Tour of The Unknown Coast, was beautiful, challenging, a big confidence builder. Another one for the resume....Avenue of the Giants spoke to me...it was Him, He was all around me. Thank you Father for my blessings. When I was at mile 80, give or take, and standing at the bottom of "The Wall", I thought I might have met my match. But I started up and before I knew it I was at the top looking way down at the little tent at the SAG stop I started at. It was a mile or so climb at 18% grade, the most challenging hill I have done to date. The picture does not do it justice. One of those things, you'd have to be there. I wish you were!!!!

This week the team ride will be in honor of a Team in Training alumni. Her name is Sue Mumford, pictured here in November, 2007. She first participated with the TNT 2001 cycling team. Over the years she has been a mentor, and assistant coach. Sue was diagnosed with cancer three years ago and has been battling it ever since. I say "battling" because that's what it is, a battle to beat it, stay alive, and get healthy again. However, that's not going to be the case for Sue, unfortunately.
Sue married Bob Mumford in 2005, and while they were planning a family, the diagnosis came instead. She opted for full radiation and chemo with success. But the cancer reared it's ugly head again in 2006. The cancer was spreading, she not only was fighting the disease but the complications from radiation and chemo,; such as scar tissue, blood clots, weight loss, and muscle atrophy to name a few. And through it all she has kept her sense of humor.
This past week, Sue and Bob made a decision to have no further treatments and her goal is to be pain free. She is saying her goodbyes. Our team manager saw her on Tuesday. After a few laughs and many tears, Sue said to Merla, "Cancer sucks Merla. Please keep working to find a cure."

Please donate.
www.active.com/donate/tntgsf/tntgsfNWhitla

Coach Mike is a great guy. He's as mild mannered as he appears in this video. The team will be heading up to Ferndale tomorrow, (Friday May 9th) to ride the "Tour of The Unknown Coast" on Saturday. It's up in Humboldt County, one of my favorite areas of the state. The tour description says..."you will have ridden one of the world's toughest 100 mile courses when you complete this great ride."
I say...BRING IT ON!! I can't wait!

Team Ride #8 Taste of the Terrible Two's

We drove up to Cloverdale on Friday and rode Saturday with a start time of 6:15 a.m. We rode 107 miles and climbed 10,600 feet. With 90% of the climbing in the first 60 miles. I was happy about that; get the work over with first. Let's see, how else can I describe the ride.....Icy Cold, Super Windy, Long Climbs, Steep Hills, Remote Roads, Great SAG, True Friends, food and water, my bike and me.
Saturday wasn't enough though. We were back on the bikes by nine the next morning for another 45 miles and 4200 feet of climbing, Geyser Peak. I remember asking myself where does the desire to do this come from? Inner drive is all I could come up with. On one memorable climb on Fort Ross Road I was talking a fellow team mate up the steep 14 to 21%, 1.5 mile hill; "we can do this....I'll take it over laying on a table for 8 hours having chemo therapy. I am blessed because I don't have to explain to my young teenage kids that I am dying from cancer. I am blessed to be riding my bike up this hill." I did feel truly blessed, I arrived to the top with a smile on my face.

Team Ride #8 Taste of Terrible Two is dedicated to Jan Alexander.

Jan was first diagnosed with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) on April 26, 2005 - a month before her first grandchild was due. A lymph node biopsy in September 2007 changed her diagnosis to indolent follicular lymphoma. She began participating in a clinical trial at Stanford in October 2007 but was released from the study in March 2008. She will not receive any treatments again until after a CT scan in August 2008.

Jan sent a message to the team, "A great big thank you to everybody for the commitment that you're making to help everyone who has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Some of my treatment has been made possible through the Society's support. Having cancer is so expensive, and it means so much to me that the Society can help make clinical trials available. All of the funds that you are raising will be used in the future for new clinical trials and new treatments to improve quality of life and hopefully to find a cure. This is only possible because of people like who you are willing to commit to ride and raise money to help us. Thank you so much."

Thank you for that Jan. But it's ALL about you.

What's in store for the team this week end. A Taste of the Terrible Two's. The goal...103 miles, 9500 feet of climbing. YIKES!!! Can she do it. YES! You bet.
Here's the philosophy I will stand by on this ride:

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year but eventually it will subside and something else will take it's place.
If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

-Lance Armstrong

Thank you Coach Kim for the inspirational words.....We are going to riding through some of the most beautiful scenery in California. Beginning in Cloverdale, riding out to the coast, down the coast a bit, and back in and up to the start. That's it in a nutshell! Hang on to your hats!...or helmets. ( :

Hi. I'm Porter. I just turned four on November 25. I have a big brother, Parker, who's 10, and two big sisters, Emma and Eliza, who are 8 and 7. My mom Jennifer won't tell anyone how old she is. I think she's real old, like at least 22 or 23. My dad Jim is probably old enough to be a grandpa.

I was born at Thanksgiving time in 2003. The doctors figured something was wrong when I had little purple dots all over my body. I spent a lot of my first few months in the hospital. I had my arms and feet pricked so many time for blood tests that I finally just stopped crying when the nurses stuck the needles in me. That's when my mom started crying.

In March 2004, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), a very rare and lethal form of leukemia. My type of leukemia always comes back after chemo; the only possible cure is a stem cell transplant. Fortunately, my sister Eliza is a perfect match.

I have been in good health for nearly four years now and have not needed treatment. The doctors say my leukemia is just "simmering." This may have something to do with the fact that I also have Noonan Syndrome. While NS has created other problems for me, it has also helped me fight the leukemia.

I love being an honoree for Team in Training. I especially like coming to TNT events and getting hugs and kisses from the babes--I mean the ladies. GO TEAM!

TEAM FUNDRAISING UPDATE
We’re doing GREAT! Our team total so far is $55,219! Almost halfway to our goal of $115,000. We’re on track and we just need to keep on truckin’, which I know we're all going to do. Here are our top 5 Fundraisers: Drum roll please………

Nick Cofod
Grace Cassel (Team Honoree..CANCER SURVIVOR!!!)
ShellyWillard (Still recovering from a cycling accident)
Robert Dekas
Michelle Shutzer

Great job you guys!!! GO TEAM!

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