Wait for it…
Creative and funny…
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUEcaAc6LC8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Freedom…
There’s nothing like hitting the greenway on the trike. I was sitting at my desk in the newsroom when my wife sent me this pic. Wishing I could be pedaling with my little buddy!
Here’s to 2011…
“The bicycle has a soul. If you succeed to love it, it will give you emotions that you will never forget.”
- Mario Cipollini
Climbing Back…
“It’s yourself you’re climbing. If you don’t want to know, stay at the bottom.”
Paul Fournel
Need For The Bike
On September 29th, I was truly in the best shape of my life and pedaling the 101 mile Bridge to Bridge ride in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. Twenty-four miles in… I was descending a mountain road. I never saw mile 25. There was really no time to react. I remember seeing the burgundy color of the motorcycle’s gas tank turning into me. I heard the crunch. That was about it.
Cruising close to 30 mph… my bike stopped dead. I took flight. I’m not sure how many feet I flew but my back took the brunt of the pavement landing. My first thought… get up and get back on the bike. But that thought was quickly pushed away by pain… intense pain. It was in my right hand, right leg and lower back.
I wasn’t scared. I had a comforting thought knowing I’d be OK… I didn’t break my back… I would still be able to walk. Considering the speed and impact, I am truly blessed! It was a quick response by EMT’s and volunteer firefighters. It seemed within ten minutes of the crash, they had me in a neck brace and on a backboard. I called my wife from inside the ambulance on the way to the ER. She was on her way to the finish, cowbell in hand, to cheer me up the climb of Grandfather Mountain. She was miles away… but she was right there with me.
Fast forward almost seven weeks later. The crash wasn’t good for carbon. My 2007 Tarmac is basically a wall ornament.
So, with my leg healing and the Doc’s “ok” to get back on the bike… it was time to head to the shop to get a new ride. My wife was right there with me. I’m comforted knowing I can get back in the saddle and climb my way back to being in the best shape of my life. Even better… my biggest supporter will be pedaling next to me on some of my first rides back.
Photo Finish…
Sorry shadow… second place for you today.
Peaceful Morning Ride…
24 Hours of Booty 2010
Another successful year at 24 Hours of Booty. I’m so grateful to the Sain Family as I pedal with them to remember Aaron, to honor my mom and dad… and so many more. Thank you all again for your loving support and generous donations! While watching the video… look for Denise, a brain cancer survivor. She’s on a tandem bike with her husband. What makes it even more inspirational… Denise told me she found out before Booty her cancer had come back. But she pedals and continues her fight. People like Denise make me push even harder… adding more and more miles every year! Inspired? Please consider joining us in 2011!
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Thank You… You’re all Winners!
You’re all winners and part of a million dollar team! I just found out the “24 Hours of Booty” ride this year of 1,200 cyclists has already raised one million dollars!
Thank you so much for your donations benefiting cancer research. A total of $1,245.00!
Add that to my last two years of fund-raising and the total is well over $5,000.
I’m so excited to start pedaling in the “24 Hours of Booty” Friday at 7pm.
Now, for the winners of the goodies:
The 1st name drawn was Arlyn Asch. Congrats Arlyn! You donated more than $50 dollars so you have the option of choosing the autographed Lance Comeback 2.0 book or you can pick one of the baskets: The Cycling Goodies or The Entertainment Basket.
The 2nd name drawn was Michael Pratchard. Michael & Mimi also gave more than $50 so if by chance Arlyn does not choose the book they get the option. Otherwise, it’s a choice of the two baskets.
The 3rd name drawn was Stephanie Lindsey. Stephanie, you get what’s left. But hey… they’re all great prizes, right?
Congrats to all! You guys let me know what you would like and I’ll get them packaged up and shipped out ASAP.
Before I go… one last thought. Unfortunately, were all connected because someone we love… someone we know… has been affected by cancer. But the fortunate part is that connection creates a massive army in the fight to Win!
Every dollar toward research takes us a step closer to finding better treatments and ultimately a cure!
If you are inspired to get out there and “Pedal with a Great Purpose”… please click on this: 24 Hours of Booty to get more info. Besides Charlotte, there are also rides in Atlanta, GA and Columbia, MD. RIDE STRONG!
It’s Booty Time… Help Fight Cancer and WIN!
At the end of this month, I’ll be hitting the “Booty Loop” once again in Charlotte, NC to mash out at least 200 miles in 24 hours. It’s my 3rd year riding in the 24 Hours of Booty and raising money to help kick cancer’s butt! As many of you know, my parents were both diagnosed within a couple of months of each other in 2007. You can read more about their stories on my 24 Hours of Booty page. I’m so happy to report they’re still doing well, cancer free!
Unfortunately, almost everyday we’re reminded why it’s so important to keep up the fight for others.
So many of you have donated in the past and even just recently when I was pedaling and raising money for blood cancer research with Team in Training. I’m so grateful for your help and continued support. The response is always overwhelming. So, I’ve come up with some goodies… actually all thanks goes to my good pal, Ian “Pedalman”, in Toronto for collecting these goodies to help me out with fundraising!
First, we have TWO baskets of goodies… The Entertainment Basket & The Cycling Basket. That’s right, keep reading to find out how you could have multiple chances to WIN your choice of goodies and if by chance you don’t… your donation is still a WIN for cancer research!
The Entertainment Basket is filled with Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, the DVD “Julie and Julia”, Three top-selling paperbacks and a Matthew Good CD. Just think, even if you’ve seen the movie, have the cookbook or already read some of the books… they’ll make great gifts for family or friends… AND the best part is you’re helping in the fight against cancer!
The Cycling Basket is filled with these cycling accessories: Craft Pro COOL Mesh Superlight Men’s Sleeveless Base Layer (Size: L), 2 Knog Frog Superbright Microlights in Red & White, Specialized Wedgie seat bag, a pair of Kona cycling socks, Topeak Micro Rocket Pump, Finish Line Pro Road chain lube, PRO min tool, Specialized water bottle, Tire levers, and a patch kit.
Just think, even if you have some of these cycling accessories, you always need more or they make great gifts for the friend or family member you’ve recently gotten addicted to cycling… AND the best part is you’re helping in the fight against cancer!
So here’s how you can participate. For every $10 donated to my “Booty Fund”… you get a chance to win one of these baskets. If you donate $20 you get 3 chances to win. So, if you donate $40 you’ll get 6 chances to win… and so on. The first name drawn gets their choice of the two baskets.
BUT WAIT… there’s one more thing! I was fortunate enough to score an autographed copy of Lance Armstrong’s Comeback 2.0 book from his bike shop Mellow Johnny’s this past holiday. I put it up on the shelf to save for something like this. So, we have to kick it up a notch for this one. If you donate at least $50 you will also have the option of choosing the Autographed Comeback 2.0 book. More info below the pictures…
To revisit the drawing… the more you donate… the more chances you have to WIN! Again, the first name I draw will get to choose which basket they would like. The second name I draw gets the other basket. But… if you donate $50 or more… that will get you the option of choosing the autographed Lance book! I can’t thank you all enough for your continued support.
Please CLICK ON THIS to DONATE to Donald’s 24 Hours of Booty page and secure your chances of walking away with some good stuff. Remember… it’ll at least be a WIN for helping me fight cancer by pedaling with a purpose!
Pyrenees 2010… An Epic First Day!
Pedaling in The Pyrenees… it really came true for me! The Lost Boys 2010 Tour was an awesome adventure with Pyractif. I pedaled 435 miles, climbed Cols galore and it couldn’t have started in a more epic way. Just the briefing alone sounded intimidating. We would set out on a 90 mile day by 8:15am. We headed for our first climb… Col de Marie Blanque. That would run us up to our next challenge… the “out of category” Col d’Aubisque. Nice and warmed up… we headed for the western and toughest ascent of the Col du Tourmalet. It’s the highest road in the central Pyrenees and one of the most famous climbs in the Tour de France. I handled the day pretty well but paced myself knowing we had hundreds of miles and many climbs in the week ahead. I kept my heart rate a few beats under my lactate threshold. That way… I knew I had enough in the tank for the days ahead. I couldn’t stop thinking about the champions who flew up these climbs in Tours past. In some spots… you could still see paint on the road cheering on favorite riders of the past. I kept wondering how fast they would be shooting by me… a pace that would rip my heart out. Just being on that mountain put something extra in my legs. The adrenalin flowed freely as I imagined cheers from cycling enthusiasts who lined this climb for more than 60 years. Before I realized it, I had crested the Tourmalet. I saw the well known giant sculpture of a cyclist ascending to victory. In a mad rush I jumped off my bike and captured the memory forever. But it was the moments that followed I’ll never forget. Cold air took over the heat I had worked up on the climb. Rain started to fall… first a sprinkle… then a downpour. I had to descend in much colder temperatures than when I first arrived on top. My long fingered gloves were soaked through in the first kilometer. My fingers locked up, my hands ached, my body shivered. The rain felt like little splinters hitting my cheeks and legs. I used all my strength to keep the bike braked at a speed below 30mph. I couldn’t go any faster because I truly felt my shaking body would send my bike crashing to the hallowed ground. Then there was the visibility. Socked in by the clouds, I could see no more than 15 yards before total white out. Turns out the air temperature was 42 degrees. With the windchill… and being completely soaked… you can imagine why I felt like this was the coldest day I’ve ever experienced on the bike. All I kept thinking was hot shower… hot shower… hot shower! I got to the bottom and the chase van pulled over. A friend hopped out to grab my bike and told me to get in the front seat near the heater. I shivered well after my shower and into dinner. The next morning I weighed seven pounds less. Yes, seven pounds. But that wasn’t the reason I was floating!
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