shorts story

I think my shorts are smarter than I am.


Yesterday I squeezed in a quick (7 mile) ride before a personnel meeting and evening prayer at church. The distance was perfect, actually, because I was still plenty sore from the 21 miles I rode on Memorial Day. It is amazing that I will work up to 5 times that length by November.

I was happy for little wind, happy for a little sun, happy for a little biking freedom in the middle of a work day. But mostly I was happy for my shorts! Not in my shorts (I know what you're thinking) for my shorts.

Yesterday's ride was my first time wearing my Pearl izumi "UltraSensor Shorts."


They must be really smart shorts because the label claims all these technical advances like "natural silver antimicrobial ions" and "ultra-plush microfiber padding" along with "dual density pad protection." Not to mention the "capillary action" and "hydrophobic fibers."


Seriously, "hydrophobic?" My shorts are afraid of water?



All I know is they are damn comfortable. So I say today, "thanks" to my dear mother who purchased them last Christmas. They wound up under the tree, I am sure, only because they were on the 50% off rack. (Good thing because they are $90 shorts and my cheap self would have never shelled that out for even the most "epic" comfort--that's on the label too). Oh, I guess she's the smart one.

Mailing

I'm mailing my letters today. Well, since it's Memorial Day, I am actually mailing them tomorrow. To be technical I am copying, stuffing and sealing them today. And wondering why I didn't buy self sealing envelopes. Is there anything that tastes worse than envelope glue? Okay. I can think of a few things, but still it's gross.

I am posting my letter below in case you happened upon this blog w/o recieving one in the mail or you somehow lost it yourself at home.

After the letter business is done, I was hoping for a bike ride. Looks like rain (again) so well see...

May 28, 2007

Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues

Here’s what happened: Twelve months ago, I bought a road bike. For the most part I had considered it a good cross-training opportunity for my more serious hobby of (slow) distance running. When I don’t run, I ride. And I love it.

Five months ago I moved to Wichita. The reason was the job—a new church—a new challenge. That in itself has been wonderful. But it also meant that when I got the flyer advertising “Team in Training” from the Wichita branch of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society it didn’t automatically go into the trash.

One month ago my mother reminded me that this year (May 5th, actually) marked the twenty fifth anniversary of the death of my aunt, Patricia Jane Lippoldt. She was 37 and lived only eight months after being diagnosed with Leukemia. When she died, I was five. I remember very little about her or her illness. But I know it was terribly painful and traumatic and her death, even 25 years later, plays an important role in the life of my family. It changes you, to lose a family member to cancer. Many of you know that first hand.

Bike plus Team plus Anniversary equals new project. Those three things are what I needed to decide that this was the year for me to sign on with Team in Training (TNT). My challenge? To ride 109 miles on my bicycle during El Tour de Tucson, November 17th. That’ll be fun. I think.

Yes it will! TNT will provide great coaching, group training rides, a nifty jersey and everything else a girl could want en route to such a goal. In return for all their help, I have agreed to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Really, I have agreed to raise money because I believe in their work. I believe in the way LLS cares for families when they must face the terror of blood cancers. I believe in the research LLS sponsors, research that is improving treatment, prolonging life and moving medical science toward a cure.

They really are making a difference. In 1960 only 4% of children diagnosed with leukemia survived. Today 85% of those diagnosed under age 15 will live. Even with these advances, over 54,000 Americans will die this year of Leukemia and its related cancers. Moreover, families in the hundreds of thousands will struggle to live with a sick family member.

Those are big numbers. Yet I know LLS has a direct effect on patient’s lives because I met my team’s “honored patient,” 4 year old Shayla Gould. Shayla was still in diapers when she was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2004. She lives in Oxford, Kansas and for three years has traveled to Wichita to endure endless doctor’s visits, hospitalizations, and chemotherapy treatments. Instead of the boundless energy of a toddler, Shayla has lived with the exhaustion of illness. Yet hers is a happy story. Thanks to aggressive treatment, Shayla’s Leukemia is now in remission. Throughout her illness Shayla’s family was directly supported by LLS. They helped with family education, provided a support group and even bought tanks of gas so Shayla could get to her treatments.

I would like to see a cure for Leukemia. Until that happens I want to make sure that families stricken by blood cancers do not face their trials alone. That’s why I have chosen to support LLS. That’s why I have chosen to ride my bicycle 109 miles on November 17th. That’s why I have decided to ask you to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I hope you will give generously to the work of LLS. You can fill out the enclosed donation form and send it back to me with check or credit card information enclosed. Or you can donate on-line www.active.com/donate/tntks/Lippoldt

Though the ride is six months away (that’s lots of time to condition my bike “seat”) I would appreciate hearing from you soon. Please fill out the donor card or contribute on-line by July 31, 2007. If that is not possible, we will gladly take contributions beyond that date. But the sooner I reach my fundraising goal of $3950, the sooner I can focus in on riding my bike.

I plan for this whole process to be an adventure. And I want to share it with you by way of my blog. Well, almost all of it. I’ll omit the grossest details, I promise. Even if you can’t contribute financially I’ll appreciate your support and comments at “the big ride” http://www.lippoldt109.blogspot.com/

It’s been 25 years now since we lost my Aunt Pat. That’s my motivation. I can only pray that you too will feel connection to this cause and chose to contribute. Thanks. Really, from that deepest little part of my heart. Thanks.

All my love,

Amy

kicking-off

Thursday night I went to the "TNT Kick-Off" Party.
For a Party, it stunk. No food, no prizes...oh wait, I did win a mouse pad...no music.

They obviously mis-named the thing. I guess "TNT informational meeting with water and candy on the tables" didn't seem as catchy.

The good part of the night was meeting 5 of my other cycling teammates. We are a diverse group. Two have accomplished long-distance bike rides before. One doesn't have a bike yet. Another is going to have to up-grade from her hybrid bicycle (with nobby tires and upright posture.)

They have time, we won't officially begin riding together as a team until July 28th. And we will probably add a few more riders before fall. From that point on we will someone morph into a cohesive group that combines our skills and strengths. Somehow we will ride as a unified team.

I don't quite understand how that is going to work when I look at how different we are (the coach, Travis, looks like he could ride for 1009 miles if he wanted to). But that will make it fun to watch. Or rather expereince. I will be a part of the thing, won't I?

Diverse and unique indivduals over time and effort forming a cohesive group in practice and spirit...I can already promise I will get a sermon out of it.

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?