Published: June 11, 2009 03:28 pm      

Texas 4000 cyclists head for Anchorage to fight cancer

Taking on a cross county bicycle journey isn’t easy.

Carolina Canavati rides for her father who was diagnosed with lung cancer after a forty year smoking habit.

Michael McAllaster rides for his maternal grandfather who died of colon cancer when McAllaster was just a toddler.

Canavati and McAllaster are members of a select group of young men and women on a quest to ride bicycles from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska.

The journey is called the Texas 4000 for Cancer and is designed to increase public awareness of the disease. This year, the group plans to raise funds for Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The team stopped in Gainesville Wednesday afternoon to rest and eat a meal before heading to Lindsay for the night.

Most of the team members are either graduates or undergraduates of the University of Texas.

“We do have an Aggie and a Texas State graduate,” said Courtney Somerville, spokesman for the group.

Somerville is a U.T. graduate who earned a degree in corporate communications.

The Texas 4000 is a challenge she said she wanted to complete before starting her career.

Participants are required to complete an application process that is fairly competitive, said McAllaster who earned his degree in biochemistry and plans to become a physician.

His undergraduate work made him a good choice to be one of the team’s fitness trainers and leaders.

Individuals who are chosen for the team must be proficient cyclists, but most are not world class riders, he said.

“No one was far and above anyone else when we started training. Everyone is at a different level” he said.

All riders must be willing to commit to long training sessions.

“It’s not an easy endeavor. We got our bikes in late January and started training right away. We had mandatory rides each weekend,” McAllaster said.

Team members rode their bicycles in both urban and rural areas.

McAllaster said the rides were difficult, but they also gave him an appreciation for some of Texas’ rugged beauty.

The Hill Country was especially appealing.

“It’s amazing,” McAllaster said.

Each rider must log at least 1,000 miles of riding before the group starts its cross country ride in early June.

“Some took the requirement seriously and logged upwards of 2,000 miles,” he said.

The 43-member group left Austin last Friday before splitting into two teams.

One team headed toward the Sierra mountain range. From there, the group will pass through the Northwestern states to Alaska.

The team who stopped in Gainesville Wednesday afternoon are on the Rockies Route which sweeps through Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana on the way to Canada and finally Anchorage.

Wednesday was Day Five of the trip and spirits were, apparently, high despite relentless wind, a high heat index and a threat of rain, lightning and hail.

Some of the female riders broke into a rendition of the 1980s anthem, “Don’t Stop Believing” while resting under the awning at an empty convenience store parking lot.

Riders approaching the rest stop were greeted with cheers.

Many drivers on the highway — some of whom knew only that the ride is a fight against cancer — honked their horns in support.

The team’s exuberance is fueled by hope, said Canavati.

“This ride parallels the fight against cancer. We ride through rain, winds and storms. Cancer patients face a fight of their own just to get out of bed every day. Our mission isn‘t just about making money. Our mission is to share knowledge about cancer prevention and to share hope,” she said.

Other riders snacked on fresh fruit and foods donated by local restaurants.

McAllaster said team leaders often appeal to restaurants for help along the way.

Many eateries respond with free food.

A Subway restaurant provided lunch for the riders.

Gainesville’s Golden Chick donated fried chicken for supper, he noted.

“We really appreciate the help,” McAllaster said.

But the cyclists also pay their own way.

Each must raise a donation of at least $4,000 for the Texas 4000 effort.

McAllaster said the group raised over $325,000 in just a year.

There are also expenses associated with the quest.

Before each trip, leaders make a “huge grocery run” said McAllaster.

Food supplies include high protein or high carbohydrate food such as dried beans, rice, peanut butter and pancake mix.

“We try to live as efficiently as possible,” McAllaster said of their meals.

The riders plan to complete the trip in 70 days.

Somerville said her group averages 70 to 80 miles each day.

“Our high is 120 miles in one day,” Somerville noted.

The Texas 4000 also includes a couple of large Ford vans and a trailer.

Riders take turns as van drivers, packing bags, ferrying supplies and traveling ahead of the riders to scope out potential rest stops.

Clean up detail is also important.

“We try to leave an area better than we found it,” McAllaster said.

He said he’s thrilled with the performance of the riders.

“The team has done a phenomenal job. They’ve really put their hearts and souls into fighting cancer,” he said.

To learn more about the Texas 4000 sponsored by Sense Corp visit www.texas4000.org.