Cycling to Save Lives

What a wonderful 100-mile bike ride!!

Both my girlfriend Polly and I completed the course in a little over 6 1/2 hours.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day around Lake Tahoe on Sunday, June 7. Started overcast, but buy the time we got to the top of the climb at Emerald Bay, the clouds were parting and the sun was beginning to shine upon the beauty that is Lake Tahoe (it had been rainy and overcast since we arrived on Friday afternoon).

The scenery was just incredible all the way around the lake.

Every thing that TNT did for us at the event made it really special, whether that was the pre-ride inspiration rally the night before, the SAG support, to the notes left on our doors thanking us. Saw many complete strangers cheering us on along the route. Getting encouragement from other TNT riders. Just a great day all around.

One of the coolest moments was stopping 4 miles short of the finish, having a cold Rocky Mountain brewed beer while we waited for the rest of our Rocky Mountain Team, and then rode the last little way to the finish together as a team.

And the best part is that as you ride around the incredibly beautiful lake with it's pristine water and scenic views, it all kind of hits you. You didn't spend all that time training for yourself. You didn't raise all those funds for yourself. You did it for others. Others that are suffering. Others that will now have a chance at survival. Others that may not need to go through the agony that others did.

I also realized that it is really great to be part of something that is way bigger than one's self.

Along the way, my Rocky Mountain TNT chapter teammates and I have raised over $64,000 to fight various blood cancers. The 1,500 TNT riders in at Lake Tahoe raised over $6.8 Million and counting.

While those are impressive numbers, it is not enough. There is a lot of work yet to be done, which will require more and more funding.

Most of that money will go directly to research, treatment and patient services through LLS, who have been very instrumental in not only helping to find treatments and ultimately a cure for cancer, but also improving the lives of those fighting cancer.

The really cool thing with TNT and LLS is that they've set a twilight date of 2015 to have a cure. Yep, they want to shut their doors.

With your help, we can make that happen.

A donation of any size to support my participation in Team In Training will help advance LLS's mission. The donations are tax deductible and wisely spent. In addition, many companies will match donations, so please check with your employer.

As an added bonus, one of my financial services providers, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will be matching a portion of your donation.

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

And look for me pedaling around Lake Tahoe again, raising money for a cure!

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