It's been a bit tough to find time for longer rides with all the social to do's, but I sqeezed in a ride before Sasha's 2nd birthday.  It was a quick 30 around the city, but I kept really strong pace and got it done right around 2 hours. 

Tomorrow will be a bit of a test of will, as we are doing 73 mile ride with the Team in Training through Woodside. 

It was great to get back on the bike on the 26th after my crash and a vibrant Coachella weekend.  Big Ups to my friend Greg Kokoefer for the buddy ride and getting me motivated to power through 35 miles of nice rolling hills.  

I've been out of communication for the last 2 weeks, mostly due to an unfortunate accident I had on Sunday the 6th.   I missed my regularly scheduled Team ride on Saturday due to an overnight retreat with my AIPAC leadership group, which was awesome.  So waking up early, knowing that I have a full schedule this day, I decided to make up for my missed ride by taking off to Half Moon Bay from my house.  Just as I was getting warmed up, about 2 miles out, I was picking up some nice speed heading down hill towards Monterey Ave from San Jose Ave, my front tire, popped.  I felt it, but didn't have enough time to slow down or stop and with both of my feet clipped, my bike just slid underneath me.  The fall didn't seem that bad at first, as upon my first inspection I just ripped my brand new spandex onesie, gloves and a little bit of my jersey.  The bike didn't look too bad, but my rear duraler was bent, so I couldn't shift gears.  Luckily I was only a few miles from my house, so Eve picked me up within 20 minutes.   

Somewhere around Brunch time, my pants started feeling a bit uncomfortable, this is when I noticed quite a bit of swelling on my hip. By the Warriors game the swelling got a bit larger, but nothing a little bit of advil and alcohol didn't fix.  It's the next day that the hip really showed it's true colors.  I developed a grapefruit size hematoma, which protruded like a fanny pack from the hip, right under the belt line.  

Having a Coachella trip scheduled for Thursday, I didn't want to risk missing it, so I listened to Eve's request and went to see a Dr on my birthday. Boy am I glad I had a chance to contribute to our healthcare system, as my physician referred me to get an MRI, see a Dermatologist and Orthopedics Dr as well as gave me 3 sessions of acupuncture with electricity!  But Most importantly I made it to Coachella on Thursday! 

First of All,  Thank you VERY MUCH for all of you who've donated to this cause.  I am so honored to have such a diverse group of friends and donors!  

Thought I'd Share some of my training progress with ya'll.  

We were supposed to have a 45+ mile ride with Team in Training on Saturday in Vacavile, but it got rescheduled to Sunday because of the rain.   

Sunday Morning I got up bright and early, kissed the girls good morning, put my bike in the car and took off to Vacavile.  As I passed over Carquinez Bridge I thought to look for a gronola bar which I put in my shoe box...... FUDGE!  I left my clip-in bike shoes with my Helmet in my garage, 30 miles away. Lesson Learned, pack the night before, as my senses are at a premium before 8:00 am on a Sunday. 

Since I was already cozely spandexed, I was determened not to let my sexy outfit go to waste. I got home, jumped on my computer and with Roman's and Map My Ride's help found a 50+ mile ride (Bernal to Tiburon, Paradise Loop and back to Bernal).  

On my way down Embarcadero, I ended up rolling next to a dude from Denmark, who just moved to SF. Aperently all they do in Denmark is bike ride, because this dude was fast, which was good, because I needed a challange.  Since this was his first month in the Bay Area, I offered to lead as much as I could.  Of couse my new friend wanted to climb because aperently everything in Denmark is flat.  We decided to headup the Marin Headlands hill right off the bridge.  Man... what a climb, a nice incline that opens up to a majestic view of the City and the Bridge.   I fell a little behind, but we met up at the Vista and had a great oportunity to exchange some iPhone pics (attached).   We parted ways after, but that climb set the tone for the next 6 hours and 55+ miles. 

I am going to post some pics from the ride, so you know I am not cheating ;-)

Dear Friends,

One of my personal goals for 2014 was to compete in an endurance event.  I enjoy Mountain Biking, so naturally I thought a road cycling event would be a good fit.  A good friend of mine, an avid endurance athlete, suggested that I consider Team in Training, an organization which provides coaching for endurance event's as a way to fundraise for  The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) which funds research to find a cure for blood cancers and help it's victims. 

• I was amazed to learn that since 1988 people like us raised $1.4 billion in funds towards  lifesaving research, by competing in endurance events.
• Thanks to research and access to better treatments, survival rates for many blood cancer patients have quadrupled since 1960.  I was also surprised to learn that

• The leukemia death rate for children and adolescents younger than 15 years in the United States has declined by 80 percent from 1969 to 2010.
• Despite this decline, leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children, adolescents and young adults younger than 20 years old.
• About 437 children and adolescents under 15 years are expected to die from leukemia in 2014.

I wanted to help and decided to signed up for the Century (100 miles) Ride around Lake Tahoe on June 1st and to join Team in Training .

My goal is to raise $5,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, as well as to finish the race in under 8 hours.   75% of every dollar I raise will directly support research for a cure and provide financial assistance to families in our country struggling with the financial burden of treatment. 

I have made a commitment to cycle this "Century" and get us 100 miles closer to providing hope, peace, and freedom to individuals battling blood cancer.  I am hopeful you will join me in the fight against blood cancer.  You can help by visiting:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/gba/ambbr14/sgraue

And donating generously to the Leukemia and Lymphoma

Society. Every bit counts!

Donations are tax deductible.   Thank you for your support and Go Team!