I AM CRAZY!

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this finds you all well and in good spirits. After my AMAZING and WONDERFUL experience at the Nike Women’s Marathon last October with Team in Training, I have decided to do a century bike ride (yes – 100 miles on a little tiny bike seat) in order to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I feel strongly about the LLS mission and it isn’t very often that we get the opportunity to do something that will make a difference in the lives of others. Here is the official description of what I will be doing on November 14, 2009:

“Riders will experience the very best of the Santa Inez valley and then head out to points beyond. This figure eight style course starts with a tour of Solvang, Los Olivos, Ballard and Santa Ynez, and then heads up the well-known Foxen Canyon. The route then loops back around towards Solvang via Zaca Station, Hwy 154 and beautiful Ballard Canyon. Then riders head south towards Buellton and veer off on the famous Avenue of the Flags which becomes Santa Rosa Road. Taking the back roads of Lompoc, riders will head up and over Harris Grade and drop back down to Hwy 135 towards the great little western antique haven of Los Alamos. From Los Alamos, riders encounter the last big climb of the day, up and over Drum Canyon, a quiet, twisty, 800 foot, 3.4 mile ascent. Drum Canyon has a steep, technical downhill, so please pay close attention to your speed. Once you reach the bottom, you'll hop onto Hwy 246 back to Buellton, with a big shoulder all the way to town! 100 miles with 4,900 feet of climbing.”

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a national voluntary health agency dedicated to curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma while improving the quality of life of patients and their families. Leukemia is the number one killing disease of children under the age of 15, yet affects 10 times as many adults. The cause of leukemia remains unknown. However, the effectiveness of recently developed treatment methods and steady advances in research brings us closer every day to finding the cause of leukemia and related cancers and probable cures.

I will begin my training for this 100-mile journey through the help of professional Team in Training coaches. I have started my training and I will soon be on my bike 4-5 days a week! Some of you might think that I am crazy for volunteering to do this ride, but what I will have to endure in the next 20+ weeks pales in comparison to what these kids and adults go through on a daily basis. Just one example of how children battle cancer is Bryna Nathan, a sweet little 8-year old who has endured two long and painful bouts of leukemia. The first time she was diagnosed, she was just a toddler. When she was diagnosed the second time, research had advanced so much that they were able to determine that she had a genetic marker that makes chemo not work as well. Knowing this, the doctors were able to design a better treatment plan and she is now cancer-free. Bryna and her mom Gina are two amazing people who have touched my life deeply.

This season I am committed to raising $3,500.00 to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and helping raise the necessary money toward finding a cure for leukemia. Over 75% of all funds raised go directly to research and patient services. Your contribution is 100% tax deductible. Please help support me by giving generously. Monetary donations are a powerful way to be involved when you can’t give your time.

I AM MOTIVATED! I AM COMMITTED! I WILL DO IT!

I truly appreciate your kindness and thank you from the bottom of my heart! Feel free to call or e-mail me to wish me good luck on this incredible journey. You can also keep track of my training on my blog at http://trainingwithchandra.blogspot.com and leave me messages of encouragement (Which really help on those hard days!!). GO TEAM GO!!!!