That Infamous Day 2

Ever wonder why your ESAR donation is made out to “Day 2 Inc”?
Let me take you back to 2000 and the second day of the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride on the road from Fairbanks to Anchorage…

Waking to the sound of rain overhead, my mouth opened in expletives long before my eyes, which opened quite wide upon peering out the tent flap. Not rain but great heavy, icy flakes of snow which might be expected when camped next to a glacier. Getting as far from it as possible seemed the best plan so bundled up as Seattle cyclists know best, the Puget Sound Riders ventured out for a wet ride.

Pedaling warmed us enough to enjoy the novelty of rain/sleet turning to snow – enough to stop for a quick picture and spot a spirited team pass by singing 60s cartoon theme songs – but 25 miles in, the first rest stop looked like a refuge camp.

Shivering cyclists huddled in U-Haul trucks waiting a turn to spend a few minutes warming in one bus while another started the day-long task of shuttling riders & bikes the 50miles to camp. Drying out on that bus, watching the huddled masses grow, and knowing the best way to keep warm was to keep moving, I headed back into the cold.

Over 1000 cyclists started out on their bikes that 2nd day of 6 and only about 100 pedaled the entire 75 miles into camp. There was little logic in who made it into that elite group that day. Seasoned cyclists were humbled, strong ones were broken and weaker riders remain in awe of having been so lucky to have a spare polar fleece & a drying tailwind carry them the distance.

Analogies to the indiscrimination of AIDS and the suffering wrought by HIV were inevitable. No one who was there that day 2 would ever forget it, including Marty Rosen & the man who would become her husband, part of that happy crew of cartoon crooners who would go on to found the Empire State AIDS Ride.

Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride 2000

P.S. The following year, many AAVR veterans would cross the Continental Divide in a driving sleet storm on Day 2 of the Montana AIDS Vaccine Ride. The Day 2 spell was broken the next year when my Breakthrough Ride Day 2 dawned in fog that faded into nothing but sunshine from Centralia, Washington to Portland, Oregon.

-bike saddle photo by teammate Paul Morse

Day 2- I've Got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

73.15mi 5.40hrs. 37.7max

Fell asleep and woke to the loudest thunderstorms I've ever heard but the tent stayed dry and skies were clear by morning. The forecast called for intermittent showers so after yesterday's deluge, Marty suggested a trick learned on Alaska's infamous Day 2 (see earlier post). She spent the morning wrapping feet in Vaseline and Saran Wrap. I used my own secret weapon from that same day - Ziploc bags! It worked. My feet stayed warm and dry.

The forecast was accurate and I'm sticking by my story that the reason I took an extra hour this year was from multiple clothing changes all day long. The sun was shining at every rest stop, including the afternoon gazebo rest stop on Lake Geneva, and at camp on the shores of Lake Seneca.

One of the highlights of Day 2 dining is the mobile homemade ice cream that magically appears after a terrific meal. Peach Cobbler, mmmmmmm!

ESAR Day 2: Rochester - Sampson State Park, Romulus

Day 2 Defies Reputation

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.

Red Badge of Courage

The summer of 2001 I was still a novice cyclist, preparing for my longest ride to date. Since we would cross the Continental Divide on Day 2 of the 7 day ride across Montana for HIV/AIDS vaccine research, a friend and volunteer coach (who more than earned the moniker “The General”) insisted we train by riding over Blewett Pass. It took a lot of red vines to coax me over that mountain pass under the hot, hot sun so you can bet they’ll be in my jersey pocket tomorrow whether it’s 90 degrees or a traditional Day 2 kinda day. 

Tomorrow's Day 2 ride is dedicated to the acts of courage pervasive in the second decade of AIDS in the world. Ryan White, the young hemophiliac banned from public school when diagnosed, lost his fight with AIDS in 1990. The young man had put such a human face on AIDS stigma in a time when services were so desperately needed that Congress soon after passed the Ryan White Care Act. Although it has struggled to survive numerous budget cuts, the Ryan White Care Act continues to this day to make help available to persons affected by HIV.

Princess Diana held an AIDS baby and the world watched. Then she dedicated her very public life to AIDS advocacy.

At the 1992 Republican National Convention, Mary Fisher, an HIV-positive woman, admonished her party for their negligence in the face of the growing HIV and AIDS epidemic:

“We have killed each other with our ignorance, our prejudice, and our silence. We may take refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks. Are you human? ” -Mary Fisher

The FDA approved several new drugs found to be helpful when combined into individually customized “drug cocktails” for those with AIDS but they offered little help to those infected with HIV but not yet showing symptoms of AIDS. I have personal experience with the heroes of this scenario. Most had cheated death once upon receiving their AIDS diagnosis so were grateful for the extra months – maybe a few years – and the quality of life improvement offered by combination drug therapy but they knew a cure was out of their reach. They offered their bodies for every possible human trial, carried pamphlets to friends and public places to advocate for safe sex and HIV testing, told their story and fought to their dying day that others could avoid their fate. My brother, Bret, was one of these heroes, as were several others whose example we seek to carry on – Peter Harding, Donald David Fehrenbach, Phil Zwickler – but theirs are only a few of the very many acts of courage in this period of AIDS history.

With gratitude to the Avert AIDS Timeline for reminding us of the many heroes fighting through the peaks and valleys to make AIDS history.

Top 10 Continues

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.
  

Day 4 Remembered

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 2 - A Day at the Beach

82.5mi. 6hrs

Blogging delayed tonight when I happened on a fascinating campside conversation between fellow rider (Barry) and Dr. Wu, our ride beneficiary. For the next hour, Dr. Wu and one of his newest lab assistants, Mark, patiently and enthusiastically answered our many questions about HIV, AIDS, the work currently underway and planned by his lab, accelerated by the proceeds from this ride. I find it outstanding (and unprecedented) that Dr. Wu, his wife, daughter, and entire lab staff are participating on this ride - staffing rest stops, setting up tents & marking the route, with the Wu family personally serving us lunch each day. I have no doubt he'd shake each donor's hand to personally thank you if he could. I look forward to sharing more of what I've learned in future postings.

As for today's ride, it rained all night and we had a puddle in the tent but dawned dry and stayed that way. In fact, it got hot! The terrain was flat though the wind was at our face. The pine barrens gave way to marshlands as we neared the coast. Our PM rest stop was at a butterfly and migratory bird sanctuary but the best part of all came at about 75miles, arriving at Cape May lighthouse and the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to Theresa's lead and reminder we only had 5 more miles to camp, I plunged into the warm water! All was right with the world.

More pictures from Day 2

Unfinished Business

We’re late for our plane but have to rush back for the pamphlets. People need to know! – December 1994

Bret put a massive effort into educating everyone he knew and testing every new treatment introduced in those most desperate early days in the fight against HIV/AIDS, though it saddens me to think he’d never realize the difference he made. Instead, Bret died talking about what more he could have done if not for laws or stigma or a simple lack of time. Perhaps why I feel so compelled to keep HIV/AIDS in my sights, why I’m humbly grateful for the lives saved by your donations and why every ride is a victory yet each falls short of the finish line.

Today is the last day of 2017, an important time to look back on what we accomplished together this year to move closer to an AIDS-free world before turning attention to what is yet undone. In May, the AIDS Vaccine 200 was abbreviated by a massive rainstorm that started as I finished the first 100 miles of day one and cancelled day 2. The bus ride back to Atlanta began in the somber way of any unfinished goal until every rider was struck by the realization of a goal had already been achieved. These 100 cyclists raised a record $358,500 to continue HIV/AIDS vaccine research and support. You contributed to that record before a single cyclist had pedaled one mile from Emory University!

The Fred Hutch Obliteride in August had less dramatic weather (for 2-day riders) and more dramatic climbs of every kind with several hundred cyclists stretching themselves to work harder, raise more money and push immunotherapy closer to defeating cancer and HIV/AIDS - $2,800,000 closer!

Ending AIDS is my unfinished business but unlike Bret, I’m blessed by hindsight stretching back many years that involved thousands more people than miles and I can see how every contribution, large and small, has saved lives and is bringing us closer to ending AIDS. Thank you for being there in my rear-view mirror, for reading this message year after year and believing that AIDS will one day be history, like 2017.

Day 4 - Beasts of Burden

57mi. 5.4hrs. 42mph max. 1vertical mile of climbing

Some do it but you won't find me hauling panniers of equipment on my bike for hundreds of miles and I don't have to either, thanks to our volunteer crew.

On this ride we have the equivalent of 1 volunteer for each rider assigned to a variety of critical teams keeping riders healthy, safe and on the road. Teammates Lisa & Carson begin each day at 4:30am posting signs to mark the way along the route. Another pair of ARI Breakthrough Riders, Liz & Beau, drive the food truck, supplying breakfast and dinner in camp, lunch on the road and the rest stop teams - morning and afternoon. Riders are checked in and out of each daily stop to account for each one. Between stops there are 4 teams of drivers - 2 per car, including Mary & Linda A - who travel back & forth along their assigned section of riders, carrying extra supplies and stopping at critical points to help with traffic, provide encouragement and cheer panting riders at the top of a long, hard climb.

We have a medical crew of 4 who tirelessly wrap, massage and treat ever ache and pain all day long and well into the evening, along with 2 technicians performing similar treatment for our bikes - in camp and mobile.

Unseen during the day but whose work is most appreciated is our camp crew, including Kyle, Caitlin, Michael and Randy from our team. We break down our tents each morning and cart our gear to their truck. The camp crew then takes down all the common area canopies, clears the camp and drives all that gear to the next overnight spot. Then they set it all up again, pitch every one of our 50 tents, putting the luggage inside.

These people voluntarily spend each day serving riders' every need with a gracious heart and never a complaint. People think it's amazing that we riders can cycle so long and hard each day but I never met a rider who didn't think the job of any crewmember was equally difficult if not more so.

Three cheers for the real workhorses of the ESAR!

ESAR Day 4: Chenango to Bear Spring Mountain Campground, Downsville

This I Believe - 20th Anniversary Edition

“This we believe: One day every man, woman and child will live in a world without HIV/AIDS. Until that day comes we ride together – with hope for all.”          -AV200 10th anniversary motto

Until that day comes… Is why I’m asking you again to make a generous contribution to my annual fundraising drive to move Emory Vaccine Center further down the road to ending HIV/AIDS. Thanks to the tenacity of every donor, doctor, teacher, scientist, care-giver, activist, clinician and advocate, new HIV infection rates are falling and the infected are adding more, healthier years to their lives. So much progress has been made in the 35 years since HIV burst onto the scene that it’s tempting to feel “that day” has arrived. Alas…

Every man, woman and child... Look closely at the data and you’ll see progress centering around those privileged to receive comprehensive sex education, have affordable healthcare, and access to testing and treatment without fear of losing their job, their freedom, their family and support system due to the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. It matters to me that progress is available to everyone, everywhere and it’s too easy to politicize that possibility away. The ultimate solution is an HIV vaccine and a cure for those already infected. Until that day comes, I’ll show up at the gym at 5am, haul my bike through baggage claim, pull on spandex and pedal, pedal, pedal. More importantly, I’ll peddle the same goal to you.

This year I’ll respond to our unstable political environment by doubling my efforts and hope you’ll do the same. Next month I’ll take on those 200 miles out of Atlanta in solidarity with Action Cycling Atlanta in their 15th annual AIDS Vaccine 200 for HIV/AIDS research at Emory Vaccine Center. At summer’s end, I’ll cycle closer to home in the 2-day Obliteride in support of Fred Hutchison cancer research. The Hutch and EVC are close partners in their drive to end HIV/AIDS and are leveraging cancer treatments to teach the immune system to fight HIV. A win against cancer is a won HIV battle and vice versa.

Both rides spend more than a weekend spotlighting attention on innovative research, commitment to collaboration and sincere appreciation for every penny of every donation raised by ordinary people with extraordinary expectations. I respect that your giving decisions may be as challenging as a long slog up a steep hill in a torrential downpour. I also respect the challenge of HIV. Your contribution, small or large, to either or both rides, makes a difference. Every dollar raised to help scientists explore new ideas can be turned into $14-$16 dollars in federal funding to carry that idea forward. Federal funding is no longer as reliable as your generosity. Let’s do what we can to maintain progress toward that day when we all live in a world without HIV.

Time to Double Down

Day 2, Inc., non-profit producer of the Empire State AIDS Ride, is contracted to distribute 82% of donated funds directly to their beneficiaries. That's a phenomenal return for any fundraising event! It's important to me that you get the highest return on your investment which is why I so strongly support the Day 2 Inc. AIDS rides.

Because I ride on a beneficiary team, the ARI Breakthrough Riders, 82% of your donation is guaranteed to be delivered straight to the Breakthrough Fund of the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! Your donation to the ARI Breakthrough Riders could actually be worth more than double the $$ out of your pocket!

Double your donation right away by taking advantage of your company matching program - Motorola, Microsoft, Nintendo, AT&T and many more are happy to chip in when you do!

Next, encourage your friends to donate because the more $$ raised by our team, the more our team total is worth to the ARI. Watch our team total climb over $38,500 and the ARI also gets a share of $$ raised by riders not affiliated with any beneficiary team. If our total reaches $60,000, the ARI gets an even larger share! In the end, your donation could be worth double or even triple to the breakthrough science going on in San Francisco right now! Read about just one of the projects your 2007 donations helped fund.

Now make a donation, check for a company match, then invite your friends to get in on the fun. ACT NOW and I'll throw in all the pedaling!

Riding With, Once Again

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!

Day 6 -Extremely ESAR

79mi. 6.5hrs. 37mph max. 3.1mph min.

The first 3/4 of today were stunning in every way. We rode through some spectacular countryside, past a huge horse farm, down quiet rural lanes and even directly thru the grounds of a correctional facility.

In the mix was a trip 6miles up and thru the "Gunks", pictured here behind me on the way down at 973' and the view from the bottom.

Should have known it'd get ugly when we were held back at the afternoon stop while checking the direction of a passing thunderstorm. 20min later we were riding in the rain. It rained hard and was a sloppy mess thru the afternoon hills and when the lightning kicked up again 7mi from camp, we were pulled off the road to wait a while longer on the steps of an old church - with a quite clean port-a-potty no less!

Back on the road in the rain again and trying to gear up for the last 1.75mi hill into camp but without much energy left to do it. This hill was like none I've ever climbed. Teammate Scotty noted a 23% grade at one point and it was never less than 17-19%. Jon noted that our switchback approach easily turned it into a 3mi hill and when you throw in the pouring rain and slick streets, well it's no wonder that the last 15 riders came into camp with eyes wide, mouths gaping, stripped off the wet gear and headed straight for a hot shower, grateful again for a night indoors on a soft mattress.

This was indeed the most extreme day on the ESAR and pulls a very close 2nd to my Alaska Ride Day 2 experience. But at the very toughest moments I have only to think of how much worse it could be for someone with an AIDS diagnosis and the pedals keep turning.

ESAR Day 6: Sullivan Community College - Black Rock Forest

Top 10 of ALC10 – Red (Dress) Day

**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.

Watery Alaska

Eight years ago this month, the worst weather on the inaugural Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride was a nasty little sleet/snow storm on Day 2. This year we might not have gotten out of Fairbanks for the water from flooding rivers throughout the state as it seems to have rained the entire month of July.

So you gotta know that mother-love is the best when yours calls to wish you a happy birthday and apologizes for being distracted by a little flood.

You see, Mom was evacuated from her rural Fairbanks home late Thursday night by canoe, along with her dog and 1 bag of belongings to a safe haven on dry land. Having learned to deal with much worse in her 20+ years in the state, she was savvy enough to flood the giant, empty oil tank that could have lifted her house off its foundation had it "floated" and park her cars on higher ground. She's taking it in stride, actually hoping the river rose just 1 more inch so she could get some new flooring out of the deal. In a couple hours, she'll canoe back in to see how it's going.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Suddenly, the strength & endurance it takes this 50 yr old to ride 560 miles doesn't seem like such a big feat at all. Go Mom!

Pics appeared on the front page of the Friday & Saturday Fairbanks News Miner, including Mom's garage and the home of the friend (Barbara) who canoed Mom out and is taking her back in this afternoon.

Day 4 - The End is More than a Beginning

40mi

It's really too bad the Maryland DOT won't allow bikes on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (NOT!) leaving 2 choices - load bikes & cyclists into vehicles or load bikes and put the cyclists on a 50' yacht ride to Annapolis with a little detour past the Naval Academy. Felt like quite an indulgence but also a nice cool break from pedaling.

Once in Annapolis, we took in a few hills through the last part of Maryland, entering DC from the NE. George Mason University staff, cheerleaders, and mascot cheered us to the finish line then fed us lunch at RFD Washington Brewhouse. Dr. Wu graciously thanked riders & crew noting we were working toward a mutual goal that would be carried into their lab tomorrow, bringing us one day closer to ending AIDS.

Thank you for your part in that mutual effort!

More pictures from Day 4

#IOU100miles

As you read this, I’ll be prepping to finish the second half of the AIDS Vaccine 200. That’s right, 3 weeks and 3,000 miles from the first half! Those 100 miles across the Georgia countryside started out warm and muggy and heated up steadily from there. By the time we reached our Rock Eagle overnight, lightning strikes and a threatening forecast led to the inevitable early morning decision to cancel Day 2 and safely bus riders and crew back to Atlanta. Disappointment turned to determination on that school bus as cyclists planned their make-up rides. Mine is tomorrow when I take on the Flying Wheels 100-mile route through the three-river valley in my own backyard. It may be 3,000 miles from Atlanta but the route is equally long, rural and hilly, past pungent dairy farms, over and along rivers and valleys. The weather will cooler but it will be muggy. Lightning is forecast for late afternoon.

Stay tuned for the AV200 epilogue…

Ready, Set...

Most days in my cycling calendar are filled with thoughts of those who could have benefited, do and will take advantage of HIV/AIDS services, vaccine and cure research for which I ride and of each generous contributor to this annual journey. Today, however, another group is top o' mind.

Immediately after publishing this post, I'll put in a full day at the office finishing the presentation due mere hours after returning home. Between meetings, I'll check off and add to my packing list then my evening will be spent surrounded in spandex, bike gear, sleeping bag (don't forget the pillow!), sunscreen, ibuprofen and where did I put that box of 2 gallon ziplock bags?!

On this packing day before yet another AIDS ride, my thoughts are full of others who know this dance all too well, including my sister Tammie who technically titled this post as it's her favorite means of moving a crowd from one fun event to the next and got me hooked on this bicycle thing in the first place. She is but one of hundreds of people I know (and thousands more I never met) who dedicated months to training and fundraising to agonize over the logistics of getting bike and unusual vacation gear to the starting line. What will get me through this day (as it always does) is the memory and complete confidence that I will see you soon (in person or spirit) with a smile on your face, ready to ride!

Day 2 - PM stop

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

Day 2 - Cape May