beginnings

Last week I signed up for Team in Training.

There is a scent of the heroic in all their publicity but I am not confused.

All I did was sign up to ride my bicycle 109 miles on November 17th.

And raise $3950 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I am starting work the fundraising campaign...making a mailing list, creating my on-line fundraising page, toying with how to frame my letter. TNT puts a lot of emphasis on getting started with raising money NOW. I understand why, they need the money and that way we all can focus in on training later. These people know what they are doing and at moments it feels like I am just a cog in the wheel (yea, that's cheesy). But any moment of reflection reminds me that actually this is personal.

That's why the blog. It is personal for me and for my family. So I am going to write about the experience here. For those who are supporting the cause and my efforts financially and otherwise, I hope you'll check back to read about the adventures of training and riding and learning and whatever other ramblings this little five month project reveals.

Perhaps you have already received a letter from me, if not I'll post it later. I hope you will contribute to the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. You can donate on-line http://www.active.com/donate/tntks/Lippoldt

Why is it personal?

I love my bike. It is Giant's lowest end road bike, the OCR3 I bought it last year not really understanding what a monumental step I was taking in cycling technology. I love riding it now at age 30, as much as I ever loved the Lippoldt family bike rides on my banana-seat Schwinn in the late evenings of Kansas summers.

Personally riding 109 miles in a day is a interesting physical challenge and a good project for me to focus on because it is completely disconnected from work. I need help with that, you know, disconnecting from work.

But that's just the ride. TNT is really personal because 25 years ago tomorrow (May 5th, 1982) my aunt, Patricia Lippoldt, died from Leukemia. I was five. What little I remember about her and that experience I will save for later. For now you can know that this ride seems like the right way to honor her and recognize the impact her death has had, and will always have, on my family.

That's real serious. Sheez. But it is. Leukemia is serious.
The bike ride? Not so much. Hopefully that part will just be fun. Yea, okay, painful and ridiculous, but fun. Sore butt, aching legs, super sweatiness, flat tires, broken chains, sunburns, windburns, exhaustion. That's fun right?