Hello again :)

Hey every one!! Here I am again, I hope you are all ready for this!! thats right I am riding to Mexico again and i want you all to be a part of it! Join me on the trip, donate to Vidas, write on our blog, or just follow us..but please be a part of this event that will take me to Mexico in 18 days! thats right last time it took me and Kate Morris 22 days to get there, this time i intend to do it in 18 days..why? because its harder to do it in 18 days than in 22!! that is my challenge, your challenge? to help me more this time..LETS DO IT!!!

The end...NOT!!!

Hello everyone! finally, 3 days after the big finale I get a chance to post my last blog, as far as the ride is concern :)

Well, the end was..not what I expected, I mean, I guess deep inside I wanted a nice reception and lots of people to be waiting for me at the end. Finishing was definitely good enough for me, I just wanted to get there and declare my trip done. I will try and describe the end as best as I can but this is one of those times when one would say..wish you were here!!

It happens that the last day was only 60 miles long. It was a very hilly ride and although I had some very nice long descents where I was able to reach 41.9 miles an hour, my legs were very tired and I was ready to be done. I rode very slow the first 30 miles and was pressed to pedal pretty hard the last 30 because we stooped for a long lunch and the hills turned out to be pretty steep.
well, 7 miles before the final pedal stroke was made, we stopped one last time. There were last minute plans to be made for the arrival, (which I did not know about) I was jut told to rest a bit. So I rested for another 30 minutes. It was 5:45 in the afternoon when we finally got on our way. One mile later I was already at the edge of town where some 10-15 children met me in their bicycles. two others had been biking with me off and on for the past 60 miles.
Now with a group of about other 17 people on bikes, we started to descent into the town. One patrol truck had been leading me for the last 60 miles, 5 others joined in and about 6 police motorcycles joined also! One ambulance and about 5 other cars joined in the group. I was lead into the center place of the city where we did a lap around the main plaza. All traffic was stopped for us to go through and people cheered on the side lines. Then we preceded to ride toward the neighborhood where I grew up (this was the place I was to finish). We did a lap around the neighborhood and then we stopped in the local theatre. At least 600 people were there, fire works were set off and people chanted VIDAS DE ESPERANZA, and my name too! The local radio station was following my arrival live, they started coverage of it since 4:pm that afternoon. I was interviewed as soon as i got of the bike for the last time on this trip.
Question one: "How do you feel?" Tired and happy to be done
"2,193. miles what is it like? would you do it again?" It is fine the first few days but then you get tired and then your mind gets tired too then you just keep going with your heart, its hard. I would not want to leave my family for that long ever again but if they came with me I would think about it but right now I just want to rest :)
"there are tears in your eyes can you explain how you feel?" I am very surprised by the reception, I did not expect this, its a great feeling to know that people care, I spent a lot of time alone on the bike, this is worth it.
"there are a lot of children here and a lot more listening, what would be your message to them?" Do not let anyone tell you "you can't do it" everything is possible but don't just dream, follow your dreams and make sure you help someone along the way.

I was very humbled by this welcoming, over 500 people sang Happy Birthday to me, I mean c'mon that is nice hu?

I left this country 18 years ago, no one noticed I was gone, I'm sure. I was just another kid who could not make it in this country, in this city, in this Barrio. I left with dreams of the "American Dream". Now I got back to this country, this city, this Barrio, and I am lucky to be sharing my "American Dream" with this barrio and many others, but I call it, "The will to do for others what no one else will" and I do it through Vidas de Esperanza and you all. Thank you.


I have learned so much on this trip that I cannot explain here, about my self, my family, life..friends.
I want to thank all of you for your messages again, the texts, the calls the emails the phone calls.
Thanks to my mom and dad for helping me out with my children the whole time I was gone. I learn how to give from them and I ma very proud to be their son.

I want to thank Florinda Jonhson and Ran Bell for believing in me and Vidas. I want to thank Robin for giving me the tools I needed to get through this. The list is very long and all of you are in it thank you all so much.


Kate Morris, Thank you for your unbreakable will to make sure others get a chance in life. Thank you for your dedication, optimism, trust and your belief in what we do. Thank you for putting up with me for 25 days! Kate, Vidas is indebted to you, I am indebted to you, many times I could have needed some help but I did not because you were always there, this trip would not have been the same without you. Kate was the perfect person for this trip, her dedication to what we do makes my job easier :) and her friendship makes my life better. Thank you Kate.

Liz; I would not be able ot do the job I do if I did not have Liz. Liz I am who I am because you love me.

This is not the last you all will hear from me. This trip took alot out of me, I am about 15 pounds lighter and about 3 shades darker:) I am tired, sore and sleepy. But I am also stronger, I am more confident. But above all I am still Ascary, the dude who just wants to help, I am just a man who thinks we all deserve a chance and because of that I will be back with another crazy idea for why YOU should give Vidas your money ;) so, until then, Stay tuned!
Ascary

To Liliana, Ava and Sulema:
Hijas Papi loves you. Remember there is nothing in life that makes me more happy than to see you happy, I'm sorry I had to be gone for such a long time but I have a feeling one day you will read this and you will understand. Hijas la vida tiene muchos retos pero nuestros mayores retos deben ser puestos por nosotros mismos. Nunca, pero nunca duden que ustedes pueden cambiar el mundo. Las quiero mucho
Love papi.
PS. tell mami I love her

Hey everyone!

We are so close now! Yes, today I rode for 87 miles to end up 60 some miles away from Ixmiquilpan! We got started this morning around 9:am and finished by 3:pm. At the end tomorrow, we will have cover 2200+ miles.. I was supposed to go up a big climb today, 20 miles of steep climbing! well it was not what they told me it would be. At the end of the ride there was a climb, 5 miles long and pretty steep but it was by no means the "big" climb I was told it would be. Today was a very good day, I was relaxed and in good spirits. I still have pain and sorness and I am very tired. However, being this close to the finish i feel my body is no longer talking to me..or maybe i'm just not listening ;)

Yes, It was about after mile 1500 that my body started to cave in and my mind had to step in, then my mind was also weakening but with the help of all of you and my heart i got past that too. I think I have rid of all the weakness I had in me in the past few hundred miles. I also think I have used all the strength long ago, all the fitness i had is also gone. This is no longer a phisycal test, nor is it a mental one. Heart, its all heart now. Its all love.

I have had, as you all can imagine, lots of time to think, to ponder on things about life, about..the ultimate force. This is waht I think, now, one day and 60 miles away from my goal:
"how often am I going to want to quit?" I asked my coach Robin,
"Every day, but you just have to keep your head up and turn the pedals you can do it"
I knew she was right, I knew I would get through but I did not know how...
My family, my friends, my wife, my kids, people I just met my coach, Kate. This is how, all the love and support of those bihind me, all the love. And this, a story i kept repeating to my self every time I was on the verge of stoping:

I was 15 years old. I was sick, on a weekend night, I took my self to the public clinic. I walked 45 minutes to get there and sat at the waiting area for about an hour.. It was late, past midnight, poeple sitting on the benches and some tables. Some were sitting on the floor next to me. I was tired and my stomach was hurting (probably food poisoning). I was falling asleep when a man came running from the street. He could have been 25 or 45..people age faster when they are poor and hungry, I think. He was holding a little boy. The mom was running behind them. "run viejo run!" she said to him.
He ran inside and a nurse came to meet him. "my child, my son is very sick" the man said.
they went inside, the mom stayed outside, the door was left open just enough so that I could see what was giong on inside. "put him here" the nurse said and pointed to the floor. The beds were probably all taken.
I saw the man put the boy on the floor. As he was doing this I noticed the boy's hands and legs were dangling from his body. He was almost completely naked.
The nurse bent over the body and I could not see what she was doing...but I knew.
A couple of minutes later the man walked out.. He look at his wife and said "ya vieja..ya" "that's it vieja...that's it"
"why did you not bring him earlier?" the nurse asked
"We left yesterday morning to come here as soon as he started getting "sick" the man answered.
They explained that they lived too far away from the town and there were no roads, they had to walk several hours to get to one main road and waited for a car to go by and hope they would be picked up.
Without anything else to say, the man went back inside the room.
He came back out with the boys body, wrapt in a blanket then they left.

I went home, I just wanted to know the boy's name..
Over and over again I repeated this story in my head, some times I cried sometimes I got mad....but every time I grew stronger. Everytime I pedaled faster.
When I think, why? when I ask my self why, why do I do this, why go through this pain, why be away from those I love, why build a clinic in a place I no longer live in? The answer is always the same. Becasue it is the right thing to do. Because that child should have had another chance.

Love, is what got me through. Love for what I do, love for my family, love for those who are in need.
I have been tested, I have been challenged, and I have come on top. I have accomplish something bigger than I ever imagine my self a part of.
Every time I found my self fighting against the wind, the sun, the rain, the up hills, the pain, the tears I found my self looking into some one or something that inspired love to grow in me and I got stronger..So, now 60 miles away from my goal I realize that love is, the ULTIMATE force.
Please forgive me if this blog is going every where but this is what goes on in my mind And I just want to be true to you all.
Please stay tuned
Ascary

To liliana and Ava:
Hola hijas, I hope you girls are having a great weekend! Well I am coming back home very soon. I Love you all very much plaese bee good to wach other and your sister Sulema ok? Well I have to go to bed because I am tired but I will talk to you very soon.
Love, papi
PS: tell mami I love her

Hello every one,
Well, day 19th of our trip is over! 2050 miles covered...wow! it appears that it may be 80 miles tomorrow (which I am not very excited about because there is a big climb at the end of the day). Then hopefully no more than 90 miles on sunday. I really do not know the exact mileage because we do not have GPS here and the maps are shady. But I think at most we are looking at 200 more miles. Today was a good easy day, we started at 6:am and finished by 3:pm and covered about 92 miles. I did get a hole on my rear tire and the tube was coming out of it so we change it. Then, 15 minutes later in the middle of no where I got a flat tire! Well, I stoped right next to a bus station and this is what happen: As I came up to the bus station I notided there where 6 people sitting there. Three teenage girls sitting on the sidewalk and three adults sitting on a bench.
"hello every one" I said with as much enthusiasm as I could gather considering I had a flat. Just the same anyway, no one answer. They all just sat there looking at me. There was one male on the bench, he was completely covered including most of his face, (it was very cold this morning) he was listening to his head phones. He was listening to a very well known song from the Temerarios, a very well known mexican band. I know this because even thogh he had the head phones on and a hoodie over it the music was loud enough that all of us around there could also "enjoy" his music.
I looked over to the left and the three girls were still looking at me, the other two ladies on the bench as well as the guy also looking at me. 5-10 minutes later why is it taking me this long to change my tire! Finally as I begin to put my tire back on the bike, the bus pulls up, they all get up and with out even one glance at me get on the bus...Now I'm thinking: what a bunch of weirdos right? never mind I am wearing a white helmet, long black spandex with bright red leg warmers, white sun glasess, a white adidas hootie two sizes too big and white ciclyn shoes.

To Liliana and Ava:
HOla mijas :) well papi will be home in 6 days!! I am so happy that I am gonna get to see you girls! guess what? this morning I was riding my bike and i rode past a herd of cows. Well they saw me and then inmediately started following me! yes all of them! even two baby cows were running next to me! That was so much fun I even slowed down a little bit so they would not get tire. Well, I hope you girls are being very good to each other and to your sister Sulema. I love you both very much. please be good this weekend.
Love, papi.
PS. tell mami I love her

Oct 22,
Days 3 and 4 of our journey. Thank you all for your emails, messages, coments, calls.. defenitely helps to know that I have this many people who care and love me and are bihind me all the way!

Well, yesterday was a good day, with only 2 hours of strong winds at the end of the day I was able to ride a total of 108 miles!
Today, we started a little earlier (I figure out that the winds starts to pick up after 3:pm so we started at 7:am. I stop pedaling at 4:pm and by then I had covered 122 miles! Now all I have to do is ride 3 more days of a 100 miles each. I am still tired and sore, I have good moments and bad ones, there are times when all I want to do is get off the bike. There are times when I will not stop even to get more water in my bottle water just because I am so focused.
It is a rollercoster for me LITERALLY! emotions run pretty high and pretty low depending on the hour. Right now I am doing pretty well, I think this is because I just completed 122 miles:)
There is really not many places with internet on the road we are taking, this is why I can only post about every two days. Also we cannot post our videos but stay tunned because hopefully we will be able to do so soon and there are some very beautiful views to see!
Stay tuned every one,
Ascary

To Liliana and friends:
Hello mija and frieds:) I hope you are all doing well. I am fine, I continue to pedal my way through the roads of Mexico. I want you all to know that I am very thankful that you guys are following my trip, it makes me feel very special. Please be good to each other in class and be goo to your tacher ok? Also, please be good to your brothers and sisters at home. Liliana, will let you all know where I am and how many miles I am doing if I cannot post a blog ok? Well I hope you all have a woderful day.
Liliana please be kind to your frieds and teachers.
Love, papi
PS. Tell mami I love her

Hello everyone,

We have been on the roads of Mexico for the past two days. I wish I could say that its been an easy two days, but as it stands we are about 30 miles bihind schedule. it appears the entire road will be climbing mostly. Yesterday I was able to ride for 99 miles despite the worst head wind i have been up against on this trip. I was moving at about 12 miles an hour so it took me a while to finish.

Today was not windy but it was up hill most of the way. I am happy to say that most of the people in their cars going bywave at me and give me the thumbs up. One guy even gave me a high five! Today after lunch at 2;pm i decided that I would only go for one more hour. (my legs are very tired and my knees are still bothering me. So I thought it would be wise to sto pa little earlier and then rest. Just as i was about to stop I came to the foot of a mountain. I went up that tmountain and 1:14 mintes and 7 miles later I was at the top. I was tired winded, and even a little out of balance. I think the altitude finally got to me. In order to get to our ddestiny on oct 25th at 5:pm I am supposed to do 4 days of about 97 miles and one of about 120 miles. I am not as confident about being able to finish this in the time I need to...

I am tired, my body is...it hurts. I know I can finish, I know I have it in me to do it..but my body may not want to. I just hope that my mind and my heart come to the rescue very soon. So I am going to bed with a heavy heart and a tired body. I just hope that tomorrow is a good one for me.

To Liliana and Ava: hola mijas. guess what? papi comes home in 9 days! I hope you girls are being very good. I cant wait t ocome home ans dee you girls. Please be good to yaya and to each other. Be good t oyour friends and teachers at school ok? I love you and miss you very much.
Love papi.
PS.Tell mami I love her

1,537.96 miles. That is how many miles I have pedaled to get to The US, Mexico border. I feel that is an accomplishment. Yes it is, if I was to stop and not go on any farther I would be proud of my self for being able to bike that many miles. I think doing this many miles would be a great accomplishment for just about anyone who dared tried. But this is not just a personal trial. No, we set out on this trip because every day, every minute..every fifteen seconds a child dies from: malnutrition, lack of water, and many other diseases that could be easily prevented. We are doing this because this children need someone to care, some one to give them the chance, the hope to a future. I for one believe. I believe that I can make a difference, therefore I give everything that I can to do my part. This time my purpose is to push my self to limits that can only be reached when the end results are greater than personal satisfaction. Yes, my love for the people who are in need has helped me to get to this point 1,537.96 miles. And it will help me to get to the end, and the end result will be (I hope) a clinic. But now is where I feel I most ask you to make your pledge.. If you believe in what we do (I know you do) please make an effort that surpasses your previous efforts. Tell someone about us, tell them why this is something they can believe in. Tell them and tell your selves that now is the time to write a check. Vidas de Esperanza can do this, but we need you to spread the word, we need donations. $250,000 dollars is what we estimate the cost of the clinic will be. We do not have that, and it may take longer and more than a bicycle ride to get it. However, I do believe that if we all put a little bit extra, if we push our selves to a limit we did not know we could go, that we can get close to our target. I thank you all for your messages, good wishes, blessings and donations. It all has been inspiration to me to continue on when my body is ready to stop. If you are following this blog but have not join it please do, we would like to know who is following. Please tell people to visit our website for more information on the programs we work with year round. Our website is: vidasnc.org All donations can be made to Vidas de Esperanza and mailed to: 910 satinwood dr Greensboro nc 27510 Stay tuned Ascary To Liliana and Ava: Hola hijas, I hope you girls are doing great today. I am now at the border of US and Mexico! I tell you, today I saw a hare, a fox and a wild hog during my 60 mile trip to Laredo! Tomorrow I will be in Mexico and will be there for the rest of the week. It will take me ten days to be back home after tomorrow so you can start counting the days ok? I love you girls and I miss you very very much. Please be goos to yaya and mami ok? Love papi, PS. Tell mami I love her