pre-ride Friday

Friday, 18 May 2012

None of us sleep very well in the dorm-type bunks, so we decide to walk down to the Starbucks on campus and enjoy a relaxing coffee and chat together before we commence bike re-assembly.  It's a beautiful morning and it feels good to stretch our legs after spending much of Thursday either on a plane or airport shuttle.  Several Emory employees who are riding or crewing recognize Tracy and/or me from last year and stop to welcome us back and to meet Jon.  

from this to...

this; ready to ride!

Tracy was going to visit with an Atlanta area friend, so Jon and I went for a ride around campus after re-assembling our bikes.  He was having some difficulty getting a reading from his cycling computer so we were grateful to get directions to a nearby bike shop and rode over there for some adjustment assistance.  Then it was time to eat and I recalled a yummy salad and pizza place on the other side of campus from being here last year, so we enjoyed a respite there too.  We cleaned up and walked up to the Medical School building in order to complete final registration, pick up our rider packets and enjoy the dinner with all of the other riders, crew and Emory Vaccine Center staff.   Dr. Harriet Robinson provided us with an exciting update on her work as she and her team, including Dr. Rama Amara had exciting updates to share: Emory Vaccine Center - getting closer!
We headed back soon after dinner in order to prep all for an early morning on Saturday.  

Jon, Mary, Tracy middle with research scientists at dinner

Dr. Harriet Robinson, Emory Vaccine Center scientist

meant to add this to Saturday's post - another typical road scene

The pics I posted both left and below are both from Saturday...a typical scene taken by a passing crew member in a car and the bike parking at camp on Saturday night...standing room only!

bike parking at Rock Eagle camp

Good night from the Emory University campus...ready to ride tomorrow!
Mary

AIDS Vaccine Ride - Saturday

Sat, 19 May 2012   Emory University - Rock Eagle 4-H Camp, Eatonton, GA 


Early morning wake up in the fraternity house lodging that the 3 of us have to ourselves on campus.  We are about a 10 minute walk across campus from the Medical School building where we'll meet for breakfast, last minute ride updates and ride-out, so we push our bikes while lugging our gear bags for the overnight in the early dawn light up the sidewalk, across the campus roads - park our bikes at the bike rack, then drop our gear bags near the gear truck, followed by breakfast inside, filling water bottles, stretching, chatting and taking photos.  After breakfast, I return outside and see all of the activities...over 200 riders with bikes and assorted family and friends to see them off, a local band arriving to pump us all up before ride out, crew members tagging and stowing bags on the gear truck, SAG vehicles affixing magnetic signs, filling water coolers, packing 1st aid bags, reviewing their route sheets and riders using all available railings, walls, bike racks to stretch out their legs and bags for the long day of pedaling ahead.

Emory Medical School - Sat morning - pre ride

7:30AM and the 1st riders are pedaling away, heading off-campus through Decatur to link up with the bike trail going out towards Stone Mountain Park.  I'm about in the middle of the pack and enjoy the cool morning ride through the neighborhoods near the Emory campus over to the trail.  The weather forecast was great so, while I did pack a rain jacket as well as arm warmers and a vest for the overall trip, they aren't needed on the ride, so I'm glad to leave them.  
Alarmingly (to me) my right knee has me wincing in pain even when I'm pedaling on the flats...so I quickly try to adapt on the hills by using my lower gears and push my left leg more in order to take some pressure off of my right.  As the sun gets higher in the sky and the temps rise, my lungs join the struggle, so seek some easier breathing by using my inhaler.  

pre ride out photo (Mary, Jon, Tracy are right center front behind peace sign jersey)

I am enjoying the rest stop themes and they are a great distraction whenever I'm tired, in pain, hungry, hot or all of the above!  The rest stop crews try to out-do each other in their costumes and rider welcome and each is great in eliciting smiles and providing minutes of respite to all.  The donated lunches are the yummiest for any ride that I can remember...lovely fresh deli sandwich variety, fresh fruit, orzo salad with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, brownies - oh my!

Tracy, Jon and Mary before ride out on Sat

  

first riders leaving Emory, as the band plays us off campus

arriving at a rest stop

As I ride, I both chat with other riders as well as have some solo reflection time.  I've been riding for the same reason since 1997, when I rode in my 1st AIDS fundraising ride,  [I note the details of my ride origins in an earlier post here: "Let's start at the Very Beginning"] and so I've had many thousands of miles (both while training as well as on the event) in all sorts of weather and traffic conditions, road surfaces to have lots of reflection time.  

my brother, Peter Harding

I do talk to Peter lots of the time - both on and off of my bike - and I still hear him whooping and hollering with glee on the downhills with me, as well as his strong encouragement when I'm hurting or discouraged.  I miss him so and will continue to work hard so that AIDS doesn't claim others' loved ones too. 

Tracy, Mary and Jon (aka Puget Sound Riders team) at a rest stop

I was recently surprised by a comment made by a bike mechanic (20-something): "I thought AIDS was cured?"   While there have been many improvements in the medications used to treat HIV/AIDS over the years, there isn't a vaccine or cure yet so, with your help and trust in me to continue to find the best breakthrough research for all of us to support.  
The research scientists at Emory Vaccine Center are committed to a world without AIDS too! 


Thank you all!

AIDS Vaccine Ride 2012 - Sunday

Sun, 20 May 2012


University of Georgia, Rock Eagle 4-H Camp, Eatonton, GA - adjacent to the Oconee National Forest 

a Sunday morning road scene (yellow jerseys worn by top ride fundraisers)

Beautiful and serene setting on a lake, in the middle of a forested area...4 bunks to a room in each cabin, riders and crew sharing space and all trying to get a good nights rest before another early morning awakening.  My knee pain has not subsided - even with a night's rest - sigh!  I decide to dress to ride, then eat breakfast before checking with the doctor volunteering on the ride (Emory ER/trauma doc).  He empathizes as he had to quit a triathlon event recently with a knee injury but he says that my tendonitis will not improve without R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and he's doesn't want to release me to ride today :(
I grudgingly agree that it's better than if I had suffered a more serious injury to the ligaments or joint capsule oh well...

Saturday night knee-icing

I end up riding with Colin, who's the SAG (support and gear road crew/vehicles) coordinator for the ride.  He drove a SAG vehicle last year and stepped up to lead the entire road support effort this year, coordinating an intricate symphony with the @12 vehicles on the road, covering every stage of the ride, with a 'caboose' vehicle situated at a rest stop until all riders have passed through or have been accounted for; then that previous stage is closed and all vehicles move forward, shepherding riders to the mass-up location @ 2 miles from the finish at Emory University.   Colin's 'day job' is a world away from volunteering on an AIDS fundraising ride (as can be said for most of us!): he's a patent attorney who also has an engineering degree - whew!   I am impressed by his calm, positive demeanor throughout the day - whether he's stopped to check on a cyclist alongside the road or checking status of his SAG vehicle drivers and moving them into more optimal positions/locations - and I remark on it, as I've had many different experiences on my AIDS rides since 1997, so his behavior is very much appreciated by this currently-off-the-saddle cyclist!

icing at mass-up location in Decatur, GA

riders escorting riderless bike

watching riderless bike ceremony

I ask Colin to drop me at the mass-up location whenever he needs to, so that he can free up room in his car for other riders, if necessary.  The volunteer crew at the bike corral gently hang my bike on the rack and make me an ice bag, while handing me a wrap for my knee, so I wrap it, apply the ice and stretch out on a bench in the playground area, waiting for my friends to ride in and hoping to grit out the short ride to the finish with them.  

police escort for riders arriving back to Emory Univ

with Tracy at finish

Yes - this I believe!

So, this year's ride effort is complete, although I'll welcome donations throughout the year!


Mary's donation page - AIDS Vaccine Ride


I'm so very grateful for my team of ride sponsors who have trusted me to be a good steward for their contributions throughout the years and know that I support a ride model where the donations go to the beneficiary - period.  No surprise costs, or add-on expenses for supplies, etc; I pay any costs associated to my participation - bike maintenance, training, travel, lodging.  No donated monies are used for other than to end AIDS so that, some day, I'll get to ride for the pure enjoyment of it.  


Until then, I'll keep riding and I'll have my beloved road angel Peter in my heart to cheer me on; no hours-long climb up a mountain pass or painful injury even comes close to the suffering that my brother and too many others had to endure, so please stick with me...with hope for all!
Thank you SO much.

Monday, post-ride

Mon, 21 May 2012

No early morning alarm or ride-out today...Jon had gotten a ride to the airport for his early flight home so Tracy and I climbed back on our bikes to head to a nearby cafe for breakfast, where we chanced on a fellow rider who works at Emory University, so it gave us an additional enjoyable visit with her over a very yummy breakfast.

Then it was time to disassemble and pack our bikes as the airport shuttle was coming mid-afternoon for our flight home at 6.   Note: it's never a fun task to take my bike apart after a ride; it's more a letdown but it's all part of the process.  However, it's always a good feeling when it's packed and all of the pieces accounted for; we did a final sweep of the fraternity house where we stayed for the weekend, returned the keys to our campus contact and headed to the airport.  

It was a hot day in Atlanta on Monday...80-some degrees but when we got all checked in for our 6PM flight, we were looking outside as the sky turned black and heavy rain pelted the huge windows, when there was an announcement that the thunderstorms in the area would delay our take-off...we left an hour late, which had my body clock at 2AM when I finally got home, too tired to do anything but immediately get ready to drop to sleep!

Re-entry...

Tue, 23 May 2012


I'm home and back to work - 'riding a desk' again. It'll take some time to adjust to being back in the 'real' world after the experience I've had; it's always a challenge to work and train, then be a part a part of something that is a cause so much bigger than any one of us who were involved.  

I know that my efforts, along with your generous support does make a difference and each time we are nearing closer to our shared goal of ending AIDS.


With so much gratitude to you and yes, hope for all...I will continue until AIDS is conquered.


Mary's AIDS Vaccine rider page - donations still gratefully accepted!

Packing for a cross-country trip to ride my bike all weekend doesn't pair well with last minute piles of work tasks - ugh!  Trying to clear my desk in order to finish packing and be ready to head to Atlanta tomorrow.  


Even though the weekend weather forecast doesn't include rain, I've packed my rain gear anyway, heeding the adage of "if you bring it, chances are you won't need to use it".  Looks to be @ 80 degrees with light winds - nice!

Super moon over Seattle, 5/5/12 (nothing to do with my ride, but I'm representing Seattle in the south this weekend!

I'll post pics and updates along the way...please know again how grateful I am for your support of AIDS Vaccine research!


Mary Harding's rider donation page - AIDS Vaccine Ride 2012


Tailwinds!
Mary

My bike is packed and I just need to cushion it well with my cycling clothes in strategic places and I will feel better about it withstanding the whole 'in transit' experience.  It always feels better once I get to my destination and can unpack and reassemble it, take a quick test ride and know that it's as ready to ride as I am!


Luckily I won't be under time pressure to get ready once I arrive in Atlanta; there's a dinner Friday night where we'll get our rider packets, route maps/cue sheets and hear about any last minute route changes.  Extended forecast shows temps in the 80's, some clouds and wind doesn't seem to be a factor, thankfully.  Usually, there are chances of thunderstorms in the afternoon, so I'll just have to get started early and pedal hard to finish before that kind of trouble!


I'm excited too about seeing the scientists and researchers from the Emory Vaccine Center - the beneficiary of our fundraising efforts.  They are working so hard and making extraordinary progressive; I've been working hard in training and fundraising so that I can support their vital efforts. 


As ever, I am a trustworthy steward of your donation; I pay my own travel costs and this is a completely volunteer ride effort (organizing committee, riders, road crew, medical staff, corporate sponsors underwriting ride costs of food and supplies), so that 100% of the money raised from this ride will directly fund developing preventive and therapeutic HIV vaccines as well as clinical trials. 
When I'm finished riding on Sunday night and able to sit without pedaling, I'll look forward to hearing an update :)

AIDS Vaccine Ride 2012 - Mary Harding's rider donation page

Tailwinds!
Mary

3 months from today - May 17th - I'll be arriving in Atlanta in advance of the AIDS Vaccine 200 ride.  The cross-country journey will take most of Thursday - lugging both my bike case and gear bag with me.  Then, on Friday, I'll be busy re-assembling and readying my bike, cycling clothing and gear in order to ride out early on Sat, May 19th.  

Early in January I posted a post-operative update and now, I can joyfully report that I've been freed from all casts and boots and can actually fit my still healing foot into my cycling shoe!  My right foot, according to my surgeon was basically reconstructed, but all x-rays look good and I've been discharged to physical therapy.  Weather-permitting I'll get out on my bike for a short, flat ride soon and then put my training ride schedule into gear, as I'll need a bunch of miles on my bike in order to be ready to not only complete the ride, but to have FUN too!

I am grateful for any support you can give me and, in light of recent news re: non-profit organizations, I want to explain again why I chose this particular ride as my beneficiary organization: it's 100% volunteer (ride organizers, riders, crew) and every $ that you donate to my efforts (secure link to my rider donation page below) goes directly to AIDS vaccine research.  Also, I pay every cost associated with my participation: rider registration, round-trip airfare, lodging, meals, cycling gear: all of it.  

Mary Harding's AIDS Vaccine 200 Ride 2012 - rider page


Tailwinds!
Mary

2012!

Happy New Year!

I'm marking not only the start of a new year, but also my 5th week post-op, after extensive surgery on my right foot; I've been non weight-bearing since December 5th!  My cast comes off next Monday and I'll have 5 more weeks in a boot, so I'll hope to be able to have some re-entry time on my spin bike at home before getting outside again in March. Attached is a pic of the day that I got the sutures removed and cast put on; still had 3 more weeks of non weight-bearing so I was lucky to get this full leg brace which allows me to move about w/o crutches and there isn't any weight on my lower leg or foot.  

I'm glad that I didn't have to stay stationary the whole time and appreciate being able to continue to use my right hip joint and quads.  Hopefully it won't be too much of a challenge to ramp back up on the miles when I start training...!

I'm already registered to ride again in the AIDS Vaccine Ride 200 out of Atlanta in mid-May.  It's not as long as some of my previous rides but it's a double-century ride over a weekend, so consecutive 100 mile rides will be challenge enough, thank you very much!  My training time will be condensed so I'm hoping for mild temps and a dry Spring - ha!  Knowing that 100% of every dollar I raise goes directly to the Emory Vaccine Center - HIV/AIDS Vaccine Research is the major incentive for me to get back on my bike and train hard!  As always, I will be paying for all of my own travel and ride-related costs and was also my own first donor :).  The ride organizers mobilize an army of volunteers, along with corporate sponsorships and in-kind donations to cover the costs of moving, feeding, lodging and safeguarding all of the AIDS-riders along the roundtrip route and overnight.  We also were treated to a rider check-in catered dinner at the Emory medical school building, along with breakfast on Saturday morning before we rode out.  They even had a local band playing for our exit from the Emory Univ. campus (to Lady GaGa tunes!).  

start of the AV200 ride, May 2011  (Tracy and I are on far side of road from camera @ :30 seconds, maroon/gold Puget Sound Rider jerseys)

Also, after we both re-registered for this years ride, we were interviewed, so I'm sharing the article highlighting me and my wonderful friend and ride partner, Tracy in a recent ride newsletter:  Rider Spotlight - AIDS Vaccine 200 Ride  

Dr. Mark Mulligan, Exec Director of Hope Clinic/Emory Vaccine Ctr was the medical director for the ride last year, volunteering for the entire time with 1 of his feet in a post-op walking boot. Mark noticed and asked about Peter when he spotted the picture I always wear over my heart, then shared his own pic of his brother Mike; AIDS took Mike too :( 
I was delighted to learn that he has registered as a rider this year!  He and a few of the other world-renowned research scientists at the Emory Vaccine Center met with us at the finish line and provided us with an inspiring report on their promising research. 


Sidebar, but couldn't resist sharing this pic of my grandson, Sullivan, on the day I got him his 1st bike; as you can see, he's most interested in the dragon horn he talked me into getting :)

I ask you to please consider supporting my AIDS vaccine ride efforts again this year; I so appreciate your generous support and just know that I bring you all with me whenever I ride.  You're in the best of company as my road angel Peter always rides in my heart and on my shoulder!

For secure online donations:  

Mary Harding's AIDS Vaccine ride 2012 rider page

Many thanks.


Tailwinds!

Mary

I am sure you're thinking that I've achieved Olympic gold medal status in postponement skills by now, so I'll try to catch up a bit on my AIDS ride effort this year: the AIDS Vaccine Ride 200 in May, supporting the Vaccine Center at Emory University, Atlanta.  


My longtime riding partner, Tracy and I arrived in Atlanta about 5PM on Thursday to a sweltering 93°, then quickly made our way to Emory University, as we were offered medical school dorm lodging since we were the riders who traveled the longest distance.  Turman dorm is a beautiful, new, 4-story 'green' building and we were the only residents other than the RA - nice!  This was great as all of the pre and post ride activities were literally across the road and so was the start/finish line for the ride.  When you already have to pack up gear and bikes, travel cross-country and rent a car for all said gear and bikes, it's a huge help to not have to find off-site lodging and commute for everything.

my side of the dorm room

We settled in quickly after meeting Marc, who coordinated all of the logistics for the ride; this ride is 100% volunteer - so, along with the riders and road crew, the ride management - everyone is a volunteer - donating our time and efforts so that all of the money we raise goes directly to the reason we ride: develop a vaccine to rid our world of HIV/AIDS!
We also quickly found the local Starbucks (we are from Seattle, home of coffee mecca, you know), pizza place, and local bike shop who sponsors this ride.  I spent Friday re-assembling my bike, sorting my clothes and ride gear in readiness to ride over the weekend and prepping all for a very early start on Saturday morning. 
We walked over to the Emory School of Medicine for ride check-in (get rider packets with route information, rider #, emergency contact info, etc) and had a yummy dinner, meeting lots of new friends on Friday then made it an early night as the alarm was set for o'dark hundred!

pre-ride breakfast; Rachel, Mary, Tracy

It was still dark when I brought my overnight bag for gear drop-off and rolled my bike over to the front of the medical school building again Saturday morning.  When I was putting it in the bike rack, another rider tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if he could get some help/ask me some questions.  As it happened, he was an experienced rider but using a borrowed bike with different components than he was used to, so he wanted to ask me if I could coach him on how to change gears!  I'm one of those who would not even use a new saddle or shoes or anything, never mind a new bike on a long ride - whew!  He quickly got the hang of it though and went to practice a bit on quiet campus roads while I went inside for breakfast.  

Mary's bike - ready to ride!

We were able to fuel up well, fill our water bottles, pocket some snacks and head outside for some last minute safety reminders and route updates before we enjoyed the send-off from lots of supporters and a brass band playing Lady Gaga on our rideout...through the streets to connect to a local bike path taking us towards Stone Mountain, site of our first rest stop.
Tracy and I were proudly representing our AIDS rider teammates and wearing our Puget Sound Riders jerseys 

We met up with lots of great folks along the way and we were all very appreciative that the oppressive heat and humidity had disappeared for us to ride out in a light mist, only requiring arm warmers and vests for the cooler early hours of riding.  As a rider who has unfortunately been caught in too many downpours, I now know to pack my rain jacket, just in case, whenever there is threat of rain.  Luckily I only had to carry it and not use it, as the temps were delightful and we rolled through the outskirts of Atlanta, rural backroads, past lots of farms, gorgeous magnolia and oak trees all the way to Rock Eagle 4-H center - our overnight camp 105 miles from the start. 

On Sunday afternoon we all met up at Decatur Square and riders lined up next to each other and our bikes alongside the path, as we silently paid tribute to all of those lost to AIDS - represented by a riderless bike.  We then climbed back on our own bikes, rolled out behind a police escort for the 2 mile ride back to the Emory University campus.  

This was another amazing experience and I'm encouraged anew that we're closing in on our goal: to end AIDS.  Thank you again to my generous donors; together we ARE making a difference!

Tailwinds!

Mary