Phew! I think I'm finally ready for the big night tomorrow. I've gotten all the silent auction items wrapped up and just finished writing up the bid sheets for each one. There aren't nearly as many items as I was aiming for, in fact, at nine so far it's about half of what I was expecting. Still, they're all great items that should be pretty easy to get rid of. I calculated that if everything goes just for its minimum bid price (rouhgly 30-35% of its retail value) then we'll bring in a little less than $200 for the LAF. Of course, I hope that most of the items will go for more than that and I could end up with closer to $300.
I wish I had thought of this months ago so I could have planned it better and maybe pulled in a lot more, but I'll probably still give myself a pat on the back when all is said and done for getting this thing together in a just about a week and a half. If I ever find myself in a position to do something similar I'll have this experience to help me do it better. (Honestly, though, I don't wanna do this again, it's wicked hard! I'm exhausted.)
Here's a list of the auction items and their full retail value:
Two bottles of wine from Telluride Bottle Works, $45
ExOfficio shirt from Telluride Outside, $50
Gift Certificate from Brown Dog Pizza, $30
Gift Certificate from Steaming Bean Coffee Co, $50
Gift Certificate from Tommy's, $50
Gift Certificate from La Marmotte, $75
One Bottle of wine from Telluride Liquors, $15
Full tune-up for a mountain bike from Paragon Sports, $50
Two hour massage and/or healing session from Telluride Natural Medical Center, $160
That last one is interesting. I got a phone call two days ago from a woman named Sunny McCory. She said she read the article about me in the Telluride Watch. She's an "intuitive healer," which is a phrase I hadn't heard before, but she specializes in helping people with cancer and she was really interested in finding a way to help out with my project. How cool is that? I think she was hoping that there would be people at Tommy's tomorrow night who might be able to take advantage of what she has to offer, but I had to tell her that I'm not sure if that'll be the case. It would be fantastic if the local press I've gotten attracts people in town that have or have survived cancer, but I don't know very many in town, so that may not happen. Still, I'm certain a two-hour massage won't go cheaply.
So some of the nerves are subsiding now that I've gotten all the preparations and all the press out of the way (I did a brief radio announcement on KOTO that'll be broadcast during the news today and tomorrow morning; and I had an interview and an on-the-bike photo shoot with the Daily Planet for an article to run tomorrow; it was a busy day). With all of this running around and all the rain we've gotten I've had very little time on the bike this past week. So now I'm a bit more anxious about the first few legs of the ride than I was before I got bogged down in all the fund raising, but oh well, it'll be fine. I can't wait to get riding. In fact, I may actually leave a day or two early just to satisfy the little demon in my gut that won't let me sit still. We'll see.
Showing posts with label matt eisenberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matt eisenberg. Show all posts
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Telluride Watch Interview
Check it out, my interview with the Telluride Watch:
http://www.telluridewatch.com/articles/2007/07/23/sports/doc46a52de1cccab715618221.txt
Local Cyclist Embarks on Journey to Fight Cancer
By Martinique Davis
Monday, July 23, 2007 4:46 PM MDT
TELLURIDE, July 23, 4:38 p.m. – Local cyclist Matt Eisenberg will start pedaling his road bike on Aug. 1, and won’t really stop for the next month to month-and-a-half.
Eisenberg is embarking on a nearly 2,300-mile, cross-country road trip – on his bicycle. And while he’ll get off his bike to sleep and eat, Eisenberg will spend the large majority of the next 30 to 40 days in the bike saddle, making his way from Telluride to New York. The trip is not, as Eisenberg says, “just a pleasure cruise.” He is tackling the extensive, long distance bicycle journey to raise money in support of cancer research for Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
“I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched by cancer at some time in their life,” he says of his decision to do the cross-country ride in support of cancer research. “This is a cause people can relate to, and really rally behind.”
The LAF was established in 1997, after professional road cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with, and subsequently survived, advanced testicular cancer. In one of the greatest comeback stories of all time, Armstrong went on to win cycling’s most grueling races, the Tour de France, less than three years after he was diagnosed with cancer. He went on to win the event six more times.
Since its inception, the LAF has raised $181 million to support cancer survivorship programs and initiatives to make cancer a national priority. Eisenberg’s challenge, to ride from Telluride to New York, while raising money for LAF, falls under the organization’s Grassroots Fundraising Initiative. The program invites people from around the country to create their own unique fundraisers to support LAF’s programs.
Eisenberg, and his Ride to the Coast fundraiser, has a page on the LAF website where people can pledge their support. He is also bringing the cause closer to home, organizing a Ride to the Coast Night at Tommy's bar in Telluride this Friday night.
“It’s all about trying to get the Telluride community more involved,” Eisenberg says of this Friday’s Ride to the Coast Night, which will include live local music, drink specials, Livestrong bracelets, and a silent auction to help raise funds for LAF.
After Eisenberg launched his website in late May, he quickly raised more than $1,400, all of which will go directly to LAF. His ultimate goal is to reach $5,000, and he’s hoping that this weekend’s silent auction will put him in spitting distance of that target.
“This is the type of community that could really get behind a cause like this,” he says.
The concept of raising money for national cancer research and survivorship programs through a grassroots fundraiser such as Ride to the Coast was not Eisenberg’s initial objective. He simply felt the urge to ride his bike across the country.
“There is something about being on a bike – it’s just a wonderful experience, traveling to other places and seeing things from an entirely different perspective,” he says. “You can see and feel things that you just can’t from a car or a motorcycle. It’s a beautiful experience to be out on the road… I can’t imagine a more rewarding experience than riding up to my parent’s house in New York and saying ‘Hey, I made it.’”
Eisenberg started cycling only two years ago, and was quickly hooked. Even while skiing this winter, the though of being out on the road on his bike wouldn’t leave his mind. Somewhere in all that daydreaming about cycling Eisenberg came up with the idea of riding his bike from here to New York. When he started sharing his plans, a friend suggested he do the ride in support of a charitable cause. It didn’t take long for Eisenberg to choose the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
In preparation for the ride, Eisenberg has been training nearly every day this spring and summer. The ride will be completely self-supported; Eisenberg will be pulling a trailer with camping gear and supplies, following an easterly route that roughly follows I-80 (he won’t be riding on the interstate, but on secondary roads.)
From Telluride, he will ride northwards to Fort Collins, where he will meet a friend who will join him for the remainder of the ride East. They will ride across Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, dropping north briefly to stay with friends in Cincinnati before heading back north into Pennsylvania and finally New York. He anticipates the ride will take between 30-40 days, depending on weather conditions and barring any mechanical problems. That equates to more than 50 miles each day, with a rest day every ten or so days.
He says that the idea seems daunting now, but come Aug. 1, he’ll be more than ready for the challenge. And he does have another reason to get riding; he has to be in New York no later than Oct. 5, the date of his best friend’s wedding.
Eisenberg says that he has already solicited a number of great items for this Friday night’s silent auction; to donate an item for the silent auction, contact Matt at 970/729-1554 or Bridgette at 773/316-0217 or email matteisenberg@gmail.com.
The Ride to the Coast Night at Tommy's will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday. If you can’t make it to the Friday fundraiser, you can always donate online; visit
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots/ridingforareason2007. For more information on Eisenberg’s ride, or to see a map of his route, visit his website www.ridetothecoast.blogspot.com.
http://www.telluridewatch.com/articles/2007/07/23/sports/doc46a52de1cccab715618221.txt
Local Cyclist Embarks on Journey to Fight Cancer
By Martinique Davis
Monday, July 23, 2007 4:46 PM MDT
TELLURIDE, July 23, 4:38 p.m. – Local cyclist Matt Eisenberg will start pedaling his road bike on Aug. 1, and won’t really stop for the next month to month-and-a-half.
Eisenberg is embarking on a nearly 2,300-mile, cross-country road trip – on his bicycle. And while he’ll get off his bike to sleep and eat, Eisenberg will spend the large majority of the next 30 to 40 days in the bike saddle, making his way from Telluride to New York. The trip is not, as Eisenberg says, “just a pleasure cruise.” He is tackling the extensive, long distance bicycle journey to raise money in support of cancer research for Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
“I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched by cancer at some time in their life,” he says of his decision to do the cross-country ride in support of cancer research. “This is a cause people can relate to, and really rally behind.”
The LAF was established in 1997, after professional road cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with, and subsequently survived, advanced testicular cancer. In one of the greatest comeback stories of all time, Armstrong went on to win cycling’s most grueling races, the Tour de France, less than three years after he was diagnosed with cancer. He went on to win the event six more times.
Since its inception, the LAF has raised $181 million to support cancer survivorship programs and initiatives to make cancer a national priority. Eisenberg’s challenge, to ride from Telluride to New York, while raising money for LAF, falls under the organization’s Grassroots Fundraising Initiative. The program invites people from around the country to create their own unique fundraisers to support LAF’s programs.
Eisenberg, and his Ride to the Coast fundraiser, has a page on the LAF website where people can pledge their support. He is also bringing the cause closer to home, organizing a Ride to the Coast Night at Tommy's bar in Telluride this Friday night.
“It’s all about trying to get the Telluride community more involved,” Eisenberg says of this Friday’s Ride to the Coast Night, which will include live local music, drink specials, Livestrong bracelets, and a silent auction to help raise funds for LAF.
After Eisenberg launched his website in late May, he quickly raised more than $1,400, all of which will go directly to LAF. His ultimate goal is to reach $5,000, and he’s hoping that this weekend’s silent auction will put him in spitting distance of that target.
“This is the type of community that could really get behind a cause like this,” he says.
The concept of raising money for national cancer research and survivorship programs through a grassroots fundraiser such as Ride to the Coast was not Eisenberg’s initial objective. He simply felt the urge to ride his bike across the country.
“There is something about being on a bike – it’s just a wonderful experience, traveling to other places and seeing things from an entirely different perspective,” he says. “You can see and feel things that you just can’t from a car or a motorcycle. It’s a beautiful experience to be out on the road… I can’t imagine a more rewarding experience than riding up to my parent’s house in New York and saying ‘Hey, I made it.’”
Eisenberg started cycling only two years ago, and was quickly hooked. Even while skiing this winter, the though of being out on the road on his bike wouldn’t leave his mind. Somewhere in all that daydreaming about cycling Eisenberg came up with the idea of riding his bike from here to New York. When he started sharing his plans, a friend suggested he do the ride in support of a charitable cause. It didn’t take long for Eisenberg to choose the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
In preparation for the ride, Eisenberg has been training nearly every day this spring and summer. The ride will be completely self-supported; Eisenberg will be pulling a trailer with camping gear and supplies, following an easterly route that roughly follows I-80 (he won’t be riding on the interstate, but on secondary roads.)
From Telluride, he will ride northwards to Fort Collins, where he will meet a friend who will join him for the remainder of the ride East. They will ride across Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, dropping north briefly to stay with friends in Cincinnati before heading back north into Pennsylvania and finally New York. He anticipates the ride will take between 30-40 days, depending on weather conditions and barring any mechanical problems. That equates to more than 50 miles each day, with a rest day every ten or so days.
He says that the idea seems daunting now, but come Aug. 1, he’ll be more than ready for the challenge. And he does have another reason to get riding; he has to be in New York no later than Oct. 5, the date of his best friend’s wedding.
Eisenberg says that he has already solicited a number of great items for this Friday night’s silent auction; to donate an item for the silent auction, contact Matt at 970/729-1554 or Bridgette at 773/316-0217 or email matteisenberg@gmail.com.
The Ride to the Coast Night at Tommy's will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday. If you can’t make it to the Friday fundraiser, you can always donate online; visit
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots/ridingforareason2007. For more information on Eisenberg’s ride, or to see a map of his route, visit his website www.ridetothecoast.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
This One's Not So Short, But It's Worth It
Okay, today I finally did the Sneffels Highline Trail I mentioned a few days ago and it was amazing. Best SH ever! It's always a great day hike with spectacular views and challenging terrain, but today was extra fun for a very specific reason I'll get to in a minute. Oh yeah, don't be mislead by the title of this post, the length is mostly due to pictures and video.
I left the house at 10:15 and was at the trail head by 10:20 without ever setting foot in a car. I love this place. I was psyched to try out my new trekking poles. I'd never hiked with poles before, I I got them on sale from Black Diamond's website this winter. I have to say they make a huge difference by letting your upper body do a percentage of the work, taking a little stress off your legs.
So the views all along the trail (it's between 12 and 14 miles long, I think) are spectacular in virtually every direction, walking through the forest and over creek beds,
looking up ahead at the San Sophia range,f
or looking back at the ski resort and the Wilsons.
When I had climbed up into Pack Basin at around 11,000ft the snow started getting really deep and finding the trail became increasingly difficult. There was one set of tracks in the snow that helped me find my way for a while, but eventually I lost it and unfortunately had to strike out on my own. Don't tell anyone, it's very bad mojo to leave the trail. You're not even supposed to walk on the fringes to avoid muddy spots, because that just increases the scope of the fringes and leads to trail erosion and greater human impact. You're always supposed to be mindful of your impact on the area.
Still, I did the best I could to stay with the trail but eventually it was completely obscured so I went where I thought I remembered the trail went.
Eventually I made my way over to the south facing aspect where there was less snow and I found the trail where it began zigzagging in the final push to the summit. Shortly after I had returned to the official trail I looked up and saw something amazing. For anyone who thinks I'm hardcore even a little, I tell you, you've seen nothing! A hundred yards or so above me I saw a runner sliding down the scree on his bum. He was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, socks, running shoes and nothing else. No backpack or hydration system, no cell phone, no hat, nothing.
When we passed each other he asked about the snow conditions. I explained where it got deep and mentioned that there were some tracks he could follow, and he told me he knew where the trail was and was used to the deep snow. Wow, okay. As he descended I watched him jog right up to snow fields and just casually walk through them, slipping down up to his knees, pulling himself out, and proceeding on as if he had just artfully dodged a manhole cover on a city street. Now that was impressive. It's also worth noting that the spot where he had been sliding down the scree, just below where he had summited from the other side, meant that he had come over a significantly higher point than where I would soon go over. This guy was something.
Anyway, here's the really fun part. Now, normally the immediate descent into Mill Creek Basin from the trail's highest point is a very steep, ill-defined scree field that takes a lot of very careful navigation while slowly and deliberately picking one's way down. Today, it was covered in snow. This is how I got down:
Now that was fun. Albeit rather cold and wet.
Okay, well, there isn't really much else to say about the rest of the hike. I got back a little after 5pm. I guess I'll just let the photos do the rest of the talking. Enjoy!
Please make a donation to the LAF.
Friday, May 25, 2007
New Friend
Just returned from today's ride. I was going up to the airport again (quickly becoming a favorite ride because it's a nice climb with mild traffic and only a couple of hairpin curves) and about halfway up I looked in my mirror and there was a rider closing in on me, fast! Now, I'm no Lance, but I've never been passed like that before. Granted, I wasn't riding for speed, but still.
Anyway, this guy rode up along side me and stayed with me for a chat. Turns out he used to ride with the Paragon Cycling Team -- one of the more highly regarded teams in the state -- based here in Telluride. He also was riding a beautiful Moots titanium bike and has a newborn son (the adrenaline from which I assume was fueling him), all of which made me feel better about getting schooled. I'm just kidding, I don't mind being passed. Not really.
As a bonus, he took me up a different road which climbs another few hundred vertical above where I had been going. It was nice because I never would have gone on that road myself, because it's technically private property. We're talking Aldasoro Ranch territory, a.k.a. where Tom Cruise lives. He told me that a little while ago a cyclist got into an argument with a home owner and now no one's allowed up there unless they're on a guest list with the HOA. It's too bad, because it's an absolutely beautiful ride and there's NO traffic. Pretty much the only place around where you've got miles of paved roads that no one drives on.
I didn't take any pictures today, it was all I could do to just keep up with this guy who had slowed significantly to talk to me and wasn't even breathing hard. Meanwhile, I'm huffing and puffing and trying not to swerve into him or off the pavement.
So here's some more photos from the Yellowstone ride. In this one, you can clearly see where my shorts are ripped from an earlier fall.
This one was taken at the campground in the park, when we finally got a fire started and I could start to dry out.
I'm wearing plastic bags over my socks to keep them dry. No, it didn't work too well.
This is my erstwhile roommate, Finn. He's the one I rode with and took all the photos of me.
This shot was on the way back when we were just getting back into Grand Teton National Park. That's the Grand behind him. I like to think he's giving thanks to the gods here, but he's probably just sneezing or something.
Please make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Anyway, this guy rode up along side me and stayed with me for a chat. Turns out he used to ride with the Paragon Cycling Team -- one of the more highly regarded teams in the state -- based here in Telluride. He also was riding a beautiful Moots titanium bike and has a newborn son (the adrenaline from which I assume was fueling him), all of which made me feel better about getting schooled. I'm just kidding, I don't mind being passed. Not really.
As a bonus, he took me up a different road which climbs another few hundred vertical above where I had been going. It was nice because I never would have gone on that road myself, because it's technically private property. We're talking Aldasoro Ranch territory, a.k.a. where Tom Cruise lives. He told me that a little while ago a cyclist got into an argument with a home owner and now no one's allowed up there unless they're on a guest list with the HOA. It's too bad, because it's an absolutely beautiful ride and there's NO traffic. Pretty much the only place around where you've got miles of paved roads that no one drives on.
I didn't take any pictures today, it was all I could do to just keep up with this guy who had slowed significantly to talk to me and wasn't even breathing hard. Meanwhile, I'm huffing and puffing and trying not to swerve into him or off the pavement.
So here's some more photos from the Yellowstone ride. In this one, you can clearly see where my shorts are ripped from an earlier fall.
This one was taken at the campground in the park, when we finally got a fire started and I could start to dry out.
I'm wearing plastic bags over my socks to keep them dry. No, it didn't work too well.This is my erstwhile roommate, Finn. He's the one I rode with and took all the photos of me.
This shot was on the way back when we were just getting back into Grand Teton National Park. That's the Grand behind him. I like to think he's giving thanks to the gods here, but he's probably just sneezing or something.Please make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Original "Help Me Out" Email Text
This is the original email I sent out to everyone explaining what was going on.
Dear Friends and Family,
Apologies for the mass email (especially if this is the second time you've gotten it; I don't believe it went through the first time). This is actually the most massive email I've ever sent, and for those of you who haven't heard from me in a while I'm sorry I'm so bad at keeping in touch, but this is very important to me. As some of you already know, this August I intend to embark on a bicycle ride from my current home in Telluride, Colorado to my childhood home in Larchmont, New York. I haven't found anyone to ride with yet, so at this point it looks like it'll be just me, my bike, my trailer, and my sleeping bag.
Needless to say, this will be the most difficult task I've ever undertaken, physically and psychologically. Now, there's not much anyone can do to help with the former, but you might be surprised how much each and every one of you can help with the latter.
With the advice of some friends and family, I've chosen to ride not just for myself but for a truly worthy cause. Through their Grassroots Fundraising program I've gotten the support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. There's a link at the bottom of this email to a simple webpage, from which you can make a donation that will help this foundation in its efforts to fight cancer. If you don't know, the LAF has already raised millions of dollars towards fighting cancer, and I would love to do my part. I know I don't need to beat anyone over the head with this, so I'll leave it at that.
The money you donate will do more than help these people with their important work. Every dollar you give toward the monetary goal will push me a little bit closer to my physical goal. Whenever the going gets rough for me out there I'll remember the support that I've got from all of you and I'll push on.
Some of the email addresses I have may be out of date and I'm sure there are others who should be on the list that aren't, so I would definitely appreciate you forwarding this to those who might be interested in making a donation. Thank you so much for reading this, and I'll be thinking about you all as the miles tick away behind me.
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots/ridingforareason2007
With love,
--Matt Eisenberg
Dear Friends and Family,
Apologies for the mass email (especially if this is the second time you've gotten it; I don't believe it went through the first time). This is actually the most massive email I've ever sent, and for those of you who haven't heard from me in a while I'm sorry I'm so bad at keeping in touch, but this is very important to me. As some of you already know, this August I intend to embark on a bicycle ride from my current home in Telluride, Colorado to my childhood home in Larchmont, New York. I haven't found anyone to ride with yet, so at this point it looks like it'll be just me, my bike, my trailer, and my sleeping bag.
Needless to say, this will be the most difficult task I've ever undertaken, physically and psychologically. Now, there's not much anyone can do to help with the former, but you might be surprised how much each and every one of you can help with the latter.
With the advice of some friends and family, I've chosen to ride not just for myself but for a truly worthy cause. Through their Grassroots Fundraising program I've gotten the support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. There's a link at the bottom of this email to a simple webpage, from which you can make a donation that will help this foundation in its efforts to fight cancer. If you don't know, the LAF has already raised millions of dollars towards fighting cancer, and I would love to do my part. I know I don't need to beat anyone over the head with this, so I'll leave it at that.
The money you donate will do more than help these people with their important work. Every dollar you give toward the monetary goal will push me a little bit closer to my physical goal. Whenever the going gets rough for me out there I'll remember the support that I've got from all of you and I'll push on.
Some of the email addresses I have may be out of date and I'm sure there are others who should be on the list that aren't, so I would definitely appreciate you forwarding this to those who might be interested in making a donation. Thank you so much for reading this, and I'll be thinking about you all as the miles tick away behind me.
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots/ridingforareason2007
With love,
--Matt Eisenberg
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Chapter 1: Starts and Beginnings
Hi. My name is Matt Eisenberg. I'm originally from Larchmont, NY and I live now in Telluride, CO.
Well okay. It snowed today. A lot. All day. So I took the opportunity to stay inside and begin the process of communicating the details of my cycling project to my friends and family. First, I sent a mass email to pretty much everyone I know soliciting donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation via my webpage, which is hosted by the LAF Grassroots program.
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots/ridingforareason2007
And now I'm creating a blog for the first time. I'm notoriously bad at keeping up this kind of communicati
on, so please forgive me if I don't keep updating regularly, I promise I'll make an effort. I'll try to keep you posted on how my training is going and what kind of responses I'm getting to the ride plan. That's all for now. Here's a photo of a much shorter ride I did up to Yellowstone last summer: notice the evident misery as I stand at the top of the Continental Divide after having ridden 20 miles straight uphill in a sleet storm towing a heavy trailer with crooked wheels.
Well okay. It snowed today. A lot. All day. So I took the opportunity to stay inside and begin the process of communicating the details of my cycling project to my friends and family. First, I sent a mass email to pretty much everyone I know soliciting donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation via my webpage, which is hosted by the LAF Grassroots program.
http://www.livestrong.org
And now I'm creating a blog for the first time. I'm notoriously bad at keeping up this kind of communicati
on, so please forgive me if I don't keep updating regularly, I promise I'll make an effort. I'll try to keep you posted on how my training is going and what kind of responses I'm getting to the ride plan. That's all for now. Here's a photo of a much shorter ride I did up to Yellowstone last summer: notice the evident misery as I stand at the top of the Continental Divide after having ridden 20 miles straight uphill in a sleet storm towing a heavy trailer with crooked wheels.
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