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by Andy
Evangelista First
appeared 23 June 1999
An Uplifting Seven Days
When most people take a week off to refuel, vegetating at some beach resort or sleeping
past morning drive time for seven straight days usually does the trick. But for Lauren
Meyers and Rob Duca -- friends and managers at UCSF -- a 560-mile bicycle trek from SF to
LA was their energizer.
 Meyers, who works in the department of physiology, and
Duca, who administers in the surgery department, recently completed the California AIDS
Ride, which tests the mettle of the most determined altruist or athlete. While riders get
to see the beauty of the state's coasts and hillsides, there are dangers and downsides,
such as sharing narrow winding roads with motorists and the discomfort that comes from
sitting on a bicycle seat all day. And stretches named "Heartbreak Hill" and
"Agony Grade" are enough to scorch the lungs and leg muscles of even the
best-conditioned cyclists. But for the UCSF pair, there was no pain and a lot of gain.
They rode every inch of the way from Fort Mason to West Hollywood, and because they used
their managerial skills of persuasion and budget boosting beforehand, they were able to
raise $10,000 for people living with HIV, who need treatment, housing and other services.
This year's California AIDS ride netted more than $11 million, and Duca's and Meyer's
backers included $10 from her aunt to $500 pledges from UCSF faculty.
Meyers and Duca had discussed going on the AIDS ride several years ago, but work and
vacation schedules never clicked. Last October, however, they decided to take the 560-mile
plunge. Meyers, who started road cycling seven years ago, trained for the Ride by taking
"spinning" classes at the Millberry Fitness Center, where she worked on
endurance and technique. Duca, an avid mountain biker, found time during the year to take
several long rides, but certainly none as tough as the AIDS ride, which on the first day
alone legged 92 miles.
"We knew it would be challenging," said Meyers, who celebrated her 39th birthday
during the ride. They prepared mentally for the "low moments" of pain and
fatigue, convinced that adrenaline, support from others along the way, and thinking of the
people who would benefit from the event would get them through the tough stretches.
"But one of the biggest surprises was that there were no low moments," said
Meyers.
Duca echoed the sentiment. Among the biggest kicks were the greetings from students --
elementary to college -- who left classrooms to chat with riders. He was inspired by two
disabled people who cycled by hand but made it to the finish every evening, the scores of
riders who dedicated their efforts to loved ones who had died of AIDS, and the many
cyclists who kept going despite regular visits to the medical tent for knee and Achilles
tendon injuries. "Any discomfort that we were feeling was pretty insignificant,"
said the 50-year-old Duca.
Throughout the ride and to the end, there was a great high from the energy and
camaraderie, said Duca. When it was over, there was a great feeling of accomplishment and
relief, but also disappointment that the ride was over, he said. "I talked to others
afterwards, and they all felt a bit of post-ride withdrawal or depression."
Both Duca and Meyers returned to work just three days after completing the ride. Meyers
was feeling good enough to go back that day to the fitness center for her regular
workouts. The evening before, she talked to a fellow rider who asked how she was coping
with the effects of coming down from the seven-day high. "That spirit, caring and
building of community learned in that week -- you bring it home with you," Meyers
replied.
Drive for AIDS Research Funds
 AIDS research supporters are pushing a new California license plate,
which includes the symbolic red ribbon in its design and recognizes the impact AIDS has
had in our communities. A State Assembly bill authored by John Burton, and approved by
Governor Gray Davis in December, helped create the plates, which cost $50 over the usual
fee for a set of regular plates, with an annual renewal of $40. Proceeds from the sale of
these plates will go to the University AIDS Research Program, which currently awards some
45 percent of its grants to UCSF. Five thousand plates must be sold before the DMV will
begin issuing them.
To obtain an order form call 1-877-84ACURE (that's a toll free number) or email 4acure@uap.ucsf.edu.
For those interested, yes, the new plates can be personalized, and existing personalized
plates can be transferred to AIDS research plates. And the new plates can be given as a
gift.
Order forms will also be available during the upcoming Gay and Lesbian Pride Weekend (June
26-27) at a booth in the Civic Center.
There also will be a Civic Center booth put up by Gallo wineries, which is introducing and
selling its new premium wine. Half of the proceeds will be donated to the UCSF AIDS
Research Institute and half will go to the National Gay and Lesbian Historical Society.
Walking for AIDS
Reminder: A UCSF contingent will again join thousands of women, men and children at the
annual AIDS Walk in San Francisco, Sunday, July 18. Last year more than $3 million was
raised for Bay Area AIDS organizations, one of which is the UCSF AIDS Health Project. Some
600 people joined UCSF's AIDS Walk team last year, as the campus raised $60,000 and placed
seventh among the participating corporate teams. UCSF is co-chair of this year's Walk.
To register, go to www.aidswalk.net. Click on
"AIDS Walk San Francisco" and fill out the form. Be sure to include the team
name "University of California San Francisco" or use team number 0089. If you
can't participate, consider supporting a co-worker who will be walking on July 18.
For more information, contact Arnai Maxey, UCSF's team leader, at 476-4394.
Readers: If you have any items or suggestions
for this column, send us an email: aevangelista@pubaff.ucsf.edu.
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