Let the Adventure Begin

I am very excited about this Summer! Beginning May 22^nd, I will be training with Team In Training (TNT) for the Sawtooth Cycle Challenge-a 100 mile bike ride that starts in Sun Valley, following Hwy 77 up and over Galena Summit to Redfish Lake and back to Sun Valley. (For more information, go to http://sawtoothcyclechallenge.blogspot.com/. (Holy smokes! I just looked at the elevation for the century ride shown on this website…this is definitely going to be a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it!) The event is September 18^th, 2010. TNT is the largest endurance training program in the world, having trained over 389,000 participants to run marathons, triathlons, century rides, etc. all the while, raising money for research to find a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma.

Cancer, regardless of the type, has touched most if not all of us, whether through someone we know personally, or through a friend of a friend. I am riding with TNT for a couple of reasons. After my friend’s Mom fought CLL for 3 years, Julie decided that if her mom could fight Leukemia for three YEARS, she (Julie) could train for a marathon for 5 months, and she did. Julie had “never run a step in her life”, but finished the marathon with flying colors! (She might say differently, but I was there cheering her on, and I saw those colors soar!). Phyllis lost her fight with CLL just after Julie started training for her marathon. The next year, I was able to go cheer another friend on in a century ride in Texas, which got me to thinking-I won’t run, but I can ride. Those experiences brought me to a point of understanding that this organization really is making a difference. Why support research for Leukemia/Lymphoma when there are so many types of cancer out there? Cancer is cancer, whether it is a blood type of cancer or not. Any step closer to finding a cure for one form of cancer is a step closer to finding a cure for all cancer.

I committed to raising a minimum of $2,250 for this event. 25% of the minimum commitment pays for my entry in the event, room and board at the event, training, several clinics, a couple of jerseys, etc. The other 75% of the minimum committed funds raised go directly towards research for a cure. If more than my minimum amount is raised, every penny of every dollar above and beyond the minimum goes directly towards research. To date, TNT has raised one billion dollars for research. Will you please consider helping me reach my goal by donating to this cause? My deadline to have the minimum amount is July 17^th.

I am riding in memory of Phyllis Keeton (CLL [Leukemia]), Isaiah Rodriguez (AML [Leukemia]), my Uncle (Lung Cancer), and in honor of family members who have survived and are Cancer free from different types of cancer, and in honor of friends; Randy (Leukemia fighter), and a friend’s Dad-Dan (Lung, Liver, and Brain Cancer fighter).

I will try to give weekly updates as to how my training is going. I promise not to whine about my sore bum…too much. There is a link to my donating page on my blog site (pedalchik.blogspot.com) or you can go directly to my TNT fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/Sawtooth10/jkdowner

Or if you prefer, you can make a check out to LLS (The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and give it to me. I’ll make sure it gets turned in.

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Julie