Something to Think About

In Los Angeles...
An estimated 1,700 people will become infected with HIV this year.

In California...
Approximately 86,120 have died of AIDS since the epidemic began in 1981.
151,000 currently live with HIV/AIDS.

In the United States...
Every 9 ½ minutes, someone is infected with HIV.

In the World….
More than 50% of those living with HIV are women, and women’s share of the infection is increasing in several countries.

Data Sources:
Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); California Department of Public Health; San Francisco Department of Public Health; Los Angeles Department of Public Health; California HIV/AIDS Research Program; the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation; and Buchacz, et al (2005).

A Wake Up Call

I rode 57 miles on Saturday from Santa Monica to Palos Verdes and back. It was not graceful, it was not fast and it was not easy. However, the day was AMAZING!!!

The rain clouds cleared from the downpour the night prior and it was a beautiful Southern California day. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend it than on my bike out in the sunshine. The ride out was great and I felt really good. We were along the coast most of the way and it seemed everyone had the same idea we did...be outside!  The ocean was an incredible blue color, really deep sapphire, and the air was crisp. 

And then...we hit Hawthorne...the most giant, long, crazy, hard hill that I have encountered thus far. I mean it put Griffith Park and Elysian Park hills to shame. IT WAS HUGE! I wish I would have taken a picture from the top to show you what a giant of a mountain this was, but I was too tired when I reached the top to do much of anything. I really didn't think I was going to make it, but there was no alternative...up was the only way to go. Ryan was great at letting me, even encouraging me, to take my time, and one of the ride leaders named Wayne rode with me for a bit and tried to offer me some advice to "think of a song, a rap, a chant, a just get into a rhythm."  I had to stop a number of times, and I am not to proud to tell you that I cried (just once), but eventually I reached the zenith. It was a happy moment for sure.

We started back to Santa Monica at that point and as any of you hikers, bikers or runners know...sometimes down is harder and scarier than going up. My shoulders got really tense and sore as I held the bike stead and applied the breaks and two days later I am still feeling it.  On the plus side, my triceps are much tighter too.

The ride back was long. That is all I will say because I have blocked most of it from my memory. IT WAS LONG and I was so very glad to be home. We rode 57 miles, in 7 hours that day. I am convinced Ryan, Ulisses and many of the others could have done it in half the time, but when all was said and done, I did it!!  Even now it feels like a dream. 
When we got home I couldn't eat anything and noticed that my body started to go into shock with bouts of chills and fever. This was my fault. I did not hydrate or eat as I should have, and I definitely learned that I need to take care of my body before, during and after a ride. The ALC folks would say "drink before your thirsty, eat before your hungry, and pee before you pee your pants." :) Good advice all around.

Ya know, this was the hardest ride I have completed thus far. It was physically straining, but maybe even more telling to me...it was mentally and emotionally straining. I always wondered what people thought about on these long rides, and truthfully I am sure it is as varied as the people riding. I asked Ryan and his response really stuck with me. He said "when I ride I am just so happy to be on my bike, I think of work and people and my life...but mostly I just have fun." That was not the case with me. I had some interesting thoughts about removing "more" from the dictionary, the fact that we live in a world of logos (and very bad ones for the most part), and I sang Sugarlands "Fly Away" over and over and over...but my thoughts were mostly negative.  This is something I am going to work on next weekend. I am going to seek beauty and fun instead of dwelling on the Hawthorne hills. The rides (and life) are too short to dwell on the uphills.

This ride was a wake up call for me, and I can't wait to see what next week's ride will bring.

1ST CALL FOR FUNDING SUPPORT!!

Dear Friends,
I know that there are many worthy causes that you support and conversely, the economic climate has us all tightening our belts. I considered funding the ride myself, but then I decided it was important to give you the chance to support me in this endeavor. Fighting HIV/AIDS is something I am passionate about and I hope that, even if you don’t agree with the charity or only have a small donation to give, you will consider supporting me in this ride.

With your help, my fundraising efforts will enable the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to develop management programs and offer continued leadership to prevent new HIV infections. This year the AIDS funding in California was cut drastically by the government so every donation, no matter how big or small, will help.

The AIDS crisis is not over!
All cyclists are required to raise $3,000 by May 15th to participate in the ride; my goal is to raise $5,000.

To support me with your financial contribution, please follow the link below: www.tofighthiv.org/goto/cinsation

I greatly appreciate your consideration, and your donation. With your help we can make a difference!

Thank You!
Cindee

Doubts

So it has been awhile since I've had an update.  And truth be told...I haven't been riding at all.  Between the rain and moving apartments, I just didn't have it in me to get into the saddle and ride. During this downtime I've been thinking...maybe I should just do it another year.  The thought of raising $2,810 ($190 already secure) in the next couple of months terrifies me, and I have yet to ride more than 30 miles or do a back-to-back ride.  Ugh!! :)

All these doubts circling and dancing in my head for weeks and weeks, and then.....I just made up my mind a couple days ago.... I AM DOING THIS!  I am doing this reader!! I may have to do it alone, and I may have to pay the fundraising minimum myself (let's hope not) but I am doing this.  I refuse to chalk this up to all talk and no action.

Last night I started my 10 miles per day on the bike at the gym, signed up for a 55 mile Palos Verde training ride on Saturday (yikes!) and wrote my first fundraising letter.  I also clocked the distance to and from work (4.5 miles each way) and as the weather continues to cooperate, I am going to ride to work 2-3x a week.

I have to keep reminding myself that I didn't just sign up for this for the athletic challenge (although it surely is). I did it as a committment for myself to help raise awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS. It is time for me to put the doubt behind and move forward.  You will be hearing a lot from me in the upcoming weeks and months asking for money and providing information about this disease.  Please help however you can.

THE AIDS CRISIS IS NOT OVER and the state of California especially needs your help as funding was cut this year.  Together I know we can make a difference. I'm counting on it.

Solo Trip

Today I ventured out on my first solo ride. It was a beautiful day in sunny Los Angeles, and the plan was to ride from my apartment to Pasadena to see the Tournament of Roses parade floats which are on display through the weekend.  After researching the 30.8 mile round trip route online, I ventured out at 9:30 am with a few butterflies but determined to face whatever the ride would bring.  Little did I know that five hours and two flat tires later I would be a much wiser rider.

Things I am proud of:

• Climbed the monster hill at Colorado street one slow pedal at a time
• Changed two flat tires on my own without blood, sweat or tears (just lots of grease and dirt)
• Rode 99% of the way with major traffic, especially in Old Town Pasadena (not smart) with no fear, except for the giant bridge which I crossed at superhuman speed
• Didn't flip off the man in the red truck that yelled at me for "parking" in his spot which was a red zone. serioulsy? parking? i wasn't going THAT slow.
• Multiple left hand turns, yes...even used my hand signals

Things I am NOT proud of:

• I got lost and never did make it to the parade floats
• Secretly hoped someone would come rescue me so I didn't have to replace the tires myself (maybe one day I will realize my own resourcefullness at the begining of a problem and not at the end)
• I didn't have a bike lock so I didn't go to the bathroom the whole ride - doh!
• Didn't take ANY pictures. Ugh!

I really enjoyed this ride in spite of the challenges.  The day was ideal for being outside, and I noticed that once my legs warmed up I was able to ride much more consistently than I have in the past. That's got to be a good sign, right?  At the start of each ride I find myself wondering...what the hell am I doing??  I am never going to be able to do this ride. But at the end of each ride, I think "dang I'm tired...but I love this." Today was no exception.

And even though I didn't reach my final destination, it is still freaking cool to say "I rode my bike to Pasadena today!"

AIDS day ride

World AIDS Day, now in it's 29th year, is on December 1st 2009. Today I rode 29 miles to help raise awareness in the fight for a cure....

We met at 7:30 am in Brentwood at the Lulu Lemon shop on San Vicente.  It was impressive to see everyone in their gear and wearing red which is the color that represents HIV/AIDS advocacy.  Although still half asleep and pratically frozen, the ride started with a bit of excitement on my part. This is only the second time that I have ridden with a group this large and it is very...different.  In some aspects it is safer to be on the road with a larger group as vehicles are more aware of you. On the other hand, having that many cyclists around you starting and stopping at the same time has it's own set of safety issues. 

It was a slow pace today, but I didn't mind. The purpose was to stay together as a group and get the attention of people on the road.  I have no doubt that we succeeded.  The large line of cyclists would have been hard to miss.  I also got a chance to ride with Gregg (right) and Ulisses (left) and catch up with them a bit.  I fully agree with Gregg that the call-outs (i.e. car-back!, pot hole!, slowing!, stopping!, etc. etc.) are totally over used and get annoying.  However, I do admit to using them in my head occassionally when I am driving around town (hot man on the right!, slowing!, stopping!, flirting!......).

The 20 mile stop was at Marina del Rey. It was an amazingly beautiful day!  We met on a grassy hill looking out over the marina with the sun in full shine, the water glistening, and the sail boats gliding by. The purpose of this moment was to remember the people who had died from AIDS and remember the reason we were riding -- to honor them and help prevent future deaths.  I know it will sound weird, but the moment was spiritual in nature.  As stories were told and the names read of those who had passed on I was moved to tears.  Especially when we all held hands and release two large red balloons with the words from one of the cyclists...."We will remember."  Powerful moment.


They also displayed a section of the AIDS Memorial Quit (shown here). This quilt was initiated in 1987 and has grown expeditiously over the years. I was intrigued to find that each "block" consists of eight individual three foot by six foot panels sewn together representing the size of a coffin. Virtually every one of the more than 40,000 panels that make up the Quilt memorializes the life of a person lost to AIDS.  Each, in a unique way, telling the story of these people's lives. These panels travel around the country, and I was honored to view this one.

While the ride itself was not physically challenging, I will cherish the experience forever. It was a beautiful way to spend the morning and I thoroughly enjoyed the chats, the laughter and the unifying bond that I felt with that group of cyclists. Events like this one were happened all around the world today.  This disease which has only been around in my lifetime must be stopped. I am determined to help in whatever small way I can to raise awareness and funds so future generations don't have to deal with its affects.

To end this rather lengthy blog, I just want to thank Ryan for taking me on this journey. It is so nice to have someone to share this experience with and guide me through the unknown cycling world.  You are loved my friend. Thanks for this memorable day.

Venice Canals

A couple of weeks ago on a Saturday morning, Ryan and I went for a ride from Brentwood to Santa Monica beach down to the Venice canals and back. We had a great time and got a chance to talk a lot a long the way. We also stopped at Performance Bicycle and I found my first jersey. It was $15 on clearance and red, white and black which seemed appropriate. SOLD! :)

This was also my first "clip" trip. I wasn't having any troubles and even was feeling pretty proud of myself that I had no major mishaps....until....

We approached a stop light to make a left hand turn in Venice. Granted, it was on a slight slope, but I swear I have no idea why I lost my balance and started to topple.  I had left my left foot still in the clip....you can imagine what happened next. Yep, I fell right into Ryan and his bike which just happened to be in the path of destruction. One minute I was queen of the road, the next I was down on the asphalt with one bike under me and one bike on top of me. I felt ridiculous!!  Of course I brushed it off and we made the light. However, on the other side I noticed the seat was askew, the handle bars were off and it was making a crazy noise.  Thankfully there was no long-term damage, but from then on I was A LOT more careful I had my balance before coming to a complete stop.  Rookie mistake.  Ah well....the walkers got a good laugh. :)