With the switch over from Sawtooth Century Ride to America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride event, my new AMBBR fundraising page no longer has the names of those who have already donated and have gotten me to within $315 of my SCC goal. So, I want to take a minute and thank them, so that their names are on my new AMBBR site.

Thanks to you! You have encouraged me in multiple ways:

John, Bruce, Linda, John and Kristi, Lloyd, John, Dave, WC, Lori, Tamara, Angie, Todd & Tressa, TVBG, Roy and Sue, Steve, Rolina, Rex & Gwenyth, Eva, Joe, Larry & Gretchen, Chris & Mirrell, Gary & Marj, Dan & Julie, Ray & Margaret, Doug & Jill, Cathy, Julie, Lisa, Erv & Marti, H2, Sharon, Don & Ann, Les & Ginny, K & D, Lupe, Steve and Christine.

My sincerest thanks!

March 3, 2011

Mission Moments:

At the beginning of most training sessions, we have what’s called a “Mission Moment”. This is where we hear stories of/or from people battling one form of blood cancer or another. This helps to remind us why we are pushing our bodies to do things that some of us thought we could never do. When I start thinking about giving up, it’s the mission moments and the personal moments that remind me that quitting is not an option.

This last Saturday’s mission moment reminded me why I’m out there riding the pavement (well, actually, so far, why I’m on the spin bike), not from a stranger’s perspective, but from someone I’ve known for several years.

Two years ago, my friend’s husband was diagnosed with stage 0 Leukemia. They were told that a person can stay at this stage for 15-20 years before it progresses, IF it progresses. Over the last three weeks, he went in for more testing. The results of the testing confirmed that the cancer has progressed and they are discussing treatments.

This Saturday will be our first ride outside for the season. The distance options are going to be 13 miles or 23 miles. I’m going for the 23 mile loop. I’ve been anxious about riding in the cold due to not liking to be cold. But when I ride this Saturday, when I want to quit and go warm up, I will be thinking of all of the people that I’m riding in memory and in honor of, realizing that they couldn’t and can’t quit. What gives me the right to consider the option to quit?

I am so close to my fundraising goal. Would you consider helping me get there? Please go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/ambbr11/jkdowner to securely make your tax deductable donation. If you don’t want to donate on line, you can write a check to LLS and give it to me-I’ll make sure it gets there.

Thank you so much for your consideration to donating.

January 21, 2011

The time has come. Training starts again tomorrow. “What are you training for?” you may ask. And I will tell you. I am training with Team In Training (TNT) for a century ride (100-mile bike ride) and raising funds along the way. The funds go towards research to find a cure for blood cancers. Why did I choose to raise funds for Leukemia/Lymphoma Society (LLS)? I have had several people in my life who have been affected by several different cancers, including different types of Leukemia and Lymphoma cancers. Because of friends and family being affected, that affects me. I have seen two friends go through the training that TNT offers and they have both had nothing but good things to say about the program. Having gone through one season with TNT already, I am amazed at what I was able to accomplish in such a short time (13 miles was our first long ride, to 102 for my century ride 3 and a half months later).

You may already know that my event last year (Sawtooth Cycle Challenge (SCC)) was cancelled due to low signups (11 participants 3 weeks before the event was to take place), so I opted to do America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Tahoe (AMBBR) as my new event. That’s not to say that we didn’t do a century ride last year. We did! All around the valley and, 7 days later, we went to Stanley to do the SCC regardless of whether the event was taking place or not. I made it to the top of Galena summit and down the other side when I decided I was finished (still recovering from the century 7 days earlier). The fund raising goal for SCC was $2,250, and I am $315 away from that goal. While AMBBR fundraising goal is $3,200, my minimum is still $2,250. I would love to bypass the AMBBR fundraising goal, and with your help, I can do just that. Remember-ALL funds from when I first hit $570 last year-on go towards finding a cure for blood cancers.

This is the part that maybe you were dreading, but yes, I am asking for donations. For those of you who donated last year, thank you, THANK you, THANK YOU!!! Your donations will be applied towards my new event, AMBBR. For those of you who haven’t, please consider donating. Any amount helps. You can either donate securely on line at this link: http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/ambbr11/jkdowner

Or, if you prefer, you may write a check to LLS (Leukemia/Lymphoma Society) and send it to me, Julie Downer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through email, jkdowner@yahoo.com.

I’ve been quiet on my blog site over these last couple of months, just trying to maintain what I gained over the summer and fall by attending spin classes throughout each week. Each instructor is different, has music that they prefer, and has a different routines, but all of the classes have been great and challenging-and I always come away dripping with sweat and feeling fabulous! I will be starting to include new entries on my blog site, which will allow you to read about the training for the week and my progress. My blogsite is: www.pedalchik.blogspot.com.

Below is the link to a video that TNT put together from last year’s season. Look closely for the pink dragonfly, and you’ll see me in one of the pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyfRkqtxt54

Throughout this last season, and due to how cancer has affected me and my loved ones, I have realized that cancer is cancer. If we can find a cure for one type of cancer, we are that much closer to finding a cure for all cancers. CANCER MAKES IT PERSONAL.

Thank you for your consideration in donating to LLS for research and finding a cure for blood cancers.

Sincerely,

Julie

Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in the Sawtooth Cycle Challenge as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. 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 all individuals who are battling blood cancers. 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. It doesn't matter the size of the donation. Every dollar helps to find a cure! Any cure for any type of cancer helps get us closer to finding a cure for all cancers.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. You can see progress at http://pedalchik.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for your support!