The scene at the LA Vets Center was a joyous party. We were cheered on the streets and as we road to the finish line. We cheered the riders that came after us, we cheered the Roadies for all their hard work in supporting us, and we cheered ourselves.
This morning, we broke camp for the last time. The Great Tribe will disperse and merge once again into the world's societies and their common experience be hidden among their minds, largely invisible to the Others. We ranged from 18 to 83 in age, we ate 44,600 eggs, 1,200 pounds of pasta, burned an average of 3,410 calories each a day, used 16,800 gallons of water. We go back to our 41 respective states and 12 countries. And we will never be the same.
I thank you for all your kind words, emotional and financial support. The victory lap I rode today was for all of us.......
P.S. 545 miles without a flat tire and I'm standing with bike in hand at the closing ceremony and bang, the front tube blows as I listen to Jane Lynch (the lesbian a tress that plays Sue Sylvester on The TV show Glee) inspire the huge gathered crowd of riders, roadies, friends and families with her heart felt words. I am indeed blessed, it was the front tire and I am (just) through with this journey.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Day 6: Lompoc to Ventura 86 miles
Today we rode through the hills to the coast. We watched dolphins swimming north as we sat on the cliff above the sea at our morning rest stop. The community of Santa Barbara served us a wonderful array of ice creams and toppings along our route. We danced en masse at our afternoon rest stop. And along the way, I thought about the gift and the power of empathy.
The gift of listening and communicating to someone that you care and are in touch with what they are feeling. That at that moment when they need it mostthe rise is at least one person who is connected to them, like a land line they can hang onto and pull themselves up. The power of empathy goes beyond just the help it gives those who receive it, the power of empathy extends to the giver, for they too are strengthened by the giving. They too get the strength of the connection that is forged in the moment they let go of themselves and the two souls reached out toward one another.
Tomorrow, we have been warned, will be especially tough on the first year's. We have lived for a week in this traveling utopia on earth, where people express their unconditional caring and empathy every day to people they don't even know. Where people ask "How was your ride today?", and really want to know. Where their first impulse is to help you, to let you go first, and invite you to join them. Tomorrow night at this time, that world will be just a memory, something that we cannot explain to our other world friends. Lorri Jean says we must try to spread the spirit ALS during the coming year. And change the world, one act, one person at a time. So that next year, when once again the riders come together, that humanity is better able to deal with the challenges of our time. And we as individuals, are further on our way.
The gift of listening and communicating to someone that you care and are in touch with what they are feeling. That at that moment when they need it mostthe rise is at least one person who is connected to them, like a land line they can hang onto and pull themselves up. The power of empathy goes beyond just the help it gives those who receive it, the power of empathy extends to the giver, for they too are strengthened by the giving. They too get the strength of the connection that is forged in the moment they let go of themselves and the two souls reached out toward one another.
Tomorrow, we have been warned, will be especially tough on the first year's. We have lived for a week in this traveling utopia on earth, where people express their unconditional caring and empathy every day to people they don't even know. Where people ask "How was your ride today?", and really want to know. Where their first impulse is to help you, to let you go first, and invite you to join them. Tomorrow night at this time, that world will be just a memory, something that we cannot explain to our other world friends. Lorri Jean says we must try to spread the spirit ALS during the coming year. And change the world, one act, one person at a time. So that next year, when once again the riders come together, that humanity is better able to deal with the challenges of our time. And we as individuals, are further on our way.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
ALC Day 5: Santa Maria to Lompopc
Lying alone in my tent, I can hear the shower trucks drone in the distance and human voices whispering their goodnights. Today was "Dress is Red/Wear a Red Dress" Day, and the red line we made on the riding up through the hills was a simple inspiring image that stayed with me all day. Red costumes ranged from subtle to outrageous and every rider added to our shared color. It was designed to be a celebratory, fun day and that it was from the early morning dress up, the roll out of Santa Maria, the fans that came out to cheer us on along the city streets, the wacky rest stops, the hilarious jokes during the after dinner program to the acts during the Variety Show on the stage of the Big Tent that I just walked back from.
Before lunch, I had to pull over during a low blood sugar spell and immediately a Queen came over and gave me some food and a plastic chili pepper necklace to wear. Later, I rode behind one woman pushing another with a hand as they ascended a big hill, both dressed in Red costumes. There were 2 others who pulled branches off a tree to sweep glass off the road for us, there were local folks who handed us great tasting strawberries which we took from their hands and gave thanks as we rolled on by. There is always someone here to get your back. Someone you don't even know, and probably won't see again. Someone who is crazy and real like you. Someone who inspires you to be the one for the next one of us that needs help.
Before lunch, I had to pull over during a low blood sugar spell and immediately a Queen came over and gave me some food and a plastic chili pepper necklace to wear. Later, I rode behind one woman pushing another with a hand as they ascended a big hill, both dressed in Red costumes. There were 2 others who pulled branches off a tree to sweep glass off the road for us, there were local folks who handed us great tasting strawberries which we took from their hands and gave thanks as we rolled on by. There is always someone here to get your back. Someone you don't even know, and probably won't see again. Someone who is crazy and real like you. Someone who inspires you to be the one for the next one of us that needs help.
ALC Day 4 Paso Robles to Santa Maria
ALC Day 4 Paso Robles to Santa Maria
We reqched the half way point today. Today I realized the biggest personal reason I have to be on this ride: to be part of something greater than myself. This village where
strangers care enough about you to have your back every minute, on the road and in camp, where people are polite, and with sense of humor, kindly correct my poor manners and judgement errors, this is whee I need to be. There is an excitement every day when the tents go up, like a native American pow wow, the meeting of the people to reunite as one tribe. Despite and maybe because of the fact that we come from 41 states and 11 countries, than our donations are split between north and south, we are eager to make new friends and strengthen the bonds that bind us as one.
to quote a friend, "I don't care what their religion is, Just as long as they are good people. These are good people and I am honored to be part of this wonder our migration south........
We reqched the half way point today. Today I realized the biggest personal reason I have to be on this ride: to be part of something greater than myself. This village where
strangers care enough about you to have your back every minute, on the road and in camp, where people are polite, and with sense of humor, kindly correct my poor manners and judgement errors, this is whee I need to be. There is an excitement every day when the tents go up, like a native American pow wow, the meeting of the people to reunite as one tribe. Despite and maybe because of the fact that we come from 41 states and 11 countries, than our donations are split between north and south, we are eager to make new friends and strengthen the bonds that bind us as one.
to quote a friend, "I don't care what their religion is, Just as long as they are good people. These are good people and I am honored to be part of this wonder our migration south........
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
ALC Day 3 King City to Paso Robles
ALC Day 3 King City to Paso Robles
link to pictures I didn't take from the ALC ride:
aidslifecycle.org/experience
Today we rode through wide open rolling hills of pasture land and vineyards. I took it slower because the was no tailwind, and I was in a more contemplative mood. I thought about the people who make the ride possible and how much like a village we are. Every morning there are people who prepare and serve our food, there is a daily newsletter, "The Daily Spin", waiting for us to read while we eat in a huge tent at tables other people have set up. Volunteers also guide us out of camp and at all turns on our day's route. Others take down and clean up the camp site after we leave. They set up and 'man' five rest stops. There are the "Motos" who patrol the route on their motorcycles, there are the medics, mechanics, an AV crew for our nightly shows and the Roadies that never fail to boost our spirits throughout the day at the rest stops, but especially in the afternoon, with their great costumes. when we get to camp, our bags have been unloaded by the truck drivers, and a new camp village setup with huge banks of port-a-pottys, and 8 shower trucks. There is also a Shabbat service, a Step Meeting, Yoga classes, a camp store, Text alerts, we're Facebook and Twitter and multiple websites, we have a Variety Show and our own daily Top 10 List. All this and more is organized and runs smoothly. Lastly, there is the wonderful friendly, helpful spirit and good humor of 2500 riders. And it all works. every day.
link to pictures I didn't take from the ALC ride:
aidslifecycle.org/experience
Today we rode through wide open rolling hills of pasture land and vineyards. I took it slower because the was no tailwind, and I was in a more contemplative mood. I thought about the people who make the ride possible and how much like a village we are. Every morning there are people who prepare and serve our food, there is a daily newsletter, "The Daily Spin", waiting for us to read while we eat in a huge tent at tables other people have set up. Volunteers also guide us out of camp and at all turns on our day's route. Others take down and clean up the camp site after we leave. They set up and 'man' five rest stops. There are the "Motos" who patrol the route on their motorcycles, there are the medics, mechanics, an AV crew for our nightly shows and the Roadies that never fail to boost our spirits throughout the day at the rest stops, but especially in the afternoon, with their great costumes. when we get to camp, our bags have been unloaded by the truck drivers, and a new camp village setup with huge banks of port-a-pottys, and 8 shower trucks. There is also a Shabbat service, a Step Meeting, Yoga classes, a camp store, Text alerts, we're Facebook and Twitter and multiple websites, we have a Variety Show and our own daily Top 10 List. All this and more is organized and runs smoothly. Lastly, there is the wonderful friendly, helpful spirit and good humor of 2500 riders. And it all works. every day.
Monday, June 6, 2011
ALC Day 2 Santa Cruz to King City
I was a little concerned about today's ride months ago when I discovered it was the longest of the trip at 107 miles. I have ridden a 100 miles on a couple occasions and both times I bonked. As it turned out, controlling my blood sugar was not a problem at all. I was in line to get my bike at 7:15 am, but the line was very long, and it was 8am before Ieven got out of Harvey West Park. Then the line of bikers backed up at all the traffic lights so badly, that I didn't get to Aptos until 9:45 and I began to wonder if I would make it to King City before dark! But the storm that brought last night's rain blew away, and the wind once more came from the NW. And what a wind it was! 20-30 mph, it propelled us south at great speeds. After you reach 20mph on a bike, something happens where the b Ike lifts as though ready to take off. I spend much of the afternoon in this state of 'light speed'. I arrived in camp at 6:15 and over dinner described riding today as being a Tour du France wannabe-- the speed we rode at in the high 20's through rolling vineyards.
We passed both of the high schools where I spend most of my career on today's route. It was especially nostalgic for me to see the classroom where I began teaching in Gonzales 35 years ago. We. had a rest stop in the park there and the roadies made in look amazingly different, dressed up as characters from Robin Hood as they served us food. It was ere that it finally dawned on me why we are supposed to wipe our hands with alcohol pads and further sterilize them with hand sanitizer before eating. It isn't just for the healthy riders that we do this, it is especially for the HIV positive riders whose immune systems are challenged. The realization hit me hard and I thought on it as I rode south.
Tonight, walking back from the dinner tent the bobbing headlamps in the immense grassy area that opened up to the tents looked like fireflies. I followed their welcome beacons back to my little crysalis nd prepared to get a well deserved rest.
We passed both of the high schools where I spend most of my career on today's route. It was especially nostalgic for me to see the classroom where I began teaching in Gonzales 35 years ago. We. had a rest stop in the park there and the roadies made in look amazingly different, dressed up as characters from Robin Hood as they served us food. It was ere that it finally dawned on me why we are supposed to wipe our hands with alcohol pads and further sterilize them with hand sanitizer before eating. It isn't just for the healthy riders that we do this, it is especially for the HIV positive riders whose immune systems are challenged. The realization hit me hard and I thought on it as I rode south.
Tonight, walking back from the dinner tent the bobbing headlamps in the immense grassy area that opened up to the tents looked like fireflies. I followed their welcome beacons back to my little crysalis nd prepared to get a well deserved rest.
AIDS/LIFECYCLE Day 1 SF to Santa Cruz 83 miles
AIDS/LifeCycle 2011 Day 1 SF to Santa Cruz
So excited, I couldn't sleep after 3:30, I caught a bus in the dark down to the Cow Palace for the opening ceremony. Tears came during the processional when placards with AIDS victims and an empty bicycle made it's way to thru the crowd. At the end, when Lorri, CEO for the LA Gay and Lesbian Center shouted "ALC riders, START YOUR ENGINES!!!", 2500 riders moved as one to our bikes to begin this amazing journey.
Today's 83 miles started with a police escort out of the City. We had our own street for 7 miles and it was an awesome feeling, talking with the other riders, and feeling the energy of our common commitment. The rest stops were great, my bike worked perfectly and never. once all day, did it rain or did anything hurt! Magical. Nancy and our friend Doug joined me at the campsite/village at Harvey West in Santa Cruz. I will all of you could have experienced the village as they had, then, if you haven't already been on the ride would grok the scale and organization of the enterprise, the incredible character (and characters!), the camaraderie and positive focus.
'Having trouble posting pictures, will try again tonight...DC
So excited, I couldn't sleep after 3:30, I caught a bus in the dark down to the Cow Palace for the opening ceremony. Tears came during the processional when placards with AIDS victims and an empty bicycle made it's way to thru the crowd. At the end, when Lorri, CEO for the LA Gay and Lesbian Center shouted "ALC riders, START YOUR ENGINES!!!", 2500 riders moved as one to our bikes to begin this amazing journey.
Today's 83 miles started with a police escort out of the City. We had our own street for 7 miles and it was an awesome feeling, talking with the other riders, and feeling the energy of our common commitment. The rest stops were great, my bike worked perfectly and never. once all day, did it rain or did anything hurt! Magical. Nancy and our friend Doug joined me at the campsite/village at Harvey West in Santa Cruz. I will all of you could have experienced the village as they had, then, if you haven't already been on the ride would grok the scale and organization of the enterprise, the incredible character (and characters!), the camaraderie and positive focus.
'Having trouble posting pictures, will try again tonight...DC
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