2009 Muddy Angels

Stage 7 Stauton VA to Roanoke VA

Ride Date Friday 5-22-09

FINISH!!! And not a mile to soon. We rolled out of Stauton Virginia around 7:30 am. The majority of the day was in touring format. We rode through more rolling hills and short climbs towards Roanoke on tired legs and sore behinds. We formed into parade format in Hollins and received an escort into the outskirts of Roanoke, where we met the Kentucky Route riders (all two of them). We then proceeded in parade format with a large escort of emergency vehicles through Roanoke to downtown and the finial destination at Hotel Roanoke. We were welcomed by a large crowd that included families of the fallen victims and the Pittsburgh EMS Pipe and Drums Band. After a few photos, everyone scattered for dinner etc. David and I scrambled to pick up our rental car, break down and pack our bikes, and ship them. We then hurried over for one more dinner with the group, and a few quick good byes. We then drove about an hour to Lynchburg, Virginia and our hotel where we immediately crashed.

88 miles total for the day. 550 miles for the official ride total + 40 miles for Team 3022's warm up ride the day before brings the total to 590 miles! And my legs still feel every mile. I'm going to be a little glad not to see my bike for a week while it's in transit!

Skyline Virgina to Staunton Virgina

Ride date Wednesday 5-21-09

We had roughly 20 more miles to go on Skyline Drive (with more climbs) this morning as we made our way along the ridge and ultimately off. After the pain of the climbs on tired legs, we were treated to a fast and long downhill. We then turned into the rolling hills in the valley and made our way from Harrisonburg Virginia to Staunton Virginia. It was a fantastic day despite being tired, and I made it in early again today as we were allowed to ride at our own pace. The sun was out and the temperature was in the upper 80s. The day didn’t go as well for some of the others. There was one rider who crashed coming off skyline drive and had to go to the hospital for stitches. I hear he is OK. Another rider had an allergic reaction but is also reported to be doing fine. As for Team 3022, we finished half strong as David had a mechanical breakdown in Harrisonburg. He was able to get his bike fixed and will be able to ride the last stage tomorrow. I have to a say I am excited that the end is in sight. My legs couldn’t take much more without a rest day.
PS I also crashed just after Dave’s breakdown but came out unscathed. My bike received some minor damage but is also OK. 74 miles total today with 3700 feet of total ascent.

Day 5 Woodstock Virginia to Skyline, Shenandoah National Park

Ride date Wednesday 5-20-09

Let the climbs begin! We started a beautiful day in the rolling hills and valleys of Virginia. After an escorted ride we arrived at the north entrance to the Skyline Drive near Front Royal. We had a quick lunch and headed up a 4 mile climb. We spent the rest of the making several decent and climbs along the ridge. Ultimately, and very tired, we ended at Skyline Resort about 41 miles into the drive. We had 7061 feet of total ascent in 71.6 miles with much of the ride at 2500-3000 feet elevation. It was an awesome day and a real test. There were some awesome views as the Shenandoah National Park is beautiful.

Stage 4 Washington DC

Ride date Tuesday 5-19-2009

We started the morning with a buss ride from Georgetown Delaware to the outskirts of Washington DC. We started the morning with a 10 mile ride escorted by the Maryland State Police into DC and the Capitol. We had a stop for a ceremony at the crash site of Trooper 2, a Maryland State Police helicopter that went down in September of last year in a park in bad weather while attempting to take two accident victims to the hospital. All three crew members and one of the patients perished in the wreck. After arriving at the capitol, we had lunch on the lawn. Part of the group went to meet with representatives about getting line of duty deaths for EMS workers. A bill was introduced that day to the house of legislators. There were over 20 meetings and the day was a huge success from that standpoint. After lunch we took a subway to the west outskirts and continued our ride. We were pulled off the course after 20 miles and taken to the hotel by the organizers due to unsafe roads and course marking errors. This was a pretty big disappointment but everyone made it in safely. Fortunately, David and I had put in 40 miles in NYC the day before the ride started, and that's about what we did not get to ride that day. So our total mileage will not be lacking from what we expected to do. We ended up on a buss to Woodstock Virginia and our hotel.



For an awesome tribute video for Trooper 2, click this link.

Stage 3 Tinnicum Township (Philadelphia) to Georgetown, DE

(You might have to click play twice)

Another 100 miles covered. Long day from Philadelphia to Georgetown, DE. Really awesome reception yet again from all of Delaware and especially from Georgetown, as the video above shows just a small part of this. The way we have been received and welcomed into the communities that we ride through make the miles worth it. We had a cool morning with sunshine in the afternoon and a welcomed tail wind as well as flat (and I mean flat) roads! We cruised in parade/escort format all day. A big shout out to the Delaware State Police! And a big shout out to the Sussex County EMS for a great feed at the end (be sure to click the link for information about the service...they have an interesting way of doing things out here)! All in all a good day despite my flat which only took a couple of minutes to change at the roadside, then back on the road! Another early morning ahead and in Washington DC tomorrow morning!

Stage 2 East Brunswick to Tinnicum Township (Philadelphia)

Extremely long day in the saddle today. Departed East Brunswick New Jersey at 7am. Due to some route marking errors and a bridge out took a few wrong turns. What was to be a 90 mile day turned into 110. 7 hours and 22 minutes in the saddle. Wow... But we made it safe and sound. Feed extremely well on the route at lunch by the Second Alarmer's Fire/WMS Department in Bryan Athyn, Pennsylvania after crossing from New Jersey at Washington's Crossing. Then we were received by Collingdale Fire Department. Let me tell you, when these guys put on a feed, they put on a feed. I'm sure any food would have tasted great after 110 miles, but this was spectacular. Big thanks out to those guys. Off to Georgetown Delaware tomorrow morning. 100 miles. Gonna be cold in the morning but should be dry. Lucky the rain missed us for the most part this morning. Really tired and a 630 start so off to bed. More tomorrow.

Eric

PS This has been a really emotional ride. From the 13 year old who joined us for an 18 mile stretch who's Father was killed in the line of duty to the people and public service officials standing on the side of the road cheering...A BIG THANKS TO YOU ALL!!!! Another shout out to our volunteer support. This ride would not be possible without you!

Stage One Tarry Town, NY to East Brunswick, NJ

72 miles covered from Tarrytown, NY to East Brunswick, NJ. Police escort over 85% of the way. Went through the Bronyx, Harlem, Time Square, Manhatten, Staten Island, and down into New Jersey. Would post more but its been a really long day riding in parade format for most of the day. Foggy in the morning the Sunny. Have an early day tomorrow....wheels rolling at 6:30 AM for 90 miles! Btw 90% chance of rain in the AM.

NYC!!!

Just got into New York. Was a very long day of travel. Flight delayed out of Dallas, and we arrived just in time to make our connection from Atlanta. Once at LaGuardia, we found out our pickup didn't have enough room, so we were left to our own ingenuity. Little did we know we were in for an adventure! Ended up on a bus to Harlem (the rougher side as we found out after a block walk from the bus station to the train station). Then up to Tarrytown NY and our hotel by train. So after a great dinner in the hotel and a 19 hour day I’m ready for bed! Tomorrow we are going to try to get our bikes ready for the ride and do a little sightseeing! May even try to ride out with NYFD on an ambulance…

Ride to honor Oklahoma EMTs

National EMS Memorial Two state paramedics salute fallen comrades

Link to NewsOK.Com Article

BY DAVID ZIZZO
Published: May 11, 2009
Daily Oklahoman
Eric Grider used to ride with Shane Gilmore and Shawn Skelly. Next week, Grider and a friend will be riding in their memory.
Eric Grider, above, and David Seng, right, plan to complete a 600-mile bicycle ride in memory of paramedics Shane Gilmore and Shawn Skelly. Photos provided
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Grider, 30, of Davis and David Seng, 43, of Norman will participate in the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, a 600-mile bike ride from New York City to Roanoke, Va., from May 16-22. Grider and Seng, both paramedics and registered nurses, will be riding as Team 3022 in honor of Gilmore and Skelly, paramedics who were killed on duty Oct. 6, 2002, while helping a traffic accident victim. Gilmore’s medic number was 30, and Skelly’s 22.
Gilmore, 31, and Skelly, 27, were at the accident scene on Interstate 35 south of Ardmore helping a woman into their ambulance when a driver lost control during a rainstorm. The driver’s sport utility vehicle struck and killed the two paramedics and the woman.
Grider got to know Gilmore at an ambulance service in Pauls Valley, where Gilmore worked with a partner. "I was really inspired by their skills and knowledge as paramedics.”
Later, Grider trained under Gilmore and Skelly at Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service in Ardmore.
Seng said he decided to ride in the EMS Memorial Ride after watching a presentation at a conference in Enid. A speaker displayed a map showing states of cyclists participating. "We didn’t have anybody from Oklahoma,” he said. Oklahoma had lost three emergency medical technicians in the state since 2002, he said. The third was Janez Case, 51, of Clayton, who died Feb. 1, 2007, after an ambulance she was riding in left the road and rolled near Talihina.
Seng, clinical manager for Integris One Call Center in Oklahoma City, is a longtime cyclist, so the memorial ride was a natural.
"I’ve really, really got to do this,” he decided.
Seng asked Grider whether he would be interested, then the two approached Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service officials to ask "would you guys be OK if we did this?” Seng said. "We just started the ball rolling.”
Grider and Seng have been riding about 100 miles a week to prepare for the memorial ride, which will cover more than 600 miles in seven days. "If the wind doesn’t blow as hard as Oklahoma, this is going to be a nice ride,” Seng said.
Besides honoring the fallen EMTs, Grider and Seng say they’re riding to bring attention to the fact that EMTs do not receive any state or federal life insurance or survivor benefits like police and firefighters.
Grider and Seng are collecting donations to help pay their expenses, with the rest going to the "Fallen Angels Family Fund.”
Memorial representatives have called on riders to try to meet with members of their congressional delegations when they pass through Washington, D.C., to urge lawmakers to fund death benefits for EMTs.
Seng said EMTs face two major risks: getting hit by vehicles at the scene of an accident and being assaulted as they tend to injured people. "It’s very risky,” he said