Coast to Coast for Celiac

Headin' Home

2005-07-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

So now the riding is done. We'd made it to Savannah, 3000 miles by bicycle. But we still weren't home. Home was still 1200 miles away, three days by RV, or more like a week if you do it the way that we did it. So here's how we did it...

Before I started the trip, I had made contact with a few places on the East Coast that had wanted me to visit them when I biked through their neck of the woods. They had made arrangements to get publicity for me, and these would be good opportunities to continue to spread the word about celiac. Well, obviously I wouldn't be biking anymore, but I still wanted to visit these places. They had worked hard to help me out and I didn't want to let them down. So we hopped in the RV and starting driving. First stop: Easton, PA and the "Water To Go" store. It took two days to get there, and after all that time on our bikes it felt a little odd to be cooped up inside an RV all day as Bev negotiated traffic through all the big cities on the East Coast. We arrived in Easton, and they had quite a nice little set-up for us. A big tent, lots of gluten-free food, a silent auction to raise money for my ride, and reporters from the local TV station and newspaper. And one other surpise: my parents! They had driven all night from Maine to Easton, and it was wonderful to see them. There were hugs and tears all around. They stayed overnight and then headed back to Maine the next day. But even though their stay was short, it was great to get a taste of home after all this time on the road.

The next day we got back in the RV and headed down to Philadelphia. We needed to be in Baltimore on Monday, but we had a day off in between, so we decided to go see a baseball game. The Red Sox were in town, playing the Phillies, and we sat out in the sun on a warm and humid day and watched the Sox beat the Phils in a slugfest, 12-8. It's unbelievable how many Red Sox fans were at the game and in the city itself. Everywhere we went, we saw people in Sox shirts and hats. Was this really a road game? Anyways, after the game ended we headed out of town and on to Baltimore.

All the money I raised on this trip was going to the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research, which is based in Baltimore. So I really wanted to visit them, see their facilities, and meet the people doing the research. Plus it was an opportunity to do a little more fundraising and PR work. So on Monday we went to the center, and they had set up a press conference for me. I said a few words, as did one of the doctors, and they presented me with a plaque of recognition for my ride. And we all shared some yummy gluten-free chocolate-raspberry cake! The Baltimore Sun interviewed me, as did the Associated Press, and then it was off for a tour of the labs. The facilities are very impressive, and the eagerness of the researchers is very encouraging too. One of them mentioned how my ride was inspiring her to work even harder - I can't ask for more than that! We wound up the day by strolling around the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, and then going to another baseball game, this time the Orioles against the Yankees. The Yankees won, which made Alex happy.

The next day was another travel day (come to think of it, I guess every day since we started has been a "travel day"), this time up to Connecticut. We stayed there overnight at my cousin's house (thank you!), and then headed for Boston the next morning. There was time to take in one more baseball game, so we watched the Sox beat the Indians with a bunch of our friends who had come down from Maine that day. It was a lot of fun, and after the game they let everyone walk down on the field. Very cool! Afterwards, we had dinner with some of the members of the Boston area celiac support group. This group is large and very active - they have almost 800 members! Marge Rogers, a long-time board member of the group, and her husband Dick put us up for the night at their house, which was quite nice of them. We had a very nice stay.

The next morning, we woke up knowing we were only a couple of hours drive from Maine. Unbelievable! After all this time and everything we'd been through, we were almost home. We drove back on familiar roads, and soon we were at my front door, unloading the RV. It was a little sad unloading the bikes - I had pictured riding right up into my driveway at the completion of our ride, with a triumphant "I made it!" look on my face, but that was not to be. Oh well. Another observation upon returning: you know you've been away from home for a while when nothing in the house looks familiar. There were lots of "Now where does this go?" moments over the next couple of days.

It was on Thursday afternoon that we made it back to Maine, and on Saturday we had the grand finale celebration at Payson Park in Portland. There were still lots of little details to wrap up, but when Saturday came, the skies were sunny, the tents and tables and chairs were there, Outback Steakhouse was cooking away, and quite a crowd (approx.200 people) had gathered to welcome me back. About a dozen people joined us as we rode our bikes for a ceremonial "last mile" around the boulevard into the park, and when we arrived the crowd seemed even bigger and the cheers louder. At that moment it really did feel like we were finishing our ride, and I could feel myself tearing up. A lot of my family was there, and many friends and supporters, and it was quite emotional for me. Someone yelled out "Speech!" so I said a few words and tried to thank everyone who had helped me along the way. Then I had a surprise when Alex and our friend Phil got up and sang a song about my trip; they took "Surfin' USA" and turned it into "Bikin' USA", complete with amusing lyrics about the bike trip and celiac and broken bones. Then it was time to eat! Everyone enjoyed the food (graciously donated by Outback Steakhouse) and smoothies (provided by Wild Oats), and then the crowd slowly dispersed and then we were packing up tables and chairs and it was time to go home. It was a wonderful afternoon, but it all went by so quickly that it seemed like a blur.

So now the journey is officially over, and my recovery begins. I'm supposed to take it easy over the next several weeks to let my back heal, but I'm not good taking it easy so we'll see how it goes. And unfortunately, there is still much to be done concerning the accident - insurance, lawyers, etc. Not a lot of fun. But I hope when I look back on all of this, I won't dwell on the accident too much. Instead, I'll try to focus on the positive things I accomplished: raising awareness for celiac disease, seeing some beautiful parts of this country that most people don't get to see, and the satisfaction of having reached my goal of biking from coast-to-coast.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me along the way, both with the big things and the little things. Thanks to Bev for driving the RV and putting up with us for 10 weeks, and thanks to Alex for riding with me on this crazy 3000 mile trip.

Take care,

Regina

Come On In, The Water's Great!

2005-06-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

We made it! Yeah! WoooooHooooo! Today we woke up in Savannah, Georgia, knowing that we only had 20 miles to go before we reached the Atlantic Ocean and the endpoint of our ride. 20 miles! Nothing to it! We could do that in our sleep! But before we get to the ending, let's recap the week that was...

We did indeed enter into Georgia about a week ago, which proved fairly uneventful. After what has happened to me on this trip, "uneventful" isn't such a bad thing. Georgia has proved to be a better state for biking, with at least a little bit of a shoulder to ride on most of the roads, and fairly considerate drivers. The fact that Lance Armstrong has ridden in the Tour of Georgia race the last couple of years, and also that each year several hundred riders participate in the Bicycle Ride Around Georgia means that more people are aware of bicyclists around here, and that has helped us feel better about being on the road. Plus, our extra time spent searching out the back roads (and less heavily trafficked roads) has defintely paid off. We only ended up on a dirt road once! It's all part of the adventure...

Georgia itself has been nice enough. We've had nothing but sunny weather, warm but not ridiculously hot. But there hasn't been much of a "wow" factor about Georgia. We wake up, we get on our bikes and start riding, cruising past open farmlands, alternating with wooded tracts planted by the lumber companies. We ride through one or two towns of any significant size, we stop on occasion to have a snack, and then we call it a day. We have met lots of nice people. In the town of Monticello, for instance, we rode through when they were having their farmer's market in the town square. We talked to a few of the people there, and they wound up giving us a jar of squash and tomato relish, a bag of peaches, and a pound of boiled peanuts. And a little bit of money. Nobody down here even questions it - if you tell them you're doing something to try and raise money, they try to help. I guess it's true what they say about Southern Hospitality. For the record, none of us particularly cared for the boiled peanuts. A little soggy.

The media appearances have kept us busy. I was interviewed by the newspaper in Newnan, GA. We received a call from the CBS TV station in Macon, and did an interview with them that appeared that evening on the news. I thought it came out rather well. You can actually see it by going to http://www.wmaz.com/news/top_stories.aspx?storyid=15229, and clicking on the video icon.

As we got closer to Savannah, it dawned on us that this trip might actually end. Soon. Which seemed a little hard to believe. On Tuesday afternoon, June 21, we pulled into the Savannah Visitor's Center, ending the day with only 20 more miles to go before reaching our goal. Unbelievable. The next day, we got on our bikes for the last time and headed to the sea. We wound our way through downtown Savannah, which is a beautiful town with shaded streets lined with large trees draped with spanish moss. Then we rode past the marshlands on the way to Tybee Island, where we would officially run out of road and into the ocean. When we got there, the Savannah celiac support group had a few members there to welcome us, and we did two different interviews for Savannah TV stations. Very nice. We took our bikes down to the ocean's edge and dipped our wheels into the water, ending our ride. Then we set our bikes down and dove into the water. It was wonderful! If there is one good thing to ending in Savannah instead of Maine, it's that the ocean temperature is about 20 degrees warmer. We splashed around and enjoyed the moment, not quite believing that we had made it all the way, 3000 miles from the Pacific to the Atlantic. I think it will take a few days before it all sinks in and we can start to reflect on what we've done.

That night, the support group took us out to dinner, which was also very nice. They really should be commended for pulling together several different things on such short notice. Thanks to all in Savannah! We wish we had more time to spend in this lovely city, but unfortunately, tomorrow we must hit the road again, this time in the RV as we make our way back to Maine. We have a couple of promo stops to make along the way, and a few baseball games to see in Baltimore, Philly, and Boston, and then we'll be back in Maine for the July 2 celebration. I hope to see you all there!

Thanks for all your support, especially after my accident. It really made a difference to me to know that so many people cared for me and that you all were so encouraging. I couldn't have done this without you!

Take care,

Regina

Georgia On My Mind, Almost

2005-06-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings from almost-Georgia! Our ride today took us to within a mile of the Alabama-Georgia border; tomorrow we will head into the Peach Tree State, home of Jimmy Carter, the Atlanta Braves, and pecan pie. The South has been interesting - the people are friendly and talkative, though I find myself saying "what?" a lot when talking to people because their accents are so thick. Everyone has a dog and they all love to chase bikes (sadly, one didn't make it as he chased us right when a big truck was coming from the other way. Oy.). There's lots more farmland than I thought there would be. It's been hot and humid almost every day. And the Stars 'n' Bars still flies from many a flagpole.

Other than that, I just keep riding. The riding itself has been tough, both mentally and physically. My body is sore at the beginning, middle, and end of each day. My back is in a holding pattern, not getting any better or worse. And I still have visions of being hit by the truck, so now I am very uncomfortable on busy roads. The other day, we employed the RV as a blocker on a particularly busy stretch of road; Bev drove behind us with her flashers on and forced traffic to wait behind her while we biked in front. This isn't the most enjoyable way to ride, so we have spent extra time looking for backroads and the roads-less-traveled to make our route more pleasant. Unfortunately, sometimes the roads-less-traveled are not the most direct routes, so it's a trade-off.

We've been able to get some more media exposure the last few days. I did interviews in both Culman and Gadsden, Alabama for their local papers, and also did a short TV interview for the local channel in Culman. We've had good luck just popping in to these places, telling them our story, and then getting some coverage. And it looks like we'll have some good coverage when we finish up in Savannah. There's a celiac support group there, and they are busy trying to get some media lined up for us. Hats off to them for coming through on such short notice! It doesn't seem real, but we're only a week away from dipping our wheels into the Atlantic. Alex jokes that instead of dipping ours wheels, we should just throw the bikes into the ocean and walk away. Suffice to say it's been a long journey, and we've seen and done things that we'll certainly remember for the rest of our lives. But it will also be good to finish it up.

So that's where things stand for now. We'll ride south of Atlanta and then north of Macon, GA on our way to Savannah and the sea. The sea! Hello to everyone back in Maine - see you on July 2! I'll try to post again before we get to Savannah. 'Til then, take care.

Regina

One Day At A Time

2005-06-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back on the road again. The previous week we took it easy as I rested up and tried to heal up enough so that I could get back on the bike again and finish off this ride. We were staying in Tunica, MS at a casino/hotel. During the evenings, Alex and Bev tried their luck at the blackjack tables and the slot machines while I soaked in the hot tub and picked at my scabs from the road rash. I think they had more fun than I did! During the day, we took a few trips to Memphis, about an hour's drive north, to get me checked out at a bigger hospital, and to get my bike checked out at a bigger bike shop (Peddler Bike Shop - John and Pat were very good to us - thank you!). We also went to Graceland, a must if you're in Memphis, and downtown, where we strolled around Beale Street and the riverfront.

After a week of this, I was getting antsy to get back on the bike, and we were all getting fat on the hotel's buffet (we ate and stayed for free the last two nights because Alex gambled so much). It was time to leave, and time to see if I would be able to continue my ride. We did a shorter, 35-mile ride the first day, and while I felt a little sore, nothing felt any worse than it had before. The unfortunate thing we've noticed about Mississippi is that they do not believe in putting shoulders on their roads. After my accident, I'm feeling a little nervous about cars passing close by me, and the lack of the "safety zone" on the shoulder isn't helping. We've worked hard to find the backroads as much as possible, where traffic is light. The result has been some nice biking country, less worry, and more dogs chasing us. So it's a trade-off.

The next day we rode to Oxford, MS, home of the University of Mississippi and a little oasis of life in an otherwise fairly downtrodden part of the country. We've left the delta behind, where everything was flatter than flat and the fields were full of cotton, rice, and corn, and have headed into more wooded, hillier country. Relatively hillier, that is, where a 100 ft. rise is condsidered a mountain. In Oxford, we had to get some more work done on my bike, as the shifting mechanism stopped working - another casualty of my accident. We found another friendly bike shop (Oxford Bicycle Store - thanks Kevin!), where they fixed it up quickly and got us back on the road. Believe me, I'm keeping all my receipts - the guy who hit me is going to get one heck of a bill! We tried to do an interview at the Oxford Eagle newspaper, but the whole town is so wrapped up in the U. of Miss. baseball team being in the playoffs that I doubt we'll get any ink. But we'll keep trying. We made it onto KATV, the ABC affiliate in Little Rock, Ark., (for a sampling of local opinions, check out their website and then read the comments that were posted http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0605/234413.html) and many of you probably saw the article in the Press Herald and the story on Channel 6 in Portland. Had I known I'd get this much coverage after getting into an accident, I would have had one much earlier in the trip! Just kidding.

We left Oxford and headed east, and after another 40-mile day, we spent the night in Tupelo (birthplace of Elvis!). This will probably be the pattern for the rest of the trip; instead of the 75 or 80 mile days we were doing, we've cut it back to 40 or so a day. At the end of each day, I'm feeling pretty sore, both in my back and my left leg. I'm taking some pain meds to help me get through each day. I really want to finish, but I will also try to listen to my body if it tells me I'm trying to do too much.

Today we crossed into Alabama. We also crossed into the path of Tropical Storm Arlene, as it rained heavily the last 20 miles of our ride. But we made it to Hamilton, AL, checked into a hotel, and took nice hot showers to get warmed up. Tomorrow we continue on toward Savannah, Georgia. This is now officially our goal - we've got about 550 miles left. With any luck, we'll be there within two weeks, and then we'll load up the RV and drive back up to Maine in time for the July 2 celebration.

Thanks for all your well-wishes on the message board. Some of them were quite touching. It really meant a lot to me to read all the comments and know that so many people were concerned about my well-being. It also helped me realize how much I've already accomplished with this awareness campaign. I'll write again when I cross into Georgia. In the meantime, keep the messages coming, and I'll see you all in July!

Regina

A Very, Very, Very Bad Day

2005-06-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

When you start out on a bike trip like this, you make a lot of plans and assumptions. You make plans for the route that you're going to take, how long it will take, and if all goes just according to plan, that you'll finish up on a certain date and everything will be all smiles and joy and fond memories. It will never rain, the hills won't be so bad, the people will be nice, nothing will go wrong with the bike, and there won't be any accidents.

Well, on Wednesday I was in an accident.

We had left the town of Marvel, Arkansas and were excited because we were about to cross over the Mississippi River, a symbolic moment in any cross-country trip. We had only made it about 4 miles when suddenly, disaster struck. A pick-up truck hit me as he passed by me, sending me off the road in a tumble. I was scraped up pretty badly, and my back hurt. The driver didn't even stop, but witnesses to the accident had gotten his license plate number, and he was later apprehended by the police. An ambulance was called, and I was taken to the local hospital in Helena, AR. I had a pretty severe case of "road rash" (which are all the surface cuts you get when you roll around on the pavement) on my right arm and leg, and on my left leg, and on my stomach, and, well, pretty much everywhere. And I also found out that I had a compressed fracture of one of my vertebrae. I was devastated. All my plans and goals had been wiped out in an instant by one careless driver.

The hospital in Helena was a small local hospital, and I wanted a second opinion. So we drove up to Memphis, TN to a larger hospital and had them examine me. They took X-rays and did a CAT-scan of my back, and concurred with the diagnosis of a compressed fracture. They have told me to stay off the bike for a little while. With time and rest, I will heal, but for right now, I am still in a lot of pain.

Part of that pain is knowing that I cannot finish what I had set out to do, which was to ride my bicycle from San Diego to Portland, ME and to spread awareness of celiac disease. I know that I have accomplished much already, but it still seems like I haven't completed the job. I am currently looking at my options from here. I know that I cannot stick to the original plan, but I am hoping that I can still complete this "coast to coast" ride in some fashion. Right now, I'm thinking that instead of riding all the way to Maine, I will ride from here to the nearest coast (probably Savannah, GA or Charleston, SC), dip my wheel in the Atlantic and call it quits there. If my back is bothering to the point where I cannot ride even that far, then Alex will finish the ride for me and then we'll head back to Maine. We still plan on having our finishing celebration on July 2 in Portland, as I believe we still have much to celebrate. Even today, while we were resting and recouperating at a hotel in Tunica, MS, I was able to get on a local radio show and do a five-minute interview (you can listen to the interview by going to this site http://www.audiovegas.com/Schiffer/Archives/ and clicking on "June 4, 2005." My interview starts at about the 2hr.13 minute mark). In a weird way, being hit by a truck gives my story more of a kick, and it makes me more "newsworthy." Whatever it takes, right? Well, even I wouldn't go that far...

So I wish that I could say that everything is going fine, but it's not. I try to tell myself that it could have been much worse, and that I'm lucky to be in one piece. I will try to overcome this, and to finish what I have started if at all possible. Stay tuned to the website, and I will let you all know how it turns out. Thanks for all your well-wishes.

Regina

Soaking It Up in Hot Springs

2005-06-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Another week, another state gone by as we are now in Hot Springs, Arkansas, cooling our heels on a much-needed day off. And there really are hot springs in Hot Springs. Go figure. But first, let's recap the week that was...

We left Norman, OK with full bellies and good spirits after having met with the local celiac support group there. Plus, the local Norman newspaper had a big article about our trip, so we felt good about our stop there. We headed east out of town, and passed through the town of McAlester, which was big enough to have a decent newspaper, so we stopped in and asked to speak to a reporter. The woman we spoke to was very interested in my story, and she wound up writing a nice piece about the ride, which we read on their website a few days later. Another success story! After McAlester, the big towns were few and far between, so we concentrated on getting in some big miles each day. Eastern Oklahoma is very different from the western part of the state. It's a lot more green, there are actually trees, and there are real hills to go up and down. There is a scenic parkway that runs from Eastern OK into Arkansas, and we rode that for a little bit one day as it did a roller-coaster route up one steep hill and down another. It was quiet, there was no traffic, and a gentle rain was falling, and it was really quite peaceful. But it also was taxing our legs, so we eventually switched to another road and entered Arkansas.

Arkansas was a landmark state for me. Before the trip began, I had been to all 50 states except for Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. We had already ridden through TX and OK, so Ark. was the last state left for me to visit. Now I can say that I've been to them all! Soon after crossing the border, it started to rain. Hard. So we took a break, waited out the rain, then got on our bikes again and finished off our day.

The next day, it was off to Hot Springs. It was also Memorial Day weekend, and everyone was out on the roads, towing either a boat or an ATV (or both) as they looked to get out on the water or into the woods. Turns out people in Arknsas love their fishing and ATV-ing. We had been in contact with the celiac support group in Little Rock, and they had set up an appearance for us at the Wild Oats Market and possibly a TV interview. So we raced along to Hot Springs, then got in RV for the detour up to Little Rock. Little Rock wasn't on our route, but if we can get some exposure, we'll go anywhere. The appearance at the Wild Oats was a little disappointing - it was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and there wasn't much of a turnout. Also, the tv crew never materialized, so in terms of publicity, we didn't feel like we accomplished much. On the plus side, however, the local support group hosted a fish-fry for us, where the people were wonderful and the food was delicious. Special thanks go to the head of the support group, Anne Luther, and her partner Joel, for their kind hospitality. We left Little Rock refreshed and relaxed and thankful for the new friends we'd made.

The next morning we headed back to Hot Springs to get back on our route. Before getting on the bikes again, though, we decided to treat ourselves to a hot springs bath and massage. We were at the halfway point of our journey, and we deserved a little pampering! It was a nice experience, as the town is known for its natural hot springs and thermal baths - people have been coming here for a hundred years to do just what we were doing. We checked out the National Park, located in one of the grand old bath houses, and walked around town, which was pleasant. We left the next day knowing that we were more than 2000 miles into our journey - we had already accomplished quite a bit in five weeks and hopefully we will accomplish even more in the five weeks ahead.

Maine-ly in the Plains

2005-05-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes! By that I mean, goodbye mountains, and hello Great Plains, as we are now in the middle of Oklahoma, resting up in the town of Norman, just south of Oklahoma City. It's been an interesting week, for sure. We started out by biking north from Santa Fe, New Mexico, up to Taos along "The High Road." They call it that for a reason. It was a scenic ride, but took it's toll with all the climbing, descending, and climbing again. Lots of small little towns along the way, each looking more abandoned than the one before it, until we got to Taos itself, which seemed pretty enough for the little of it that we saw. The next morning we got psyched up for our biggest climb to date, up over a pass that would take us to 9100 ft. of elevation before descending down into eastern New Mexico. The climb turned out to be easier than we thought, and the descent through the canyon on the other side was quite beautiful, as we raced a small stream downhill into the valley. Once, we came zipping around a corner and there were five mule deer crossing the road in front of us. Very nice. The one tough part was a ten-mile section where we had our most severe cross-winds to date (I had to get off and walk a short stretch because the wind was blowing me off the road!). Aside from that, it was a very nice biking day.

The next day we rode steadily away from the mountains, and it was clear that we were in a different part of the country. The terrain opened up, it was much drier, cattle ranches were everywhere, and we were in the Great Plains. Technically we were still in New Mexico, but it sure felt like Texas. It was interesting at first, but then became a little repetitive. Would it be like this for the next few weeks? The next day we officially crossed into the Texas panhandle, and in addition to the cattle ranches there were now many drilling rigs dotting the landscape. I'm told that they drill for natural gas in this area, and it kind of smelled that way. And when it doesn't smell like natural gas, it smells like cow manure. Welcome to Texas.

At this point, we started to employ a new strategy for our awareness campaign,. When we entered a town that was big enough to have its own newspaper, we would stop by their office and make ourselves available for a quick on-the-spot interview. We tried this in three different towns over the next few days, and in each one they took some notes, snapped a few photos of us, and told us the story would appear in their paper in the next few days. Hopefully they follow through with the stories, as this would mean our story would get out to thousands more people than we could reach on our own. We'll keep trying this tactic, as it seems promising.

We made it across the Texas panhandle in two days, and entered Oklahoma, where things looked pretty much the same. I should note that over these last three or four days, they've had record heat in the area, so each day it's been sunny and in the mid- to high-90's. Everything is baking in the sun: the crops, the cattle, and especially us. So we keep on pouring on sun-screen in the mornings and showering off the sweat and the grime at the end of each day. And drinking a lot of liquids. I mean, a lot of liquids. Gatorade should sponsor us!

As we entered Oklahoma, we noticed some of the fields were starting to grow crops. Specifically, wheat. And of course, wheat is something that a person with celiac disease cannot eat. So here we are, trying to spread the word about celiac and going without gluten to a community that relies upon growing and selling wheat. Oh, the irony! But all we can do is keep pressing on with our campaign. We made it to Norman, this time with company, as Greg, whose wife has celiac, joined us for the 70 mile ride into town. It was a pleasure to have him ride with us. And when we got to town, the local celiac support group had organized a pot-luck dinner for us. The food was great and I got a chance to hear their stories and to tell them mine. It's always good to connect with other people who understand what I'm going through and what I'm trying to achieve with this ride. They were very supportive and welcoming, and I'd like to thank them again for all their help, especially Kate Martin and her family, who welcomed us into their home for the night.

Tomorrow it's on the road again, as we head east into the hills of Oklahoma (yes, there really are hills in Oklahoma!). In a few days, we'll be in the state of Arkansas. I've never been there before, so I'm actually looking foward to it. I'll try to write again from there. In the meantime, keep those messages coming!

Regina

!Hola From Nuevo Mexico!

2005-05-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

We're in New Mexico! Hard to believe, but we're now three weeks into the trip, and we've covered over 1100 miles so far. We've made it to the town of Espanola, which is just north of Santa Fe, and later this morning we'll be heading northeast to the town of Taos. It's been a busy week since last I posted anything on the website, so let me recap, though it will have to be a bit condensed because we have to get riding again...

We left Flagstaff, AZ on May 7, and headed to the Grand Canyon. It was a beautiful ride, though a bit chilly. There is an 11,000 ft. mountain along the way, which was covered in snow, and we had a good look at it as we biked around it towards the canyon. After a long day, we reached the park entrance, and there was an elk crossing the road in front of us! We stopped and took pictures (along with everyone else who was there) as he ambled past us and into the woods. Very cool.

The next day we rode out of the park, stopping at several scenic viewpoints and enjoying a picnic lunch overlooking the Grand Canyon. For those of you who have never been there before, you really have to see it at least once in your lifetime. It's spectacular. From there we zoomed into the Navajo Reservation, where we would be for the next several days. "The Rez" (as they call it) was full of wide-open spaces and very few towns. It made for nice biking and was always very scenic. The highlight of that section was when we stayed at a town called Pueblo Pintado, at their Chapter House (which is kind of like our town hall). We had ridden over 100 miles that day to get there, and we were running out of daylight and needed a place to stay. We asked if we could park the RV in the parking lot, and they said "Sure." The next morning, it turned out they were having an event they called "Just Move It." It was a community health initiative designed to get people more physically active. Diabetes is a problem on the Rez and if more people would get some daily exercise, it would help combat the problem. So when we woke up, this small little village, which looked empty when we had pulled in the night before, slowly filled up with over 150 people, from school kids to grandparents, all ready to do the walk. So we walked too! We were the only non-Navajo there, but they were very welcoming. It was just a short walk of about two miles, but we got a chance to talk to several people and get a better idea of what life was like for them and for us. And we got a T-shirt for walking! It was one of those unplanned but unforgettable experiences that help make this trip even more amazing.

From there, we headed east again. We had crossed into New Mexico the day before, and the scenery was already changing. Things were a little more green, we saw more livestock grazing (horses, cattle, sheep, and even llamas!), but there were still the huge mesas and red rock canyons of the desert - the combination of all this makes for some stunning landscapes, and we spent most of the day admiring the views. It makes for slow biking, because you want to stop every 100 ft. and take another picture, but this isn't a race, so we take as much time as we need.

By this time, it's May 14 and we had arrived at Espanola. We had made contact with the celiac support group in Albuquerque, and they had been really great about setting up a few events for us to get some publicity, so we headed down to Albuquerque in the RV to meet them. We did a short group bike ride to the local Wild Oats Market, which was a lot of fun, and then there was a tent set up at the Market where we handed out brochures, collected donations, and gave out samples of gluten-free food. It was a very successful appearance. From there we went to a baseball game (the Albuquerque Isoptopes!), and then off to a dinner with the celiac group at an Italian restaurant (called Paisano's) that will serve most of their pasta dishes with gluten-free pasta. One of the highlights of the dinner was the fact that Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, was at our table. He's a very dynamic man, who since he left office in 2002 has been quite the adventurer, including climbing Mt. Everest. He was very supportive of our trip, and it was good to talk to someone who has done things like this and who has a great perspective about big adventures and enjoying the moment. It turns out that his mother has celiac and lives in Albuquerque, so that was how he came to be at the dinner. All in all, our time in Albuquerque was fabulous, and the support group there did a great job of making us feel welcome and special. Thanks to everyone there, especially Marilyn and Miller for their hard work, and to Chris and Michelle for putting us up for a couple of days!

Now it's time to ride again. In a few days, we'll be in Texas and then Oklahoma, and we'll see if we can connect with some more people and media outlets. It will be hard to top the reception we got in Albuquerque, but we're hopeful that we can continue to make a difference. Thanks for all your posts. And a special thanks to all the students at Lyman Moore Middle School for keeping track of my progress and sending lots of messages. Keep them coming!

Regina

Heading for the Grand Canyon

2005-05-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Flagstaff, Arizona! Today we rested a bit after three hard days of climbing up from "The Valley" (as they call the Phoenix area) to Flagstaff, where we're now at about 7000 ft. above sea level. The change in weather over the last few days has been amazing too, as in Phoenix it was around 90 degrees, and here in Flagstaff today it was around 50 and we had periods of rain and hail. Perfect biking weather! But let me start where I last left off...

We left from Congress, AZ on Day 10, heading north towards Prescott. Warm and sunny again, but right away we starting climbing up a big hill. Several miles and about 2000 vertical feet later, we topped out at a nice plateau ("Peeple's Valley") where there were ranches, grass and actual trees. I mention this because we had not seen naturally growing green grass or real hardwood trees since our 2nd day. It had all been dry and dusty to that point. We continued on towards Prescott, our stopping point for the day, and made it there after yet more hills and climbing. We still felt OK, and had a little daylight left, so we actually decided to push on a little further to try to gain a little cushion in our schedule. Another 15 miles and then we finally called it a night, pulling into the "Point of Rocks" RV park. Some RV parks have been nice enough to let us stay overnight for free when we tell them about our ride; sadly, this particular park wasn't one of them. Oh well.

Day 11 started with (surprise!) another huge hill to climb, and when we reached the top, we were at over 7000 feet of elevation. Just for reference for all of you back in Maine, that's higher than Mt. Washington. At the top of the hill was a cute little town called Jerome, where we stopped, had a snack, and chatted with several people about our ride. Then we zoomed downhill towards Sedona. Strange as it sounds, we no longer look foward to the big downhills, becuase we know that we'll just have to climb up again! Oh well, the ups and downs are what creates the beautiful scenery, right? As we approached Sedona, the cliffs turned a disticntly reddish color, and we soaked up the views. We stopped several times to take photos and such, and at each stop we talked with more people about our ride and handed out more brochures, which at this point we have with us at all times. Hopefully people will take the time to read them and maybe even pass on what they have learned to other folks. We've run into a couple of people who actually have celiac, but the vast majority have never heard of it, so we are indeed spreading awareness. We continued on past Sedona, ambitiously trying to make it to Flagstaff before nightfall. Well, we didn't quite make it that far, so Bev picked us up in the RV and we drove into Flagstaff for the evening.

We're determined to ride the whole way across country, so when we do get in the RV and drive ahead like that, the next day we drive back to where we got picked up and resume our ride from that point. So on Day 12, that's what we did. Fortunately we didn't have far to go, only about 15 miles to get back to Flagstaff. While we were getting ready to ride, the cell phone rang and it was Channel 2 in Flagstaff, the local NBC station! They wanted to catch us as we biked into town. So about an hour later, we met up with them, did a quick interview, and they shot some footage of us riding into town. We watched the report on TV later that night, and thought it came out very well. It definitely gave us a mental boost, too, to see the results of our hard work paying off in some wider exposure for celiac.

Tomorrow we head north to the Grand Canyon, and then through the Navajo and Hopi Reservations on the way to Albuquerque. Should be interesting! As always, we'll try to keep you posted. There are more photos in the photo gallery, so check them out when you get a chance. And feel free to drop us a line!

'Til next time,

Regina

Greetings From Phoenix

2005-05-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we've made it to Phoenix! It's another rest-day for us, officially Day 8 of our journey, 400+ miles down and 3700 more to go. Sounds kind of daunting when I put it like that, doesn't it? But so far, so good. To recap: On Day 5, we left Twenty Nine Palms under sunny skies, bound for Rice, CA. We knew we were headed out into the middle of nowhere when a sign just outside town said "No Services Next 100 Miles." Did that stop us? No sir! It was a bit warm out (we put a thermometer out during one of stops, and it got up to 107 in the sun), but when you're riding it doesn't seem so bad. It was quintessential desert: lizards scurry away as you ride past them, tumbleweeds bounce across the road in front of you, and there's not a soul in sight for miles. Every once in a great while, a car would pass, but otherwise it was just us and the road and the bikes. For mile, after mile, after mile. We were planning to stop for the night in Rice, but we had a sneaking suspicion that there wasn't much in Rice for amenities. Make that no amenities at all. Rice may be a town on the map, but it turns out no one lives in Rice anymore. I mean, population: zero. So rather than park in front of the abandoned gas station for the night, we decided to push on to Vidal Junction, which we did as the sun slowly set behind us. We logged 90 miles that day, but it wan't that bad, and now we know we can do it again in the future.

Day 6 came and we got on our bikes again and headed for Arizona. We crossed the Colorado River at Parker and entered into our second state on this seventeen-state journey. Turns out the Arizona desert looks a lot like the California desert. But there was a little bit more in the way of people, so it didn't seem as desolate. We made it to the town of Salome, AZ at the end of the day and stayed at RV park that had a pool, which was very nice, and a golf course, which seemed a little bizarre. Twice during the day we had crossed over canals that were diverting water from the Colorado River to Los Angeles and southern Arizona, and when you see these green golf courses out in the middle of the desert, you wonder just what exactly we are diverting all this water for. And besides, after 75 miles of biking, we were too tired to play golf!

Day 7 and we were on our way to Congress, AZ. We wanted to get there fairly early, because we were heading down to Phoenix that afternoon to catch the Diamondbacks game. We were slowly climbing through most of the day, and the scenery was starting to change as we rode. It was noticeably greener, though still definitely desert, but there was more vegetation, more flowers, and our first sighting of saguarro cactus. Not to mention a coyote, which crossed the road about 100 feet in front of us. We made it to Congress by about 2:00pm, and were resting in the RV when another bicyclist came up and introduced himself. "Joe" was also riding cross-country, but he was doing it all by himself, just him and whatever he could carry on his bike. He had wrenches and spare tires duct-taped to his bike, and a disposable camera tucked under his bike shorts, and a back pack for his gear. He was logging some big miles, and hoped to make it to Washington DC in 30 days! Hats off to Joe, I hope he makes it. Meanwhile, we drove down to Phoenix in time for the game (won by the Giants, 9-8 in 10 innings), then headed for the hotel for some sleep. On Day 8, we drove over to the Wild Oats Market in Scottsdale to spread some more awareness of celiac disease. After several days being out away from population, it was good to be somewhere where we could make more of an impact. We talked to lots of people, and also discovered that we were on one of the local news stations about a week ago - we will try to get the videotape from them so we can see it! Having put in a good days work, we stocked up on some supplies and now are ready to hit the road again. We now start heading north up to the Grand Canyon, with a few stops along the way. Hopefully we'll be able to update you again when we get there.

Thanks for all your messages! Cheers,

Regina

Hello From Joshua Tree!

2005-04-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's the end of Day 4, and we're in Twenty Nine Palms, CA, chillin' at a Motel 6. It's already been an amazing 4 days. We started out at Ocean Beach in San Diego, with the ceremonial dipping of the tires in the Pacific (more like the drenching, as a wave snuck up on us and got us both a little wet). Pelicans were flying overhead, surfers were riding the waves, and there we were, getting ready for a little bike ride. A 4000 mile bike ride! After lots of picture taking (we'll add more photos to our photo gallery very soon), we finally headed off on our grand adventure. Soon we were zipping through the suburbs of San Diego, and then we were out of the city altogether. Then the hills started. And kept going. And going. Oy! Lots o' hills, but we made it up them all, until finally we hit our stopping point for Day One - Cuyamaca State Park. Very pretty. Lots of turkeys. Really. Then more climbing to start the next day, and then a long, glorious downhill into the desert. The variety of terrain in the west is amazing. Over the course of twenty miles you can go from green to desert brown. And as we kept heading east, it got drier and drier. And windier and windier. I thought we were supposed to have a tailwind all the way! Oh well, all you can do is ride. Evenutally we made it to Salton City, our Day 2 ending point.

Day 3 came and we got on our bikes again, dodged road debris for about 15 miles before turning off the busy road (Rte. 86, to be avoided in the future) at Mecca, CA. Mecca is seriously misnamed, by the way. But then we headed into the canyons north towards Joshua Tree. Very dry and desolate, and we practically had the road to ourselves. Temps in the 90's in bright sunlight, lots of sweat and grime, but all in all pretty neat, as it definitely doesn't look like this back in Maine. We hit the entrance gate at Joshua Tree and thought we were almost there, except the last 7 miles were all uphill. And they make their hills big out here. More sweating and puffing, and we finally made it to the campground. Took a quick stroll down to Cottonwoods Springs, where there is a beautiful little oasis (really!) and wonderful birds. We were going to take the next day off, but we decided that it made more sense to push on to Twenty Nine Palms, where we could get a hotel room, get access to the internet, and send you all an update and some photos. So the next morning, we got on our bikes again (yes, our butts are sore!) and headed north through the park. The terrain is beautiful, very desolate-looking at first but if you look close there's a lot of life out there. We started climbing again, and eventually saw our first Joshua Tree. Very cool! We had a long downhill out of the park and into the town, but there was a 25 mph crosswind, so it was all we could do to hang on to bikes as we sped downhill. But we made it.

We have made contact with several people already about celiac disease - some are curious when they see our RV with the "Coast to Coast for Celiac" signs all over it, so we chat with them and give them a brochure. Other times we run into people on the road or at stops, and again chat and hand out more brochures. So we're slowly spreading the word. We even ran into someone yesterday who has celiac, and she complemented us on our efforts. It felt good to meet a kindred soul. The next few days we will be going through some pretty empty terrain, but then by Monday we'll be in Phoenix, AZ and we should be able to have more of an impact there.

I am sending some photos to our web-guru, so hopefully you'll be able to see those in the photo gallery soon. Keep on posting your comments - it's always good to get messages from home!

Regina

The Big Day Is Here!

2005-04-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well, the big day has finally arrived! As I write this, it's Sunday evening in San Diego, and tomorrow morning Alex and I start our big ride. Yikes! Cousin Bev made it out here safely with the RV, our bikes are ready, so I guess there's nothing left to do except ride. Our first day shouldn't be too bad - only 50 miles or so - except it's all uphill. Well, we've got to climb over the mountains eventually, right?

Did anyone catch me on the radio on Saturday? Just recently I was enlisted to do a weekly call-in segment on the radio with "Lou the Fitness Guru". It airs every Saturday at 10:30am on 1310AM and 96.3FM in the Portland area. It's live, it's uncensored, it's crazy! Check it out if you get a chance.

Wish us luck, and leave a comment so that we know someone is reading these posts...

Thanks,

Regina

Maine Legislative Sentiment

2005-03-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

The "Coast to Coast for Celiac" bicycling adventure begins in a little over 3 weeks! There is still a great deal of work to be done before I leave and at times I have had the thought that actually bicycling from California to Maine will be the easy part! I want to thank all the people who have been there to help me with my awareness campaign and the abundance of planning that has come along with that.

My family and friends put on a public supper last weekend in Dixmont to help raise money and awareness for celiac disease. The love and support from my "hometown" has been wonderful!

The media exposure has been great in helping me get the word out. I think my appearance on the "207" show went well. Many people saw it and remarked on what a nice job I did. I was happy with how the show came out, but the camera definitely adds at least 10 pounds on you!

The news about my campaign is getting out there. I even recieved a call from the magazine "Woman's World" in regards to possibly doing a story on me. The Maine State Legislature has also heard about my efforts to raise awareness and they will be acknowledging my accomplishments by awarding me a Legeslative Sentiment at the State House on April 12th. After recieving my award in the House Cambers, I will set up my stationary bicycle in the House of Flags and continue spreading the word.

I will put another post on soon! Regina

The Six O'Clock News

2005-02-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

Hello again! This past Saturday (Feb. 26) I was at Wild Oats market in Portland. I set up my indoor stationary trainer and pedalled while handing out brochures about celiac and collecting donations. It was a successful afternoon. I talked to many people about celiac, some who had it and some who had never heard of it before. But that's what an awareness campaign is all about. To top it all off, Channel 6 came by and interviewed me that afternoon. They aired the segment on the 6 o'clock news that night, and I thought it came out well. Several people have mentioned that they saw me on TV, which is a weird feeling, but it means that I'm having an impact, which is good. So the awareness campaign is going very well. I wish that the fundraising part of it was going as well, but collecting money has been more of a challenge. Hopefully, as I keep pushing the message, more money will come in. You have to stay positive, right?

Look for me next on the "207" show on Channel 6, on March 14, at 7:00pm. Until then, please feel free to leave me a message! Thanks, Regina

Publicity Equals Awareness

2005-02-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hello again! Today is an exciting day because an article about my ride just came out in the Portland Press Herald (in the "Maine Life" section on Sunday, Feb. 20). I'm hoping this article will educate more people about celiac, and also that people will be moved enough by the story to send in donations. I thought the reporter did a fine job with not only my story, but also showing what it's like for other people who suffer from celiac. Please let me know what you think of the article!

I'm also starting to make public appearances to spread awareness. Recently I was at Lois' Natural Foods in Scarborough, and soon (tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26) I'll be at Wild Oats in Portland. Then in March it's an appearance on the "207" show on Channel 6, and in April an appearance at Shaw's Northgate in Portland. Publicity equals awareness, so I'm trying to get out there as much as I can to spread the word. You can help me by letting others know what you have learned about celiac, and also by making a donation to the cause. Thanks for your support, and I'll write again soon - Regina.

Plans are taking shape!

2004-12-27T14:16:00.000-08:00

Howdy! Things are starting to come together for my ride. I'm still working on the exact route that I'll take - I'm hoping to take some scenic routes while still going close enough to big towns and cities so that I can spread the word about celiac to as large an audience as possible. I've gotten some generous food donations from a few different companies that specialize in gluten-free foods and will be using that for some of my meals and snacks along the trip. We just got some fresh snow here in Maine so outdoor riding is out of the question, but I have started to ride at the gym and on my indoor trainer. I'm also hoping to set up my trainer and ride at some of my local supermarkets to try to raise some money and awareness right here in the Portland area, so if you see a crazy woman pedaling her bike at the local Shaw's, it just might be me! I'll write again soon. Thanks for your support! -Regina -

Welcome to the message board for Coast to Coast for Celiac

2004-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is where Regina will post updates throughout her trip.