4/12-4/20

4/12 – 68 miles to Deming, NM – Continental Divide

Today we crossed the Continental divide! Apparently it is a line that divides the flow of rivers and streams. On the east side, things flow to the Atlantic; on the west side to the Pacific ocean.

Woke up after amazing sleep with dreams and all, still not wanting to wake up, perhaps still not enough sleep. I packed up and all that and had a bagel, then got outside where it was very cold, say mid to low 50's. I was off and on the road with a large mixed group of riders at 7:30am. I had a killer flat just before the first water stop at 20 miles or so. Something gashed and totally ruined my $55 kevlar tire. I changed to someone else's spare tire at this water break and rode without issue the rest of the day.

Roshan and I rode together maintaining pace with the fastest group of riders. We had a tail wind which helped a lot. We rode 19-22mph feeling good for most of the ride. Our elevation remains over 4,000 feet here in Deming, NM. The toughest part of the day was multiple flats most people had. Our whole large group would stop for these flats and it just got really old.

In Deming, Sarah and I biked around, settling at a little mexican joint where I ate and she had desert and a diet coke. We chatted mainly about family members and her boyfriend, touching lightly on the illegality of marijuana. It is always nice to get out and do something in our destination towns. All too often we are in a place where there is nothing to do or there is just no time to do it. Sometimes it is just too exhausting to hop back on the bike after 80 or a 100 miles, but if it means taking in some of the local scene, I am almost always interested.

4/13 – 65 miles to Las Cruces – Fast Speeds – Double Eagle

Summary

Fast ride. Reached 47mph outside of Las Cruces. Got my stuff printed at ASAP, a great little store. Arrived so early, sat outside Synagogue and called dad. We have beds tonight, thanks to patrons of the synagogue. I'm at Collette's place. She took us to Double Eagle café where I had a green chili bloody mary. Had a bed for the first time in weeks.

The Day

Most of the whole day was 20-22mph with a tail wind, but after lunch, Roshan and I particularly busted it. We were at 23-24 mostly and when we got into town, we hit a downhill west of the Rio Grande. We pushed it to over 47mph and were proud to have hit our maxes. The view of the mountains to the east of the city was spectacular. The peaks were so jagged, like a saw. Honestly, I have never seen a range look quite so awesome, not in Colorado or anywhere.

In town super early (like 10:45am after 60 miles), many of us were ahead of the lead van. I stopped at ASAP, a copy store owned by a family. They gave me amazing service, printing off only the pages I needed out of the 300+ page residency packet I was to send to Vegas. I gave them $20 but they would only take $10 (and the charge was only like $3.50). Kinkos would have charged me over $50.

Arriving at the synagogue, we were treated so nicely and given dinner. Then we went to the homes of people who volunteered to shelter us for the night. Actually most of the night was at Double Eagle, a neat restaurant in the Mesilla district of Las Cruces. I had a bed to sleep in!

4/14 – 42 miles to El Paso, TX – UTEP event – Salsa Night

The four of us drove off from Colette's house before sunrise and arrived at the synagogue on time. There we dressed for the ride and had breakfast, which was yogurt and little muffins for me. I also had a little coffee, thinking it might give me a needed boost since we only had until 11:30am to reach El Paso (we had an event at noon and would be swept by the van if we were later than 11:30am). So I rode fast with the whole group together at first. After 10 miles in the city, the group split into two with me stuck in the slow group. When I saw the gap, probably over a 1/2 mile at that time, I sprinted up ahead riding 23mph with neutral wind. I caught the fast group and rode with them the rest of the day, which was very satisfying. I pulled well and hard too. All in all I was very happy, feeling like I had suddenly turned a corner in my fitness, like I could ride with anyone on this trip.

We crossed into Texas and took a picture with the sign. We had a water break where I had a powerbar and thought of how different this type of workout is from riding slower. At these speeds, there is more fast-twitch activation which requires more carb intake, more rest, and leads to weight gain rather than fat burning. OK, really though, it is still a lot of slow twitch with a lot of fat burning, but compared to riding at 16mph and eating less, this workout was way different.

Riding an average of 20-21mph the whole way, the van still swept us just after 40 miles. The rode ahead was unridable they said. We made it to our event on time and gave a much-improved med school lecture to UTEP, then had a tour of this brand new medical school. It was impressive, especially their simulation facilities which included birthing sim and laparoscopic surgery sim.

Afterwards, we went to our hotel (Holiday Inn airport in El Paso). We got all organized, and made dinner plans, and then I walked to Kinkos to get my residency paperwork done. Dinner was at a brewery which had good beer deals, but very average food. I had steak and chicken with soup. The chicken was truly good.

We went back to the hotel and partied, goofing around like a bunch of highschoolers. Then we went to the hotel bar downstairs. I'm not a huge salsa guy, but it was a lot of fun dancing. There were also some non-salsa dance music breaks. It was our first night out as a group with no wake-up call in the morning. It felt really good.

4/15 – True Day Off in El Paso

Today I lounged around the hotel. A bunch of people went to White Sands, a 2hr drive, but I decided I needed a real off day. I hit the weight room several times, hit the pool, soaked up some rays, and went to dinner with a few other people. Jody, Sarah, and myself went to a comedy club and it was hillarious because Jody danced a lot last night with the main comedian. He gave a shout out to us riders. All in all it was a fun night.

Tomorrow is another day on the bike. Some buzz has been floating around because this is a full century ride and we could be climbing. Some people have mentioned a headwind too. Also we are camping tomorrow night (in Guadalupe Mountains National Park). I'm excited for what sounds like a great day.

The way I see it, I want the days to be hard for people, to challenge us. Those are the days I remember. Tail winds and 22mph are fun and quick, but these days don’t make me look around at my fellow riders with increased respect. It is the long, hilly, hot or cold days that make silent moments next to my fellows better. It is that hard journey that care most to share.

4/16 – 105 miles to Guadalupe Mountains National Park – Camping Night –Hardest, Best Day Yet

Summary

Today was my first century on a bike. Thankfully, it was a memorable century, not a simple one, but with some quality complications, challenges.

On the day, we climbed from 3800 to 5700 feet. Headwind all day. 105 miles, climb at the end. Downhills were slow due to wind, everything slow. Nearly 8 hours on the bike, over 8 with breaks.

Camping at night, not even very hungry. Chili (50's), rainy after bunking down, coyotes at night, beautiful view of mountains in GMNP, Texas.

The Day

Roshan and I rode the last 45 of this ride together. We went through all the same stuff, all of it. All of that fight, all of that struggle, all of that pain in your quads, butt, wrists, shoulders. The last 20 of this ride were so tough we were just taking breaks to stand around and drink. Towards the end I was in such a caloric deficit I pounded a powerbar, a gel, and lots of drink mix just to make it. Just to make it. We were doing 8mph for so much of the ride, just 8mph and at times down to 6mph like there were weights on our legs preventing motion. At first I thought it was just me failing, but after I got the carbs in me it was Roshan who was the worse off. I never saw someone go through that, what I have before, that struggle. You think of carrying the cross, Jesus. You think of how people go hungry around the world, how people freeze. You realize how you are finally tasting what it is to be out of the lap of luxury we bathe in too often.

On arrival, I just put my head down in my arms to close my eyes and see blackness and be nothing. No food, not now, why ruin this? It felt good. In the night, we packed into tents. Wind cracked on our nylon walls, rain drizzled from above, and coyotes made neat noises I had never heard before.

4/17 – My Support Day – Carlsbad Caverns National Park in NM

This wasn't a fun day for the riders, drizzly, chilly, and with a head wind. It was 35 miles and a unanimous decision by all the riders to be swept. They didn't want to climb into Carlsbad caverns, where we drove instead. It was a really neat national park, absolutely like nothing I have ever seen. Those stupid words - stalactite and stalagmite - finally meant something. It was like inverted mountains, magnificent. Huge walls of rock and amazing shapes all with a roof high high above.

After the caverns, which I viewed with my buds Sarah, Roshan, and Jody, we went to our camp for the night. The camps are really starting to run together, but I'm pretty sure in Carlsbad we stayed in a high school gym, or was it a church? It being my support day, I helped cook our grilled cheese and tomato soup dinner. Then several of us played basketball (mostly horse and knockout). I loved beating Pete at one epic game of horse, though he beat me a couple times in less epic games.

4/18 – 71 miles to Hobbs, NM – First Wreck – Wild Town

The ride was pretty easy compared to the last couple of days. The weather was better with nice sun and the winds were neutral or with us, no more headwinds. The ride was ~70 miles and didn't take long to finish, mostly pacing at 18+ mph.

There was a wreck in our large peloton when someone half-wheeled and then hit their brakes. About five people fell and two bikes were unridable (Tim's and Jody's). Tim will be out for days until he can get a new back wheel. I was lucky to not crash at all since I was at the very back and just went off-road. None were injured.

We took a picture next to the large Hobbs, NM sign as we came to town. The letters were so big people could fit inside of the "O's" and stuff. There was actually a small no trespassing sign that specifically disclaimed that the letters were not meant to support the weight of humans.

Once we got to town, an abnormal amount of cars were honking and yelling at us, mostly in a positive way. Later that night, the energy of this town's people would again rare it's head when a few of us were walking in a group. We were looking for ice cream and saw many sketchy people. A car full of youngsters drove by us and shot paintballs at us, hitting Jen and ruining our quest, ending our walk.

Our group (Jen, Jody, Sarah, Roshan, and I) went back to our high school gym and I was annoyed. I was very tired from sleeping poorly last night and upset that this night was ending with nothing. It felt unfulfilling to just go to bed. Roshan and I vented about social stuff on the ride, about frustrations in the group dynamic, etc. We then decided to get some cereal and just forget it all. It felt sort of rebellious in a ridiculous way to just go have crunch berries at night, like little kids sneaking for desert behind their mom’s back.

4/19 – 70 miles to Lamesa, TX

The floor is shiny and brown and all around the room are bright colors strewn about. Sleeping bags, cycling jerseys, waterbottles. This is a high school gymnasium where basketballs echoed loudly a couple hours ago. Young cross country riders arrived here and shot hoops competitively, honing their skills. Now it is nearly bed time. There is some music to the left, about fifty feet from me, some echoing voices to my right about 200 feet away. I get the just of the conversations from a far, without really hearing any of the words. You hear the laughs, the tones and it is all you need. This is my environment, my home, my comfort zone. It is my warmth tonight, my shelter from what has been a cold long day. Here we are in the home of the Golden Tornados (the Tors) of Lamesa, TX. Our towels are drying. Our makeshift beds are laid out. We are 10 or 15 rooms all in one with no dividers, just mental blinders, just an impenetrable invisible psychological barrier that denies all access. It is because we need a little alone time.

Today was 70 miles under a gray sky. The high was to be mid 70's according to an internet check the night before, but today was the coldest of the ride. It was low fifties and sunless, damp. The desert is gone, replaced by grass that belongs there, trees that also belong. My throat no longer dries out, my nostrils no longer fill with dried bloody boogers.

Tonight I took a special tour of this high school. Walking alone down dimly lit hallways, I read banner after banner: “Seniors 2010, we’ll never be here again.” I read the enthusiastic slogans that scream of optimism, that promote one class’ undeniable superiority over the rest. It was like revisiting my own high school. The similarities were eerie. Tomorrow is our second century.

4/20 – 106 miles to Sweetwater, TX

The morning was foggy and damp with invisible moisture in the air that was thick enough to leave skin and clothes wet. It was chilly again, low fifties with no sun. The road out of Lamesa went from bad to good to bad to good over and over again. It was like heaven when the road became smooth for miles at a time. Up until lunch, Jody and I hammered it out, 55 miles. We were the second group to lunch (behind Pete, Chris, and Hepker). We sat in the van at lunch (to get out of the weather) and I had a couple bananas and it was warm. Another group joined us (all girls) and we sat in the van getting warm. Jody wanted to leave so I left after 15 minutes, well before I wanted to.

I heard at lunch that Sarah was not at the front as I had thought. That meant she was behind me and might be riding alone. I started to think of how miserable this day was and how she asked if I was riding fast or slow today. I thought, "uh, I can leave her back there, not in this miserable weather." So I rode off with Jody and she could tell I was in a bad mood. I kept wanting to stop and wait for Sarah. After 18 miles of passing places in a little town, I finally stopped at the water stop and just waited. I waited like 45 minutes in chilly weather around mid-day. Somehow it was really nice just hanging out along the highway waiting. It felt right. Finally Sarah and Lenore came and I rode with them for the final 50 or so miles. It was a nice relaxing pace at that point, really relaxing.

Arriving in Sweetwater, I played hoops against Pete - a game of HORSE that I lost. I just got nervous on makable shots. We exchanged some words when I called him on being uncreative since he does the same shots all the time. He got really annoyed; it was funny. We then had journal club and then I politicked to go out and do something. Almost all of us went to a restaurant (Buck's Steakhouse and BBQ) where I had a buffet that was the topic of much conversation. I stuffed my face with Brisket and many were amazed at how much I can eat. I’m sort of becoming famous for my food intake.

We came home and now I'm doing this. Tomorrow is a 40 or so mile day and I should get 8 hours of sleep (exciting).

4/7 through 4/11

4/7 – 90 miles to Picacho State Park - Camping

Today we biked a little over 90 miles to Picacho State Park. The Saguaro cacti and night time stars were very impressive. I have never seen stars like this before in my life.

The ride itself was long and slow. I rode in a group of four and we took it nice and easy, not pushing ourselves at all, heart rates under 140 all day. It was hot but I planned well to avoid burning my freckly skin. Around mile 65, our group passed a pedestrian wearing a sign that read "Walking Across America." We stopped and chatted with him (see picture). He is all about encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles and does about 20 miles per day, often sleeping on strangers couches. Their was a climb into Picacho State Park, which I felt added a nice exclamation point to our first 90 mile day.

The night has been Picacho really awesome and I am feeling great secondary to eating way better. I have cut out bagels and powerbars and just drank water instead of the powerbar drink mix. I was getting a lot of gas and just feeling crummy with all the simple carbs. Even burning 2-3K extra calories per day seems not to justify excessive simple carb intake. Anyway I feel great, with extra energy and vigor. For dinner we had tin foil dinners cooked in the fire (meat, potatoes, veggies) and people even roasted marshmallows. I had a beer.

The park itself is one of the neatest places I have ever seen. The large Saguaro cacti, the sunset, the hills/mountains, the stars at night, all are just great. This is our second night camping outdoors and both times I have really enjoyed it. Even after a long bike ride, camping is nice. The plan for tomorrow is to wake at 4:45am and hike up Picacho peak. Our ride is short at about 45 miles.

4/8 – 45 miles to Tucson – Hardest Day – Synagogue night – Night out

I awoke very early at 4:50am w/ a bunch of others to hike to the summit of Picacho peak. We made it to the ridge and saw the south side, but we didn't continue to the peak in the interest of time. It was a very challenging hike, akin to doing lunge after lunge, really recruiting the gluteal muscles a lot. It was fatiguing and layers of clothes came off quickly. Butts were sore the next day.

On the bike, this was the hardest day yet, even though it was only 45 miles. It was hot as heck, somewhere in the low 80's I guess, and also the route was not pleasurable, mostly along frontage roads w/ lots of construction. The morning hike plus the limited caloric intake likely contributed to the difficulty of this ride. There was also a headwind and the morning hike was fatiguing.

My support group did laundry in Tucson and I got a great burrito at Zendejah's near U of Arizona. Prior to this burrito, again I was feeling amazing, on a very long fast, but carrying stuff so that my muscles weren't wasting. Felt so good.

In the evening, I went out to Bob Dobbs w/ Jody, Sarah, and Roshan. We walked in gorgeous 65 degree desert weather. The place was a small bar/restaurant and we sat outside, sipping a few beers. We talked medicine, then relationships. It was really good to get to know some people more personally. We slept in a synagogue floor with our camping gear.

4/9 – Off Day – Global Health Day in Tucson – Night out

It’s 10:30pm and I'm getting ready to head out with Jen, her girlfriend, and Roshan. I’m excited to go out after what has been a good day of work promoting our message.

Today our group spoke at U of Arizona’s medical school and the event was catered with Thai food. Our words were well-received and all around the lecture went well. We also set up a table on campus and spoke to passers by, selling shirts and water bottles at the same time.

We had some free time in the afternoon so we drove to Saguaro National Park. This was an environment unlike any I have ever seen. The diversity of desert flora and fauna in the outdoor desert museum was incredible. We saw numerous flowers, cacti, and many different animals. There were wolves, desert river otters, hummingbirds, scorpions, just too much to name. More than anything, the plant-life blew me away. The density of the different plants all intertwined impressed me.

Post-Note

The night out with Jen and Roshan and Jen's girlfriend was really great. It was good to have some laughs, dance a little, and really vent about our feelings thus far on the ride. We talked about the drama on the ride, the fact that it is like high school, with clicks and crowds. I was very surprised to hear that they have felt exactly like me with regard to the social climate on the ride. We vented and bonded. We had three drinks each and Roshan and I each got a Sonoran Hot dog (w/ chili and all that). The sky bar allowed us to shoot a little pool and swing our hips a little, plus I had a great White Russian. It is a solar powered bar on Tucson’s 4^th ave. The Hut allowed us to talk politics and the health care bill. Oh yeah and we even got in free there and got 1/2 price drinks by telling them about R4WH. We got back late (after 1am) and only got a little sleep (5hrs) in preparation for an 87 mile day on the bike. But it was worth it.

4/10 – 87 miles to Wilcox, AZ – Solidarity Ride – “The Thing”

The day began with an awkward and uncomfortable sighting a few feet about my head - Tim dancing over me with a creepy look on his face. I wasn't sure how to react and I just laughed. Then I spent thirty minutes packing all my stuff up (sleeping bag, etc) and changing into ride gear. Breakfast consisted of a mini-bagel w/ cream cheese, some oysters I picked up yesterday, and some OJ. All in all, having slept just 5 hours (went to some Tucson bars last night) I felt really good. 87 miles in front of me.

Out the door and on the road w/ Sarah, Sam (fastest rider), and Roshan. I usually don't push myself, preferring to ride at an easy pace, not stress my body, take in the sights, and have some good conversation. But I'm starting to feel like I need to challenge myself a little. So I rode with Sam for as long as I could, which was about 12 miles. Then I dropped back with Sarah. Not long into our ride, we came across three of our girls stopped and fixing a flat tire. This was a common theme for the day as several riders had two flats (though I had good luck).

Our morning route South and East of Tucson took us through a rapidly changing desert. Starting at 2000 feet of elevation and surrounded by Saguaro cacti, we gradually gained elevation and watched the desert flora change. The mountains were spectacularly pretty today. We have had mountains in view every day of the ride, but today, they were particularly attractive for some reason. The desert floor changed from primarily sand and rocks to patches of untamed grass and low shrubs. Another change for this ride (compared the last seven or so) was that we did some climbing. It was very gradual, perhaps a 1% grade or maybe less but very persistent over miles and miles, with occasional steeper climbs.

We came to lunch at mile 40, and the dance music was blaring out of the van. I enjoyed acting ridiculous and blew off some ride stress by dancing and taking silly pictures. Lunch was about 30 minutes, then back on the bike.

Immediately after lunch, we started descending at 5% for several miles. It was tons of fun, although dangerous considering we were on a freeway with a 75mph speed limit. We were doing a max of about 40mph on the descent and things got hairy when had to cross over exit lanes. Oh well, all went well, excepting a few stops to support people who were fixing flat tires. Out water stop at around mile 63 was "The Thing" outside of Wilcox, AZ. There were dozens of billboards advertising for it, making it out to be a big mystery. What is the Thing? So we go to this gas station with a Dairy Queen inside and get free admission to "The Thing" museum. The museum was disappointing to most, consisting of old relics and junker cars and odd stuff like torture machines. It was a weird place. But really, most of our water stops are just a bucket of water in a van, so it was actually very nice to have something neat to do. I had some Dairy Queen junk food and met up with about ten fellow riders. I had a chili dog and a terrible grilled cheese and Chris and Pete were certain I would vomit in the last 20 miles. I was fine.

I left with Bryce and Jeff. We had a strong tail wind and downward sloping road, both of which made for a fast final 25 miles. We road about 28mph for most of this time, never dropping below 20 and often going about 30. Fun. We arrived at Wilcox High School in the early afternoon, say 2pm. I organized my stuff, then hit the gym for an hour before showering and meeting up for dinner. Tomorrow is my support day, so I met with my group and we divvied up tasks. I will help with the lecture tomorrow.

Final notes from the day

- Things are getting hotter, pushing 90 in this dry heat - thankfully it is early April

- We had a solidarity ride in Tucson today, raising some modest funds and riding around Tucson with some local med students. About 8 of us did the solidary ride, but I opted instead to do the full 87 mile day I have described above.

- Wilcox is a tiny town, but not the smallest we have been in; at least it has a real grocery store. It sits at over 4,000 feet of elevation and is surrounded by mountains. It is about 60 degrees out right now (10pm)

- We netted over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. However, most of climbs were slow and gradual whereas our descents were dramatic and fast, dominating my memories even though we climbed much more.

To bed now to wake at 6am and support our riders on a 75 mile day. Plus I will lecture tomorrow with Bryce.

4/11 – Support Day to Lordsburg, NM – Lecture in Church – High School Night

Today I was on support with Bryce. We woke early to get things done, stuffed the van, then rode out as the lead van to mark the route. Marking was chaos because the roads were bad, but we managed. Mostly we had people on the interstate, but there was an 8 mile stint on a dirt road.

After marking we drove to the church to have service and then talk to them about global health. We got fed there and they were nice. Bryce and I had different vibes about the minister, who seemed right-leaning and skeptical of modern medicine. Differing opinions, fluidity, conflict - these are evident always on this ride, surrounded by people. Like never before, I see people for what they are in a moment, not some idea I have conjured up about them over time spent. Sure, things are remembered, first impressions matter, but most people fall into a range of constant reevaluation. Right now, this second, this minute, are you friend or foe, right or wrong, or somewhere in between. A few people I make general assumptions about, good or bad, only the outliers.

Bryce - we are boys in moments when our commonalities are highlighted. We have similar hair and looks. He is a strong conversationalist with a lot of jeopardy-type random knowledge. As teammates, we unite in frustration over our group dynamics.

Sarah - she is one of my best buddies on this trip. She really cracks me up and wears her feelings on her sleeve, something I admire. She is herself and for the most part does not care what others think.

Roshan - he is my go-to guy at this point. We ride well together on the bike and he often likes to enjoy our free time in little towns. We both want to make the most of this trip and have the attitude “we are only doing this once, so dive in.”

Anyway, after church, Bryce and I came to the high school. We unloaded stuff and I had a solid chat with my mom. Soon it was time to cook and this meant getting the group together. There was lemon team tension and some words exchanged, but it was ok and we got our job done well, cooking a nice meal of spaghetti w/ meatballs. To bed early in another high school gym.

4/6 – 35 mile day to Phoenix – Journal Club – JCC

Pics shot in Phoenix, a very warm day (around 80).

Today was another early one, they all have been. I slept amazingly last night on the padded gym floor in Buckeye. It was a relaxed morning as we all knew it was a very short ride day (35 miles to Phoenix). I left with a group, sort of reeling mentally for what reason I did not know. I guess it was my head cold and respiratory symptoms. I really think my cognition was drastically impaired by lack of sleep (previous day), the cold, and an added stressor (new job on support team). Anyway, some of that carried over from last night, but really this was a new day.

So I left with the group and rode 20mph for a dozen miles until I just felt like being alone. I dropped off, but made it to the water rest stop right with them. I really just wanted to get to Phoenix, have a little me time, a little free time to check the city out. I left the water break with Roshan and Sarah, and soon tried to leave them and ride alone, but they wouldn't let me. So their personal conversation became a three-way deal and suddenly we were a trio for the last dozen miles, when all I wanted was to be alone.

So we rode off and made it to Phoenix at 9:45am and stopped and checked stuff out. There were people protesting something and we found a very nice fountain where we took some pictures. We then went to ASU to meet up with the group. The group then wanted to get Starbucks, but a fellow rider and I ended up going to some Mexican joint we saw. We got margaritas and had an awesome big lunch for $9 each, wow! After checking out some other stuff around town (with our free time), we went back to the group, which was hosting a talk at ASU's medical school.

The talk was disappointing because it was to only 7 people, but oh well. At least they were medical students interested in global health. A word about the lectures. They can be hit or miss. Sometimes there is a large crowd of hundreds, other times just a few. The venues vary a lot as well – medical schools, elementary, middle, and high schools, churches, and senior centers. We even have some talks scheduled at parades. This southern route across the country is brand new and I am confident that as the years go by, events will be bigger. After today’s talk, we went to our home for the night, a Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Scottsdale, AZ.

This JCC is awesome, with a pool, full gym, ping pong, cardio, hoops courts, racketball, wifi, a cafe, and a huge projector screen in our room. I swam in the pool and we had some really good underwater camera shots. I tanned some, which felt great in the Phoenix sun, even in early April. I always thought Florida was where the sun rays got you, but don't play with the desert west. After the pool I played a riveting 5 games of ping pong with Adam, who does public health. Next I lifted weights, remembering the concept of the strong man competition, "rip the muscles to grow them, lift that hard," which inspired me to lift a little harder than usual.

Then it was dinner with journal club. It was really good Italian food, a mom and pop joint. We had a good discussion about an assigned public health article we all read. Our main unified conclusion was that the article didn't offer solutions to various problems it presented. It talked about "braindrain," where doctors leave their countries to come make money in America. It also discussed workforce shortages in healthcare. After dinner, we came home to the JCC, where I currently sit in the lobby typing, sleepy.

Tomorrow is almost 90 miles, should be approximately flat. We are going to a state park to camp.

4/5 – My First Support Day – 85 miles to Buckeye, AZ (no riding)

So every fifth day, it is my teams’ responsibility to provide support. Instead of riding, we operate the three vans. We mark the route in chalk and spray paint, set up water stops, set up a lunch stop, and give the lecture for the day. Today, it was my duty (along with Jody) to give the lecture in our destination city of Buckeye AZ.

I got up super early at 4:55am and left the gym of Dateland school at 5:45am with Jody. The morning desert is a very nice place, cool and crisp. We drove east to Buckeye Elementary school (K through 8), the place of our 8am presentation. The presentation went very well I thought, considering we presented to 150 7th/8th graders and got them to ask 15 questions. They weren't incredibly interested in our global health lecture, which consisted of a lot of information about clean water, AIDS, malaria, etc. However they were incredibly fascinated with our ride, especially the logistics (how we shower, where we sleep, etc). Still, I feel like we did a really good job of opening some eyes regarding how lucky we are in America.

Afterwards we did our support duties, including chalking out the end of the route and setting up a water stop about fifteen miles from our sleeping grounds (a high school gym in Buckeye). It is in this high school that I currently sit after a couple of margaritas, pondering the day.

I look around the gymnasium of medical student cyclists at 10:23pm, the lights soon to go out. I see these people and I reminisce about my teen years, about my best friend Erin Daman (RIP) and his view of the world, how he saw people, how he saw me. Things seem suddenly to have not changed, long after I thought they had.

After setting up our water stop in the desert today, Jody and I relaxed, sharing a unity of frustration over unnecessary stresses in our support duties. The desert was awesome again, a neat place to just sit around in the van for a while. We came back to Buckeye at about 4pm, when all the riders had arrived.

Then our team cooked dinner, which was a hit (enchiladas). There was a bunch of drama because our team sort of has trouble working together (the five of us). We communicate poorly and everyone thinks they are the leader. So I argued with one of my group mates and got nowhere, but it made a nice little scene. I left afterwards on foot to a nearby drinking hole with almost all the other riders. Twenty of us sat watching Duke win the NCAA Mens’ Basketball Final, enjoying margaritas.

It is sleepy time now and tomorrow sounds like a nice ride, a shorty at 35 miles or so, to Phoenix for a mid-day event.

3/27 - 4/4 - San Diego to Yuma, AZ

Pre-Ride

3/27 and 3/28 – a 36 hour drive

35 hour drive with no stop to sleep. See, I flew to Columbus, OH to meet most of the riders. Then we drove to San Diego. I was just sleeping in the van when I could, which was only when I was at my very most tired. It was obviously ridiculous. At one point I was sleeping on the van floor, my best sleep for an hour or more. I had two dreams, one where a buddy was shooting at me with a gun (I was hiding behind a tree) and then he was throwing grenades. The second dream was marriage, but I was just having a drink telling a buddy I was getting married. The drive was with stops to eat, pee, and fuel up. I drove most of New Mexico with the night shift, passing off my drive at 7am, just into Arizona. I couldn't even think and don't even remember large parts. It was the most intense distance drive of my life, a true marathon of time in a small space without much movement or media. Yeah we sang some songs, the highlight really. Yeah we saw some things on the sides of the road and learned some stuff about each other. Yeah, you actually do get a good feel for people.

Nutrition is a concern at this point. The group likes to eat fast food like Papa John's and In-and-Out burger. I’m kind of a food snob compared to most people.

My van-mates were interesting. Katie was my buddy most of the time as we traded off our window seat in the middle of the van (better for sleeping). She also kept me awake with reasonably good music selections at 5 and 6am. Bryce reminds me of my old roommate Shawn Hafer. He looks, sounds, and even says certain things quite reminiscent of Shawn.

Arizona was the neatest sight we saw during the drive. The rocks were awesome. Cali has sand dunes east of San Diego, where a lot of movies are filmed to take place in the middle east. The weather was nice when we finally came to Cali. The rest of the trip was cold including parts of Arizona where the elevation was over 7,000 and there was snow on the ground (in late March!).

Now it is 9:15 pacific time and the whole group is together, having arrived in San Diego. Our place is a large open room of the Scripps clinic, which employs doctors and physical therapists. We are right next to Torrey Pines golf course. We have an amazing view of the pacific from our window and I will admit that there is something special about a California ocean view. In summary, having driven 36 consecutive hours, only sleeping in the van, I am more tired than I have ever been in my life.

3/29

Today I awoke without fighting waking at 7 something am, to a chorus of "good morning" from a few ladies (it actually sounded pretty good). It was just life, all of the sudden in your face without a moment to think, no moment to ponder, just life in your face, just fighting right away. It was just people right away and the games we play, the social interactions that make or break moments, no peace, no solace. At the same time, I could tell it was a good thing.

We had breakfast in our large common area, then passed out rider gear (jerseys, cycling shorts, rain gear, cold gear, etc). I wished I ordered a vest, which seems nice to wear over stuff, but I will make due. We talked about how the ride days and support days will go, in detail. Then a group of us drove to target to get some needed items. We had a lunch outdoors and got to toss the football around a little, with very amazing gorgeous weather around us. There were insects, but different than Florida. They seemed dry and happy, not swarming and unpleasant. After lunch, we had a discussion on the education we will provide, then broke into our groups (we are Lemon group). I like my group mates; everyone is who they are.

Being around this many people and bouncing between people really shows me that everyone is so flawed, that everyone is unpleasant to be around at times (well at least most people). But the summation of these characters is quite a luxury. Quiet people, total dude’s dudes, artsy hippie types, a couple really respectable guys, and of course totally normal people, like me (kidding… kind of). After group, we all went for rides in a couple different groups. I was with my van mates except Jeff wasn't there. We went down a huge hill, a longer downhill than the Daytona bridges, by far! Then we stopped and returned. I fell as we were turning around, having clipped my pedals in and then pedaled slowly off. A lot of cars were there and I thought "this is good, perfectly embarrassing, get it out of the way, just be super embarrassed, more the better." I got up and we started pedaling up hill. I knew it would be tough because my bike was not shifting in the back (somehow my wire was out, no tension). I had to stand the whole way up and it was intense, but I could have made it without stopping, which we did because the girls were trailing. When they returned, we let them pass and Bryce and I worked on my bike. I was thankful to him, but we couldn't fix it; we rode back. It was a gorgeous ride, probably only 5-8 miles. Afterwards, I went to the bike shop with Jess and Lauren. We came home, my bike having been easily fixed. Then we got a larger group to go out for dinner. We went to Whole Foods Market and I had some awesome brisket (my favorite food). We came home and that is pretty much it. Tomorrow I have to call the Fort Worth DO school to follow up on a minor event we hope to have there on 4/23. I also need to see what is up with my Vegas residency paperwork, including what I have turned in and what is due in mid-April.

3/30

Today started slowly in famine mode (my life with people is feast or famine it seems). I awoke and kept mostly to myself, just trying to get business done, but trying to stay social, not isolate myself. We had a lesson on the lectures for middle and high schools and then broke into our groups to learn the lectures. Our discussion about the lectures, what to change and what to keep, was really engaging. It felt good to agree and argue for the first time with these new people.

After group, we did bike maintenance to make sure everyone could at least change flats. Next I did event planning for April 23 in Fort Worth, but still didn’t have any luck. Not long after, almost everyone went out for a ride, this time heading north on gorgeous N Torrey Pines road.

It was a very nice ride, about 25 miles. I had some unspoken competition with some riders and it was nice to excel on the hills, where I passed people or maintained pace with riders who are better than me on flat ground. Life was fairly euphoric after the ride.

We left to go to our event at UCSD around 6pm. The crowd was a bunch of undergrads interested in health professions and global health. The demographic is totally different out here, with tons and tons of Asians, especially females. It is ridiculous, truly. We gave a talk by R4WH (Libby did it). She did well and was very concise and quick with it and handled questions. We sold some T-shirts and water bottles (Maggie shined at this).

Afterwards we got all confused as a group about what we were going to do. Someone had to go home considering our place locked at 9pm and it was 8pm at present. About 18 of us went to a bar and got fed free beers and even appetizers. We tipped the guy well. It was very nice to hang out with the guys. I told Jody and Heidi what my initial perceptions of their specialty choice would be (not what they have picked - ortho and ophtho respectively). It was interesting to see how much medicine we really talked, stories of cases we were a part of, etc, really amazing (first time on the trip this all came out). I had a couple beers. We left at around 10pm.

3/31

Today was the full group ride in San Diego. We did about a 25 miles as a group with all of us together. We went north from our location near Torrey Pines (at Scripps clinic) and first dipped our tires in the ocean. Actually the ocean just rushed up on us from behind and surprised most of us. I had seaweed in my back chain rings. All of our socks were soaked. Not deterred, we hopped on our bikes to do this little intro ride.

I fell while clipping in among cyclist traffic, and decreased my tire pressure a little. I later incurred a pressure flat and had to put in a new tube on the road. It was nice to have support of other people there.

On the way back, we went up the steepest most consistent hill of my life. It was adjacent to the one we did yesterday (on the busy road), but this one was in the Torrey Pines Sate Preserve, right on the ocean.

Later I went out with a few people for 6 or so leisurely miles to and from the bike shop.

The night was a nice jaunt to a Mexican restaurant (for most of us, others went elsewhere). It was a night of much discussion about religion, including an interesting talk I mediated between an Atheist (Sam) and a Mormon (Bryce).

I am sick, with some mild symptoms last night and worse ones right now. The left side of my throat is sore and I can tell my left eustachian tube is partly infected, though I don't have frank otalgia. I think this will pass easily considering the riding; we'll see.

Tomorrow is the first official day, some 55 miles. I have installed (with great thanks to Heidi), a computer on my bike. I doubt I will use it tomorrow as I need to program it. My major concerns are mostly accounted for. I feel independently capable of completing the ride, even without GPS or a map on me. The weather is supposed to be terrible, so I might wear my rain coat underneath my jersey, but that won't help much with my legs or water kick up into my face. It is also supposed to be cold, so maybe a layer under the rain jacket too? My pack is light so I might be able to carry some extra clothes/socks with me.

I am happy with the early relationships I’m building. Nobody is perfect and only the best of us guys don't get into trouble with egos and wanting to be the best, the center, the one that makes all others laugh. Yeah, we are a bunch of comedians and a couple of us are hard asses. It is precious to be balanced, to be right, so I forgive those that aren't, including me.

Ride Begins!

4/1 – 58 miles to Campo, CA – mostly climbing; camping at night

R4WH officially begins! It was a 58 mile day with a lot of climbing, from San Diego to Campo, CA. It was a night of camping outdoors in tents.

We awoke super early around 6:30am. The talk was all about rain and cold, and indeed it was a gray drizzly wet cold morning. Whatever, you can’t expect comfort on a trip like this. A large part of it is just keeping a good attitude.

We drove the vans to a site just outside of the busy part of San Diego, where the journey began. By the time we started, the weather was simply awesome, and I took off all of my cold and wet gear. The next big hype was all about the “6% 3 mile climb we were to begin with.” So we did that and it was fun. Then we descended on the longest downhill of my life, maintaining speeds well over 30mph for several minutes. It was awesome.

On the day, we climbed over 6,500 feet with a net elevation gain of about 3,500 feet (from ~1,000 feet to ~4,600 feet). I have never climbed like this before. I actually seem to be a good climber considering many cyclists much faster than me are really being dramatic about this day. For me, it wasn't so different than my 97 mile days in FL, just long and steady. I reached speeds unlike I have ever reached before, stuff in the mid-30's at least. Maybe one of these days I will get the computer programmed to see how fast I am actually going.

We had lunch at a cafe that was truly amazing. It had the best hotdogs I have ever had in my life, huge and with great toppings (tomatos, onions, relish, sauces, and more). I also had a burger and some fries, both of which were good.

The climb after lunch was more significant than the front end. We climbed a net of over 2,000 after lunch. I was fairly steady, noting a very mild pain in the left medial knee only with pulling back with the hammies.

The countryside was gorgeous with rocky and grassy mountains, not like I have seen before. It was dry and the weather was perfectly unpredictable. I shivered at times, especially at lunch, got super hot on long climbs. I had layers of clothing and had to change a few times. The clouds teased of rain and were strongly influenced by mountain peaks. For a mountainous dry region, the vegetation was plush and diverse. There were sandy areas, rocky areas, pretty grassy areas, and nice trees all mixed together.

It was disconcerting at times to feel a little lost, uncertain if still on the route (the hills really brought separation). I should have my mom mail drop my GPS. I stopped once and Nyberg came after a couple minutes, so I knew I was back on track. Later, I found Jody who had stopped and was glad to see me. We rode in together. In a paralell universe, I could ride with others, but I find it hard to ride with slower people and I don't attract much sympathy.

We passed by Tecate, a Mexican town but I didn't see the town, only the sign.

So here we are at the campground. It is chilly, in the 50's. I did have a hot shower. The food was pretty good really.

A couple hours ago, at dusk, we took a walk to the lake which was breathtaking of course, with mountains in the backgrounds and large rocks on the route. We walked up some of the large rocks before walking down to the lake. It was kind of foggy. This land is affected less by the season than the elevation, like many parts of the west, although season is crucial too. The elevation here is 4,600 feet roughly.

It is 8:30pm, I will soon sleep. This head cold is bothering me, especially whenever the weather or my temp is cold. When riding hard and with a high body temp, my throat hurts less. Hope it gets better.

4/2 – 72 miles to El Centro, CA – mostly downhill, hot

I awoke today after getting good rest in the 35 degree Campo outdoors. My sleeping bag served me well. I was a spry chicken this morning, bouncy in the cold, in the unforgiving elements, the moist dirt. I was cold and needing to get naked to change into bike gear, but still felt just damn good, even with my head cold. The lake was invisible from dense fog. I was one of the first dressed. Oh yeah and there were nice birds chirping as I awoke, chirping chirping.

I was ready to get on the road, face the 70+ mile day we anticipated to be as hilly or more so than yesterday (there was talk of a “6% for 13 straight miles). I started just a minute or two after the pack, riding with Heidi, having some convo. We caught up with a group who was having some cleat trouble (Katie).

I rode most of the day with Katie. We stopped at a chocolate store that was closed. We stopped at a great view of the US-Mexican border with some other riders (Jenn and Roshan). We saw a border patrol guy wielding a large rifle, walking around in the desert.

After a predominately downhill ride (but still with some good climbs), we came to I-8, which we took eastwards descending for 10 consecutive miles. I probably reached 40mph, considering Jenn reached a confirmed 34 and I totally left her behind. The girls don't like to take the hills fast and I can't resist doing it, so this creates a separation. After getting off I-8, I found myself in complete and total desert with sand in all directions. It was sandier than Vegas, dustier. It was the Yuha desert. I peed there and let the other riders in my slower group catch up (Nyberg, Katie, Jody). We got onto a really bumpy road that was annoying, but lunch was only 5 miles away.

Lunch was a van in the desert, no shade, none. The sun was above us, pounding my freckled skin. I was one of the least dressed mainly because I can tolerate the cold of downhill riding better than most. Lunch was alright, then a departure with Roshan and Jenn. We rode hard on the crummy road for 20 miles, a fast 20, probably just a little over an hour in our three-person peloton. We reached El Centro and found our church without difficulty. Indoor camping it is, after lots of feeding and hopefully successful hydrating.

Notes:

I called mom and Riley and I feel like this brief telephone departure really put my ride into perspective.

Today was hot. I got sunburned to a medium degree in a couple places (face and upper arms).

I am still sick and I feel crummy, but I think it is mainly heat/dehydration.

We lost 4,600 feet of elevation today, going from 4,600 to 30 feet below sea level

I have never done an easier 70 mile day in my life (thanks to the descents)

4/3 – 74 miles to Yuma, AZ – again, hot and dry

I left El Centro with Heidi after a normal morning of packing. I told her I dreamed of going on a huge rant at my dad, which bothered me. We rode off casually and it was nice to just chat and relax. After a half dozen miles or so, the fast group that went to Starbucks caught us. We drafted off of them for fifteen miles at about 19 or so mph. It was fun and felt so easy. The land out of El Centro was flat and full of farmlands in both directions, although mountains painted the distant horizon in front of us. Riding and riding, farms gave way to the natural desert geography of the region. What was a cool morning (low 60's?) quickly gave way to 70's and potent direct sunlight. We came to a small water break in the desert at 25 miles. I had an issue with my cleats after I stepped in adobe clay and couldn't clip in and thus I was way behind, alone at the back, lonely. In my one man peloton I pushed forward pulling the ghosts behind me, remembering their struggle. I caught up to the slower group after about 8 miles, right at the beginning of the freeway. At the official lunch break, I met up with some of the riders I was with in the morning. We were right at the border and some people walked up and touched the fence. There were several Americans riding dune buggies in some sort of recreation area right by the fence. I had a delicious orange and a very satisfying avocado, plus great chips. I was trying to eat less to hopefully get light, plus keep some of these toxins out of me (powerbar, bluh!). I rode off with a group of two other guys, but they lost me and I was alone. I stopped for some camera time on the freeway right in the sand dunes. Soon a group caught up with me and I rode with them for the rest of the day. We came across some truly terrible roads, ones not even fit for mountain bikes, so bumpy. My handlebar actually came loose. I rode mainly with Sarah for the last 15 miles, including our entrance into Yuma, a hot Arizona town that touts more sunshine annually than any other place in the country. We made it to Gila Ridge high school we are staying at. It is pretty nice. Tonight I will shack up on the wrestling floor, gross but soft.

After arriving in town, we went to BW3 after drama over who would stay behind (because the doors locked). We watched some college hoops (Final four) and I ate a bunch of wings, which finally just became nasty because there is a lot more going in than just chicken (all that breading and sauce, bluh!). I had two beers which were satisfying, then we got some ice cream. Both hoops games were a disappointment, but getting out was nice.

Back at the HS (Gila Ridge), I played around in the basketball gym with a dodge ball. We were kicking it crazy, shooting hoops, and kicking it orderly. I later played catch. I was the only one of the six or so guys that did it all. Do you believe my first word was "ball?"

Tomorrow I will ride 70 miles again in this desert, fighting again to avoid any sunburn, which has been tough. I will also go to church before the ride since it is Easter Sunday. We will cross a mountain ridge and end up in Dateland, a place named after... yes, dates, the delicious fruits. I hope to eat some.

4/4 – 70 miles to Dateland, AZ

The day started early in the dark in the wrestling gym. A few of us were up for church, while the rest tried to hang on to sleepy time. In the dark, I rustled through my bag. A headband? My glasses? Chammy, sunscreen? So much to find and account for. I was out of the gym on time and enjoyed a little bowl of generic honey cheerios plus a banana. Being Easter Sunday, five of us got a ride to Church, which was at an outdoor service. They had communion and wine. Church isn't something I normally attend, but I really liked the group of people who had decided to go, especially Sara and Roshan, so I figured leaving for the ride late would be nice since I would ride with them. The service was good and everyone was friendly. It sort of challenged me to think about things I haven't thought of for a while, but I don't suspect it presented me with anything life-changing, and that is totally fine since I am happy. After service, four of us rode out on our bikes and soon caught up with another group. The scenery was simply gorgeous. It was green farm fields to both sides with distant mountains and a super crisp clear sky, all touched by 65 degree dry morning desert air. The route was very nice, with several turns all spaced out a few miles, quite easy to navigate. We stopped for our scheduled water break after 15 miles. I like to go for 30 at least before my first stop, but whatever, you have to compromise with people. At this point our group had grown to six riders, a peloton of too much inexperience for my comfort.

Five miles out of this break, Sara dropped off not feeling well; she has the cold I am getting over. I decided to stay back with her. We rode the last 50 or so miles together, chatting about this and that, stopping at our own pace. At one point we ended up on a terrible frontage road beside the interstate we were supposed to be on. We hopped a barbed fence and crept across the interstate lanes to find our proper place. We rode the final 11 miles on the interstate and had a nice tail-wind. We arrived in Dateland, the capital of the date fruit in the early afternoon, say 3pm. I had a homemade date shake which was delicious. I also had a small quiznos sub. Roshan, Bryce, Sara, Jody and myself were there. We left and found the place we are staying at, the Dateland middle school. It is awesome, with wifi at the playground, a nice gym full of basketballs, stuff to grill, schoolbuses some people were playing in, a house to shower in. It is nice. Tomorrow is my support day. I hope I can rest this left knee and that it is ready for riding in 36 hours.

Notes:

Today I rode slow, just taking it easy at the back of the pack.

I ate well, getting some cottage cheese and chocolate milk at the grocery, plus a pb-apple, plus awesome stuff in Dateland (shake and Quiznos).

Greatest challenge on the ride was heat and sunburn. I used a lot of sunscreen and covered what I could.

I enjoyed playing basketball for an hour after the ride, beating Roshan pretty bad.

I enjoyed kicking the soccer ball with Roshan and Sara after everything.

Scenery:

The desert scenery was characterized by mountains we always seemed to ride through but not over (flat ride). These mountains were very pretty, without any trees, rocky. There was not a cloud in the sky. There were a bunch of yellow flowers along the roadside. This little town of Dateland has an awesome little date store, but really nothing else. This desert is baron save for all the man-made grass from irrigation. The birds seem happy here. The sunsets are gorgeous. It is early April and I am burned. It burns; the high today was about 85 and there are no clouds, really no shade anywhere.

Earthquake:

Apparently as we left the date store to come to the middle school (some 0.5 miles), there was an earthquake that we didn't feel on our bikes. When we got to the middle school, the riders there mentioned everything shaking and asked us if we felt it, but again we couldn't tell on our bikes (probably thought it was a rough road, many of which we have encountered). It was a magnitude 3.4.