On June 3, my brother David, our cousin Lawrence and I rode with the Team in Training crew in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, a 100-mile extended circle around Lake Tahoe, to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (photo #1 below). LLS has cumulatively awarded over $800 million to find cures for lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma -- almost $77 million just last year. We rode in honor of my brother Philip, who died of lymphoma in November 2011, and so I was really gratified that, aided by David's fan club, I was able to raise $10,630 for that ride -- #1 in the DC area by a wide margin. Including Lawrence, we raised around $20,000, and the Tahoe ride collectively generated over $5 million.

Phil and I had several memorable adventures in southern Utah (including him teaching me how to ride a mountain bike -- see photo #2 below, from 1994), so when I learned that TNT had another century ride in September around Moab, UT, I signed up immediately. Again, I was amazed by the number of you who contributed -- many of you renewing members -- and I ended up raising another $2,785. (The numbers on the right are confusing -- LLS applied $6,805 to Tahoe and $6,510 to Moab.)

The Moab ride was September 22, and was even more spectacular than the Tahoe route, if that's possible. Photo #3, of me in my bike duds (actually Phil's jersey), is from the 30-mile point, in Dead Horse Point State Park, looking out over the Colorado River. I did a bunch of hiking in Arches and Canyonlands NPs as well, the latter the site of photos ##4-5 below (good thing Kathy and the kids were not there).

The nine months I spent training and riding this year were a moving and transformative experience for me, turning all the grief and anger about Phil's death into a constructive way to fight back against blood cancers and show some solidarity with others similarly affected. All of you who supported me made it possible. Thanks again. I know Phil (photo #6)(my favorite, from Olympic NP, 2007) is proud of us.