Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in the Seagull Century 100 mile bike ride as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. Riding 100 miles is not something I'd normally contemplate doing. Sure, I've gone on bike rides before, some even an hour or two and 20 - 30 miles long. But 100 miles? That's probably 6 hours or more riding, and the training program will have me riding almost 2000 miles over the coming 4 months! No doubt I'll be saddle-sore by the time all's said and done.

So why am I subjecting myself to all this instead of relaxing at home? Two main reasons. First and foremost, last year my mother in law, Karen (at right in the picture) was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I cannot even begin to imagine the physical and emotional agony of dealing with such a disease. Yet Karen has been bearing it and continuing her day to day life with incredible poise and courage. Her courage has inspired me to do what little I can to support her fight and that of all people suffering from blood cancers.

Second, a few months ago, my wife Risa (at left in the picture) completed a half-marathon with Team In Training. Now I can't let her be the only one in the family to complete an endurance event, can I? Risa is now training for another half marathon as well as a full marathon. Hmmm, I may need to ride more than 100 miles after this, just so that she's not the only one with bragging rights :).

On a more serious note, blood cancers currently kill over 50,000 Americans annually, with nearly 140,000 people expected to be diagnosed this year in the U.S. alone. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Over the past 20 years Team In Training has raised nearly $1 billion (that's billion with a 'b'!) for the LLS, and LLS has contributed nearly $600,000,000 since 1949 to fund research.

I am completing the Seagull Century ride in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers, and especially Karen. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

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

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!