DID YOU KNOW? ALC Team PHX is on Facebook!

Check us out. In addition to our hot blog, we have an official Facebook group! Join us on Facebook today! Are you a local ALC cyclist or roadie and want to join the team - either officially or unofficially? Give us a shout and we'll get you hooked up!

To find the team page, search for "I ♥ ALC Team PHX". SUPPORT YOUR HOME TEAM! JOIN TODAY!

Event Recap: Arizona ALC Meet and Greet at Bliss ReBAR

Thank you to EVERYONE who joined us for our first Arizona AIDS LifeCycle Meet and Greet in Phoenix! We had a GREAT turnout of past, present, and prospective participants - cyclists and roadies ALIKE - at the event and enjoyed appetizers and drinks at one of Phoenix's hottest new community restaurants.

A HUGE thank you goes out to the folks at Bliss ReBAR - especially Jackson, Mark, and Kevin - for your hospitality and to the AIDS LifeCycle staff for helping us to pull this event off.

IF YOU ATTENDED THE EVENT LAST NIGHT, BUT DID NOT SIGN UP ON SITE, our registration fee special is good through December 2! Contact me at dan@danmaxey.com as soon as possible if you did not get the promotion code.

We're going to try to keep the ALC love alive in Arizona. Please stay tuned for upcoming announcements for events, training rides, etc.

DM Solo Training Ride: An Emotional Ride on a NEW Route

Taking a break in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves at Piestewa Peak

It was hard to get out of bed this morning. I've been running full speed ahead for weeks and it's starting to take a toll on me physically and mentally. I really didn't want to go out on my usual weekend routes this morning and since I was slow to rise, I had a little less time than normal to ride.

I really try not to skip an opportunity to ride if I can help it. Sure, this stuff is fun for me, but I do the ride - and train for the ride - because I am committed to making good on the investment my sponsors make in me by raising as much money and riding as many miles as I can to help bring an end to HIV and AIDS.

So I improvised this morning... I wanted to get 20-25 miles in and was happy to experiment on a new route. I rode the couple blocks over to Central Avenue and headed due north. Central Avenue is actually a decent road to ride on - major road without a lot of traffic, cuts through a lot of interesting parts of town. North of Camelback it's a whole different experience than what I'm used to riding through South Phoenix and downtown. Large shade trees line both sides with paths for horses and joggers. Beautiful homes.

Sunnyslope... For Ian.

I rode all the way up through Sunnyslope to North Mountain, climbing as far as I could on the road until I had to turn around because the road ended. I took a moment to savor the view before continuing back down to Glendale Road, where I headed East for Piestewa Peak.

The northern end of the Central Avenue corridor at North Mountain with downtown and South Mountain in the distance

At Piestewa, I again rode up through the foothills, getting a little bit of climbing in on my way up to the Apache ramadas at the end of the paved road. There were A LOT of hikers out. I got a few strange looks... They're not used to seeing road bikes up in that area, I guess.

The ride back down toward home along 24th Street was also stunning. Nice views, lush vegetation, and the smell of desert plants in the air.

And then it happened.

Somewhere around the Arizona Biltmore, in the midst of all this beauty, I started to think about why I do this ride year after year and reflected on something a good friend told me a few weeks ago. In essence, he pointed out that I'm a 'fixer'. It's no secret. I like to step in and help solve problems, find solutions... Make things better. But for all the good work I do for this ride and in honor of those we've lost, the many beneficiaries of the Center, our communities, and the vision of a world without HIV and AIDS, I realized that maybe I'm not capable of fixing this. I started to think of my friends living with HIV and AIDS and all I would do to make them better - if only I could. I thought, maybe just for a moment, that this problem is far too great for me to take on... for me to fix.

I broke down. BIG TIME.

Maybe it's true. Maybe, standing alone, this is an impossible feat I commit myself to. But I'm not alone and neither are those loved ones I thought about who fight with such courage through the many challenges of living with HIV and AIDS. We are in this together. As I am so often reminded, IF ONE OF US HAS AIDS, WE ALL DO. And for as long as I can or until I drop dead, I will be on my bike fighting with each pedal stroke to bring an end to this disease and to help stop the spread and support those in need in the meantime. Even if that's all I can do to help fix this, it's what I will do.

These rushes of emotion come upon me all the time on the ride, but not as often on training rides. I guess it's all for the better that I have some practice riding with tears in my eyes. I pulled through it. And when I gave myself a moment to really think again about why I do this ride, I was all the more committed to the goal. On the rest of the ride down 24th Street and Osborn, I was determined that although I was ending today's ride, I would keep pedaling to bring an end to HIV and AIDS.

I want to take a moment to add that I am so proud of all of our new cyclists from Phoenix. You are in for the experience of a lifetime. We're going to have a good time out there on the road and I'm so glad to have so many good friends to laugh with and shoulders to cry on. This year is going to be the most emotional year yet. I can feel it already. Pack tissues, friends.

Team Training Ride: Warming Up and Cooling Down! 20.5 miles

Cindy, Warren, Scott, and Dan at Arizona State University after the ride

We had our first OFFICIAL training ride of the AIDS LifeCycle 10 training season this morning - a nice, relaxing cruise around Tempe and Scottsdale. Scotty, Cindy, Warren and I started in Tempe on the campus of Arizona State University. We had to pick Warren up a quarter mile off campus changing a flat, but got back on the road pretty fast. We rode through the Mill Avenue district and hit the path around Tempe Town Lake, connecting to the Greenbelt on the other side. We had a little bit of headwinds on the ride out, but a nice little push on the ride home.

Today was a beautiful day to ride and I probably didn't need to wear tights, but it's been a little chilly this week. I thought I needed them...

Today's ride was 20.5 miles over mostly flat terrain. Good ride with good friends!

Our next ride is going to be early December - due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Stay tuned for upcoming rides and events.

OFFICIAL AIDS LIFECYCLE MEET AND GREET IN PHOENIX - November 15

PLEASE RSVP for the OFFICIAL AIDS LifeCycle Meet and Greet at Bliss/ReBAR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15 from 6-9pm! Members of Team PHX and a representative from the ALC staff will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the ride! Come meet some other cyclists, enjoy a drink and some DELICIOUS appetizers, and learn about the ride! I promise there is nothing more exciting going on on a Monday night in Phoenix!

OFFICIAL MEET AND GREET
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010 - BLISS/REBAR - PHOENIX, ARIZONA - 6:00-9:00 pm

To RSVP for the event, please visit http://www.tofighthiv.org/site/Calendar/2038112248?view=Detail&id=145812. Know a cyclist or someone interested in the ride? Feel free to invite them along!

DM, SB & IC [UN]Official Pre-Training Training Ride: Cooling Down and Warming Up!

Scott, Ian, and me in front of Hayden Library on ASU's Tempe campus

Scotty, Ian, and I got out on the trail this morning for a sort of unofficial pre-training training ride from ASU to Chapparal Park in Scottsdale and back. The route was 20.6 miles, most of which was on the Greenbelt's multi-use path. This was Ian's first ride with Scott and me.

Ian and Scotty on the path around Tempe Town Lake

It was a beautiful morning to ride... The most beautiful sight of all was seeing WATER in Tempe Town Lake again for the first time in months. After leaving the ASU campus and heading north on Mill, we took a lap on Tempe Town Lake before heading toward Scottsdale.

There was, however, an unusual amount of dog poop on the path today. We were calling out "POOP!" much more often than sand, glass, bumps, etc. It really bothers me that so many people don't feel like they have any obligation to pick up after their pets. Disgusting - but nothing surprises me in Arizona.

 Ian fishing Little Red Riding Hood's shoe out of the drink

It is also worth noting that rookie ALC cyclist Ian came to the aid of a young girl in... well, I guess you could say distress. Somehow, this young girl managed to lose her shoe in the stream that runs along the Greenbelt. Ian stopped and fished it out for her. We're still not sure how this happened and didn't ask any questions, but it was nice to see a new cyclist demonstrate the kind of goodwill that is such a part of the AIDS LifeCycle ride experience. Gold star for Ian!

Sporting the cardinal and gold in honor of Kerry Castillo this morning...

One final note... I wore the USC socks that Kerry Castillo sent out from Los Angeles this morning. I know she'll be proud I sported the cardinal and gold in her honor this morning. FIGHT ON, Kerry... FIGHT ON!

An AMAZING Video from the LA Gay and Lesbian Center...

Friends -
Do you have questions about how the money we raise for AIDS LifeCycle is being spent? This video from the LA Gay and Lesbian Center - which supports ANYONE who needs help, NOT JUST LGBTQ persons - does a really good job of covering some of the critical services your sponsorship dollars support.


PLEASE take a look and support the cyclists of ALC Team PHX TODAY! We need your help to protect these services so that they can continue to provide care and services to people in need.

Thank you!

TTs First Solo Ride in DC: Discovering the Beauty that is the Mt. Vernon Trail

The last few months for me have been a huge adjustment, between packing up my life in Phoenix and starting a new in Washington DC, I haven't found a ton of time to be out on the rode.

As many know, I accepted a new position with the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors in Washington DC back in late July and gave my one month notice to friends, family, and of course Southwest Center for HIV, that I would be packing up and headed toward being a part of Macro-Level Social Change.

One of the hardest decisions of my life, but it has been an amazing few months as I have transitioned from work on the local-level to managing NASTAD's HIV Prevention Profile for Gay Men across the United States.

With that being said, I'm a bit delayed at posting about my first solo adventure on my bike here in DC as I had a hectic week of travel for work.

I set out last Sunday Morning (October 10, 2010) to explore the Mt. Vernon Train - as DM states the first must do ride in DC - and boy was he ever right.

I left my Condo in Adams Morgan and found my way to an entry to the trail near the Lincoln Memorial.

I rode along the winding trail on what is by far the most beautiful ride I have experienced yet on the East Coast. Riding alongside the water, through the woods, and ending up at the end of the Mt. Vernon Trail, of course famous for being the Home of George Washington.

The weather was gorgeous, the perfect day for my first longer ride out here.

Looking forward to next weekend, when I’ll be co-leading my first ALC Training Ride here in the area.

FOR ALL NEW RIDERS: TAKE NOTE! The importance of proper bike fit!

Think a bike is a bike is a bike? Think that things like your saddle position are merely worth considering for general comfort?

WRONG!

We've had a few rookie cyclists experience the consequences of a bad bike fit or no bike fit at all. I can't stress how important this is - especially for new cyclists. Check it out. If you need local referrals for a bike fit, talk to me!

Don't believe your Training Ride Leader? The following is compliments of the good folks at AIDS LifeCycle and can be found online at http://www.aidslifecycle.org/training/bike-fit.html. 

 

Bike Fit

It is important to make sure your bike is fitted to your body.  You should have your bike fit by a professional.  This may or may not be the same person who sells you the bike.  Most bike shops will do a very basic check in order to put you on the right size bike frame, but you’ll want a fit professional to look at the nuances of your body, including your physiology, flexibility, strengths, weaknesses and past injuries.  They will look at frame size in relation to your body and your saddle, handlebar and cleat positions.   Your favorite local bike shop should be able to refer you to a fit specialist.  Many local shops have sent their employees to special bike fit training in order to offer professional bike fits in their stores.

The importance of proper bike fit

You should be comfortable on your bike, whether you’re on an easy 20 mile ride or a challenging 100 miles.  You should not have saddle sores, hand or foot numbness, knee, neck or back pain.  Any of these symptoms can indicate that you need to get a professional bike fit.  Remember, you will spend many hours in that saddle in one position.  It’s imperative that your fit is correct!

Most people do not realize that so many pains and injuries are because of a poor bike fit.  Along with comfort, fit has the greatest effect on aerodynamics and pedal stroke efficiency.  A saddle that is 1 inch too high can cause unequal distribution of forces through the pedal stroke.  This will lead to an unequal distribution of work on some muscles and give others a free ride.

Bike fit is the process of matching a changeable bike into a slowly moldable body.  An individual’s flexibility and strength make a significant difference in how a bike is adjusted even if you have 2 people of the exact same height.  

Basic Bike Fit checks include:

• Saddle Height
• Saddle Position fore and aft
• Saddle tilt
• Handlebar/ stem height 
• Cleat position (on the shoe)

Note:  if you are riding a recumbent, there may be some additional or different adjustments required.  While recumbent bike fitting is less involved than a traditional road type bike it is still important to have a professional adjust areas that involve your arm stretch, cleat adjustment (if you’re using this type of pedal) and any adjustments allowed to ensure your leg stretch is correctly set with your pedals.

AG & TG Training Ride: Alex's First Training Ride!

After picking up my new bike from Performance on Thursday night, I was very excited to go for my very first training ride! I also had my fair share of worries--it was my first time ever riding on a road bike, and I have a small fracture in my foot! (Don't worry though, I have
clearance to ride).

Tracy and I started out with the basics and rode around our apartment parking lot to make sure I was comfortable on my bike. After about ten minutes, I was MORE than comfortable. In fact, I was amazed at how smoothly a "real" bike rides! Once I was good to go, we set out on a nice ride "around the block," which ended up being a nice tour around the back streets on our side of Tempe. I got used to manuevering my bike, using my safety signals,and switching my gears.

The riding itself, which I expected to be painful in all sorts of ways, was actually wonderfully relaxing. It was great to feel the breeze and have time to think about the journey ahead of me. I've been homesick for the autumn weather on the East Coast, but the nice, cool breeze in the morning was reminding me of back home. I got a chance to think about what is ahead of me--the ups and downs of training, the flat tires, the learning and growing. Slowly but surely, as the ride went on, my nerves completely disappeared and I became comfortable.

The ride went well, but after about 6 miles, I started to have some pain in my foot and Tracy's outer calves started throbbing. It wasn't until then that she started to realize how important it is that she gets a proper bike fitting! Her alignment was all out of whack on the bike, causing some strain on her lower legs. We cut the ride short to make sure we were taking care of ourselves and not getting injured. When we hopped of the bike, I made sure to lead us in some stretching--its important when using new muscles!! Tracy is heading right into Bike Barn this week for a fitting, and I've got a few new rides planned for this week (short ones while I'm healing, though)

DM Solo Training Ride: An Afternoon Ascent on South Mountain

 On the ride back down the mountain...

After yesterday's 75 mile ride through the Northwest valley, I found myself desiring another, albeit shorter ride today. I wanted to get a ride in at South Mountain, but also didn't really have the patience for the long, boring ride from Central Phoenix through South Phoenix to the park, so I drove.

 Stage II of the climb up South Mountain...

It was a pretty warm ride... About 90'F. That's about as warm as it's been many mornings when I ride, but it's a totally different feel when you are fully exposed to the afternoon sun. It really feels a lot warmer.

Today's ride puts me at 944 miles of training for AIDS LifeCycle 10! Support my efforts today at http://www.danmaxey.com!

DM Solo Training Ride: The Scenic Route from Phoenix to Fountain Hills and Back...

Along the Beeline Highway South of Fountain Hills with Red Mountain in the background

It is FINALLY starting to feel like Fall in Phoenix... After months and months of the horrid heat, we're creeping into that time of year when it's really pleasant to live here. I decided to celebrate the recent change in climate AND my first weekend in Phoenix in a few weeks with a 75 mile tour of the Northeast valley.

Normally, when I ride to Fountain Hills I start in Tempe. This time I decided to ride from my apartment in Phoenix instead. It was a nice change of pace although the stretch from Phoenix to Tempe along Washington/Jefferson Streets can leave much to be desired. There's not much to look at down there. I powered through it until I hit Mill Avenue, just to put it behind me.

As I crossed over Mill Avenue Bridge, I observed that Tour de Fat was going on down at Tempe Beach Park. I was momentarily upset, but I got over it. I went last year and it was alright, but wasn't quite as exciting as I had hoped... I think it was the MASSIVE line for beer (albeit wonderful Fat Tire beer) that I can get in any local bar or supermarket without a wait. Anyway, I rode by as quickly as I could so as to limit my interaction with drunk, inexperienced cyclists on bikes made more to be stupid than functional.

Once past the crazies, I took a lap on Tempe Town Lake, which is now SLOWLY refilling after replacement of three of the four rubber dams. It's nice to see water in the lake again, although it still has a long way to go until all million or so gallons are back in place.

A Mountain and Tempe Town Lake from the dry side of the dam

I took my usual route along the Greenbelt, which was quite surprisingly nearly vacant. There were a few frizbee golfers in Scottsdale and a handful of leisure cyclists, but not nearly as many walkers and joggers as there normally are. Of course, that meant no complaints from me as I pushed ahead to Shea Boulevard.

Ice cream at Sweet Republic

At the end of the line, I decided to stop for a break at Sweet Republic - one of the Top Ten Ice Cream Shops in the United States according to Bon Appetit magazine. It's usually closed when I ride by, so I thought it would be a nice treat. The woman working - I think she was the owner - was very nice and shoveled tiny spoon after tiny spoon of all-natural, amazingly flavored ice cream for me to sample. I probably tried eight kinds before I settled on Sweet Corn (there was actual corn in it... funny I didn't get any in Iowa a week earlier) and Real Mint Chip (with the mellow flavor of REAL pressed mint leaves). It was well worth the stop. One of these weekends, I'm going to have to take the team on a training ride up there and back.

I didn't waste much time before I was back on the bike and hitting the long climb up Shea Boulevard into the aptly named Fountain Hills - which true to its name has both an awesome fountain and PLENTY of hills. I really don't love that climb, but it's worth it if you get to see the fountain on the other side.

A view to the Southeast from Saddleback Mountain on the climb into Fountain Hills

At the top of the long steady climb into Fountain Hills

It had warmed up quite a bit up in Fountain Hills and I had timed my ride well to arrive with enough time to fill up water bottles and find a good spot to watch the fountain. I watched all 15 minutes of it, too... I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of watching the fountain is watching it shut off - as it slowly creeps downward and then WHOOSH, there's a roar as the last spray of water falls onto the base of the fountain.

The world famous fountain that gives Fountain Hills half of its name

Within minutes of the end of the spectacular show, I was back on the bike and heading across town to the Beeline Highway - a long stretch of relatively secluded highway that would take me back to Scottsdale through the Salt River Reservation. (See first photo, above).

By the time I was back in Scottsdale I was feeling a little hungry... I got back on the Greenbelt and headed for Tempe and In N Out Burger for a little dinner before starting the ride back home.

 Dinner - Double Double and Fries

I don't know how these people get away with calling this In N Out Burger though... The wait for my plain Double Double and fries was sort of unreasonably long for the dinner hour. I know they make everything to order, but if you know it's going to be busy (it always is), have some burger patties cooking. Just my rant.  :)  It was still delicious and sufficiently bloated, I got back on my bike to make it home before it was too dark.

I did make one short stop on the ride back to photograph Tovrea Castle, a Phoenix landmark and just about the only interesting thing to see along the Washington/Jefferson corridor between Phoenix and Tempe. It was just aglow in sunlight and was begging to be photographed. Beautiful sight.

So here are the stats for the ride.

Mileage: 75 miles

Total Training Mileage for ALC 10: 927 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,595 feet

Total Stops: Three, two of which were DELICIOUS!

Fountain Park, Fountain Hills, AZ

Today I rode out to Fountain Hills as part of a 75 mile ride around the Northeast valley. Fountain Park is a frequent highlight of my longer rides and I wanted to share a few brief seconds of the joyous sight of the fountain with all of you.

Every hour, the fountain fires off for a solid 15 minutes. It's quite a spectacle to see.

Here's a little blurb about the fountain from the Fountain Hills municipal website:

The centerpiece of Fountain Hills is our beautiful fountain; one of the world's tallest man-made fountains. It serves as a focal point for the community and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

The fountain was built in 1970 by Robert McCulloch the year before reconstruction of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, another of McCulloch's projects. The fountain sprays water for about 15 minutes every hour at the top of the hour. The plume rises from a concrete water lily sculpture in the center of a large man-made lake.

The fountain, driven by three 600 horsepower (450kW) turbine pumps, sprays water at a rate of 7,000 gallons per minute though an 18-inch nozzle. With all three pumps and under ideal conditions, the fountain reaches 560 feet (170m) in height, though in normal operation only two of the pumps are used, with a fountain height of around 300 feet (91m). When built, it was the world's tallest fountain and held that record for over a decade.

Baby Dragon Day Two Recap

Group photo in Santa Barbara on Day Two (THANKS CHAD!)

Where do I even begin. Day One was such an incredibly moving experience that Day Two was poised to be a bittersweet continuation and a momentary point of departure from an amazing community of people at the same time. Whereas Day One offered the promise of a Day Two, I knew that when Day Two was over it could be months before I saw some of these old and new friends again.

  J.R., Tom, Susan, Scott, Chad, and Larry before the cyclists depart on Day Two

 Sunrise in Santa Barbara
 

I started Day Two riding mostly with Justin and Cesar, two incredible, unique individuals who I have come to respect so much as people and as athletes. Alan was keeping up pretty well through town, too. We were Cyclists # 2, 3, and 4 – interchangeably – for the first part of the day. We rode out from Santa Barbara together, passing through town early enough that even early churchgoers had not yet hit the streets. We arrived at the Pacific Ocean to the sight of a glorious, radiant rising sun taking its place above the palm trees and surf. As we continued along the route, we took in the views of the coastal mountain ranges, beachside parks, and quiet neighborhoods.

 Susan [seriously] makes the best PB&J bagels... I said that before, I know.

At Rest Stop 1 we were met by Susan, Hunter’s mother, who joined us for the weekend as we honored Hunter’s life and fought so hard mile after mile to help ensure that people enduring similar battles like his would have a place to turn for help. What a joy it was to see her again and so early in the day!  I’ll come back to Susan in a moment, after recapping some of the rest of the day.

I started the second leg with Justin, but fell back a bit for some solitude. As we rode along the ocean, I pedaled with a heavy heart – cranking out each mile with the memory of friends and loved ones fueling each pedal stroke. The ocean was beautiful that morning and the sky that opened across the horizon ahead was as clear as I sought to make my mind. What a joy it was to be out there on the open road.

 I didn't know he was capable of it, but we got Leo to goof off at the Water Stop

 J.R. arrives at the Water Stop

Shortly after arriving in Ventura, I arrived at the Water Stop… Bart and Sarah were there with big smiles on. The Water Stop is where I lost all control of my time. As was mentioned in the Day One recap, I like to ride hard and play hard. It’s my custom to take my time at stops and then power through the next stretch, passing most everyone who left the stop before me. I spent a lot of time at the Water Stop, having been rushed out of Rest Stop 1 due to planned route closures.

 Bart and Sarah at lunch

I ended up riding most of the rest of the day – at least until the final rest stop – alone. The stretch into Rest Stop 2 found me catching up with Mark and Cesar, if I remember correctly. Lunch was an oasis! I REALLY took my time at lunch. I ate, talked with friends, got an amazing massage and some great personalized sports medicine tips from Tony (THAT MAN IS A-MAZING!), and hit the road.

The remainder of the day was HOT HOT HOT! Temps topped out around 115’F. I wouldn’t normally ride in that, but I pushed ahead for the cause. Being on a fully supported ride made it a little easier, too, having shaded rest stops for refueling, hydrating, and regulating core temperature by spending some time in the shade.

The thought of climbing Santa Susanna Pass coming out of the final rest stop had me a little crazed, but after a long break, plenty to drink, a little massage, and some encouragement from J.R. and others, I hopped on my bike and joined Tony and Ignacio for the climb – a little under 1,000 feet in a mile. I made easy work of the climb – THANK GOD for all that training I did on South Mountain! It was nice to see the top. From the top we had about 12 miles, mostly downhill, remaining to the finish line.

 The top of Santa Susanna Pass... What a welcome sight!

But for a little detour back up Box Canyon Road with Tony, I really enjoyed the last stretch. The hills were behind me. The heat was out of mind. The end was in sight.

 Jackie crossing the finish line

 Julie at the finish line... She didn't look too upset to not be riding in the heat!

 Larry does his best Mr. Miagi... "Oh Daniel-son!"

Rolling across the finish line, I found Julie, J.R., Larry and other friends assembled. I hydrated, pigged out on some mac and cheese, and EVENTUALLY went to pick up my car. Dustin and I convoyed back to J.R.’s and showered while J.R. and the staff/roadies packed everything up. Afterward we went for dinner and some time hanging out at Chad’s place. I went back and forth from being really full of energy to being absolutely exhausted, but had a great time.

If I can take a brief moment to talk about what this meant to me, I hope you’ll bear with me.

I never had the opportunity to know Hunter, but I have been deeply impacted by the mental illness and addiction of someone very dear to me. The weekend offered so many opportunities to think about how fortunate I am to still have her in my life. I’m not sure things had to turn out the way that they did, but the love of my family brought us through in the end. I participated in this ride for the most part for her, remembering how hard it was for us to find help and praying that my efforts and my dedication to making some sort of difference would make it easier for someone else out there to find some help to survive in the face of addiction.

I rode to breathe fire into the fight.

I know that many of the amazing people I rode with this weekend have faced their own struggles with mental illness, addiction, and homelessness. I am so humbled by their strength and courage. I have heard several of them speak of their experiences. I am so proud to have shared this experience with you. I proudly consider you family. To each of you – all of you – I want to make known how very much I love you.

That love extends to the roadies, staff, and the many generous friends that made this weekend possible. Not the least of which is Hunter’s mother, Susan. Your presence on the route, your honest and inspiring words in Santa Barbara, and even your masterfully created PB&J (which was truly the best on the route) stood as an example of the love I have experienced within this community. I am so glad we met. And I want to give a very special thank you to J.R. I know how much of your soul, your time, and your energy has been invested in making this event happen. But it didn’t just happen. This event is a living thing, supported by each of us. I am so proud of you for helping to give it life. Well done, mister!

With the Baby Dragon 180 Ride, which was REALLY 185 miles, behind me, I have completed 836 miles of training for AIDS LifeCycle 10. And now, the real fundraising push for $11,000 begins. If you didn’t take the opportunity to contribute for the Baby Dragon 180 Ride, I hope you will contribute generously to my AIDS LifeCycle 10 at http://www.danmaxey.com. You can make a HUGE impact by making a recurring monthly gift. $300 can help a lot of people. Broken up into 10 monthly payments of $30, it doesn’t seem so bad. And if your employer matches charitable contributions, you can potentially double the impact of your contribution.

Either way, please give as much as you can. Thirty years have passed since the first diagnosed cases of HIV and AIDS. We must do what needs to be done to bring an end to this horrible disease. Enough is enough.

Peace.