Closet Training - by Shane Stutzman

A Recap of POPs in 2013

On Saturday, December 28, I did my final ride in 2013. I drove down to the Sedona Cottonwood area for a ride through Page Springs and then up to Sedona and back to the car. This ride was similar to our year here at POP’s. The distance and course were good with some fun downhills and challenging uphills.

In January, Shannon and I met Roy and Lynn Roden in Casa Grande. Roy has PD and they were riding down the West Coast and then across the Southern US to Florida…..and you thought we were crazy! We rode with them from Casa Grande into Tucson. Carl Ames was there so you know we had a good time. Roy and Lynn now live in Tucson and work at the PWR Gym – a gym dedicated
to helping those with PD keep moving. If you are ever in Tucson, you have to
stop and say hi. I promise you will leave there feeling better.

The amazing Roy Roden!

Also in January, the Team volunteered at the Davis Phinney Foundation Victory Summit in Phoenix. This was an incredible event where almost 1,000 individuals impacted by Parkinson’s gathered to learn from the experts and, more importantly, from each other. Our good friend Carl Ames was recognized as the Local PD Hero by DPF. Carl does not let PD stop him and I don’t think it even slows him down. He remains positive and is always doing something to encourage others diagnosed with PD. Doesn’t he look studious and official? Way to go BOLT!

We had a great time working with our friends from DPF and look forward to their next event. Here is our Team and the DPF Team all intermingled. Just the way it should be – two groups with the same purpose working together so well you can’t tell who belongs where. One of our goals is to get all PD groups working together for the common good.

I love this picture. It is on the side of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center van. Another great group of people we worked with during 2013. In February they had their annual Walk the Fight at Tempe Town Lake in Phoenix. This is how I want to be, excited and with a look in my eyes that tells PD – “Don’t mess with my people!”

In May, the POPs team was at it again – this time at the Arizona Multiple Sclerosis two-day ride in Sedona, AZ. The team put three riders on the road and staffed a rest stop. You see, we may be Pedaling Over Parkinson’s most of the time but we want to help those impacted by other diseases also. Who knows, maybe the funds we raise to find a cure for MS will also find a cure for PD. Wouldn’t that be amazing – knock out two diseases with one pedal stroke!





June 28, 2013 – was huge. It was the day the IRS sent us a letter stating they received our application to be a 501c3 organization. We haven’t heard anything from them since, but then again they have probably been busy do something productive.

In June, we also confirmed our plans to ride again. In 2014 we are riding down the Pacific Coast Highway from April 28 – May 24. We will start in Vancouver, BC and finish in San Diego, CA. Want to ride with us or meet us along the way – we would love it! Send a note to shane@popsride.com and let us know when to expect you. Below is our shirt for the 2014 ride. You can order your own in the store on www.popsride.com.

We can’t remember 2013 without remembering the 19 firefighters taken in the Yarnell Hill fire on June 30.

In July, we learned about a team of four riders riding across the country. This was a special group of riders as they went to high school with Davis Phinney and were raising support for his organization. I had the opportunity to bail on work for a day and ride with them from Sedona to Flagstaff. If you are unfamiliar with this stretch of road, it climbs about 3,000 feet in 20ish miles and the scenery is incredible. Flagstaff welcomed the Friends of Phinney with a powerful downpour and some cool weather.

In August, we went to Colorado to ride the Copper Triangle. This is a one day 70+mile ride over three mountain passes with 2500 of your closest cycling buddies. Always a challenge and always a good time. Shannon, Carl, Jordan (Carl’s son), Joey Gregan and myself all rode. Pops, Mona, Kyle and his family were there to cheer us on. While there, Joey thought we should take a busload
up there next year. What a great idea! Stay tuned as Joey has this way of making things happen.

The rest of the year has been filled with fundraisers – both to help offset the costs of the 2014 Ride and to raise funds for grants. Our Board of Directors has developed a grant process and we are excited about directly helping those impacted by PD for this is why we Ride. You can submit a request by going to www.popsride.com.

Oh yeah, you are probably wondering why this is titled, Closet Training. Closet training is sneaky. You workout – either on your own or with a personal trainer – and don’t let anyone else know what you are doing. We do it to gain strength and surprise our opponents. I feel as though this is what POPs has been doing the last couple of years – learning, developing relationships and getting ready
for our time. Our time to help You. You – the ones impacted by Parkinson’s. We say “our” a lot but it is really about You. You are the reason we do what we do. You are constantly on our minds and drive our decisions. POPs has been training and we are ready to make a difference. 2014 is looking like a good year!

So, that is 2013. We are looking forward to 2014 and our Ride from Vancouver, BC to San Diego. Hopefully, we will meet some of you along the way and make new friends also.

Take Care, Stay Active and always keep the rubber side down.

Respectfully,
Shane Stutzman
President
Pedal Over Parkinson’s, Inc.

2012 – Switching Cassettes for the Long Ride

2012 POP's Ride recap was written by Shane Stutzman for more info check out our Facebook Page

2012 – Switching Cassettes for the Long Ride

 

This may sound trivial but WOW, the year has flown by. Those of us with POP’s Ride are amazed at how quickly we have arrived at the new year.

The Team has been busy this year but not busy enough for the likes of Shannon, Kyle and Shane (SKS). These three have the constant burning they could have done more….they should have done more. Lucky for them, the Team has been supportive and kept them grounded and constantly aware of all that was accomplished.

In April, POP’s members rode in the Arizona MS150 and helped with a rest stop. Few know the importance of the MS150 to SKS – for it is on these rides that their love for cycling and making a difference formed. It is on the training rides for MS that their friendship turned into the bond they have today. It is the MS150, that taught them how to organize a successful event. To Brandee, Sarah and Rachel – thank you!



Shane, Shannon & Keith at Big Ring Century

The Team participated in the Baehr Challenge for Parkinson’s in April. This is a great event in Arizona started by a family impacted by Parkinson’s. Sound familiar?



Our friendship with the Baehr’s is growing and we all have great expectations on how we can have an impact on Parkinson’s.  

Then came summer and we continued our plan for making POP’s widely known. Shane and Shannon rode in the Big Ring Challenge in Newport Beach along with their friend Keith Barr.

 

In June, Shane rode with 11 others with the Davis Phinney Foundation in the 2012 Ride the Rockies (picture below). Yes, Pops was there at every rest stop cheering on the riders with his smile and camera. This team of 12 rode 442 miles over six days and climbed almost 24,000 feet while spreading the word about Parkinson’s and wearing a custom jersey everyone else wanted. Of course, there were about 2,000 other riders to talk to about Parkinson’s. Everyone but those on the team were amazed to learn two of the riders were riding with Parkinson’s.

 



We are amazed with how many people have heard of our small organization. People we don’t know see our shirts and hats and say, “I’ve heard of POP’s”. This is very humbling for three guys who simply ride bike.

During the summer, we became Pedal Over Parkinson’s Inc, an Arizona Corporation! We received our Federal Tax ID number and had our first Board of Directors meeting. The Board consists of Shannon, Shane, Kyle, Rachel Baderman and Carole Hogg. Yes, this is the same Rachel from the MS rides. Thanks Rachel for joining our Board and sharing your knowledge and vision. Carole is an “outside” Board member. She doesn’t ride…yet…and is not involved with the regular planning of our events. Carole comes to us with an incredible dedication to our cause and the directive of challenging SKS to stay focused and keep pushing on.

Pops was also busy during the summer training. His new son-in-law, Tracy Swartz, got the bike bug and started riding with the family. He bought a new bike and has completed many rides with Pops. You should ask Tracy or Pops about some of their rides. On more than one ride, they have ridden further than expected.

Our “adopted” brother Carl Ames rode in the Copper Triangle with his son Jordan. Carl has also been busy planning pancake breakfasts, joining Parkinson’s Boards and meeting with individuals recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

El Tour - El Groupo

We rode in the Tour de Scottsdale and the Tour de Tucson. The Team also worked with Parktoberfest to plan a 5k run and a 5k fun ride. 

 

Parktoberfest 5k run

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During one of our meetings, the question was asked if the Team wanted to plan another long distance ride. The response was a window shattering YES! The decision was made to ride from Vancouver, BC Canada to the US/Mexico border in 2014. Planning has started and you will hear more about this ride in 2013.

 

 

We have also written a Mission Statement:

POP’s is an organization dedicated to raising awareness and support for those impacted by Parkinson’s.

We believe this clearly defines our goal – supporting those impacted by Parkinson’s. We are not focusing on research but helping those impacted by Parkinson’s learn how to live a full, and possibly better, life with the disease.

Of course we can’t recap the year without updating everyone on how Pops and Carl are doing.  The disease is continuing to impact their lives – but they haven’t stopped. In fact, they push us to do more and always encourage the Team to keep moving forward. Sometimes, we wonder who is supporting who.

As the title states, we are preparing our (your) organization for the long ride. Unlike some other diseases, Parkinson’s is not a sprint but a long and challenging ride with many ascents and descents. Some days the wind is blowing in your favor and others it is a constant irritant.

Whatever happens you must keep going – just shift into the granny gear and keep pedaling!

Thank you all for your continued support and interest in our organization.

 

For more information about POPs Ride - check out our website www.popsride.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/POPsRide

 

I'm not Batman

Who am I? What defines me? This has been a question that has come to mind a more than a few times over the last 3 years of my life. I have to believe I am not the only one that has these questions.
There are simple answers for this question, but sometimes those simple answer just don't do it for me. A simply answer looks something like, Husband, Father, Friend... Not that i take any of those things lightly, these are all core values in my life. I strive to be the best husband, father and friend I can be everyday. But I still feel like I am not fulfilled.

There is a line to a song that I will probably will get wrong (thanks US Air - 5hr NS flight and no wifi) by FireFlight:

"I'm moving forward, I'm standing on my two feet - these second chances...will define me"

These line always come to mind when I am faced with this question of what defines me. My second chances can define me. I just have to be open to letting that happen.

How many second chances do we pass up when we can really cash in on the lesson by turning to God for the answer instead of the what "we" think? what the world says? I know I do miss these opportunities. Sometime daily!

I am putting this out there now because of the challenges that I am facing in my life right now and I know I am not the only. Don't let those opportunities pass you by - to do the right thing. I don't know what that looks like for you. I don't completely know what that looks like for me? But I want to know. I want to be able to capture those times and make a difference in a positive light instead of the alternative.

Summer Vacation 2012 - Part 2

Okay, I am going to do my best to keep it short and if there is something I miss I apologize. We really packed alot into 1 week in Ohio. So here we go!

Tuesday the 10th we headed to the Columbus Zoo with My Dad and Linda. We saw all the areas of the zoo and spent a solid 7-1/2 hours at the zoo. It was funny, after hitting all the areas (Africa, Asia, North America, Australia, Aquarium) we all realized on the way out that we didn't see any zebras. We managed to spend all that time there and never did find a zebra. We hit up a good Mexican joint all the way back to the house. Good food, it is funny to come from Arizona and eat good Mexican food in Ohio? go figure. The kids had a blast and we all slept good that night.

Wednesday the guys said at the house and did guy things, and my wife and Linda went to Amish country to shop. We spent the majority of the day outside, we cut up a small tree that blew over on a path in the woods and the kids help clear the path. Isaac and Nathaniel loved. Then we split and stacked wood for the some time. The kids loved it!

We ended the day making a fire out in the yard and cooking hot dogs over it. The weather was just right and the breeze help make it perfect. Sarah and Linda had fun and Sarah was able to experience the Amish country and some Amish food.

Thursday was another packed full day. We headed over to some friends house for lunch. Funny story. One of Sarah's good friends growing up moved to a small city near my dad about a year and a half ago. Of all the places. We were greeted with hugs and smiles. She had a tasty lunch prepared for us and then brownies and ice cream for dessert, in the middle of the day - that is a good lunch experience right there! The kids, took off to the tire swing out back and laughed and had a good time. We spent the afternoon there and went straight to my cousins house for dinner. Again we were greeted with hugs and smiles. I was able to see my aunt and uncle, my cousin Tiffany and her husband Jason, and there son Dominic. My grandma was also invited over and I was able to see her again. The kid, who had never met before took off like kids do and were best friends for the night. Playing in the tree house and running around the yard. Jason grilled some burgers, and my cousin and aunt prepared some delicious sides to go with it. It was topped of with some homemade blueberry cobbler and ice cream. If you are following along at home, you will realize this was in fact my second serving of dessert in one day...:) The best part of the evening was just sitting around the table outside and catching up, telling old stories from when we were kids and laughing. We had a great evening, again the kids were done, way before we got them to their beds, actually we carried them to their beds.

Friday - we hung out around the house, my dad though Sarah his bread recipe that he uses and the kids ran around and showed us tricks they knew how to do. Soon after lunch we headed to the airport to send off Sarah and the kids to go spend 13 days with Grandma and Papa Holmquist. We were sad to see them go, but happy to know they were continuing the fun of this trip. Sarah on the other hand had a goal n front of here making it to on those flights with the kids. you will have to ask her to get the full story.

We dropped them off and had dinner in Columbus, and then off to Costco to load up. I learned something this week. When you live in the country we take advantage of trips to the store. My dad is 25-35 minutes away from most stores that you need to go to. They loaded up the cart, and then put everything into cold bags in the truck so everything would keep for the 60 minute ride home.

I still have Saturday and Sunday to share with you, but it is almost time to board my flight.

Summer Vacation 2012 - part 1

I titled this part one, because I intend to write about the second half of my vacation either on the way home, or when i get home. Hopefully I don't forget.

Last Friday night, when the 4 of us flew from Phoenix to Columbus, OH. I realized this was the first time I had flown with my entire family. Sarah and I took Isaac to Montana once, but we haven't all flown somewhere since Nathaniel was born. We have either drove to our destination or gone at different times and met up and then left at different times.

Summer vacation has been great. We are about 45 minutes north of Columbus in the middle of farm land. I get some cell service and hardly any data service. Both have been fine with me. We have access to the Internet so we aren't flipping out when we can't check our face book or the weather or something. I do feel a little off the grid because I hadn't watched any live TV until last night when I caught the end of the All Star game and then the news. I like to keep my self pretty informed at home, not sure why since most of it is so depressing, but I guess I just like to know what is going on in this crazy world we live in.

Back to vacation, we came in Saturday morning at 12:30am and by the time bags were collected and we drove to my dad's place it was close to 2am. Best part about being up to 2 am with the kids is they slept to almost 10am! Sarah and I still felt like we need more sleep but we were thankful for the 8 hrs we got. Saturday my Dad had a project for the boys and I, more of a project for my Dad and I since the kids were in overload mode with all the new things to explore and see in Papa's backyard. The project was to add a "rock climbing" wall on the side of an existing playground. He had all the lumber and the finger grips to attach, we just had to cut all the parts and assemble. Ended up being a really cool project and the kids love it. Best part was it was something we could all do together.

The only bummer of the day was it was one of the hottest days on record here. They actually received a reverse 911 call because of the extreme heat. And what are we doing, outside in the direct sun light building erecting a wall. All I can say is that my clothes we soaked with sweat through and through, I had to take my 2nd shower of the day after that project was complete. The kids never did stop sweating all day long. We had a BBQ out back, once the sun started to set it cooled off a little, introduced the kids to the endless summer fun of catching lighting bugs. They thought that was the coolest thing ever. We had a little cage they could but them in, I am not sure how many they caught before we put a cap on it. My wife hadn't seen a lighting bug either, so I introduced her the only way I knew how, I caught one, and smashed the glowing element out of the bugs but and smeared it on her arm! She was grossed out, but it was well worth it! Sometime around midnight I took my 3rd shower of the day. It makes me enjoy the low humidity region I live in.

Sunday was a blast as we went into my grandma's house and had a BBQ with all my family on that side. It was so good to see my cousins and all of there kids who I hadn't had a chance to meet until this last weekend. The weather was much better and with a breeze was close to perfect. Took my boys down to the Lexington HS football field were my dad used to play football at all those years ago. I explained to him that Papa used to play on this field and run track around this field when he was in high school. They looked at me and asked when dinner was? Hopefully down the road Isaac remembers it somewhere in that expanding mind of his. We had a great time catching up, Grandma out did herself with all kids of food and sides. I even walked down to the ice cream shop that I have had almost every time I visit. Had the same Sherbert and Vanilla twist cone, and the taste was the same as it always has been. Took me back a few years.

Monday morning was full of physical labor. My dad had spotted a tree that had fell in the corn field. So I learned how to sharpen a chainsaw chain, once we had sharpened 2 chains, we oiled and filled the saws with gas. Then started walking, and walking around the field, through the woods and finally we came upon a tree that was laying in the field. It took my dad and I 2 hours to cut up and pull that tree piece by piece out of the field. Turns out it was a large section of a walnut tree. We were able to get 2 piece of tree that still are 10' plus and 20-22" in diameter. My dad knows a guy with a portable saw mill and for a small fee with cut that tree up in whatever thickness you desire. Once we got that out of the way we hiked back to the house for lunch and a shower. After lunch my dad helped me fabricate a jig for a project. Didn't take that long and it turned out great. For dinner we had camp fire pizza's and apple pie, not a bad way at all to end a day.

Seems my week has been more jammed packed then I originally thought, I need to turn in for the night, but I will have to tell you about the rest of my vacation at a later date.

Only have 2 more days with my wife and kids before they head off to Montana for the rest of the month. I plan on making the best of those two days.

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, without a dope beat to step to.

On July 16th it will have been 1 year since I last posted a blog. What happened to the last 12 months!

Since my last blog, my oldest son has completed Kindergarden, lost a tooth, and doubled in height. Well I am not positive about the his height but he is growing like a weed. It will be interesting to see how tall he ends up being. My youngest has developed a personality like no other. I am convinced he is a desendent of Thor, his blonde hair, his linebacker frame. He has learned how to close his fist and swing it toward my gut when I am least expecting it. Let me be the first to tell you he can throw a punch. My wife has continued with her rockstar status, taking care of our kids full time, working at the church with kids for a portion of the last 12 months and putting up with me all the time. I am a blessed man to have a family like I do. It something that if you are careful you can start taking for granted.

So much has happened in my life and I am still trying to sort through it all and make heads or tails of it. I look forward to sharing more of these situations with you. I feel that I have something to say and that there is something that may want to hear it.

I am currently 40k feet above Indiappolis and I can feel the engines on the plane start to throttle down. My time is short tonight, but I have the next week off and plan on detoxing and clearing my head during that time, not to mention escaping the heat! Time to go, Columbus here we come.

NO MORE FACEBOOK?!?

It is almost 3pm on Saturday afternoon. I have taken care of everything I could fit in before the sun was to much to handle. The temperature is only 103 right now but in the direct sunlight it feels a lot hotter then that. I have retired to the couch watching the Golf and writing this blog. The kids are resting and the house is quiet. 

I am writing this blog to let everyone know that I have closed my facebook account. I actually did it last Sunday afternoon. It was something I was thinking of doing ever since we completed our ride the end of May. A good friend of mine sent me a txt this morning asking why I de-friended him on FB, I told him i shut it down. His response was "did i have a beef with someone?". That thought never crossed my mind, so in discussing this txt communication with my wife she said it would be nice to let people know that i am not going to be on facebook anymore so people know why I am not on there friend list anymore.

For those who are still reading this, the reason I closed my FB account was so that when i come home from work, or on the weekends i want to be 100% focused on my wife and kids. For 6 weeks I lived on FB, it was my connection to the rest of the world. When I got back to "normal" life it was hard to flip that switch off. i would find myself sitting on the couch after a long day at work and be going through my FB, while my kids are begging for attention in different ways. I didn't want any distractions. For me the answer was to shut it down, i would try different things but i was always drawn to "check my facebook" and i just didn't like it. I am thankful to all my friends and the support they provide to me, and i look forward to continuing those friendships. I can always be reached by e-mail at kyle@popsride.com and if you send my a e-mail I will be more then happy to give you my cell number so we can hang out sometime soon.

I am getting close to doing the same to my twitter account, but for some reason I don't feel the need to check it as often as i did my FB? I know I am weird, but that why you are friends with me!

Since last Sunday I have been able to set my phone(s) on the counter and love on my family without a need to keep a phone with me all the time. Will I ever open my account again? maybe?maybe not? I am not really sure, what I am sure of is I am treasuring all the free time i have with my family as well as the time i have to sit and read and find out more about myself.