| Scheduled Events - 2004
New update 9/28/04
Saturday Feb, 7th I have decided to challenge myself, & ride my Logo trike from Hemet, to the Palm Springs rally. This will make for 2 x 55 mile rides, back to back. I will leave early Friday, & will stay at a campground (Motel 6) in Rancho Mirage. Hopefully, I can find someone to transport me home. Preparing to ride to Palm Springs. Today is Thursday. Today I will get together all the things that I will be taking to Palm Springs. I’ll need my meds, my clothes, my proof of registration for the rally, bike tools, & the energy snacks that I’ll need. Well, now all I need is a good night’s sleep. Now it’s Friday. I wanted to leave around 7:AM. but the restaurant doesn’t open ‘til 8:AM. So I guess I’ll plan for a 9:AM departure. I had left my meds out so that I would remember to take them & remember to take them with me. That was critical! After b/fast I headed north to Beaumont. Then, 5 miles up the road, I had a thought cross my mind “where did I pack my meds?” I couldn’t remember where I put them, so I stopped to look. Yup, after setting them out so I wouldn’t forget them, I had left them at home. I had one choice, & that was to add 10 miles, & 1 hour to my day’s ride. Or, I guess I could have used that for an excuse & just gone home. But that’s not who I am. So the day started off wrong, but I had the rest of the day to change that. My next task was to pedal my trike over Lambs Canyon. This is an 8% grade going the wrong way (up)! Also, it is 3 miles of climbing. On my arrival in Beaumont I decided to take a break. So I stopped at a taco shop to get out of the traffic. It was also very windy, which soon became a thought on my mind. (Why?) Because I was turning to the east, & yes, that 20 mph wind was headed towards Hawaii! My inner self said, “let’s go back”, but that’s not me, so I headed for Palm Springs. With my new zZipper fairing (windscreen) I was able to penetrate the wind & ride at 12/15 mph. The fairing doesn’t become affective until you reach 15 mph, but when you have a 15 mph headwind, the fairing is affective even before you start moving. On the east end of Banning the road became an on ramp to I-10. The road went under the freeway, and then disappeared into 5 lanes of cement, with a barbed wire fence between me & the access road that I should be riding on. So I rode on the shoulder & through a closed truck scales until I got to the first off ramp. I rode on the unused side road until I got to the town of Whitewater. There again the road offered me a freeway on ramp with a sign that said “NO BICYCLES”. By this time I had ridden 46 miles, & it was approaching 3:PM, so I called my friends that live near Palm Springs, to rescue me. Thirty minutes later, we were loading my trike into his van.(Thanks Craig!) More good news on the way to Palm Springs. I found out that we were having shrimp & pasta for dinner. I took a shower as soon as we arrived, then ate dinner, & went to bed at about 7:30PM. Was I tired? The next morning we had to leave for the rally by 6:15AM, as the ride we were doing started at 7:AM. Out of the hundreds of cyclists waiting to start the 55-mile ride, our little group of friends numbered 7, (5 trikes & a trike tandem). Two of our group were 17mph riders, & so was the tandem. That left 3 of us to struggle along at 15mph. We were doing great until my fairing (windshield) loosened up & I had to stop. So that left me riding solo (no other trikes) for a time. When I am on a distance ride I tend to get very intense, very focused, so at about the 20 mile point, when I saw a group of people, ahead, & cheering on the riders, I just paid little attention to them except to wave as I rode by. But just as I was passing them I saw a sign that they were holding which said “Yea Parky”. So I managed to find a safe place to turn around, & went back to talk with them. It was some newfound friends that live nearby (Thanks Barbara!). This pumped me up & gave me enough of a boost that I was able to catch the other 15 mph riders that I was riding with. There is, definitely, more incentive to keep going when you have two friends pushing you. I offered to let them lead, but they said that because I had the windshield, I needed to be in front. Thanks guys!! After finishing the 55-mile course all the trike riders got together in one area. When I got there I started to get off my trike, & as I did, I got a little lightheaded, so I walked over to a vendor that was selling lasagna. Bought a full plate & sat on a near wall, & shook all the time that I was eating it. It took about 30 min. to start feeling better, but I had done what I set out to do. This was quite a week for me. On Thursday I rode 62 miles to get my fairing. On Friday I rode 46 miles to get to Palm Springs, & on Saturday I rode a 55-mile tour. After the rally we went back to my friend’s home, & had dinner. Not long after dinner (about 7:30) I went to bed (much needed). On Sunday morning we got up & had breakfast, loaded my gear in the mvan, & headed for Hemet. Just one greater weekend with my friends. Greater than the weekend I would have had if I’d stayed home. It use to be scary to associate with “normal” people, because they don’t understand how weird PD can make us look. That is why whenever I meet someone new; I answer any questions before they are asked. I give them my name, my condition, & the best smile that I can muster. Then I let them know that the smile I just gave them might be the only one they get. So cherish it! Please don’t let PD be the ruler in your life. Live beyond it!! Parky
************************************************* Sunday Mar, 7th LA Marathon/Acura Bike Tour 15,000 cyclists sharing the same road With this amount of bicycles, tricycles, tandems, all going in the same direction at the same time, the only thought that a rider has time to think about is survival. You soon find out that there are riders with experience levels ranging from "Road racer", to "Really shouldn’t be there". It amazes me that with all this going on, for pretty much, the entire 26 miles, I did not see one accident during the 1¾ hours that it took for me to complete the ride. It was necessary to go into downtown L.A. on Saturday, before 5:PM to complete our registration, & to p/u our bibs, because no one is allowed to ride on the course without a bib. My friends, Frank & Lissa, were also riding in the Bike Tour so we went together. We also went to a carbo dinner held for all the Team Parkinson’s athletes. Due to this & because we wanted to get to the staging area early (before 5AM), we managed to get only 2½ hours of sleep. The ride starts at 6:AM, & riders are given ‘til 8:40a to finish the course. After that, riders are directed to exit the course to make room for the people in wheelchairs that were also, doing the 26 mile course. I was able to talk with 4 riders who had family members who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, & that in itself, is my whole purpose of why I was there. So I consider this event to be a success. 5:00 A.M. at the starting line with 15,000 bicycles.
Goin' home! www.acuralabiketour.com/index.php *********************************************
Thursday, April
22nd I'll see you there ! Hi everybody; Well, here it is Friday morning & I am waiting in San Jose, for the bus that will get me to the train, that will get me to the bus that will get me back to Hemet. It is 8:30AM now,& I am due to get to Hemet at 9;05PM, tonight. This trip will be much easier than was the trip getting here, because I don't have a trike to worry about. My new found friends from the Los Gatos Community Hospital happily accepted the trike, yesterday, at the symposium. The trip up here was not without excitement. Somebody dropped the ball in Stockton, because the baggage area on that bus was not big enough to hold the trike. Fortunately, the driver was helpful! Fortunately, the bus had a wheelchair lift, & an open area for a wheelchair, inside. We put the trike in the open area, & wedged the front wheel between the next row of seats. It did, just fit. Then, when I arrived in San Jose, Elliot, & I had to find a way to put the trike in his Chrysler. Fortunate again, his car was a convertible, so we put the top down & stuffed it in the back seat & drove it over to the hotel, where the symposium was to be held. The hotel allowed us to leave it with the bell captain. This allowed us to put the convertible top back in place, & turn off the heater. When we got to Elliot's home, his wife Nancy had made a wonderful meatloaf dinner for us. I'll tell you for sure, I'd of made the trip just for her dinner, and I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't enchiladas, at all. Thursday morning began early. We needed to get to the hotel, & set up before 9:AM. We were told that they had just over 500 Parkinsonians registered to attend the symposium. It was difficult, not to get overwhelmed by it all. That many people? Wow! But I survived. I talked to a lot of people, & at one point I felt ol' Mr. Panic tappin' me on the shoulder saying "what the hell are we doin' here? We're sick". But I managed to hang tough, & finish the task at hand. All us parkys know how difficult that can be to do, at times, don't we? After the meeting was over, I spent the night in the same hotel where we had our meeting. So that gave me a good chance to kick back & unwind. Well, here I am again on a bus. We are leaving
Bakersfield for a 5 hour trip to Hemet. ---------------------------- I want to thank Elliot, & Nancy Schrier for their hospitality, & for making this trip a reality. Without Elliot's input the invitation to be a part of the 2004 Parkinson Institute Symposium would not have happened. Many thanks to you, both! Parky ************************************************** Monday May, 17th Day 1. Glendora May 17 *******************************************
A Parkinson's Research Team
named
Onawa, IA.7 days -- 490 miles Clinton, IA. (click on map) And now, the waiting!
The RAGBRAI Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa
My 1st priority is to say “Thank You!” to my friends & sponsors for their help & support in getting me to Iowa. I want to assure you that because of your assistance, I will not be locked in to fast food $1.00 menus as in past rides. It is called fast food, that’s true. But it is my experience to know that what little energy one might get from fast foods is “fast gone”. And when you “hit the wall”, as they say, it’s a long way home. It is also a long way back to feeling good. I hit the wall after 200 miles on my trip to Paso Robles, in May, & I’m still not 100%. But the RAGBRAI will be the 1st time that I’ll have a sag wagon for my personal use. If I get too tired, I will have a place to put my trike, & a place to rest my body, & still get to the daily destinations. Thank you “PFP”! Setting up all the reservations was very stressful for me. Finding motels close to the train depots was a new experience. I get to Bakersfield near 10:PM on the return. At that time of night I didn’t want to have a 5 mile ride to my motel. I thought after the reservations were set, that the stress would subside. Nope! But it’s just the waiting now. And the new trike is late getting here. I’ll feel much better after it arrives. My.fingernails keep getting shorter. Keep watching, I’ll be leaving on July 21st, at 7:30 AM.
C U N Iowa! Parky
DAY 1: Well, I'm off! All my fears were for nothing. The
new trike is 12" After we finished eating we went out to wait for the bus.
Only then I have to say that these Amtrak folks are the best. Kathy
Sanders, one DAY 2: Here we go again! It's 9:30AM in Martinez, & I'm waiting in
the Amtrak It has only been 1 day, & already, I miss my AM ride. It
would probably Well, we arrived here 3 hrs late yesterday, & we just got
word that our I have an appointment at 6:PM to eat dinner in the dinning
car. This It is almost dark outside, now as the river beside us
disappears. We I slept off, & on last night. I'm not real good at
sleeping in a I survived my 1st day of the RAGBRAI. I did 42 miles of
a 68 mile day. DAY 6 Rockwell City to Ft.Dodge: Today is a fresh start. My teammates successfully (we think)
repaired DAY 7 Eldora to Marshalltown: Again today, perfect weather for cycling. Today, Wednesday,
was a good Day 8 Van Horne to Hiawatha Wow, Rain! 'til today, the
weather has been the kind you order. But for now, it is raining.
Only 2 in our group opted not to ride today. I will do 25/30 miles,
today. Yup, even in the rain. It was kinda cute, Hiawatha was using
a Hawaiian theme for their day of the RAGBRAI. But even with that, I
was a little shocked when I passed the sign that said "Get Le'd by
the Mayor of Hiawatha". All in good fun, but still a shock. DAY 9 Hiawatha to Maquoketa: I decided to take the day off. Good choice, because it's raining hard.
Day 10 Charlotte to Clinton: Today is the last day of the 2004 RAGBRAI, but
it isn't the end. Today is the day that the riders will
symbolically dip their front tire in the Mississippi river to end
the ride. I will join the other PFP riders in doing this, but my
ride isn't finished, yet. This year I had problems that
affected my training schedule, as well as my ride. These problems
impaired my ability to complete the RAGBRAI. But I've learned from
this ride, what I will need to do to finish the ride next year. So,
God willing, I'm making it my goal to enter, & finish the 2005
RAGBRAI. Recap: Many things went wrong during this trip. I set up a 6 1/2 hour cushion for a very important meeting, & arrived there with only a very few minutes to spare. But I got there! I wanted to finish more of the ride, but I know that I did the best I could, & had fun doing it. If I'd have succeeded in finishing the ride this year, I wouldn't have anything to look forward to for next year. Much good happened because of this trip, also. Because of the publicity generated for & from the Omaha meeting, needed funding is coming to the Counsil Bluffs PD Support Group. I have been honored with an invitation to co-author a book on Parkinson's, & exercise with Dr. John M. Bertoni,MD,PhD, from Creighton Hospital. Because of the efforts of the "Pedaling for Parkinson's Team", we know of one more person with PD that is getting the needed medical treatment. And the Team did much to advance the awareness of Parkinson's to the un-afflicted. To my very special friends, & sponsors who made this trip possible,,, THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Parky
Check out these two sites for further updates: www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=265
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A brand new ride for Parkinson's
"Power Over Parkinson's" In the El Tour De Tucson To be held on November 20, 2004 in Tucson AZ. Come & join P.O.P. & Parky for a 35 mile fun ride. You can also stop by the P.O.P. booth in the Tucson Expo & say Hi. I will be at the booth Nov. 18-19
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