Arizona

Time sure is flying on this trip! Can not believe we just finished day #9 and are about to enter our 3rd state, New Mexico, tomorrow along with a time change getting me closer to my normal schedule. Tomorrow will also be a monumental day for several of the riders. It will be a lot of people 1st ever century (100 miles) ride! What a special accomplishment but it should be relatively manageable by all of us after the mountains we have faced recently. The team as a whole is finally use to everyone's personalities and we are chugging along and as adhesive as a group that's known each other for years. I already feel so privileged to have know and to share this life changing adventure together.

Day 5- we rode 85 miles to Buckeye, a suburb southwest of Phoenix. There was more carrot and not so nice of smells during the 1st half of the ride. Overall it was a pretty in eventful ride as I'm sure you can imagine the desert being. As a side note- I am very impressed with the irrigation system and canals they run in the desert. It is confusing how efficient the Southwest is with their water and farming compared to the areas known for farming and disparity they face during a "drought".

Day 6- We rode across Phoenix from the southwest suburb to the northeast suburb, fountain hills. I loved the country side but was ready to enjoy an urban setting in a city I've never been in. It ended up being quite a slow day with traffic and lights but I enjoyed it. We stopped outside of Mexican restaurants during our 1st and 2nd stops in which I fully enjoyed the selections there were rough parts of town but also remarkable areas such as scottsdale. Finally the last 10 miles were on an open highway and we got to push ourselves at the end to feel a little burn for the day. A doctor lent us her house that evening while she was out of town. It was a huge, wonderful house allowing a warm shower and a bed to sleep on finally along with grapefruit trees she allowed us to pick from on her back yard. Her daughter was adorable, leaving notes throughout the house of do's and don'ts.

Day 7- Rest day in Phoenix! We actually packed up and stayed at the JCC which is a Jewish club similar to a YMCA. Their facilities were the best yet. I spent most of the day at a coffee shop working on residency paperwork and events in Oklahoma (I've posted a couple on Facebook). Then intended the day enjoying more Mexican food and relaxing in the whirlpool at the JCC.

Day 8- should I even talk about it.... we rode about 65 miles with over 7000 feet of elevation to Payson, which is impossible to get in oklahoma. I was actually excited for the trip but ended the day beaten after several flat tires, losing my eye contact, and missing a turn adding miles to my ride. We ended up at a campsite and enjoyed another night of great music from fellow riders along with a camp fire and s'mores of course. The fellowship lifted my spirit after the rough day but so did the thought of being on crew the next day. All in all, I had a blast this day and have ended each day realizing how blessed I am with the opportunity to not only enjoy riding my bike but to also get to share my passion about global health with others. Never have I felt such a rewarding and worthwhile feeling for myself.

Day 9- crew day on the 85 mile ride to Snowflake. It would have been a great day to ride but I needed the mental break. The ride went from desert to deciduous forest to pine forest to grassland. The first half was also along a rim making breathtaking views from the roads.

Thank you for the continued support and please continue to follow this blog along with even more updated Facebook and twitter pages. I feel like twitter is starting to feel somewhat more comfortable for me to use but I still have a ways to go. Also follow r4wh.org for even more info about events and our group blog. Thank you and love you all greatly.

Goodbye Cali!

What an adventure so far! I am soaking in each day and moment right now. The feeling I have and share with all the other riders is one of freedom. We have been so busy and stressed constantly for so many years pursing our careers in medicine and now on this ride we are free from all of that, focusing on one goal that we all share and are passionate about. A life living out of a bag while not being reliant on others or technology makes me appreciate life in general. It's difficult to accurately share how great it feels but is one I need to hold on to and remember from now on.

So we are now on day 4 of our trip and so much has happened. We are now more a team and more a group of friends that share a unique, special bond from now on. I've ridden some with nearly every rider and have heard quite a few incredible stories and backgrounds that humble myself and where I'm at in life.

Day 2- my Garmin was charged and ready to go after the mishap on day 1. We left the mountains I'm fashion, nearly topping out at 50mph personally, everyone crushed the day giving us lots of free time on the afternoon. We stayed at a church/school in Westmoreland,CA that catered to children with rough upbringings. After arriving I joined a discussion over my nutrition PowerPoint with a classroom full of brilliant young teenagers. Then they took revenge of us lecturing to them by completely dominating us at volleyball! There had to have been some future all-star athletes in that group! We enjoyed a Mexican dinner and getting to know our host and the inspiring work she has dedicated her life to. Side note- carrots and avocado country is here! They were growing everywhere!

Day 3- we nearly had a century ride (100 miles) with a total of 94.5 miles logged. We will have plenty of chances to surpass that feat in the next several weeks. We did successfully make it out of Cali and into our second state, Arizona! The ride was mostly in the desert with some tough spots, with lots of head and cross wind most of the day and road work causing us to walk a few steps across a closed, destroyed section of road instead of doing a 50+ mile detour. We did pass through a rec area full of people exploring the dunes and had a great tail wind for a 20 mile section where we flew at over 30mph. We rode into Yuma and stayed at the nicest, largest high school I have ever been in. I missed the lectures that day as they took place in the morning by the crew members but my PowerPoint was used again to teach some basic nutrition to elementary kids. I'm looking forward to having the chance to present my work to a group soon but am so glad it is coming into such great use for everyone. My research and passion for learning about chronic disease is something I always love sharing about and seeing other people becoming interested in. That evening at the school we played HORSE in the gym and I was dominated since its been at less 4 years since shooting a basketball. It's not "like riding a bike", you do loose the form and skill of shooting.

Day 4- I was on crew which consists of preparing meals, marking the course, aiding rest stops, cleaning, and helping with the logistic for the day. We are a self sustained group which means we all must do our part to help ever so often. This keeps our cost down even more and allows us to make the most of our donations we receive by aiding our global non profit health organizations. I have a "servant leader" attitude so of course I loved the day but sure missed riding. I did run a few painful miles for some bad reason and will be taking a break from that for a while to focus on the ride. Tonight we are staying in another school gym in Dateland,AZ. It was another shorter day of 65 miles which allowed extra time to hang out. I ha my 1st date flavored shake, made a great chicken stir fry dinner for 25 people, and then we ended the day with a jam session with guitar, harmonica, and singing that involved most of the group and lasted a few hours. Showering has been an issue, yesterday no hot water and today using a garden hose outside, but that truly adds to the adventure and to what I talked about in the beginning of this now long post. I could go on for a while about everything but will make you wait.

Please go to r4wh.org for more info and my personal page if you would still like to donate. Also look for my Facebook and twitter account along with ride for world health's twitter and Facebook for the most updates. I have tons of awesome info about Oklahoma events that I will post in a few days once we have Wi-fi in Phoenix. I'm excited about the events and think with your help we can make it the best part of the ride for all the riders. Thank you everyone once again for the support though this life changing journey for myself, the people we encounter, and the people benefiting around the world.

And We are off!

It's just day 1 and so much has happened. We got to San Diego and got a crash course on the city as quickly a possible. We headed to the beach, got to the cliffs for sunset, and then had dinner in the Gas Lamp district.

I had to say goodbye to Katie yesterday morning for the next 3 weeks. She is incredible and so supportive of all my crazy goals and adventures. I am one lucky guy. I met the gang, we had a "warm-up" ride with over 1000 ft of elevation in 18 miles and then dipped our rear tires in the frigid ocean at Mission Bay!

Today was the toughest 65 mile ride I've ever done. It was actually tougher than any 100 mile ride I've ever done. We left the hustle of San Diego and headed to the mountains of central Cali to Julian. We had over 7000 feet of elevation gain today with a viscous head wind the second half of the ride. We knew the second we had made it out of the city, the country side is so amazing and the ride today although tough was also my most favorite ride I've ever been on. My leg felt great that had been bothering me the past few weeks. My garmin unfortunately has no battery life this morning but if it was anyway that I didn't have it, it would be today when my cadence (pedals per minute) didn't need to be tracked since I was in my lowest gear and just peddling as fast as possible.

Once in Julian, I met up with the "crew" for the day giving lectures as the local library. It feels so rewarding already to have started the ride and talk one-on-one with people about our cause and all the interest they have in it. You can of course still donate at my personal rider page at R4WH.org. And again if you would like more info about any of the Oklahoma events let me know and ill be posting them here when we get closer.

I'm posting a few times during the day on my Facebook and twitter accounts if you'd like more smaller updates. Thank you everyone for all of the continued support!

Trip to San Diego

Trying out the blogger app on my IPhone today. Hopefully this will work out well during the ride instead of having to pull out my laptop constantly.

Well, we end (or begin) in San Diego today. I've had a great time the past few days. With it being Katie's spring break we made a mini vacation out of getting to San Diego with a day at the Grand Canyon, a stop in Vegas for St Patrick's Day, and now a day and night in San Diego before our ride orientation/retreat tomorrow. The bike has hung on for dear life on the back of the car for the past 1300 miles and is ready to start this journey.

Everyone keeps asking if I am nervous for the trip and Katie thinks I'm crazy for answering "not really" to everyone. Sure I've been a little nervous right before a test or a race but those are just the jitters and adrenaline rushing. In general, I ten to ignore and overlook an nervous feelings. It just causes distraction from the opportunities in front of you. I am more so just excited and ready for all the hard work the past 9 months training, fundraising, planning, and researching to finally pay off. I want to just express my gratitude to everyone again that is helping make this adventure a real thing as well. I am blessed with so many amazing people in my life that support me through everything.

Ill update everyone in a couple days on how the retreat and the 1st day of climbing from sea level to the mountains goes. Also I will hopefully have the final specifics on the events in Oklahoma by then. Register for the community/solidarity Ride in Tulsa on April 13th with Mcnellie's for lunch afterwards at r4wh.org. Or let me know if you would like to help out and volunteer that morning.

It's the final countdown!!!

In 2 weeks I will dip the back tire of my bike into the Pacific Ocean and begin the most adventurous and possibly life-chainging trip of my life so far. I will be along side a group of like minded people that I have never met but 54 days later when we dip our front tires into the Atlantic Ocean I know I will have made several lifelong friendships. On top of that I know our efforts from the past year and the next 2 months will have made a positive impact in the world.

Everything has fallen perfectly into place! I am only about $200 dollars away form reaching the $2700 needed to participate in the ride. I'm so thankful for everyone who has donated. There is still time if you are interested. You can visit my personal page here: http://r4wh.org/team-r4wh/blake-middleton/. The Solidarity/Community Ride is set for Tulsa on April 13th with lunch at McNellie's afterwards for anyone interested! I'll definitely be looking forward to one of their burgers by then! There is a 30 mile and 15 mile biking option. Here is the link to register http://www.active.com/cycling/tulsa-ok/ride-for-world-health---solidarity-ride---tulsa-ok-2013 or let me know if you would like to volunteer for this event. We will also be having a smaller Solidarity/Community Ride in Norman on April 10th along with a wine tasting event during our stay in Norman. I'll bring you specific times and locations for those soon! All of our nights in Oklahoma are booked and confirmed and I'm most excited to make a huge impact on Oklahoma's view of health as we travel through the state.

I also finished my research paper and presentation this week! I am not very gifted when it comes to writing so this was a task I was happy to complete. I love researching and reviewing articles so that was quite enjoyable. I decided to research how to prevent non-communicable (chronic) diseases (NCDs) through diet. I discussed the great impact of NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cancer has on all of us throughout the world. NCDs are the #1 cause of death and disability worldwide with 80% of these occurring in developing countries and 40% of the deaths resulting in premature death. The financial impact is huge as well, as 75% of global health care dollars are used to treat these diseases. We know the potential power that a proper diet can have on our health but most people do not know specifically what to focus on besides eating their veggies and keeping a "balanced diet". I researched the detrimental effects of fructose and artificial sweeteners on increasing obesity and other risk factors in the development of NCD, the need to replace those items with healthy fats, and finally how new research is showing promising results by the use of intermittent fasting and how to incorporate it into one's daily life. I was looking for a way to attach my documents or have a way for you to download them if interested but I am still blogger incompetent so let me know if you'd like to take a look and I can email you a copy.

Training was going well, but about a week ago I began experiencing quite a bit of pain in my right leg. I have a history of several lower back problems and this seemed to have stemmed from these past injuries. I'm not sure what caused this pain as it came on progressively in the middle of last week and not the weekend when putting in tons of miles. I've had similar pain before but a few easy days of training, foam rolling, and stretching usually improves the issue. Not so much luck this time, so I decided to visit a chiropractor for the first time ever! I had my 2nd treatment today with a 3rd scheduled tomorrow. The pain is not an issue while riding so there is no doubt I will be ready the 1st day of biking but it causes quite a bit of discomfort while sitting and lying in bed at night. A prayer for improvement in the next couple weeks would be greatly appreciated!

So with all that said, I AM READY for this adventure. My sleeping pad came in the mail today and my brother-in-law Rob is allowing me to borrow his sleeping bag. My bike is in the shop right now getting a final tune-up and the biggest things left is to get in one last weekend of quality training and to start packing! Thank you again everyone for all the support through kind words, prayers, help with planning, and financially. My next post should be coming from the road next week with lots of info about the ride and pictures of the adventure!