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My 25-Mile Bike Ride
August 25, 2008 - 10:07am — Erin Blackwell
To bike or not to bike? That is my question.
My singing teacher, who's Dutch by DNA but Californian by birth, by which I mean she's predisposed to bicycles, given the Dutch propensity for pedaling...
Dutch bicycles and their people in Assen.
My singing teacher invited me on a bike ride... a 25-mile bike ride. The question is, should I or should I not attempt this (for me) daring feat of extreme athleticism?
Readers, you be the deciders.
I need an $85 entry fee. What I get for this is "a spectacular ride through the Napa/Sonoma wine country" complete with "fully stocked rest stops, sag wagon, commemorative socks, swag bag and gourmet lunch." What you get is a warm'n'fuzzy feeling, my gratitude, dispatches such as this and the knowledge that you're enabling some cutting-edge medical treatment and research.
Napa Valley, home to some of the best U.S. wines.
Pamela Davis, administrative associate of the Greater Bay Area Chapter of the ALS Association, has agreed to bank all checks with the words "Erin Blackwell" in the memo line. Once we make it to $85, Pamela will tell me I'm registered, and I'll get a web page that'll track all additional donations, which can then be done via credit card and will be tax-deductible. My goal for the September 27 event is $750 above registration because then they'll give me a chic, clingy bike jersey to wear during my excursion.
First, I thought of this as a way to spend time with my singing teacher and her teenage son, both of whom I'm exceedingly fond of. Then I thought of it as a paradoxically grueling lead-up to a gourmet lunch I'll be too pooped to correctly savor. But after 45 minutes on the phone with Linda de Mello, executive director of ALS San Francisco, I'm thinking of my bike ride as an exercise in consciousness-raising: yours, mine and theirs.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease, after the heroic New York Yankee first baseman who retired from the sport at 36 and died two years later, in 1941. This progressive neurodegenerative disease wastes the motor neurons reaching from the brain to the spinal cord to the muscles, eventually destroying the brain's control of the body. The prevalence is 8 out of every 100,000. Multiple sclerosis hits a similar percentage, but people with MS live longer with higher quality of life. Called "a family disease" because of its profound impact on close caregivers, ALS is "extremely taxing physically and emotionally," says Davis. "And financially," says de Mello.
Neurons without ALS and neurons with ALS.
ALS San Francisco serves 600 patients from San Luis Obispo to the Oregon border, as one of 41 chapters of the national association. Local chapters contribute to national research, partnering with scientists working on the other two big neurological diseases, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as well as HIV. Much remains to be discovered about ALS; even diagnosis is problematic. A gruesome detail: 1991 Gulf War veterans have twice the incidence of the general population. Getting ALS classified as a service-related disease is an association goal. Otherwise, a measly 15% of the care provided by ALS clinics is covered by health insurance. The money's got to come from somewhere... else.
Behind-the-scenes at Angela Lansbury's pitch for more ALS research.
"This is not a disease for amateurs," says de Mello, who in seven years has increased her chapter's budget from $250K to $2 million. Considered not one but a dozen diseases intertwined, ALS requires the services of a multi-disciplinary team, including a nurse, dietician, social worker, neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, nutritionist and speech pathologist, under the guidance of the director of patient and family services.
To support this serious work and/or to speed me on my way, send some disposable income to: Pamela Davis, ALS Bay Area, 565 Commercial Street 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111.
What could be more paradoxical than raising money for research, treatment and cure of degenerating motor neurons by cycling merrily through some of Northern California's prettiest scenery? Cycling merrily through some of Northern California's prettiest scenery wearing a tie.
- Erin Blackwell's blog
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Recent comments
- you two women were telling the world to go fuck themselves today, weren't you? Good for you! Nothing but love Tex...
- on ira boire un verre ou deux ou trois...
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- cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart." Helen Keller...
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45 Comments
$20 from peter & ellen
i've now met 43% of my goal of $750. thanks to all!
PICKLE TELLS NO LIE
thanks to donors all, i'm at 40% of my $750 goal to achieve a yellow bike jersey like i need more attention called to myself
your credit card welcome here:
http://web.alsa.org/goto/erinblackwell
YOU MET MY $200 CHALLENGE...
and it was my sincere honor to honor my $150 commitment to ALS ONLINE in honor of Erin Blackwell...and it feels GREAT!!!!
THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO DONATED...THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE JOURNEY...ONLY THE BEGINNING....PLEASE KEEP THE MONEY ROLLING IN FOR ALS...IT'S EASY AS A CLICK OF THE MOUSE.
Bronwyn.
pickle
you're one in a million.
$30 from YONKS
i'm not sure how you managed the exchange rate but it's a good time for EUROS. was it euros? or canadian? whatever it is, you'll be making some research scientist very happy.
They'r not the same who
They'r not the same who study gay brain right?
hahhaa!!
remorses...
(I know, I didn't give... yet)
But before giving, I give you the french link to give in France: UNISEP
je pense pas
que ce soit la meme chose
Sorry, I read too fast and thought
Multiple sclerosis was concerned by these donations.
Sorry...really!
Will I be forgiven if I tell you that I used to be in love with a woman doing research about multiple sclerosis ?
il n'y a rien a pardonner
sauf une legere tendance a me lire trop vite. mais l'essentiel c'est que tu me lises.
Je sais bien
c'était une plaisanterie déplacée
Edit: je viens de voir que tu repondais a Dornac
Noww
c'était drôle et so cute...
Anyway it was an amusing reference to previous blogs!
I don't doubt about your sincerity in that donation.
trop prompte
à te critiquer toi-même
ERIN'S ALS BIKE TOUR: KEEP THE DONATIONS ROLLIN' IN
Another $80 has "rolled" in thanks to Trampoline Queen and Sylvia...Only $50 left for the $200 challenge to be met!!!!
GIVING IS THE GREATEST GIFT YOU WILL EVER RECEIVE.
Erin, Is the credit card option open? Let me know.
B.
Hey Erin...
I raised you a $50. If I could, I'd ship you my seat.
There's got to be a good cycle shop in your area. Go there and ask for a seat that has a hole for the perineal region...and ask them if you could try it for a day or two of your workout. They could even put it on one of their bikes, and you could try it up and down the street first.
But they really do work.
Here's a seat website.
And I hope the next one Jennifer does, she gives these seats a spin.
rovermom :)
Life is a 3D puzzle and everyone has a piece!
NEW! OurChart Photo Assignment and My Blog
wow Rover
i just got an email from ALS saying you'd done $50. this means i'm really going to have to pedal 25 miles? yes it does. eeeeee....
i'm not sure your seat would solve my problem which is i like the seat as high as can be so i get a good leg stretch, which means really i'd be better off with a nubbin, that is to say, no pointy part in the front. maybe i'll just try to stay off the seat. the trick with this bike is the foot brakes. when i try to stand on the pedals i risk braking.
thank you so much for your fiscal & physical support.
yes it does...
And you're welcome :)
I haven't had a bike with brake pedals since I was a little kid - but every once in awhile I grab my son's BMX bike and I forget about the pedals. It's interesting. It almost makes me feel like when I get behind the wheel of an Automatic.
You'll do well, Erin - and I just hope you enjoy the scenery and have fun :)
rovermom :)
Life is a 3D puzzle and everyone has a piece!
NEW! OurChart Photo Assignment and My Blog
Dear Rovermom
Is this $50 in addition to the $20 you already mentioned below? If so that means my $200 challenge has been met. Regardless, thank you so much for your generosity. If your total donation adds up to $70, I will immediately fulfill my commitment to send $150. B.
oy vey
We still need $20.
Long story short. $20 more. I was going to double it and then I read this and went 10 more of the double. *sigh*
rovermom :)
Life is a 3D puzzle and everyone has a piece!
NEW! OurChart Photo Assignment and My Blog
plastic talks
your credit card welcome here:
http://web.alsa.org/goto/erinblackwell
$20 from my singing buddy Sylvia
the queen of the trampoline
http://www.qibounding.com/
$60 from Alexis
my old pal from the Great State of Manhattan
ONLY $130 LEFT TO REACH $350 FOR ALS!!!
MARILYN78 AND ROVERMOM ARE THE LEADING TRAILBLAZERS FOR ALS...YOU CAN BE A TRAILBLAZER TOO FOR $20!!!!
B.
I WILL DONATE $150 IF 10 PEOPLE DONATE $20 A PIECE
It's definitely a worthy cause and I know there are a lot of generous souls in the ourchart universe. It sounds like you will have a wonderful time cycling your way through that stunning countryside. Be sure to take lots of pictures so we can vicariously cycle with you.
AS STATED ABOVE, I WILL MAKE A $150 DONATION IF 10 PEOPLE ON THIS BLOG AGREE TO DONATE $20 A PIECE. THAT WILL PUT ERIN $350 CLOSER TO HER FUNDRAISING GOAL...AND TO NAPA VALLEY...Lucky dog!!!
Donations can still be made in your name even without the bike ride so your training program and the terrain will make you the ultimate decider. You can still get all the accoutrement either way and all of us will receive the fulfillment of reaching, I predict, beyond your goal, knowing that you and everyone who donates money are participating in the invaluable effort of raising funds to help find a cure for this debilitating and deadly disease.
TO DONORS: GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF GIVING:
EVERY PERSON WHO COMMITS TO DONATING $20 TO THE ALS ASSOCIATION, PROUDLY ANNOUNCE YOUR DONATION ON THIS BLOG... ONCE THERE ARE $200 WORTH OF COMMITMENTS ON THIS BLOG, I WILL IMMEDIATELY SEND MY CHECK FOR $150.
DID I SAY $350 FOR THE PRICE OF $20????
P.S. Please let me know if I have been too verbose (repetition is the most important tool in the art of persuasion)
philanthropic logistix
dear pickle
what a fabulous seed fund you set up. thank you for your MagmaNimous offer.
i'll definitely borrow a digital camera & share results.
once I've got $85 for the entry fee, gals will be able to donate online, which is probably easier. via the honor system they can vaunt their donations here... or what about the shy types? should they send you a private message?
DONORS: POST YOUR MAGNANIMOUS (GENEROUS) DONATION IF POSSIBLE
TELLING THE WORLD ABOUT YOUR MAGNANIMOUS DONATION to the ALS Association ON THE BLOG WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE who know and love you to donate as well...Erin's goal of $750 for her bike riding tour should only be a starting point for the ourchart gang. I know together we can easily raise much more through our communal effort. Let's make our ourchart goal (under Erin's name) $1000...to begin with!!!!! Tell your friends by posting your generous commitment that they too can give themselves the gift of giving...it is the most wonderful gift you will ever receive.
Although I discourage people from sending a private message about your donation commitment, I never want to discourage anyone from donating at all. So if you have such a strong aversion to public posting, please send me a private message. I will publicly list the total amount of anonymous donation commitments I have received from private messages to let people know how much money we're really raising. Your name will not be mentioned.
Gotta go for now, an esteemed doctor of words gave me a painful shot to cure me of my propensity for magma-nimousity (excessive verbiage)...although I don't know if it was actually meant for me because someone else's name was on it...perhaps a good editor could figure it out.
I'll agree to donate
I'll agree to donate $20.
Erin, or Pamela, is there a way to pay over the phone? I still have to donate to Jenn's 3 - and tomorrow is payday, I might as well do it all in this paycheck - if I wait any longer it might be too late to support both of you and your goals with these special causes.
rovermom :)
Life is a 3D puzzle and everyone has a piece!
NEW! OurChart Photo Assignment and My Blog
fabu!
i'll call pamela tomorrow. i bet she'd take a credit card but i'll have to check. THANK YOU! [watch this space]
enjoy your journey through
enjoy your journey through Napa, Erin.
But let me make a suggestion, get a ball..err pussy saver seat. She won't go numb, if you do.
rovermom :)
Life is a 3D puzzle and everyone has a piece!
NEW! OurChart Photo Assignment and My Blog
Do those seats actually work
Do those seats actually work Rovermom? I've been looking for a little somethin' for preservation...tried the gel seats and the female jock strap is just so damn uncomfortale. I'm constantly adjusting and trust me when I tell you that it looks as weird as it feels! ~_^
Good luck Erin! Just take your time and breathe in the fresh valley air & scenery.
*** ***
"There is no sweeter pleasure than satisfaction and contentment arising spontaneously within the present moment." -- Unknown
That is my bike seat. About
That is my bike seat. About 4 years ago a friend of mine and me decided to do a spin class. I had belonged to a fitness club called Everybody's Healthclub...I miss it, but she didn't belong to it, but I'd grab her and go and she could try it every so often. Well, we did the spin class...and I added the extra pads and everything and tears were coming down cuz it felt like my ass was going to split in two. I kept raising my ass up, but it was ripping my thighs up too hard. The instructor, bless her heart, would stop and ask me if I was ok - she'd offer me tips to keep me afloat. she knew I was in real pain over the seat
I thought for sure my bike days were gone.
Then I grabbed this seat and it is the MOST comfortablest seat ever.
Last fall I was riding 5 miles on the bumpy roadsides into the suburbs. I was riding for 45 minutes to an hour...It never went numb... and it never put the pressure on the anus. If I had the regular woman's extra extra padded extra wide, I wouldn't even be able to sit on it for 5 minutes, let alone 5 miles.
If it can pass rovermom's ass test, it can pass anyone's.
The seat works!
rovermom :)
Life is a 3D puzzle and everyone has a piece!
NEW! OurChart Photo Assignment and My Blog
intimate parts
thanks for looking out for my genitalia.
i hope to buy a thief-proof lock & lights today, when i take my gift-bike* in to valencia cyclery to have the gearshift mechanism seen to. that's all i'm budgeted for in terms of improvements. however, i'm sure i'll remember your advice round about mile 23.
*The Bike Origin Story here:
http://www.ourchart.com/content/enjoy-ride
Go For It!! There is a big
Go For It!! There is a big ride for cancer here in Mass. the Pan-Mass Challenge that is over 150 miles. I have been mulling over training and riding for this cause. I think the grayer we get,the better we pedal!! Good luck!!!!
Karen
http://pawsiblegaytails.blogspot.com/
Go For It!
My sister has Parkinson's and while going through the process of diagnosis ALS was one of the diseases they thought she might have. Unfortunately, the disease has progressed quickly in the past year and day to day tasks such as showering and getting dressed are becoming challenging and frustrating for her. Being a native NYer and a runner I decided to run the NYC marathon this year and I am doing it for Parkinson's research. As an able bodied healthy 43 year old woman I wanted to run as a personal goal but also help in raising both awareness and funds for Parkinson's research. It is a horrible disease and watching someone you care deeply about suffer from the disease is very difficult. So, I think your intent and cause is noble. You should absolutely go for it! When I go out and run 13, 14, or 15 miles on a training run I often think how lucky I am that I can get out of bed in the morning and put on my running shoes and get out there and run.
beautiful thought
i've never appreciated the sense of healthy people going out & flaunting their health in the name of the debilitated. joining this ride will demonstrate it to me from the inside. (i'll see just how "healthy" i indeed am.) i still feel, though, the chasm's too wide twixt the "able" & the "disabled." sigh. like every other chasm in this culture.
If you're physically up for it - just do it!
Take some pics, be safe, and have a great time. Do a follow up for us to let us know who you met, how it went, sore buns and muscles - we want to know everything!
Nothing but love
Tex
TOTALLY go for it
You should totally go for it Erin,
My Great-Grandfather died of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease as I've always known it. He died in his sleep, but it's a terrible thing to suffer through.
Thanks so much,
DJ Laine
faber flyers south 25
that's the name of my team. one member lost a relative to ALS. it really seems to hit family HARD... which makes it like lots of other diseases. i think we can all relate.
note: angela lansbury in that video mentions her sister, who died of ALS.
I'm in for...
$50. Feels great!! Anyone else want to do something good today? Go, Erin!
marilyn
thank you for enabling me.
go Erin go!
As long as i don't have to pedal myself
you should ride,
unless it isn't good for your anemia.
My Granny died of ALS so if you do ride, I'm totally down for the cause.
anemia free
it's my legs i wonder about. what will they think?
Sounds like you already decided
Great Erin. That's a big commitment and obviously a cause you are passionate about. Are you going to check out the course and train in advance? Unless the route goes around those hills between Napa and Sonoma it could be quite a challenging ride. Gentle-looking up-slopes thrash legs, hips, knees and butt. They could lead to a good week sitting on blow-up pillows and wrapped in ice packs. It always seems like there are more and longer stretches uphill than down, unless the ride planners are excessively merciful. Keep us posted on your training, okay? Let us know how that first 10 to 15 mile training ride in the hills goes. We'll cheer you on as you build those mighty leg muscles, add distance and get yourself ready.
Lezbeth
Biking is the best
Biking is the best. It helps the environment and yourself. I’m kind of in love with my bicycle.
Any way, this ride of yours is beautiful, grate exercise and for a good cause. What is there to decide…