Juan Fernandez's
I'm Riding to End AIDSThis marks my fourth consecutive year bicycling in AIDS/Lifecycle. Last Thanksgiving, my dad asked me why I keep participating. After all, I'm not HIV-positive. Nor has anyone close to me been one of the MILLIONS who've died of this insidious illness. So what compels me to cycle 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles every June? To endure the varied weather conditions of California with only a thin layer of spandex to protect me? To suffer the painful joints and aching muscles from hours of repetitive pedaling? To sacrifice every weekend in the four months preceding to train and to help others in their training? To spend hundreds of dollars on gear, equipment, maintenance, not to mention the trip to San Francisco? A fair question. Of everyone I've befriended through this experience -- heroes one and all -- one stands out for me (and he'll hate me for talking about him). He's been HIV-positive for many, many years -- from back when "AIDS-related complex" was still a term in use. Though he was close to death at least once, he's managed to outlive friends, family, partners. Instead of doing what so many who've been dealt an unfair hand have done, he has not tried to forget his ordeal. Instead, he's paying it forward. Whatever the reason he was spared from being a statistic, he's not wasted the second chance he's been granted. So I take from his example and ride for the simplest of reasons: Because I can. Don't be fooled by the lack of media coverage. There are far more people suffering with AIDS today than there are celebrities in rehab. And while great progress has been made in the last 25+ years since AIDS/HIV were discovered, people are still a little backwards. Take the case of 2-year-old Caleb Glover who was was banned from using the pool and shower facilities of an Alabama RV park because he was HIV-positive. That a toddler can still be the victim of intolerance and ignorance -- in the 21st century! -- is proof that the stigma of AIDS/HIV is alive and well. So another 7 days. Another 545 miles. I hope that you can help me by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing for history classes.
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Juan's latest blog entry:
Thursday, Apr 10, 2008 
Juan's Goal: $5,000.00
Current Total: $6,601.50 |
Juan's LinksL.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Writers Give Back
Experience AIDS/LifeCycle 2007
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Juan's BlogThursday, April 10, 20083:39 PMLatigo Canyon ride
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb 3:38 PMThe world's largest wisteria vine???
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb 3:37 PMChevy Chase into Pasadena...
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb 3:30 PMFor those who think LA is flat...
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, January 27, 200812:06 PMYeah... SF has lots of hills...
Having survived our first ride last week without much of a struggle, I was ready to start challenging myself. A flat, 30-mile ride wasn't going to cut it for me. So I left it up to Kevin -- did he want to do a longer, flatter ride or did he want to do some climbing. He said he'd leave it up to me. I prefer hills. To me, the flats are just a matter of mental endurance, moreso than muscle -- unlike climbs. I wanted to do something really tough, like Nichols Canyon. He said he was fine with it. I cautioned him (note how I'm always looking out for others) that it's a short climb (about 2.5 miles) but portions of it are pretty grueling... I'm talking visions of your deity. Then Kevin said something he'll likely forever regret: "I climbed lots of hills in San Francisco." Now, I have never lived in San Francisco, and except for the Ride itself, have never ridden anywhere near there. I'm sure that there are plenty of challenging climbs in the San Francisco area. But in LA, we have mountains. Nichols Canyon, as I said, is a short, but really tough climb from West Hollywood, up the mountain to Mulholland Drive. For those of you who don't know the geography here, Mullholland is a long, winding road that runs along the top of the Santa Monica Mountains. To climb up there... well... you know the Hollywood sign? The sign is lower than Mullholland. So that should give you a general idea of the climbing we had to do. And climb we did... it didn't take too long for Kevin to want to stop to take his jacket off cuz he was hot; then stop to put his jacket on because he was cold; then stop because cables were rubbing on his legs... he eventually gave up on inventing reasons and just told me he had to stop to catch his breath. I admit that there was a part of me that got a kick out of his suffering. Partly because I had been there at one time and understand. There's a stretch of Woodrow Wilson that curves up and it's like a headwall. The first time my chain fell off was on this climb. And partly because he kinda deserved it: "I climbed lots of hills in San Francisco." heehee But we continued... we rode the nice, straight downhill on the Valley side of Laurel Canyon Drive into Studio City. Then we rode across the Valley into Sherman Oaks and had some lunch before tackling Sepulveda. Sepulveda is another nice climb... a little longer than Nichols, but much more gradual (though it's still a climb). The last leg of the climb is through a tunnel that takes you to a very nice descent. I rode behind Kevin most of the way, so that I wouldn't repeat the previous week's mistake and leave him behind. Hill climbing is as much mental as physical. I tend to divert my attention away from the climbing and focus on just pedaling... often singing my way under my breath. Being focused on the rider in front of me, rather than just climbing proved to be pretty challenging. That's not to say I didn't have some fun with it: As we neared the top, Kevin asked in his frustration, "How much further is the tunnel?" I said that it was still about another mile and a half. "Are you kidding me?" Then four pedal strokes later, he notices: "It's right there!" And so it was. Again... heehee Lesson Number One of these rides: Cyclists Always Lie! "This is the last hill!" "It's all downhill from here!" "It's all rolling hills, no real climbs!" "Spandex is slimming!" LIES! Every one of them. Of course, three years ago, I never thought I'd be the one telling them. But I guess I was just lying to myself. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, January 19, 20085:53 PMOn the road again...
I have never blogged before. I just thought I'd just put it out there. I already share many of my training/fundraising stories with my local friends (whether they want to or not). Sadly, my long-distance friends get a truncated version or may even miss out (these are probably the times my local friends may wish they were long-distance friends). So this is my chance to reach out to the rest of you. And unlike my local friends who *have* to hear me, you at least have the option of skipping or skimming the stories. So without further ado, I bring you my first training ride of the season... The writers strike is still ongoing... rumors pop in and out, but still no resolution. Finally decided to take advantage of my time off work and took the bike into my regular shop (Hollywood Pro Bicycles) for a tune-up, and to replace a couple of popped spokes. The bike had been pretty much sitting on my balcony, unused since June, so it needed some help. Flash-forward a few weeks... the weather has started to become more accomodating (though still colder than I like). But at least it's not raining! Kevin and I decide to take our bikes out for a spin. For those that don't know, I am a Training Ride Leader and usually lead a ride on Sunday mornings with my friend Tom -- who I met through his training ride two years ago. Our ride, officially named the Star Maps Tour ride, is a 30-mile ride from West Hollywood through some relatively gentle rolling hills in Bel Air and then a mostly flat jaunt to the beach and back again. Since neither of us had been on our bikes since June, we decide to do the Candy-Ass Ride route. I'm always surprised at how well I manage when I hop on the bike after an extended period off the bike. Don't get me wrong, it's still challenging and I am sore afterwards. But having done AIDS/Lifecycle for three consecutive years, my body "remembers" and the recovery/healing is much faster. Anyhow, the ride was pretty smooth, though Kevin became a little frustrated with me on the return from the beach on San Vicente. For those unfamiliar, San Vicente is a pretty flat stretch (though technically there's a mild grade, since we're heading to the beach) from Brentwood to the beach. On the way back from the beach, you can pick up a slight tailwind that gives you an extra oompf. So I was riding at what I thought was a pretty steady pace. Until I looked back and didn't see Kevin. I stopped at a gas station on the route and waited. Gave him a call in case he had some trouble. But he caught up a few minutes later and berated me for abandoning him. Kevin's new to LA and we weren't working off a route slip... he was just following me, so I deserved some of the chastisement. In my defense, this stretch of the route is exactly what we take on the last stretch of the Ride itself, which he's done, and it's straight so as long as he didn't turn on some side street, he couldn't have gotten lost. Anyway, I don't have a bike computer, so I have little idea of how fast I'm going; Kevin *claims* he was doing something ridiculous like 20mph when I shot ahead of him. But I felt I was riding at a pretty steady pace with a slight tailwind assisting. Also, my bike weighs about 7-8 pounds more than his and he had the same tailwind. So methinks he needs to have his bike computer adjusted. Regardless, I definitely need to pay more attention to my fellow riders. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb |
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