Kickoff Meeting

Today was the Team In Training Kickoff meeting, where we met with other people who are joining the program. There wasn't a whole lot scheduled, just getting to know each other and eating (it was at Hideaway Pizza in OKC). I finally got signed up tonight. I'm going to do this.

On the fundraising side, I got a chance to talk to other people for ideas. I think I am going to try and plan some events to help raise the money. That way, the people who don't feel like they can just give their money to a worthy cause can at least get something out of it. And those who would never consider giving to charity can have some entertainment. I've got some ideas, but not sure how to pull them off. More to come.

For the training, I didn't get any done today. Between classes and work and going to this meeting, my whole day was shot. But since I did sign up today, I will be getting an official Team In Training schedule to help. Hopefully I will be able to fit it in.

Got any spare change?

In order to help with the fundraising, I am sending out a letter to my friends, family and coworkers. Here is the letter.

Dear friends,

In today’s society, “cancer” is unfortunately no longer an unfamiliar word. It is estimated that more than 1 million people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer this year in the U.S. alone. Among these are the bone cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma. These painful diseases affect all sectors of the American population, with leukemia being the deadliest cancer among children and young adults. However, due to recent research, the 5-year survival rates for bone cancers has doubled and in some cases tripled since 1960.

In order to help foster this research and promote cancer awareness, I am participating in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program. This program began in 1988, when Bruce Cleland of Rye, NY formed a team that raised funds and trained to run the New York City Marathon in honor of Cleland's daughter Georgia, a leukemia survivor. This team raised more than $300,000 for the Society.

In continuing with this tradition, I will be training to participate in the Tour de Tucson in November of this year. This is a 109-mile race in and around the city of Tucson, Arizona. That’s right, over a hundred miles through the desert. But it’s a “dry heat”, so I’m pretty sure I’ll survive it. With less than three months left until game time, I’ve got a lot of work to do to get myself in shape!

I will also be raising funds for cancer research. Please help me meet my goal of raising $3500 for this important cause. Visit my web site at http://www.active.com/donate/tntok/ajudd to donate, or contact me for other methods of donation. Consider a gift of $100 (less than $1 per mile). Of course, all donations are greatly appreciated. Even $25 can go a long way. And at least 75% of all donations go directly to research. Do what you can to support the 800,000 Americans living with bone cancers and help find a cure!

I will be posting pictures and updates at the above website throughout the process.

Thanks for all your help!

For more information about the Team in Training program, visit http://www.teamintraining.org/hm_tnt

Read about the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:

http://lls.org/hm_lls

The statistics came from the 2006 LLS Facts Brochure.

Introduction

Well, here I am on my new blog. I'm going to take a couple of minutes and explain what I will be writing about here. I am currently participating in the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society's Team In Training. This is a special fundraiser program where those involved train and participate in endurance sports to raise money for cancer research. I will be racing in the Tour de Tucson, a 109-mile bike race in, you guessed it, Tucson. The race is in November.

As the Team In Training is basically a 2-part program, my posts here will be also in 2 parts: fundraising and training. So here goes.

In order to participate, I am required to raise a minimum of $3400. This is to cover the expense of running the program - sending me to Tucson - and ensure that at least 75% of all donations go directly to cancer research. If you would like to donate, visit my website. In order for me to be able to go to Tucson, a significant portion must be raised by September 11th.


And now for the training part. Last week, I bought a new bike to train on. This one is built for road cycling and should be a lot better than the mountain bike I was using. I haven't had much chance to take it out because of work and classes. On Friday, I rode it into work - about 5 miles each way. It was a little rough, but I think it was mostly the heat - it was over 100 degrees! It'll take a little while to get used to the posture, too. A lot different from the mountain bike. Today I got about 2.5 miles in. Not nearly what I would have liked, but still better than nothing, I think. It was already getting dark by the time I had a chance to bike around, so I didn't want to stay out too long. I should be getting some lights soon. The dealer I bought it from promised they would find the lights and tool set that were originally on the bike. Well, that's it for now! More to come....