Racing to Save Lives

UPDATE 6/9/10:

I DID IT!!! My big ride was this past Sunday and it was amazing! We had such a great time. We completed the ride in 6 hours 20 minutes and enjoyed every minute of it. Read all about it on my blog at http://laurenriddle.wordpress.com!

UPDATE 5/10/10:

Well I'm up to 68 miles now! We participated in the Cruisin the Conejo ride this past Saturday and had a blast! 68 miles and I felt like I could do 100. Good thing because I'll be riding 100 in about 4 weeks. I'm still working on my fundraising...almost there!

UPDATE 4/11/10:

Guess who's back in the game?! I rode 55 miles yesterday only 15 days after my hernia surgery! Read all about it on my blog http://laurenriddle.wordpress.com!

UPDATE 4/8/10:

Well things are coming along a bit better than last week! It has been almost two weeks since my hernia surgery, and I'm starting to feel almost back to normal.

This Tuesday, I went to Pedal Spin Studio for the first time since my surgery, and rode the bike for 35 minutes. It felt incredible to be back on a "bike". I kept the resistance pretty low, and only got out of the saddle a couple of times. But, I felt good about the progress I had made since the surgery.

Today, I went back to Pedal Spin Studio and had a one-on-one class with my favorite instructor, Rod. No one else showed up to class, so it was a great chance for us to focus on what I could and couldn't do. I pushed it a little further than Tuesday and rode for 45 minutes. This time, I added a little resistance and even did a few small hill climbs. I am so happy to say that I'm not even sore (at least as far as the hernia is concerned)!

So, things are looking up for this little injured cyclist! I WILL COMPLETE THE CENTURY on JUNE 6TH! I am determined to follow through with this committment, if nothing else, for this incredible cause of finding a cure for blood-related cancers.

Keep checking back to see my progress! Also, check out my training blog at http://laurenriddle.wordpress.com. Thanks for visiting!

UPDATE 4/1/10:

Thank you to everyone who has donated! I have raised almost $4,000 to date! My training has taken a bit of a halt however, as I had hernia repair surgery last Friday. No this is not an April Fool's joke...I wish! All of this training and I ended up with a hernia :( But, have no fear! I will push through this as I have every other challenge I've faced in my life. Here's a picture Tim took of me right after the surgery. See? I'm still smiling!

I've been away from training for a week now and I'm guessing it'll be one more week until I'm back on the bike. I'm going to give indoor spinning a try this coming week to get my legs warmed up again. Keep track of my training progress at my blog: http://laurenriddle.wordpress.com

GO TEAM!

Welcome to my Team In Training home page!

I'm training to participate in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. The ride is a 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

I am completing this event in honor of my boyfriend Tim, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2007. After chemo and radiation, I am happy to say that he has been in remission for almost two years now! His determination to fight this disease and to keep a positive attitude through it all, has been my motivation to participate in this event.

Tim began training for this same event while he was still undergoing radiation in 2007 and completed the race that year in excellent time. I watched as he crossed the finish line and saw what a triumphant feeling it was for him. He was not going to let cancer get the best of him.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was with Tim every step of the way. This organization does incredible things for people diagnosed with blood cancers and it is for that reason that I haven chosen to raise money for them by joining Team in Training and participating in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride on June 6, 2010.

My personal goal is to raise $8,000.00 to help find a cure for blood cancers. I realize times are tough for a lot of people, but finding a cure is something that should not be affected by the poor economy. Any amount will help me reach my goal and is very much appreciated. Remember, donations are tax deductible!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

You can also visit my blog where you can see my training progress at http://laurenriddle.wordpress.com.

Thanks for your support!

Best,

Lauren Riddle