On Sunday I did a 44 mile bike ride in memory of a 19 year old girl, Alison Hayes, who lost her battle with cancer last December. Her father and her two younger sisters announced the start of the ride, a fundraiser for cancer research.
We climbed 22 miles to a scenic vista on the Kangamangus Highway, a road that winds through the beautiful White Mountain State Forest in central New Hampshire. The last five miles of the ride were a nasty, steady climb, an 8 or 10% grade, and I walked more of that climb than I really wanted to. It was hot (90 degrees) and humid. And I was racing against an approaching tormfront that threatened both downpours and lightning.
But I also had a quote from Lance Armstrong echoing in my head "Pain is temporary, quitting is forever."
And I was thinking of Alison's sisters who had sent us off 20 miles and 2 hours early. I couldn't disappoint them.
I made it to the scenic vista at mile marker 22.2, our turnaround. There they were, cheering us on.
The rest of the ride was a breeze, literally. We donned our raingear and plummeted south down the mountain, averaging 35 miles an hour for the first 5 or 6 miles. The rest of the ride was easy and largely dry.
Other riders didn't have it so easy. 15 minutes after my riding buddy and I put our bikes on the car bike rack, the weather finally hit. Torrential downpours and frequent lightning. About half of the riders were still out on the course and the organizers went out to retrieve them. They all rrived wet and safe.
We had accomplished what we had set out to do. It didn't matter that some had finished by car. It didn't matter that I had only one donor for this particular event (me), or that I had to drive 160 miles to get to the start of the ride.
This is what we do to battle cancer, one dollar, one donation, one mile at a time.
I need your help. This is a personal request. If you want to honor those who have been stricken by cancer, and those who have beaten it, make a donation.
If you want to help beat cancer, please make a donation.
Thanks,
Lee
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