11/13/06 Talk to local MS support group on my experiences participating in the MS 150 City-to-Shore bicycle tours

Why the MS Bike tour?

First, why I bicycle:

I had terrible asthma as a child and was limited physically. When the disease finally improved in college, I entered my (2^nd) childhood. I finally had the opportunity to be physical and bicycling was part of that physicality. I worked as a tour leader on a few bicycle trips in one summer of my college years: one tour was the "Delmarva disaster": I remember it as the "sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll" tour. It included kids from one high school who were into rebellion. It was a deflating learning experience for me where I realized that I did not have the tools to handle "juvenile delinquent" high school kids.

In medical school I formed the Jefferson Bicycle Club. One summer as a medical student, I worked as a "Beach Doctor" and rode my bike back and forth to work daily from Brigantine to the Atlantic City Life Guard station.

When I returned to area after medical school and residency and began raising a family, bike riding was a natural part of that experience—kids in seats behind me, teaching them to ride their own bikes, making recreational trips with them to the local playground, riding on the Atlantic City boardwalk, etc.

In 2003 some folks from our synagogue formed a bike group and I joined. We rode on Sundays—15 to 20 miles which seemed like a big deal at the time.

then, why the MS tour:

Perhaps picking up on my renewed hobby of cycling, for Hanukkah 2003, Sarah got me a gift subscription to Bicycling magazine. Presumably my name being sold to the MS Society accounted for the brochure that I received in early 2004 describing the MS 150 City to Shore bike tour. In the middle of the winter doldrums, it looked quite enticing. It advertised, "Embark on the journey of a lifetime! Imagine in just one weekend, you’ll unite with fellow cyclists to give hope and help to over 10,000 local people living with multiple sclerosis" "50 best rides in the US…rest stops every 15 miles, stocked with fruit, snacks and beverages, full lunch, pasta dinner, bike mechanics at rest stops, luggage transport, smiling volunteers to cheer you on and keep your spirits high, SAG support, etc." Three options were described: a one day 45 miler, a two day 75 miles/day ride from Cherry Hill to Ocean City and back and a 175 two day ride which included a "century ride" the first day. As part of the ride was a requirement to raise at least $200. And for raising $1,000, you become part of the "VIP Club" which includes perks such as a VIP jersey. I was sold!

For me, just as exciting as training for a successful long distance ride was the joy of helping out folks with MS. Experience from my office practice, work at Bacharach Institute of Rehabilitation (BIR), and personally having a cousin and friends with the disease provided me encouragement to support such causes that improve the lives of MS survivors.

So when I received the brochure for 2005, my reaction can best be summed up in what I described in my campaign letter for that year, "Is it an old wives’ tale or is it true that there is a necessary amnesia that affects postpartum women? Viewing it from a husband’s perspective, the labor process appears quite arduous if not seriously painful. Logically, it seems that if the mother has clear recall of what she endured, she’d never agree to becoming pregnant again. So was it a similar experience to the new mother’s amnesia when I was asked by a friend to ride again this year? I surprised myself with my immediate positive response when Dan, a dear friend, a respected lawyer who personally deals with the daily afflictions of M.S. said he’d double his contribution to the campaign if I did it again this year. I didn’t think twice about it. I signed up for another campaign of training and fundraising. If Dan was so invigorated by my participating in this marathon, it seems a small sacrifice for me personally to put in the time and effort into a sport I enjoy and which serves as a catalyst for fund raising for a worthy cause that people respond to." Based on Dan’s inspiration, my goal for 2005 was $10,000.

Having 2004 as a learning exercise, I now knew what I had to do to make 2005 a greater success both financially and physically. Training-wise, it made it easier to have purchased a light-weight titanium road bike and then to put in a solid 3,000 miles of training. Financially, with the continued backing of my hospital’s CEO, an article in the Press, and an expanded mailing list, I bested my goal with the collection of more than $12,000. For the ride, similar to 2004, I rode with my brother-in-law from Langhorne—this guy who competes in triathlons. Amazingly this year it wasn’t me who was doing all the "kvetching" at the rest stops. In fact when I sprinted away from a group of riders at a traffic light in the Cherry Hill area as I neared completion of 175 miles (included a century loop on the first day) and didn’t see anyone coming to challenge my lead, it was such a rush!

I commented in my 2005 thank-you letter, "Although I feel quite proud of my athletic performance, the bigger picture wasn’t about me. When Larry Kane called me up to the stage at the Ocean City awards ceremony for your and my $12,000 contribution to the cause, I was so pleased that my "pedal partner" Dan was in the audience and I had the opportunity to recognize him and his battle. And as the lens opens wider, it was an amazing sight to have ridden with over 6,500 other dedicated riders who collected more than $3.5 million dollars for the same reason—to fight the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis."

Finally the 2006 story: 2006 for me and my bike riding could be described as the year of the charity rides. In June I rode an ALS ride in honor of my partner who was forced to retire with probable Lou Gehrig’s disease. In July I agreed to do the American Cancer Society tour with a friend who organized a Comcast team for the event. And one week before the MS ride, I cycled a tough Battle Against Hunger tour from Pennington, NJ to Gettysburg, PA with a small group of dedicated riders. This ride supported the Atlantic City Rescue Mission as well as similar organizations in the Trenton area. (I got some newspaper copy in August for that adventure.) I wonder if it was these other "distractions" but when it came to fundraising for the MS tour, I was not as aggressive with potential donors. I did not get into people’s faces or put a guilt trip on folks who didn’t respond to my initial requests.

But on Sept. 16 and 17, there were still the 150 + miles to ride. My diary goes: Sarah kindly drove me to the AC train station around 5 AM on Saturday and I lugged by bike and gear onto the train and transferred at Lindenwold to the PATCO line to get to our starting location at Woodcrest station. At 7 AM it was even more murky than usual with the grey skies dropping big dollops of rain on the streets. In the station I put on my gear including a bright yellow rain slicker. Surprisingly the rain didn’t appear to dampen the spirits of the riders much. Starting off, the dangers were not so much the slippery roads as the other riders. Thankfully after the first hour or so the rain slackened off and I could see beyond my fogged-over glasses.

By the time I reached the Hammonton lunch stop, conditions had improved quite a bit with temperatures now rising into the 70’s and less humidity. I was able to take off my rain gear which didn’t do much more than keep away the chill. Inside my body was about as damp as if I hadn’t worn it. Reaching the Galloway area, I was feeling good and did the optional loop making it a 100 mile day. On that loop I picked up a special "Century Club" patch. Over the double peak bridges into Ocean City the sun came out and provided beautiful conditions for our picnic meal at the day’s finish line.

On Sunday except for fairly light northerly winds, conditions couldn’t have been better. I started out from Ocean City around 7:30 AM. There were several "convoys" that I was able to join often maintaining speeds greater than 20 mph. I finished the 78 mile day at an 18.8 mph average and got into Woodcrest before noon. I was able to enjoy my free VIP massage at 12:30 before jumping on the train back to AC. With my wife away, I biked a bit more--the last few miles from the station to home in Brigantine.

This year again the City to Shore ride had more than 6,000 riders and I was told raised more than $4 million. (I collected about $5400 which was good enough to be in the "Diamond Club".) The volunteers who manned the rest stops were terrific, cheerful folks. The lady at the finish line in her wheelchair who clumsily passed out the end-of-ride patches was certainly a symbol of why we ride. Because of the enthusiasm and inner strength of folks like her, I was most proud to do this final charity ride of the year for such a worthy cause.

So there you have it. And for 2007, I’m thinking of doing something a little different. Not only will I do an MS ride but also I’m helping to organize a local contingent to do the Battle Against Hunger tour in September. We’re planning to ride from Atlantic County and meet up with the Trenton group in Lancaster and ride together to Gettysburg. The idea is that we can specifically raise more funds for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. For MS, in addition to the "monster" City-to-Shore ride that I’ve done the last three years, the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter also hosts a ride out in Lancaster, PA—their Pennsylvania Dutch Bike Tour in July. I think I might enjoy the challenges of the hills and the smaller crowds there and hopefully can be just as successful in my fundraising efforts for this cause that is so dear to you and me.