The Road to Recovery

Ron White, a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour once painted a vivid picture in my mind about what it means to be bored.  One of his bits started, "Yesterday I was sittin on a beanbag chair naked, eating Cheetos, and I was flippin through the television and I saw Robert Tilton.  He's a televangelist out of Dallas, and he was staring at me.  He looked at me and said, 'Are you lonely?'  Yeah."  Since I'm tryin to keep this blog PG, I'll assure my readers that I have not replicated this.  Instead, I prefer Doritos and Sportscenter.  

On the Journey, almost every hour of the day was planned out.  5 am wakeups were typical followed by anywhere from 5 to 8 hours of cycling on the road.  When we'd arrive at lodging, we'd stay busy with showers, Walmart and bike shop runs, and quick naps before a sponsored dinner or Friendship Visit.  Afterwards, some of the more energetic guys would go out at night while others would pass out around 10 to rest up for the next day.  This might sound hectic but I loved it.  We all did.  To transition from that to entire days of lying in bed is not easy.  Boredom doesn't quite do justice to describe my new daily routine.  I'm used to staying very busy, whether at school or on the Journey.  Rest and recovery don't suit me well.  I'm also not very patient, can you tell?

However, my body needed this rest.  After Drayton and I left the hospital, I was able to stay with the team for 3 more days.  At first, my excitement to have left the hospital carried me.  Before long, my body began to fight back as it needed rest to recover from significant surgery.  I could last until noon without taking my pain pills before it got to the point where I couldn't hold a conversation due to pain.  I'd pop a percocet and pass out for the next 3 hours.  I didn't want the guys to know that I was in pain because then they'd try and take care of me when they had other stuff they needed to be doing.  After 72 hours my desire for self preservation was able to reason with my stubbornness that this daily routine wasn't healthy.  I talked with my Project Manager and my parents and I was on a plane back to Indy the next morning.  JT and Trevor, thanks for givin me a ride to the airport, I enjoyed our talk on the way there.

So here I am back in Indy.  Home sweet home.  It sucks not being out on the road with the team.  I had devoted not only my entire summer to this cause but also countless hours of training and fundraising during the school year.  To not be with the team for a week and a half and to have only cycled half the distance is something I've had trouble dealing with.  I feel like I'm cheating myself and my sponsors.  Also, there was always a pride piece in me signing up for this.  There's a profound sense of accomplishment in cycling all the way across the country.  I'm no longer able to do that.  I'm frustrated.  I'm in pain.  The pain adds to the frustration.  I've tried to find meaning in my injury and had mixed results in discovering the answers.  After about 3 days with this toxic attitude, something caused a change in my perspective.  Still not sure what it was.  However, I realized that the answer had been staring at me all along.  It's not about the bike.

I'll repeat it to further convince myself.  It's not about the bike.  It never had been, from day 1 we had been told this.  The ride is just a means for us to gain publicity to further our true mission: to change society's perception of those with disabilities and fraternity men.  It's calming, reassuring to truly believe in something like that.    

Finally, to say that I'm not having any fun would be a lie.  I pass the time with Entourage, my boy Harry Potter, and hangin out with two of my favorite people.  I get to lay around in the sun and work off this awesome/terrible farmers tan that 8 hours a day on the bike will get you.  Side note: the team gave me the nickname David (pronounced with a sexy Spanish accent) due to my deep tan and natural charm, obviously.  David is a Cuban poolboy.  Cougar bait, if you will.  Well boys, poolboy is back haha.  Back to the story.  This past week has been a welcome break for my body and it's always good to reconnect with those back home.  I went to the doctor on Friday and he told me that while the break in the collarbone was worse than expected and rehab will take longer (damnit) my shoulder will be fine.  I'm trying to do all that I can to ensure a quick and healthy heal.  Until that point, I'm excited to rejoin the team on Monday in Terre Haute and finish out this incredible Journey.     

The Day Life Threw Me Lemons

Colorado had been good to us.  Gorgeous sights, entertaining nights, lots of Push programming/Friendship Visits, multiple days off and a general sense of relief for finally escaping Wyoming.  I knew it was too good to be true.  I'll soon post reviews of Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs but first I'll tell yall about my most memorable moment of the summer thus far.  

 

The day started in Lamar and we were headed to Garden City, Kansas, crossing into our sixth state of the summer.  I stayed up late the night before working on the wake up music mix for our 5 am wakeup preceding yet another century ride.  Usually Maroon 5, Michael Buble, Shwayze, Dierks Bentley, and the Goofy Movie Soundtrack don't work together but they did this particular morning and the team was loose and ready during morning circle up.  Good news that added to the general pleasant mood of the morning was that the team was now allowed to ride in pacelines of up to 6, increasing the time each rider could draft behind those in front of him.  

The ride technically began in Colorado but the scenery looked just like Kansas.  Once you get 50 miles east of Denver, the Rockies are lost behind you and the eastern half of the state consists of mostly high plains.  Around mile 15, I finished my turn pulling (the lead position in the paceline where you take on all the headwinds to ease the ride for those behind you) and fell to the back.  I got lazy and fell several bike lengths back from the group so I put my head down and cranked out a few hard pedal strokes to close the gap and take advantage of the draft.  When I looked up, I realized I had built too much speed and was too close to James (the rider in front of me).  I veered slightly to the left as my front tire passed and overlapped his rear tire.  There was a rumble strip immediately to my left so I stayed too close to James and my front and his rear tire began to rub.  In retrospect, I should have just eased my bike onto the rumble strip until my bike was a safe distance away from James instead of trying to avoid the bumps.  Now since his rear tire is fixed, he likely didn't feel anything at all.  However, my front tire was going crazy since it was flexible and we were traveling about 22mph.  I've rubbed tires in the past and been able to pull out and stabilize the bike but this time was different.  As I tried to fight my shaking handlebars, my front wheel jerked right and I began to feel myself falling over the right side of my bike.  My hands hit the asphalt first (like an idiot I wasn't wearing gloves) and transferred almost all of my momentum directly onto my right shoulder.  My head and right hip smacked the road too and my speed bounced me once as I rolled into the grassy ditch.

I temporarily blacked out when my head hit the road.  Thankfully, my helmet took all the force (unfortunately it also broke, even though that's what it's designed to do).  Because of that, I was destined to see an orthopedic surgeon instead of a neurosurgeon as well.  Kids, always wear your helmets.  When I sat up on the side of the grassy hill, I heard a dull ringing as I tried to take in my surroundings.  I slowly took off my sunglasses with my left hand, I had no idea what kind of trouble my right arm was in yet.  The paceline stopped and James ran back to help.  I asked for water as I tried to take a mental tally of what parts of my body worked and what might be in trouble.  However, due to the adrenaline and general shock that my body was in, I didn't really feel any pain.  I had to be told that there was a deep gash in my right hand that was bleeding all over my shorts.  I hardly noticed that my right shoulder was fixed in an unnatural position.  I knew my shoulder was my main problem spot but also guessed I shouldn't try moving it.  It only took 10 minutes after one of the guys called Drayton (our crew chief) for him to arrive, get me in a van, and speed back towards the Lamar ER.  

Once in the ER (Drayton, James, and Jeremy I can't thank you enough for sticking with me) the four of us discussed my accident with the staff and developed a plan.  Not wanting to further scare myself or the guys, I started joking around with the awesome Lamar nursing staff (Toni, thank you) in an effort to make light of my injury.  They gave me some pain meds, cut off my jersey, and eyeballed the shoulder.  Broken collarbone, was the prognosis.  Inside my head I was thinking "shit!" but tried to joke around as we went to get x-rays.  I wish I had the file with my pre op x-rays, they really are spectacular.  The aftermath?  Open fracture to my right clavicle (collarbone.  also meaning one of the pieces had punctured the skin), fractured scapula (shoulder blade), bruised ribs, and lots of road rash (scrapes) covering the right arm.  Yippee.  Looks like my summer of riding is over and a trip to a Denver surgeon is in my immediate future.

After yet another shot in my ass (4 in 30 minutes), Drayton took me to Denver as James and Jeremy rejoined the team.  The Lamar staff did us huge favors as the only thing Drayton and I had to do were arrive at the Denver hospital and the surgeons were waiting.  I like to thank Dr. Oster, my primary surgeon, for fixing me me.  Post op x-ray shown below.  Huge thanks to my incredible Denver nursing staff (Maria, thank you for putting up with my playful sarcasm/bad humor and keepin me in line).  These nurses made sure I stayed comfortable and finally convinced me to start taking my pain meds.  Also thank you Mrs. Thacker, mother of cyclist Ben Thacker for visiting Drayton and I twice during our two day stay.  

My right shoulder, post op, with a plate and 9 screws in my clavicle.

While leaving the hospital was uncomfortable, I was happy to be out.  They had me on an antibiotic drip for 48 hours due to the open fracture on my collarbone or I would've been released sooner.  Drayton and I made the 8 hour drive and met up with the team in Pratt, Kansas.  We arrived at 12:15 am and since the team had a 5:30 am wakeup, I assumed they'd all be sleeping.  However, they were all awake and waiting to welcome Drayton and I back to the team.  It was a very happy moment to be reunited with the guys and catch up on the last 2 days. 

This has been one of the most significant moments of my life for all the wrong reasons.  However, I am unbelievably thankful that my helmet protected me from any head or neck trauma.  I'm thankful to be apart of a life changing summer, an event that is bigger than myself or my teammates.  While I have become what I was originally riding for I'm thankful that my disability is only temporary.  As I struggle to find meaning in my injury, I will continue to show thanks and appreciate the little things.  If you're going to be slowed down by injury, spending time with a great group of guys whose purpose is to help serve those with disabilities isn't the worst place in the world to be.  I swear, these guys need to stop asking if I need any help.  Haven't they figured out how stubborn I am yet?  Hah, I'm thankful for their company.  Alright, I can tell this is a long one so I'll wrap it up.  I'll post recovery details soon.  Thanks for readin

WYOMING!!! ... wyoming ...

Wyoming made the mistake of giving away its best far too early.  The first two days we were greeted with Yellowstone Park and the Tetons, two of the most incredible sights in America.  The varied and bizarre landscape of Yellowstone was something I'd never seen before.  Hot springs and geysers scattered the cauldron, the name given to a large area of volcanic activity.  You could find out more about the geography of this place by talking to my Dad, who was very jealous of where I was staying.  The next day we rode into Jackson Hole and got an up close view of the Teton Mountains.  Whenever I think of mountains, I think of jagged, snow covered peaks that shoot out of the surrounding landscape.  The Tetons are just that.  The rival the Alps in terms of rugged beauty.  After exploring the town, we had a fabulous day off that I've described in another post below.  Unfortunately, the incredible sights pretty much ended after that.  The one other point of interest was on the way to Dubois when we crossed over the Continental Divide at our highest point of the summer of just over 9,000 feet.  

I really have to explain just how empty the rest of Wyoming is.  One evening in the bustling town of Shoshoni, we stopped in a restaurant and talked with locals about the next day's ride to Casper.  Casper, the second largest city in Wyoming, population 50,000.  All three groups of people we talked with said this was the loneliest 100 mile stretch of highway in America.  "Come on," we said, "There's gotta be something good to see along the way."  One man replied, "Yeah, I'm sure there's a bend in the road at some point."  Yeehaw.  The landscape on this particular day was nothing more than a desert with shrubs, rocks, and dust.  My paceline played the game "Find that tree" where the first person to spot an actual tree won.  The first winner was at mile 20.  Next winner, mile 60.  No more winners until mile 100 in Casper.  We also passed a place called Hells Half Acre.  This is where all the outdoor scenes for the movie Starship Troopers was filmed.  If you ever want to see a landscape that is suitable for a fictional movie about a God-forsaken alien planet filled with giant, killer bugs, Wyoming can hook you up.  Wyoming is given 3 electoral votes.  I'm pretty sure that's being a little generous.  Now if you're reading this and you're from the aforementioned 100 mile stretch and I'm offending you, I apologize.  However, I could see for at least 10 miles on each side of the road so I'm guessing the total number of people that live in this 2,000 square mile area is maybe 11, so I'm not that worried.  

I must add that while Wyoming is a little barren and cows outnumber the people 5:1 (I saw it on a bumper sticker so it must be true) the people are fantastic.  Everyone we talked to was welcoming and kind.  After visiting a few small town bars, it's clear they definitely know how to have a good time.  And man can they cook.  We had several dinners sponsored by the Wyoming Cattlewoman's Association.  These women are from all over the state and promote beef to those passing through.  On several occasions, I had to fight the urge to propose to the chef after I ate some delicious beef brisket, pulled beef sandwiches, and more.  Best I've ever had.  

So if you ever visit the west I would recommend stopping by Yellowstone and Grand Teton.  Shoshoni, Dubois, and Wheatland might not make your list but there's something to be said for small town America and the ranches of Wyoming.   

Man Day

Right now we're enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon in beautiful Boulder, Colorado.  My and three other guys are taking advantage of some free wifi at a coffee house on Pearl Street, the main strip through Boulder.  Today is an off day with no scheduled programming until this evening so we all enjoyed going out and experiencing the college atmosphere last night and sleeping in this morning.  I've fallen behind a little bit with my blog updates so I'd like to tell a story about one of my favorite days on the Journey thus far, Man Day.

About a week and a half ago, the team rode past the Teton Mountains (gorgeous!) on the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  We were met by some Colorado-Boulder Pi Kapp alum who took us to a ranch about 15 miles outside Jackson in the foothills of the Tetons.  I'd like to thank the Cushman family for generously allowing 27 college guys to stay at their summer home for the night.  This place was an outdoor paradise.  Skeet shooting, horseback riding, fly fishing, swimming, hiking, bonfires, it was all there.  After a fabulous lunch that was a welcome change compared to our regular roadside lunches, the team split up to try some of the activities.  I started with skeet shooting.  Having never fired a shotgun before, I was pretty excited about the opportunity.  I watched some other guys go first and took some advice from one of the Colorado Pi Kapps before I took my turn.  I either had some great beginners luck or I'm a natural because I set the best marks for the day going 4/5.  What a rush.  I'm thinkin about becoming a card carrying member of the NRA.  Mom, I'm only kidding.  

After that, we went to a stocked pond to learn how to fly fish.  Not as easy as the skeet shoot.  I could keep that line flying above my head in its long, whipping pattern all day long but whenever I tried to cast the hook would lazily fall about 15 feet in front of me.  I'm used to casting with heavy bait like a worm so the light fly was difficult to get used to.  I left after about an hour having not gotten a bite in a stocked pond.  I guess I'm not a born fisherman or I just don't have the necessary patience.  

Returning to the house with no fish to speak of, I got the chance to go horseback riding for the first time.  I was paired up with a big brown horse named Traveler.  We were meant to be.  Traveler's need for speed paired with my reckless abandon made for a fun afternoon racing through the hilly Idaho countryside.  At night we had another fabulous meal and told funny college stories around the campfire.  

The next morning we were hooked up with some free rafting passes on the Snake River.  To say this water was cold is an understatement.  It was fresh mountain runoff that was about 42 degrees.  We all squeezed into wetsuits and hopped into the raging river.  We hit some pretty intense rapids and all took turns flipping off the raft into the water during slow spots in the trip.  Seriously, when you hit the water and fully submerged, it took your breath away.  I thought Lake Superior was cold but the Snake was much more frigid.  That afternoon the team went down an alpine slide which is a concrete luge where we raced down the mountain in sleds with wheels.  Some guys got going a little too fast, lost control of their sleds, and earned some pretty spectacular scrapes when they fell off their sleds and slid down the luge on their butt.  By no means any serious injuries, just something we all laughed about.  

That day and a half off was something we really needed.  The next five days included four century rides through the desolate Wyoming countryside.  Once again I'd like to thank the Cushman family and the Colorado Pi Kapps for showing us such a good time.  Thanks for reading. 

   

The Races to Missoula and Cheyenne

Most days on the Journey are carefree and taken at an easy pace to conserve energy for the current ride and the days to come. However, some days we have a sponsored lunch or noon event that requires the team to pick up the pace and make sure we're at lodging on time. On these days, we have what's called a rackpoint. That means each paceline has to be at a certain mileage point by a certain time or else crew will load their bicycles to the crew vans and drive them the rest of the way to lodging. Don't nobody wanna get racked. Just a competitive thing.

The first time a rackpoint became an issue with a paceline of mine was on the ride to Missoula, Montana. We had to ride 100 miles by noon to make a 12:30 sponsored lunch. My paceline of four was crusing along at a decent pace until flats started to become an issue. The first and second ones weren't so bad, we were still on pace to beat the clock. It takes me anywhere from 5-10 minutes to fix a flat, pretty slow but not too time consuming. However, as the flats started to accumulate due to the rough shoulder of the interstate, we began to get uneasy. Side note: Yes, you can ride your bike on the interstate but only in a few states. Montana, Wyoming, and maybe one other. They're usually the fastest way to get to our destination but they're all riddled with rumble strips some of which take up the entire shoulder of the road.  Not fun to ride across every 20 feet.  Since my mom reads these I'll assure her that we take extra precautions to ensure safety and the mild mannered motorists of Montana couldn't be nicer. Back to the story. After our fourth flat (three of which were mine, I had to toss that tire shortly there after) we calculated that we had to average 24 mph over the next hour and a half to beat the clock. The race was on. I'm not sure how we were able to crank out the miles as fast as we did but I know it was something I could not have done alone. We pushed eachother and were remarkably on track to be on time until Max, our strongest rider of the paceline got his first flat of the day, making five for the group. The four of us had run out of tubes to replace flats since we never thought we would accumulate so many in one day. We thought we were finished, you never leave a rider behind. Our option was to just sit around and wait for a crew van to pick us up. But Max suggested we pick up our bikes and start walking towards Missoula. Why not? It was only another 10 miles and we were running on an adrenaline high so it sounded like a great idea. I wish I was able to paint the picture of 4 determined, perhaps delusional cyclists walking along the side of the interstate with their bikes slung on their shoulders. As Max says, "It was epic." We could've used the theme song to Rocky or The Eye of the Tiger. We made it about a mile before a crew van met up with us and Max was forced to rack. However, the rest of us were given the green light to finish the ride. Exhausted, we rolled into town just in time for lunch. Needless to say, we all slept well that night.

Three days ago on the ride into Cheyenne, Wyoming, my paceline experienced two flats and a minor injury that caused time to be a factor. Again, we pulled off a remarkable average speed over the last hour of the ride that can only be explained by good teamwork and four guys that may be a little too competitive. We thought we were on pace to beat it. 65 miles by 11:30. We made 64.15 miles by 11:30. We were racked. Rackpoints are precise, rackpoints are mean. However, it was a good team building experience. It also reshifted our focus that this summer is not about the bike, it's about changing society's perception of people with disabilities and fraternities. Though we didn't make this one, we had a great time racing trying to beat the clock.

Other than that, I'm thankful to be out of Wyoming and in Colorado where we get some shorter riding days and two days off to help us rest as we continue the Push mission.

Downtown Shoshoni

Continuing a Tradition

Another 5am wakeup courtesy of our Project Manager Jeremy’s wonderful singing voice started us off from Kellogg High School in Kellogg, ID. Today was going to be tough. 105 miles and over 6,000 feet of mountain climbs were on the itinerary. Supposedly one of the toughest days on the Journey. This morning was cold and after we enjoyed our crew chief breakfast we began preparing ourselves for a long yet scenic ride.

In the early part of our ride my paceline enjoyed conversations about life, girls, and funny college stories. As we began our first mountain climb of the day on rough roads, conversations quickly stopped as we huffed and puffed up the winding mountain path. When we reached the top we were greeted by a crew van who enthusiastically greeted us while their van was blasting Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.” Motivating stuff. However we did get a chance to play four square at the top, a game that has taken this team by storm. I’d like to add that I’m the reining champion, welcoming all challengers. After taking a quick breather we started the descent but the numerous switchbacks and gravel on the road prevented us from going very fast.

After about 20 miles through the valley we began our second, and thankfully last, mountain climb of the day. Thompson Pass, elevation 4,800 feet, was longer and steeper than the first climb but the view at the top was that much more spectacular. Visibility was good today and we could see for miles. This time the descent was a little more enjoyable as we had better roads and fewer switchbacks. I suppose there is no way to ensure complete safety while going 44mph on the way down as the only protection I have is spandex and underarmour but we made sure to play by the rules and enjoy the quick ride down.

Another crew chief lunch on the side of the road was a welcome break near the Clarks Fork River. We devoured our midday rations and hit the road once again about 50 miles out from our destination. All the pacelines were making great time but thunder and lightning forced all of us to rack and ride to lodging at mile 85, about 20 miles outside of Paradise. Thankfully this was the first time all summer we have had to rack due to weather.

The team arrived at Quinn’s Hot Springs Inn and immediately headed for the pool. We had heard about this one and were excited to jump in. At the pool were 5 segmented hot tubs each with its own temperature of water. It ranged from absolutely freezing to standard hot tub warmth. Man law dictated that each of us fully submerge ourselves in the freezing water before we head to the comfortable hot tub. Please don’t make me explain the logic behind this choice, I’m not sure that there is any. After a relaxing hour in the hot springs, we enjoyed a filling dinner sponsored by Denise Moreth of Quinn’s Hot Springs Inn. After that, a few of us decided to continue the tradition of eating ice cream the night before each century ride. We went to the gift shop and pick from a freezer of frozen treats. 15 minutes later each one of us went back for seconds. We’re all eating enough food to feed a small army. I’d like to say how fun it is each and every day on the Journey as our team has really grown close and turned the challenging days into good memories. Time for bed, tomorrow brings us another 5am wakeup and century ride into Missoula, MT which we need to complete before noon to be on time for a sponsored lunch. I’m sure all our legs will be “Feelin’ the Hope” by then.

Week 1 Recap

Today's day off in Missoula, Montana has finally given me an opportunity to update my blog and tell about my experiences thus far. I'll give short day by day summaries for the past week but I promise to provide longer stories in the days to come. Let's get started.

Day 1 of riding took us 75 miles to Skykomish, WA. Honestly the most memorable part of this day were how bone chillingly cold the showers were. I swear the school we stayed in pumped their water directly from the river next to it. Guys, we're talkin a shrinkage factor of 12. On a 10 scale. Other than that, it was cool to see some geography other than Indiana's rolling cornfields. Beautiful foothills and pine forests as far as I can see. We're officially at the base of the Cascade Mountains and the climbing will really begin tomorrow.

Day 2 took us through Steven's Pass (elev. 4,100 ft.) through the Cascades to Wenatchee, WA. This day was very challenging but my paceline rocked it up the mountain and we were all too busy taking in the gorgeous mountain scenery around us to get tired. I also enjoyed the chance to see my cousin Rachel, her husband Andy, and their 7 month old baby boy, Caleb. I'll definitely have to visit them again soon. While visiting, they took me to a bakery a quarter mile from their house where I had the best cupcake ever made. Ever.

Two days later we arrived in Spokane, WA and had a much needed day off. We had a friendship visit with the Muscalar Distrophy suppport group of greater Spokane and it was a great time. While talking with the kids and their families, we played games ranging from pie eating contests to frozen t-shirt thaw races. Me and a guy from Virginia Tech faced off in the t-shirt thaw and we looked like cavemen as we slammed our frozen t-shirts against rocks trying to break the ice around them. My readers may be surprised to know I lost. Big time. I think the competition was rigged...

Washington's landscape has blown me away. I thought the whole state consisted of mountains and pine forests. The ride up to Steven's Pass was a rain forest. Wenatchee was on the other side of the Cascades and a much more arid climate. The ride to Coulee City from Wenatchee took us through a desert with steep canyon walls and hot sandy roads. Between Coulee City and Spokane we rode through rolling farm land. Finally in Spokane we saw more mountains and pine forests. Each day was distinctly different from the rest and kept the rides interesting.

The next day we had a short ride into Coeur d'Alene, ID where we stayed at a camp across a lake that I cannot quite describe. Let's just say it's something that me and my teammates will never forget. Some of the days seem to run together throughout the course of the journey but this one will definitely stand out for years to come. Anyway, the camp was situated on a beautiful lake and my team had fun relaxing on the beach as we took the afternoon off. We slept in "cabins" on the top of the hill which were more like treehouses. A guy remarked they looked like Eewok huts from the Star Wars films. Nerd. But really, they did. The night ended with a good round of ghost stories told by the unique staff.

Finally our Journey took us to Kellogg, ID. We were able to take a bike trail 80 miles all the way from Coeur d'Alene so the ride was quick and smooth. We didn't have any scheduled events for the evening so we hit the town in search of food. About 15 of us bombarded a local chinese place and I was able to satisfy my craving for some General Tso's chicken. Not as good as Rice Cafe of course. We all then went for ice cream afterwards as tomorrow's trip would be our first century ride. Eating whenever possible has become a theme with these guys.

Update #1 - Still in training

The thought of blogging had never occurred to me.  However a week ago I was sittin around with some friends from church and one of them suggested I create one to keep my family and friends updated throughout my summer.  I though why not?  I'm a funny guy (that one's for you Ryan) and I've been told I'm capable of writing at a 9th grade level, so let's do this.  

Now that school is out I'm able to devote much more time to my training.  I picked up a month long membership to this gym in Carmel where they offer lots of spinning classes.  For those of you unfamiliar with spinning or you think it's just something that middle aged women do, let me clear the air.  Spinning is interval training on a stationary bike in a group setting.  And in my limited experience with spinning, yes, it's something that just middle aged women do...and me.  However, these women are the weekend warrior types.  Seriously, they just don't get tired.  I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were linked to baseball's Mitchell Report.  I only make these excuses for myself because as they're cranking out miles I'm dripping sweat and sucking air tryin to keep up.  

I always laugh to myself when I listen to the pump up music played during these classes.  Since the class is primarily women, the music suits them.  While I'm struggling to continue pedaling I have the pleasure of listening to playlists consisting of Pink, Lady Gaga, and other absolute favorites of college males.  I'll tell ya what folks, few things get me more hyped than the driving baseline of Miley Cyrus' "See you again."  Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to the soundtrack of "The Birdcage" where Robin Williams and Nathan Lane play owners of a gay club in Miami.  By that I mean I wouldn't be surprised if I heard "It's rainin men" come on as the next track.  It's quite an experience.  Every now and then the playlist will tease me with some Kanye or Tom Petty but then it's back to Y-M-C-A!... Village People bashing aside, these spin classes are getting me in great shape to take on the mountains out west.  

In addition to my spinning I'm making 2 or 3 long rides outdoors each week where I'll either train for sustained endurance or hills.  I used to lift a lot but began to taper the weight training when I made the sad realization that my bench press wouldn't really help me in our mountain climbs.  I've only got 2.5 weeks left until the Journey begins and I am excited to fly out to Seattle and meet the rest of the team.  I'll be sure to post again once I'm there for orientation.  Thanks again for all the support and thanks for reading.

David  

A big thank you!

I wanted to take a moment to thank all my sponsors for helping me exceed my fundraising goal.  With your help, I was able to raise $7,600, far above the minimum requirement of $5,000 and $100 more than my personal goal of $7,500.  I am excited and honored to take on this once in a lifetime opportunity and would not be able to do so without your support.  Your money will do much more than support me as I ride across America.  The vast majority will help enrich the lives of people with disabilities.  I have seen first hand how Push helps others through my participation in grant financed service projects.  Thanks again.    

David

Journey of Hope Description

Here's the fundraising letter I sent out last semester to almost 300 family and friends.  It gives a good description of the mission of Push America and why I decided to take on the Journey.

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Friends,

I have decided to ride a bicycle across the country this summer!  From Seattle to Washington D.C., I will be cycling more than 4,000 miles across deserts, over mountains and through rain and heat.  On June 11, 2009 I will join 70 other students who will ride from Seattle to begin this summer challenge.  We are from colleges across the country and together we will complete the Journey of Hope, a 68 day bicycle trek to benefit Push America.  Push America is the national philanthropy of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity whose mission is to raise funds and awareness on behalf of people with disabilities.   

I have been involved with Push America since joining Pi Kappa Phi three years ago.  Through my volunteer work with Project AccessABILITY on behalf of Push America, I have learned a great deal about what people with disabilities can do.  Project AccessABILITY is a grant financed service project where students build wheelchair ramps for families in need in the Purdue area.  This is one example of the many meaningful experiences I have had serving with Push.  Through this work, I have realized that there is a need nationwide to educate people on the abilities of people with disabilities.

This summer I plan to share my experiences with others during the Journey of Hope.  Through presentations, specials events, and an innovative puppet show, my teammates and I will reach thousands of people with a message of acceptance and understanding of people with disabilities.  Before the journey begins, we will raise more than $500,000 in support of the projects and programs of Push America.

I am very excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity, and have committed myself to raising more than $7,500 in support of Push America by April 17, 2009.  However, I need your help.  I am making a personal appeal to my family and friends to join me in my efforts.  Please support me as I serve others by making a tax-deductible contribution to Push America.  Your gift will go a long way in helping to affect the lives of some very special people.  These donations will serve people with disabilities primarily through grants and building projects.

Please feel free to contact me at dastinnette@gmail.com with any questions about the project.  Thank you for your support! 

Peace,

David