Riding to Help Saving Lives - One Mile at a Time

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in The Moab Century Tour (102 miles Bike Ride) on 9/19/2009 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 and especially in memory of my mom. 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 to ensure that a cure is found. No amount is too small. Your contribution keeps the lights on in the research labs, provides money for patient aid programs. Your money provides support and hope to so many that are fighting for their lives.

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress...

Thanks for your support!

5/14/2009: Went on a first short ride.

5/16/2009: Accomplished the 1st training with the team. Getting up at 7 a.m. to be on the bike by 8 a.m. on a rainy, 48F morning was not really my cup of tea - the better the hot shower afterwards felt.

5/20/2009: Thanks to all the donors! Met with our mentor Bonnie for a nice ride on this beautiful morning.

5/23/2009: Contrary to "Perfectly blue skies, no head winds-just tail winds, mid 60's at start time, mid 70's at finish time, fresh cut up fruit with bagels and cheese to restore our carbs, fats, and proteins" and a cancelled 2nd team training, Bonnie and I rode over 21 miles with head winds on the way back. I am feeling good, though.

5/30/2009: Finally the conditions for our 3rd Team Training today were like the promised ones for last week. I already completed 140 training miles - just 1740 more training miles over the next 16 weeks.

5/31/2009: Thanks Dale for sharing the pics from yesterday: www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019854&id=1562041241&l=ad983a1ed3

6/6/2009: For our 4th Team Training Captain Sarah and I met at the Air Force Academy to get some hills in our legs. It was a beautiful morning, georgous landscape, just the wind and the strong gusts were not so nice. I also created a web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/happycarter/TeamInTrainingForMoab2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMyii6fZhIzQ9wE#

6/13/2009: Today we met with the Denver Team and rode 40 miles around Golden and the Red Rocks Canyon, which was very scenic and made us climb some steep hills. Afterwards we were rewarded with BBQ and Potluck to honor Team hero Mark. The weather was perfect and the biggest sacrifice was getting up at 5:30 AM.

6/20/2009: Call me whatever you want, I skipped today's training with the team, because it is Bruce's Birthday and we enjoyed a wonderful day/evening...

6/27/2009: Again we met at the Air Force Academy to train our climbing skills. I had problems with my vision/head on the downhills and hope this is just about getting adjusted to wearing prescription glasses.

7/1/2009: Bonnie and I had a wonderful ride this morning - and the good news is, my eyes adjusted very well to the glasses. And since today another donation came in, I really don't have any excuse to drop out.

7/4/2009: Dale and I rode 55.7 miles with an average of 16.5 mph. He was so kind to ride in the front when we faced headwinds and on the way back the tailwind gave us a nice push and we had the chance to chat. On one stretch we got soaked and we returned just in time, before thunder and lightning hit the area.

7/8/2009: Bonnie is convinced I will thank her for making me ride hilly 29 miles during the hottest and most sun intense part of the day - instead of the scheduled 20! Hm, I will see...

7/10/2009: Yesterday I attended a funeral and on the memorial service handout there was a text I like to share with you:

What Cancer cannot do...

Cancer is so limited

It cannot cripple Love

It cannot shatter Hope

It cannot corrode Faith

It cannot destroy Peace

It cannot kill Friendship

It cannot suppress Memories

It cannot silence Courage

It cannot invade the Soul

It cannot steal eternal Life

It cannot conquer the Spirit...

7/11/2009: Today's Team Training was really hardcore - I call it torture. Almost 48 miles and 3,500 feet elevation gain and 'a lil' bit of everything' - hahahaha... I translate that: lots of intense sun during very steep climbing, heat, rain, sour legs, hurting wrists and hands and lower back aches.

Sarah took some great pics: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=28018&id=1387134236.

Recap: A compact crankset is needed and I wish someone would have told me this before we went on 10 % grade uphills.

7/18/2009: What an awesome 60 miles ride today around Castle Rock! One of the roads has the appropriate name: Rollercoaster Road. I enjoyed nice people, beautiful countryside, great selection of food in the SAG car, ideal weather and a cold beer at the Finish. Here is a map of the ride: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/co/castle%20rock/564124797678238430

7/25/2009: Today we headed out east on the plains (with lots of wind coming from east) - also referred to as the 'Giant Grasshopper' Tour, because these animals loved to sit everywhere on the hot asphalt - crazy bugs... Anyway I rode 66 miles, we had an entertaining support at the 2 stops and again a cold beer at the end.

8/1/2009: Another very scenic ride together with the Denver Team up Deer Creek/High Grade.

8/8/2009: Today it was Lady's Ride, just Bonnie, Sarah and myself. We did 62 miles with 15.4 mph average out east on the plains. And finally here are some pics of us riding our bikes: http://picasaweb.google.com/happycarter/TeamInTrainingForMoab2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMyii6fZhIzQ9wE#

8/15/2009: Together with the Denver Team we rode a tough 70 miles course starting with Air Force Academy and then around Black Forest, with the landscape constantly rolling up and down.

8/22/2009: According to Coach Dale we did "One Bad Ass Ride" - 3,850 feet elevation gain, 65 miles. Need I say more?

8/27/2009: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DONATIONS!

9/1/2009: Only 18 more days to MOAB! Unfortunately I have to ride by myself during the week, since my riding buddy is back to work - I do miss riding with her.

9/7/2009: We had a leg saving Labor Day Ride, meaning we did less miles than scheduled, but hilly though.

9/16/2009: Tomorrow we will head off to MOAB. I am packing and preparing and I am so excited and so nervous...

9/20/2009: Just returned home from MOAB. The century ride yesterday was awesome! The picture shows Sarah and me at the Finish when we received our medals and pins.

Thanks again for your support and your donations to find a cure.