“Life is getting more complicated every day.”
After that day, your life is never the same. "That day" is the day the doctor tells you, "You have cancer." Every one of us knows someone who's had to face that news. It's scary, it's sad. But it's still life, and I hope, through my little bit of effort these past five months, that it's a life worth living.
The team will be going up to Markleeville tomorrow to prepare for the ride on Saturday. I have a list of all those that I will be riding in honor of. So when I'm out there thinking the pain is too great and I can't go on, I can glance down at my list and will be inspired by all those people. I'm taking all of them with me in spirit. Let's GO TEAM!!!!


HONOREES:
Ken Whitlatch, Dorothy Warford, Laura Campbell, Gary Campbell, Joseph Cushing, Harry Drittenbas, Gerald Cook, Barbara Sweaney, Barbara Chiuro, Doug Grunow, Dominic Lombardo, Joseph Marchase, Bill Peddle, Kelly Stadler, Elaine Wagner, George Wagner, Frank Tombellio, Charles Hinkle, Ken Mattfolk, Ritsu Seidman,Linda Pascoe, Don Robinson,Lynn Shepherd, Trina Reilley, Ann LeBlanc, Ronald Leger, Jim, Jen and Porter Pixton, Fred Reno, Randy Cooper, April Lee Fowler, Cindy Marin, Peg Buckler, Edwin Eichler, Grace Cassel, Chris States.

My gosh! I can not believe the season is almost over. We have two more team rides, then taper week before we head up to Markleeville for the event. These are some shots from our great week end at Altitude Camp in Grover Hot Springs. The truck bed with all the wonderful food is one of our SAG's. What does SAG stand for you ask? Support All Girls. No, it doesn't. I don't really know what it means. But I love when they are there with food an water. It's a "next goal", motivation to just get to that point, then I conjure up the energy to get back on the bike and continue. But that's FUN. That's what fun is. Look at these pictures. What could be better. I cannot complain about the season for me. I have been so blessed, staying out of harms way, not even a bee in my helmet....my bra somehow, but not the helmet. No injuries. Great coaches, that's all I can say. You guys rock, Jacqui, Mike, Kim, Sasha, and Greg. Awesome people and very skillful cyclists. Tomorrow's ride is called the Vertical Challenge. The climb up the backside of Mt Hamilton is epic. In the Amgen Tour of California it was the only climb rated HC. For those that don't follow professional road cycling, HC stands for HOLY CRAP. When you cross the bridge at the bottom and look up, that's exactly what you think. This is going to be awesome.

These are two of the most important women in my life. Peg, on the left is my ex-sister-in-law and the on the right is Jacqui, my sister. In this picture they are celebrating Christmas together last December on the east coast where they both live.
I unfortunately got VERY connected to the cause about two weeks ago when my sister called and told me that Peg had breast cancer. It was about 7:00 my time, so by the time I got off the phone with Jacqui it was to late to call Peg. I did call her the following morning and she had more news for me that Jacqui didn't have. It had been determined that Peg would have to have a mastectomy. She had the surgery on Thursday, the 12th, and is home now. She sees her doctor tomorrow and will have to get over the next hurdle of seeing the results of the surgery when her doctor removes the bandages to look at how the wound is doing. There will be further lab reports that she and Ed, her husband are anxiously waiting to hear about.
Peg's attitude has been so wonderful. I called her yesterday and she was cheerful and making jokes with me. It's a difficult thing to go through to say the least. Peg, by the way, is my "Top Donor". She made a $250. donation to the cause! Cancer has NO boundary's. The Team Ride on June 28th is going to be in honor of Peggy. Peggy's faith in the Lord is what has gotten her and Ed through this trial in life, and God's will be done. She'll take it. God Bless ya Peglets....love you.

Well, I be up here in Tahoe. Only one step from heaven, I swear. The team is congregating up here this week end for "Altitude Camp". We are going to climb Ebitt's Pass and Monitor Pass; which are part of the Death Ride. I am exhausted from having so much FUN!!!! I have been up here since last Friday and been riding my bike, hiking, spending time with my sons. Ken is here with me and coming to Altitude Camp also. He doesn't know it yet, but they are going to put him to work all week end, either cooking for us, or sagging the rides. He's a trooper though. I'll make it up to him.

I am very happy to report that we are only $24,000 away from our team goal of $115,000. This incredible team has already raised over $90,000! That is amazing. I am so grateful to my wonderful friends and family that have supported me and the cause.

Okay! Something UPBEAT... I want to introduce you to my friend and Teammate Grace Cassel. One year ago she was undergoing chemotherapy. Grace amazes me. I have learned that persons with cancer have to find that place, that we all have within us, to live with the cancer whichever way it will take them.
Grace is just that, full of grace. She is the "eldest" member of the team and is an inspiration to me. We just celebrated her 58th birthday. Grace has a wonderful sense of humor. More than once I have been grinding up a hill and started laughing at something she may have said earlier. I feel so blessed having met her.

Please review my post of May 9th..........

I just received this email from my friend and teammate Suzie....

In between training, have a toast of champagne for my friend.
Sue B Mumford passed away in her sleep today approximately at 1130.
Services will be Tues. Marc/Fred can you let Jamie know as i cant find his email.
Dont forget why we ride.

Hugs

Bumpster

This week our ride is dedicated to our team honoree Chris States. AND Chris will be on the ride this Saturday. Here is a note from Chris:

"Thanks for dedicating this ride to me. It is such a great honor to be recognized by this team through your commitment to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The Society has touched my life through the funding of treatment research and support while facing my personal challenges with Lymphoma. So first I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for dedicating your time and money to this very personal cause.

I passed my 5 year mark this past March of being cancer free from my last joust with testicular cancer and it has been 23 years cancer free from my Lymphoma. Believe it or not these two diagnoses were completely unrelated. My fitness has been getting better and better with each subsequent year from my last treatment. Last year I rode as an honoree with the DR team in an effort to push my physical and mental limits. The tools and skills I learned from training under this amazing coaching staff enabled me to meet and far exceed my personal goals. I am currently training for the DR and the Furnace Creek 508 event coming up in October.

I also wanted to share with all of you what this specific ride (Big Basin) means to me. At the beginning of the season when I was asked which ride I would like to have dedicated in my honor, I struggled with this question for a moment. I reflected over the entire training schedule of last year and I thought of three rides that were very important to me: the Mt. Diablo repeats; the Mt. Hamilton and Sierra Rd Challenge; and the Big Basin ride. I knew I wanted it to be one of these rides because of the significance of the different challenges these rides presented. I quickly realized that the Big Basin ride was the most significant for me, as it was my personal turning point where I knew I was going to be able to accomplish the Death Ride. For those of you who rode with me last year, you know the significance of each of these rides, but Big Basin was the turning point in my confidence.

Each of us will reach this point at some stage of our training so I just wanted to wish you all a great ride on Saturday.

I would like to close by saying how honored I am by each and every one of you for dedicating this ride to me. Thank you! Chris T. States -Live to Ride & Ride To Live!"

Wow.....thank you Chris. I am in awe of cancer victims and survivors.......I don't know what else to say. LET'S RIDE!!! Yippie! I can't wait! Another sufferfest tomorrow! 110 MILES/11,000 ft of climbing! We'll see if I feel the same way Chris did after completing Saturday's Big Basin ADVENTURE. Is tomorrow going to be my turning point?