Notes From The Road

September 20, 2007: Team completes 100 miles in a day

On day three we were pleasantly surprised that the miles flew by as we felt physically and mentally better than on day two. Everyone completed 100 miles in whatever way possible. And we celebrated PD's first century ride with a photograph and lots of whoops and hollers! We also had the pleasure of riding with David Cordani, the president of CIGNA HealthCare.

We got a true taste of what small town Texas is like. For a long part of the ride we were alone, aside from the road-kill, along endless country roads. For a majority of the ride we thought we would have to talk to the cows, and give them Health Awareness Tour "Shifting Gears to Better Health" bracelets. Luckily for us, we came across a small country school, and the principal was kind enough to let adults in spandex talk to kids about health. We visited the 3rd grade class, and the pre-K class. Our time in the elementary school has been one of the most memorable.

However, we weren't without our fair share of adversity today. There was a hard break and a swerve to avoid hitting a turtle, and buzzards swarmed over our heads waiting for us to drop a piece of Cliff Bar or a pack of Gu. J-Mo had a record breaking 3 flat tires, which he changed with the help of the AMAZING sag crew!

Each day has been more fun than the one before. Our team has truly bonded and become life long friends. I think I speak for the group in saying that we are truly grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of the Health Awareness Tour.

September 19, 2007: Silly String, autographs, and more dancing in Texas

Today was an exciting day for some team members - achieving the coveted century mark!!! The whole team did awesome, logging close to 7 hours "in the saddle."

The team is getting closer with every mile, learning about one another and understanding why each of us decided to ride in the Health Awareness Tour. We each have our personal reasons, but the overall meaning of the ride is becoming more evident. We have heard some testimonials from co-workers and strangers on the street about how they have taken small steps to improve their health. Others have told us that they want to start riding their bike more or that they are determined to make the changes that they need to. We are then able to give them a Health Awareness Tour "Shifting Gears to Better Health" bracelet, and tell them our message about health awareness and behavior change.

It has been my mission to turn each official visit into a dance party. Today in Carrollton we were greeted with Silly String. That was a first for the Texas riders and we loved it even if I did have to peel some of it off my helmet when we got to our final stop this evening!! We distributed health awareness commitment cards, shared some healthy snacks and it was on to Irving! We arrived in Irving to loud music, lots of cheers and plenty of refreshments, which hit the spot in the 100 degree temperatures.

The most fun I had today was thinking of fun songs for us all to sing while riding... everything from the Beatles to Vanilla Ice. Michelle is determined to marry a 20 mile stretch of road between Sherman and Celina because it was so comfortable to ride on. We have really had some fun times in the past two days!

Today we learned what pulling together and being a team really is and continue to reinforce the power a group has to pull together. We are looking forward to a great day tomorrow, but it will be a challenge for us, as we do not have any official visits to cheer us on. However, we DO have all day to take in the sites of TEXAS. Yeehaw!

September 18, 2007: Even the miles are bigger in Texas

What a first day! We started off bright and early at 7a.m., loading gear, filling water bottles, loading up on energy food. Listening to Gary Earl, founder of the Health Awareness Tour, talk about why we are embarking on this four-day tour was truly inspirational.

Our first stop at the Greenville, TX office was awesome. Riding into the crowd that had assembled for us was the first real connection to the power of our message.. Thanks to all the folks in Greenville for the reception and spending time with us. Their stories of health and change were truly inspirational.

And so we rode on - and on and on. We didn't realize that when people say everything is bigger in Texas, it also means the miles are longer in Texas! The gang was feeling the heat of the afternoon and in need of a pick-me-up, Did we ever get that in Denison!!!

The reception in Denison began with some dancing: "Everybody Dance Now" and by the second tune (some new hipster dance Abby knows) we had all the riders and crowd slidin' to the left and jumpin' up and down!

Our team is doing a great job and is really coming together. Nick-names are starting to take hold. More tomorrow - take care and spread the word - small steps add up to big change over a lifetime!!