My bike is in that bag...ready to head to Atlanta tomorrow; more to come...
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Ready to pack...
My bike is clean and ready to be disassembled and packed. The top tube and down tube have couplers built right in, so that I can take the frame apart and pack in a special case that is neither oversize nor overweight. It gets checked as regular baggage :)
I'll add that pic later on...
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Mt. Rainier and sun!
Last weekend I enjoyed Springtime weather for my training rides- finally!
Sunday's ride was the longer one, enjoying sunshine throughout- aahhh! South of Seattle and all the way down the Kent valley, right through the crosswalk where I was hit 3 years ago, continuing through Sumner and Prying where Mt. Rainier provided a magnificent backdrop- wow!
1 week from today I leave for Atlanta...final prep and packing list begins...
Monday, April 25, 2011
a sunny training ride - yea!!!
Ahhhhh, how lovely to have sun and warmth on a training ride - finally! Spotted 2 juvenile deer between the trail and river on the outbound loop; it was @ 10AM, so it seemed kind of late for them to wandering, but it was a treat to see while riding past. Further south, before we left the trail, there were 2 bald eagles watching the goings on from a treetop; then 4 more flew above, gliding nearby, so that we had to stop and enjoy that regal sight.
Busiest spot of road? Most dangerous part of the ride? Why, the Starbucks parking lot and drive-thru access points, of course!!
Only 2 more weekends to finalize training, before I pack my bike and head East for the AIDS Vaccine ride 200 - weekend of 5/14 & 5/15.
I'd appreciate your support in my fundraising efforts; let's end AIDS!
I'd appreciate your support in my fundraising efforts; let's end AIDS!
Thank you,
Mary
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Training to ride and raising $ to fund AIDS Vaccine Research!
Training ride today and it was SO wonderful to wake up, look outside (when you live in Seattle and have had as sloppy a Spring as I have, that becomes a habit) and see some sun and blue sky - yea!!
Most of my training rides for my upcoming AIDS Vaccine ride (4 weeks from now - eek!) have been colder than usual and rain too - ugh! I packed my rain jacket of course, but was hoping that I wouldn't have to use it. Wanted to ride 50 miles and settled for 46.5...also, I rode on the same trail and past the same intersection where I was hit by the speeding car just about 3 years ago - the driver also admitted to reaching into the back seat to play with her 2 yo nephew :(
Interesting to see that the bicycles crossing caution signs, which were already there, have been updated to the brighter yellow, along with lots of flashing caution lights and a built-up, repainted crosswalk with reflectors - hope it helps someone else avoid my painful experience.
I got in a couple of other rides on Friday and Saturday, so I'm feeling good about increasing my mileage and endurance for the upcoming ride. I'll keep going and with your help, we can make history soon in funding a vaccine to end AIDS! Here's the link for secure online donations:
Mary's rider page: AIDS Vaccine Ride 2011
Tailwinds!
Mary
Mary's rider page: AIDS Vaccine Ride 2011
Tailwinds!
Mary
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Riding for the same Reason since 1997 - next up: AIDS Vaccine Ride, May 2011
Yep, it's been a loooong winter and I had a bit of a delay in getting my ride training started recently by a bout with pneumonia - whew! Legs and lungs sure need to get some riding time now!
My AIDS ride this year will occur sooner than usual in the season - less than 2 months away, actually, as it's mid-May! I'll again ride in support of AIDS vaccine research - this year the beneficiary is the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, Atlanta, GA. The ride leaves Emory University Medical School on Sat, 5/14 to ride @ 103 miles East to Rock Eagle Park, GA, then return on Sunday. So my training will be focused on miles in order to train for back-to-back century (100+) rides on consecutive days. I'll have the same goals as usual: finish safely and have fun while raising as much $ as I can to wipe out AIDS. For that I'd pedal around the world and back!
Please consider joining my support team as a 'spoke sponsor'; secure, online donations can be made anytime on my personal rider page:
Mary Harding's rider page for AIDS vaccine ride, 2011
I'll post more updates as I get going...thank you.
Tailwinds!
Mary
My AIDS ride this year will occur sooner than usual in the season - less than 2 months away, actually, as it's mid-May! I'll again ride in support of AIDS vaccine research - this year the beneficiary is the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, Atlanta, GA. The ride leaves Emory University Medical School on Sat, 5/14 to ride @ 103 miles East to Rock Eagle Park, GA, then return on Sunday. So my training will be focused on miles in order to train for back-to-back century (100+) rides on consecutive days. I'll have the same goals as usual: finish safely and have fun while raising as much $ as I can to wipe out AIDS. For that I'd pedal around the world and back!
Please consider joining my support team as a 'spoke sponsor'; secure, online donations can be made anytime on my personal rider page:
Mary Harding's rider page for AIDS vaccine ride, 2011
I'll post more updates as I get going...thank you.
Tailwinds!
Mary
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Saturday, May 10, 2008
May has poignant memories...
Beside my text is the picture of my brother Peter that I carry over my heart on every AIDS ride. Yes, it's the picture of him that was on his memorial card and I chose that over other miscellaneous photos of him, since AIDS took his life and that was the sorrowful reason that I began riding. So, I ride in Peter's memory and to honor his legacy of loving, lifelong learning, courageous journey through his painful path, and oh, so much laughter along the whole way, even through tears.
Peter died on May 11, 1995 - over 14 years ago now; and yet, his loss still feels so new and raw, that the time seems to poke along. While I choose to celebrate Peter Harding's life - his birthdate is October 5th - I cannot ignore altogether the circumstances and experiences of this time 14 years ago. May 11th that year was on a Thursday and I had the very unwelcome task of calling my Mother from Peter's bedside, to gently tell her this sad, sad, sad news. When Mother's Day came that year, my Mother was then with me, in Santa Rosa, CA, where Peter lived and I remember us attending church at the cathedral together, clinging to each other for some comfort in this senseless loss.
Theresa, who began as Peter's hospice nurse, but quickly became a loving friend, was a huge comfort also and we smiled through our tears as we affirmed his strong will and example of not only how to live with AIDS, but he provided the same in his dying. Peter fervently wanted to stay at home in his cozy cottage (he's say "cozy just means 'small', but I love my home!"), and that he did. He was in his own bed, even requesting to hear "Motown", as he loved listening to music constantly; he slipped away peacefully while Marvin Gaye was serenading us with 'How sweet is is to be loved by you"...indeed, Peter, indeed!
Peter's been my road angel - on every ride - for every mile - since 1997 - whether I'm enjoying the whooping/hollering downhills, or tailwinds and also when I'm cursing and groaning on the steep climbs, never-ending mountain passes and icky weather days too...
Tailwinds!
Mary
Monday, April 14, 2008
Ride for a Reason - my first AIDS ride...
...way back in 1997, I heard that my employer was going to sponsor an AIDS fundraising ride to benefit some AIDS Service Organizations in the Northwest.
Having been very grateful for the caring support and services that Peter had received from his community AIDS resources, I was interested in helping out, kind of assuming that I could coordinate the employee volunteer involvement as I had done on some previous AIDS walks and such.
The ride was planned for August, 1997; to be a 4-day, 50 miles/day ride starting in Vancouver, British Columbia and ending on the Seattle waterfront. No way/no how did I even consider that I'd be a rider!!! Although I did have a bike, it spent most of it's time relaxing inside, venturing out only once or twice a year when I'd go for a short ride with friends to the brewpub via a local trail. Then the question was: 'how're we getting the bikes back?', as a few miles followed by pizza and a few beers with friends was the max for this very recreational rider ;)
The idea started to grow in me though...just a fleeting consideration at first (what if I did do the ride?), then finding myself pulling the pretty blue Peugeot hybrid bike out for a ride around my neighborhood - gasping on the mild inclines on the return ride and wondering what in the world was I thinking?! I kept going out for a ride though, a few times a week...each a bit longer than the last, but still only on the trail or in the parking lots of local office parks on the weekends (no roads or traffic for me!).
It was about 4 months prior to the ride when I came to a decision, based on wanting to face this physical challenge and do the ride to honor Peter in a unique way that would be very hard as well as very meaningful for me.
So, I found myself on the start line of my first AIDS ride - with Peter's picture worn over my heart, in August, 1997, in Vancouver, B.C., about 1200 other riders milling about - VERY nervous about whether I'd really be able to do this!
I noticed the woman next to me leaning closer to look at Peter's picture and when she stood up, she said, "I know that's your brother; I was looking at the date, as my brother Bret died a week before Peter". That's when I met my best ride buddy ever - Tracy! Tracy and her sister Tammie were both riding in their first AIDS ride too, plus, she lived in the Seattle area also!
Since then Tracy and I have pedaled thousands of miles together in training as well as the AIDS rides themselves along with raising - with your generous help - thousand$ to support AIDS research, education and services too.
Tracy and I agree that our brothers must find our partnership quite amusing as neither one of us had ever attempted anything like this before; we noted the 10th anniversary of our meeting while on last year's Empire State AIDS ride...here's to the love and devotion of sisters.
Tailwinds!
Mary
Having been very grateful for the caring support and services that Peter had received from his community AIDS resources, I was interested in helping out, kind of assuming that I could coordinate the employee volunteer involvement as I had done on some previous AIDS walks and such.
The ride was planned for August, 1997; to be a 4-day, 50 miles/day ride starting in Vancouver, British Columbia and ending on the Seattle waterfront. No way/no how did I even consider that I'd be a rider!!! Although I did have a bike, it spent most of it's time relaxing inside, venturing out only once or twice a year when I'd go for a short ride with friends to the brewpub via a local trail. Then the question was: 'how're we getting the bikes back?', as a few miles followed by pizza and a few beers with friends was the max for this very recreational rider ;)
The idea started to grow in me though...just a fleeting consideration at first (what if I did do the ride?), then finding myself pulling the pretty blue Peugeot hybrid bike out for a ride around my neighborhood - gasping on the mild inclines on the return ride and wondering what in the world was I thinking?! I kept going out for a ride though, a few times a week...each a bit longer than the last, but still only on the trail or in the parking lots of local office parks on the weekends (no roads or traffic for me!).
It was about 4 months prior to the ride when I came to a decision, based on wanting to face this physical challenge and do the ride to honor Peter in a unique way that would be very hard as well as very meaningful for me.
So, I found myself on the start line of my first AIDS ride - with Peter's picture worn over my heart, in August, 1997, in Vancouver, B.C., about 1200 other riders milling about - VERY nervous about whether I'd really be able to do this!
I noticed the woman next to me leaning closer to look at Peter's picture and when she stood up, she said, "I know that's your brother; I was looking at the date, as my brother Bret died a week before Peter". That's when I met my best ride buddy ever - Tracy! Tracy and her sister Tammie were both riding in their first AIDS ride too, plus, she lived in the Seattle area also!
Since then Tracy and I have pedaled thousands of miles together in training as well as the AIDS rides themselves along with raising - with your generous help - thousand$ to support AIDS research, education and services too.
Tracy and I agree that our brothers must find our partnership quite amusing as neither one of us had ever attempted anything like this before; we noted the 10th anniversary of our meeting while on last year's Empire State AIDS ride...here's to the love and devotion of sisters.
Tailwinds!
Mary
Let's start at the very beginning...
Many of you are only too aware that AIDS took someone very precious from me: my wonderful brother, Peter. Peter and I were lifelong best friends, giggle partners and generally like-minded, very, very close, even in our adult years.
Some time after Peter had been volunteering at the largest soup kitchen in NYC, he started an organization to publicize the plight of our homeless and hungry in the US called Feed America Now (F.A.N.). He then walked across the country (yes!), beginning on the steps of the NYC public library in August, 1988 and arriving in Los Angeles, CA in March of 1989. My Mom gave me the terrific opportunity to fly to Chicago and meet him in October, 1988, so that I could walk with him for a few days (BIGtime thanks again to my manager at the time, Diane, for allowing me to leave at a very busy time for our business!). He carried a backpack and used a walking stick, lovingly made for him by a dear friend and averaged about 25 miles/day - generally taking each Sunday off in order to attend local services in each of the communities he visited and oftentimes being asked by local church and community leaders to speak about his walk and efforts.
Well, by the 2nd day I was sporting some painful blisters and wondering how I could artfully wiggle out of my 5-day commitment...but just watching my kid brother walk along in front of me - mile after mile, tall and strong, entertaining me by singing Broadway show tunes (we grew up in a NYC suburb and Peter was very active in amateur theatrical productions), and chatting it up, I was both shamed into as well as inspired by him, so I stuck with it and was sad to leave him and head back home, after accompanying him to southern Illinois.
Since he was 'on the road' for Thanksgiving and Christmas '88, we celebrated all when he visited Seattle after his walk.
Only a few short years later, AIDS attacked those strong legs of his and the painful irony is that Peter could barely walk 6 years later when it took his life in May, 1995.
He remains my inspiration as I continue cycling in the hope of ending AIDS in our world and he's surely with me for every turn of my pedals too.
Some time after Peter had been volunteering at the largest soup kitchen in NYC, he started an organization to publicize the plight of our homeless and hungry in the US called Feed America Now (F.A.N.). He then walked across the country (yes!), beginning on the steps of the NYC public library in August, 1988 and arriving in Los Angeles, CA in March of 1989. My Mom gave me the terrific opportunity to fly to Chicago and meet him in October, 1988, so that I could walk with him for a few days (BIGtime thanks again to my manager at the time, Diane, for allowing me to leave at a very busy time for our business!). He carried a backpack and used a walking stick, lovingly made for him by a dear friend and averaged about 25 miles/day - generally taking each Sunday off in order to attend local services in each of the communities he visited and oftentimes being asked by local church and community leaders to speak about his walk and efforts.
Well, by the 2nd day I was sporting some painful blisters and wondering how I could artfully wiggle out of my 5-day commitment...but just watching my kid brother walk along in front of me - mile after mile, tall and strong, entertaining me by singing Broadway show tunes (we grew up in a NYC suburb and Peter was very active in amateur theatrical productions), and chatting it up, I was both shamed into as well as inspired by him, so I stuck with it and was sad to leave him and head back home, after accompanying him to southern Illinois.
Since he was 'on the road' for Thanksgiving and Christmas '88, we celebrated all when he visited Seattle after his walk.
Only a few short years later, AIDS attacked those strong legs of his and the painful irony is that Peter could barely walk 6 years later when it took his life in May, 1995.
He remains my inspiration as I continue cycling in the hope of ending AIDS in our world and he's surely with me for every turn of my pedals too.
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