Happy Memorial Day!

Here is an article from the Military Times about my little brother Mikah and his Marine buddies in Afghanistan:

No running water, but Reilly's got a sweet gym

 

Mikah

Cpl. Mikah Rust, right, gives his shoulders a workout Tuesday with a makeshift barbell at Combat Outpost Reilly, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Joseph Roncolato looks on.

COMBAT OUTPOST REILLY, Afghanistan — There’s nothing like a combat zone gymnasium to make you feel like a doughy, wimpy scrub.

At least that’s the experience I had after checking out the gym here today. I’m a gym rat myself and a veteran of Washington, D.C.’s summer softball leagues, but with the air temperature soaring well above 100 degrees, I was surprised to see Lance Cpl. Joseph Roncolato and Cpl. Mikah Rust, both assigned to Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, pumping iron as though they were in the air-conditioning at their neighborhood Gold’s Gym.

The gym is a sight to behold. A combination of boards, pipes, pulleys, chains, duct tape and sand bags, it allows Marines to work out pretty much every major muscle group. There’s enough room for about 10 people to exercise at one time, far better than the gyms I saw at Camp Hanson and Combat Outpost Yazzie. Bench press? The Marines at Reilly have built a flat bench and an incline bench out of wood, and use a heavy pipe wrapped in chains as a barbell.

Tricep extensions? The Marines built a pulley system that can be adjusted by adding or subtracting sand bags. Bicep curls?  There are a variety of ammo cans packed with dirt and a mysterious set of 40-pound dumbbells, which Roncolato and Rust guessed someone received in the mail. In short, it’s a pretty nice setup – especially when you consider Reilly doesn’t have running water or an indoor chow hall.

As for the temperature, well, it looks like the Marines aren’t fans of working out in the heat, either. “It could be cooler, but we’re used to it, I guess,” said Rust, his drenched T-shirt stuck to his skin. “We actually had that conversation not that long ago,” Roncolato said. “Why are we out here working out at noon?”

Singlespeeds, a Treatment for Cancer?

The best part of racing and traveling full-time is meeting new people. Sometimes we meet cyclists who have overcome a lot, for them riding and racing is a true accomplishment (Grace for example).

Last September I met Jay at a Santa Fe, NM trailhead, he was friendly and gave me local riding info. As I got to know Jay a little more I learned his inspirational story. I ran into Jay again last week, he is as happy and positive as anyone I know.

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4/26/09

Here is part of Jay's story (5/03/09): "Almost exactly one year ago to the day my wife, Sarah, admitted me into the local hospital in Santa Fe. I was 80 pounds lighter and cancer had taken all but my determination. The docs had pretty much given up on me - but I had other ideas. Frankly, I don't remember much about the three week hospital stay but I prevailed and have stymied my doctors even though I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer - mets in the liver, lungs, and lymphs. I had three major surgeries last year including a colon resection and a small intestinal bypass (tumors had totally blocked both my small and large intestines). Today I have regained over 50 pounds and though my chemo treatments will likely continue for a long time, I am extremely active... and in need of a cure. . I rode 17 miles of high-country singletrack including 18 cold, hub-deep stream crossings along with 2,800 feet of gain (the Winsor Trail) [see picture above]. I now ride a singlespeed which my wife bought me this year for Valentine's Day. Every other week I ride with a chemo pump in my rear jersey pocket, ignoring the pleas of the nurses who treat me. I ride 4 - 5 times a week. BTW, I am now 50 years young... Lance might be impressed. . I tell you this because miracles really do happen. The last year of my life was, in an ironic way, the best year of my life. I was granted a reprieve and I grabbed it and held on. Cancer changed me in a very positive way and riding has been an integral part of my recovery." Jay also has an online site GeoManGear which sells GPS Units, Lights, Helmet Cams, First Aid Kits, etc.

Heroes

Who are my cycling Heroes? Who inspires me? Our 2008 Olympic athletes: Georgia, Mary, Todd, and Adam as well as other top pros. These are the people who have "made-it". Now that I know what pro cycling is and how much effort it takes, I really look up to those who have made it to the US podium and have had success in international racing. Mary and Georgia placed 7th and 8th at the Olympics, wow! Other heroes are those who are training to compete, have an additional handicap and don't let that get in the way. A prime example is a friend I met while doing a MTB clinic in Alabama. She raced in the Sport 40+ class in 2008, placed 2nd in the National championship race, won the Tennessee State series and the GA Snake Gap Creek Series. Grace was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis as a teenager. She doesn't have a blog yet (you can find her on Facebook), but here is a bit of her story: "The type of MS that I have is RRMS (relapsing readmitting multiple sclerosis). This disease has not stopped me from living my dream - in fact it has helped me live my dream. Yes I have issues that I have to deal with on a daily basis, such as numb fingers, my right leg dragging, a weak right arm, slight nastagmus, and fatigue. Since I have lived with MS for over half of my life, I don’t really know any differently. I feel as though things could be a lot worse with my MS or most any other disease. I have continued to ride bicycles on a daily basis and have actually become stronger through a lot of hard work and positive attitude. I’m very competitive and will not let MS get in the way of accomplishing my goals. In a way it is like I challenge my MS to catch me. I am living my dream of being a competitive mountain biker with a bonus of getting to share my story of life with Multiple Sclerosis. For me this is the perfect dream. The message I would like people to learn from me is first and for most, don't roll over and die, don't give up, fight like you have never fought before. The outcome is amazing. You will be amazed at what you can overcome in life in general. When I have a flare-up, I keep pushing on in my everyday life. If one sits down and feels sorry for themselves, MS as well as any other disease, will consume you. Surround yourself with a great support system of friends and loved ones. Keep them informed and get them fired up with your passion to be healthy as well as positive. Watch what happens to your friends when they see what you can overcome. It is also very important to learn to manage everyday stresses and eliminate the unnecessary ones. Be as positive as possible!! “Your glass is half FULL,” not “Your glass is half EMPTY”. It would thrill me to make a difference in as many people’s lives as possible by showing them that I’m not just living, I’m thriving with MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS." Grace Ragland