We are blowing out the 2009 Rock CF Merchandise!

If you purchase anything you will receive a FREE Detroit Rocks CF Volume 2 CD & a FREE Rock CF Bandanna!

Click below to go to the SALE:

http://www.letsrockcf.org/shop.html

Rock CF,

Em

IMG_4166, originally uploaded by Let’s Rock CF.

Today at 3:53 I pulled Blitz into the parking lot of my hotel in Studio City, CA and was greeted by 5 girls in familiar athletica clothing standing by yoga mats…hmmm..oh yeah the LA area Lululemon gals showed up to welcome me..sorry we were a little late!

Dad and I had a great start to the day. Nice riding in the am, sunny and good temps. We made it 125 miles and then Uncle Bob met us in Santa Clarita and helped guided us into town. He used to live out here and decided to fly back in to be on the receiving end of my trip, so cool! He basically qualifies to be one of the bus drivers on the “Star Tours”…he’s that good at getting around town. In Santa Calrita we grabbed a quick In N Out “Grilled Cheese” then hit it across the valley to the hotel.

The girls from the Brentwood and Glendale store were here and after the incredible welcome we talked a lot about my trip, CF, running, getting bit my squirrels and much much more. Oh and we did some quick yoga because ya know, that’s what we’re supposed to do. Apparently I have good hip flexors..I beg to differ.

So much fun and it’s great to meet a group of very sincere people share my positive attitude toward life. Thanks girls..see you soon when we all run the Disneyland or Malibu half!

One of my very very best friends, Jennifer aka Henson, lives about an hour from the hotel and she drove in to go to dinner with us tonight. So good to laugh with her again, something that’s a guarantee when we’re together. She is actually coming back in tomorrow to go to the Ellen taping with me and my dad!! Can’t wait.

Off to the Ellen taping tomorrow at 4pm. The show will air on Thursday so look for me in the audience busting my moves!
Rock CF,
Emily

P.S. Stay tuned for my blog about the Ellen experience and also a full recap of the trip…I can’t believe it’s almost done…

, originally uploaded by Let’s Rock CF.

Boy does it feel good to have a day off!

I started the day off right with a very intense yoga class at the Lululemon store in Cherry Creek. It was a quick bike ride over on a beautiful day. The instructor was awesome and threw me off when we did bicycle crunches halfway through..good sweat!

My pops flew into town tonight because he is going to take over as my pilot and support truck for the rest of the trip. Uncle Bob heads out tomorrow and I’m going to miss him..constant laughter. Now I have my daddio to help me out, yay!

Tonight was the “1/2 Way There” for me party back at the Lululemon store. A good Whole Foods spread was there with wine and coconut water, all prepared by my good buddy Ann Mason who is the store manager. A nice group of Lulu’s showed up for support as well as my new CF friend Shane and some of his friends. My old childhood friend who has done design work for Rock CF showed up too..awesome!! The coolest part though is that my new friends from my June canoe trip in Colorado showed up! They even brought s’mores..it was a very important part of our camping experience together.

We had great laughs tonight and I really enjoyed seeing them all. Pam even brought me a mini raft that is a puzzle..that will take a while to put back together.

The Denver firemen were out in force tonight too. As they cruised down in front of the store I just had to stop them and get on that truck. I would have loved to go to the top of that ladder but I was just as happy dancing on the front of that rig. Nice work DFD! Oh…we did have some problems with the fireplace in the store tonight when we tried to roast the marshmallows..hopefully those firemen are still on call.

I want to thanks all of my Denver friends for the support and fun times this weekend. Definitely the highlight of my trip. On to Steamboat Springs!
Rock CF,
Em

P.S. This was parked at my hotel all day:

DAY 3
Coldwater to Union

By 8:30 am we were all geared up and ready to head over to the Cole/Story Ford Dealership to meet our new buddy Dale Dandurand and the reporter from town. Jay parked the Flex in front of the dealer to attract some extra attention for Ford and the Ride.  I shared my story with the reported, took some shots and we were ready to ride…until we looked in the sky and checked the weather report. Storms and more storms!
Instead of risking our lives we decided to hang in Coldwater for a few hours. At the Native American store we discovered there was a local bison farm. Having plenty of time to waste we hit the farm and learned about bison. Did you know cow’s are not native to the U.S.? Neither did I!

We left the farm with some jerky, bison burgers and a lot of knowledge about bison.

The storms passed and we hit the road at about 12:30. The sky cleared right up and we had a pretty smooth ride. It seemed hard getting through the day today..maybe because it was the middle day of riding. We found a great produce station, picked up some fruits and veggies and finally made it to the Union House B&B in time to start the grill for dinner. Jason grilled us up some nice bison burgers, grilled zuchini, sweet corn and fresh tomatoes.

Marylou went to bed and the four of us were left tracking this crazy storm that was moving through town at 100 mph. There was a lot of “rotation” and “electricity” going on and at one point we were under a tornado warning. Thankfully the storm fizzled out just south of us and we woke up to a beautiful morning.
Next stop New Buffalo.

DAY 4
Barb and Judy from Union House B&B prepared the sweeeetest breakfast of the century (I seriously waited all year for this meal). Just before we hit the edge of the driveway to start day 4 Kevin B. got a flat tire. Marylou and I had the tools so we did a little mechanic class and changed that bad boy out!

This was my absolute worst day of riding. It was way hillier than I can remember and the storm from last night left it extremely muggy. It was really hard on the ol’ lungs but there was no stopping so I kept on peddling! I almost can say it was a bit harder than the Irish Hills…hard to believe but pretty true. No whining here though.

Lunch was in downtown Niles where we sat next to a big group of the Red Hat ladies. The food was really good but the red hats made the meal better. While gearing up for the rest of the ride Kevin W asked if we could get a pic with the group of Red Hatters..No problem they said and we even got a $5 donation!

Wierd Longhorn!
I don’t want to speak for the whole group but we couldn’t wait to get to New Buffalo. My mom & dad, brother Adam & sister in-law Marcy, friends Ron & Diane and Shawn & Aidan all drove out to see us and spend the night with us. They cooked up some of the bison meat to make the sauce for a nice whole wheat pasta dinner. The motel we stayed at was a little misleading though. It is called the “Grand Beach Motel”…some of us thought it was a “grand BEACH” motel but in fact the town is called Grand Beach. Lame. I think we are changing it to the Grand Pool Motel. The pool did get a lot of use though and it helped sooth some muscles.

After dinner we kept the “Ice cream everyday of the ride” going and hit the local shop followed by a little time at the Casino…in the name of CF!!
We’re almost there.

Day 5
We are here!!! The weather was the best yet and the roads were really rough but the awesome temps and low humidity today made for a great 60+ mile day into Chicago. We were anticipating 70 miles but unlike last year we didn’t get lost lost somehow we shaved some sweet miles off. We left the Grand Beach Motel without a real breakfast and didn’t really get a real lunch today either. A lot of banana’s, apples, Kashi Bars and Peanut M&M’s went down.

Jason, Shawn and Aidan followed us into Illinois and once we hit the Skyway the four of us hopped on the bike trail and they drove into the city to meet us at Grant Park. We ended up rolling into Chicago at 2:30 CT immediately popping some Champaign then chowing down on a Chicago dog. How nice is it to bike in a city where drivers are somewhat aware of what bikes are and that they are actually on the road?

The amazing Jaclyn and Glenn hosted dinner for us providing delicious chicken, cheesy potatoes, humus and a Rock CF/City to City cake!

I must say that this year’s ride was so cool and it really made me see the good of people. Three of my friends taking five days to ride 280 miles with me to help me and the other 30,000 with cystic fibrosis live longer and healthier lives. I LOVE it.

Get ready for City to City Ride 2009!!! Keep checking citytocityride.org for more info and oh yes you still can donate to this years ride..www.citytocityride.org.
Peace and Rock CF,
Emily

Rider check in starts at 8 am.
Send off is 9 am.
Helmets are Mandatory!!

Ride course will be posted soon!

Pleas Pre Register for this Ride!

An 18-year-old high school senior, Mandie Rudd seems like a typical teenager, busy with sports, school, and hanging out with friends, but in addition to normal challenges of life, she deals daily with the chronic condition of cystic fibrosis (CF).

Mandie makes staying compliant and healthy a priority. Waking up early to squeeze in treatments and multi-tasking while doing medications are some tips she offers to other busy teenagers. Besides sticking to her medical routine, Mandie exercises to keep her lungs strong, playing on her high school volleyball, basketball and track team.

A firm believer in giving back to the community, Mandie and her sister Natalie, who also has CF, have participated in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides®, a national run/walk that raises money for CF research, volunteered for Limbs of Hope, an organization which donates prosthetics to individuals in need, and is a Wish Ambassador for Make a Wish Foundation. As a Wish Ambassador, Mandie helps make wishes come true for children with life-threatening illnesses and was also a wish recipient, traveling to Thailand with her family to ride elephants and explore the jungle.

Mandie’s wish now, which she is very close to fulfilling, is going to college and working in the field of dentistry. Getting into the college of her choice has been her proudest accomplishment. Mandie’s advice to other teenagers with CF who want to go to college and pursue their interests is to be consistent and on track with their medical routines and to embrace CF as something that you just have to deal with. She describes CF as always running by her side, pushing her to train harder in sports and in pursuing her goals.

Heroes of Hope Living with CF recognizes individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) who live full and productive lives while managing their healthcare needs. To date, Heroes of Hope has honored nearly 50 outstanding individuals with CF in more than 35 states. Heroes of Hope recipients inspire others through their outstanding accomplishments, dedication to health maintenance and contributions to their communities.

Learn more about Mandie
Click here to access Mandie’s personal Heroes of Hope
Web page. www.heroesofhope.com

A determined and talented teenager, Chase, age 17, doesn’t let CF stand in the way of pursuing his goals. In addition to the demands of Chase’s full schedule that includes part-time job at a restaurant and schoolwork, he juggles an intense medical regimen of inhaled medications and antibiotics that requires hours of his time each day. He also participates in golf, weight lifting and baseball to help keep his lungs strong.

Not only does Chase eat to stay healthy and strong, which is essential for someone with CF, but food is also a passion for him. Chase apprentices under an award-winning chef at an exclusive restaurant in Baltimore , Maryland .

When Chase isn’t busy with school, cooking and sports, he gives back to the CF community. For the past two years, Chase has volunteered at the Maryland fundraiser called Country Concert, an event founded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation over 20 years ago.

By participating in activities he loves and staying positive, Chase has learned to live with the challenges of cystic fibrosis, and by now, it is just another part of his life that he takes in stride.

Heroes of Hope Living with CF recognizes individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) who live full and productive lives while managing their healthcare needs. To date, Heroes of Hope has honored nearly 40 outstanding individuals with CF in more than 30 states. Heroes of Hope recipients inspire others through their outstanding accomplishments, dedication to health maintenance and contributions to their communities.
Learn more about Chase
Click here to access Chase’s personal Heroes of Hope
Web page. www.heroesofhope.com

The newest Heroes of Hope recipient is Joseph Edge! At 12 years old, Joseph is already an accomplished, stellar student, athlete and star in his own community through raising awareness about CF and his volunteer work.
www.heroesofhope.gene.com