Florida to Maine Bike Trip - FINAL DAY - 1,343 Miles Traveled

To my friends and family...and friends of friends....touched by cancer - by multiple myeloma, leiomyosarcoma, bladder, breast and prostate - this 1,300 mile bike trip was a small tribute to YOUR courage which keeps you 'climbing the hills and covering the distance" of life each and every day.

It's early Wednesday morning - the day after Marty and I finished  our 1,300 mile plus biking trip from Florida to Maine - and the final 75 miles to Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine.  I'm up early and ready to ride.  But there is no ride today and no bike.  My Specialized is in Marty's van....arriving July 11th.  Yes, I miss 'her' - which, like my feet and legs and back and hands, held me up for a thousand miles.

How do I NOT get up and ride 100 miles today, as I have done for so many?  I want to ride...and I hope I get to do something like this again and will in time.  Meanwhile, I will learn about derailers and take a spin or two around the hills of Clermont soon.  I will learn about multiple myeloma, too, and what those who have the disease live with.

Less this trek sound like a cake walk, let me speak a little truth!  It was often hard.   Riding for me from Nashua, NH to York, Maine.....was really hard.  I cried - like I'd cried twice before on this journey....once when coming into Red Bank, NJ to meet Marty's brother and SIL, Bruce and Jill.  I was exhausted and just needed to be held.  Bruce became the designated hugger and his dear wife was gracious enough to allow for the  meltdown.  For women who cycle like this alone, being able to have these watershed moments while riding can be cathartic.  No one hears, no one sees and you can sob from your core 'til it's over.  And I did three times in 16 days!  But in Red Bank, NJ, my emotions were in full view and I merely surrendered...  Today I was grateful for the privacy.

The front derailer on my bike kept giving me the same trouble it did in NJ but there was no time to adjust it - not that I even knew how!  As with much of our trip, there were deadlines and people waiting. After it locking up several times, I finally just stayed in my middle gear and prayed the hills would end before long!

                        

Mike Dreyer, like fitness guru Tom Holland in Norfolk, CT., both talented, skilled and strong cyclists who surely are cut from the same cloth and who got us to where we were supposed to be, had a far different interpretation of 'no hills' than I did.   It was not the sweet incline into Nubble about which I'd fantasized!   Mike joined us this last day to be certain we got to our finish line!  He is the genuinely supportive husband of an MM survivor, Jean.  Playfully he would say to me "Get going 'Sistah!" when the clock was ticking.  NOT  that my urinary tract infection was not raging or my bunion not getting pitted further by gravel from the sliced Bontrager.  Not that the chain needed  adjustment or that my saddle sores weren't still annoying!  Nonetheless, these pains are minuscule in comparison to what those I hope to help via this journey face daily.

In the grand scheme of things, I entered this trip as a novice recreational female cyclist with a passion for the sport - a grandmother who did her best with my testosterone twosome today and finished her trip stronger and more savvy. It occurred to me, too, as I fought to get up every mole hill, how Jean, Mike's wife, had climbed her  big disease 'hills' two years ago.  I thought a lot about Jean and the kids (and Carmen who just received her stem cell transplant) those last hours to York.

Will l ever be a climber?  I think not, but I honest to goodness gave those hills everything I had and I did it time and again - smelling the roses on the way down!  Lamaze breathing came in handy often on this trip and the  techniques learned years ago while birthing children now birthed this cycling dream and a greater purpose.  

We reached the lighthouse around 3 pm to the welcome of family and friends, cowbells and banners.  What a meaningful sight for tired eyes.  It took a few minutes for the reality to set in that we had actually done this........thank you Marty for inviting me on this journey and for all the planning you did - it did not go unnoticed, I promise.











Marty, Mike and I  were an hour behind our estimated arrival when I saw 'them'.  My best friend Mike from Harrison, Maine.  It's been decades since I'd moved from Summit Hill with it's wild blueberry fields and mountain vistas - 32 years ago actually.  But there he was and there was Ruth - my dearest friend.  The friend who stood at my side as I gave birth to my youngest child, the woman who tapped maple trees with me and with whom I planted gardens in the thick of Maine's black fly season.  Mike and Ruth babysat my children and I babysat their Lizzy goat!  I am a lifetime away from that simple and beautiful way of life, but on day 17, I was home and it felt like I'd never left.  Marty had ridden in his friend's memory - what a gift.  I would do the same a thousand times over for Mike and Ruth.

....or do the same for my brother, Bruce.  I wasn't sure he was going to be able to make the finish, so when I scanned the crowd and didn't see him, I felt a tinge of sadness but also knew he had tried his best to be there and we'd catch up when I got home to Orlando.  I should have known better!  He and Michele were there. I'd been too dazed to see them initially....but the memory of  seeing their familiar faces in York, Maine is way too sweet.  There is nothing like family and no one like my youngest brother!  I don't think my family of origin initially thought this trip was a terribly sane idea.  I know my father did not!  But to receive Bruce's real time hug at the end of this epic journey, to know he and Michele had born witness to the gratitude expressed by MMRF for  Marty and my efforts and to know that Bruce and Michele  got to visit with some of my new and forever friends adds another layer of richness to this life-defining experience.


Speaking of new forever friends - Alica don't wander too far away, ok!!!!  And I hope it's Colby for Katy, since my SIL so loved her time on that campus.


In truth there really are no words to adequately describe what has happened the past two weeks.  This became a job of sorts to ride such a distance (albeit a fun one!) and I hope my words express gratitude to this body that sustained my efforts.  To help in some small way and to check off a bucket list item was wonderful, yet the gifts I received went far beyond what I gave.  I began this journey with a prayer 'that Life use me well' - whatever that was going to be.  This small request was granted many times over.  To the Multiple Myeloma Foundation - you are my hero's.  To have been able to support you financially and to raise awareness for the work you do was an honor.  I will do more.

In April, as those closest to me know, the company for whom I worked was restructured and my position terminated.   How could I manage this trip with no training?  Could I even finish?  I'd only chatted with Marty a few times since we met at a business function two years ago.  Could we live together for 16 days?  Marty and I had ridden together only once prior to this venue - 30 miles - and he was training.  I knew he would be physically stronger.  Would that be an issue?

I believed then and believe now, though, that this ride was not about finishing first or riding the fastest, though, of course, we did need to get to Maine someday!!!!! Sometimes these stats tug at us, especially for competitors, and of course they did on our trip, too, but for me it was about just plain being able to do something so huge mentally and physically.  Yesterday I received an email from a friend of Marty's, Jeff Hendricks. I don't know Jeff, but he put this amazing adventure into a beautiful perspective and for which I am grateful more than he will know - he said that riding a great distance for a noble cause, as we had done, is a journey of the heart....Yes, Jeff, this trip was just that,  a journey of the heart.  And along the way, I carved out a few muscles and rode a wee faster!

Many of you do not know this and forgive us for intentionally choosing not to share until the end of the ride, but Marty was hit by a car outside of Darien, Georgia our first day.  We decided not to share the accident with you all until the end of our journey - as we didn't want anyone to worry.  He, of course, as you now know, is ok but he was so fortunate to receive only bruising from the car's mirror which popped off grazing his left side that afternoon.  Nonetheless, it shook us up, Marty most of all.  His left arm and side were bruised for many days.  In retrospective it was a good wake up call.  We would pay more attention.  Amazingly, it was an area my father had cited as a reason to reconsider doing this trip because of the biking accidents - he owns land there and was afraid.  He had good reason to be...I hope Darien, Georgia gets a bike lane going north on Rt. 17 before long.

It was faith that I called upon again when I fell the second day leaving the hotel, the bike peddle slicing into my calf as I tried to unsuccessfully get bike and belongings to the van that morning.  Had I been home, I'd have gone to the ER for a few stitches.....instead Bobbie butterflied the cut and I accepted that this new scar would be my 'badge of courage' circa 2012.

I am hoping there is another grand adventure on the horizon, but until that door opens, to all who shared this journey in big and small ways, your hearts were with me on every pedal stroke.   Your names often became my uphill 4 beat mantra - like this, "Jean, Roy, Ruth and Jill." I thought of so many of you so often riding all those solitary miles from Florida to Maine.

Lessons Learned?   Take a chance.  Let go and trust.  Have a purpose. Don't count on loosing weight!  Make a friendship like Marty and Roy had. Take face photos and not endless butt ones:)  Use zinc oxide for saddle sores and Cool Gear for the heat. Be grateful for fast recoveries and have oceans of water available at a moments notice.  Consider going fewer miles in the beginning to shake out problems areas and find solutions early on.  I went far too many days with the saddle sores, which could have been remedied more quickly.  70 miles max each day seems like a good number to allow for the inevitable hiccups that will show up.  Have  people like Betsy Parker and Alicia O'Neil from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in your corner.  They treated us like 'rock stars' even though we were not!   Open your eyes to people - like Neil on the NYC ferry to  whom I spoke for merely minutes and who had the capacity and intention to gift generously.  You inspired me Neil to keep showing up as you did that morning.  Accept the gifts from those who offer.  Let go of the ego and walk the damn hill with pride and with the man! Make time to smell the roses, see the sights, feel the rain.  It honest-to-God is glorious out there.

Yes, mostly my take away is that it IS an extraordinarily good world in which we live, filled with truly kind, kind, caring and engaged-in-life people. People who live simply.......or live lavishly.  People who live with multiple myeloma and sarcoma's and other cancers, but who deal graciously with the cards they've been dealt.  In every state, at every turn - from those who opened their home to this weary looking cyclist in need of a bathroom to friends who welcomed me home and welcomed Marty to New England..... from those who poured endless cool, cool water on my sore and less than lovely toes but only saw the beauty in what they had accomplished .......to the first generation American who made sure we could get the bike grease off my hands in his NYC village restaurant.. to my friends who wrote terms of encouragement and pedaled with me every step of the way, if only in their homes and offices.....to my children who never questioned my choice to take this trip and shouted "Yea Mom" every day, sometimes hourly.....they, of anyone, know what it took for me to manage my lower back and foot pain to finish this ride,  to the woman on the Baltimore flight this morning who reached across the aisle with her caring hand ....to Heidi and Jannie and Betsy and Alicia.....to Bruce and Jill who were the right couple at the right time..........

and Tom who was so encouraging in Norwalk, got off his bike and WALKED WITH me up one Norwalk hill (er, ant hill he would say!)......this is the stuff of teamwork......I promise to repay this kindness to another cyclist... Diane and Delores for their spirited and knowledgeable NYC day on bicycles with us......to my family for their contributions that will soon show up in the MMRF bank account.....and all the people who gave us cash along the way in support of the MMRF work..........and to my friend of almost 40 years, Lora, who drove up from Rhode Island because she wouldn't miss this for the world............to each and every person including those I met along the way,  you simply matter to me.

So, here's how it is this Wednesday!  I could have ridden more, which is kind of cool to know about myself.  I can't wait until my bike arrives home so I can privately give credit to all the people who have been a part of this bike's creation and maintenance.  You don't do something like this alone.


Last year I had a serious cycling accident - hit a curb, tossed from this carbon-fiber bike, unconscious and transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center.  While my head sustained the greatest injury, amazingly it was my bike that had to be put back together.  Other than facial swelling and road rash, I had no cuts nor broken bones. The bike's center tube, however, was major mush.   Joey Robinson, a fiber glass guru in Sanford, FL put it back together,  Only once, at the start of this trip did I think to look at how his repair was holding up.  It held up perfectly, Joey, and for your fine craftsmanship, you rock, too!

 

And finally, because they are the treasures of my life, thank you to my children for their love and for making contributions to MMRF.  To my daughter, Peyton, who couldn't wait to celebrate my home coming, a special shout out.  She had  posters and flowers, cards and gifts as well as a spotless house waiting....and she figured out how to find me at the airport!  It is because of her  special needs as a child that I learned about the caring people and wonderful work non-profits offer our communities.  This trip is an extension of my long-ago commitment to help others - as my daughter has been helped along the way.  


While the sunny side of life always has my attention, I, too, know the shadows (and love to paint them!).   But I can say with all certainty after having taken this trip,  that Americans truly are blessed despite crappy diseases, job terminations and everything else that strikes at the core of our well-being.  I don't believe Life as we know it is forever, but I do know without question, that we have this moment....and I know this moment is extraordinarily good.

To it all - to every breath and every dream and especially to each other.  Namaste.    Di

Florida to Maine Bike Trip - Day Sixteen 86 miles

What a glorious New England Day.  I am home!   I was up early, 4:30 am, excited to ride the hills of Western MA and NH.  It started tough, though, when we got to Shutesbury.  Bobbie and I stopped for directions; Marty had plowed ahead.  Met a local gal peddling around who pointed the way.  She said the hills were steep for a few miles but then would turn into a more rolling terrain.  I know my limits so I hopped aboard the Sag Wagon for those  4 miles.   But once we reached the village summit, those steep climbs were behind us.  The rest of the day was 86 miles of quintessential New England.  Stone walls, old cemetaries, history at every turn, farms and more farms.  And to be surrounded by the architecture l love so much, to this day and decades after having moved away, was a treat.  

I love the strategy of careful descent and balanced climb.  I could do this all day long.  13.2 mph overall rolling this Monday!  For this non-super hero, I'll take it.

When cycling in Colorado, descending the mountains was frightening because of the open vistas, but here with the tree coverage, I am more comfortable.  Road conditions kept my attention engaged, however, as one deep pothole in the road can spell trouble.  But I felt very strong all day - though was head down, eyes 10 feet in front of me with each big climb.  Mentally this worked best.

Along the way we met a group cyling from NY to MA.  21 year old Matt Austin, Uncle Adam Austin and crew.  Matt recently has been diagnosed with Huntington's disease, the disease that claimed his father's life years ago.  Aletheia Films is recording their 1500 mile cycling journey as they connect with doctors and other's with Huntington's, and Matt and Adam grow their family bond deeper.  They, too, had a Sag Wagon.  It preceeded them and a motorcycle brought up the rear.  Well protected.  Check out their website "aridewithmatt.com" - you will be inspired.

My dad called today and that was wonderful.  In the beginning he was tough on me when I told him about this trip; I had to dig deep to put his concerns aside and commit to take this journey.   I think it's called faith.  The only way I could do this was to get to Maine before calling him again, but he beat me to it.  After 17 long days on the road, my father was no longer afraid of what might happen to his daughter.....and instead was proud of what she has accomplished.

Tomorrow is it.  We are ready for the finish!  All three of us have done great, considering we have been roommates for over 2 weeks!  No major melt downs and all pretty darn adaptable.  Good job one and all.

If you are joining us for the finale, this is from our lofty leaders at MMFE:



"The spot is Sohier Park, York, ME.  This is the park at the edge of the point overlooking the Nubble Light House.  PLEASE NOTE:  I am told by locals that the traffic  is always REALLY BAD if you come up Route 1A on Long Beach Avenue from the South.   You don’t want to be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and miss the arrival of Marty and Diane.  So, We suggest you come up Route 1 and cut over and enter the beach area as shown below… from the north.  You’ll all need to mapquest your own directions based on where you are coming in.....  We’ll meet at Sohier Park at 1:30.  You can track Marty and Diane here: Where’s Marty?"

Florida to Maine Bike Trip - Miscelleneous Photo's

Brother's Perlmutter - Manhattan

Norwalk, CT buddies at Milford Beach

Welcoming Ceremony at Norfolk - MMRF

Welcoming to Norfolk and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation - 

Alicia O'Neil, Diane Sawyer, Tom Holland, Marty Perlmutter, Betsy Parker

Sleepy rider who found the warmest place on the ferry from Delaware to NJ

Yurebuds - An "INSPIRE' sponsor....

Their towel is great for touring. 

 Taking it with me tomorrow on the bike

Bobbie, Ezra and Jay sharing drink, food and 

donations to MMRF while cycling the Rails to Trails

Rails to Trails Ride - Farmington, CT River

                                                      
                                         Cyclist photos cyclist 

Marty and Diane in NYC - Statue of Liberty in background

Yale Steeple

Florida to Maine Day Fifteen

This was my kind of day.  Traveled some version of Rails to Trails from Farmington, CT to, I think, Southwick, Massachusetts. Beautiful day, flat until the trail ended and glory, glory, I climbed one major, oh-my-god hill going at least 3 mph!!!!  Bobbie was behind me so I had room for my legs to give all they had without having to worry about getting hit by a car.  To those folks who passed me by and tooted your horns approvingly, as I struggled mightily, you carried me - right to the top! Each and every one of you.  Motivating gestures and words help enormously, in case anyone is wondering.

It is perfectly clear.  I can hold my own riding in city traffic - even in NYC I did darn well considering I'm a rural gal at heart, and I'm not bad on the flats...but I am NOT a climber.  Marty tackles these hills  like he's been trained well!  Joe?  I hear your name often.

On the other hand, I smell the roses along the way while Marty powers along the byways like super-stud!  The deal now that the hills are front and center is that I get to do my pokey slow up and over unless we have a deadline.  Even the rollers don't take me out.  However, when it comes to the straight up, big grades with no time for strategically getting some steam behind me and especially if at the end of the day when I have ridden far and am tired, I'll toss my bike in the van so Marty doesn't have to slow down.  Fortunately, there have only been a handful of these moments.  I surmise by trips end, I'll take 30 miles off personal miles ridden at most.....assuming tomorrow's hills claim 10.

Once again, we met more terrific folks.  We exchanged photos with John, a Pub Roller, and shared Gatoraide with Ezra and Jay.  Thank you guys for your donations and for spreading the word of our fundraising efforts.

Meeting other cyclists along the way has been one of my greatest pleasures on this trip.  What a very
cool culture, for sure!  In fact, I ventured onto the trail before Marty after lunch with hopes of finding that often needed bathroom.  I pulled up to a quaint counry store with hanging flowers on the porch.  The proprietors had it right.   A full cycling crowd were gathered to grab a latte or lunch.  Bathroom break and iced latte for me!  Hardly gets any better!

And a deer made her debut mid afternoon as I peddled by miles of farmland.  She spotted me first.  I stopped.  She stayed.  I reached for my phone.  She watched.  But by the time I finally had my camera application pulled, she had disappeared.  The memory will surfice.  She was elegant and graceful.

The stone walls, rolling hills, flora and fauna and people of New England had me feeling like I was home.  Grateful.  Always grateful, but especially so today to be amongst that which is so familar even though the years away have been many.

And I thought often of the people I hope to see at the finish line.  I need you- after
all these days of peddling far, I am ready to be held close!

Nubbel Lighthouse, York Beach, Maine 2 PM, July 3rd, Tuesday.  Please join us!!!

Florida to Maine Bike Trip - Day Fourteen 74 miles

Thank you to Equinox for the massage in Darien, CT last night.  Simply so wonderful that I could hardly get off the table.  But I must have because today we rode again, after meeting our next 3 cycling escorts from Norwalk to Milfred, CT. Wayne, Christi and Chris - I hope I have spelled your names correctly.  You were so kind and though you punished me a little with those 5 lil' hills, the coastal neighborhoods made it all worth while.

Yesterday's trip through NYC was tough on my gears, so we made a quick stop at Tony's Bike Shop in Milfred, CT where they adjusted whatever was faulty.  Within 15 minutes we were on our way and my ability to shift gears without the chain slipping off was good to go.

After several hours, we were 'handed off' to our dedicated and thoughtful leaders from MMRF, Betsy and Alicia.  After having lunch around the Yale campus in New Haven, we set out for a long afternoon ride on the Rails to Trails system.  Until the end of the day when two mighty steep hills stared down at us, the day was the first one we have done at a leisurely pace.  After yesterdays grueling hills in Norwalk, where our fearless leader Tom Holland kept saying "there are no more hills - really there are no more hills which wasn't quite so, today's gentle ride was a gift.  Betsy, Alicia, Mark and Alisha rode many miles with us before we left them and continuted our trek north.

Alicia will be at the finish line at Nubble Light House in Portsmouth, NH on the afternoon of July 3rd.  Hard to believe we are days away from finishing this journey of cities and villages, rural and urban experiences - all in the name of raising awareness and dollars for multiple myeloma research.  As we move closer to our cycling goal of riding the eastern coast of our country, we hope, too, we can reach our financial goal of giving Alicia and Betsy's organizaiton $20k.  To all who have donated, we thank you.  And to those who may be still considering, please help us reach this goal, too.

Nathan Human Propulsion Laboratories and Yurbuds Sport Earphones - thank you for your support, too.

Florida to Maine Bike Trip - Day Thirteen 74 Miles

So many things to share today, but the hills in Norwalk and heat have done me in.....so tomorrow I will post more. But we arrived at the MMRF to notable orange shirts, cow bells, hoot and hollers, tv news and a very welcoming ceremony with medals, wings and accolades.  We felt like 'rock stars.. In fact we received head bands imprinted with the words 'ROCK STARS' and wear them proudly!!!!!

It was a NYC day for the most part - Manhattan, Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Little Italy, Harlem, the Bronx.  What an amazing experience on a bike.  ON A BIKE!  I couldn't take the sights and smells in fast enough and I am amazed at how comfortable I felt navigating the trails and streets...it frankly is mind boggling.  I have so many wonderful memories of my new NYC cycling friends, Asian Americans doing their early morning rituals and all facing the same direction regardless of where we saw them,  pouring over maps connecting the trails and streets, our lunch and a kind proprietor who helped me get the bike chain grease of my hands in his kitchen's work area, and believe it or not - another bathroom stop - this time at some corner barber shop filled with men who spoke their language and not my own - but welcomed me anyway...........I loved NYC.

Must say thank you today also to Bruce and Jill for sharing their home, to Carmon who recently had a stem cell transplant and rode miles with us this moring, to Neil (I hope this was your name:)) in the pink shirt on the ferry from NJ to Manhattan, who made a huge, wonderful, gigantic and so appreciated generoous contribution today -- and to Paul who first reached out to us on that ferry and shared the story of his friend Andre with Multiple Melenoma (you will be in my prayers) and the father I met while embarking from the ferry who shared his daughter's cancer story (it's in comments on yesterday's post),  And George who invited me behind his restauraunt's counter to help get the bike grease off my hands,  Delores and Diane our more than adept escorts through NYC, Tom our world class escort into Norwalk, Betsy and Alicia our perfect dinner companions and hosts, Matt who gave a wonderful massage at day's end and lots of helpful hints........and the waiters (Christopher  from Marshfield, et al) who made sure we had delcious cornbread with our oh-so-delicious meal at Darien Social.

Florida to Maine Bike Trip - Day Twelve - REST

No riding today and while it felt good to have a rest day, I am eager to get back on the bike tomorrow.  I sorted gear and packed for tomorrow's trip through NYC.  We will not have the Sag Van with us, but are being escorted all the way to Connecticut to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.  The bathroom, water and food breaks will look different tomorrow since Bobbie is going to have to drive around the city, but I am hoping there are as many good natured people on our ride through the Big Apple as there have been all along the trip and we will have what we need.  I am betting on it!

Today, I took time for a very much needed pedicure and then we went sailing with Bruce and Jill, our hosts for this day of rest.  BTW, I want to take them and their chocolate lab, Jack, home with me!!!!

We ended the afternoon by visiting a 911 memorial overlooking the NYC harbor from a hilltop near the Perlmutter's home in New Jersey.  It was poignant - a large sculpted eagle carrying a piece from one of the buildings .  Below were engraved the names of those people from the surrounding towns who died that fateful Septmember day.  Sad as it was to reflect on our nation defining moment, the memorial was beautiful and I was touched to be sharing it with people who had lived right in the midst of it all which most of us only watched on television.

Shout out to Massage Envy who contributed massages again.  I didn't realize I needed one until she touched my hamstrings.  Yikes!!!!  Sore, inflamed and fortunately we have another massage scheduled for tomorrow night in CT.  Shoulders, feet, hands and quads.  That's where the stress is going, but frankly, I hadn't noticed.  I think my adrenaline is working overtime and that finish line is getting close.

We will leave Red Bank, NJ - yet another part of America I knew nothing about, a NYC suburb and loved as much as any other along the way - even the rural areas of our country I lean towards liking most. At 6 am we will be met by Carmen, a woman diagnosed with MM, who will be riding with us for a few miles and then joined by other riders who will get us in and around the city for several hours before we head north to Norwalk.  

Today I was interviewed by my home town newspaper and the Duxbury Clipper will be doing an article to be published next Tuesday.  I learned, which I'd forgotten or not known, that my inlaws had both died of Multiple Myeloma.   That brought this epic ride full circle and close to home.

Bike is ready, gear is packed and we're getting psyched for what is supposed to be a scorching Friday.  May there be more water hoses somewhere.