Ride from Akron, Ohio to Hancock, Maryland. 362 miles and 25, 000 feet of climbing.
 

 
Click on the image below to see a video of the 300 feet descent between Bridgeport and Belgium, West Virginia.

28 days until RAAM 2013…

This time last year my sports nutrition was not working as good as it once had. I had been using the same endurance sports drink since my third Ironman in 2006. When I first started racing long-course triathlons I used whatever was provided on the racecourse. In 2006 I Switched to a brand name endurance product and became sold on liquid nutrition. When I train or race 90% of my nutrition is liquid. Last year when I got sick during RAAM my crew was giving me whatever I would keep down; my liquid nutrition went out the window.

Less then a month after I qualified for RAAM in 2010 I hit one of the many potholes in Ohio and cracked my bike frame. I posted on facebook what happened. Mike Drury an old high school friend reached out to help. Mike is one of those people who says, “Ohio is a good place to be from.” He escaped the harsh Ohio winters by moving to the San Diego area and opening Pulse Endurance Sports an amazing bike shop. Mike helped me with two new bikes for RAAM and introduced me to the best nutrition supplements Carbo Pro for Endurance Athletes. This past February I contacted Gr Krishna the owner of Carbo Pro and he agreed to sponsor me. May 2012 Murray Wilmerding from pHitpills, I meet him when I was a RAAM race official in 2011 hooked me up with Extreme Endurance a lactic acid buffer and Daily Multi-Vitamins for extreme endurance athletes. I have been using pHitpills for over a year and Carbo Pro products since February. I feel 100% that this powerful combo will be one of the main tools to get me to the RAAM finish line.

I have been putting these products to the test and feel amazing! This past weekend I road from my home in Akron to TS 45 Ellenboro, WV and then to TS 48 Cumberland, MD. I could not have done this without the help of two of my RAAM crew Jerry and Sue Lynch, and my cycling savant friend Danny Chew. This is my last big training week before I start tapering for RAAM. I feel fully recovered for my last big push thanks to good nutrition.

My father like most young Vietnam veterans took off his uniform soon after getting back in the U.S. and tried to not look back. My father was in Vietnam for 9 months; he was discharged early due to significant hearing loss sustained in combat.  Richard Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973; I was about one years old then.  My father and his fellow veteran’s never received a “Welcome Home.”  Instead they were disrespected.  In 1988 my father’s VFW and several other local Cleveland veterans organizations organized their own “Welcome Home” celebration, “Firebase Cleveland.”  Vietnam veterans welcoming home other Vietnam veterans. The main civilian’s that attended were family members of veterans. I was a teenager then.  My responsibility was to sell POW/MIA buttons and blow-up over 2,500 black POW/MIA balloons (this is a number  I recall). Currently, there are still 1,652 MIA from Vietnam. I remember a few young protesters showing up, with signs ”baby killers.” They were a few years older than I, not old enough to have any personal memories of Vietnam. I was about to go after one of them when the police showed-up and removed them.  My father and his fellow veteran’s proudly marched down the streets carrying their signs, “Welcome Home Buddies.” We the family members stood on the side of the road and cheered for them. After the parade the over 2,500 black balloons drifted into the sky. For the first time since leaving Vietnam my dad put on his Army jacket. A year later we went to Washington, DC on a family vacation and visited the Vietnam Wall. He wore his Army jacket to the wall with a new pair of combat boots he bought before vacation. Shortly after the trip to D.C. he walked away from his career as an accountant and from his family into a life of homelessness that has lasted until now.

photo from Firebase Cleveland 1988

Ohio Vietnam Veterans Day March 30^th 2013

Personally I have a lot of mixed feeling about the first year celebration of Vietnam Veterans Day 40 years later. I am an adult in my forties now.  Tomorrow I will be attending ceremonies welcoming home veterans that returned home from war over 40 years ago. I believe it is my duty as a U.S. citizen to demand more from our government to take better care of our veterans and to support them in the healing process. It is not enough to talk about helping, change requires action.  I asked my father if he wanted to attend Vietnam Veterans Day, I have also talked with a lot of Vietnam vets I know about attending, most of them were not really interested. The other day I was talking with my mother, she said, “your father always regretted taking off his uniform, he felt like he abandoned his fellow veterans.”  Did our country abandon them? What is different now?

Cassie Schumacher is Pedaling for Heroes in her quest for a Solo Finish in RAAM 2013

By Janet Christiansen on Mar 12, 2013 with Comments 1

Fake Homeless

Driving around Akron this holiday session my resentment about the panhandlers was re-triggered. Twice this week, a man on the corner of Market/Portage Path and women on Rt 8/Tallmadge were talking on their cell phone holding their signs asking for money.  The other week I was walking and passed the same man on the corner of Market /Portage Path. As I passed he said,           “ pray for me.” I responded back, “I have for the past few years that you have been standing out here.” He responded, “God has not put the right people in my path.” I responded, “God probably has but you also have to do the work.”  When I see the same people for YEARS holding up a signs asking for money, rotating to different street corners, these people are street hustlers and not true people in need.  Please DO NOT give money to these people. Help people that really need help, donate to homeless shelters.

Real Homelessness

The other day I read a story about a memorial service held in Melbourne, FL to honor all the homeless that died in their community this year. The first line read, “John Bundy had been homeless for more than three years, but he died this month with his family by his side.” John Farrell helped John Bundy; he runs the shelter in Melbourne called the Daily Bread. John Bundy was one of 59 people that were homeless, 24 were veterans that died this year in Melbourne. Stated in the article, Farrell said,  “Not a lot of people want to know. How many people really care about the homeless? But when you see that number, you can’t ignore it.” The last few lines of the article hit home for me:

“John Bundy, who was 61 and suffering from cancer, was independent and homeless by choice, according to his family.

But he didn’t die homeless because his family took him off the streets when doctors said he was near the end.

‘We are glad he didn’t die alone,’ Vera “Betty” Bundy said.” Written by Scott Gunnerson,  FLORIDA TODAY

Merry Christmas Dad

As the daughter of a Homeless Veteran I prepare myself for the day when I will have to deal with the end of my father’s life much like the Bundy’s did. My father is now 67. He has been homeless by choice since age 45.  My father spends the winter months in Georgia at a camp he built on protected government land, a Civil War Fort. He does not ask anyone for help and is self-sufficient living life on his own terms. I went to stay with him in 2010 and met the people that he interacts with daily. I took the time to meet my father on his own terms; we have mutually respect for each other’s beliefs and choices. We are now able to have communication with him more often. Christmas Eve morning I call the Burger King where he spends his mornings reading the paper and drinking coffee and wish him a Merry Christmas. A woman named Courtney answered the phone. I told her who I was and that I needed to talk to my dad, she said, “we don’t have a phone up front anymore he can talk on, but here is my cell phone number, call back and I will let him use my phone to talk.”  This is a true act of random kindness that I am very grateful for. This is what I think life should be like; taking the time to treat people the way you want to be treated if you were in their situation.  It’s kind of sad, but I would say that the staff at Burger King has helped my Dad more then the VA ever did.

Most of my life has been built on the kindness and generosity of others. I believe that those of us that much has been given, much is expected. I am excited to look to the future and be apart of great things that are positively impact people’s lives.  I am tried of all the talk about change in Our Nation, that’s all it is, talk. I will continue to, and look forward to joining with those are trying, as  Ghandi said, to, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

I wish you all a very happy holiday session.

Cassie

Less then one week before TEDx Akron I was asking my friend Chris Brown, what’s TEDx, why should I go? She told me that it was a good opportunity to talk about our new non-profit Pedal For Heroes; she explained the concept behind TEDx events was helping spread, “Ideas Worth Spreading.” That’s all I really knew before, that and the theme,  “uneXpected.”  I decided I would just show up.

I was a bit preoccupied before the event, taking care of some last minute things before leaving the next day on a trip to Hot Springs, NC then to the Blue Ridge Parkway.   I needed to clear my mind, focus working on our charter for Pedal For Heroes.  The TEDx event was good to refocus on our Pedal For Heroes objectives and goals. I loved listening the first speaker Ted Senf speaks about his trip hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  The theme of his talk is something I struggle with, “Travel Light.” As I packed for my trip I thought about what he said, but packed more then I needed, “just in case.”  I think its easier to justify over packing when you are driving on a trip rather then caring everything you have on your back. One of the key things I heard, “everything weighs something.” Two days latter something unexpected happened. I found myself staying in a hostel on the Appalachian Trail in Hot Springs, NC in the company of “thru-hikers.”  What’s a “thru-hiker?” I learned it’s a person that hikes the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, 2,172 miles; most people complete in 4-6 months.  When hurricane Sandy hit the thru- hikers started pouring to seek refuge from the storm in the hostel. Ironically since we all were stuck indoors because of the storm we watched the move “The Way” about the Camino de Santiago. I know this sounds a little to coincidental, but that’s what happens in my life. I get pointed in a direction that I need to go and figure out why I need to go when I get there.  Expecting the uneXpected is one of the things that make getting up everyday exciting.

I am encouraged that there are other people that follow the desires of their heart when it does not make sense, when there is no paved road to travel.  I found the speakers at TEDx very inspirational, people that want to change the world by creating better opportunities for the world around them.  I look forward to be apart of TEDx to share our dream for Pedal For Heroes to better serve veterans, support military families, and Honor Soldiers that have died, on, and off the battlefiel

Thank you Sam and Ned for organizing TEDx Akron.

Sincerely,

Cassie Schumacher

Earlier this week I was riding my bike on Rt 26 near Marietta along the road there were signs “Pray for PFC Kyle Hockenberry & family” on every front yard for 20 miles. When I got to my friends Bud & Judi’s house near Athens’s, Ohio I asked Bud if he knew the Hockenberry family. Bud called his sister-in-law Shelli that knows the Hockenberry’s personally. Shelli told me how the community is rallying to support the family and fundraising efforts that are being done to prepare for when Kyle returns home after his rehabilitation. I started researching, reading articles about Kyle. Everything I read made reference to his tattoo, which reads, “For those I love, I will sacrifice.” Kyle was quoted in The Marietta Times December 30th 2011 as saying about his parents situation, “Their trailer wasn’t in the best of shape before they went to Texas to be with me and it has fallen into such a state of disrepair in their absence it is unlivable.” He then was quoted in the paper saying, “Can you help me get my parents a better home.” Kyle is a 20 year old that lost both legs and his left arm from an IED on June 15th 2011. I am humbled reading Kyle’s story; I don’t know any 20 year olds that would be this unselfish and mature. Next week I plan on volunteering at 5k fundraiser for Kyle in Marietta.

Most of inspirational thoughts I get that directs my life happens on the bike or in the shower. I spend most of my long rides on the bike alone so I have plenty of time to think without interruption; I usually always shower after I bike so there you have it. When I bike I think about people who inspire me to be a better person, challenge me to improve the conditions around me. This week I read the story of a Viet Nam Vet from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio that is riding his bike to work everyday to honor the 58,267 died in Viet Nam. He says on his facebook page, “This is an effort to never forget their sacrifice. For every mile I pedal on my bicycle, I will post names to be remembered that day.” I started to think what if I trained everyday for one of the 275 Ohioans that have died post-911. When would I start? I have committed to several close friends to race RAAM solo next year, which starts June 4th 2013, 9 months and 4 days away; I decided to use this date as my ending date. My heart sank when I started to calculate, I would have needed to start 2 days ago? From September 1st to June 4th there are 273 days, 275 Ohioans who have died in combat post-911, more then 275 families forever changed. What about the veterans who returned who could not assimilate to civilian life that ended their own life? That number is greater then the number of life lost in combat.

I believe it is our duty as citizens of this country to serve our veterans and their families. What is enough sacrifice to serve them?

The other day I got an email from Denis Nowacki inviting me to attend the “Ohio Flags of Honor” ceremony in Brook Park, a city in Ohio with one of the highest number of casualties from the current wars. In his email he said, “It’s an opportunity to see the real number of Ohioans that we pedal for!” With that being said I made plans to attend the opening ceremony. When I got there the reading of the names had started. For each of the 275 Ohioans who have died in combat in the post-911 wars there was a volunteer carrying a flag with the name of the soldier, the name would be read, then the bell would toll. I watched Denis and Sheila carry a flag, then get back in line until all 275 flags were placed in the ground. As I watched each flag be carried, listened to each name read, heard the bell toll for each soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice I recognized a lot of the names either by meeting the family over the past year and a half or by seeing the name on a dedication sign on the road. In the crowd there were a lot of tee shirts that read, “never forgotten” with a name and a KIA date. After the ceremony ended we put a flower for a few of the men we knew, or knew their families. We put a flower on Sheila and Denis son Andy’s flag. I really don’t have worlds to describe how I felt at that moment at Andy’s flag, with his parents, but I can say I feel honored whenever Denis and Sheila invite me to attend events with them. There was not any order to where the flags were placed so we just had to go on memory as to when the name was called and wonder around. I could not help but look around at all the other people trying to find the flag with their loved ones name. There was a group of pre-teens with the same shirt, a picture of a man with the caption “in memory of.” I could not help but wonder, was that their uncle, or their father? Everyone that attended had a story about someone who made the ultimate sacrifice; they too had their own story how their life has been forever changed because of the scarified of an American Soldier.

After we were done placing flowers in the ground under the flags of a few of the 275 Denis and Sheila took me out to dinner. Walking away looking at all the flags blowing strong in the summer wind my I felt both pride and sadness.

Shortly after I sat down at the table Sheila began to talk about how she wanted to read to me some of Andy’s letters about the desert in Iraq before my solo RAAM attempt next year. She told me the medic in Iraq would give Andy an IV before he went to sleep to help him feel more recovered, faster, with limited sleep. It was humbling to hear her speak and in no way do I think what I went through during RAAM this year is anything close to what a soldier goes through. I put myself in the situations and made the choice to get out when I wanted. A soldier does not have that choice; if they do think they do there are serious consequences. During RAAM Denis talked with a woman from Ulysses, KS who wrote a poem called, “The Voices of Veterans.” Tamra Rundell, a teacher, who wrote this poem went home in the middle of the night while I was sleeping at her RAAM time station to print her poem, she thanked us for what we were doing to help veterans. This is part of the poem,
“I want to always hear
the voice of a single
young soldier,
who just a few months ago
could have been a student
in my classroom
complaining about
an assignment
who didn’t really
know war,
I want to hear that
young soldier’s voice whispering,
please understand
once I am here,
once the decision has been made
once the command given
this is my battle to
face
fight
and conquer
or to die trying.”

Thanks Chris for forwarding me this facebook message from your friend Janet Palcko, ” I cannot wait to hear your speech about Cassie’s ride!“I am encouraged that people are still interested in hearing my story even though I only made it 1774.3 miles, 1213.3 miles short of my goal to Annapolis, MD. I am encourage that my main RAAM goal to bring attention to the needs of our veterans, their families, and to honor those that did not come home did not get lost because I failed at my RAAM solo attempt. I went out to dinner last night with one of my Ohio friends who raced on a RAAM team this year. They said the one thing they feels RAAM helped them learn about themselves is that when they give there word to do something they follows through even when they don’t want to. My friend said, “March and April there was so much going on with work and my my family that I felt selfish training but I had to because I made the commitment.” If there was one thing that I can say I learned from RAAM solo this year it is you are only as good as your leadership. As in life, RAAM solo is not only just about the rider being prepared but it is just as much about the people you surround yourself with. My crew did exactly what I asked them to do, follow all the directives from the crew chief. My friend Kristy who crewed for me the 2nd time I qualified for RAAM in 2011 at the ADK 540 said, “I saw you at the ADK take a power nap and get back on the bike and kick ass you made up a 2 hours lead the other women racer had.” She said, “I did not feel right about making you ride without sleep but I felt like I had to follow orders.” After I made the first time cut-off in Durango I don’t know why the strategy did not change, I do not know why when I said what I needed it was often disregarded. I do not feel there was any malice from my crew chief. I can’t find a good reason why when I expressed my need to sleep on several occasions I was ignored. As I work through my resentment, at the heart of is like 85% of the other resentments I have had in my life,  not feeling heard when I stated what I needed and not having my feelings validated. Two things I have stated before, one, ultra racing is a microcosm to life, two, great things only happen when it’s about “We.” Maybe it vain of me to say this, but is not my failure at my RAAM solo similar to the current failures in Our Country? In my opinion “We the people” say how we feel and are ignored by the politicians who are more motivated by their hidden agendas then by what is good for the people? 

Take Care,

Cassie