SPECIAL THANKS TO TEAMMATE AND FRIEND SHANNON SCHAFFER!

In honor of:

Tom Hennig - Sherry Steiner - Sharon Robinson

Jay Mershon - Kathi McNeil

Special thanks to these early donors!

Lorie Shora - Rachel Epstein - Judith Back - Carol Greco - Lisa Taverna

Kim Wilkerson - Fay Kasser - Ana Tolentino - Marv Goodman

Michal Elliott - Gary Coffey - Michael Safyan - Thomas A Hennig

Frieda Feller - Michael Kiron - Haskell Garon - Lenore Garon

John Sprout - William Foble - James Jarvis

Debra Berke - John Transue - Carol Carlson - Christopher Sadler

Nan Motolinsky - Arthur Feller

Sixteen years, six months ago (25th of January 1996), a wonderful, specially trained nurse filled me with IV drugs for the last time. Most drugs were clear. One drug, which came in a couple of 30-cc syringes, looked like brake fluid. (Really!) Back then, the doc told me that the chance of chemotherapy curing my non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was about 41%. Gratefully, I was in the minority. (Special thank you to Dr David Heyer, Dr Mary Wilkenson, plus Marty and Bitsy and all the other fantastic nurses and staff who took such good care of me!!!!)

Eight years ago, a similar form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showed up in my father. The docs had no way to treat him. Five weeks after diagnosis, we lost a very good man.

Yes, this is dearly personal.

The cure rate for non-Hodgkin's lympoma is a lot better, but remains frighteningly low: about 60 to 70%. Significant improvements come directly from LLS research and sponsored clinical trials. They ARE getting results!

WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER?

For me: I've joined Team-In-Training, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) largest funding source. I'll pedal my bicycle for a thousand training miles, with Team-In-Training coaching plus great support from mentors and teammates. Then, I'll pedal 100-miles around the hills and rocks of Tuscon, Arizona! (Yes, this is a change. See note below.)

For you: Please, contribute to LLS supporting my participation in Team-In-Training. Help advance the LLS missions: helping patients and families; training health care providers; researching causes and cures! Look to the right of the page, click on an amount, and click on "DONATE NOW." Follow the instructions and you'll be helping to support LLS goals - and mine!

THANK YOU!

Visit here often! I'll blog on progress! C'mon along for the ride!

Thanks for your support!

art.....

TRAINING NOTES!

28-AUG-2012 22 miles today out along the W&OD bikeway to Falls Church, back to the end of the trail in Shirlington, then the Four Mile Run and Mt Vernon Trails up to Gravelly Point. Getting much stronger climbing hills. Lots more to go.

25-AUG-2012 Training at he Pierce Mill in Rock Creek Park. Had some brake issues, which are mostly resolved. Hard to pedel with the rear brake dragging.

24-AUG-2012 Taking a day off to rest and fuel up (i.e., EAT and DRINK) for tomorrow's training with the team.

23-AUG-2012 33-miles today from home in Arlington to Haines Point for several tours around the loop. OK, so I stopped at Baskin-Robbins on the way home to celebrate the "Rocky Road."

22-AUG-2012 22-miles, nice and easy. Still getting used to the recumbent bike. Finding that much of the pedaling effort comes from lower back muscles. Learning to climb hills.

18-AUG-2012 Met the team at Ft Hunt Park in Alexandria for more on stretching and conditioning. Pedaled about 20-miles on a beautiful morning!

11-AUG-2012 Started back to training today! Met the Team at Haines Point in Washington for training in bicycle maintenance and safety, physical conditioning, and nutrition. Then, pedaled around the park. Sweet!! Rain this afternoon.

CHANGE OF PLANS: Needing a little more time to heal up and regain strength, TNT allowed me to change from the Fall Team going to Moab, Utah, to the Winter Team riding in Tucson, Arizona! 111 miles!!

15-JUN-2012: Finally got out this most beautiful afternoon for 19.3 miles, with some good hills and nice runs along the Potomac. Solved a drive train problem causing the chain to jump off the lowest cluster gears. Much more stable on hills today!! Now, I've got to build after endurance. Carboloading for dinner tonight for tomorrow's ride!! 36 miles planned.

9-JUN-2012: What a beautiful morning!! Pedaled out with the Team from Poolesville High School in Maryland. Took it a bit easy doing only about 22 miles. We met our Team's honored team mate: a 14 year old student of one of our members who survived stage 4 Hodgkin's disease. He's doing really well thanks to modern treatments, many of which come directly from LLS sponsored research. PLEASE contribute to enable better treatments and more cures!!

7-JUN-2012: Lots of exercise moving from my old apartment to a new home. Fun!! Got out this evening for 22 miles, much in the rain. Pedaled down to the Mount Vernon Trail, over the 14th Street Bridge into Washington, and met friend and mentor, Hope, in East Potomac Park for a couple of trips around. Pedaled back to Shirlington a great burger (need the protein) and up the big hill to home. Thanks, Hope!!!

2-JUN-2012: First day out on the bike!! Met lots of new and old Team mates. Nice folks! Did 17.4 miles at a good speed, for now. Feels soooooo good to be out on the road again!! No post-surgical problems. Need to work on the motor.....

16 May 2012: Prostatectomy went very well, thanks to a great team led by Dr Simon Chung. Fairfax Hospital nursing was first rate. I'm on the mend! Will do SAG for TNT's summer team on Saturday. Training starts, for me, on the first of June. Stay tuned!!

8 May 2012: Time off for rain days and for surgery for prostate cancer on 30 April. Results appear very favorable! Back on the road for training at the end of May!! Can't wait!!!

19 April 2012: Just an easy 12 miles down to Gravelly Point and back. Still getting steadier on my new (to me) recumbent bicycle. Took a fall trying to get started, but it doesn't count: nobody saw me! Also learned the advantage of falling off a recumbent - like the two year old falling - nothing gets hurt falling from so close to the ground. Only bruised my ego. :-)

18 April 2012: Rain.

17 April 2012: Decided to start some much needed preseason training on my own. Beautiful weather inspired about 20 miles - down to National Airport and over the 14th Street Bridge and around East Potomac Park. Oh yes, a return trip succeeded!