Planning, building and testing is what I've been up to lately, preparing for an upcoming bicycle adventure.  Last week I traveled north to Carmel with my buddy Chris Spilfogal.  He and I made the trip together with the sole purpose of building the ultimate downhill tandem bicycle with our friends Adam Zerbe and Chris Fisher.  In Adams well equipped garage, we cut, taped, tightened and tested our engineering ideas with hopes of creating the ultimate Frankenstein bike.  We utilized specialty parts such as front suspension, disc brakes and wider knobby tires from multiple downhill bicycles and ultimately created a monster capable of handling the roughest of dirt terrain.  The fabrication of the bike went well and the test rides were better than expected, so our trip to Carmel was a perfect success.  I look forward to reporting about the trip and to share video highlights of the greatest moments.  But for now it's more training and more testing, ensuring a safe successful trip up and DOWN the mountain... hint hint!

Today, Sunday, is usually a ride day where Toot's and I ride the tandem bike long distance on a local highway like "126" or "PCH".  But since I recently rebuilt our tandem bike specifically for the downhill dirt trails at next weekend's event, the bike is heavy and slow, and has an awkward ride set up primarily used for downhill.  So today instead of re-adjusting the tandem for a road ride, I figured I'd ride my KHS stationary cycle in my garage.  My stationary bike is a good way of testing my cycling strength and overall stamina.  It has a way of really kicking my butt!  I'm not sure why it's so difficult for me, other than the fact that I work so hard to balance and pedal and never get anywhere.  I do enjoy it though, in a sadomasochistic way... Ugghhh! It can take me all the way to my limit!  Well, I hope to continue journalizing consistently, something that has proved a bit difficult for me lately, but satisfying none the less.  I know I enjoy reading other's thoughts about life and challenges... So I will continue to share mine.

Sponsors...The people and products that help make my ongoing recovery a reality.  Without the whole hearted belief of these people, the evolution of my recovery would be much less dynamic.  People like Wayne Grey at KHS bicycles provided the bikes I ride and train on today, Todd Hicks with Fox Racing has always stood by my side protecting me with the highest quality protective wear, John Simanovich at Utopia Optics and the Armstrong family with Focus clothing both provide lifestyle products for my specific needs.  These are a few of my sport/training sponsors; the unconditional support comes from within my core group of family and friends.  My mother Laquita aka: "Toot's" and father Dan have undeniably sacrificed their own ambitions and priorities to provide an optimal healing environment from which I can work.  My closest friends are always ready and willing to partake in exciting adventures with me, lending their time and energy for nothing more than support of  a friend and a good cause. This is by far the main reason I am where I am today... On my feet!  The fact is, my family and friends stand behind me, supporting this long arduous process, which is now my lifestyle... I launch everything I do from this platform of love and belief, sharing all my moments with quality people, doing quality things.  I am so very thankful for these people and the opportunity they provide for me to act out my intentions of advocating the benefits of ongoing therapeutic exercise.  I can only hope that through example others will join as friends in support of something larger than just me.  Thank you everyone!  My gratitude is beyond words.

Imagine the sound of a sold out crowd at the famous Staples Center, home of the L.A. Lakers, and home tonight to a concert venue where I encountered an inner demon of mine.  I have had this date marked on my calendar for months in anticipation of seeing my favorite band "Tool" play to their home town fans in Los Angeles.  My excitement was high as Stephanie, Andy Bray, and I entered the colossal Staples Center.  Our ticket seating was in my opinion less than desirable, and was cause enough for me to go in seek of a closer more accessible place to view the show from.  Now for those who know me, understand that I don't like to settle for mediocrity, especially when it comes to event venues where my accessibility, comfort, and safety are jeopardized.  Leave it to me to confront anyone who says otherwise... There are many frustrations that accompany a physical disability, so I try to limit these when in public environments with authority personnel who frankly don't understand.  The nights sequence of events lead me to a state of mind I rarely experience, that of intense anger.  In my quest to view the show from a closer, more accessible vantage point, I was met by a staunch security guard with little tolerance for disabled seating, who argued his position and dismissed mine.  It was because of this anger I experienced one of the most moving shows of my life.  With unconventional closed eyes I listened to the show.  Every sense, except sight, was highly sensitive and aware of the band and the crowd.  At the time I thought if I can't SEE the show from where I was most comfortable, then I wouldn't SEE it at all.  And because of my initial immature, egotistical fit I uncovered parts of my self and behavior that I otherwise would have overlooked, or not been aware of.  Throughout the show, my mind wander through emotion and logic, processing my state of mind with sound, initially trying to rationalize my wants.  In the end I left the show humbled by my own actions, thankful for the supervisor named Gary who mirrored my ego's desire to get what I wanted, by exercising his fierce position of authority.  The brat in me thanks you Gary for kickin my ass!  I have grown because of you.

One night a few months ago I had a dream about riding our tandem bicycle down rough and rugged trails, zig zagging through trees and rocks, skidding the dirt down a mountain side.  Well, l when I awoke in a sweat, I wrote my dream down on paper and then called my long time friend Adam Zerbe from Carmel.  I knew Adam would be the perfect riding partner to replace Toot's on this dangerous endeavor and would be just as excited about the idea as I was... So our first step to make this dream a reality was research... With knowledge and past experience at Mammoth Mountain, I decided the infamous "Kamikaze" run atop the historic volcanic landmark would be an ideal location to realize the dream.  This adventure wasn't without risk, so planning had to be meticulous and safety was our first priority.  With the incredible love and support of my family, friends and sponsors we embarked on this journey 11,058 feet to the top of the mountain.  We started with highly modifying our KHS tandem bicycle by adding front suspension, a disk brake and wide knobby tires to handle the rough terrain.  Test rides were important for Adam and I to become familiar with each other, code words, and handling characteristics of the bike while at speed on rough dirt trails.  We then settled on a date and reservation for the event, which allowed for specific training within the projected timeline.  In the days and hours leading up to our run from the top I was on pins and needles, directing every detail, checking and rechecking the bike, my gear, the weather and my health for anything I may have overlooked, that could possibly jeopardize the run.  It wasn't until I was on the bike that I actually relaxed... to a degree.  I mean, we were attempting something that has never been done before, so there was nothing really to refrence from other than Adam's solo reconnaissance ride earlier that morning.  Our run was perfect, minus a flat tire halfway down, which we had to repair while on the side of a sheer cliff that dropped a few hundred feet to a lake below.  My pal Ryan McCauley with High Grade Productions filmed the entire event, risking his own neck in pursuit of  documenting every detail of the trip.  In all, the ride was amazing, it was everything and more than I envisioned in my dream.  At the bottom Adam and I sat back with our friends gazing up at the monster mountain we just descended, laughing and smiling in the warm summer sun, thankful to be alive and breathing. 

Check out the photo's of the trip in the "Aaron Rides Again" section of the website.

Eat, sleep, workout... Since returning from Mammoth Mountain feeling elated with achievement, I have focused my intentions towards my next event.  My cardio vascular fitness needs improvement for this upcoming endeavor, so consistent structure is vital for optimal gains in a short period of time.  Lucky for me, my girl Stephanie finally decided to join me at the gym in quest of improving her health and fitness.  I often share my desire for her to become more health conscious, and stress the importance of a well balanced formal exercise program accompanied by nutrition and rest.  By making her health the number one priority in life, allows for all other aspects i.e.; work, school, play to be fully realized with her personal best.  So what if one makes a bunch of money!  Without health how will one be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor?  This is the way I feel and is the basis for my days.  Right now steady, consistent training is all I'm doing... and then work, and then play. 

The Trilogy county club in Corona California was the location of the 2nd annual Ricky James/Next-Steps Foundation charity golf tournament, benefiting the Christopher Reeves Paralysis Foundation, Next-Steps Foundation, and the Reeves-Irvine research institute.  100% of today's raised proceeds go directly to paralysis research, assisting in the fight to cure paralysis.  The James family hosted the fabulous event with great success, catering to corporate sponsors, extreme athletes and supportive attendees, all with the common interest of future medicine.  Lucky for me Ricky brought with him his personal golf cart which was modified with oversized knobby tires and a suped-up engine.  We drove laps around the 18 hole golf course, shredding the cart path at three times the speed of a normal golf cart, stopping often at tee-off greens to talk with friends and sponsors, and then fleeing from the course security guard who seemed less than ok with the speed of our cart.  I enjoyed spending time with Ricky today, he and I relate to our love of motocross and share openly the underlying anguish of our injury, and talk candidly about the many ways in which we rise above it.  He told me today how excited he his about giving me the opportunity to ride his modified 250f Honda, one in which he adapted for himself to ride without the use of his legs...Awesome!  I look forward to it!  I see Ricky and I doing many great things together, our lust for adrenaline filled life will most definitely have us racing each other to greater heights.  Rise Above, Ricky!

The way to balance a real good situation is to add a little bad into the mix.  Our trusted friends at Valley Bicycles in Chatsworth California surprised both Toot's and me by sponsoring a hand built, race ready tandem bike for us to ride in this weekends up coming 50 mile event.  The bike is unbelievable; it's as light as a feather and as fast as it looks.  However, for as great as the bike is, it wasn't worth a damn for me today.  Set-up is the single most important part in cycling.  A proper ride position is absolutely crucial for preventing repetitive stress injuries, and maximizing power out-put (wattage), and is especially important for me and my special needs.  Earlier this afternoon Toot's and I were happy and excited to ride this beautiful machine, but just 3 short miles later, our grins turned to groans, and our excitement into frustration.  My ride position was way off, and it showed.  I felt alien to the bicycle, as though I had never ridden before.  I was very surprised at how refined my riding set-up has become.  When the dust settled and thoughts collected, Toot's and I discussed position variations we will try tomorrow at Balboa bike path.  I really hope we can make this bike work for us this weekend; it is a huge privilege for us to ride on behalf of Valley Bikes and the Fight 2 Walk Foundation.  I look forward to some old fashioned testing, resulting in miles of smiles

Head up, shoulders back, trunk erect, eyes fixed upon the horizon... Take a step; take a chance and Go Forward!  Together we march into the future, embracing today, each other, and a better way.  I feel empowered by the power I felt last night in the ball room of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where a private dinner event was held to pay tribute to two incredibly amazing people, who's vision and legacy lives on today.  Christopher Reeve and wife Dana Reeve set the standard for all to follow, creating hope in the face of great adversity.  Their mission to raise awareness and funds for scientific research and rehabilitation for spinal cord injury is carried out today by a choir of dedicated, like minded individuals who share their determination and their vision.  In the presence of many great men and women last night I sat humbled by immense gratitude, because for me to share a room filled with so many inspiring people, on many different levels, left me utterly... Enlightened.  I would like to thank my old friends with the Life Rolls On Foundation, and the many new friends I met last night... Be well, Rise Above, and Go Forward!

Yeah I know the picture is a little loco... But that's how I feel right now... Loco!  Yesterday was a long day.  At 5 am yesterday morning I turned the key to our borrowed diesel truck; the roar of the engine and smell of the exhaust awoke my groggy senses.  Though still dark out, we headed south towards the Mexico boarder enroute to Rosarito; the starting point for the 27th annual Rosarito to Ensenada 50 mile bicycling event.  Crossing over into Tijuana at daybreak was surreal.  The instant transformation of culture is abrupt, and quite frankly shocking!  It immediately brought back childhood memories of travel to third world countries; the sights and smells, the mayhem of chaotic traffic laws, or lack there of.  Seeing entire families on the streets begging for food or spare change.  It was as though I was still asleep, dreaming, driving through dense fog in search of a place I'd never been, where road maps and signs made no sense.  We did arrive though, in Rosarito Beach, just in time to meet up with Jeremy McGhee and the "Fight 2 Walk" Foundation.  We dawned their light blue Fight 2 Walk team jersey and set off for a late start.  At the tail end of an estimated 7500 participants, Toot's and I began pedaling... Through colorful towns littered with pottery dens and taco stands, along a sleepy coast, and through rural country side we rode.  Up and over seemingly endless mountain passes, where half of the registered participants walked while pushing their bikes up the uncatoragized climbs.  Around every corner the road steepened, making mind numbing pedal strokes even harder.  We stopped once at the 31 mile marker to rest, eat and refill our water bottles.  The routes elevation looked intimidating on paper, but was down right daunting when physically there, at the bottom, looking up.  With head down, and teeth grit, we chugged up the 20 miles of hills like a loco-motive train, stopping for nothing, or no one.  With the finish line in downtown Ensenada, the hoards of cyclists began to funnel into the narrow streets of town, causing a traffic jam of people, bikes and smoking cars.  We fortunately avoided the chaos by happening upon our support vehicle just outside the set course.  With a total ride time of 4 hours 49 minutes we thankfully unseated the bike and reclined into the plush seats of the truck, where ice cold refreshments and food awaited our arrival.  While returning home, driving north up the coast of Mexico, looking out the window of the truck, with the cool wind blowing in my face, I pondered the events that just took place.  My weary mind wandered, but came to rest focusing on my sun burnt legs.  I sat there looking at my skinny, tired legs, smiling at how hard they work for me, amazed at how Toot's and I safely accomplished this cycling adventure.  My head finally hit my pillow at 1:30 am, happy and satisfied with exhaustion.  Viva la Mexico!