our blog

pusser’s in Annapolis Saturday, June 19 from 2-4PM

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 08:17:47 -0400

Our Welcome Home/Victory Party will be at Pusser’s, downstairs at the Annapolis downtown Marriott. Cash bar on the second floor deck, overlooking Ego Alley and the race finish line.

The party will be on Saturday, June 19 from 2-4. Hopefully we will have arrived on Friday and will be plenty rested. If we arrive just before the party, there will be a roped off isolation area so you don’t have to stand next to a smelly rider.

Come one, come all! Kids are welcome. Celebrate the accomplishment with the riders, crew, family and friends who have made this all possible.

BACK TO REALITY

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 21:18:59 -0400

On Friday I was having a bad day. Tired from training, exasperated by RAAM preparations, feeling a lot of pressure and generally feeling like I was entitled to be in a rough mood. I had also looked at some of the race maps and been intimidated by some of the climbs we are supposed to to at extreme altitude. Had to stay very late at work which put me over the edge. I was downright aggravated.

Then I opened my eyes. I was staying late at work taking care of a 10 year old girl with cancer who has death nipping at her heels. She is fighting tooth and nail every day just to live. After her procedure, we brought her back to the ICU where I met her parents. Dad was scrambling to help the nurses keep his daughter comfortable while Mom was giving out hugs of thanks to people for taking good care of her daughter.

What an ass I had been. So upset because my little bike race is hard. Too much planning. Too much effort. So put upon. But in reality, so blessed. Really blessed by meeting that family.

This little girl can fight and fight for her life. The very least I can do is ride my bike over a few mountains for her.

All by herself

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 21:13:22 -0400

Got this taped to my mirror tonight. Apparently my 6 year old did this entirely by herself. I am dumbstruck. She acts like she can barely read and then comes up with this?

I Will mis Lucy wile I am rasing akross amirika.

-R

A little love in the local PAPER

Thu, 27 May 2010 20:15:40 -0400

Hard work pays off

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:42:03 -0400

My favorite sports advertisement of all time featured Lee Trevino, the legendary golfer. To paraphrase, Lee says “You want to hit the ball farther? I have two suggestions. First, switch to the TitleFlight Super Ball. Since I switched to this ball, I am hitting 50 yards farther and straighter than ever. So my first suggestion is use the Super Ball. My second suggestion is hit 1000 Super Balls a day.”

The point is that stuff is cool but it is no substitute for practice.

I have been riding for some years now. I enjoy it tremendously. I also enjoy my bikes. I have some really cool bikes (Super Balls). These bikes will go as fast as my legs are able to push them. There’s the rub.

Preparing for RAAM, I knew I couldn’t go it alone. I didn’t really know how to train. I signed up with a coach in December. He tells me what to do and I try to do it. The end result is that I am riding a lot more than ever before (big thanks to my wife, Karen, who is patiently putting up with my training) and my rides are structured. The duration and intensity of each ride is spelled out. I have been diligently trying to do the prescribed rides.

I am very pleased to say I am actually making progress. Today I had a great ride, pedaling harder and faster than I have ever gone... ever. And I’m old!

My coach is Joe Collins from Carmichael Training Systems. He lives in Asheville, NC. We have a long distance relationship but it is working well. I picture him as a very tall, dark figure with glowing red eyes that shine brightly when I tell him about the pain he has me inflict on myself. Coaches are like that. In truth, Joe has been a pleasure to have as my slave driver and it’s hard to argue with the results. I am riding at least 33% stronger now than when I started with my coach. Thanks Joe.

Garth and Bill are both being coached by Kerri Robbins from Kinetic Motion. They too are very pleased with their respective programs... and they say Kerri’s eyes do not glow red. I’m a little jealous.

Jeff has been crazy strong for years. He uses a European Time Trial training program that he has modified himself for RAAM, adding a lot of endurance miles. Some of us need more help than others.

To sum up, toys are cool but training makes you stronger. So I have two suggestions. First, get a bike. Then ride it 1,000 miles (under the guidance of a good coach).

Rich’s New Training Partner

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:33:22 -0400

I love riding my bike but, especially preparing for this race, I am spending a crazy amount of time riding. Before this, a typical week might have had me on the bike 5 or 6 hours for somewhere around 100 miles. These days I am riding 250 miles a week in 12 to 15 hours. It is definitely a strain on me physically and also a strain on my family. They have been great tolerating my riding but I do miss spending those extra 6-10 hours a week with them.

With that in mind, today was special. I started my ride today with a new training partner, my oldest son Kent. After patiently waiting for 4 months, he finally received his birthday present: a youth sized Pinarello road bike. We went out for his first ride today, just 3 1/2 miles. He couldn’t believe how fast and how easily a road bike moves. Did he have fun? Judge for yourself.

As for me, I had a great time.

-Rich

WELLNESS HOUSE PARTNERS WITH ULMAN CANCER FUND FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:53:39 -0400

Children’s cancer causes get lots of attention and rightly so. As we get on in years, cancer becomes ever more prevalent. Consequently, tremendous resources are spent serving the elderly cancer group.

The group in between, because of proportionately small numbers, is often left out of the care and service equation. In fact, young adults are the only age demographic for whom survival rates are not improving.

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults is dedicated to serving this frequently “forgotten” group of cancer patients.

The Wellness House and the Ulman Cancer Fund are now partnering to bring new support programs to Annapolis and Howard County to serve young adult cancer patients and their families. We at TEAM DOC2DOC are very pleased to report that some of the proceeds from our ride will help to support these new programs financially.

A support group for teen children of cancer patients will be launched by the Ulman Cancer Fund at the Wellness House of Annapolis in part thanks to donors to our RAAM effort.

Time station dedications

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 16:31:03 -0400

As we cross the country, we pass 55 time stations that monitor and verify our progress. We are offering the opportunity to dedicate a specific section of the race to a specific person.

We are working really hard to make our race a success. Training, organizing, donating. It’s a huge challenge. In reality however, this challenge pales in comparison to real challenges people face every day.

Maybe a memorial to someone you have lost or a boost to someone you know who is bravely facing a challenge. We will create a placard with the dedication, the time and date we pass and, conditions permitting, a photo of our rider passing the station. If you want, we’ll send out a tweet, and email and a phone call to let you know we passed your dedicated station.

If you are interested in dedicating a time station, please email us and we’ll work it out.

doc2doc@me.com

Children’s lives include moments of bravery

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:34:25 -0400

CLIMB®, short for Children's Lives Includes Moments of Bravery, is a series of hour-long classes designed specifically for children ages 6-12 whose parents or loved ones have cancer. CLIMB® helps children deal with their fears, questions, and anxiety through weekly support groups and by meeting other children whose parents or loved ones also have cancer. CLIMB® was developed by the Children's Treehouse Foundation and is a proven model of support for children. Wellness House of Annapolis is pleased to be the only organization in our community to offer this unique program. Find out more by visiting www.annapoliswellnesshouse.com.

A cancer diagnosis is a little like an earthquake. The patient is at the epicenter but the shockwaves cause destruction in all directions. Children are particularly vulnerable to the emotional distress that follows a cancer diagnosis in a loved one, especially a parent. Wellness House has taken the lead in providing comfort and strength to our community’s kids.

This very successful program was highlighted at the recent Annapolis Rotary Club gala honoring Wellness House.

Helping hands’ beautiful work

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:07:29 -0400

I won’t double up on the entire article. The link is below. The short story is that Michel was likely to lose his leg after the earthquake in Haiti. Helping Hands reached out immediately following the disaster to see how they could help. After they became aware of Michel and his plight, Helping Hands worked tirelessly to bring him here, find him a home away from home and provide him with outstanding care. -R

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nbh/2010/03/17-48/Haitian-quake-victim-walks-again.html