As we sat before the fire, we could feel the heat burn deeply from the red-hot embers. But for some of us, the muscles within burned even deeper. It was a long day on the road from Cincinnati to Indianapolis and the living room of Jim and Norma Creighton’s was the first opportunity for us to reflect on Day 2 of this year’s Road to Discovery.
The day started at the crack of dawn. The team met at CTI, a clinical trials facility that is conducting the testing for VTS-270, a potential therapeutic treatment for Niemann-Pick Type C. Over breakfast, we had an opportunity to talk with the ND Club of Louisville and learn more about CTI and the extreme promise that this potential treatment shows.
While most of our group sat warmly inside CTI with sore quads afraid to walk down stairs for fear of falling, four riders sped away towards Indianapolis. The riders turned Jim Morrison’s famous mantra on its head by “riding in the storm”. The rains fell heavily as they focused on wiping the grime and droplets from their eyes. In fact, Mother Nature’s distraction made the 80 miles seem easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Fun fact, when riding for multiple hours on end, the idea of a “diet” goes out the window. The riders munched down on Oreos and candy bars as some of the supporters met them 40 miles into the trip for their first stop. In the midst of the excitement at the progression made to that point, it suddenly became apparent that the keys had been locked in the support van! Luckily enough, with the help of a friendly neighbor and some clever maneuvering with a coat hanger, we unlocked the van!
Around 4pm, we rode into the heart of Indianapolis and although exhausted, soaked and sore, we finished our ride for the day. There are few feelings better than being greeted with a cold beer and warm shower after a long day on the road!
Later that evening, the ND club of Indianapolis hosted an event at Nine Irish Brothers, a great craic bar downtown. Many alums and friends showed their support for the team and came to listen to Cindy Parseghian share her personal story behind the cause.
And, there we found ourselves in the Creighton’s living room – eating brownies, laughing and telling stories in front of the fire – reflecting on a successful, safe Day 2 of the Road to Discovery.
See you in Peru tomorrow!
(Indiana, of course!)