Missouri to Manhattan -- 1500 Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

Probably my last post

2007-10-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

Yes, it has been a week since I returned from my trip. Not everyone realizes that, and I haven't done a very good job of letting folks know. I have to tell you that it has been very difficult to write this last post. For almost a month, every day, I pushed myself as hard as I could, and it has been a greater effort than I anticipated to close out the trip. I've tried to start this blog post every day since my return -- and here it finally is.

The trip ended well. You already know how far we rode and drove, so I won't go into that very much. I made it -- with Bret's help, but I made it. Never in a million years would I have believed I could peddle a bicycle over 1000 miles. No one can ever take that away from me. Do you have any idea how that feels? With the help of so may people, I did something pretty much no one believed I could do.

We did make it on the Today show, sort of. Bret and I arrived on the set at a little after 4 a.m. and waited on line (we were the second and third to arrive). We stood next to Lenny, the 70+ year old gentleman who has attended every show for the last 13 years. He was great, and helped us get to know folks, including Meredith Vieira, who hugged me when she heard what we had done (and, yes, she is an awesome hugger). We weren't interviewed, but the camera crew liked us and what we were doing, so we got a lot of close-up camera time (I heard from friends all over the country who saw us). Importantly, there were several close-ups of our MS signs and shirts, so the issue got some play. In the end, that was what we wanted.

The drive home to Missouri was fast and fun. Bret and I traded off the drive. I have never been so happy to be home.

The lesson of this trip is that absolutely anyone can find something, anything, they believe they can not do, and they can do it. Take my advice -- find that thing for you and do it. Get lots of help. Make a plan and do it. Change your plan when you need to but get it done. Accept any and all help that is offered (especially the well wishes; they make a huge difference).

I want to thank everyone for everything you did. People all over this country and even around the world e-mailed their support. I heard people's stories. People told me what this trip meant to them. There were messages from folks with MS that so touched me -- any one of them would have made the whole trip worth it. People contributed thousands of dollars, every cent of which is going to the National MS Society, benefiting MS research, treatment and education. We made a difference, my friends. We made a difference to all kinds of people, and we made a big difference in my life. Jeez, I have a lot of thank you notes to write over the next few days.

So, thank you all. I hope this trip has meant the tiniest fraction to you of what it did to me. And, please, find your "impossible" think and start getting ready to do it, today.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

From the road -- Waiting for the Today show

2007-09-27T04:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Yes, it is totally hokey, but Bret and I have been waiting since about 4:30 this morning. We have our Missouri to Manhattan signs and shirts and are ready to talk to Meredith or Al or whomever about the ride and MS (a longshot, but it could happen!).

Two more hours to go. I'll let you know how it goes and will write more later in the morning if anything interesting happens.

Oh, by the way, Bret's mom sent an e-mail to the show, telling them about the trip and suggesting they look for us in the audience. Thanks, Bret's Mom!

Have an awesome morning.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

The biking portion is done!

2007-09-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Bret and I are in for the night. We drove quite a long way from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to make sure we are in New York in time for tomorrow's Today show. Then I biked until I ran out of shoulder. Tomorrow we'll drive to Rockefeller Center and make our last ditch effort to be on the Today show, at least in audience shots. We are working on the signs we will hold right now. Yes, I'll blog from the Today set tomorrow morning, no matter what the result.

All told, the trip breaks down to the following miles:

Distance biked (from the odomoter): 1063.23 miles
Distance driven: 450-460 miles
Total distance traveled: 1513.23 miles

I honestly can't begin to tell you how it feels to essentially be finished with this trip. I'll be thinking about it and will write a bit more on the subject over the next few days, during the drive home. And stay tuned to see how things turn out with tomorrow's Today show (or tune in to NBC and maybe you'll see us).

See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate

www.MissouriToManhattan.com

seanspence@earthlink.net
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Tying Up Some Loose Ends

2007-09-26T02:21:00.001-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I'll explain the picture to the left in just a bit. For now, suffice it to say that it represents the most beautiful sight in the world, a true Mecca.

Because of the whole Today show thing I explained yesterday, Bret and I are going to drive toward New York City and I'm going to bike in as far as I safely can (and we are still in the middle of that heat wave -- the temperature should be over 80 all afternopn), then we'll go in the rest of the way. In the end, we will have made a trip of around 1600 miles, and I will have biked close to 1100 of it. Most folks didn't think this was possible. I was talking to Bret last night about some thoughts I have -- is it important that I've ridden pretty far on a bicycle? No, not even a little bit (outside the context of my life).

To me, the important point of this ride continues to be that anyone can do a lot more than they think they can (or, more importantly, more than others think they can). If I can do this ride, then a heck of a lot of folks who think they can't, actually can. And anyone can find ways to be better, to do more than they think they can, or than others think they can.

Okay, enough soapbox. Thanks for indulging me.

The last few days of riding have included some pretty hard-core night riding, and that is pretty much what I wanted to share with you.

Night riding can either be extremely cool or it can be very difficult. It is cool when the terrain is flat (like it was the first night in Ohio). Man, that first night was great, for the most part (until it got very cold, sometime between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m.). It was the flattest portion of the entire journey, so it was safe to go fast and I could cruise along at a pretty good clip.

At one point, when I was getting a little desperate for a stop, I stumbled onto a small local bar called "Bada Bing by the River." As I parked my bike beside the building, the first thing I heard through the wall was "Rock Star," the current top-10 Nickelback hit and the bain of Bret's existance (because every rock station seems to play it every five minutes or so). Inside the bar, I found 20-30 locals, all of whom seemed to know each other, ranging in age from 21 to 60. It was the kind of place I don't get to go to very often. The music was pretty hard-core for the first 20 minutes or so I was there (I stuck around for about an hour), with "Rock Star" being the softest thing I heard; after that, there was "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown" to Toby Keith. And, of course, they played "Rock Star" a second time in the span of an hour or less, before I left.

Jeez, there were some drunk people at this place. I watched two guys (older) get carried out. Everyone was friendly and I had a few conversations. Mostly, I was struck by the comraderie of the local crowd. It was kind of fun to be on the periphery, if only for a short time. At one point there was a lot of shouting from one end of the bar to the other, "Hey, this guy's riding his bike over a thousand miles!" They said they were glad I was drinking soda, so as to avoid a DWB.

Later, around four in the morning, I found myself at a gas station somewhere in Ohio. I ended up talking to a guy in his 60's who has been trained by the Red Cross to do post-flood cleanup and recovery. He'd just returned from helping in northern Ohio (apparently he goes all over the country). He obviously needed to get some things off his chest and he unloaded a bit about his experiences looking for missing people, post-flood. Just in the last week, he'd found a five-year-old boy wedged in a wall, caught there in the flood. Sorry to be so shocking, but you can imagine how it might feel to hear this story, in pretty graphic detail, at an Ohio gas station at 4:00 in the morning after biking 50 miles or so. People have a need to unload their burdens; for this guy, I was one of the places (perhaps one of many places, perhaps not) where he could do that.

Speaking of gas stations, the picture above -- the most beautiful sight ever -- is of the 24-hour gas station I found at about 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, after riding 30 miles in the dark (about five miles before Ebensburg, PA). Let me tell you, there is nothing more beautiful in the world than a 24-hour gas station after that kind of ride. Remember how I said that night-riding on flat territory is pretty cool? Well, night-riding on hilly or mountainous territory is not. Everything is slower -- uphill because that's always slower and downhill because going too fast when you can only see about 15 feet in front of you is not very smart. My entire Monday-Tuesday ride was incredibly hilly and curvy. It was safe, but hard, hard, hard. You may not believe this, but my riding day was roughly 17 hours from the time I started until the time I stopped (including short breaks and meals) and I only made it 62 miles because the terrain was such a killer.

For example, when I pulled into the Sheetz gas station around 2:00 a.m., I told the lady at the counter that I'd just been up the two largest hills I'd ever seen in my life. She asked if I'd come from the West on Highway 22 and I said yes. "Honey, those aren't hills. Those are mountains. Penn and Chicory. Trucks have trouble getting up those things."

One was over a mile up and the other was over two miles. Ugh. And going down was almost as difficult as going up because I had to ride the breaks so hard or I would have been going 50 miles an hour. To reiterate, nightriding is fun when the terrain is flat, otherwise, be ready for a long night.

That's enought writing for now (perhaps too much at once). I'm going to send some fundraising e-mails right now, trying to get some more money in for the MS Society. Then Brett and I will figure out our driving and riding schedule. Tomorrow we'll try to make our appearance at the Today show and then start heading home.

See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence

MS Advocate

www.MissouriToManhattan.com

seanspence@earthlink.net

So many things to report -- here are a few

2007-09-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I'm back with an Internet connection. All kinds of things have happened; I'll talk about some of them now and get to others in the next few days.

First, here's the distance update:

Distance biked (from the odomoter): 1018.59 miles
Distance driven: 255-265 miles
Total traveled: 1273.59 miles

We've ended up having a couple of long stretches of road that just didn't seem safe for me to bike. West Virginia and the beginning of southern Pennsylvania were horrible -- so windy, hilly, and no shoulder for the most part. We're also going to end up driving a big chunk tomorrow because we've had a timing issue arise.

Here's what is going on. Something I haven't talked about very much lately is that my pipe-dream for this trip is to be on Today with co-host Meredith Vieira (whose husband has MS). I've sent several letters, with no response. So plan B is to be on the front row of the outside set and try to get an impromptu interview (we'll have signs and at least try to get a little on-camera time). I know it is all kind of dorky, but can you think of a better way to hilight MS to the nation? Plus, it would be kinda fun.

Anyway, we had the trip scheduled so that we could make it all or part of the way to New York by late Thursday night, and then go to the show set Friday morning. Now, it turns out that Bruce Springsteen will be performing an outdoor concert as part of the show. Yes, it would be cool to be there for that. But when they have a concert, they set up the outdoor set very differently, at it will offer no possibility that we might get a good camera shot or an interview.

So we're cutting a day from the schedule, driving a little more, and making sure to be there so we can try to be on the show Thursday morning. Got it? Silly, but also potentially helpful in meeting our goal of bringing attention to MS (remember, long-shots are a core value of this trip).

That tells you what will happen in the next few days. I'm going to bed right now, but I'll write some more, early in the morning. I'm really looking forward to telling you about my night-riding adventures and a few other things.

Thanks for sticking with us. The trip is about to come to a close, and it has meant a great deal to have so many folks around the country paying attention. Tomorrow, I'll also include some e-mails I've received from others with MS. I hope you'll get as much from them as I have.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

From the road -- Stuck in New Alexandria, PA

2007-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

There is much to report, but minimal Internet access for me has posed a problem (not all of us on this trip can wile away the hours at connected coffee shops).

I do want to report, though, that I'm stuck in New Alexandria, PA. I lost my shoulder a little over a mile back and the traffic is fast and heavy. I walked the bike for the mile, but it kept getting worse. So I've stopped at a place called Skunk Bottom Mud Bog. Not sure what it is, but they have a shady parking lot so, for now, it is officially my favorite place in the world.

Bret should be here in 20 minutes or so. I'll hang out until then, maybe grab some dinner, and then get back on the road. I had a late start and pretty big hills on today's route, so it will be a late night to make sure we get to New York by Thursday night.

See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
http://www.missouritomanhattan.com/
seanspence@earthlink.net
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Day 21: Where's Seton Hall?

2007-09-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm at the American Coffee Shop in Greensburg, PA. The map shows Seton Hall University is in town somewhere, but I was unable to find it in my search for Internet access. I saw one sign that pointed me toward Seton Hall, but as I followed the road it became clear it was not leading me to the university. I'm not sure how a university could hide in a town this small, but Seton Hall has done it.

Sean is back to daytime riding, which is a big relief for all of us concerned about his safety. New York seems so close to me, but he seems to think it's still far away. I guess that's difference between biking 1,500 miles and driving it.

Sean deserves all of our support during these last 500 miles, so if you haven't posted before, please leave a comment and let Sean know how much you're inspired by the effort of a nonathletic, not-in-shape man riding his bike for a great cause. The comments we've gotten so far have been great.

No Internet Access

2007-09-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I have some fun things to report, but can't get on the Internet at our hotel here in Mounds, WV. So I'll backtrack a bit when I write tomorrow.

Tonight I'll be getting on the road about midnight and riding until noon or so, into Pennsylvania and then on to the Big Apple!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Day 20: Night Rider...back to disc golf... old business

2007-09-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sean rode throughout the night without a hitch and with a few fun stories. He's done more than 70 miles along Ohio State Route 7 since he left last night at around 9 p.m. EST. He's been sleeping for about an hour now (he's a heavy sleeper so if you want me to draw anything on his face shoot me an e-mail in the next couple of hours). I would have posted sooner, but I wanted to post a photo I took of Ohio's smallest church and since my computer crashed a couple of months again and I lost iPhoto I've been unable to upload digital photos and trying to download other picture services has been frustrating. My Mac and I don't get along sometimes.

But, back to Sean. We're in the aptly named Moundsville, WV. My cell phone has no signal, but Sean's is fine (but don't call him until 5 p.m. EST because of the sleeping). I scouted the route we plan to take into Pennsylvania and Sean's going to have his first real test of the hills. But the road, 250, looks safe and the bad hills only last for 15 miles before he turns into Pennsylvania and things flatten out for at least a little bit. His spirit is still strong and his night riding strategy is off to a good start.

As for me, I finally got back to some disc golf yesterday. The course was called the Mountwood Monster and it was in a state park somewhere in the West Virginia Hills. The first two holes were everything a disc golfer dreams of with tight shots and huge elevation changes. The remaining holes were decent, but kind of a let down after the glory of the first two holes. They were flat and all required a low, mostly straight shot. Further distracting me were the gravel tees. My driving style requires me to take 5 steps, which I couldn't do without slipping on the tiny pebbles, so I had to play from the grass, which was slick, too. Cement really makes for the best tees. The course was also poorly marked so I never knew where the next hole was, which slowed down my game and prevented me from getting into any sort of rhythm.

I've been meaning to blog about a couple of things the last week but they've slipped my mind when I'm typing. One: long time readers of the blog will recollect Sean trying some PowerGel per my request. Sean bought the banana flavor and found it most displeasing. I told him I'd try one just to be fair. Finally, earlier this week, we found the PowerGel again, but I got the vanilla flavor. It tasted just like cake icing! Sean later tried some vanilla and found it tolerable as well.

Two: Driving through the hills in Kentucky I saw some road sides that said "Fallen Rock." I understood that to mean the rocks had already fallen and were not a threat. I wasn't sure why I needed to know that probably decades ago a few rocks had fallen. Driving through Ohio, though, similar yellow diamond signs read "Falling Rock." This did concern me, as I was unsure if this meant I was going to have to drive on the highway like Han Solo drives through an asteroid belt. The present tense "falling," turned out to be inaccurate, though, as no boulders tumbled my way. Perhaps a sign should read "The threat of falling rocks is ahead" for the sake of accuracy, however, not for the sake brevity.

Three: A couple of restaurants we drove by in Ohio advertised "legal drinks." I wondered if that meant I could get absinthe at other bars. Sean asked a local and he suggested it meant they didn't serve hooch-- aka Moonshine.

From the road -- Riding since 4:30

2007-09-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

We got my headlight battery fully charged last night and I was on the road by a little before 4:30 this morning. Night riding is pretty cool. No traffic. Great temperature. And I don't sleep much, anyway (4-5 hours a night, usually), so it is working out pretty well. Unless some new problem arises, we've solved the "too hot to ride" problem.

Bret dropped me off and went back to the hotel to sleep (he is much smarter than I am). He's being very cool about the whole trip and is doing everything he can to make sure we succeed. He has turned out to be a perfect bike trip partner.

Bret's birthday was the day before yesterday, by the way. He is 24 now, almost able to rent a car with full priveleges. Almost old enough to run for Congress (look out Kenny Hulshof!).

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that we were pulled over this morning because it was so early and we crossed the yellow line a bit. I was all set to fake appendicitis or an in-car bee swarm, but we explained to the officer what we were doing (there were actually three police cars who stopped to check out these two shady characters) and he let us go eithout even checking our ID's. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we'd been a couple of black kids instead of the two whitest men in America.

My headlight battery has been charging while I've been taking a break. Should be good for another two or three hours, until daylight; so I'll get back on the road now.

Take care!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate

www.MissouriToManhattan.com

seanspence@earthlink.net
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Sean's Day 18 -- A solution

2007-09-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

We had to stop riding today at noon because it hit 80 and eventually worked its way up over 90 degrees. Yuck.

We used part of our time off to help solve our problem, though. We found a great bike shop and bought a big set of powerful lights for the bike, as well as a flashing reflector for the back. With these, I should be able to start before it gets light and continue later, making use of the cool early morning and night air. I took the bike for a test run and it works really well. Bret and I have high hopes for what this will allow us to do for the rest of the trip.

We ended up spending the afternoon in Athens, Ohio, a great little college town (for Ohio University, not to be confused with Ohio State University). Lunch was at a bar & grill while we waited for the bike shop to install the lights; then we went to the movies, wandered around for a while, and I ended the evening with a test-run of the bike with the new lights.

Tomorrow I'm going to start riding very early, before first light. I'll let you know how it goes.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

From the road -- Athens, OH

2007-09-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Had a good morning ride today from Jackson to Athens. The temp has hit 80, so we are breaking until evening. We found a great bike shop in Athens and they are outfitting my bike with high-powered headlights and a large flashing red light in the back. We even got a high-powered light for my helmet.

Why? To look even cooler? No. You guessed it, we are going to get serious about night riding. If we want to make it to New York by the end of next week, there is just no other way.

Oh, and we've changed the route, eliminitaing DC to make sure we stay on schedule for the finish.

Will I make it? Will I be recruited by GQ Magazine for their next cycling fashion issue? Keep reading and see.

See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Day 18: Athens, Ohio, home of Ohio University

2007-09-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to be back in a college a town where Internet cafes run wild and a request for soy milk is more common than an order for coffee-black. The streets here are all brick and there's that feeling of university-town liberalism here that one experiences on the streets of Columbia, Mo., or Eugene, Ore. I've decided to chill out at the Donkey Cafe for a while -- I like the name. Sean is still traveling along State Route 32, which has a good soldier, but he's about to learn has some more uphill than the previous two days.

Taking the afternoons off has slowed us down, but Sean's right, he has think about his long term safety. There's a chance Sean won't be able to ride again this afternoon, so we may spend some time here in Athens. I would play disc golf, but the description of the course here in town doesn't entice me, and the next closest course is 20 miles away.

Sean should be rolling into Athens sometime between 11:30 and 12:30 (EST) unless he gets a phone call that makes him stop for a while. So stay tuned, if we are here for the afternoon he should get a chance to post thanks to all the wireless in this town.

Sean's Day 17 -- So freaking hot

2007-09-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I have to be honest and tell you that today really was a bit of a bummer. The morning was fun, with a good ride and good weather. Unfortunately, Ohio is having a heat wave -- by noon it was 80 degrees and it got hotter until late in the day, reaching 90 by the end of the day. So no more riding after lunch.

I'm not a complainer, but for those who are following this ride, you should know just how important the heat issue is. I haven't had any problems so far, but it is typical that someone with MS would. And "problems" wouldn't mean that I would just feel sick or something; it would mean that damage, likely permanent to some extent, would be caused to my nervous system. My health is remarkably good, so I try to be sensitive about these things -- with luck, I will be very healthy for a very long time. I'm not going to blow that by riding in a heat wave longer than makes sense.

What does that mean? I'm not really sure, yet. Right now Bret and I are figuring out the best way to proceed. I can tell you one thing for sure. We'll make it to New York either on September 27th, as originally planned, or within a few days after.

As always, we'll keep you posted. See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

From the road -- going to the fair

2007-09-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Bret and I stopped for lunch in Jackson, OH and it turns out they are having a big street fair today (you know, for the Apple Festival). Pretty standard local carnival with rickety rides, impossible games, and crappy-good food.

We managed to make it past the fummel cakes and had a greasy tasty lunch of pulled pork sandwiches and Mountain Dew. Mmmm.

We might stick around in Jackson for a while. I start getting worried about the heat at 80 degrees and we are expecting 89 for the afternoon. We'll see.

Wasn't the post this mornin about Jackie Mitchard's message cool? Hopefully we'll have some more interesting things like that over the final week.

Have an awesome Thursday!

- sean
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

A famous visitor to our blog -- Author Jackie Mitchard

2007-09-20T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Something new I'll be doing in the final days of my ride is posting responses from various folks to some questions I've posed to them (ordinary folks and a celebrity or two). Here are the questions (I'm asking for answers to one or more):

1. Please tell me your MS story.

2. What has MS meant to your life and to those around you?

3. What do you most want people to know about MS and living with the disease?

4. What has helped you cope with MS?

This morning I received a reply from Jackie Mitchard (http://www.jackiemitchard.com/), bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean (named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years, and the first novel in Oprah's book club). Her e-mail to me was titled "Your effort is so gallant."

Here is Jackie's response:

My best friend from childhood has MS -- was diagnosed nine years ago. For her, the same symptoms lead to a slower conclusion; but she was the model for the character in my 2005 novel, 'The Breakdown Lane.' Because of her, I've also met thousands of people fighting MS, and not one who has given in, although some of their caregivers have. I've traveled all over the country -- from Nashville to Norfolk to Colorado -- although not by bike, raising funds for MS. As 'Friendship, Interrupted,' a story in October's Reader Digest points out (hear me talk about on RD.com), almost nothing has kept us apart and though it seems to that she's the needy one because she walks with a cane, it's really I who lean on her -- and have since we were 14 years old.

Is that cool or what?

Thanks, Jackie.

- sean

Sean Spence

MS Advocate

http://www.missouritomanhattan.com/

seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 16 -- Don't ride in the dark

2007-09-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

Here's the latest update:

Ridden today (from the odomoter on my bike): 64.52 miles
Ridden, total: 765.75 miles
Driven, total: 75-85

Today was a good ride, and I was totally bummed that the dark prevented me from going all night. At one point, Bret and I talked about me riding at night, thinking that maybe the headlight on my bike would be enough (and using lots of reflective gear on the bike and on myself). I tried it for about 20 minutes and it just won't work. Setting aside the increased possibility of inappropriate interaction with another vehicle, all I'd need to do would be to hit one medium sized rock, a large crack or uneven spot in the road, or a roadkill raccoon and it would suddenly become a very rough night for me.

The only problem with today's ride was the heat in the afternoon (got up to 89). As you may remember, heat is a particular problem for folks with MS (it can lead to long-term damage to the nervous system). So we took about three hours off in tiny Peebles, OH -- a very exciting place, let me tell you. We spent much of the time in the local library, where Bret worked on the Internet and I worked on the book I'm writing about this trip.

This morning I received a very nice e-mail from my cousin, Sonya Rissler. Her husband is professional military, so they've lived pretty much everywhere and I haven't seen her in years. Sonya and I grew up together, seeing each other several times a year at family gatherings and she was always one of my favorites. This trip has definitely inspired me to remember those I love and who have been an important part of my life at one point or another, but who may not be around anymore. I'm going to try to reach out a little more. Nothing is more important than those who have brought love to our lives (family, friends, or whatever their roles may have been).

Tomorrow Bret and I will be back on the road as early as humanly possible. See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 16: The Adams County Public Library

2007-09-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm finding public libraries are great bastions of rural Internet access. Adams County sits low in the early foothills of the Appalachian Mountains where cell phone reception is scarce and the only radio channels that come in play some variety of Blue Grass, though I did listen to some radio show of a guy ranting about the evils of Hillary Clinton, illegal immigrants, and how he doesn't know what it means to raise a "good" kid -- it's his theory that we should focus on raising kids with strong character.

The Adamcs County Public Library is about the size of a Blockbuster video and someone used so much bleach in the bathroom, my eyes started to water (and I was only in for a number 1). The Internet is free here, which is amazing, however I can't remember the last time I used an Internet service that didn't include a Pop-Up Blocker. That might be a nuisance when I'm scrolling through Combest. But the people are real nice, and I imagine I could sit here using their free Internet for seven hours and they wouldn't say a thing.

Sean's got a good road to ride today; Ohio State Route 32 if you're following at home. Hopefully we can knock off a big chunk Ohio today.

Something I've learned about Sean on this trip is that he doesn't really sleep. He does more work before he rides at 6:30 or so than I do before noon. But last night I saw real sleepiness in his eyes for the first time. He slept in a couple of hours today -- until 5:30 a.m., and he says he's recharged for another couple of weeks. If he's recharged now, I can't imagine what he's going to get done tomorrow.

Article from Sean's Hometown Newspaper

2007-09-19T02:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Pasted below is an article from The Madisonville Messenger (Madisonville, KY). Bret and I did an interview with reporter Patricia Wiles when we were in town for my mom's party. She was very nice and I think she did a good job of capturing the trip. It was also nice because it was accompanied by a big picture (of me riding my bike, wearing my, uh, extremely cool bike helmet) and was on the front page of the Sunday edition.

Hope you enjoy it.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
http://www.missouritomanhattan.com/
seanspence@earthlink.net

City Native Bicycles to Raise Funds for MS
by Patricia Wiles
Madisonville Messenger, 9-16-07, page 1

Sean Spence’s mother told him the day he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago was the worst day of her life.

But it wasn’t that way for Spence.

“I choose to live in a positive way, to make the most of what I have,” the 36-year old said. “MS isn’t going to kill me, but it could put me in a wheelchair.”

Spence, who lives in Missouri, stopped in Madisonville this week to visit his mother, Shirley, as he bikes across the country to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Spence began his ride 12 days ago in St. Joseph, Mo. He expects to make it to New York City by Sept. 25. He spent four months training for the ride, still “the first day was the hardest,” he said. He only made it 25 miles before wearing out.

“The road was incredibly hilly,” he said. But it didn’t take long for his mileage to increase. Now he’s averaging 70 miles a day.

“The last couple of days, I’ve made it 75,” he said.

Bret Bender, also known as “the transporter,” drives ahead of Spence and meets him at pre-determined stops. Bender carries a laptop with him and does his work for Missouri state Rep. Jeff Roorda, while waiting for Spence to catch up.

Spence, a public relations and political consultant, managed Missouri state Auditor Susan Montee’s election campaign last year. Montee’s family is sponsoring Spence’s 1,500-mile ride. He and Bender had not met before the ride.

Bender said when he heard Spence was looking for someone to accompany him, he jumped at the chance. He and Spence blog about their experiences on the road at http://missouritomanhattan.com/. The blog has a link where visitors can contribute to MS research.

“Every penny raised goes to research,” he said.

For Spence, the trip has “over and over again reinforced my faith in humanity,” he said. “It’s been a pleasant surprise to see people’s reactions ... they’ve been so kind all along the route.”
He hopes his ride serves as an encouraging example to those who have the disease.

“Not everyone with MS can do a ride like this, but everyone can have a positive attitude, find a way to push their limits,” he said. He believes “the way people choose to view their health is related to the reality of their health.”

Spence doesn’t know if he’ll be able to do a ride like this 30, 20 or even five years from now.
“But I can do it today,” he said. And whatever the future brings, he said, he will continue to find ways to push his personal limits.

“A positive outlook on this disease makes all the difference in the world,” he said.

Sean's Day 14 -- Our first flat tire

2007-09-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Today we got the first flat tire of the trip, right after Cincinnatti. This, of course, meant that we had to change or repair the tire. We changed it out with a brand new one -- which we had because Dr. Love bought us a couple of extras. Again, could he possibly be more cool?

2007-09-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Well, my ankle is not completely better. It would be fine if I were just going to work or something, but riding 70-100 miles is something else. For the long term success of the ride, I've decided to stick around the hotel today and do some work (write a fundaising letter, send thank you notes, etc.). I may or may not blog more later in the day. I think we should still be able to make DC a week from today.

Have an awesome Sunday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 12 -- We have Internet Access!

2007-09-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

We haven't had Internet access for a few days (rural Kentucky) and I haven't been able to make Blackberry posts work, either. But here we are again, chatting about the trip. Yay!

First, the trip mileage update:

Ridden today (from the odomoter on my bike): 56.2 miles
Ridden, total: 589.11 miles
Driven, total: 60-70

So much has happened. First, let me give one last shout-out to Jon and Nancy Love of Madisonvonville, Ky. Thanks to them, my bike is so much more functional (among other things, having moved from trail to road, the new tires make a HUGE difference). Long time friends of mine and my family, they went way out of their way to help. Even more, they paid for the repairs and alterations themselves, to support the trip. Is that beyond cool, or what? Thanks again, Jon and Nancy!

Because of the repairs and some other things we had to do, Bret and I spent most of the day hanging out at my mom's house -- this meant lots of good food and time to do some work, but no bike time. We were finally able to leave late in the day (I had to finish writing an article for the Columbia Business Times), but I only got an hour or so of riding in, biking just over 10 miles.

Bret, by the way, was wonderful on Wednesday. I gave him the opportunity to have us blow off riding for the whole day, but he pushed back and said we should ride for whatever we could. He was right. The ten miles or so we rode (well, he drove) was not a lot, but it kept us both in the "moving forward, no matter what" frame of mind. Good job, Bret! Thanks for doing your part to keep us on track, as always.

I should tell you that we've completely changed our route. Because of better roads -- safer, more direct and faster -- we are heading up through Northern Kentucky and across Ohio to DC. Not sure yet if we will need to go through Pennsylvania or West Virginia or both to get to DC. I think we are on track to be on time, though. We'll see.

By the way, the really big news is that I had a minor injury today and had to quit riding after my 56.2 miles. I was taking a break on the side of the highway, about 30 miles from Louisville, when I slipped on some gravel and twisted my right ankle. I went ahead and rode another two miles, but it kept hurting worse, and was killing me the first time I hit a small hill that I should have been able to ride with ease. So I called Bret to pick me up -- my strong belief is that a night of rest and maybe a handful of Aleve will have me ready to ride at first light tomorrow morning.

Here's a funny story about my post-twisted-ankle trip, though. Bret, my fearless savior, hates me just a bit I think. Why do I think this? Because as I stood on the side of the road, trying to keep my weight on my left leg to avoid a nice bit of pain, I watched Bret blow on past me. No big deal. Could have easily happened to anyone. So, of course, I wasn't surprised to see him heading back from the direction in which he had just driven away from me. All excited, I stood by the side of the road with my bike, in the plainest of plain view.

But wait! Why is Bret pulling over the other side of the road? Is he really going to make me limp all the way over there? No, in fact, he's turning around and heading back the other way again! Driving away, again! And I was maybe 10 feet away from him, in plain view. Ugh.

So I texted him and he turned around to get me (obviously realizing that his duplicity might cost him in the long run). I spotted him coming toward me, and watched him pull over to the side of the road -- absolutely as far away from me as he could get and still camoflage what I can only believe is smoldering hatred. So I started limping toward the car, wondering why he was making no movement to help me in my injured state, and then I heard it. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" -- the 1983 ballad performed by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. To the extent that it is possile, Bret was rocking out, unable to move or function outside the world of the song.

Finally, Bret tore himself away and helped me load my bike as tears from pain welled in my eyes.

Who knew that Bret could be so deeply entranced by 1980's chick songs? As with his addiction to the Soap Opera Channel, I'll leave it to you to figure it out.

Lord knows that's enough for tonight. See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 11 -- The World has Changed

2007-09-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I'll post more later, but I'm taking a quick break in Henderson, KY after riding 40 miles so far today (and it is not even noon yet!). I am so excited about the improvements Dr. Jon Love made to my bike -- including tires that are better now that I have left the trail and am on roads, and repairs made with the help of a wonderful shop in Hopkinsville, KY. His wife, Nancy, was also integral to making it all happen. I'll never be able to thank them enough (and I'm going to get over being unhappy with the THREE bike shops that I had visited and could have helped most or all of this happen).

I'm going faster and will cover so much more ground in so much less time. Thanks to Jon and Nancy Love, I'll be able to cut my time by 20-30% (which basically means I have a shot at sticking to my original time schedule).

We're on to Owensboro, KY now, where I may be able to visit with some family. But it is more likely that I'll be able to make it 20-25 miles past Owensboro, and I really need to do that if I can.

Also, we've solved the problem with accessing Blogger, so there will hopefully not be any more delays in my posting.

More later. Just wanted to share the excitement.

- sean

Sean Spence

MS Advocate

www.MissouriToManhattan.com

seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 11: Sean's cruising along

2007-09-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention this morning that Doc Love not only hooked Sean up with some new tires, but he also got Sean's gears fixed. Sean now has use of all 21 speeds. I'm in Henderson, KY, and found a good Internet connection at the community college here. I just got off the phone with Sean and he is setting all sorts of records with his retooled bike. I had developed a pretty good feel for how far Sean could ride before lunchtime, but on the retooled bike, he is cruising faster than I can keep up with. I'm going to have to re-calibrate my mental scale of how far he can get in a day.

I'm looking forward to lunch where hopefully Sean will be able to post for y'all, but then again, he doesn't like to stop long.

Day 11: sean can't post...new tires

2007-09-14T04:25:00.000-07:00

Sean's having some trouble getting on blogger, but he wanted me to let you know that he'll be taking off in a couple of minutes from a spot about 12 miles from the Kentucky/Illinois border. Yesterday Doc Love got Sean some new, super reinforced road tires, now that he won't be riding on any more gravel trails. Sean rode 10 miles yesterday in under 40 minutes (then it got too dark to be safe), so the new tires have already made an impact. We had to spend some extra time at Sean's mom's house so Sean could wrap up an article for the Columbia Business Times. Today, is a pure riding day; we'll really get to see what those tires are made of.

Day 10: A personal request for a disc golf explanation

2007-09-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

One of yesterday's posters asked for an explanation of disc golf and why I'm so passionate about it. I'm always eager to spread the love of the game to others, so it's going to be difficult to keep this posting short. I was telling Sean, one time someone at the park district of my hometown asked me what would be needed to make a respectable course in our town and I pumped out a four-page explanation in less than 20 minutes. It's one of my favorite topics.

The basket: The goal in disc golf is to get your disc (which I'll describe later) into the basket. A basket starts with an aluminum pole that is about four and a half feet tall. About three feet up the pole is an aluminum basket that comes out around the pole in a radius of about a foot with six inch high walls. At the top of the pole is a lattice of aluminum, comparable in size to the basket, from which chains dangle. The chains are held together at the bottom by a small aluminum ring that hugs the pole. The idea is to throw the disc into the chains and get it to drop into the basket. (If you land on top of the top lattice, that counts as a made shot, too, though it rarely happens.)

The discs: There are more types of discs than I could describe in this post. First of all, a disc golf disc is not like Wham-mo Frisbee. It is only about eight inches in diameter, and is made out of a harder plastic (unless it's flex-plastic or a supersoft putter). There is x-plastic, z-plastic, flex-plastic and on and on. Most of the difference is just how hard the plastic is, and how true it will continue to fly after hitting a tree. (All discs get beat up, and over time their function changes. For example, I have a Tee-Bird that used to fly straight no matter how I tried to bend it, but somewhere along the way it got chached [a term my friends and I invented to describe all the general mutations a disc can undergo] and now it takes a hard left while in flight. This is nice because if the shot calls for it, I get it to go left to right in the beginning of flight, then watch it helix in the air and turn left to avoid all sorts of trees.) With discs, there are long range drivers that are straight flyers, overstable (turn right to left for a backhand, right-handed player), or understable (the opposite). There are mid-range discs that tend to be more stable, but one could still turn the disc in the air. Then there are putters, which have more squared-off rims, as opposed to the razor-sharp edges of a driver, and are less-subject to the will of the wind. Sometimes soft putters are best because hard putters may bounce off the basket chains and fall to the ground, whereas soft putters absorb the blow and fall into the basket. (This is especially true in winter play when the cold weather makes the plastic stiffer.) And, as I said, as discs get older, they start bending in different ways and you find new uses for them. I carry about 10 discs, and I'll use all of them in a round. Some of the guys who play in big tournaments carry 40 or so discs, but they can do a lot more with a disc than I could ever dream of.

The shots: There are seven basic shots to choose from. They include a forehand roller (which rolls and turns left), a backhand roller (which requires an incredibly specific disc, usually a heavily chached one, and turns right), a forehand drive (done by pressing your middle and index finger against the rim of the disc), a backhand drive, an over the head throw with your thumb inside the disc (which, for right-handers, causes the disc to start left, then dive right), over head with your fingers inside as in a forehand drive (which, for right-handers, causes the disc to start right, then dive left), and the basic, straightforward putt. And there is variations on those shots, for example, on an over-hand shot with your fingers in the disc, a player can intentionally throw a disc at the ground so that the top of the disc bounces off the ground and flies another forty or fifty feet. It's a great way to get under a low hanging branch. Great players are separated from good players by having a fuller arsenal of shots, greater driving distance, and the ability to nail putts from greater distances. As for me, I'm just adding a forehand roller to my game, and I have a weak backhand drive. I use a forehand drive about 95 percent of the time because it's easier to control. Also, my putting comfort zone is only about 20 feet, whereas better players consider a 50-foot shot to be a good possibility. Putting, mid-range shots, and drives also call for different grips on the disc, the details of which I'll spare you.

The holes: A great hole is on the challenges your creativity. My favorite hole of all-time is one where the tee (often a cement pad about 4' by 8', but sometimes different) is about 50 feet higher than the basket. There is dense woods where the drop off is and there is only a circle of an opening about 15 feet in diameter. Some people do regular drives, but I like throw an overhand toss directly down toward the basket. Other holes call for a helix shot (a shot that turns twice in the air) or can just test your courage by putting a basket near a steep drop off. Boring courses are courses that don't require players to shape their shots and have few elevation changes. Sometimes courses will just be one straight hole after another, and that's no fun. Beat-yourself-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four courses are ones that call for a player to make shots he or she is not capable of. Indian Hills in Columbia comes close to this.

Holes range from 250 feet to 600 feet. Sometimes a 250 foot hole, or even a 200-foot hole can be more difficult than a 600-foot hole if it is deep in the woods with a narrow opening, so a hole cannot be judged by distance alone. An average drive for me is like 330 feet, and I'd say that's about average for amateurs such as myself. Regardless of the length or shape of a hole, though, everything is a par 3 in league play, at every course throughout the world.

Why I love it: It's not a video game, it's a challenge and it's free. First of all, I've made a commitment to never play Halo in my lifetime. I may have touched an XBox controller only 5 times in my life. I spend enough time in front of the television already. During summers in high school, my friends and I used to play 60 holes a day sometimes and it was a chance to meet new people and see new things. We even figured out how to put glow-sticks on the bottom of our discs so we could play at night. None of us really had houses where we could have a bunch of people over at once, so disc golf was our thing to do. We used to drive all over to find new courses and new challenges.

I started playing ball golf (I have to say "ball" now or most people who know me don't know which golf I'm talking about) when I was about 8 or nine years old. I liked, and still love, ball golf. The game is about 90 percent mental and requires focus. I'll never say disc golf is more challenging than ball golf, but it requires some of the same skills. There are shot selections and wind considerations, and you have to block out the bad shots to focus on the next one. There are also new skills I have yet to learn and others I have yet to perfect. So, just like going to the driving range, I sometimes just practice my backhand shot, or just putt for an hour. I enjoy watching my progression, and it keeps me going back.

And the final reason I love it, is that it is free. It's not exclusive or for the privileged. A disc costs about $15 dollars, then one can play all he or she wants. There are no tee times, no apparel requirements, no club houses, none of that. Anyone can play anytime. No one is at a disadvantage if he or she can't afford a $500 TaylorMade R7, and one doesn't have to continue buying $4-a-ball ProV1s. Sometimes I go to the course to practice and I'll find someone who wants to play and I'll end up playing with somebody new. They're always friendly and just looking to talk disc golf, and I could obviously do that all day.

Day 10: the story of day 9

2007-09-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

I never did get an opportunity to post last night. I stayed in Sean's sister's room, and that end of the house doesn't get wireless, and by the time I got under the sheets, I didn't feel like getting up again.

I started my day playing the Campus Lake disc golf course at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. It's a short 9-holer with a couple of interesting shots, but not really worth the trip off the highway. Every hole is an opportunity for birdie except for hole three, unless you have a terrific right-turning roller. I only shot 3 under. The baskets sit about a foot off the ground, and it was hard to get used to. I would have like the play a second time because I know I could get 5 or 6 under, but duty called and I had to get back on the road.

Something I'd like to point out about driving in Illinois; below every sign we saw announcing our entrance into a new county was a sign saying, "911 for emergency cellular calls." Missouri is the only state in the country lacking a mechanism to fund wireless 911 service, and 17 counties in the state have no 911 service at all. I hope someday every county in Missouri can post the same signs.

It's always fun to see a friend's home town. I got a brief tour and a few stories last night on the way back from Doc. Love's. I got to hear a few stories from Sean's childhood, though one of his longtime friends didn't share anything I can use against Sean. Sean tells me he's squeaky clean.

At Sean's mom's party I got to talk with some great people. I sat for a while with a Vietnam vet and a WWII vet and we talked about the current situation in Iraq, and one was an orthopedic, so I talked to him about my ongoing knee problem. Then I got to met the former Vice-Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and there was some talk of politics and a little Mitch McConnell bashing. All-in-all everyone was great to meet. As Sean said when he spoke, these were the people who are responsible for the way he is today, whether they made him worse or better, they made him what he is.

Sean's Day 10 -- Stuck in Madisonville, KY

2007-09-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I'm not sure if this is just an issue for this morning or for all day (certainly not more than that). But right now Bret and I are stuck at my Mom's house in Kentucky (not a bad place to be stuck, of course).

Reason #1 is that I have an interview with the Madisonville Messenger at 10:00, so they can do a story about the ride. The Messenger is my hometown paper and will be read by the folks who knew be growing up, my mom's friends, my grandmother's friends, people who knew my dad (who passed a few years ago) -- you can understand why I would make an allowance and stick around to help the interview happen.

Reason #2 is the bike. I've been having problems with the gears (rear wheel) that I have been ignoring. It has made the ride a little harder than it needed to be, but not in a huge way. Soon, though, we'll be heading into the Appalchian mountains. If I have any chance at all of making it over them without help from Bret and the car, I need to have all 21 gears at my disposal. Honestly, I'm not sure what will happen in the mountains. My goal is to make it across them on the bike, but we'll see. I may need Bret to ferry me part of the way over them (and, yes, I promise I'll tell you if we do that).

The bike store will be open at 10:00 (the same time as my newspaper interview). I'll let you know how both of them go.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 9 -- Stopping at my mom's house

2007-09-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

First, the ride update:

Miles ridden today: 46.30 miles (we had to stop early to make it to my mom's party on time)
Miles ridden, total: 445.09 miles

Today started in Murphysboro, IL. I was on the road by 7:30 and riding my backside off for a good bit of the morning. I also had several business calls to which I had to attend, and they really sucked up my time (gotta make a living, ya know?).

The road could not have been more perfect and I was able to haul it the whole way, averaging 12-14 mph or even better, pretty much the entire way. If only the entire trip were like that...

St. Joseph, MO friends, June & Jim Potts, sent me a lovely e-mail of support for this effort. They have contributed to the MS Society for this trip and have been so supportive, otherwise. It really touches my heart to get e-mails and blog posts from friends. Thanks, June & Jim.

I also received an e-mail from my Kansas City, MO friend Diana Kander. She was mostly just being supportive, but also asked me who my favorite cyclist is -- not something I had thought much about, to be honest. My initial response, in my head, was Peewee Herman -- no one has ever ridden a big red bicycle with such grace as Peewee. In a way, he is my inspiration for this ride, my inspiration for everything.

Really, though, I've never been a big sports fan (to put it mildly). The only cyclist I can name is Lance Armstrong (and he's pretty cool, except that he dumped my beloved Sheryl). There really is just one athlete who has played any role in my life or the way I view the world -- Steve Prefontaine, the long distance runner. My knowledge of him starts with the movie "Without Limits" (one of my top-ten favorite movies) and extends beyond to some outside reading. As you might guess, my love for him stems from his commitment to breaking all boundaries, even those set for him by his own body. My favorite line in the movie resulted from someone asking Prefontaine why he was such a good runner. Paraphrased, he said "because I work harder and because I can stand more pain than anyone I've ever met."

Prefontaine is a role model for me because he refused to let anyone, including himself, hold him back.

My ride today was from Murphysboro, IL to Harrisburg, IL. I could have ridden much further, but we had to get to my mom's house in time to shower and shave before the 5:30 party. So I stopped riding at 2:00. Tomorrow we'll have to backtrack to Harrisburg so no one will think I'm cheating the ride. Then we'll bike back to Kentucky and start making our way across the incredibly long state.

We may or may not be sticking to the plan and leaving tomorrow. At our party tonight, Dr. Jon Love (a long time friend of mine who may know just about everything in the world) checked out my bike and helped me understand that we have a pretty serious problem with the back wheel gears. We took it to his son, also named John, and the short story is that we are taking it to a professional bike repair guy tomorrow to replace the head. No clue how long this will take. Hopefully it will be done in time for me to get at least a few hours of riding in before dark.

Oh, and Mom's party in Madisonville, KY tonight was awesome. We had a lot of folks and brought in over $2500 from friends and family, all for the MS Society. And it was so much fun to see everybody, many of whom have known me since birth. This whole trip is a fantastic experience, but tonight, surrounded by so many people who are important to me, will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks, Mom.

That's enough for now. I have an interview at 10:00 with the Madisonville, KY paper for a story about the ride, and we have to deal with the bike repairs (which may entail going to another town). I'll keep you posted as things develop.

Take care.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 8 -- Finally out of Missouri!

2007-09-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Here are today's stats:

Miles ridden today: 75.64
Miles ridden, total: 398.79

I'm finally out of Misouri and should make it to Kentucky tomorrow, or no later than Thursday. Yay! Right now I'm one day behind, and could be completely caught up by tomorrow, but I'll need to knock off early to attend the party my mom is hosting in Madisonville. Small price to pay, really, for a great party, and I can catch up within the next few days. Yay!

Today, parts of the route were the best of the trip so far, and other parts were the worst. Isn't that how it always is? I swear, there was a hill outside Murphy that is the biggest hill in the history of hills. It was followed by about a million other hills, all in a row. I thougt I was going to die. I didn't complain, though, because I had just ridden like 20 miles that were completely flat and wonderful on a bike. I averaged 12-14 mph (even as high as 16 mph for long stretches) and thought I was in bicycle heaven. All things end, though, ya know?

Oh, I've been meaning to mention that I had a near-death experience yesterday. I was crossing the road, exactly where I was supposed to, but a woman wasn't paying attention, made the turn, heading right for me, and came to a screeching, slam-on-the-brakes stop about a foot from me. Literally, if the car had stopped two feet later, she would have smashed into me. I almost feel like a real bike guy now.

Tomorrow I'll hit the road early and get as close to Dixon, KY as possible by 2:30 p.m. Then, Bret will pick me up wherever I am and we'll spend the night at my mom's house, planning to return to the point we left the next morning and resume biking with no miles skipped.

The party should be fun. Look for details tomorrow or Thursday.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 8: Steve's story

2007-09-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

The following post is one I hope everyone reads closely and passes along to friends to read as well. It concerns the state of healthcare in Missouri, which no doubt is in peril.

I had the opportunity to have a lengthy discussion with the proprietor of the cafe I was blogging about this morning. His name was Steve and he's originally from Oregon. He moved to St. Louis in the early '90s to work construction. One night in March 2004, Steve was driving a co-worker home from work. Steve's a nice guy and he was doing his co-worker a favor. This also happened to be payday for Steve and his co-worker, so they each had $500 in their pockets.

When Steve and the co-worker were in a remote area, the co-worker took a butcher's knife from his bag and demanded Steve give him his money. Steve resisted and the co-worker attacked. By the end of the scuffle, Steve's right arm was cut up so bad he would get 200 stitches, and he was sliced across the throat from one side of his neck to the other. The co-worker threw Steve in the back of the van and ditched it at some warehouse delivery location where, 8 hours later, someone saw blood dripping out of the van and found Steve inside.

It's a miracle he survived. He still has a twitch on the right side of his face and he has a gold chip sewn into his right eyelid because he wouldn't be able to close the eye at night without the added weight.

He was unable to go back to working construction after his injuries and it was difficult for him to work with other employees at other jobs because he could not trust anyone at that point. The cost of his medical care that night, and for the therapist he still sees, are covered, but Steve was one of the more than 100,000 Missourians who lost healtchcare coverage in 2005. The doctors, by that time, had cleared him to return to work, and the job he found paid too much for him to qualify for health care, but not enough to afford it on his own. Now, as the operator of the Corner Bistro, he estimates it would cost him $400 to $500 per month for health care, and he and his girlfriend just bought a house so there's not a lot of money to go around.

He couldn't even remember the last time he saw a doctor before his incident. Because of what happened to him that night in March 2004, there are a lot of jobs he can't do, but he found one he could do. He has a job that he works at every day, yet he cannot afford health care. This is not right.

Day 8: The airing of grievances

2007-09-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

I got honked at today by an Illinois driver for making a turn too slowly, and it reminded me of a pet peeve of mine I want to share with you all. I always hear people complain things like, "Illinois drivers are terrible," or "Kansas Citians don't know how to drive," and the like, and it's just silly. In my case, I was driving on foreign roads in foreign car (well, the car isn't foreign, Sean and I are Democrats after all, but it's not my car, so it's foreign to me) and I bet the woman who honked at me looked at Sean's Missouri plates and said, "Those darn Missouri drivers!" likely in harsher words.

The fact is, different regions have different driving customs and anyone driving on foreign roads is going to be a little confused. No one region has good or bad drivers. Each region just has drivers who are used to the way people drive where they live. Stereotyping is never a good practice, even in diagnosing drivers. So please, next time you want to categorize drivers from a certain region as being a certain way, remember that there may come a time when you look like a foolish driver and keep from stereotyping.

Day 8: Ron Paul has Missouri support

2007-09-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Perhaps some of you read the definitive Ron Paul interview conducted and published by Jason Rosenbaum. It was quite the informative piece. Today, just south of St. Mary's, Mo., I saw my first Ron Paul yard sign. In fact, it was the first presidential yard sign I've seen for any candidate. It may be the first presidential yard sign in the all of Missouri. You don't get more purely Libertarian than Ron Paul. He's made some headlines after Republican debates, and his support is clearly beginning to grow.

Day 8: Fun in Farmington

2007-09-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

I'm at a locally owned cafe/market in Farmington this morning. The building I'm in used to be a factory and, upon entering, I felt as if there could be an assembly line hidden around the next corner. The building, collectively known as "The Factory," is still mostly windowless and the inside is split up into several smaller, specialty stores, but there are no walls, so it's just an open market with exposed I-beams everywhere. The cafe just opened a month ago I'm told and has yet to get a breakfast menu, but it has wireless and that's great news for me. The whole building is really an unique place.

Sean took off down the TransAmerica Trail early this morning, and for the first time it was really cold out. There was a light drizzle that made it even more frosty. Sean's got his Mizzou sweatshirt, though, so he'll be alright.

There is apparently not a single disc golf course in all of Southeast Missouri -- a real bummer. It looks as though I'll be spending the morning working from this cafe in Farmington.

Sean's Day 7 -- A very long day

2007-09-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

The day started on the Katy Trail, which was awesome, and then took me on back roads that weren't very well suited to cycling. All told, I rode 62.23 miles today (a total of 323.15 miles biked so far, plus 50-60 in the car for safety reasons).

Bret and I had a great Mexican lunch in Washington, MO before I headed south and he went to St. Louis for the day.

A note on Bret -- yes, I've been spelling his name incorrectly and am extremely embarassed. It is "Bret" and not "Brett." With a name like "Sean," this tends to be something to which I tend to pay attention, but I blew it and he finally corected me. Yes, I can be quite a dork.

After Washington, I rode 30 miles or so. This included getting lost -- Bret and I still aren't quite sure how that happened -- and then figuring things out an making my way into St. Clair. The getting lost was kind of cool, though. Lots of Missouri country side. At one point, I stumbled onto the "Phoebe Apperson Hearst Friendship Park," which seems to have been set-up as some sort of rest stop in what is essentially someone's yard. It is kept up nicely, with a little foot bridge and a picnic table. It seemed kind of odd to be out in the middle of nowhere, but very welcome!

I made it down to Lonedel, but the roads were getting pretty scary. Actually, I got kind of stranded because the dark caught me and I had to wait for Bret to come and get me. From there, I had him ferry me on down to Farmington, to avoid those roads, and pick up the TransAmerica Trail.

A note on the trail -- it is actually, primarily, a set of roads that have been identified as safe for bicycle riders. I haven't always understood that it is more roads than actual trails, but I do now. I'm still not yet sure how this will affect the trip, but you will know as I do.

It is 4:41 and I'm going to get back on the road as quickly as possible. I'm going to make it as close to Dixon, KY as possible between now and tomorrow at about 2:00, then we'll leave the trail and go by car to my Mom's house in Madisonville, KY, where she is having a party for us. The morning after the party, we'll rejoin the trail EXACTLY where we left it and start pedaling.

By the way -- and I'll probably mention this from time to time -- while I let Bret drive me short distances from time to time for safety reasons or because we have to get someplace more quickly than I can bike there, we never include that distance in the amount I've biked. The vast majority of this trip, for me, continues to be butt-on-bike, with an occasional auto-accomodation when absolutely necessary.

Have a great Tuesday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 7: More embarrassment..more disc golf...more highway

2007-09-10T14:55:00.001-07:00

I left Sean as he was heading toward Farmington today so I could briefly visit a friend in St. Louis. The Soap Opera Drama is apparently making its way around the Missouri political blog scene. I don't know if the writer of the blog post knows who I am or they just think it's a funny story, but it causes more people to check out what Sean is doing, then it's for a good cause, and I don't care.

I got to disc golf at Quail Ridge Park in Wentzville today. I started at whole ten, and after the first three holes, I thought the course was madness. Those holes are very much wooded, but because there was no underbrush, it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. The course was actually very enjoyable, with all sorts of creative shots being necessary. I didn't have the time to look for all the advanced tees, but I would like to go back some time soon. I was three under after nine holes, with two long putts that really boosted my confidence. Sean called when I was done with nine, and I had to hit the road again. Next course, should be in Carbondale, IL.

Day 6: from football to soap operas...an uncomfortable seat...and some missed disc golf

2007-09-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

To clarify Sean's story, I took a shower after watching football and was flicking through the channels looking for something to watch. I wrapped the towel on my head because I thought Sean would find it funny; the Soap Opera Network thing was just bad timing.

When we took one of our stops today I overheard someone talking about an Iowa bike trip where hundreds of people just ride their bikes across Iowa for no particular cause. It was the second time I have heard someone talk about the trip, so it must be quite a big deal.

I also got on the bike for a bit myself today, and gained a new appreciation for what Sean is doing. My legs didn't so much get tired, but those bike seats are not comfortable to say the least. I probably rode 10 miles, and was ready to quit. So I'm more amazed my Sean's commitment.

I skipped over a few disc golf courses the past couple days, but they were courses I've played a lot, so let me fill you in:

Albert Oakland Park (front/upper course), Columbia: A great course for beginners. It's wide open with a few long, tricky shots. But for a skilled player, 10 under par is not completely out of the question.

Albert Oakland Park (back/lower course), Columbia: This is one of my favorite courses, and I've played courses in at least six states and several courses in each. It has a great variety of shots and a very active disc golf community so you can almost always find someone to play with if you can't find anyone who has a weekday afternoon free, as was sometimes the case when I was at school at the University of Missouri (a hyphenated Columbia optional). On a typical day, I expect to score 1 or 2 under, but none of those birdies are given to you. There are a lot of birdie holes and a lot of holes where bogey is a definite possibility. It is well maintained and always fun.

Indian Hills, Columbia: This course is only fun for skilled players. It's heavily wooded, and it is difficult to make it through a round without getting at least one disc caught in a tree. Also, the garbage cans were recently removed, and litter is starting to pile up in places. There are some really fun holes, though, if you are looking for a challenge. Keeping my score below 5 over par is a good day for me there.

Binder Park, Jefferson City: This is my home course these days. I play in a league there twice per week. The course is only about 4 years old, and has some things that need to be done to make it a great course. The local disc golf group is active, though, and is making improvements all the time. The course just got cement tee pads (though they are undersized) and there are 6 more basket placements that are soon to come. The layout is terrific, but it could use a mowing more often. I only started playing this course frequently beginning this summer (my spring was ruined by a car accident that took out my left knee), so I don't have a typical singles score yet. My best score alone is 2 over, but I mostly play best shot, and 5 or 6 under usually wins league night.

Tomorrow I plan to travel up to Quail Ridge in Warrenton. I'll let y'all know what it's like and how my game is progressing tomorrow night.

Sean's Day 6 -- So freaking hot!

2007-09-09T18:25:00.001-07:00

Hi Y'all!

We made it almost exactly 40 miles today -- all before lunch. I was pretty proud of that, but it was just so hot after noon. It was over 85, and Brett and I both agreed we should stop for the day.

For those who don't know much about MS, you should know that there are pretty much just two things that are scientifically proven to cause problems for those of us who have it -- smoking and getting overheated. I don't smoke, and I do what I can to deal with the heat. That is one of the things that concerns folks about my doing this ride, but I'm trying to be smart.

Tomorrow we'll get up early and either make it to Illinois or very close to the border. I'm actually not sure how we are going to get from the Katy Trail to the TransAmerica Trail. I haven't been able to find a route that really makes sense -- Brett is trying to figure it out right now.

By the way, I have a fun story about Brett from today. I wonder if it would embarrass him. Maybe. Just suffice it to say that it includes him lounging around with his head wrapped in a towel, glued to the Soap Opera Channel. 'Nuff said.

Making this trip work every day is going to be very tough, but I'm going to keep pushing every day, and we will finish.

By the way, as I was writing tonight, we received a $200 contribution online, through this blog -- 100% of which will go directly to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (I'm going to cover the small PayPal charge). Very cool.

Have a great night!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 5 -- Catching Up

2007-09-09T03:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Sorry for the lapse in writing from me (although I sure appreciate Brett keeping things going). On Friday night, I ended up getting stuck with no Internet access, and last night -- well, no excuse for last night, so thank goodness for Brett!

The trip continues to come together, and I feel more and more confident that we can get it done (even with a fairly steep learning curve). I rode 73.33 miles yesterday and still suspect we can be completely back on schedule by Wednesday evening (when we will have a party at my mom's house, in Madisonville, KY, my hometown).

Here are a few highlights from the last few days:

- Lunch with my college friend Marnie Morgan's (now Oetting) church secretary Sue, and Sue's mother, Lupe. We just kind of stumbled onto them at a restaurant in Higginsville. They ended up paying for our lunch and contributing a memory card for our camera. Is that cool or what? They were both incredibly nice ladies, and yet another example of the generosity of the road.

- Friday night I ended up staying in Arrow Rock (yes, we had backtracked from Columbia because we had to be there for our event and my Rotary club meeting -- but rest assured, we will always go back and cover and skipped miles with my bike -- no cheating!). I stopped in at a little restaurant and the owner called all over town, trying to find a place for me to stay. She finally did, and I ended up at Borgman's (owned and operated by Kathy Borgman). She gave me an incredibly reduced rate for a beautiful room and a bag of homemade cinnamon roles when I left in the morning.

- Last night, Brett and I stayed with Susan Montee in Jefferson City and are heading out in about five minutes (at 6:20). Susan made us an awesome steak dinner and we watched Will Ferrell's "Blades of Glory" afterward (because it was also about, uh, athletic excellence, just like my bike ride). Susan makes a killer steak.

Have a great Sunday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
http://www.missouritomanhattan.com/
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 4: going strong

2007-09-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Today is looking to be Sean's best day yet. He has yet to be able to get on and post, but he wanted me to send the message that he made an error in an earlier post. We have to be in Madisonville, KY by Wednesday, not Thursday, so Sean will be peddling his butt off the next 5 days. Please send your well wishes.

Day 4: Disc golf and separation

2007-09-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sean's without his laptop. He's learned that riding at night is less than safe (and probably a little creepy, though he didn't say so). I found a friend's house to crash at tonight and Sean's holing up in some small town bread and breakfast. He's going to take off from there in the morning and I'm just going to call him when I wake up. I think he covered something like 50 miles today. We're getting a lot more organized, and Sean is looking less tuckered-out after long rides.

I drove back today to play the Marshall disc golf course because I didn't get to yesterday. There's no cement tees, but it has really deep baskets that lock the discs in. The layout for the first 8 holes created lots of long walks between holes, and the holes themselves were lengthy. I played the blue (back) tees when I could find them, and really got to let loose with my TeeBird and Surge. The middleish third of the course was tight, maybe 15 feet wide at some points, which provided a nice compliment to the long open holes. The final three holes are each interesting in their own way. There doesn't appear to be a strong disc golf community there, though, because I played on a Friday evening and didn't see another player and there were extensive spider webs blocking what should have been well-traveled areas.

As for my game, I'm getting my feel back for how far to toss mid range shots, and my Classic Roc was on fire in the tight holes. However, it's still difficult to play a course for the first time and know the right shot to play every time, so I was two over with bogeys on 9 and 14. I did have like a 500 ft (downhill of course) drive on hole 8 that made my day. I should have made the putt, but I was staring a spider in the face and it really got in my head.

Check back later to hear from Sean.

Day 4: Lunch with Sue and Lupe

2007-09-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've re-engaged after doing some work for State Rep. Jeff Roorda this morning, and the afternoon began with a pleasant start.

I've always been a believer that most people in this world are good and want to do good things. I've said to Sean that this trip is not restoring my faith in my fellow humans, but reassuring it in an incredible way.

Today for lunch Sean and I found ourselves at a restaurant that had food so delicious, it had more customers than seats. It was a blessing for us, though, because Sue and her mother, Lupe, were kind enough to let us join them. Sue had more letters in her last name than I can remember, but I do remember she was a secretary for the local church, St. Paul's if memory serves me right. And Lupe was a foster grandmother to some youths in town.

I'm actually writing this post from the Marshall Public Library, and in the office next to me it looks as if someone is interviewing to be the new librarian, which, coincidentally, Sue's daughter, a senior in high school, has talked becoming. It looks like it's much more than books, Sue. : )

Sue and Lupe's kindness knew no bounds, as Sue suprised us by picking up our check without us even knowing (she's so sly). Then, as Sean and I were getting his bike off the car, Sue and Lupe came up and gave us a memory card for Sean's new digital camera. We had made the mistake of buying one that held only a few pictures, and Sue said she had one left from her daughter's trip to New York, that could hold hundreds of photos.

We said thank you, but I wish there were stronger words. I say thank you when someone holds a door open for me or says "God bless you" when I sneeze; I have no idea what to say when a perfect stranger does this much. Sue and Lupe will forever be in my thoughts. I hope something good happens for them today.

Sean's Day 3 -- Quick Update

2007-09-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I just got a note from the editor of the Columbia Business Times. I don't need to turn in that article until a week from today now, so I can get back on the road tomorrow. See, I'm not just procrastinating!

The only hitch is that I need to get Brett re-engaged, because he was planning to have most or all of tomorrow off. So now I'm waiting to hear back from him. I'm excited that we won't lose an entire day, no matter what.

See ya!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Sean's Day 3 -- Slowly but surely...

2007-09-06T19:50:00.001-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Alright, I'm going to admit that this trip is progressing more slowly than I had hoped. I honestly feel like we are working out the kinks, though, and I am determined to get back on schedule over the next four days. As God is my witness, we WILL make it to Kentucky by Thursday at 5:30 so we can be on time for the party my mother is throwing for me.

Because of some scheduling choices (as in, NOT because I was too tired or something) I was only able to ride 20 miles today, all before 8:30. Rain either drizzled or fell at a steady pace for the entire trip, which was actually kind of cool. There's nothing quite like a fat guy in a wet t-shirt. Hot, I tell you. Actually, it made the temperature just about perfect. I'd be happy if it did that for the entire trip. I can take wet much more happily than "hotter than a two dollar pistol."

The only mishap on the ride was when I fell in a ditch -- let me assure you, there is no way to look cool while falling into a ditch on a country road. My first thought was to try to pretend that I meant to do it, you know, because I wanted to take a nap or something. Then it occurred to me that there was absolutely no one around, for miles in either direction, so I picked myself up and hit the road.

The morning ride was shortened because we decided to head on into Columbia for my Rotary meeting (yes, I am a proud Rotarian -- just call me Mr. Civically Minded!). I won't see any of those folks for probably a month, and I thought it would be cool to drop in on the ride, and it was. President Tony St. Romaine talked a bit about my ride, which I thought was very kind.

Brett and I spent the afternoon running errands and getting ready for our Columbia gathering, scheduled for 5:30. We ended up having it in the parking lot of "The Diner" across from Flatbranch Park, where we initially planned to have it. We had to shift the location slightly because there turned out to be huge activities consuming the entire park.

The Diner was great, though. I used to go there when I was in college -- the best kind of place to go at 3:00 in the morning, after the bars have closed, where you can have huge portions of greasy, delicious diner food. I asked the owner if we could squat on a small portion of his parking lot and he was quick to agree. It turns out that his family has a lot of experience with MS, so they were eager to help. They even contributed without being asked -- excellent folks, indeed. If you are ever in Columbia and want a good American meal (especially breakfast), I definitely suggest The Diner at 4th and Cherry Streets.

The event was great. People came and wrote checks and hung out with us. Mostly friends and a few new folks. It felt good to share the story of the ride and get people thinking and asking about something important to me and to so many.

After the event and a quick bite at The Diner, Brett and I rushed over to the visitation, following the passing of State Senator Chuck Graham's father. I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Andy, but I've been hearing stories, and I think a lot of Chuck. It was a blessing that the ride allowed me to be in Columbia in time to pay my respects. If the timing had been off by just a day, I would have been too far away.

Tonight I'm catching up on a bunch of things. Tomorrow I have to write an article for the Columbia Business Times. Preparing for the ride kept me from doing it sooner, and now I'm paying the price. I'll need to spend some or maybe even all of tomorrow interviewing and writing, which almost certainly means I won't be riding tomorrow. I will if I can, but otherwise I'll be hustling to get back on schedule, starting Saturday. You can count on my getting on the road no later than 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

Have a nice night.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 3: Morning post

2007-09-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

I dropped Sean off at last night's end point at about 6 this morning. It was drizzling, and looks as though it might all day, but I was happy this morning to see an old friend.

Last night's post was lacking because I was so tired, and I forgot to include a lot of information. Thanks to an ill-timed call from Sean, my unfamiliarity with Kansas City highways, and my discomfort with merging in Sean's SUV, I got off at the stadium exit of I-435 rather than I-70 as I intended to use to get to Higginsville. I didn't want to stop and get the atlas out, so I just used my judgment and acute senses to navigate my way to Route FF, the road Sean was peddling on. There were a lot of turns, stop lights and self doubt, my I got my way to Higginsville. After that experience, I'm pretty sure I could find my home from the center of the Black Hills if I had enough bottled water and energy ooze to last me the trip.

Once in Higginsville, I stopped at Crocker's Pool and Bar, where I was able to charge my cell phone and have a few beers with Rod and Susie of Concordia and the bartender, Bobby. I was drinking Bud Light, but Bobby was pouring Rod and Sue's vodka tonics with about 95 parts vodka and one part tonic all night, so if that's your thing, I definitely recommend the place. Rod and Bobby, who didn't grow up together, shared stories of their younger days that had me cracking up all night. One of Bobby's stories involved an overzealous cop who was certain Bobby had a booze bottle hidden in his trunk because he smelled something funny. Bobby asked to see a warrant, so the officer took the under-aged Bobby with him to the judge to get a warrant, went back to the car, opened the trunk, and when he didn't see anything he crawled in the trunk a bit to check under the flaps along the sides of the trunk. The officer came out with two big black stains on the knees of his pants. "What's this?" he asked. "It's diesel fuel, I've been helping my dad all day and a little spilled, that's what you smelled when you pulled me over," Bobby finally informed him. "Is this going to stain?" the officer asked. "All my jeans still have blackened knees," Bobby said as he walked to his driver's seat laughing. That same officer was later demoted from Sergeant to trooper for another incident. From the stories, he kind of reminds me of Rod Farva in Super Troopers.

I left there to go pick up Sean who had gained the company of an old basset hound that followed him down the road. We loaded up the bike and took off. So this morning I said it would be cool if the basset hound followed him all the way to New York, and Sean thought it would be really cool if it turned out the dog could talk, too. We determined it would be highly intelligent and well-read and would have a name like Herman. Herman would be the type of intellectual that doesn't like being called "dude" because that's not his name. Well, this morning, when I dropped Sean off, Herman was there with a second basset hound. I was happy to see him again, but they made driving a challenge because I was afraid to run them over, they were so close to the car. I had to get out and clap my hands and stomp my feet to scare them away. Too bad I couldn't just bring them along.

Sean's Day 2

2007-09-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I'm pretty excited for a couple of reasons. First, I'm still alive (a surprise to many who know about this trip, I suspect). Second, my second day went much better than my first. All told, I rode about 60 miles (I'll include the exact distance tomorrow; I just forgot to check before retiring and it is raining outside).

Yes, the terrain is still extremely hilly. I swear I thought we would be done with that after a morning's ride, but our route has shifted just a bit and we won't be on the Katy trail until tomorrow, late in the day or even at the very end of the day. Yuck.

That's fine, though. The hard early riding is toughening me up for the next leg of the trip. With every mile, I grow more confident that this is a trip I will finish.

By the way, I need to point out that today Brett made me try some of the nastiest stuff I've ever tasted. It was some kind of banana flavored energy gel. Yes, I know that big-time cyclists apparently live on this stuff for months at a time. Yes, I know it is chock-full of energy. But, ugh, it was so disgusting! Did Brett try it? No. He just talked me into it. I must definitely seek retribution.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 2: Disc Golf finally

2007-09-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, day 2 may not be "finally" material, but it sure feels like it. I wanted to play at Missouri Western yesterday, but something came up. Then I wanted to play Water Works this morning, but something else came up, then I finally got to play Swope Park. The lay out is viewer-friendly, with nearly all the holes visible from a central club house that looks as if it could easily be converted to a Forest Park-style bistro. The course is made challenging by its elevation changes and reminds me a lot of a shorter version of Jefferson Barracks. The course length allows for the possibility of birdie on about 13 or 14 holes, which is why I was disappointed in my 1 over performance (3 bogeys, 2 birdies). Most of my drives were hindered by 25 mph winds, which slapped my discs out of the air like Manute Bol, so It wasn't that bad. Tomorrow I'm going to try to play a course in Marshall. I've heard about, but never played.

Back to the trip.

One of the things about this trip that I don't think I'm ever going to get used to, is seeing Sean take off on his bike. He's just wearing regular shorts and a t-shirt, none of those fancy tight shorts with a padded seat or a tight shirt. He looks like a kid taking off on a 10-minute bike ride to school, not an adult doing four-hour stretches down narrow country roads.

I'm still waiting for us to get into a good routine. The bike repair this afternoon was yet another small set back. We've got a lot of days to get into a rhythm, so I'm sure all will go well. I'm getting pretty tired now, so I'm heading to bed. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.

Wednesday in Kansas City

2007-09-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Today has been pretty great so far. I've ridden just over 25 miles and would have been happy to do more, but we were at the outskirts of Kansas City and I'm going to drive through so I don't have to deal with big-city traffic issues (I have to be sensible in at least one respect on this trip, don't I?).

This morning's ride was just as hilly as yesterday's, but felt easier -- I guess I'm just already acclimating to it. It has also been cool, and I had plenty of water and power bars.

Now I'm waiting for some repairs to my bike (yes, already!). The gears were having trouble and then the chain came off, so I switched to the alternate bike, which is not as fast and requires more energy. I'm pretty excited about getting back on my primary bike. This trip is certainly not going to be easy, but I continue to see that it is something I can do.

More later. Gotta go pick up my bike from the repair shop and get back on the trail!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Day 1: Getting started

2007-09-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Somebody said that a long time ago, or it was put on a poster by the same guy who designed the "Hang in there" poster of the kitten holding onto the tree branch. Either way, it seems to fit here.

I chose the name "The Transporter" in the spirit of anonymous blogging. Anyone who has read this blog knows I'm Bret Bender, but I like to make remote references to Missouri politics that maybe 15 people will get. I did not chose the name because of my physical likeness to Jason Statham or anything; I'm not Jorgen Schlemeier (again, perhaps five people in the state know who Jorgen and Jason Statham are), I just couldn't come up with anything more creative.

The first day was full of things to learn. One: I just learned yesterday that Sean himself was diagnosed with MS in 2003. Two: I'm learning how to master a stick shift. (By Madisonville, I should be a pro.) Three: We learned that Sean really shouldn't be biking without a PowerBar and bottle of water on him. I've been lobbying Sean to get a CamelPak, which has a pouch for liquid and a tube that comes around for a straw, but Sean has been reluctant to purchase one. I told him if he doesn't want to keep it past the tip, I'd gladly take it off his hands, but still no movement on that front. And four: I learned that there are 150 mile bike rides for MS taking place all over the country this month. I have not, however, heard of anyone else riding 1,800 miles, or even driving that far to raise money.

Now that it has started, I'm looking even more forward to the trip. I got to hang out in Platte City for a bit today and can't wait to see all the other small towns we'll be going through. Our lunch at the T-Bone Restaurant was outstanding with prices I couldn't believe (because they were low). I'd recommend it to anyone meandoring along Highway 29 just north of Kansas City.

I'll check back with y'all tomorrow.

-tt

Day 1 -- The Hills are Killing Me

2007-09-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Okay, that's not a very upbeat headline, is it? My one commitment for this trip, though, is to be completely honest as I write this blog.

The morning was great, and started with an early morning ride to the jumping off point in St. Joseph. Susan Montee (Missouri's State Auditor -- the best auditor in the country, with close competition from Minnesota's Rebecca Otto, with whom I am desperately in love, even though we have never met) hosted a small gathering, which was attended by some St. Joseph friends (special shout-out to Jim & June Potts and Jason Park!), as well as Ken Newton from the St. Joseph News-Press and Norman from KQ2-TV.

Ken wrote a great column about the ride in today's paper -- http://www.stjoenews-press.com/main.asp?SectionID=81&SubSectionID=329&ArticleID=96579&TM=27321.81. If you are reading this, thanks, Ken. I felt like you did and excellent job of capturing the personality and purpose of the trip.

John Combest (www.JohnCombest.com) also posted a link to this blog, and I had way more visitors than ever before. Thanks to you, too, John. I appreciate both you and Ken recognizing that this trip has value to folks.

The short story about today's ride is that it was incredibly tough, and shorter than I would have liked. It turns out that the back-road route from St. Joseph to Kansas City is INCREDIBLY hilly. It was far worse than any terrain I've encountered during training. I made it 25.4 miles today and called it a day.

Fortunately, I only have about 15-20 miles left before I can get on the Katy trail (which is mostly flat, all across the state of Missouri). So tomorow I'm going to start early -- by 5:00 a.m. at the latest -- and knock out those last tough miles.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for reading!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Oh my god -- it's tomorrow...

2007-09-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Yes, tomorrow I leave for my trip. 1800 or so miles, from Missouri to Manhattan. On one hand, it does not seem real; on the other, it seems more real than anything I've ever done. Am I ready? Surely not. I don't think there is any way someone like me could be ready for this -- but I've been working hard and I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be.

Tomorrow morning at 7:30, I'll kick off the trip in St. Joseph, Missouri (just North of Kansas City). Yes, I'm totally freaked out. I won't lie about that. But that's part of why I have to make the trip. I have to.

For most of us, our lives are spent with others telling us we can't do things. Sure, I've been blessed with more encouragement than most, but there's always someone there to set limits on us.

We can't accept those limits.

For those of us with special problems -- Multiple Sclerosis, for example, let me assure you that the line of people ready to say we can't do something grows exponentially.

To me, that's part of the problem. There are people who are scared that this trip will weaken me, will take away some part of my life. But I choose to believe that this is the kind of experience that gives me life. The way I choose to fight my disease (along with those pesky three-times-a-week injections of interferon), is by pushing my limits, by refusing to accept that there are things I can't do. In the end, I may learn that I've been wrong. But I will have lived. I will have given all I can and experienced something bigger than me.

To me, this is what life has to be about.

Not to mention, I am going to look HOT when I finish this ride.

See ya.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

12 Days and counting -- 1800 miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-08-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

The really big news is that I have a driver to accompany me on my trip. I thought I had someone a few weeks ago, but that didn't work out. So on Tuesday I panicked and e-mailed a bunch of my friends around the country and also sent a release to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which posted my need for a driver on their political blog (because of my political work here in Missouri). Anyway, I've ended up with 15 people who want to make the drive with me. Is that cool, or what?

My final choice is Bret Bender, who works for a state representative here in Missouri. Great guy. I gotta tell you that it was a tough choice, though. I've had some very interesting people, from all over the country, who want to do it. I finally chose Bret, though, because I know him a bit. I think we'll get along well and he's much less likely to back out at the last minute (if for no other reason than he would still have to see me on a regular basis, knowing he had let me down -- and who wants that?).

Have a great Thursday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

17 Days and Counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-08-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I've just returned from a 25 mile ride. Tomorrow I'll do 50. Yes, I've done a 100 mile day, and didn't feel completely horrible afterward. Next weekend, I think I'll be able to get in two 100 mile days in a row. The bottom line is that this ride is going to be a stretch for me, but I'm going to be able to do it.

Here's an update on my training, as of today:

Distance Ridden Today: 25.0 miles, inside
Calories Yesterday: 1250
Weight: 211.4 pounds
Weight Lost: 6.6 pounds

Yes, I've continued to have trouble controlling my eating. Yesterday was good, but many, many days have not been good at all. Hence, the fact that I've only lost 6.6 pounds. I'm hoping to lose another five or six before I leave, then 20-30 on the trip. We'll see.

This weekend I'll be making more preparations for the trip, as well as thinking about the book I'm going to write. Have I mentioned that? Yeah, my goal is to write a book about the trip while I'm doing it (the first draft, anyway).

Have a great Saturday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
http://www.missouritomanhattan.com/
seanspence@earthlink.net

20 Days and Counting -- 1500+ Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-08-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I've spent most of the day on planes and in airports, so no training. I'll be able to get back on the trail tomorrow afternoon for my usual 30 miles, then longer rides Saturday and Sunday. Twenty days. Can you believe it. Oh my god.

On Tuesday I panicked a bit because I didn't have a driver to accompany me. So I e-mailed friends all over the country for suggestions and now I have 11 people who want to do it. Is that cool or what? Do you think its like going to a gladiator match, waiting to watch someone die?

No, I think people realize this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal. Heck, I may never get on a bike again!

My goal is to choose a driver tomorrow. I'll let you know.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Getting ready for the trail

2007-08-15T06:04:00.001-07:00

Hi Y'all!

My trip is less than three weeks away and, yes, I'm actually going to do it!

It turns out that I'm a horrible blogger in my day-to-day life. Hopefully I'll be better on the trip. I think I will be. We'll see. My goal will be to chronicle the trip in detail.

As things stand, I'll be leaving from St. Joseph, MO (just north of Kansas City) on Tuesday, September 4th.

I'll blog with more details later in the day.

See ya.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

77 Days and Counting -- 1500+ Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I had to go to the gym again today, but I should be near my bike tonight and will do my best to take an evening ride.

Training Update
Distance Ridden Today: 24.0 miles, inside
Calories Yesterday: 1450
Weight: 213.0 pounds
Weight Lost: 5.0 pounds

Have a great Wednesday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

78 Days and Counting -- 1500+ Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

Today I'm away from my bike, but worked out in the gym. Actually did a little weight lifting, along with my bike ride.

Training Update
Distance Ridden Today: 26.0 miles, inside
Calories Yesterday: 1600
Weight: 213.5 pounds
Weight Lost: 4.5 pounds

Have a great evening!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

79 Days and Counting -- 1500+ Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Yes, my business trip to Mississippi put a major crimp in my training. But I'm back at it!

Training Update
Distance Ridden Today: 20.2 miles, outside
Calories Yesterday: 1300
Weight: 214.8 pounds
Weight Lost: 3.2 pounds

It rained hard on me for half of my ride today, or I would have bumped it up to 25 miles. Tomorrow I'll be without a bike, but I'll be able to ride inside at the gym.

Have a great day!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

87 days and counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

Well, I'm in Mississippi, working with a client. I spent most of the day on an airplane. Yes, this trip is totally going to screw with my training. And no scale, so I won't be able to report on my weight until Friday, when I get back to town. So I'm going to eat really well and work out every day on the exercise bike here at the hotel. We'll see how it goes.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

88 days and counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Today and tomorrow are pretty crappy for getting any riding done. Tomorrow afternoon I'm flying to Mississippi for a week to work with a client and there's all this stuff that has to get done before I go. I know, cry me a river! That's the way life goes, doesn't it?

I'll be in a hotel all week and will have to train on a stationary bike until I return. But don't worry, I'll do it! And next Sunday I'm going to do a 50-mile outside ride.

Have a great night!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

89 days and counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-08T06:15:00.001-07:00

Hi Y'all!

Just got back from the day's ride. Here's the update:

Training Update
Distance Ridden Today: 20.1 miles, outside
Calories Yesterday: 2050
Weight: 216.2 pounds
Weight Lost: 1.8 pounds

Yes, yesterday was a bigger eating day than I would have liked -- mostly, that was because I had a candy bar and soda to stay awake on a long drive. Still, I've lost a little over the last two days. And I'll be better today.

Have an awesome Friday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

90 days and counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Work and real life is taking me off of the trail today. I probably will not be able to ride at all today, but I'll let you know if I can make the time this evening.

I would like to point out that my good friend A.K. Linehart-Minnick, whose family owns SummerWinds Garden Centers (with several beautiful centers around the country) offered their help, since one of their stores on the route. I've already talked to the folks on the ground and we are figuring it out (most likely, I'll have my MS Awareness Event for St. Louis there). In the end, we may be able to work something out or we may not, but isn't it exciting that they want to help?

Hope you have a great day.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

91 days and counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Training Update
Distance Ridden Today: 20.2 miles, outside
Calories Yesterday: 1400
Weight: 216.6 pounds
Weight Lost: 1.4 pounds

The Missouri route is set and we are working out the day-to-day schedule.

For certain, we are going to start in St. Joseph now (north of Kansas City) with a party on the evening of Tuesday, September 4; then I'll jump on my bike and pedal on down to Kansas City the next morning. That will be a relatively short day, but we really need to have an event of some sort in Kansas City, where I have a lot of friends and associates.

Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee will host the event in St. Joseph, her hometown, so I'm pretty excited about that. Having her involved will help us raise money and gives the ride credibility.

Here's the full Missouri schedule:

Tuesday, September 4, evening -- MS Awareness Event in St. Joseph, MO
Wednesday, September 5, evening -- MS Awareness Event in Kansas City, MO
Friday, September 7, evening -- MS Awareness Event in Columbia, MO
Sunday, September 9, afternoon -- MS Areness Event in St. Louis, MO

I'll supply details as they are set. Have a great Wednesday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

92 days and counting -- 1500+ miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-06-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

I'm back to blogging and won't let up until the end of my trip. Yes, the trip is very much going to happen. I rescheduled it once -- from April to September -- and I am WELL AWARE that if I reschedule it again, no one will believe I'll do it. In fact, as a procrastinator from way back, I realize that if I reschedule again, I probably WON'T do it.

So hear I am. I'll continue to share my thoughts and interesting developments as they happen. I'm also going to start including a daily training update (one that could be embarassing if I don't progress the way I want to. We'll just all see, together.

Today's training update:
Distance cycled: 20 miles, outside
Weight: 218.0 pounds

Twenty miles has become my daily usual, and I can do it without a ton of effort. I think I'll bump that up to 25 miles per day on July 1 and 30 miles per day on July 15. I'm not worried about the distance, but the time is a pretty big factor (I typically do it very early in the morning).

My weight is down 12 pounds, but I have just recently stopped eating like a freak who has never seen a chocolate bar before. So watch for significant loss in the coming months.

Have an awesome Tuesday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

New Route

2007-04-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all!

As everyone should know, the dates of my trip have shifted from April to September. Related to that decision, I've also revised the route.

No, the trip has not gotten shorter. In fact, it may be 100 or so miles longer. Plus, the new trip will take me through a couple of very important, large cities, as well as my home town of Madisonville, Kentucky (yes, my mom will be very happy). The only really big city to get lopped off the list is Chicago.

I don't have all of the stops mapped out, yet, but here is the basic outline:

Kansas City, MO
Columbia, MO
St. Louis, MO
Evansville, IN
Madisonville, KY
Hopkinsvile, KY
Nashville, TN
Washington, DC
Philadelphia, PA
New York, NY

More details will follow in the coming weeks.

Have a great weekend!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Telling Meredith Vieira about the reschedule

2007-04-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Ms. Meredith Vieira
NBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Dear Meredith,

I know this is going to totally bum you out, but my 1500-mile bike ride to benefit MS research and treatment has been rescheduled and I won’t be visiting the show at the end of this month.

That’s right, I won’t be leaving tomorrow for my bike ride to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, riding from Kansas City to your studio. But don’t worry! The trip has just been rescheduled for September.

Training has gone well – at first I could barely ride 10 miles and now I can ride 75 without a huge problem – but one of the setbacks is that I just wasn’t going fast enough on long distances – keep in mind that I’ll need to ride about 100 miles a day, every day for about three weeks. To make that work, I need to average 10-12 mph over a ride of 50+ miles. Right now I’m just averaging about 8 mph over long distances. Ugh.

Now I’m training harder and will be ready long before the September start date. Honestly, I could probably be ready to do the ride in May or June (at the latest), but you know what effect heat can have on someone with MS. So I've decided September would be the best time to avoid most of the heat and hopefully early cold as I push north.

From now on, I’ll do my best to keep you updated on my progress. I’m sure you are very disappointed that I won’t be stopping by this month – perhaps heartbroken is the right word?!? – but rest assured that I’ll be there in September.

Take care, Meredith, and please let me know every time I can be helpful.

Sincerely,

Sean C. Spence
www.MissouriToManhattan.com

Trip Rescheduled

2007-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Well y'all, I've been avoiding saying this, but I've rescheduled my trip. Originally, the plan was to leave tomorrow. Now I will take the month of September for the trip. The reschedule is happening for a wide range of reasons -- need more training, work conflicts, etc.

My preference would be to move the trip just a month, to May, but I'm worried that parts of the route will be too hot (many of you know that heat is one of the things that triggers MS relapses/symptoms). So we've decided that September is the next best month (seeking to avoid heat, but also snow as I work my way North, as might be seen if I push it until October).

Rest assured that the trip will still happen and there will not be another reschedule. Yes, I know that if I reschedule it again, then no one will believe I'll actually do it.

But I will do it, and am still excited, but this needs to happen. So please bear with me, and thank you for understanding (particularly my friends who have contributed to the MS Society for this trip). I won't let you down.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

27 Days and Counting -- 1500 Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-03-06T04:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Today I tried the "Harry Wiggins Trolley Trail" for the first time. It is a bike/pedestrian trail running through Kansas City, covering just a bit over six miles. In total, including getting to the trail and back, I rode about 14 miles this morning. Hopefully I'll have time to do it again tonight, to round out a typical training day of 25-30 miles.

The Trolley Trail is built on the old city trolley tracks and is named for Missouri State Senator Harry Wiggins, who passed away a few years ago. I worked with Harry in the senate many years ago; in fact, he was my first friend there. He was a character with deep flaws, but a much deeper heart. He was extremely proud of the fact that he had received his first political appointment from Bobby Kennedy. He also liked to take credit for helping me get my first job with the senate, which may or may not have been true. But who cares? Harry was an awfully good man who served the state to the best of his ability (including the fact that he never missed a vote) for decades. As a friend, former employee and former constituent, I miss him and was proud to ride on his trail this morning.

I will say, though, that I was not so proud to take two spills this morning. The first was just as I was getting used to the new bike. The second was when I hit a rut on the trail (one of the few I saw -- it is very well maintained). No, there are no significant injuries. There is no way to look cool as you are falling from a bike, though.

Have a great day!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

28 Days and Counting -- 1500 Miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-03-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Today was a big step toward actually making my trip in a few weeks. I bought a new bike. Yes, a real bike that I'm counting on to carry me from here to New York City. Yes, I fully realize that everything may go haywire somewhere between here and there and I may have to buy a new bike or something, but I dropped a thousand bucks on a bike and a little equipment today and that's as much as is going to happen any time soon (yes, I realize I could have easily spent three times this amount -- but let's get real, people!).

Training is kicking my backside right now and I fully expect to die somewhere along the route. That should be the reason, if you haven't found another, to watch my trip very closely. Kind of like the reason watch car races. "Maybe someone will die.." Yes. That should be reason enough to pay attention to my ride in April.

My team has completely come together, by the way, so I'm being as smart about this as I can be. Andrew and Marita will be accompanying me -- perhaps in my Saturn SUV; perhaps in something else. They both rock and will make the trip much more fun. And Marita, like, knows how to perform CPR and stuff; I'm thinking we'll need her for that at least three or four times before the end of the trip.

Okay, no more "Sean will die on this trip" jokes for right now. I want you to know, though, that I'm working very, very hard to make this trip work. It is difficult on my body, but I can feel the improvement from months ago, when I first started getting ready. I'm assuming that this trip will be pure hell, but I'm excited, and I'll do my best to not let my fans (all six of you) down.

Maybe I'll write more about the bike later, or maybe not (Lord knows we don't want things to degenerate into an arguement over my choice of bikes).

Take care.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

29 days and counting -- 1500 miles for Multiple Sclerosis

2007-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Yes, I'm sure everyone who has followed this blog now believes I have crapped out on the ride. "Loser!" you've all silently screamed into your monitors. "I knew you couldn't do it!" came the silent refrain.

Well, the fact is that I'm still in this thing. I've even kept up my weekly training schedule. Yes, it has been a little lighter, but not much. With a final boost here at the end, I'm going to be ready for my trip.

Why the break from writing? Well, as I've mentioned, I work on political campaigns for a living. This past Tuesday was Election Day for my latest candidate, and the last several weeks have let pretty much everything in my life slide, except for the campaign. We still lost, but I'm so proud that I did it. My candidate was one of those great guys with very little chance of winning from the start -- but he was the right guy for the job, ya know? I truly believed in him. As a professional, those sorts of opportunities are few and far between, and I just had to do it.

Today, I've just returned from an outside bike trip. Not sure how far, but I rode about two and a half hours. It was downtown Kansas City, so there were lots and lots of hills. It was a great workout. With the weather cooperating for now, I think I'll get some good outside training. My goal is to train outside at least five days each week until the big day.

There is a lot to do between now the day I leave. I promise I'll keep you posted on a near-daily basis between now and then. And once I'm on my ride, I'll be blogging every day (if for no other reason than to verify that I'm alive!).

Take care. Please tell everyone you know about "Missouri to Manhattan -- 1500 Miles for Multiple Sclerosis." Thanks!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Snow, snow, snow

2007-02-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

I was all excited because I thought the weather was going to be nice enough to ride outside a lot this week. And now we are in the middle of a snowstorm! Argh! Even the highways are covered right now. Don't worry, I'll keep up the inside riding, but I really need to start logging some 30-50 mile days outside.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Training Update

2007-02-12T04:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Alright, I haven't been able to make time for a 75-mile ride for two weeks (remember, it takes eight hours) but my daily riding is going well. My stamina continues to improve and I'm consistently averaging a little over 15 miles per hour for two hours (my goal is to do 12 miles per hour on the actual ride). It also looks like the weather should be decent this week; if it is, I'll get in as much outside biking as possible.

More later.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Mayor of Columbia

2007-02-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

I've explained that my plan is to pursue the domino theory of organizing -- "accomplish a big thing by knocking over one little thing at a time." Seems obvious, but it is amazing how many times people forego trying big things because they overlook this approach.

Anyway, I knocked over a great first domino yesterday. The second stop on my route is Columbia, Missouri (where I went to college, by the way). Yesterday I spoke with the current mayor of Columbia, Darwin Hindman. He's been mayor for 12 years and is running for his fourth term. Long ago, though, I helped a bit with his very first run for the office, so it was a pretty easy call to make.

The end of the story is that Darwin is going to headline my event in Columbia. This will make it much easier for me to get the support of a few other people there in Columbia involved, as well as a media outlet or two. Darwin is beloved there in Columbia(won his last race with 71%) and is a huge cycling advocate, so the fit is perfect.

This will also make it easier for me to secure the involvement of other public officials and notables. It is a relatively small step but an important one. Now on to the next step.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

The long road

2007-02-02T03:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Can I take a moment to vent just a bit? I've been training for about two months now and am feeling pretty proud of myself. I'm riding at least five days a week and can do a full 75 miles. I'm on track to get this done and I could not be more excited.

But can I tell you that it gets really old sometimes? I'm not a work-out guy at all. Heck, I haven't even lost any weight because I've been eating so darned much. The biking is the only thing that has kept me from gaining 20 pounds over the last two months.

That's a little off-track, though. My real point is that it gets very, very boring sometimes. Every morning I think about how easy it would be to blow off that day's training -- and then some morning I do blow it off. But most mornings I ride the two hours. That's really the lesson I'm trying I'm trying to take away from this experience. Just keep going.

Stay tuned to see if the lesson sticks.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Events

2007-02-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Today I'm going to start getting serious about moving forward with the events along the route. I'm going to write a little plan for them, which will be posted tomorrow here at MissouriToManhattan.

I'm also going to start making some calls. For each event, I figure there are two critical elements to get started. One is the involvement of at least one media outlet and the other is a "known" person who can be and MC or organizer. Yes, there are other ways to start building the events, but I think this is how I want to proceed in this case.

The approach will be my version of the domino theory -- "one success begets another success." So I'm going to start working on areas of the country where I think I can have the quickest success. Columbia, MO is probably the best place, followed by Kansas City, followed by St. Louis, followed by Columbus. After that, I run out of high-level personal contacts along the route, so I'll be counting on the momentum of the overall event and personal persuasiveness to get the job done (some days the "personal persuasiveness" works for me, others not so much).

If you ever have suggestions for people who can be helpful along the route (Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York) please let me know.

Have a great day!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

It is a start...

2007-01-31T05:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

My fundraising efforts have barely started -- my first request letter to just one company went out yesterday -- but I wanted to let you know that I've started hearing from people who want to help. My old friend (uh, ex-wife) Sunny Wallace sent me $100 last week. I also got an e-mail from someone in North Carolina who is sending $250 or more and someone in Ohio who is sending an undisclosed amount. Isn't that cool?

As a reminder, any checks should be written to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I'll provide a receipt for tax purposes and 100% of the money will go to them. I'm working on a couple of underwriters (as you saw yesterday, with Serono) to pay for the trip itself, making this possible.

By the way, I'm getting a slow start, but I'm pretty optimistic about the potential for fundraising. For those who don't know, I've spent most of my career as a professional fundraiser (mostly political, but also non-profit) and I have high hopes for what we might do.

As always, I'll keep you posted. Have a great day!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

My first day of fundraising...

2007-01-30T04:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Over the next 60+ days, I'm going to do a lot of fundraising. My first real fundraising letter is going to Serono, the makers of Rebif, which I take for my MS. For those of you who don't know, Rebif is a drug I inject three times each week. It slows the progression of my condition and should help me stay healthy and active a lot longer.

I've just sent the letter to the CEO of Serono, Fereydoun Firouz (e-mail and mail), and pasted it below. I'm going to send at least one letter a day from now until the end of March (including a mass letter to pretty much everyone I've ever met in my life). I'll keep you posted as I send letters and receive responses.

Have a great day!

- sean

MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Mr. Fereydoun Firouz
Serono, Inc.
1 Technology pl
Rockland, MA 02370

Dear Mr. Firouz,

I have Multiple Sclerosis, have used Rebif since being diagnosed in 2003, and I’m asking Serono to sponsor my 1500-mile bicycle trip in April – from Kansas City, Missouri to New York City – to raise money for MS research and treatment.

If Serono will provide the $12,680 cost of the trip (food, lodging and expenses for the team that will accompany me) then all other money raised will go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, their local affiliates along the route, and other nationally recognized MS organizations.

After that introduction, you might think that I’m an athlete and that physical activity is a run of the mill part of my life. Not so. Before deciding to make this trip several months ago, you would have been far more likely to find me on the couch with a pizza than doing anything that could remotely be called athletic. But I have decided to overcome my preference for laziness, and have been training for the last few months, riding over 200 miles every week, preparing to ride an average of 100 miles each day for three weeks.

Rebif is already part of what makes this trip possible – and I’m asking that Serono take another step in that partnership by sponsoring my trip.

Diagnosed with MS in 2003 and using Rebif from the beginning, I know the importance of the medical research performed every day by companies such as Serono and will use this trip to talk about that at gatherings along the route (covering six states). As you know, early treatment makes all the difference in the world for those of us with this condition. My trip will shed light on the realities of treatment and research, and will give hope to the thousands of people in every state along my route with MS.

Today, I am asking that you partner with me. Please pass this request to the appropriate person in your organization and we can talk about how we can work together.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Sean C. Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net614-208-2608

I'm back!

2007-01-29T04:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Yes, for the last week I've been absent from the blogosphere. Training has continued, so I'm not being a slacker, but work has been killing me. Some of my regular readers know that I am a political campaign professional. Typically, that means my job is 12-14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. Right now, that schedule is going into overdrive because our election is just a month away (yes, we actually have a primary February 27th; then another election one month later if we win it).

I think I'm back on track now, though, and should be getting back to daily updates for the rest of the month. Thanks for sticking with me!

More tomorrow.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Well, I've survived the first 75 mile ride

2007-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

It took nearly seven hours, counting breaks, but I've finished my first 75 mile ride. Yay!

Now, I think I need to go collapse somewhere.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

47.7 miles and I'm taking a break

2007-01-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

Alright, y'all, I need a break. Yes, if I was just doing a 50 miles this morning, I'd wrap up the last 2.3 miles and be done with training for the day. But I still have 27.3 miles to go, and I need a rest. I really thought I could do the whole things with periodic 1-2 minute breaks, but I need to rest for 15-30 minutes now.

The ride is going just fine, though, and I'm planning to take my lunch after about 50 miles when I'm on the actual trip.

Don't worry, I'll get back on in no longer than a half hour and finish my first go at 75 miles. I'll let you know when I'm done.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Stay tuned, 75 miles...

2007-01-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

Hey Y'all!

I'm up at 5 a.m. and preparing to ride 75 miles on my stationary bike. Can I make it? Probably, but the big rides I've been taking up to now have been 50 miles, so who knows? This will definitely be the farthest I've ridden is my life.

Training is going well, with my daily rides of 25-30 miles continuing. I was riding on the road as much as possible but the incredible cold and snow have posed a problem the last week or so. Certainly, regular reader Michelle in Alaska will tell me I'm being a wimp or something, but... okay, I'm a wimp. When it gets too cold, I'm just not going outside.

There are certainly differences between riding on the road and riding on the stationary bike, but I'm feeling good about the training regimen. Riding on the road requires a different kind of strain because your body has to keep the bike balanced, whereas the stationary bike stays up no matter what you do. The balancing factor, though, is that you have to pedal the entire time on the stationary bike, wherease you can coast on the road. Effort wise, it all seems to even out.

Anyway, here I go. I should be done in 5-6 hours. On my trip, I'll take a lunch break at 50 miles or so, but for training I'm just going to ride the 75 miles with only short breaks.

Tune in and see if I make it (between 10 and 11 Central Time). I promise I'll tell you the truth!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Snow

2007-01-17T02:18:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

I have to tell you that the snow and incredible cold we've had in Kansas City is totally bumming me out. Yes, I have continued to train every day on my stationary bike, but it is killing my opportunity to road train, which I was really enjoying.

The response from local MS chapters continues to be good. I'm moving forward with almost every chapter between Kansas City and New York City, and I figure the others will just take a little longer. As always, I continue to be gratified by the generosity and good nature in the world; my experience with the MS Society folks is further evidence of that.

Take care.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Ohio

2007-01-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Alright, everyone is going to worry that I'm flaking because I need to report that I wasn't able to train yesterday and won't be able to do my planned 75-mile ride today. The bump I hit is that I had to make a last-minute trip out of town. Literally, I went from deciding to leave at 7:30 or so yesterday morning to arriving at the airport before 8:00. Yes, it was a very quick decision.

So I'll have to schedule the next really big ride for one week from today.

Don't worry, I'm not becoming a slacker.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

First little bike wreck

2007-01-11T03:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Well, it isn't really a big deal, but I had my first bike wreck last night. Does that make me a real cyclist now?

Here's the story. I was riding in a neighborhood by the hotel where I'm staying (have I mentioned that I'm living in a hotel for the next couple of months, until the current election I'm running is over?). Anyway, the bottom line is that I got too close to the side of the rode, slipped off just a bit, lost my balance and went ass over teakettle into someone's yard. I'm a little banged up, but otherwise fine.

Yes, I am officially a real cyclist. : )

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Training Update

2007-01-10T04:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

A regular reader pointed out that I haven't mentioned my training in a while, so I should update. All is well -- I'm riding around 30 miles 5-7 morning a week riding on the road as much as I can. Right now I'm looking for a good bike path close to my new home in Kansas City (I'm living in a hotel until the end of February or March).

I haven't moved up to the 75-mile mark, and had planned to do that by now, but the timing didn't work out. So, yes, I'm going to make sure I do it this Sunday. That should take about 6-7 hours and I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm also excited that I'm starting to communicate with local MS Society staff in most of the chapters along the route. My next big contact target will be cycling clubs. Look for posts on that in the coming days.

Have a great Wednesday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Lots of new visitors

2007-01-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

I'm pretty excited because we had nearly 100 visitors to the blog yesterday. No, I don't think we'll continue to have that many people visit, but it was still nice. My New Year's cards are hitting friends and family around the country right now, and it mentions my trip, so that's what is generating traffic. Hopefully folks will continue to come back, post to the blog from time to time, and help me spread the word (hint, hint!).

I've also started hearing back from MS Society staff folks along the route and we are starting to talk about how to really make this trip benefit the cause. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

Have a great Tuesday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Getting serious about organizing

2007-01-07T03:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

As I mentioned a few days ago, January needs to be the month where I really step up the organization of this trip -- particularly as I pull together support of every kind. So this morning I'm e-mailing all of the local chapters for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, letting them know exactly what I am doing and asking for their help.

Below is the template for the e-mail I'm sending.

Are you someone who would like to get involved in making the trip a success? Please let me know; I'd love your help!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Hi Pat,

I'm writing to let you know that I'm preparing for a bike ride in April from Kansas City, MO to New York City to benefit MS research and treatment. My hope is that you can help me identify someone with whom I can work in both St. Louis and Columbia, where stops are scheduled. You can learn more about my trip at www.MissouriToManhattan.com.

My goal is to create small fundraising and media events in Columbia (April 4th, evening) and St. Louis (April 6, afternoon or evening), designed primarily to support your local organizations. With your help, I would like to identify local board members or other volunteers interested in assisting with such events.

You'll find that I have a long background in fundraising, media relations and grassroots organizing (at local, statewide and national levels). While I realize that there are hurdles to creating successful events of this sort, I'm convinced we can make these work in a way that makes sense for the Columbia and St. Louis organizations, as well as for the National MS Society.

I would be happy to speak with you further about this, or to whomever you feel is appropriate. Please let me know if you and I should chat in the next week or so, or if there is someone more appropriate there at your chapter.

I look forward to working with you.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.comseanspence@earthlink.net

Fundraising

2007-01-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

Okay, we all knew it was going to happen. My training program is coming together and now I need to get serious about the fundraising portion of my trip. I have three months to put the money together -- don't have any idea how much it might be, but I'm hoping to deliver at least $25,000 to the National Mulitiple Sclerosis Society at the end of my trip in April.

To meet my goals, I've created a contribution structure, as follows:

Trip Sponsors:
$10,000 Diamond
$5000 Platinum
$2500 Gold
$1000 Silver
$500 Copper
$250 Bronze
$125 Crystal
$60 Marble
$35 Granite

We will also have "mileage sponsors" starting at a penny a mile for the 1500+ mile trip.

If you'd like to be a trip sponsor, checks should be made out to "National Multiple Sclerosis Society" and sent to Sean Spence, 819 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106. I'm going to deliver the checks -- 100% of the money contributed -- to the National MS Society.

Have a great day!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

this week on the road

2007-01-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all!

We're in the first week of January and the weatherman is telling me that it will be unseasonably warm (thank goodness for global warming!). For me, that means I'm going to do most of my training on the road, instead of on the stationary bike. My goal will be to do at least 90 miles on the road before the weekend. Then this weekend it is time for my first 75 mile ride. Yikes!

We'll see how it goes.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

The New Year

2007-01-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everybody!

Training continues to go well -- now is the time to step everything up and make this thing happen.

January needs to be a busy month. I really need to make sure that the bulk of my sponsorship requests go out this month, certainly all of the large corporate requests. They work on a long timeline, and months of notice are required. So I'm going to start looking for sponsors for the trip this week. Remember, by the way, that my goal is to pay for the expenses of the trip with the help of a few friends. Most of the sponsors will be writing checks directly to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The other big deal is that I'm going to start paying attention to my eating. Yes, I've been losing weight because of all of the writing, but I need to get serious about every aspect of training if I have any real intention of making it 1500 miles in about 90 days from now. Since I started, I've continued to eat absolutely anything I want, and that has to change. So it changes today. We'll see.

Have an awesome New Year. I have high hopes for this year -- I'm going to make the most of it.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Fingers Crossed...

2006-12-28T04:24:00.000-08:00

My goal has been to have two people to drive the route with me. Andrew was the first to sign on, and now it looks like we have a second. It is not confirmed, yet, but should be any day now. I'll let you know.

By the way, I should probably mention that I got a real bike and integrated it into my training a few weeks ago. Yes, it is very different from the stationary cycle (could I state something more obvious?!?). The bike I have now is pretty crappy, but is getting the job done. At some point over the next few months, I'll get one for the trip so I'll have time to break it in (thanks for the advice, Michelle!).

Have a great Thursday!

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net

Heading Out for the Holidays

2006-12-22T03:31:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Y'all!

I'm about to hit the road for Columbus, Ohio, where the love of my life lives. Will I make time to train over the five days I'm there? I'm going to do my darnedest. On Sunday, I'm scheduled to do another 50 miles, and I'm committed to making that happen. I can already see my training time slipping away, ya know? Kind of like every other kind of time. It all just slips away and if we don't do things now, there may not be time later.

Yeah, I'll make time to train.

- sean

Sean Spence
MS Advocate
www.MissouriToManhattan.com
www.SharingOurDays.com
seanspence@earthlink.net