E-mail Sent to Local Officials in Preparation for Ride for HB 1338

Here's a copy of the e-mail I sent to the 10 legislators I'll be visiting tomorrow:

Dear Representative or Staff,

It's hard for me to believe that tomorrow's the big day, when I will
be looking forward to meeting with you and/or your staff about House
Bill 1338! It's been a whirlwind few weeks of preparation and I'm
looking forward to hitting the pedals tomorrow. A couple of notes
before I do:

1) THANK YOU for your cooperation. When I first had the idea to
attempt ten legislative visits in one day, I had no idea all ten of
you would say yes! It's been thrilling for me to witness first-hand
the willingness of elected officials to meet under such time
constraints, and it's one of the messages I've been spreading to all
those I speak with. So thank you.

2) THANK YOU for your flexibility in advance. Traveling more than 80
miles by bicycle with 10 appointments is as much of a logistical
challenge as it is a physical challenge and I am particularly grateful
that you all understand this and have pledged to keep your schedules
as open as possible.

3) That said, I recognize you have very busy schedules. If we are
running more than 30 minutes behind schedule, my support team will
call your office and ask if you would prefer to speak for a few
minutes by phone. While this will not change the route I will be
riding, it's a way for us to have a few minutes closer to the arranged
time.

4) If your schedule becomes such that you or your staff can't meet
with me, I'd ask that you contact my support crew leader (also my
wife), Heather Grimm, via her cell phone at [redacted]. Of course,
if your schedule has changed since we last spoke a week ago, please
also contact me asap via email.

5) I have been asked by a few of you what you can provide for my
visit, in terms of water or nutrition. While this is very kind of you,
my support vehicle will have everything I need and I'll be more
concerned about having the opportunity to discuss HB 1338 in the 10
minutes we've allotted for each stop. When possible, I'd also
appreciate the opportunity to have a picture taken with you, as well.

6) If you are already prepared to support HB 1338, I will use the time
to thank you and discuss Type 1 diabetes with you for a few minutes.
I'm also planning on testing my blood sugar so you can witness
first-hand what diabetics like myself do several times per day. This
pertains to HB 1338, as current school procedures dictate blood sugar
testing be done in the presence of a nurse. What HB 1338 does is allow
a diabetic to monitor themselves in the presence of properly trained
volunteers who aren't nurses.

7) Local media have been contacted about this Speed Advocacy challenge
and have been provided with an itinerary. I don't know at this point
if, when or whom will be covering the event.

I believe that's everything. Once again, thank you in advance.

Final itinerary for tomorrow:

Marcus Grimm, Ride for HB 1338 - July 7, 2011
8:45am: Meet w/ Mauree Gingrich, 101st
Travel 1.7 miles
9:10AM: Meet w/ Rose Marie Swanger, 102nd
Travel 21.6 miles
11:20AM: Meet w/ Gordon Denlinger, 99th
Travel 9.8 Miles
12:15PM: Meet w/ John Bear, 97th (David Esbenshade)
Travel 7.1 Miles
12:55PM: Meet w/ Tom Creighton, 37th (Alecia)
Travel 14.6 Miles
2:05PM: Meet w/ David Hickernell, 98th (Susan Spangler)
Travel 6.4 Miles
2:45 Meet w/ Ryan Aument, 41st
Travel 4.5 Miles
3:15PM Meet w/ Mike Sturla, 96th
Travel 5.5 Miles
3:55PM Meet w/ Scott Boyd, 43rd (Josiah Shelly)
Travel 10.1 Miles
4:45PM Meet w/ Bryan Cutler, 100th (Jessica Keffer)

Ride for HB 1338 Just 2 Days Away!

We're just 2 days away from the big day - more than 80 miles of bicycle riding, coupled with (hopefully) 10 legislative meetings, all in 1 business day.

Below is the map of my journey which begins in Lebanon County with 2 meetings barely 1 mile from each other. From there, I have the biggest leg of the trip (24 miles) over the biggest hill, too, toward Ephrata. From there, it's between 6 and 14 miles to each office.

This past weekend, I tried to navigate a quicker route from Manheim to Columbia, but the there were too many back roads to navigate and I don't want to risk getting lost. Time will be of the essence. Originally I thought it would make sense to trim a mile or 2 here or there, but now I'm more worried about staying on course.

A couple notes:
1) I can't say enough about how accommodating the legislators have all been. All 10 are opening their offices to me, and 5 of the ten meetings are with the actual legislators. They are all also aware of the fact that my schedule will require some flexibility on their part and each one has promised to allow me as much time as possible.

2) Anyone who lives in or around the offices is encouraged to visit at the time I do. The more diabetics, the better. The current itinerary is here: http://bit.ly/lwkpzu

3) I've never ridden by bike this far. Though 80 miles is nothing for hard core cyclists, I am a runner and 63 miles has been my longest ride, so this will be interesting, to say the least.

4) My wife and kids will be tagging along with a support vehicle with fresh water bottles and tires, if needed. 8 hours in a car with 2 kids at 15 miles per hour? If my wife lives, she will be a saint.

5) I've been asked if I get behind, will I load up my bike and drive to the offices, and have decided that the answer is no. I don't think of myself as an advocate. Rather, I think of myself as a diabetic athlete advocating for a cause. As such, completing the ride is what matters. However, if I become so far off my agenda that I'll miss my expected time, we'll call ahead and give the legislator the option of having a phone discussion, because I am sensitive to their time.

6) I'm looking forward to my Speed Advocacy ride and having the opportunity to discuss this important bill with legislators. Very grateful for all the support I've received, both from the American Diabetes Association and Team Type 1.


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