Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. I have committed to take part in a 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe on June 6th 2010.

I am supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society because my dearest cousin Oleg Mikhailov was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 22 in my hometown of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Due to misdiagnosis, his battle with the disease was unnecessary long and overwhelmingly painful. Cancer went into remission but came back a few years later. Remembering how tough and painful the struggle for recovery had been, my cousin couldn't find the courage to face another fight and took his own life.

One of the greatest benefits of living in the United States is our access to advanced health care and the latest discoveries in cancer treatments which my cousin did not have living in Russia. Therefore I am raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives, and I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.

Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.

Thank you,

Alexis Lieberman

Just in case if you are curious, please find below my progress:

1st week we had orientation.

2nd week of training we did our first 20 miles ride. And it was haaaaard! We were divided into three groups according to our speed level determined the week before, and I was placed in the middle group. However, on the way back we picked up the pace, and I was not ready for that, so i got behind and ended up in between the middle and slow group by myself. Two mentors left the middle group and were riding with me until the very end. I felt very supported and comforted, and i felt like I had everything i needed to finish the ride. On the dark side, my bum bum was hurting badly that day and the day after :).

3rd week we biked for 27 miles in El Segundo right next to LAX. I fell off the bike on Thursday prior to the weekend, so i was riding with a slower group at a slower pace today to keep it safe.

4th week - 30 miles in Pasadena. For the last 8 miles, the sky opened up and God flooded all his children including bicyclists of course. It felt like we were in the middle of the hurricane because buckets of water were poured on us from the sky. It was exhilarating though i have to admit...

5th week - 40 miles on Malibu on PCH: first 20 miles we didn't stop once! And there were lots of hills.,, but the scenery was so gorgeous that it made up for all the pain in the bum bum.

6th week - i trained on my own because i missed the saturday training. I did about 35 miles from Venice to Culver city by LA river and back to the beach, and then i biked all the way to Manhattan beach and back to Venice. My knees were killing me that day.

7th week - 45 miles ride from Playa Del Rey to Brentwood and 5 mile clime up Mandeville canyon. I did great except my knees are seriosly hurting, and i need to get my bike fitted because that is what might be causing my pain. I need to get a new front tire as well. Went to Helen's - and it was a zoo...will go back on Monday. I slept 11 hours after that ride, which makes me think that i was a little tired after it... What do you think?

8th week - Griffin Park. I missed that weekend because i had to buy a car, and it took all weekend.

9th week - Long Beach to Newport. I could only do 25 miles because my right knee gave out. My hybrid bike is too heavy, and causing too much pain in the knees. My teammates put me and my bike into the van and sent me back to the starting point. My coach Charley loaned me his wife's bike, so i can continue training for the training.

10th week - 62 miles Malibu and Malibu Hills. I rode all 62 miles!!!! New bike was a game changer! I had knee braces too, and that helped tons. Plus 8 ibuprofens - and at some point i stopped feeling everything. I did that ride on 4 hours of sleep from the night before, and when i got home and took a nap, i didn't wake up til the next morning. I slept 17 hours....