A Chip off the New Block

© 2002 Boaz Rauchwerger

Some people sit around and talk about things. Some people do things. Some people wonder what happened. In which group would you categorize yourself?

I like to listen to people’s stories. The other day a gentleman named Chip told me a fascinating story about something he did and I found it most inspiring. I’ll let him tell you.

CHIP: “About five years ago I was diagnosed with a rare form of Arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis. It only affects the spine, pelvis, neck, etc. If left unchecked, the spine can eventually become fused together. That takes away flexibility, the ability to turn the head and, in extreme cases, can cause a person to stoop forward.

I have a sister and brother who also have it. Like any disease, we have learned to deal with it in a positive way and keep as active as possible to keep the disease "in check".

About 18 months ago I attended a lunchtime presentation on Arthritis at SDG&E, where I work. I went to see if any new research had been done to help slow down the progression of the disease I have.

While there I picked up a flyer from the Arthritis Foundation for the "California Coast Classic Bicycle Tour." - a 635-mile bike ride from San Francisco to San Diego to raise money for Arthritis Research. Being an avid road cyclist, I was immediately intrigued with the possibility of riding down the California coast and at the same time raising money for a good cause.

After the meeting I contacted Steve Porter of the Arthritis Foundation in San Diego to get more information and what support they’d offer in helping raise the money ($2,800) to go on the ride. After meeting with him I went home, discussed it with my wife and decided I would do it. I phoned Steve the next day to let him know I was on board. He gave me a binder with all the information I’d need to start fundraising and the phone number of the “coach” for the cycling team who would help set up a training program for the physical part of ride.

Steve mentioned that everyone needed to identify a “why” – a reason for doing the ride. Whether that was for a family member, a friend, or someone else. Otherwise, it had been their experience people weren’t motivated enough to stay the course required to raise the money and train. I decided my “why” would be my family and, in the fundraising letter that I sent out to friends, family and business associates, I listed this as the reason I was taking on this big challenge.

I then put together a battle plan for fundraising and training. I broke my goal down into monthly increments I wanted to reach. Every week I would keep track of the letters I sent out, how many miles I rode and what I accomplished. Before the ride began, I raised just over $3,400 in donations and clocked 2,296 miles training on the bike.

My physical training consisted of riding three to four times during the week, doing somewhere between 17 and 23 miles, depending on how many hills I wanted to climb. On weekends I rode both Saturday and Sunday, totaling about a 120 miles. On Sunday’s the cycling coach had a standing ride for the people that signed up and we’d meet at 8:30 AM and take off for a 60 to 80 mile ride. This regimen of training took place over the next four months, from May until late September, when the ride started.

We drove to San Francisco and, on a beautiful Saturday morning, left the San Francisco Yacht Club at 8:00 AM with 115 other riders from across the State. We rode through the Presidio, past the Golden Gate Bridge and, 98.5 miles later and over 5,600 feet of climbing, we ended up in Watsonville for the end of our first day. By the end of that first day I was glad I had done all the training for the ride.

Over the next 10 days we settled into a routine. It was up at 6:00 AM, get our tents and gear packed, go to breakfast, and hit the road a little after 8:00 AM. We typically would make it into camp in the early afternoon, get camp set up, take a hot shower and get some rest. Then it was time for a great dinner and working on the bikes.

Some days were longer than others, but I looked at it like being in my office every day. However, instead of being inside and working on a computer, I was outside, enjoying the scenery, talking with other cyslists and had the interaction with my bike.

The scenery changed every day and the weather was awesome. Going through Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, Cambria and Solvang were some of the scenic highlights of the trip. At the end of the ride we’d ridden 635 miles and had done over 29,000 feet of climbing or the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest! Quite a feat.

There were 115 people on the ride, each with their own story of “why” they did this. All their stories were pretty amazing and the dedication each of us had to go through to be there was not lost on anyone. Because of the small number of people, I got to meet almost everyone during the course of the event. During the four-month training period, I trained with and did most of the ride with two other guys from San Diego. We’ve become good friends and today still try and ride on weekends when our schedule allows.

It was an awesome adventure and one that I felt a great deal of personal satisfaction from in not only raising the money but in actually doing the physical challenge the ride presented.”

BOAZ: As I said, some people sit around and talk about things. Others do. If you’re not doing, isn’t it time you took some action and became a chip off the new block?

A Cycling Affirmation

I’m getting up and creating a great ride for my life!