Memories from 10-year RFTF Participant

Rebecca Abernathy is a 10-year Ride for the Feast participant.  She was a crew member for the first RFTF in 2003 and continued as Crew until she first rode in 2006.  Rebecca has continued to ride the past 7-years as a very proud member of Team Atomic.  Rebecca is passionate about Moveable Feast's mission and currently sits on our Board of Directors.

The first ever Ride for the Feast - 2003, Crew
Waking up Sunday morning and realizing there was no coffee--anywhere--and wondering what we were going to do once all those riders woke up and realized it, too.

2006, Rider
Completing my first century was amazing, of course, but what I most remember about this year was quitting on the second day. After riding two miles into a headwind and up four miles of hills, taking six hits off the asthma inhaler, and getting a flat tire, I knew I had nothing left in me. The moment I accepted that fact, I started sobbing. I tried to choke it back long enough to ride up next to my teammate Joey to tell him I was going to sag. Before I could say anything, he said, "Hey, doing ok?" With tears pouring down my face, I shook my head "no," at which point he said "Alright, then we gotta have a singalong" and launched into a screaming version of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It." That got me another mile and a half.

2007

Feeling so confident in my riding ability that I decided to join a bike tour of the Oregon Coast Range Mountains. The sixth day of the tour started with a 6-mile near-vertical climb to the summit, followed by an 8-mile non-stop downhill. Unexpectedly, it was on the downhill--not the uphill--that I burst into tears. It happened as I realized that I had given myself the gift of this beautiful place, that it was a reward for a tough year, that a stunning downhill is something you get when you've survived a really gnarly uphill. I was grateful to be wearing a RFTF tee shirt in this moment, because it never would have been possible without the love and support of my RFTF family. 

 

Every year since I started riding

Getting up in the middle of the night to pee, catching my reflection in the mirror in the locker room, and thinking, "damn, my ass looks great." 

 

Click here to read the entire list of Top 10 RFTF Memories from Rebecca Abernathy

This Weekend: Training Ride and Zumba!

  

Saturday, March 24

8:30 AM - Outdoor Training Ride (25 miles)

Ride Leader: William Nothwang, cell: 410-302-1072

ADDRESS: 1725 Saint Paul Str., Baltimore, MD, 21202

*Because of the chance of rain, please call William when you're on your way!*

 

Sunday, March 25
11:00 AM - Zumbathon w/ Team With A Purpose
address: 900 E. 33rd St., Baltimore, MD, 21217

From 11 - 2 PM, join us for this great zumbathon event!!  No experience necessary; just come and have fun!  Check out the website for more details: http://teamwithapurpose.blogspot.com/2012/02/zumbathon.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please click here to be linked to the Events Calender from the Ride website.

 

 

Here is a brief look at what's to come in April:

4/1 & 4/7 - 80's Roller Disco

4/12 - 4/14 - Spa & Beauty Treatments at Diva By Cindy (15% proceeds benefits Moveable Feast)

4/12 @ 6:00pm - Meet the Feast

4/17 @ Lunch/Dinner - Sticky Rice host: Tend For A Cause
4/21 @ 8:30am - Lake Anna Century Classic (contact Pez if interested at pez2385@hotmail.com )
4/21 @ 7:00pm - Play for the Feast

4/27 @ 9:00pm - Reggae Uplift Party in support of Moveable Feast

4/28 @ 7:00pm - Food & Beer: Life is Good (buy your tickets today!!)

This weekend: Moveable Feets Dance Party & Fun Bike Rides!

 

Saturday, March 16

9:00 AM - Outdoor Training Ride (20 miles)

Meet at 9 AM at Lindale Middle School. Ride Leader: Steven Tabisz AKA Pez - cell: 443-848-8130. Click here for more info and the entire Outdoor Training Schedule.

 

8:00 PM - Moveable Feets

Dance party with contests and prizes at the Metro Gallery!  Join the great dj's and awesome contest judges for a fun night of dancing!  $12-20 sliding scale.  Proceeds benefit Team Bike Curious & Moveable Feast.

Sunday, March 17

10:30 AM - Outdoor Training Ride (16 miles)

 Meet at 10:30 AM at 4308 Yuma Street, NW DC. Ride Leader: David Andrews - cell: 443-570-6803. *Bring money for lunch at "Dean and DeLuca" in Georgetown. Click here for more info and the entire Outdoor Training Schedule.

 

 

 

Thursday, 3/22

8:00 PM - Local Bands w/ Team Bikeage at Talking Head Lounge

 

Saturday, 3/24

8:30 AM - Outdoor Training Ride (25 miles)

 

Sunday, 3/25

11:00 AM - Zumbathon! w/ Team With A Purpose (buy your tickets today!)

Please click here to be linked to the Events Calender from the Ride website.

 

Here is a brief look at what's to come in April:

 

4/1 & 4/7 - 80's Roller Disco

4/12 - 4/14 - Spa & Beauty Treatments at Diva By Cindy (15% proceeds benefits Moveable Feast)

4/12 @ 6:00pm - Meet the Feast

4/21 @ 8:30am - Lake Anna Century Classic (contact Pez if interested at pez2385@hotmail.com )
4/21 @ 7:00pm - Play for the Feast

4/27 @ 9:00pm - Reggae Uplift Party in support of Moveable Feast

4/28 @ 7:00pm - Food & Beer: Life is Good (buy your tickets today!!)

I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle

A Zen proverb about bicycling:

A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles.  When they arrived at the monastery and dismounted their bicycles, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"

The first student said, "It is the bicycle that is carrying the sack of potatoes.  I am glad that my back has escaped the pain of bearing the weight"

The teacher was glad and said, "You are a smart boy.  When you become old you will be saved of a hunch back unlike me."

The second student had a different answer.  “I love to have my eyes over the trees and the sprawling fields as I go riding," he said.  The teacher commented, "You have your eyes open and you see the world."

The third student came up with yet a different answer and said, "When I ride I am content to chant 'nam myoho renge kyo.'"

The teacher spoke these words of appreciation, "Your mind will roll with ease like a newly trued wheel."

The fourth student said, "Riding my bicycle I live in perfect harmony of things."  The pleased teacher said, "You are actually riding the golden path of non-harming or non-violence."

The fifth student said, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle."

The teacher walked up to him and sat at his feet and said, "I am your disciple!"

Tell us why you  ride your bicycle by commenting below!

Spread the Word!

Top four reasons you should tell everyone you meet about Ride for the Feast:

4. Spreading the word helps us ensure our 10th Anniversary RFTF will be our most special and successful Ride yet!

3. We always need more Crew members/groups - Crew is our term for the amazing

volunteers that truly make this event possible.  Click here to read the many ways Crew support the Ride.

2. Telling your friend's and family about this event will give you a stronger support network, which will lead to more donations to your fundraising goal and perhaps some fun training partners.

1. More Ride for the Feast supporters = more Moveable Feast supporters, which helps us serve more Marylanders in need.  Remember that YOU are the best advocate for Moveable Feast and the men, women and children who depend on our services.  THANK YOU. 

      

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

~ Margaret Mead

Ride for the Feast 2012, Registration is Open!

Join us for our 10th Anniversary Ride for the Feast on May 19 & 20, 2012.  You can be part of this extraordinary event as a bike rider, event volunteer, medical volunteer, fundraiser, bicycle technician, and more!

Take advantage of our early bird registration rates by registering on-line before January 1, 2012. 
On-line registration is required for all riders and crew/volunteers.

Ride for the Feast is a 2-day, 140-mile bike ride throughout the state of Maryland beginning in Ocean City and ending in Baltimore City. We ride 140 miles because that is the exact distance a Moveable Feast driver must go to deliver to our farthest client.

This past May, our Ride for the Feast Riders and Crew helped raise $330,000 to support Moveable Feast and our mission to feed people, fight disease, and foster hope. With the money raised, we are able to continue delivering nutritious meals to homebound Marylanders living with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

To read our latest Ride edition e-Newsletter, click here.  For any registration help or questions about the ride, please contact Elana Kanter, Events Manager for Moveable Feast at ekanter@mfeast.org.

 

Check www.rideforthefeast.org today to register for Ride for the Feast 2012!

"Ride for the Feast: Follow Up"

Riders and Crew, you should have received the last of the 2011 News Bites, Ride Edition emails yesterday, Wednesday June 8th.

Click here to view the News Bites.

Now that our incredible journey is over (until next year!), this edition covered just a few follow-up topics:

1. Follow Up Survey
2. Save the Date for 2012!
3. Lost & Found
4. RFTF Photos

Most importantly, don't forget to complete our follow-up survey! Click here to access.

See you at next year's Ride for the Feast!