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Saturday, February 4, 2012

30 miles = 1st step on the road to a century.



Tiffany, Elaine, and Jeanne ready for the ride
Just a quick update.  Today the team got together to do our first actual workout.  While some people on the team have not ridden a bike in many years, and some people are like pro's on the team, it was a fun time had (by all, I think).  We met at Harris Lake and the newer riders did a 10 mile ride to get a feel for what it's going to be like, to see what being on a bike is like, and all that good stuff.  10 miles when you are just starting out seems like FOREVER.  Those of us who are a little more experienced on the bike did a 30-ish mile bike.  We actually did the Raven Rock Ramble 32 mile route.  It was really nice, if just a little hilly.  Of course hilly is good.  I'm going to need hilly.  I think it felt hilly mostly because since the marathon I haven't done much.  SHOCK!!  I know!    I was enjoying some time off from training, but now it's time to get back to it.  My body says YES....and even ouch a little.   

getting bikes ready
This journey is going to be amazing.  I've never had the chance to ride with so many people before.  I've usually ridden in smaller groups made up of mostly triathletes (we tend to ride a little differently).   When everyone gets up to speed and mileage we are going to all be so AWESOME!  Our Mission moment (we do one before every group training) was for Brady.  Brady is one of my teammates long time friends husband.  He has myeloma.  He has recurrent myeloma.  As in he fought it, had the stem cell transplant, did all the stuff he was supposed to do, made it dormant, but it's back.  Today when I was climbing the hills that felt like mountains to me, I was thinking about Brady and how brave he has to be to continue to fight the cancer monster, and if he can continue on, so can I.

cycling apparel doesn't make you look cute.
Our lives are not spoken for.  We don't know what's around the corner.  We don't know when or why things happen.  We can only live in the here and now.  In the here and now, YOU can help with fighting cancer.  Did you know that:
$50 will register 1 person to be a bone marrow donor
$75 will provide HLA (bone marrow) typing for a family member of a patient with a blood cancer
$100 will pay for the cost of 4 patient's chemotherapy drug prescriptions co-payments
$300 will train 25 peer volunteers who can provide emotional support to newly diagnosed patients
$500 will provide patient aid to a person with a blood cancer for a year
$1000 allows patients to meet with health care specialists to design and discuss their disease, treatment plan, and prepare them with the info they will need during the treatment process.
$2000 provides patients with a one month supply of Gleevec.

The development of Gleevec was funded by LLS.  Below is some questions about Gleevec answered simply.  But Gleevec isn't just for blood cancers anymore. So raising funds for LLS is helping with cancer research that is helping more than those with blood cancers.


  • What is Gleevec? Gleevec, also known as STI571, is a new drug that was approved by the the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a cancer of white blood cells and for the treatment of a rare form of stomach cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). 
  • Why is Gleevec different from most chemotherapy drugs? Gleevec represents a new class of cancer drugs and a new way of thinking about cancer. These molecularly targeted drugs are different because they target abnormal proteins that are fundamental to the cancer itself. 
  • What were the results of the previous clinical trials with Gleevec? In June 1998, the first clinical trial of Gleevec was launched. This small, initial study sought primarily to determine whether Gleevec is safe in people, not its effectiveness as a cancer drug. However, as the doctors gradually increased the dose of the drug, they noticed dramatic responses in their patients, all of whom were no longer benefitting from previous therapy. 
  • What is chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML? CML affects the blasts that develop into multiple cell types in the bone marrow, including the white blood cells (granulocytes). The white blood cells do not mature normally and become too numerous. Immature white blood cells are then found in the blood and the bone marrow. 
  • What is GIST? A Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a type of tumor that usually begins in cells in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. It can be benign or malignant.

Please take a minute to donate if you can.


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