It's Monday night, and my body still feels like I just did a full triathlon without training! lol My goodness the 51 mile ride back to Folsom from Grass Valley was a bun buster! In any 1 of my 4 days riding from Portland to Seattle it wasn't this tough. It wasn't until I was well into the route that I realized the meaning of +3146/-5417; in order to descend 5,417 feet I had to climb 3,146 feet! And certainly I coasted merrily down many a hill, but it seemed I had to climb way back up at the bottom of each. The day started out at about 55 degrees at 8:30am when we pushed off, but then got to 80+ degrees by 11-ish. At the lunch half-way point Susan was there with the truck and I dived into the sweet coolness of the A/C for a few minutes. Lovely!

With about 20 miles to go and sitting about in the middle of the pack, another 65 year old and I (I'll be 65 on the 30th) paused at the top of a hill, looked at each other and pondered out loud, "What ARE we doing here?!". He asserted and I agreed that there's not enough money to pay us to do this. We decided the answer was love and caring. Love for these FAers and caring that they should not have to live a downward spiral. Research can change that.

During the last 10 miles 2 thoughts kept me (barely) going. All of you, my sponsors, cared enough to support me in this so more money can be aimed at FA research possibilities, and I didn't want to let you down. And second, I thought of the FA'ers facing their never ending (until a premature death) hills in life threatening their Quality of Life, and them struggling up each one just to see another beyond. From walking to walker to manual wc to joystick power wc to having someone wc for them. From keyboard typing 100 wpm to 5 wpm to using a pencil or knuckle to poke each key. And so I rode until I couldn't, and I walked until I couldn't, and then I flexed until I could again. And I made it! All 51+ miles!

3 hours and 58 minutes riding time, about 5 hours elapsed time, and an average of 13mph. And for any lesser a reason I'da been long since been in that air conditioned SAG wagon being given a lift to the finish line.



So here I am just after getting off my bike at the finish line. As I swung my leg over the seat the world's biggest cramp grabbed my rear thigh muscle. You can almost see me saying ow! ow! ow! The ladies then started poking bananas at me, shouting potassium, potassium, potassium! It woulda been pretty funny if it didn't hurt so much. lol


Here's a video clip of me at the finish. ;-)



I was so beat last night I tried to blog but couldn't think straight. We stayed at the campgrounds which was an excellent idea since neither of us would have done well breaking camp. This morning was slow so we left about 12:30pm after changing a bulging trailer tire and breaking camp.

I so appreciate the support I and Brianne have received in sponsorships! There are so many good causes and such pressure on our finances these days; who and what to support and how much to help with have become difficult questions. Whether or not you chose to sponsor us we understand and we value your prayers and good thoughts. The door by the way has not closed on helping. If you might still want to help go to
https://app.etapestry.com/fundraiser/FriedreichsAtaxiaResearchA/norcal/search.do
and click on B or P.

If you are interested in our excellent Outback lunch fundraiser on July 25th (Parents' Day) let me know!

Have a wonderful week, month and year! Exercise, eat well and for sure smile, laugh and have fun!

End of the first day! Getting ready for a delicious Outback provided dinner. They are so wonderful! Got to he park at 5:30am; we both helped set up and be ready for the riders at 6:30am. 50 mile riders rolled away with fanfare shortly after 8; so did Susan! Doug brought the pedicab over at 9; Brianne showed up at 10, just 10 minutes before the 10 mile group was scheduled to leave. We got her fitted with her wheelchair seat and back with a back extension using a big bakery pan! Yes! The pedicab has a seatbelt so we threw a quick chest strap around her and off we went! Her sister Cheri rode with her to help stablize which worked well.

SHE FINISHED THE COURSE IN 1.5 HOURS, 11.9 MILES! Good for her (and the wonderful super-athlete Doug!). Most of the time I was the scout out front cautioning oncoming riders of the wide pedicab and relaying bump and hill information back to Doug. I did pedal about 2 - 3 miles and it was work! The afternoon was spent supporting the other riders, helping with cleanup and driving back up to Grass Valley. I'll talk more soon!

Just finished a fun day helping the pre-work of the ride. Gotta get to bed (it's 10:45) and to be at the starting site to help set we'll get up at 3:30am. The weather tomorrow will get in the 80's by noon; pedal fast! lol

Good Morning! Here just a couple of days before Ride Ataxia NorCal comes the press release that the most promising of the FA treatments being developed is now officially going into clinical trials!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/repligen-files-investigational-new-drug-application-with-fda-for-first-drug-targeting-the-core-genetic-defect-of-friedreichs-ataxia-93666409.html

The sun is shining brighter and the air smells sweeter today! This is why we are throwing buckets of money into FA research, for the accelerated progress it causes; money is time in the FA world!

Gotta go finish packing the trailer!

:-)

It's 11:45pm and the trailer is parked in front. Of course nothing is packed but we're only leaving tomorrow. ;-) Not to worry. A few more Emails then off to bed until 5am when I'll finish all the packing but clothes (Susan will be sleeping). I also need to transfer a bunch of stuff from the desktop to the laptop. :-( Time consuming.

I got a rash of registration phone calls tonight (which helped keep me from the trailer) and more new registrations. We're pushin' 160 riders now! Critical mass to make a fundraiser ride roll!

The pedicab deal is in place. Good. Friday PM for 2 hours we train on the pedicab. I am now thinking the pedicab course will be measured in hours rather than miles; the operators say it could take 3 - 6 hours to do the 10 miles, and I really don't think Brianne can sit comfortably in an improvised seat for that long. We'll see.

I am done training! lol I just ran out of time this week to do one more ride. I can just feel those muscles getting rested and primed for Saturday! Oh, yeah!

Considering my late start in fundraising I'm doing quite well. The total of online and offline donations is sitting at about $700 right now. I want to thank every one of the donors for their caring for Brianne and interest in improving her Quality of Life. The prayers being offered for success in FA research are also very much appreciated. God does listen.

We'll have the laptop with us but who knows where the wireless will be. I will try to give you updates through the weekend. Right now our schedule is:
- Arrive campground 5pm Thursday.
- Friday pick up a rental bike, mark part of the 2nd day route, drop off equipment at the park, get trained on the pedicab, get pre-registered at the Outback Steakhouse, drop off the rental bike, get back to our trailer.
- Saturday up at 4am and at the park by 5:30am, help set up, give a sendoff talk to the 25 and 50 mile riders, ride with the pedicab, then finish the 25 mile route (Susan will be working SAG), pick up the rental bike and another passenger for the ride up to Grass Valley, de-tune, eat an Outback provided dinner at 6pm and into bed.
- Sunday up at 6am and off on the 2nd day leg about 8:30am, finish about maybe 1:30pm, help clean up, take 2 passengers back up to Grass Valley, eat dinner, and drink beer with Bart Rupel (we have a date).
- Monday sleep late and return home by 5pm. Probably stop by to see my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Lucille.

Piece of Cake!! We can and will have fun, work hard, and gather baskets of money to throw into FA research! Yes!! Thanks again for supporting me.

Wow! Feb 14 was a long time ago! Since then I have been continuing to ride on average 23 miles once a week, as much or more just to get the exercise as to "prepare" for this Ride Ataxia NorCal. This year I am the official RA registrar plus I volunteered to drive the RV in Team FARA's RAAM adventure coming up in June(http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raam.php?N_webcat_id=1). Whoo, 3,000 miles in 9 days by bicycle! These 2 projects plus numerous others have kept me away from this blog and getting sponsors to support my ride. :-( So now it is catchup time! :-)

Here's my latest and greatest plan! My wonderful oldest daughter Cheri located 4 pedicabs (bicycle powered fancy rickshaws) operated by FABA (Folsom Area Bicycle Advocates, http://www.sacbike.org/faba/pedicabs.htm) and I negotiated with them to use 2 of them on the 10 mile route to allow FAers that cannot ride a bike or trike to participate and raise funds for research! Cool! Brianne and a young man, Dylan, from Missoula, Montana will be in them and several of us will pedal them. So my Saturday will start with managing and pedaling the pedicabs. Can you can support me in this? By the way, Pedicab, pedaler and passenger combined weight is over 500lbs! I'm told the average speed is 2-3 mph; now that will take some pedaling! Just that 10 miles (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/31653) will take 3 - 5 hours of pedaling! If time permits I will then finish the 25 mile route (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/312730, another 15 miles into the foothills and return.

Then Susan will pick me up and deliver us back to the Nevada City Fairgrounds campground (we arrived with trailer on Thursday) where we will enjoy the company of all the riders (130+ total) and supporters for the evening.

Sunday I will pedal my way 51.3 miles (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/31639) back down to Folsom. Do notice it ain't all downhill!

So there's my plan! The bike's ready, I'm ready (as I'll ever be), and now, are you ready?? Go to https://app.etapestry.com/fundraiser/FriedreichsAtaxiaResearchA/norcal/individual.do?participationRef=4786.0.121601057 to be my sponsor. Or, go to https://app.etapestry.com/fundraiser/FriedreichsAtaxiaResearchA/norcal/individual.do?participationRef=4786.0.124409951 to be Brianne's sponsor!

All I want is for a treatment to be found to give Brianne a way off this road of FA she has had to follow for so long. You and I can do this.