Bicycling for Health

AS Oct 1 approaches and I continue to train for my impending ride, I consider the potential health benefits and risks of embarking on this task.  Several folks have encouraged me; and an equal number have scoffed and told me how crazy I am.  Many others say nothing; but the sideways glances speak loud enough.  Whatever, I'm committed to this, and look forward to it more with each passing day; not to mention that several folks are now counting on me to keep the commitments I've made to them. 

The potential health benefits are obvious, losing unwanted weight and improving overall fitness.   The risks are less obvious, but well known to anyone who routinely rides a bike in areas where they must share the trail (road) with others, especially other vehicles.  I've had a few close calls with vehicles at intersections (all my fault), loose dogs on established trails popular with walkers and bikers, and several near collisions with pedestrians who are either too slow, too inattentive, or too inconsiderate to "share the road."  I know what some of them are thinking.  "Hey, what's a bike doing on a bike trail!?  There's also the risk of further injury to an already trashed back, especially when I don't get my foot out of the clip quickly enough to avoid performing a slow roll for amused witnesses.

Oh, yes, about that dog poop!  There's ten feet of grassed border on both sides of this trail.  Do you think you could clean up after your dog, or at least escort him or her to a less traveled dump site?  Do you know what it smells like and feels like when you get sprayed by poop vaporized when you hit it at hight speed?  Never mind.  You don't care, do you?  Makes one wonder, "Who do you take out first - the dog, or its owner?"  

You learn alot about others when you're out biking, most of it good.  Most riders are considerate and openly friendly, exchanging greetings and moving on.  Others look right through you, as if to say, "Who gave you permission to speak to me?"  More than once, I've said "Good morning", quickly realized my mistake, and found myself muttering, "Maybe not!"  Depending on which gear they're in, your time to assess their demeanor varies; but, I'm a people watcher; and I enjoy sizing people up, so to speak.  I'm good at it; and yes, even thought it seems non-PC to do so, I "profile."  I'm sure this stems from survival skills learned during my military time in days of old (Go Army!).

I could write a book about my interpretation of others' apparent mental state and station in life just from my brief observations of those I share the trail with.  Some are quite colorful, literally, decked out in the latest, most colorful skin tight fashions, mounting the most high-tech gear.  Others are like me - "Hey it fits, it's mine; and it doesn't interfere with my movements.  What's wrong with that?"

I love the whooshing noise the younger folks make when they zip by in their brilliantly painted aerodynamic garb, riding bikes fresh off the engineer's designing board and weighing less than the Camel Back I wear.  I look at those thin little, high-speed tires, and I think, "No way, dude!  You put me on top of a pair of those; and there's gonna be one loud explosion!  Not to mention the wreck that seems to go on forever, even if filmed at normal speed."  Most of these young guys, and a few young gals are flight students from the Navy base at the end of the trail.  They can afford the gear, they're required to remain in top physical condition; and it suits them well.  They can also get away with their near-naked appearance.  Makes one reminisce about how it used to be before age, family responsibilities, infirmity, and wisdom set in.

It always takes me aback when I encounter the non-sociables, folks who don't speak, folks that are apparently too preoccupied and distracted by personal problems, private thought, or social status to offer more than an irritated or alarmed glance.  "You talking to me!?" 

In the process of planning and equipping myself for this ride, I've met several new friends, renewed some acquaintances with others, and enlisted moral support from family members.  Some of these folks have sponsored me with donations to help defray trip expenses, and others, business owners, have provided promotional assistance, biking equipment, and maintenance support.  I'm very grateful for the way they've encouraged and supported this venture.  Still others have pledged to pay me so much per mile completed that will be donated to the American Legion.  Thank you all!  I'll do a better job of acknowledging your contributions soon.

In Sept of '05, back surgery permanently altered how I walk through life, literally.  Whereas before my surgery, I had been able to walk for hours and miles on end, and enjoyed doing so, three fuzed disks left me temporarily partially paralyzed with fairly severe leg pains and the inability to stand motionless or sit upright for more than a few minutes at a time without causing my left leg to fall asleep.  The standing and sitting limitations persist five years later; and this has helped add a great deal of unwanted weight to my body.  I can deal with that; but, as I discovered last week when I was learning how to use my new shoes and pedals with clips, I don't do well with falls.  After several days of fall-induced sciatica, I'll be more careful to plan ahead.  In fact, I won't use the clips at all when riding in heavier-trafficked areas.  I don't think I'll be able to endure many repeats of that maneuver without returning to the days of paralysis and near-constant pain.

East Coast Greenway Ride for Veterans

Hello Riders,

Following this brief introduction is the text of a press release prepared by Herb Hiller of the East Coast Greenway in Florida, which covers the details of my impending 1172 mile roundtrip ride on Florida's East Coast Greenway, which runs between the Fl/Ga border to Key West, Florida.  I will begin my trip on October 1, 2010 on the Atlantic Coast at Port Saint Lucie, which is approximately mid-distance on my trip, and head north to Fernandina Beach on the Fl/Ga border.  On October 8, I should lauch on the southbound portion of my trip to Key West.  If all goes well, I'll average 50 miles per day pedaling and arrive in Key West on Oct 21.  Starting Oct 22, I'll begin the final leg of my journey back to Port Saint Lucie, arriving on Oct 29.

The purpose of the trip is three-fold:
1.  To say thank you to, and call attention the needs of America's war veterans
2.  To help promote Florida biking opportunities, in particular the East Coast Greenway
3.  Personal fitness.

I welcome other riders to join me en route; and I look forward to meeting many of you you.  I welcome contributions to help defray the cost of this trip; and all along my route, I will be soliciting tax-decuctible donations to the American Legion, which is America's largest veterans organization.

I will video, photograph, and journal this trip and will have several opportunities per week to respond to your posts here.  I expect to lose as much as 30 pounds of unwanted body weight on this trip.  Check out my "before the ride" picture posted on this blog; and follow my progress reports along the way.  You can e-mail me at greenriders@earthlink.net.  You can phone me at:  (850) 529-4473.  I will check for messages several times per day; but, for riding safety reasons, I will likely not be able to immediately answer every call.

Al


TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE

Albert E. Melvin, 63, a native of Milton in the far western Panhandle, will become the first known cyclist to bike the Florida route of the East Coast Greenway both ways in a single journey. He plans to start October 1st and will dedicate his ride to improving awareness of military veterans' health issues.

In a nine-year U.S. Army career, Melvin, during the war years of 1968 to 1970, served as a Cobra helicopter pilot in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and then as an air ambulance pilot with the Army National Guard. He later flew for Mobil Oil in the Gulf of Mexico, for the Florida Division of Forestry, and worked as an air traffic controller in Anchorage, Alaska and in Leesburg, Virginia.

Melvin says he learned about the 586-mile route of the East Coast Greenway through Florida by online research about “a route that had a beginning and an end that I could handle in about a month. So much the better keeping the ride entirely in Florida; because people need to know about this kind of route happening in our state, even if it’s as far east as you can get from where I live.”

About 200 miles of the route between Fernandina Beach and Key West are now off-road and paved, the balance mainly along Highway A1A, quiet roads and streets that parallel the shore road, and otherwise along roads closer to U.S. 1 than A1A.

Melvin plans to park his car in Port St. Lucie and then begin riding about 50 miles a day, first north to Fernandina Beach, then south to Key West and north again to Port St. Lucie.

He’ll ride a Trek 830 Antelope, equipped with lights, pulling an Aosom two-wheel tag-along bike trailer, which will weigh about 60 pounds when loaded with lightweight clothing, tent and sleeping bag, first aid and shaving kits, batteries, high energy snack bars, water, and emergency equipment.  He will wear a Camelback [hydration system, helmet, and gloves. A handlebar bag will hold additional person items. A locking, weather resistant hard-side cargo bin mounted on the rear bike rack will hold repair gear. He will tune up the bike before he leaves and will modify his trailer to accept the same caliber wheels as his bike.

 “Depending on the weather, I plan to camp along the way, to rough it as much as possible,” says Melvin.

However, as word has gotten around about his ride, offers have been coming in for at-home hospitality. In Port St. Lucie, Melvin has been asked to join a veterans memorial dedication. In Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island Trails has invited Melvin to speak. In Miami, the advocacy group Green Mobility Network plans to organize a meeting around his time there.

Between now and the start of his ride, Melvin, unemployed, is soliciting sponsors and donors to help meet his expenses but also to raise funds for the American Legion for use in its veterans assistance programs. He asks that donors channel their contributions through American Legion Post #78, 6025 Spikes Way, Milton, Fl  32570.

Melvin will begin his trip as an ordinary cyclist.  He says “I've occasionally biked the Blackwater Heritage Trail here in Santa Rosa County.  Other than that, my riding has been limited to local area exploration, with no trip taking more than five or six hours.”  He’s spending September training on his bike modified for the trip.

Melvin distinctly ended his flying career piloting the same type helicopter that he cut his teeth on 35 years before. He calls the Cobra "a rocket ship with rotor blades that also became part of my body, an extension of a seventh-sense, difficult to put into words, but nevertheless experienced at the cellular level. 

“When that bird soared, my spirit soared.  When she shuddered and didn't feel right, I was out of sorts and apprehensive as well."

His love affair with the Cobra ended after nearly 10,000 accident-free flight hours when he twisted his back trying to keep his machine from damage ahead of an advancing thunderstorm.

That led to surgery for three fused vertebrae

Melvin says, “Having spent most of my life looking down on earthbound creatures, and capable of accurately predicting where I would be at a given time, I now find myself grounded in reality, walking and pedaling like everyone else, looking up frequently, and wondering how on earth anyone ever gets around without a helicopter.” 

Of this ride, Al's wife of 38 years, Sylvia, a teacher and freelance writer, jokes, "Most men have a midlife crisis in their 50's.  Al waited 'til his 60's." 

* * * * * *

“I acknowledge that in this perilous economy, veterans are perhaps just another group that competes for our attention; but few other folks in this nation have ever been required to lay everything on the line the way they have, often at the risk of permanent disability or death, and often unable to adequately provide for themselves and their families.  If the politicians that are so quick to dispatch our soldiers all over the globe were first required to serve under similar circumstances, I'll bet we wouldn't have this problem of veterans in need.  Nor would it be so bad, if so many of our leaders didn't exhibit the attitude that our soldiers are an expendable commodity, if for no other reason, just because they are volunteers.  These attitudes contribute to the problem of inadequate funding for veteran treatment - hence, the reason for this trip.”

* * * * * *

EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE BIKE TRAIL

FLORIDA/GEORGIA BORDER TO KEY WEST

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

DAY TARGET AREA   

1 Oct 1   Port St. Lucie

2 Oct 2   Melbourne

3 Oct 3   Titusville

4 Oct 4   Daytona Beach

5 Oct 5   Crescent Beach

6 Oct 6   Jacksonville Beach

7 Oct 7   Fernandina Beach

8 Oct 8   Ponte Vedra

9 Oct 9   Ormond Beach

10 Oct 10   Titusville

11 Oct 11   Melbourne

12 Oct 12   Vero Beach

13 Oct 13   Port St. Lucie

14 Oct 14   Palm Beach

15 Oct 15   Ft. Lauderdale

16   Oct 16   Miami

17 Oct 17   Florida City

18 Oct 18   Key Largo

19 Oct 19   Long Key

20 Oct 20   Big Pine Key

21 Oct 21   Key West

22 Oct 22   Bahia Honda Key

23 Oct 23   Long Key

24 Oct 24   Key Largo

25 Oct 25   Florida City

26 Oct 26   Miami

27 Oct 27   Del Ray Beach

28 Oct 28   Jupiter Island

29 Oct 29   Port St. Lucie

* DAILY SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO WEATHER & MAINTENANCE.