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.