Notes From The Road

September 17, 2007: Thank you Phoenix! And other final thoughts

What a warm, enthusiastic welcome we had at four CIGNA Centers throughout the city. A police escort led us to the Clyde Wright Health Care Center where we rode through an archway of balloons as employees cheered and waved signs. A local City Councilman announced that the Governor had proclaimed September 17 as Health Awareness Day. Ron, our team co-captain, told everyone his inspirational story* of how he achieved good health and then we enjoyed mingling with the crowd at a health fair.

Next stop was Star HRG, where John's fan club held a super welcome for us with balloons, signs, food and a health fair. It was fun to watch the riders all line up to do health screenings, as they set the example of always looking for ways to improve their health.

Another enthusiastic welcome was waiting for us at the Grove, where we enjoyed lunch and mingled with the employees, who had taken time out of their busy day to welcome us home. Last, but certainly not least, was our stop at the CIGNA Call and Claim Center. A huge crowd of employees cheered and music blared as we entered the parking lot. Team member Alicia shared her personal story of her road to good health with the employees. It was a great way to end the day and we thank everyone for being so warm, welcoming and open to our message.

We've arrived back home. It's hard to believe that our time together as a team has come to an end. A very special group of people had six days they'll never forget. "Team Desert Swarm", the "Hottest Team" on the Health Awareness Tour has left the tour with countless memories of enduring the heat, laughing, motivating, encouraging and persevering. We came together, we made it through, and we leave knowing that we accomplished something special.

September 15, 2007: Spectacular...Best ever...Just awesome.

Team Desert Swarm had a thrilling ride as we sailed down a mountain leaving Prescott this morning. The cool morning put the exclamation point on a ride that the team will remember for a long time.

Once off the mountain, we headed toward Phoenix, our final destination. Temperatures rose from 66 degrees when we started out to about 105 as we approached the valley. The team goal today was for all members to ride 100 miles, a milestone that would become a personal best for several riders. We estimated that it was 100 miles to the Visitors Center at Lake Pleasant, but when the team arrived, we had only ridden 98.8 miles!! Problem was solved by taking on a hill (for the second time) and then it was time to celebrate.

We're looking forward to visiting several CIGNA Phoenix offices on Monday and spreading the news of our accomplishments and of good health. We have a lot to talk about.

As we wind down the tour, how do we describe this team? Spectacular... Best ever ... Just awesome!.

September 14, 2007: Getting our kicks on Route 66

What a difference a day makes!! Our team crossed into Arizona today and Mother Nature looked kindly on us, as temperatures dropped almost 25 degrees. Our riders enjoyed a beautiful day and were able to turn their focus toward our purpose of promoting health and fitness.

We had several adventures on the road to our Williams, Arizona office. We were pulled over by a highway patrol officer. Our team captain insists it was for speeding. More likely it had to do with the narrow road we were traveling on for a short time. A couple of wrong turns and a dangerous bump couldn't dampen the mood as we made record cycling time into Prescott.

Along the way, curious patrons of a local donut shop and Mini Mart offered encouraging words to our team and were open to our message. We broke for lunch in Seligman, Arizona. A couple of riders had family members drive from Phoenix to join us for lunch.

Historic Route 66 still runs through the heart of Seligman and there were many interesting shops, including the Road Kill Café. During lunch, Gloria spotted about a dozen motorcyclists and invited them over to talk with us. To our surprise, they were French tourists. Despite the language barrier, we quickly became friends, explained the purpose of our ride and invited them to make healthy choices in their lives. They even switched bikes with some of us for a photo opportunity, and promised to email us a picture wearing their new Health Awareness Tour T-shirts.

The ride after lunch continued along Route 66 for awhile where we spotted three elk along the way. All finished the ride in good health and good spirits. Pom poms, signs and cheers greeted us as we arrived at our hotel. It meant a lot to all of us.

The day was topped off with a barbeque on the patio of the hotel. Gary Earl, founder of the Health Awareness Tour joined us as we sat around the fire pit sharing stories of the day and of the two previous Tours, while Chris and Seth labored at the grill. The air was crisp, the fire warm and food delicious. Life is good.

September 13, 2007 - Truly an amazing group of people!

We gathered for a team meeting at 5:00 am this morning, to strategize and discuss the 92 mile ride to Laughlin, NV. Everyone was reminded of the importance of staying safe during the ride. None of us had lost sight of our mission to spread the news of good health, but we also knew it was going to be a tough ride under the hot sun. At 6am, it was already 85 degrees outside and the temperatures rose steadily, reaching a high of about 108 degrees with the heat coming off the asphalt of the roads making the temperature even higher. We could feel the heat coming up from the road as well as beating down from the sun.

As we steadily chipped away at the miles, we knew it was time to really come together as a team. Encouraging words were traded constantly, water was poured down necks and backs to help moderate body temperatures and gallons of Gatorade and water were consumed.

We found a tiny oasis of trees, grass and shade in Searchlight, NV and stopped there for lunch. It happened to be next door to a fast food restaurant and casino, so several team members distributed tee shirts and wristbands and talked with patrons about taking tiny steps toward a healthy lifestyle.

Then, it was back on the road and the afternoon increasingly became a test of endurance. We had several flat tires, including on the support vehicle, which were fixed quickly. Thanks to the highway patrolman who helped us!

As the ride became more arduous, the riders focused in on each other, making sure each was safe and hydrated. At dinner later that evening, Chris, our team co-captain, said he'd never seen better teamwork.

Tomorrow we cross over into Arizona and will continue to find ways to keep healthy and hydrated. I am proud to be part of such a truly amazing group of people who continue to exhibit incredible strength, fortitude and good humor, while helping each other through the ride. It's great to be a part of their team…and be able to spread the message of health and fitness as we go!

September 12, 2007: Hottest Team becomes Desert Swarm as they blow through Vegas

Today, the "hottest team in the country" became "Desert Swarm," as the Las Vegas to Phoenix Tour got under way. Heads were turning as our cyclists emerged from Caesar's Palace this morning, dressed in full gear and ready to start their tour. Conversations about good health began with bell boys, valets and tourists as our team got ready to hit the road. The anticipation continued to build during a short ceremony highlighted by comments from Gary Earl, CIGNA senior vice president and founder of the Health Awareness Tour. The crowd cheered as our team pedaled out to the Las Vegas Strip.

Today's official ride was from Las Vegas to Henderson, Nevada. When we got to Henderson, some of the team members decided to ride another twenty mile "fun" ride… in 104 degree heat!! The SAG crew kept everyone supplied with plenty of cold water, Gatorade and energy bars. The cyclists passed out "Shifting Gears to Better Health" wrist bands to people along the route.

We arrived back at the hotel feeling good that we had completed day one but also more tired than we had anticipated. It was incredibly hot out there today. The water in our bottles turned hot very quickly into our rides. We are thinking about starting our day tomorrow at 5:30AM to get a majority of our ride done before the heat of the day. Our goal tomorrow is 99 miles.

P.S. The SAG crew made a secret trip to K-mart tonight in search of ways to keep the riders cool. Can you say "Super Soakers"?

September 11, 2007: Send off from CIGNA Consumerism Forum

With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, we definitely have the "hottest" team in the country!! The send off for our cyclists on Wednesday will be exciting, as the attendees of the Las Vegas CIGNA Consumerism Forum will see us off. We expect a joyful noise on the Las Vegas Strip as our cyclists begin their tour, spreading the news of good health.