rideforworldhealth.org

“Why do we fall? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up.”- Best Movie Ever. About three years ago, to this day, I was out biking and training for my triathlon. I was biking on the Hudson Trail, ready to clock in 60 miles of solid riding. The trail ran north of my school’s campus into Westchester. It was a bike path that was lined by trees and it was a hot humid day. I was lost in thought biking until I passed a little girl crumpled by the side of the path. She was trapped underneath her tricycle and crying. The girl couldn’t been older than 6 years old but I couldn’t see any parents nearby. I clipped out my pedals and immediately helped pull the bike off her. As I pulled her up, I dusted the dirt and twigs off of her. She stopped crying, wiped her tears off, and smiled up at me. Without a word, she got back onto her bike and went back down the path. I thought about this moment a lot on the ride. About how on our first week, we biked up Mount Soledad. I was in the group that didn’t know how to clip out my pedals in time. I fell for my first time in a long time at the top of the peak, before I could make a left turn. How a girl on the team literally vomited three times but kept going. We all made it up to that summit. I thought about that moment when we were in Kansas, in the windiest state of the country, biking headfirst into 20-30 mph winds. When we finally biked into DC, smiling and tired from our 3,700 miles journey. 

I think what I will miss the most from this ride will be meeting the people along the ride. Whether we were in the smelliest state, the windiest city, the smallest town, the prettiest part of the country, people have treated us with kindness and generosity. They opened their homes, churches, schools, gyms, hospitals and housed, fed, and hosted us. I will remember Boulder Utah, the cabin with the zip line and rocking trampoline, the church with the awesome karaoke bar nearby, the Tecopa experience. No picture can capture how welcomed we all felt across the country. 

This may be TSG of me for saying this but I too will miss a lot: the riders, eating for two, wearing the same clothing every day, working on my T-shirt tan, Clara Ruiz dance party, listening to good music, exploring cities. I want to thank everyone who has followed us on our journey and supported us through it. We couldn’t have done it without all of you. 

-Jess

Well folks, it’s all over. Now back to the real world. Boo-hoo.

Our ride through West Virginia was great, with some pretty nar-nar climbs and descents. I even laid off the breaks on a few of them and really enjoyed the speed and wonderful views.

We had a great time at the County Fairgrounds in WV, and bid Ellen and Claire farewell in true R4WH fashion. The ride through Virginia the next day was great, and it was fantastic rolling up to the Lincoln Memorial with a cheering crowd and hundreds more perplexed tourists.

The ride to Bethany Beach the next day was everything we had hoped for, and it was great to dip our tires (and ourselves) into the Atlantic Ocean. It was tough saying goodbye to everyone, and the east coast traffic ensured that some of us got to spend a few more hours with eachother before reaching Columbus, OH with the vans.  Still, we will all take away fond memories and lasting farmer’s tans from our amazing experience.

Who would have thought that biking across the country would have been so much fun. Next time, maybe Alaska to Patagonia?  What do you think guys?

Hey all - Jeff here.

We made it to Ohio - it is great to be back in the “Heart of It All”!

Monday morning we woke up in Graysville, IN and had a relatively short ride to Bloomington (I think it ended up being about 70 miles). I feel like I write this every time, but I am continually surprised at the number and frequency of hills in the midwest.  There we’re some short but steep climbs, which made the ride exciting.

Nevertheless, it was a great ride and we got to Bloomington in the afternoon. Bloomington is the home of Indiana University, and they have a beautiful campus. We we’re joined by two R4WH riders who were away for a couple days - Dr. Ben Meyer and Dr. Hadley Trotter, two recent graduates from medical school.  Congratulations!

We rode to a dorm building where Tim, an avid cyclist and friend of R4WH, donated apartments for the night so we could have hot showers and many of us were able to sleep in beds (Yeah). He also had pizza, salad, and sherbert waiting for us, which tasted delicious.

After unpacking the vans and securing the bikes, we we’re met by a group of IU students who are part of a global health interest group. We gave them a short lecture on global health, and relaxed a little bit that evening before turning in for the night.

Yesterday morning, we left our sleeping quarters and rode a couple miles to a bicycle track where the 1979 film “Breaking Away” was filmed.  The story is based off the Little 500 bicycle race that is held there in Bloomington. Tim met us there with a couple track bikes, and most of us took a lap around the track.  Although I was not being timed, I don’t think I quite reached the speeds that bicycle racers typically reach on the track (haha). Nevertheless, it was fun.

We left Bloomington and had a long and hilly ride into the outskirts of Cincinnati. It was a difficult route to mark, and a few of the riders, including Alissa, Sebastian, Hadley, Brandon, and Kami, got lost and ended up doing an additional 8 or 9 miles yesterday.

Nevertheless, after 117 or so miles from Bloomington we finally reached our destination at about 6:30 last evening. We racked the bikes, and Monica’s parents were kind enough to host and feed all of us for dinner. It was a delicious spread, with cheesy potatoes, hamburgers, hot dogs, fresh fruit, and beans. To top it off, we enjoyed some Grater’s ice cream and cookies baked by Monica’s grandmother for dessert.

Last night, some of us stayed with Monica’s family, while others were spread out among some wonderful hosts from the Cincinnati University COM. This morning we reconvened at the Cincinnati COM where we delivered a lecture to a group of medical students.

This evening we convene at a local pub for journal club, where we will be joined by a number of medical students.

Tomorrow we leave for Columbus. Cheers!

View of downtown St. Louis from a bridge over the Mississippi River

Me posing in front of the sign on the bridge, where we officially entered into Illinois

Hey all. Jeff here.

Friday evening I got to have dinner with my cousin Cliff, his wife Jami, and their son Lliam.  It was great to see them again and visit for awhile. 

Yesterday we left St. Louis for Kinmundy, IL.  It was a beautiful ride through downtown St. Louis yesterday morning, and not a lot of traffic because it was a Saturday.  We passed right by St. Louis University and the “Arch”, and rode along the Mississippi River along a bike trail. 

We crossed the Mississippi River over a one-mile bridge that used to be the old Route 66.  It was ironic because we spent so much time on the old Route 66 in California at the beginning of the ride.  The view of St. Louis and the Mississippi River was spectacular.

The ride yesterday ended up being long - about 107 miles - but it was mostly flat and the weather was perfect.  If we were tired by the end, the pizza, salad, and cookies provided by the Kinmundy Community Center quickly rejuvinated us.  Robby provided some well-needed laughs.

This morning I was on support, but the rest of the riders rode about 94 miles.  Although we marked about 30 miles last night before bed, Kami and I took off in the cargo van about 8:30 this morning and spent the majority of the day marking the road.  It was pretty confusing - between what Jess google-mapped last night, the directions in the big binder, and our GPS, we managed to find a route that avoided most gravel roads and was under/around 100 miles.  

Jess deftly handled a couple flat tires while he was in sweep, and Monica did a tremendous job as the lead van for the day without great directions or a gps (we actually had to call her with the correct directions along the route when we had cell phone reception). 

This evening, a pair of wonderful women from Graysville made us a delicious dinner of lasagna, texas toast, cole slaw, and freshly-baked pies.  With our bellies filled, most of us are ready for bed. 

We have two lectures tomorrow morning here at Rural Community Academy (where we are sleeping tonight).  Apparently the kids are really excited for us to speak, and we are happy to be here.  After the lectures tomorrow, we have a relatively short ride of under 70 miles to Bloomington, IN.

Take care.

A group of us at the Missouri state capital building.

Me eating a delicious snack of lettuce, bbq sauce, mustard, and a vanilla cookie.

Hey everyone. Jeff here.

We are enjoying an impromptu day off here in St. Louis. We got up at about 6:00 this morning, were ready to go a little after 7:00 for a short fifty-something mile ride when lightning appeared in the sky. We will ride in most conditions, but not in a heavy snow where the roads are slick, and not during thunderstorms.

We racked the bikes and were going to drive ahead 20 miles to see if things would clear up. During the van ride a National weather advisory came on warning of thunderstorms, dime-sized hail, and winds approaching upwards of 60 miles-per-hour.

The general vote was to not risk the ride and drive the full way to St. Louis. Of course, I dissented and stated that I wanted to ride, knowing full well that we would not be riding. I was able to keep up a facade of toughness (if only for myself).

We arrived in St. Louis and unloaded our bikes and gear just before the skies erupted. We had a medical school lecture at noon here at Washington University SOM, with about 70 first and second-year medical students in attendance.  Sebastian and Leah did a fantastic job.

The past few days since I blogged in Sedalia have been pretty uneventful. On Wednesday we rode from Sedalia to Jefferson City, which is the capital of Missouri. It has a population of less than 40,000, but is a pretty neat city.

The ride was hilly, and we arrived a little bit before dinner. I think this was the day that Rachel and a few other riders got chased by a goat. Her name was Buttercup. They took pity on the poor animal, and stopped their bikes to help it back to her owner, who was very relieved to find it safe.

Some of us took a tour of the state capital, and poked our heads into a House and Senate committee meeting. The politicians in attendance looked pretty bored.

That evening Jess and I searched every dining establishment in “Jeff City” to see if we could find someone playing the Chicago Cubs baseball game, but our search was fruitless. I still have yet to catch a Cubs game this season.

Yesterday we rode from Jeff City to Washington, MO. While we were not chased by any goats, we were by at least two dogs. One looked a little bit mean. The incident went something like this:

-All the riders leaving the rest stop at the same time and descending a short hill, only to be confronted by a mean-looking dog.

-Dog barks at riders and Sebastian takes his water bottle out to spray dog.

-Owner yells at dog to come back but does not get it.

-Rachel asks owner to come get her dog.

-Owner replies “NO”.

-Jeff responds that “there are a bunch of riders coming down this hill and we don’t want any riders to get hurt”.

-Woman responds that dog won’t bite.

-We ride off and mean-looking dog gives up the chase.

Tomorrow we cross the Mighty Mississippi on our way to Kinmundy, IL. We have a little more than two weeks left and we will be in Washington, D.C. Hard to believe.

Take care.

Kansas is indeed hilly, as you can tell from the hills in the distance

Hey everyone, Jeff here. The last time I had a chance to blog, we were staying in lovely Denver, CO.

After a couple of relatively flat days in eastern Colorado and western Kansas, we hit the hills of Kansas. Yes, Kansas is not as flat as a pancake as they say. In fact, it is one of the hilliest states I have ever been in.

After driving out through Kansas a couple years ago on I-70, I thought Kansas was flat. It appeared to be, but I failed to glance sideways at the hills that surrounded me on the ride.

Well that is neither here nor there. By the time last thursday rolled around, we were ready for a pleasant journey through Kansas. Ness City to Lyons was long (about 94 miles) and very windy - we encountered what felt like 20 to 30 mile per hour headwinds through out much of the ride. The next day from Lyons to Herrington was pretty much a repeat (about 96 miles).

By the tune we got to Herrington, we were ready for a break. The ride to Topeka on Saturday started off with really nasty headwinds and crosswinds, and it was chilly. But by the afternoon, things warmed up and the winds died down, and it turned into a great ride. I think we rode about 96 miles through a very beautiful part of Kansas.

The ride from Topeka to Kansas City was virtually perfect, with some of the steepest hills we have encountered throughout the whole ride (although they were very short). My legs were pretty tired, and Ryan (with his ailing knee) pulled me through much of the latter half. By the time we got to Kansas City and settled into our accomodations, we were ready for a rest.

We stayed at the University of Kansas Medical Sports Complex, with access to locker rooms, pool, and hot tub.

Sunday night we went out for Cajun food, and listened to some live music at a restaurant that was only a couple of blocks away.

Monday we had our event at the University of Kansas Medical School, with two excellent speakers. The first was the medical director of Village Health Works (one of our beneficiaries), and the second a physician from Wichita with much international health experience.

This morning we left Kansas City and quickly entered Missouri. After a wrong turn that tacked on an extra ten miles, the riders rode over a hundred miles through what they described as great conditions.

Tomorrow we leave for Jefferson City, and travel quickly through Missouri, reaching St. Louis on Friday.

Take care and keep following our progression.

10:30 am
Ellen & Alissa here! We’re sitting in one of the 12 passenger vans right now waiting for riders to arrive for their first rest-stop on the journey from Ordway, CO to Leoti, KS. Yesterday we rode from Pueblo, CO to Ordway, CO. It was about 58 miles, which shouldn’t seem too daunting, however, the headwind made for a challenging ride. We slept last night in the wrestling room of Crowley County High School. Support Team A made a very yummy casserole with chicken (or tofu), cheese, stuffing & cream of mushroom soup. We also had biscuits & brownies! Before we left this morning, we gave a lecture to 150 high school students at Crowley County High School, which went over well. Unfortunately, the riders are still facing a headwind today, but they all seem to be staying in good spirits. Last night the members of Support Team B stayed up late making a special treat for the riders – egg salad for sandwiches. Hopefully, the egg salad will give the riders a little extra energy to help fight the wind today. Hoping the weather stays good for us today – forecast has a 20-30% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.

12:55 pm
Just headed off from the first rest-stop -  definitely a stiff wind that the riders were fighting all morning – mostly head-wind but coming a little from the side as well making it hard to pace line. Riders all said they were hanging-out in their climbing gears the last 2 hours despite the flat terrain, and feeling like they weren’t moving anywhere! They all seem to be hanging in there though and are back on the road now fighting the wind again. Clear blue sky at least at this point with no storms in sight!

3:15pm
Waiting at the last rest stop after lunch. This is a very tough day on the riders, but spirits are staying relatively high. We had a great egg-salad lunch & busted out some Nutella, which is a big hit with everyone. We’ll likely have to rack the bikes after this stop, as we have about an hour’s drive to Leoti, Kansas. Tonight we’re planning to eat Mexi-Mac (macaroni & cheese with sour cream, guacamole & salsa) and cinnamon rolls as dessert. Hope this gets all our riders ready for another day tomorrow (hopefully minus the headwinds)!

Entering Colorado last Saturday

At the top of Monarch Pass

At the bottom after the descent from Monarch Pass

Hey all. Jeff Jenks here. We are currently kicking back in Denver, Colorado after an epic week with some really great rides!

We left Telluride, Colorado on Tuesday. Although it was a bit tough leaving the posh living quarters that we had called home for two days, the ride out of Telluride brightened the mood. We had a really good descent at first, and the rest of the ride was relatively flat and a nice ride.

We made it into Montrose, Colorado relatively early, with enough time to hit up Coldstone for some ice cream before dinner.  After dinner some of us went up to Black Canyon National Park, which had some amazing views of the canyons below. Unfortunately I left my camera back at the school, so have no pictures to show for the trip.

The next morning I was on support. The riders woke up to “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2, and had a breakfast consisting of cold cereal, scrambled eggs, pineapple chunks, and hot oatmeal (Yum!).

The beginning of the ride looked to be a bit tough, with two pretty steep ascents at the very beginning. The rest of the day looked to be relatively downhill, with some nasty crosswinds to contend with at a couple points.

I mailed a postcard along the way in a town with a population of 4. Yes 4 people. I could literally throw a baseball from the “entering” sign to the “leaving” sign of that town.

That evening we stayed in Gunnison, Colorado at Western State College. We pretty-much had the entire top floor of the Student Union to ourselves. Many of us went out to dinner for burgers, and were lulled to sleep by some freestyle rapping at Western College not far from our sleeping quarters.

We woke up early the next morning in an attempt to get an early jump on a 90 mile day. The morning was a bit chilly, but most of us quickly warmed up on our bikes. We rode about 25 miles to the first rest stop, which averaged out to be a slight climb. We rode another 5 miles, than began an 8 or 9 mile ascent to the top of Monarch Pass, which at 11,312 feet is the highest point on our trip. We climbed about 3000 ft over those 9 miles - it was challenging but fun and well worth it at the top.

We were awarded with lunch at the top of the pass, and a quick descent which I took painfully slow. At the bottom it warmed up about 30 degrees, and we shed most of our heavy clothing.

The rest of the day was a beautiful ride through Colorado along a winding river, and we ended up at a high school in Cotopaxi, CO. Dinner was great, with Team D coming through with a terrific pasta meal that managed to fill everyone up.  We were a bit surprised that Ryan did not go back for a third helping, but than he admitted that he had hit up some fast food a couple hours earlier.

Yesterday we woke up early and had a great ride to the first rest stop. There were plenty of wildlife afoot, and the entire first part of the ride was framed by the snow-capped Rockies in the distance. After the first rest stop the group split in half and some of us drove to Denver to attend an educational event at a Rotary Club.

Last night we had Journal Club, where we talked about a Paul Farmer article, which was very exciting for me! The group was also kind enough to buy a chocolate cake for my 30 birthday, which was delicious. Thanks everybody!

This morning was another early wake-up. We drove back down to Colorado Springs for our first Solidarity Ride. It was a bit damp and chilly, but the ride ended up being a great success.

Tomorrow is an off day, and Monday we drive back down to Pueblo and ride to Eads, Colorado.

Unfortunately, there have been some recent challenges to overcome.  Yesterday an anonymous tip led the Recycling Committee to find two Coke cans in the garbage, far from the confines of the recycling bag which they belong. 

The Recycling Commitee quickly convened (Renee- President, Jeff- Vice President, Leah - Enforcer) and quickly issued an edict declaring that all recyclable items must be put in the correct recepticles.  No names will be named, but it appears that two riders may be rebel insurgents and planning to overthrow The Commitee.  There has been some complaints that democracy has been sacrificed during this crisis, but The Commitee feels that this is a time where some liberties must be sacrificed for the common good.  They insurgents will be dealt with harshly.

In all seriousness, we are having a good time and enjoying the rides and company of eachother.  Keep following the blog and take care everyone!

Hello everyone! Renee Nason here, writing from Colorado College where we’re having our first solidarity ride through the Garden of the Gods. The weather is a little rainy and cold but that hasn’t stopped our riders from enjoying an easy Saturday morning stroll on their bikes.

Last night we enjoyed another Friday evening Journal Club sesh, where Ryan Walsh, Diana Ortiz, Sebastian “Sea Bass” Brooke, and I led a discussion about a chapter from the book Infections and Inequalities by Paul Farmer. Simultaneously, we celebrated rider Jeff Jenks’ 30th birthday! You may not know it but excitingly, Paul Farmer is Jeff Jenks’ man crush. Coincidence or destiny? You decide!

So speaking of Journal Club, I thought I’d blog a bit about some of the clubs and committees that have been established during the first couple of weeks of the 2009 Ride for World Health. Here they are in no particular order:

JOURNAL CLUB – This is one of my favorites; it was organized by Leah Bauer, our Education Chair. At the beginning of the ride we got a packet of journal articles, newspaper articles, and book chapters that center on global health issues. Every Friday we meet and discuss one of the readings, as a means for us to continue learning about the subjects that we discuss in our lectures and foster positive changes in our world and healthcare systems. (Sidebar: To my Vancouver Book Club – Hi guys; can we please start up something like this when I get back to town? Awesome, thanks!)

RECYCLING CLUB – This one was born out of a mutual passion for the environment shared by Jeff Jenks and myself. I am the President and have named Jeff as my Vice. The role of Subcomandante is held by Dan Kim. Our missions include encouraging environmentally sound practices, sequestering recyclables from regular trash and placing them in the appropriate receptacles, and reusing materials whenever possible. We rule with an iron fist. Tyrannical Vice President Jenks asserts, “There is no room for democracy in the Recycling Club”. Because of this, we have named the menacing Leah Bauer as our Enforcer. Rumored to be concocting a coup, rebel insurgents of the Recycling Club include Sebastian Brooke and Ryan Walsh, who on at least one occasion have each been seen throwing plastic bottles in the trash. Sleep with one eye open, you two.

COOKING CLUB – Monica Foley, Ellen Acree, and Alissa Gilbert head up this group, obviously because they are fantastic in the kitchen. Some particularly memorable meals have been Spicy Penne Pasta with Chicken or Tofu in Cotopaxi, and Lasagna, Veggie Pasta, Irish Soda Bread, Chess Pie (a southern delicacy!) and Apple Pie in Telluride. Glorious!

PROM COMMITTEE – When in Dolores Colorado, we riders spent the evening at the local high school, where prom was happening in the adjacent gym, so we decided to have our own prom. I was President of the short lived Prom Committee, Clara Ruiz was my Vice, Kami Teal was the consultant (because she actually was prom queen!), and Clare Kelleher was both the Fashion Director and Logistics Coordinator. We voted in the traditional way: The purpose of the initial voting period was to establish the Prom Court, which consisted of the contenders who were in the running to become Prom King and Prom Queen.  By popular vote, the King’s Court included Ryan Walsh (for his famous ranch dressing-peanut butter-tabasco-cheeseits-mac’n’cheese-doritos-jelly-cookies-hummus sandwiches – yes, all those ingredients between two slices of bread!), Ben Meyer (for his beard), Stephen Weinberger (for his dance moves and comedic wit), and Jeff Jenks (for his dance moves and love of Paul Farmer). The Queen’s Court included Clara Ruiz (for her dance moves), Monica Foley (for her fashion sense – a majestic tie-dyed eagle t-shirt, oversized cowboy belt buckle, and skull’n’crossbones bandana are just a few of her gems), Alissa Gilbert (for her cooking and PR skills), and a certain unnamed gentleman rider.

In typical R4WH fashion, we determined King and Queen by holding a dance-off.  Decked out in their most outrageous garb, Ryan and Alissa showed off some boot-scootin’, Jeff and Monica featured some 1960s moves, and Stephen and Clara somehow pulled off an epic-but-fictitious “Pamchenko” throw, inspired by the 1992 figure skating movie The Cutting Edge. Ben Meyer and He-Who-Shant-Be-Named lamed out. The final round of voting took place, and it was decided that the 2009 Ride for World Health Prom King and Queen are…Ryan Walsh and Clara Ruiz! Each winner received a giant chocolate Easter egg as their prize.

PUSH UPS AND SIT UPS CLUB – This club was founded by Ryan Walsh, because he needs to get ready for his upcoming military physical test. He sometimes lames out though, so Ben Meyer is the President and time-keeper of the PU/SU Club. Members do two minutes of push ups and two minutes of sit ups at rest stops that are selected by the President. Other members of this club are Monica Foley, Clare Kelleher, and Jeff Jenks. 

SIT UPS CLUB – This one was founded by riders who want to participate in callisthenic moves during rest stops, but value abdominal muscles over biceps, triceps, and pecs (upper body strength…who needs it?). Participants include myself, and I think maybe Rachel Riopel.

SITTING AROUND CLUB – The S/A Club was created by Stephen Weinberger and his friend, portion rider Darrick May. I guess they basically play video games and take naps.

MUSTARD CLUB – R4WH’s newest, most exclusive group, the Mustard Club was founded by Monica Foley and myself. Just yesterday, at Jeff Jenks’ birthday, riders ordered a variety of appetizers, which they proceeded to douse in ketchup and nacho cheese. In a fleeting moment of fate, Monica and I both reached for the mustard; with a knowing look, we knew our friendship was sealed because of a shared love for this condiment. One of our first acts of office will be to whip out spicy dijon mustard at rest stops. But not everyone can participate! To be part of this club, you need to successfully write a personal statement, complete a MMI-style interview, and be an existing member of one of the calisthenics clubs. 

So there you have it, folks. I hope you enjoyed learning about our clubs and committees as much as we enjoy participating in them; thanks for reading!

Today was another one of those crazy days that turned out to be easier than expected. Support team D (Alissa, Sebastian, Clara, Rachael and I) woke up at 5 A.M. - the earliest of the ride yet. We started in Gunnison, CO at Western State University, where there had been a late rap battle the night before. The riders woke up 30 minutes later because they had a 113 mile day ahead of them, and they all did great! They climbed to the top of Monarch Pass, which is one way to get across the Continental Divide. Afterwards, there was a very steep downhill through Salida into Cotopaxi. The actual trip had been calculated longer than it really was- the riders only had to bike upwards of 87 miles and some even skated into Cotopaxi in time for our lecture.

On top of today’s mileage, there was a lecture event at 3 P.M. for 80 some high schoolers at Cotopaxi High where we will be staying tonight in the gym. Some riders decided to come to the event straight from the peak at Monarch Pass, and so eleven of us headed to the school to talk to some curious kids. They were great, and so was the faculty at the school- afterwards, we got to mingle and talk to some of them in a less formal setting.

Good job, R4WH! Denver, here we come!

-Farhaad