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Curing Lymphoma!

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SOMETHING NEW: Donors of at least $100 will get a special "thank you" of a new book written by Sharon Steen. It's in poetry and illustrated beautifully. The story is of two little girls: one with frizzy red hair and one with no hair at all, for reasons we all understand. It'll make you smile!!

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Yes! Lymphoma CAN be cured and I'm the living proof: 13 years and five months since my last chemotherapy and still counting!!

About half the people who get non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (what I had) aren't so lucky. My Dad had a similar form of the disease and he lasted only five weeks. Nobody knew how to help him.

Research will find answers. But research isn't free.

To honor my Dad's memory and thank those who helped me through my last 100-mile ride, I'm going again, raising money to fund the necessary research.

Please, help by sponsoring my work!!! Follow the "Donation" button on the right and help stop leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma from taking more lives as it took my Dad's and nearly took mine.

Check back from time to time to follow the adventure! Thanks so much for your support!

art.....

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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but, how to dance in the rain.

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7 June 2009 - At the Victory Dinner, we learned that all the Teams from around the country raised nearly SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS!! If you've not added your donation, please, do it now!! And, thank you soooo much!!!!!

7 June 2009. WE DID IT!! One hundred and three miles around Lake Tahoe, a side trip to Truckee, CA, and back to the start. Took about eleven hours. Many thanks to Coach John, who stuck with me the whole way!! And, more thanks to our whole team - who waited for me a mile before the end so we could finish TOGETHER!!! GO TEAM!!

6 June 2009 - Breakfast at 7AM. Took an easy 10 mile ride in the rain this morning for a team photo (write and I'll send a copy). Had a chance to walk from the hotel here in California all the way to Nevada. Not to worry. It's about two blocks. Lots of TNT folks here. We met teams from all around the country who are here for tomorrow's 102-mile ride. Together, we've raised something over $6,200,000. Amazing!! Finished up with a team meeting and it's time for sleep. We'll be up for breakfast at 5 AM and ride out at 6. Tomorrow is what we've been working for! More tomorrow!!

5 June 2009 - Up at 3:30 and out of the house at 4. Didn't I say this was in the AM? Picked up two teammates and drove to Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport. (How do they answer the phone?) Had a good flight to Phoenix, Arizona, where the weather was sunny and 85 degrees! Changed to a bumpy flight to Reno, Nevada, where it was cold and raining. Weather forecast is problematic. The best part was getting our bicycles back!!

31 May 2009 - Moving day. Literally. Our wonderful National Area Capital Team-In-Training all got together to load our bicycles on a Mayflower Moving Van for the trip west.

30 May 2009 - We did an informal 40 mile ride starting in Lothian, MD, and running down to the Chesapeake Bay at North Beach. Managed to get a little lost. But, the ending was happy and the weather was perfect!!

23 May 2009 - Our coaches call the Mt Weather ride a rite of passage. Nine thousand feet of climbing overall. Incredibly long and steep climbs up the mountain past the FEMA emergency operations center. Amazing downhill flying from the ridge line down into Paris, VA, at over 37 mph!! Leared a lot about gear selection and climbing. Coaches stoped some of us at 70 miles due to 90+ degree heat, threatening weather, and time. (OK, I'm slow.) We had a great Memorial Day picnic at the end. Thanks to Coaches Kelly and Will and teammates Karen, Maria, and so many more!!!

22 May 2009 - Thanks to the good folks at Staples in Bailey's Crossroads for their help in making new, industrial strength name tags for everyone!

21 May 2009 - 20 miles around Haines Point on a lovely evening. Dinner at Ray's Hell Burgers in Arlington - very Presidential!! Thanks, Chris!!!

20 May 2009 - Back to 19 miles around the Shirlngton Loop. Easier over the hills this time.

19 May 2009 - Just a leisurly ride this evening to our local radio club meeting at the Arlington Red Cross. Nice hill coming home! Got some great buddy rides coming up this week. Stay tuned.....!!

16 May 2009 - Eighty one miles over beautiful and rolling Maryland countryside. What a workout! Started in Davidsonville and pedaled out to North Shore on the Chesapeake Bay. Saw eagles, peacocks, and, even a llama farm! Hard to believe that next week is our last training ride. Special thanks to Maria, Dierdre, and Karen!!

14 May 2009 - Twenty steady miles around the Haines Point loop this evening just before the rains descended and the lightning lit up the night. Aprez ride at Ray's Hell Burgers in Arlington. Nice! (If it's good enough for Obama and Biden, it's good enough for us!) Thanks Chris and Binni!!!

13 May 2009 - Perfectly beautiful afternoon for 20 miles on the Shirlington Loop with lots of hills around Lake Barcroft. Started with an appetizer at Dierdre's fundraiser at Alladin's in Shirlington. Desert after with lots of friends - old and new! Thanks Marie and Terri!

10 May 2009 - A very special thank you to an anonymous donor who left a major gift to LLS. Thank you soooo much!!!

10 May 2009 - Made a huge mistake yesterday - I trusted the Weather Service. 100% chance of rain with thunderstorms. So, I slept in. Turns out the weather was great in the morning and I missed a great ride on Skyline Drive. Today, was magnificent. Rode 38 miles from home on down the Mt Vernon, back to Gravelly Point to watch the airplanes at National Airport, and back up the hill to home via the bike shop. Fantastic!! Lots more riding this week!!

6 May 2009 - Rain! Rain! Go away!! Haven't been able to get out all week. Maybe tomorrow, too?? Will have to see about setting up an indoor trainer. Ugh.....

1 May 2009 - Seventy two miles of HILLS! Started out in Gainesville, VA, and pedaled through more breathtaking countryside with more hills than I've ever seen. Someone with a GPS said we did about 8,000 feet of climbing. With some very fine coaching, I managed to finish in pretty good shape. Thanks, Coach John and Christine!!!

30 April 2009 - Buddy ride starting from Pierce Mill in DC near Rock Creek. Nine miles from the Creek up and down six long and very challenging "opportunities." Thanks Marc and Chris and Christine!!

28 April 2009 - Just six miles on my own around the neighborhood to limber up after a necessary hiatus. Got a good hill going up to Ft Ward Park, down past Alexandria Hospital, and up a very long hill up to Braddock Rd. Felt good!!

23 April 2009 - Tried to make it for the Shirlington loop. DC traffic didn't help. Kayla arrived late, too. So, we did six miles around the neighborhood together. Stopped by the bike shop to get her a new helmet. Nice!! Thanks for joining me, Kayla!!!!

18 April 2009 - 65 miles today around Clarke and Warren Counties in Virginia. Did I say anything about rolling HILLS? Remember how the bear looked over the mountain and what did he see? He saw another mountain and another and another and ... . Well you get the idea. Whew!! Great strength and endurance training. Thanks, Kelly! Exquisite countryside with lots of horses, goats, hogs, sheep, cows, and buffalo. (After a while, you notice that each one smells a little different.) At the bottom of the HILLS was a breathtaking stretch along the Shenendoah River. Thanks Ed and Maria for sticking with me!! Photos of my teammates available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/oojimoe/LLSTNTAtBerryville#

16 April 2009 - 16.2 miles around Haines Point on a lovely and warm evening. Kept up about 15 mph into the wind and 18 mph in front of the wind. Fun!! Thanks, Marc, for organizing. Great to see Chris back in the saddle and see Charlie from last year's 100-miler!!

12 April 2009 - Missed the training in Poolesville yesterday. Took advantage of today's warm weather to pedal 53 miles from home in Arlington out into Loudon County along the W&OD Railway Regional Park. Fantastic!! Thanks, Tom!

8 April 2009 - Did an easy 12-miles along the Potomac from Roosevelt Island, past National Airport, to the Sailing Marina and back. Quite a contrast between the sunny daffodil patches and the biting 40 degree (F) breeze.

5 April 2009 - Fifty one of the hardest miles today. Departed Pooloesville, MD, and pedaled up into Frederick County. Very, very hilly. If whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I'm getting very strong!! Thanks to Coach Kelly, Marc, Marfoula, an especially Dierdre and our own Captain Kirk for sticking with me along the way. And, thanks to Karen for organizing a delightful apres ride lunch!!!

2 April 2009 - Wow! 12 miles at 14 mph around East Potomac Park with the cherry trees in full bloom. What a sight!! Thanks, Marc!!

31 March 2009 - CRESTRON folks ROCK! They invited me to come out for training on their impressive new Digital Media equipment. Couldn't ride this weekend. So, I pedaled from home in Arlington to their training site in Reston. (38 miles round trip.) Samantha arranged first class bicycle parking on a balcony. And, everyone tolerated this curiously helmeted creature with sunglasses and a rear view mirror, covered in a bright orange shell and black spandex. Yikes!! Thanks, CRESTRON!!!

21 March 2009 - Left home at about 5:15 in the AM and in the cold, cold darkness and pedaled into Washington. Met up the the LLS/TNT folks supporting 8000 runners in the National Marathon with dozens of Team-!n-Training marathoners!! More pedaling to come mid-week.

18 March 2009 - Visited our team Captain Kirk, who gave me lots of good ideas and demonstrations of ways to thoroughly clean my bicycle. It's gleaming!! Thanks, Kirk!!!

14 March 2009 - Freezing cold and overcast once more. Yes, we're committed (or ought to be!). 37 lovely miles through Prince William, Fauquier, and Stafford Counties. Getting stronger! Got to push the fund raising!! If you're reading this and haven't added something, PLEASE DO!

11 March 2009 - Thirty six miles coming up on Saturday! We're working on the second hundred miles in training. Weekday training rides start next week! Fundraising is almost a quarter of the way toward my goal. Please, add something!! Thanks!!

7 March 2009 - Wonderful gathering this morning! Started with bicycle maintenance and tire changing classes. 250 of our closest friends gathered for our "picnic," including the bicycling team, the marathon teams, and the triathelon teams! If we all goes well, we will have raised nearly $1 million!! Where does it go? LLS supports 388 research projects in 14 countries and helped 4,800,000 people last year through family services. Amazing!! Of course, we got out to pedal a quick 18 miles along the Potomac. Nice!!!

3 March 2009 - Our "Honored Teammates Picnic" comes this Saturday. Tom Hennig is my Honored Teammate. He participates in a clinical trial at INOVA Fairfax Hospital exploring autologous stem cell transplants following chemotherapy. Very gutsy and very special, indeed. He's doing really well! Tom will be a very special part of our Team-In-Training!

28 February 2009 - Always up hill and into the wind around the countryside in upper Montgomery County, MD. A balmy 36F this morning. Brrrrr. Ended up doing about 22 miles after getting lost down a lovely gravel road. Fun! Thanks Ben and Marfula!

25 February 2009 - Getting ready for 30-miles beginning in Poolesville, MD. Expect some good hills for strength training. Fundraising passed 10% this week. Thanks!! Pass the word!!!

21 February 2009 - A nice 20 miles along Rock Creek north into Montgovery County, Maryland, this morning. Coaches gave us a late start (10 AM) so we'd get some sunshine and warmer weather. The best part: my daughter, Kayla, came to join us!! She was wonderful, especially good in the hills. Others called her, "The little engine that could!" All she said is, "I just want to get to the top." Right..... She's amazing!

14 February 2009 - First training ride this morning: an easy 10-miles in about 45 minutes. Felt really good to be back on the road with 59 other team members!

10 February 2009 - Getting my bicycle ready for Saturday morning's training ride around Haines Point lots of times. Really great training ground with beautiful views of the Washington Channel, the Potomac, and National Airport. By the end of March, we'll be surrounded by cherry blossoms!!

7 February 2009 - Kickoff get together in Bethesda this morning. Picked up training plans. Looks like we've got some real mountains to climb, including Skyline Drive! Whew!!