AIDS/LifeCycle Category Archive
There are 46 entries in this category.
AIDS/LifeCycle 7 Photo Album
Sunday, June 22, 2008 Post comment
I've posted an album full of AIDS/LifeCycle photos from this year's ride. A few years ago I also started an ALC Flickr group with thousands more photos from the ride.
Bike Fit
Sunday, May 25, 2008 -1 comments
I'm getting geared up for a bike ride with my roommate Walter, writing between stretches.
It's been a month since I last rode and I'm really worried about my foot, but this is the last chance I have to train before starting off for 7 days and 545 miles to fight AIDS on AIDS/LifeCycle next Sunday. I've also had my bike tuned up and a new bike fit and this is my last chance to make sure everything is set up right.
My podiatrist has assured me I'm not going to do any more damage than I've already done by tearing the plantar plate in my foot. When I saw her friday she asked if I was still excited about the ride and I admitted I've lost a lot of my enthusiasm about it.
Missing a month of training, I've also missed out on a month of riding with my good friends from previous rides and getting to meet new riders who don't know what's in store for them yet.
I hope this morning's ride will be a good reminded why I put myself through this. You can help too, make a donation of support if you can and help fight HIV/AIDS.
Don't Panic
Saturday, April 26, 2008 Post comment
Just starting to cross the Golden Gate Bridge this morning, two cyclists ahead of me going opposite directions collided. One was a fellow AIDS/LifeCycle rider taking part in today's Day on the Ride, which as the name implies has rest stops and a support crew to give new riders a feel for what seven days of this will be like.
This wasn't the first time I've been at the scene of an accident on the bridge and maybe the bright side to this was that I was there with my friends Dave and Gary to help. We've been training partners for years and became volunteer training ride leaders our second year on AIDS/LifeCycle.
When the riders went down, we jumped to help like it was instinct. As others made sure the injured girl wasn't moved, Gary assigned me to call AIDS/LifeCycle dispatch, Dave began calling Bridge dispatch, while he dialed 911. Medics were there within minutes, but the ambulance took a while longer and I ended up at the scene for 45 minutes until a vehicle arrived to pick up her friends and the bikes.
Since I'd become the contact person for dispatch (it felt strange to be calling an emergency line so often I was starting out with "It's Jamison again,...") and there was no reason for all of us to stay, I told Dave and Gary to ride on ahead.
I ended up the absolute last rider for the next ten miles and about another 45 minutes until I caught up with the tail end of the ride. Soon after I caught up with Dave and Gary who were taking it slow so I could catch up.
I lost any sense of pacing riding hard to catch up, and I'm a lot more exhausted and worn out than I should be for an 85 mile ride just a month away from the ride itself. I feel so un-prepared now, but I hope with a good night of sleep I'll feel fine tomorrow.
And the AIDS/LifeCycle being a seven day fundraiser, I need your donations of support to make this a success. My goal is to raise at least $6,000.