 Ride for a Reason.

I couldn't be happier she accepted the challenge and I'll be back to wearing this picture on my ride jersies, captioned,"Riding with and for Bret Granato
July 21, 1959 - May 5, 1995"

And to think we'll end this 4 day journey by pedaling together into the Nation's Capitol exactly how I'd been inspired 14yrs ago --- priceless!

Shiny Bright at Heart

2009-09-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

Something about pulling down the duffel and rummaging for Ziploc bags brings on the urge to polish my steed. So I did. Though unlike years past, it wasn't in preparation for packing. The bike I'll ride from NYC to DC next week is already on the east coast. For the first time in 7 AIDS rides and nearly 20,000 miles, Stellar will stay home.

Under the setting sun, I lovingly scrubbed the season's rainy road grime off her frame and chain, buffed every paint scratch and noted how the mylar decal held long past her shiny new sibling's. All polished and clean, she went to hang next to her California cousin, under Kyle's racing numbers as if they could influence her into faster speeds.

Stellar has plenty more miles left in her but will welcome a break, much like her rider welcomes next week's flatter, shorter ride. She'll be back with a vengeance early next season when there's a chance of rain in the forecast, snow beside the road and the warmth of early spring sun in the air. We may get a bit rusty but there'll be no packing it in for these ol' gals. Not while there's a battle left to be won.

Ferry training to Gig Harbor.

2009-08-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

40miles down, 25 (w/Tammie!) to go.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Scenes from Day 3- Red Day

2009-08-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Empire State AIDS Ride

Sign Virgin No More

2009-08-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Funny coming from someone who helped found and run a sign shop for 7 years but taking charge of route marking - in fact *any* crew job on an AIDS ride that doesn't involve a bike - is foreign to me.

Barry rode out with me today to get a headstart and perform some on the job training. Pictured is my first posting. Now I'll set the alarm for 4:30am and try to stay ahead of the pack all the way to Rochester.

Bike Takes a Ride

2009-08-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

CC rides atop the ESAR Prius to Niagara Falls where she'll take me by pedal power to mark the first 20 miles of the Empire State AIDS Ride.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

ESAR from a New View. Who Knew?

2009-08-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

The surprise was on me. All day I've been pinching myself as I packed up the bike, pulled out the duffel bag and tried to figure out what to pack for an AIDS Ride when not riding a bike. You see, it's not September so it's not time to bike NYC-DC but I got an offer I couldn't refuse...

Tomorrow morning I fly to NY to *crew* my 4th Empire State AIDS Ride. I'll be marking the route a half day ahead of the cyclists, 560 miles from Niagara Falls to Manhattan. Suppose after 10 AIDS rides on my bike, it was time to see the road from a new view. Won't you come along?

Follow my tweets @AIDSRiderGG or catch my Facebook posts but you need go no further than right here to catch the view from the front of the pack, where you'll rarely find me on a bike!

Rest of a Life

2009-08-05T11:25:00.001-07:00

When called in to review lab results with my doctor yesterday, I knew enough not to be scared but wasn’t prepared for a treatment that involved taking a pill every morning for the rest of my life. It gave me pause to consider today I’d wake to a new element in my morning routine and an ounce more empathy for those who endure far more every day just to keep living.

Bret kept his pills in a Batman head container. It once held candy and now was stuffed 3 times with the pills he took every day. The rest of his life was lengthened 3 years beyond initial expectations but still ended too soon.

15 years later, many with HIV need only a few – some just a single pill to hold the virus at bay. Their lives are extended but with no guarantee of long term results.

I’ll take my pill each morning knowing that something else will ultimately end my life and ride until Dr. Wu or some other innovative researcher perfects the pill that gives everyone affected with HIV similar expectations for the rest of their life too.

50 for 50

2009-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Bret would have been 50 today had AIDS not cut his life too short. Admittedly, it would have been fun to return the favor of lampooning my brother's milestone birthday to at least the level he'd have "celebrated" mine last summer but the fact that I can't won't stop me from celebrating.

On this day, I choose to celebrate my many HIV+ friends who are or will reach their 50th birthdays! They'll get to try out the latest wrinkle creams, fight to lower their cholesterol, lose their graying hair, bemoan their stiffening joints and celebrate every second of added life achieved by advancing HIV/AIDS treatments and therapies. Happy Birthday to YOU!

Consider today the day you make more birthdays possible with a $50 gift toward ending AIDS.

Footprints

2009-07-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Disappointed that the first lunar landing was scheduled to miss Bret's 10th birthday by only one day, Bret, Tammie, Becky and I kept up a steady stream of pleas for our new brother or sister to arrive on the day man first set foot on the moon. Alas, Steven was born as due in August and July 20, 1969 would make Granato family history for the single memory of rushing in from play to stare at the black and white scene of Neil Armstrong descending in slow motion down the ladder to step on the moon then staring at the glowing moon that night, quite sure we could see signs that "man was here".

Much has been said about Armstrong's script for that first step. Appropriate words for such a significant event yet they could only be spoken by one man. How often do we fail to take a step if it can't make a considerable difference - a "giant leap for mankind"? Leaps are noteworthy because they are rare, yet mankind can only progress in the direction of our dreams by the many small steps of many men and women. At the end of the road I walk we'll defeat AIDS. Where do you leave your footprint?

The Day the Music Died

2009-07-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

I plead guilty to watching the entire Michael Jackson memorial today with tears streaming down my face and it was good - the release that is. I avoided most of the media retrospectives throughout the week in an attempt to focus on my own memories of the man, his music and his impact on my life.

In the end, I’m glad his memorial spent a good deal of time on Michael Jackson, humanitarian. Media never focused on it much but if you paid attention to the music, it was easy to remember how his heart overflowed. Michael Jackson expected no less from the rest of us than to Heal the World.

So we must, but he could also make us dance! The magical combination perks me up in spin class and was central to a favorite story from my 2002 Breakthrough Ride.. Day 11 of 12 from Seattle to San Francisco, cycling a long, hilly stretch from Davis to Napa on a sweltering day. A crewmember asked what he could get me to make the ride more comfortable and I asked him to blare some tunes from the top of the next steep climb, maybe something from Michael Jackson. Several miles later I was well into the climb up Cardiac Hill when I heard it, oh so faintly at first but once I caught the beat, I too “Beat It” right to the top with a smile on my face.

The young man was amazed at the affect but not me. The Michael Jackson musical medley may have come to an abrupt end but I’m grateful for a robust playlist that continues to inspire my most challenging uphill climbs – to the top of a mountain, to defeat a disease, to end the discrimination and stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, to heal the world.

“Support My Cause” – A Poll

2009-06-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

The world is full of caring, compassionate people who commonly perform heroic feats far from the media spotlight but lately, “causes” seem to be moving to the foreground. Maybe it’s our new President’s community organizer background or perhaps we simply become more empathetic when our own health or well-being is threatened. Whatever the motivation, people are responding by picking up their torch and reaching out to others to do the same.

This blog is all about my cause, my motivation and my invitation to join. Now I want to hear from you. What motivates you to take up a cause?

Today’s inbox held an email from First lady Michelle Obama with an invitation to participate in a National Health Care Day of Service event near you. Did you click to attend?

Have you ever started a Facebook cause? Why? What do you hope to achieve through that application?

How do you respond when a Facebook friend invites me to join their cause? Do you join out of friendship or go further – read the cause home page? Add a comment? Recruit others? Make a donation?

My poll (top right) refers to the Facebook model but can apply to any appeal from friend or stranger to support a cause. Please take the poll, share your comments – anonymously or otherwise – and we’ll find out the answers together.

7/07/09: There just weren't enough "clicks" to make the poll statistically valid but results received showed that 100% would join when invited, 40% would pass it on or donate $$, another 40% would go no further and a few would get personally involved. Your comments continue to be welcome!

What if I Told You

2009-06-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

HIV was stopped in its tracks?

It was…very recently, in the small Virginia lab of Dr. Yuntao Wu, moving his research one step closer to clinical trials.

Dr. Wu’s research is innovative, his lab staff enthusiastic and they jumped a full year ahead in their timeline with proceeds from the 2008 inaugural NYCDC AIDS Research Ride.

Dr. Wu and his staff return this September to journey with me and 50 other cyclists from Manhattan to our Nation’s Capitol. When Day2, Inc. first discovered Dr. Wu, his lab needed only $200,000 to bridge their research needs while waiting to secure a much larger NIH grant. With your help, we’ll easily meet that goal.

Read this message on my blog for complete access to background links, pictures and updates throughout the year.

Many thanks for ALL your support of me and the cutting-edge HIV/AIDS research funded by this ride. YOU make the difference!

That Thing You Do

2009-06-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

Last December a friend emailed to ask if I wanted to ride Lifecycle with her this year. She’d recently lost her job and thought it’d be good to focus on something positive.

A few months earlier, my fellow Puget Sound Riders decided to ride NYCDC in 2009 but not before a lengthy discussion about fundraising in a depressed economy. Fundraising fear isn’t new. The topic comes up more often this year but the end result has changed. I’ve talked to a half dozen riders who considered their options and instead of shying away from the asking, came away more committed than ever to the cause. That’s not just AIDS riders.

More people than usual seem to be walking and swimming, running marathons, relays and triathlons. They’re raising money in memory of loved ones and complete strangers. They do it to fill empty days and empty souls. Mostly, they do it because they can.

People are giving. Volunteering is up. Young and old are doing what they can to make a difference. Maybe it doesn’t come in the form of $$ but certainly from the heart. Givers to my rides have held bake sales and car washes, hosted dinners and auctioned treasures, forwarded my emails asking friends to join in the giving. Some mail me stamps or a note of encouragement.

Giving hasn’t declined because we have less. We see a greater need and choose to give more…because we can.

The Path to New Beginnings

2009-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Too bad most beginnings require something to end, and in my experience, the most rewarding ventures spring from the most painful endings. One could easily get trapped in the chicken & egg conundrum on this topic but suffice it to say, we humans simply can’t take on more without leaving something behind and when forced into an end, the healthiest move is to find a new beginning.

So that’s what I’ve been up to lately – living it, instead of writing about it. To bring you up to speed, in 2005 I accepted a job in Santa Clara, CA – only a few miles from my first west coast job decades ago. The opportunity was significant enough to buy an apartment and hop a 6am flight every Monday, returning on Friday afternoons. The adjustment was huge but my family & friends got in the groove soon enough.

With a self-imposed 4 year timeline, I’d initially hoped to keep my California life strictly professional. After all, it was hard enough to leave my friends when we moved from the state in 1993 and I wasn’t interested in repeating that heartache with new ones. Of course, those of you laughing hardest right now know that resolve lasted about 2 weeks! But I have no regrets.

The experience allowed me some greatly missed face time with old friends and family and exposed me to an incredibly bright, hard-working, earnest and fun group of people who valiantly ride the fast-paced, turbulent Silicon Valley wave from one change to the next with dignity and flair, in the office, at the gym, and yes, even on a bicycle. If it weren’t for the regular 6am spinners at Gold’s Gym and my many after work and weekend ride buddies, I’d have never been prepared for my last 4 rides and I’m happy to have had a couple of them join the AIDS ride effort.

Last week, after 50 months, right on schedule though not quite as planned, the job came to an end. I bought a one-way ticket to San Jose and spent the week cleaning and packing and saying good-bye. It was as wonderful to laugh over memories as it was heartbreaking to stop making them, yet beneath it all echoes the promise of a new beginning.

It’s been stirring for some time and the high cost of this ending seems the surest signal it’s time for “the next big thing”. You’ll be the first to know.

In gratitude for the mighty blessings that consistently move us thru painful endings to new beginnings, this post in particular is dedicated to the memory of my brother, Bret.
July 21, 1959 - May 5, 1995

The High Price of Misjudgement

2009-04-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

My mind blocked out many details of the painful day my brother told me he had AIDS but one of his comments comes to mind over and over again. Bret made it clear that he didn’t want us wearing AIDS ribbons and that he would certainly never wear one. When I asked why, he simply stated “people assume you’re gay”.

In my opinion, the most insidious plague on humanity really isn’t HIV or cancer, poverty or global warming. The most destructive of all is stigma. If humans can’t get past what is socially acceptable, politically correct or morally valued, there can never be a cure or comprehensive solution to any problem.

Stigma - an attribute, behavior, or reputation which is socially discrediting in a particular way: it causes an individual to be mentally classified by others in an undesirable, rejected stereotype rather than in an accepted, normal one.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of viewing the entire clip of Susan Boyle's performance on Britain's Got Talent, I encourage you to do it now. This amazing 7 min. exercise will test your own tolerance for stigma, and if you come up lacking, I hope it rattles you enough to consider things differently in the future.

Since that first red loop of the early 90s, awareness ribbons can now be seen in every color of the rainbow, drawing attention to various health and social issues, political and military causes. In honor of Bret, the ribbon I’ve worn on my wrist for the last 13 years has no color. It forces people to stop and ask. When I can tell them face to face that I wear the ribbon to represent my fight against AIDS it’s that much easier to get past the stigma and on to the more vital message it represents.

Happy Birthday Dunc!

2009-04-13T11:34:00.001-07:00

A tribute to good times and the best memories...

"Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold"

Happy birthday to the most golden friend Bret or I ever had, long before hitting our golden years.

An Easter People

2009-04-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

This Easter morning, I woke with a memory that sat with me like an unfinished story.

Several months ago, I set out to share a personal story of life with HIV in 21st century America. In a time and place where HIV can be diagnosed early and treatments are more effective, I’d thought it would shed a hopeful light on an otherwise bleak topic. The story a friend agreed to share began exactly that way – more than 15 years of careful treatment and proper nutrition had brought the HIV to undetectable levels in his body.

He stressed the importance of early detection and relentless protection but as the topic turned to eradicating the virus all together, this man who’s as close as a brother to me said something completely unexpected. He believes the government purposely released HIV into undesirable populations, specifically African-Americans and the gay population. I’d heard this Conspiracy Theory but never a compelling reason to consider it seriously and wouldn’t in this interview either, but it bothered me that this intelligent man I dearly loved would feel so betrayed.

This morning’s Easter message put the pieces together. Quite simply, it’s no mystery a gay, black man would feel persecuted. Easter is the story of life-saving grace overcoming the darkness of death, not only in the way He died but in the way Jesus lived. Sadly, our world will continue to cast out and persecute, but as Easter people we are called to continue the work Jesus modeled, to bring hope and healing to the dark places in our world. How will we write the end of this story?

Refocusing the Home Field

2009-04-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

This morning I handed a card to a fellow cyclist describing the AIDS ride I’m doing this year. Her response, “You don’t hear much about AIDS anymore”. The glass half full side of me thinks that’s progress. Two years ago the response was more likely to be “AIDS? Isn’t that cured?”

Last Saturday I rode my bike for the first time in 4 months. Despite thousands of odometer miles, it took about 5 more to remember how to shift my gears. Shifting comes as natural as breathing so long as I’m riding week after week, but a few months out of mind had put it out of focus. Keep HIV/AIDS out of mind long enough and the message can get so out of focus it’s no longer believed to be a problem.

In the last decade, I’ve witnessed a growing American awareness for AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, education campaigns across India, increased funding for the Global AIDS Fund; we buy, carry and wear (RED) but what does it mean in our own neighborhoods? In our own families and social circles? Last month’s news out of DC is the most startling evidence that the HIV prevention message must be loud, must remain effective and must, above all, be persistent.

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced their plan to “attack complacency" and “put HIV/AIDS back on the nation’s radar screen”. The planned spend of $45 million over five years is the ounce of prevention needed to refocus this nation on protecting itself from the still fatal and costly ravages of AIDS.

You signed on for a National AIDS Strategy call to action. You made this difference. Thank you!

Severe Epidemic HIV Rates in Our Own Backyard

2009-03-16T21:47:00.001-07:00

Most AIDS rides are intentionally routed through small towns and rural areas. Rider safety is one, but not the only reason. Most HIV/AIDS services are concentrated in large cities where subway stops, park benches and city buses are frequently plastered with safe-sex messages reminding us that HIV is still alive and deadly.

Stands to reason the greatest need for HIV/AIDS awareness would lie outside these cities. Sunday's Washington Post headline proves HIV rarely stands to reason when it revealed at least 3% of the residents of our national's capitol have HIV or AIDS.

"Our rates are higher than West Africa," said Shannon L. Hader, director of the District's HIV/AIDS Administration, who once led the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's work in Zimbabwe. "They're on par with Uganda and some parts of Kenya."

The DC data is pretty equally spread across all modes of transmission and indicates a smattering of stigma and ignorance compounded by a lag in prioritized attention.

The NYCDC AIDS Research Ride doesn't enter Washington, DC via the scenic, well-travelled route. We ride, and even walk, through some of the more sketchy neighborhoods on our way to Capitol Hill. We'll ride into Washington, DC again on September 13. It's just one day, and a simple message, but one that needs to be heard unceasingly, until there's a cure.

An Off Season

2009-03-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

“Spring” forward the clock with a forecast of snow got me thinking of so many other paradoxes of the past few months – the world’s economy in the toilet, a historic new President, a jet makes a safe river landing and another simply falls from the sky; do I have a job today and will we still be in business tomorrow? Good or bad, things feel “off”.

How does it make you feel? Have we ever been so called to constant collective reflection? Thanks in large part to what I’ve observed in others, I’m learning to welcome that daily check-in to my psyche. Peel away the anxiety, fear and loss of control to find I’m invigorated, inspired and determined to not only keep my head above water but to hold my neighbor up too.

All this came to mind while writing about the start of a new biking season which, for the 11th year, begins in early March and ends in a late summer AIDS ride. My off-season activities have evolved over time but the annual process is really quite unchanged. I allowed myself one of those daily reflections to consider how events of this “off" season might impact my ride plans.

I invite you to read the results then share your comments about how we can best help ourselves AND the most vulnerable among us to get through this off season and back on the road.