Sixteen weeks of training is in the books.

During that time, I've ridden somewhere around 750 miles, ridden up hills totaling 43,250 feet in elevation gain, burned 33,000 calories, drank a ton of Gatorade and ate a bunch of Honey Stinger energy products.

But, as noted in the picture above, "there's no finish line until there's a cure".

On Friday, June 1, our team heads to Lake Tahoe to participate in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. Over half of the participants will be riding for Team in Training (TNT) and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

A lot of money has been raised so far, thanks to generous donors like you.

We don't have a cure yet.

But we are getting closer, thanks to the research funded by LLS.

And I'll keep riding with TNT until that day.

Please make a donation of any kind to support this wonderful cause.

Also, I just found out that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will once again be matching a portion of your donations.

Here is the majority of our team that will be riding at Tahoe on June 3. Many are multiple time participants, some are new to cycling, and all of us are raising money to find a cure. So far, we have raised nearly $50,000, but we will raise over $70,000 by the end of June.

Pictured above from L-R: Pete, Monk, Gordon, Patrick, Ben, Mary Ellen, Jessica, Mark (kneeling), Jeff, Anisa, Randy, Matt, Judy, James, Melanie & Alicia.

GO TEAM!

Cancer Sucks.

Plain and simple.

It seems to strike without warning and without reason at times.

It messes up people's lives. As well as those around them.

I would like it to go away.

I ride my bike to raise money for LLS who fund critical research and patient services.

Please join the fight.

We train each and every Saturday in preparation of our upcoming ride in June. Our team has about 25 members on it and each week we ride with as many who show up. Some weeks it's more than others due to the hectic lives we all lead.

Last week we rode 36 miles from Superior, CO to Hygiene, CO and back. It was cold and windy (sustained 20+ mph crosswinds most of the way).

This week, we rode 45 miles, including a nice long climb up Deer Creek Canyon (about 2,500 feet of elevation gain along the entire ride). After we got back down the hill, we had strong headwinds and crosswinds again.

Ugh.

The last thing you want when your riding is winds. It kills your momentum (particularly on downhills) and makes you want to give up.

But cancer never rests. It's always out there looking to wreak havoc on someone's life.

It must be stopped. Even if it means riding through a nasty wind.

In June of 2010, I rode America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride with Team in Training, much like I am this year. I was a Team Mentor that season, and I'm a Team Captain this year. The weather in 2010 was fantastic, the ride was amazing, and the entire weekend was a lot of fun with my teammates.

We had flown Southwest Airlines from Denver and back, connecting both times in Las Vegas. We were fortunate on our return flight from Las Vegas to have joined the Marathon team from the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Team in Training, who were returning from their event weekend in San Diego. About half of the airplane was filled with Team in Training participants, staff members and supporters.

On the Tuesday afternoon after our return to Denver, I received the following email. Grab some Kleenex and take a read. It's simply the reason why I do what I do for Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

"My name is Ernie B. and my wife and I were on Southwest flight# 1295 from Las Vegas to Denver on Monday night, June 7, 2010. The cabin attendant announced that the Team in Training was on the flight and explained some of what they were doing to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research.

I was diagnosed with Leukemia in Dec 06 and went through two chemotherapy sessions of just under one month each in the hospital and then one more for a bone marrow transplant that I received in April 07. Although it was a difficult few years, I have from the beginning been amazed at what our medical community can do for people like me. They are able to do it because people like you and the Team in Training go way out of their way to raise funds for research, and that research has brought me through my illness and kept me alive. I was extremely moved to see the Team in Training people on that flight show so much enthusiasm and joy, even though they must have been so tired from all they did that weekend. I should have personally thanked them right then and there, but I'm not very outgoing, and I held back.

I would now like to thank each and every person who is involved with the Team in Training program, for you have helped to keep me alive. I have been able to spend countless hours and hopefully years to come with my family and friends, time that I wouldn't have had if not for you! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, and may God bless you all.

In His Hands, Ernie"