I am still a rather new cyclist -- I started only in May of 2022 -- but I have already grown addicted to it. Some people don't understand it at all so I came up with a Top Ten Reasons Why I Like Cycling:

1. Great scenery - A lot of times when we ride, we go in state parks, creek trails, mountain canyons, etc. You just can't beat the views. And we are going at just the right pace to see a lot of things (without scaring away wildlife).
2. Great camaraderie - Cyclist, as with any sport, tend to stick together. Pull over on the side of the road with a flat or other issue, and someone will stop to help.
3. Food - One neat thing about cyclists is that we like to eat. When you burn a lot of calories on a ride, it is always great to finish at a local restaurant where you can eat pretty much anything you want guilt free!
4. Great cause - I have been riding as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. It feels good to know that you are helping to beat cancer with every mile.
5. Great cardiovascular - If you cycle at all, you will improve you cardiovascular health. Add a bunch of miles and some mountain climbs and you will be in the best cardiovascular shape you have ever been in.
6. Great sport to do with your spouse - Cycling is definitely a great thing to do if you are married. When I cycle with my wife, we use the time to chat. Figure in that some rides can last for hours and that is a lot of quality time.
7. Great sport for kids - Our son is getting ready to be a teenager, and has shown some interest in joining us in the road biking world. It is a great activity for him and something he can do for the rest of his life.
8. Easy on the joints - I used to run a lot when I played soccer, but now if I try that, my knees and ankles hurt. With properly fit bike, cycling is relatively easy on the joints. I can cycle for hours with no discomfort to my knees or ankles.
9. Riding Solo - There are times when I do have to ride on my own and it can be very meditative. It is a great break from the fast paces world we live in to cruise around a state park on my bicycle. Instant therapy!
10. Downhill - One of my favorite things to do on a bike is go downhill. There is nothing better than flying down a road on a bike at close to 50mph. It makes all the struggles going uphill very worth it!

Have you ever ended your afternoon thinking how tired your are from sitting in your office chair for 8 hours? Imagine how you would feel if you had spent those same 8 hours sitting on a bicycle seat and pedaling. That is exactly what I am planning to do on June 3rd.

I have signed up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training(TNT) program to complete a century (100 mile) bike ride around Lake Tahoe. At the same time, I will be raising money to help fight leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers. My goal is to raise $3,500 by the time we start our 100 mile ride.

This will be the second time I have participated in a TNT century ride. I also rode 100 miles in Moab, Utah, last fall and raised about $2,500. My original intent was to do one event in honor of my dad, who lost his fight with Leukemia in 2007. But now I have changed my mind. I hope to continue doing TNT events and helping LLS fight blood cancers.

Why did I change my mind? Well, the biggest reason is that LLS is such a great cause and the TNT program is great. It is truly an outstanding organization and a great program.

But I also thought about my dad again. After undergoing chemo in the summer of 2006, he had beaten Leukemia and his cancer was in remission. Then in 2007, it came back. I think that to do a bike ride or to fight cancer once is tough, but the second time may be even tougher. 

If my dad can battle cancer twice, then I can do a second century ride. Last year, I was a bit naive when I signed up to 100 miles. I didn’t know how tough it feels to climb mountains on a bike, to pedal for hours at a time, or that we would put in 1200 miles training. I now know what lies ahead, but I am still willing to do it a second time. 

Of course, that is the big difference between me and my dad. I am choosing to do this again. Leukemia didn't give him an option. When I think about it, it gets me angry and a bit more motivated. We have to continue to fight so that we can beat Leukemia and other blood cancers FOR GOOD!

Please join me in this fight. Please make a donation to help beat cancer. If you prefer, you can mail a check to me at 8822 E Easter Pl, Centennial, CO 80112 -- please make the check out to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Together we can beat cancer!

After completing my first century ride in September, I think I am now in this for the long haul. I enjoyed the summer of training, and I have been riding since the Moab Century. On my birthday, I went up Lookout Mountain with Jennifer and some TNT friends. A couple of days later, we went on the 71 mile Tony's-to-Tony's Ride with some other TNT friends. After the weather got cold, it has been more difficult to ride, but Jennifer and I have gotten out there a few times.

Seeing that biking is becoming a permanent part of our lives, Jennifer and I also decided to upgrade our bikes. We were both looking at the sales and checking Craigslist daily. As luck would have it, we both found bikes on Craigslist in the first part of December. And even more of a coincidence, they are both 2009 Fuji Roubaixs. Hers is the RC model, and mine is the one notch below Pro model.

Read more: 2012 Cycling Events

My teammates and I rode over 100 miles last Saturday in the Moab Century Ride. It was tough, but our training really did prepare us for success. Nothing can match the emotion of watching our team cross the finish line with our Team Hero and other cancer survivors leading us in. It is a moment I will cherish the rest of my life.

I want to thank everyone that has made a contribution.  So far, I have raised just over $2,000 and we have until October for me to reach my goal of $2,500. I am also pleased to announce that the Rocky Mountain team raised over $55,000 and that all of the participants at the Moab event raised over $483,000 for cancer survivorship programs.

I started this season with 0 miles on a road bike, and hadn’t even ridden any type of bicycle in years. With the help of our coach and my teammates, I slowly built up the strength to do 100 miles. But I learned that the biggest part of this challenge was mental. There were many doubts in my mind in the early parts of the season, but I always just looked to others for inspiration.

Sometimes it was my teammates that inspired me with stories about loved ones fighting cancer. Several of my teammates are survivors and that was truly inspiring to see. But I was always most inspired by my own Dad. He showed me what courage and perseverance can do. 

On the trip to Moab, I carried one of my Dad’s business cards. It had the title of Product Design Engineer. It may not seem hugely glamorous, but it made me proud to carry that. My Dad was an orphan and did not have the opportunity to even finish high school. But he studied on his own and learned the skills to be an engineer. That challenge and the others I saw my Dad face are what truly inspired me.

My Dad did not get to see me finish 100 miles in his honor because of Leukemia. But I had him in my thoughts the whole day. I imagined myself telling him about it after crossing the finish line. I could hear him say, “I knew you would do it.” And that sums it up. My Dad always encouraged me to set my goals high, and when I achieved them, he didn’t act surprised.

Read more: We did it!

This week we were scheduled to take a “taper” ride. After weeks of long miles and lots of climbing, the idea was to taper off the effort so we would be ready for Moab on September 17th. As we assembled in the Target parking lot in Glendale, our coach made a joke about doing Lookout. I responded that we should do it, and we did.

Coach says he wasn’t planning on doing Lookout again until I said I wanted to, but I don’t believe him. As a fellow teammate says, “Steve is a mean, mean man.” Of course, we are really just teasing about this. Steve like to push us, but it is just to get us ready for the 105 miles in Moab.

Yep, I did say 105 miles. This year, the 100 mile course does not include the challenge of the Big Nasty. Because our Team Hero (Mark Williams) was adamant about doing the Big Nasty, Steve and Mark contacted the event organizers to find a way. Now, the whole team has the option of combining the 65 mile Big Nasty course with the 40 mile River Cruise for a 105 miler. Most of our team is going for the 105 mile Big Nasty option and we feel prepared after the climbing we have been doing for the past couple of months.

Read more: Team Ride #17 - Taper Ride - 48 miles