2013 Pelotonia

August 10/11/12 marked my fourth year participating in Pelotonia. I rode 100 miles each of the last three years, but I stepped up to 180 miles for 2013. I had considered going 180 throughout the summer and felt like I could take it on, though it was pretty much a game time decision. It was a grueling two days of riding. The sense of accomplishment is two-fold - completing the ride, and more importantly, raising funds for cancer research.

I am proud to say that I have raised over $11,000 in the last four years. Thank you to all of you for making that possible!

This year I want to describe my experience over the three days (including the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening) through a set of "awards" I will hand out below:

Best Stretch: This was the first year Pelotonia rode directly through Granville. We went through numerous other small downtowns, but in four years of riding I have not seen any small town come out to support Pelotonia quite like Granville did Saturday. The streets were lined with hundreds of people. The high school cheerleaders were out. Signs everywhere and the crowd was really into it. Thanks, Granville! (Runner Up: Pickerington)

Best Moment: We rode through Granville and on to the Granville High School rest area. In the short area in between, there was a man who had parked his van by the side of the road. He held up a sign that read something along the lines of: "Thank you for riding. You saved my wife's life." Wow. Just wow. I overheard several people saying how moved they were at Granville High School.

Best Sign: Take a look at this sign: Beyond Granville High School.

Worst Sign: Somewhere along the way there was a sign that said "Keep Peddling." Grammar Check.

Award for Resiliency: Think you can't do 100 miles? I saw at least two men older than 70 who had finished 100 miles in Gambier.

Best Meal: I am a picky eater, but Gambier just had EVERYTHING. Burgers, chicken in a lemon sauce, a basil pasta salad. I heard it was catered by whoever it is that provides food for Kenyon College and I am jealous of their college food.

Best Rest Stop: This one is determined solely by the way they did their food. I really don't have a problem with PB&J, which they had at every rest stop. But when I make PB&J on my own I make a half sandwich of just peanut butter and a half sandwich of just jelly. The Highland High School rest stop on day two was ready for me.

Best Jersey: I do not have a picture of it, but I enjoyed the Columbia Gas of Ohio jerseys.
Best Jersey Runner Up: Someone was wearing a Star Trek jersey. I might need to get one of these.

Best Playlist Song: As you probably know, I let my donors choose a couple of songs for me to listen to on the ride. I call it the Pelotonia Playlist. I really do listen to every song and I do it because it makes me reflect on how thankful I am for the support I receive. The best song I received this year was the very last one I added and it was not even a song at all. It is called A Pep Talk from Kid President to You. I had never seen this before but I was able to download it and listen for the very first time while I was riding. Good choice Erin Zelinski!

Super Troopers Award: I brought two friends to the Opening Ceremony, Ross Righter and Erin Zelinski. They are longtime supporters and I thank them for joining me. We sat next to an elderly lady who turned into my biggest fan. She was going to take a Pelotonia oatmeal cookie home to put on her mantle. As for the Opening Ceremony, I always enjoy their opening video.

That's all for this year. Anyone interested in riding next year? Let me know!

Pelotonia 2012

Pelotonia 2012 is in the books and although this cause is part of a big fight, I am going to deem this a small victory. First and foremost, I have raised $3,116 for cancer research this year. (Donations are still welcome through October 12.) That is a personal best for me and I give all the credit to you all who have supported me.

THANK YOU!!

Here are the details on my ride this year:

As I have mentioned, my work rode with the Huntington team this year. Seven of us made the trip at various distances, but all of us raised well beyond our fundraising commitment.

What was the biggest difference in Pelotonia this year? Sure, the destination changed, but the shocker of the summer is how cold it was on the day of the ride. We were hitting 100 degrees with consistency in June and July, which worried me for the ride. All day on a bike in intense heat is not advisable. But on the day of the ride, we had a high in the low-70s with an occasional drizzle. In fact, it was COLD during most of the ride.

Four of us did 100 miles (one of the others did 184 miles in two days). We stayed together for a good chunk of the day. As we took off, I shook hands with Gordon Gee, the president of Ohio State University. He gets out there every year shaking hands with riders before departure. He is no Hot Rod McDavis, but it was cool. (Just kidding, Gee is OK.)

The starting line was at the Columbus Commons this year, a huge improvement over The Fawcett Center from years past. The first several miles went through German Village and Southeast Columbus just as it had in years past. The four of us stayed together for about 60 miles, most of which seemed like a breeze. There was some occasional wind, but I feel like we had the wind behind us just as much as it was in front of us.

We split up at the 60 mile mark, with myself and one other rider electing for the route with more hills. I had driven the part the most difficult stretch of this earlier in the summer and decided it was not all that and a bag of chips. I was wrong.

The famed Reynolds Road pales in comparison to the largest hills of the Athens route, but in my opinion the 30-ish mile stretch I elected for was tougher than any equal stretch of the Athens route. The hills were continuous and I had to change my big gears on almost every down-and-up. When asked why I chose the difficult route, my answer is this: "This ride is not supposed to be easy."

As I made one of my final turns, I was told I was just three miles from the finish. I continued on and had one last hill to reckon with. One last change of the gears and I am there... And then my chain fell off. This had never happened to me before. I am the worst fix-it guy on earth, so it took me about 15 minutes to get things figured out. I got back on the bike, the two 100-mile stretches merged, and I was at the finish line. No, I do not think I beat my time from last year. The long stretch of hills challenged me, but ultimately I think the time I spent repairing my chain cost me my personal best. Oh well, there is always next year...

Keep an eye on my Facebook and Twitter accounts, as I will update my fundraising status and snap a few pictures at the Pelotonia check ceremony in October and November.

Once again, thank you to all of my supporters!

Why I'm Riding

Something happened to me in the midst of this very busy training and fundraising season. Or shall I say, some things. Just two weeks before Pelotonia I had a relative pass away following a battle with brain cancer. I am thankful to have been able to visit with him when he was doing better back in April, but my heart still aches when I think about what he and those closest to him had to endure.

No sooner did I return from that funeral than someone I know notified me that his wife, who had been in remission for breast cancer for six years, was recently diagnosed once again. They caught it early and surgery is on tap for this week. Hopefully that will take care of everything, but there is no way to know until after the surgery.

Moments after finding this out, I talked about it with another friend. I had no idea about this, but she told me that she also fought off cancer six years ago.

These are by no means the only people I have known to fight cancer, let alone those in the last year.

All of this caused my heart to sink. This disease can wield a sense of powerlessness. Sure, we know some ways to take preventative maintenance against cancer, but by and large it's a cruel game of genetics and awful, awful luck. For so many other diseases, we take a pill or get a shot. We balance our diet or we exercise more. When something happens to us, medically or not, we do something about it. In some cases there is simply nothing we can do.

Having never had cancer I choose to do this ride as a way to end both cancer and that feeling of powerlessness. In a moving opening ceremony to Pelotonia 2011, executive director Tom Lennox promised that cancer would be cured through this program. That is a bold statement. And I am holding him to it.

I truly hope that I can play some small part in making a difference with this disease. And I thank all of you who are behind me this cause with me. You are making that difference too by supporting Pelotonia.

To any other riders who might read this, let's have a great ride on Saturday!

Kicking Off 2012...

Yikes! Time is flying and I sent out my flyers before even getting a post up on here. It has been a busy year and I can't believe summer is already half way over. I have been busy with a number of things and it took a lot of effort to find the time to fit Pelotonia in.

Over the last few months I have felt too busy to ride or to fundraise. I come home from work and I'm tired. The heat is too intense this year. I moved to a new place. I've had a nightmare dealing with a car I bought... Then I realized the way I am talking reminded me of something. Check out the video that was released at the Pelotonia Opening Ceremony in 2011:



Excuses. We all have them.

At the end of the day, this ride and this cause are important to me and I want to do my part in the fight against cancer. Only three weeks ago, I had not raised a single dollar and I had only been out to ride twice. Since I decided to get over my excuses, I have ridden almost every day I have had available for a total of over 200 miles. I created my flyers and sent out about 80 of them. I have updated my Facebook and Twitter. And now I'm writing this post to get the blog rolling.

It wasn't easy to get all those things done, but then again participating in this cause is not supposed to be easy. There have been some late nights addressing envelopes and some early training mornings to beat the heat. I know it will be worth it when I cross the finish line in just under a month.

Thank you for reading and for your support!

I am almost positive I will be riding with Mayor Coleman tomorrow night in a ride that finishes at the Food Cart Festival. Look me up if you are down there...

Pelotonia Links

Here are some links to some key Pelotonia pages that may be of interest:

My Pelotonia Profile

Pelotonia's 2011 Welcome Video



I'll toot the social media horn again next year, but I provided 24 updates on the day of the ride and I know that a lot of people enjoyed being able to follow my progress on the day of Pelotonia. I also post updates on training, fundraising and events in the months leading up to the ride.

@ATPelotonia on Twitter (no login required)

@ATPelotonia on Facebook

Pelotonia 2011

My. Oh. My... Not only have I blown by the entire Pelotonia race without updating, I have also let a whole month fly by.

I'm not pointing out anything new when I say that time flies. Nor am I the only person it flies for. So let me start by thanking each of you for taking a few moments to help me reach my fundraising goal. Your support propelled me to a new fundraising standard as I will be over $2,500 when it is all said and done. That is far beyond the $1,800 I needed to raise. THANK YOU!

As for the ride, this year's preparation was not all that different from last year. Both years I fell short of the recommended training miles. In fact, this year's training efforts did not even come close to what I was supposed to do. Someone once told me that running a marathon is easier the second time because you already know you can do it. I crossed my fingers and hoped that same theory would translate to bike riding. I think it did.

Not only did I complete the ride despite my training shortfall, I knocked off about 45 minutes from my 2010 time. I rode with my coworker Jon Welty and my goal was to hang with him for no more than the first 20 miles. Instead I hung with him for 60 miles. It certainly helped riding next to someone. Aside from having a riding buddy and some extra adrenaline, the only other thing to which I can attribute my success is the riding shoes I bought a few weeks before the ride.

It was also rewarding to have Nick Joyce-Houghton (PHOTO CREDIT TO NICK!) and Ross Righter waiting for me at the finish line. Thanks guys!

A few other tidbits I'd like to add:
-The sign of the day: "Chuck Norris Didn't Ride 100 Miles"
-As the exhaustion wears in, I think riders loosen up with each other. Somewhere around mile 75, a girl asked a crowd that included me, "Does anyone want this banana that has been in my pouch for the last 50 miles?" I thought that was funny.
-The playlist laughed in my face this year. For example, I approached the second largest incline of the day and I composed myself. "OK, Anthony. You got this. Let's do it." Just then, a song intro whispered the following sweet words into my ear: "I can be your hero, baby." Let me speak directly to Enrique Iglesias for a second: Enrique, you could have been my hero if you would have magically transported me to the top of the hill at that point. But you didn't. And you really chose the wrong moment to come up on the playlist.
-On the flip side, I had a stretch a little later on where I did not have to pedal once for a whole 1.2 miles. Of course the song that played at that time was Eye of the Tiger. That's right, the song that would have made me channel my inner Rocky Balboa played when I utilized no effort whatsoever.

The most glaring difference this year was that someone I knew was fighting cancer as I trained and rode in Pelotonia and he later passed away. He only had a few months after being diagnosed. Only a week before Pelotonia, I got to share in a fun night with him, his wife and my parents. This timeline really mailed it home for me. We want to live in a cancer free world. I hope that we have made a difference in getting there.

I foresee 2012 as being slightly less hectic for me. No guarantees on that statement at all! However, I had a great fundraising idea that I would love to make a reality next year. Hopefully I can get my legs in gear (pun intended) next spring. After eclipsing both my fundraising total from 2010 and lowering my time, I hope I have set a precedent that each year will be better than the last.

Thanks again for all your support.

-Anthony

Tour de Cause

I participated in Tour de Cause last weekend and it was another rewarding experience. I found out about the ride from a work partner whose company, Gorsuch, is based in the area.

Obviously Pelotonia takes the cake in terms of grandiose events. There were over 3,000 riders in 2010, an all out concert and celebrity appearances. Also, I didn't realize how spoiled I was by having giant signs pointing me towards Athens.

Tour de Cause was a little different. It still went to a great cause. I paid $20 to enter and it went directly to homeless drug addiction awareness and prevention in Fairfield County. For those of you from out of town, that is the county directly southeast of Columbus. There was no concert, no red carpet, no celebrity. The signs that pointed me onward were painted in tiny lettering on the street. But that's probably how it is for smaller events. Still, I was impressed with the fact there were over 500 riders registered that day. I'm sure at least another 100 or so walked up just as I did.

I only have one picture located on my Facebook page: Tour de Cause

The ride took us on various county roads to the north of Lancaster. It lacked the glitz and glamour, but anyone who knows me knows I love Southeast Ohio and this was a chance to see parts of the region I had not seen before. And most people probably know I don't need glitz and glamour anyway - just as long as I don't miss one of those signs on the ground. Twenty-four miles later I was finished.

Come to think of it, they did have some things Pelotonia did not have. After I finished they offered me pizza and ice cream. I happened to be in a rush so I took just a bottle of water and bolted back to Columbus. Would have been nice to do a longer ride, which I need to be doing at this point in my training. But all in all, I was impressed. I'd say it is safe to say I will see you again next year, Tour de Cause.

Here I Go Again

It seems that when most politicians announce they will run for office they put out the following rhetoric: "Big announcement coming tomorrow."

With me, you don't need to worry about this being drawn out. I'll make the announcement right now. I am riding in Pelotonia in 2011.

Last year's ride and fundraising was a rewarding experience for me. Thanks again to all the wonderful people who helped along the way. That goes for anyone who donated, to those who helped make signs, and to one who helped make the postcard possible.

I hope to be even more successful in my efforts this year. That means more donations, more songs on the playlist, more Facebook followers and a faster time to Athens.

Thanks for reading. Much more to come soon!

Pictures from Pelotonia

Pelotonia fundraising thermometer - over $2,300!

Pelotonia Playlist

CD Label for Playlist - given to me by a camper

Sign made for me by camper

Another sign by a camper

Chris Spielman speaking at Opening Ceremony

Best bike jerseys I've ever seen

At the finish line

Thank You Postcard

Positive Story

I wrote a lot about my ride, but I wanted to give you a good look at what was accomplished with both the ride and fundraising. Long story made short, I rode 107 miles from Columbus to Athens and raised more than $2,300 for cancer research! Thanks to all of you for making this possible.

Also, if you would like to contact me with comments or questions, the easiest way is via email:

anthony.tynan@gmail.com

Here is the table of contents for my posts, beginning from the bottom:

1. Pelotonia Playlist - All the songs that were requested for the ride. I posted this a day or two before the ride.

2. Positive Decisions - Why I decided to commit to ride in Pelotonia and to raise $1,500

3. Positive Fundraising - A behind the scenes look at my fundraising efforts

4. Positive Prelude - The opening ceremony

5. Positive Ride - All the details of the ride, from 4:30am to 4:45pm

6. Positive Experience - My chance to thank you and to let you know how you can continue to make a difference

I don't expect you to just roll through this all in one read, but it would be great if you can get through all of it by breaking it up into a few reads. At the least, please read the post below to give me a chance to thank you!

It has been a rewarding experience in many different ways. Thanks for making all this possible!

Positive Experience

Pelotonia was a success! Here is what was accomplished:

-More than $2,300 (and counting) raised

-I rode 107 miles from Columbus to Athens

-WE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN FIGHTING CANCER!

I need to thank several people who made this possible:

-First and foremost, YOU! Thanks to everyone who donated!

-My summer campers, who stuffed and licked envelopes, made signs and flyers, collected money from their neighbors, and gave me awesome music for the playlist

-My parents, who paid a $100 signup fee to Pelotonia in lieu of a donation

-My sisters - one donated time help me with some administrative elements, and the other who donated $25 toward the cost of postcards and stamps

-Kyle Lewis, who made my "Thank You" postcard

Here is a record of all my donations. Again, YOU made this possible and I thank you! I am sending all the sheets I have on hand and a check for all my cash/check donations in the next few days. If you gave me cash/check, your donation should appear soon:

My Pelotonia Profile

It is NOT too late to donate. You have until October 22. If you did not donate or you want to donate more, here is where you can donate to my ride:

Donate to My Pelotonia Fund

I would also be very happy to hear that you donate to another cause. As you might have heard, a woman was struck by a car and killed during Pelotonia. It is a tragedy that this happened. Yet out of the tragedy, a real difference has been made. More than $40,000 donated in her name toward Pelotonia. The rider left behind a son and more than $10,000 has been raised in a fund for her family. Since I have met my goal I encourage you to donate to one of these two accounts instead:

Kazlausky's Pelotonia Profile

Kazlausky Memorial Fund

I plan on riding again next year. Check back with me next spring or summer for a more formal announcement. If you are interested in riding, please let me know!

Book this blog and check back. I won't have a whole lot to say until next year, but if there is news on this ride I will post it here and on my social media accounts. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter:

ATPelotonia

@ATPelotonia

Positive Ride

The alarm woke me at 4:30. I had breakfast and got dressed for the ride. Yes, I wore the padded biker shorts. I also donned the Pelotonia jersey for the first time.

I left at about 5:45. Rather than going to the starting point, I simply left from my house. I did this because I wanted to get an early start so I could get to Athens in time for a fantasy football draft. Nine friends came to town and we had plans to meet at our favorite pizza place for the draft.

By leaving from my house as opposed to the starting line, I actually added about two miles to the journey. I began by going straight down High Street and then taking Lockbourne Road until I was outside of I-270. Shortly thereafter, I arrived at the first checkpoint just before 7:00, the time the riders were scheduled to depart from OSU. The volunteers were setting up at the checkpoint and they thought I was some sort of biking prodigy by beating everyone else to the stop. I explained I was no hero, just getting a head start.

I moved on and was still the first biker at the second rest stop. Again, I received undue praise and I explained it away once again. I was somewhere between 25-30 miles into the race and jokingly got to refer to myself as the leader.

After I left the rest stop I led for several more miles. At this point, there was a low-flying helicopter near me, so I knew the pack was closing in on me. (We had been warned about low flying aircraft, as it would be taking video of the ride.) This made me uncomfortable as again it seemed I was the leader of the ride - if indeed it was taking video of me. Shortly thereafter, a state trooper rode behind me on his motorcycle and got on his loud speaker to say:

"You are about to be passed by the fastest riders on your left!"

Moments later about 25-30 riders cruised by at about twice my speed. The burden of leading the ride was no longer mine. I was passed often during the rest of the ride.

The next rest stop was the conclusion of the 42-mile ride. I decided I was hungry and ate two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Normally I just do peanut butter sandwiches, but I realized I'm just fine adding strawberry jelly.

I took to the road again and approached the next stop, which was only 12 miles away. Originally I planned on it being a short rest, but then I was told the hills were lurking only a couple of miles into the next stage. I had thought the hills were two stages away, so I took a few more minutes to try to prepare myself.

I thought there would be more hills than there were, but I also thought they would be at less of an incline. Turned out there were three hills in a row in this stage and they were quite difficult. For a moment, I thought I might have to get off the bike and walk up. Many people did. But I remembered Chris Spielman talking the night before about remembering the pain that those with cancer had suffered as I was "sucking wind" in Southeast Ohio. No way I could get off my bike, even if I did go to the lowest gear. Volunteers were set up to provide words of encouragement as we rode and they had extras of them for the hills. That would probably be because they would need to call an ambulance if someone were to have a heart attack. I conquered the hills and there was a bonus rest stop immediately following. Then I continued on to Logan.

Speaking of volunteers lining the roadway, I found them to be very motivating. Some were overly helpful, nice enough to describe the terrain and how long until the next stop. One volunteer stands out more than others. That would be the only one who didn't seem to have words of encouragement. Instead, he lined the road just to wave his Cleveland Browns flag. Yep, I'm a huge Browns fan and got a good laugh out of it.

This is also the stage where rider Michelle Kazlausky was struck and killed by a car that failed to obey a state trooper who was managing traffic. Story here.

I was tired pretty tired and sore when I made it to Logan. We were forecast to sit at 90 degrees that day, but an overcast sky held us in the low-to-mid-80s. However, it looked like rain could end up being a possibility and I desperately wanted to avoid it. I ate 3/4 of another peanut butter and jelly sandwich, hydrated, and got back on the bike.

The next stage was incredibly flat almost all the way to Nelsonville. We eventually hit a couple of hills toward the end of the stage. Most people don't know where they are around Nelsonville, but thanks to many a visit to Nelsonville-York High School while doing broadcast work at Ohio University I knew exactly where I was. This started the nostalgia part of the ride as I coasted downhill towards Rt. 33.

It started about four miles from Nelsonville. The first raindrop. Then another. And another. Soon it was a sprinkle. Since I was traveling east to west at the time I knew there was a good chance there was something heavier awaiting me. I pedal harder. About a mile and a half to go. The sprinkle turns into a fairly steady rain. I pedal even harder. As I enter the more populated part of Nelsonville the steady rain turns into a downpour. I can't pedal any harder because I am going downhill at a quick pace. I could lose control in the middle of traffic if I go any faster.

The next checkpoint was at Hocking College and I was still a mile away. This is where my Southeast Ohio expertise helped me out. I cut off the course by about half a block and waited out the storm under the shade of the Nelsonville train station. I was too worried that everyone would compete for minimal covered areas at the checkpoint, so I was content to wait it out by myself while getting on the horn with friends who could check radar.

I ended up waiting almost an hour, but things calmed down and I left as the rain tapered off to a sprinkle. It stopped soon enough and I was on the final leg to Athens. The other reason the train station was so convenient is that I know the bike path begins right behind it. I jumped on the path, cruised by the Hocking College checkpoint and resumed the course toward Athens. This part of the ride is very flat and I was well rested from waiting out the rain.

An hour later I made my final turns in Athens. A left on Union Street. A right on Shafer Street. Past the soccer field and track. Past the baseball stadium. Next to the cherry trees. There it was. The finish line. There were a couple hundred people cheering for every rider. I cruised in to the applause and words of thanks and crossed the finish line. I had gone 106 miles on the day and I felt very accomplished in what I had done.

I had someone take a quick picture, but I had to get back on the road. I still had one mile to go. I went around the back of the Convocation Center and took a left on Richland Avenue. One last hill up Richland and across the bridge. (I gave serious thought to taking my bike inside the new student center so I could simply take it up the escalator with me.) Scripps was in view. I turned left on Court Street. And for those of you who may not know, Court Street is a brick road. I made a painful descent to the end of the street. There it was on the left. Courtside Pizza, the site of my fantasy football draft. One hundred seven miles in the book.

Positive Prelude

The ride was Saturday, but Friday was quite a busy day too. I planned on getting out of work at 4:00, but didn't get out until about 5:15. That means that with rush hour and Pelotonia traffic teaming up against me, I didn't walk into the Opening Ceremony until 6:30. I got in a long line and waited about a half hour to check in. Why they had lines separated into A-C, D-H and I-Z remains a mystery to me.

Finally, I had my materials in hand. Rather than going through the buffet, I grabbed some pizza and pop when people came through and offered while I was in line. I didn't have much of a desire to wait in another line for the buffet anyway. I met up with a friend who was also riding and we watched as speakers took the mic. This includes OSU President Gordon Gee and former Ohio State football player Chris Spielman.

Spielman's story is notorious around Columbus. His wife Stefanie battled cancer and won four times. The cancer claimed her life late last year when it returned a fifth time, but not before the Spielmans became an active voice in fighting cancer.

With the cemetery where Stefanie is buried in view behind the audience, Chris took the stage to a standing ovation. He said he wasn't alone in his fight because of people like us, the riders. Then he showed a video that included excerpts of several of Stefanie's speeches. It was truly powerful.

I went home and packed my bags for the following night and attached everything I needed to my bike. Then I uploaded the famous - or infamous - playlist to my iPod before going to bed.

The ride was just hours away. And it wasn't until I was within 24 hours of the ride, but I hit the $1,500 in online donations. I had much more in cash and checks that I did not submit. (A tactic I couldn't resist, making online donors think I needed every last penny leading up to the ride! I actually crossed the $1,500 requirement several days before.)

Positive Fundraising

If you are reading this, let me just stop now and thank you for taking an active interest. I am truly passionate about this cause and I bet you are too. You probably donated to help me meet my funding requirement and that is greatly appreciated. Now I will reveal my strategies to you.

My last post described how I felt unlucky in pursuing a career over the last few years, but the one advantage I have gained from having several different jobs is having several different networks. The mission at hand was to tap into those networks for this cause. I divided most everyone I knew into several of these: coworkers and former coworkers, family, family friends, religious affiliations, friends. I made contact with each group as best I could. Sometimes it was as simple as writing an email, other times it meant mailing or dropping off flyers.

Social media played a big part. I made a Facebook and Twitter account and synced them so I only had to post once.

I hosted a happy hour. I may have put more effort into this if I had time in hopes that a bar or restaurant would sponsor me and donate some funds, but that was the one thing I was unable to try due to lack of time. Instead, I simply made the assumption that if people came to the happy hour they would also donate.

And then of course, there was the playlist idea. Pelotonia riders are not supposed to wear headphones, but I was so happy with my idea I had to do break this rule. Besides, I routinely ride with a headphone in my right ear so I can hear people passing on the left. Many people enjoyed that I had found a way to make this campaign interactive and I think it was a big part of the reason many people donated.

Yet what may have been the most selfishly rewarding part of this endeavor was getting my camp kids involved. I mentioned in my last post that I hoped I was having a positive impact, even if I am a small fish in a big pond. Of course kids don't have much of money, but they are plenty capable of donating time. And in the process they can learn about what it means to make a commitment, to raise money for a good cause, and hopefully to make a positive impact themselves.

I was amazed at what these 9-10 year olds did for me. Here are some examples of what they did:

-Two girls designed signs that tracked my fundraising total and kept a list of songs requested for the playlist. As I received more donations we colored in the "thermometer" to track my progress and we added songs to the playlist.

-Three girls made flyers to advertise to parents.

-One boy, a quiet one who only came to camp for two weeks, went to the vending machine with a dollar during snack time and instead decided to donate the dollar to me. Another girl followed his lead later on.

-One girl decided one song on the playlist wasn't enough for her, so she burnt an entire CD. I added the whole thing to the ride.

-The first boy to get his parents to donate already had a dad who was riding. I thought it was very generous that another rider was donating to me.

-Perhaps the one that was most endearing: A girl decided she would go around her neighborhood to solicit donations. I helped her write a script of what she could say. She raised $18 from her neighbors and $10 from her parents.

-There are some repeat offenders above, including one girl who is actually the subject of three of those items. The counselors give superlatives on the last day of camp and we gave that girl "Most likely to run a non-profit organization."

I think my initiative sailed in one ear and out the other for most kids in my camp. But the ones who seemed to care, well, they were just plain passionate about it! I wish the best for those kids and I hope I had a positive impact on them.

Finally, there is the follow-up aspect to all this. I must admit the postcard idea was stolen from a couple who sent one to me as a thank you for a wedding gift I gave. Thank you cards are great, but I wanted everyone to see me at the finish line. Thanks to Kyle Lewis for Photoshopping the picture for me. And thanks to the random person who took the picture on my phone, wherever you are.

Positive Decision

There is a simple answer as to why I have become an avid biker. I need physical activity and I hate to run. That leaves me to find something else that is easy to do on a daily basis. Before I turned 16 I biked everywhere. I made trips on the Olentangy Trail, went to the baseball card store and to CVS or UDF to load up on unhealthy snacks. But the moment I got my driver's license my priorities changed. Why bike to get somewhere when I can drive?

I had wanted to bike once again for the last few years, but it was one of those things where it was a lot of talk and little action. Finally last year I told some friends of mine who are more than avid bikers that I wanted to get back on a bike. It was my lucky day. One of them gave me a bike, dubbed the "Pony," and they only charged me for some new tires. The Pony is a bit older, but she rides nice and smooth.

Throughout the remainder of the year I biked aplenty. I returned to the Olentangy Trail and was on it as often as I could find time. This spring I was right back on the bike and I trained for TOSRV, a ride that goes from Columbus to Portsmouth and back. I would only attempt the one way trip. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate on the day of the ride. The weather was gorgeous earlier in the week, but a powerful storm rolled through the day before leaving behind cooler than ideal temperatures (high about 65), and more problematically, 30-50 mph winds. I went three of the four legs of the trip, a total of 83 miles before quitting. I would have attempted to finish, but I did not know if I had enough daylight remaining.

I heard about Pelotonia. The real selling point was a ride to Athens. Anyone who knows me has seen my love of that town. I was a Bobcat myself and enjoyed about four years of Athens. But Pelotonia is not just about the ride. It is about committing to raise funds for cancer research at the James Hospital, and it was no small total either.

My life has not exactly been glamorous the last few years. I have been in a twentysomething phase, trying to deal with the punches life has thrown me. My career path has changed over the years, I've been laid off, and my most recent job was more of a temporary solution than a career. A commitment to raise $1,500 to go to Athens was a tall task for a couple of reasons. 1) It is no small task to raise that much. It is a heavy time commitment. A commitment that would take time away from training and from the job hunt. 2) If I don't make it to $1,500 I would have to make up the difference, and trust me, I am not in a financial position to do that.

But as my life has seemed half empty rather than half full lately, I decided I had to commit to this. I had not felt like I had made a positive impact over the last couple of years. I had hoped I would find a job that would fulfill that void, and I must admit my most recent gig as a camp counselor made me feel like I was in fact making a difference. But why wait any longer to make the difference? I have been disappointed numerous times that an employer had not given me the chance to show I am capable. Why not make my own luck and give myself the chance to have that positive impact? So I did.

As for the fundraising, I like to live by a line from President Kennedy: "We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard." I would just find a way.

And as for cancer, sure, I want the world to be rid of this disease. I consider myself lucky that I have had a mostly clean bill of health in my life. Not everyone can say that. And almost everyone knows someone who has fought the disease, successful or not. Either way, there are many people who would like to ride and cannot because of the toll cancer has taken. I felt I could definitely do the ride, so it almost felt like a duty, the right thing to do.

After wavering at the commitment I was left with just one month in which to raise the funds. That sounds like it wasn't much time, but I had been planning what I could do to raise funds for a while.

Pelotonia Playlist 2010

Donor Song Artist(s)

Katie Patton Pony Ginuwine

Jon Kabb Run to the Hills Iron Maiden

Kevin Payne I Just Fall in Love Again Anne Murray

John Toperzer White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane

Alexander Kennedy The Choice is Yours The Black Sheep

Susan Weaver Naked Talking Heads

Kara Fagan Only the Young Journey

Carly Bothe Shots LMAFO

Dan Fornal Rocky IV Training Montage

Bryan Shonkwiler Three-Finger Jack Blue Highway

Erin & Michelle Fleck Baby Justin Bieber

Kelly Dunnigan Bye Bye Bye *N Sync

Bree Wooddell Party in the USA Miley Cyrus

Allison Cashman We Are the Champions Queen

Allison Cashman Bicycle Race Queen

Allison Cashman We're Not Gonna Take It Twisted Sister

Allison Cashman Blister in the Sun Violent Femmes

Allison Cashman We Like to Party Vengaboys

Allison Cashman FunkyTown Lips Inc.

Allison Cashman 1984 Van Halen

Allison Cashman Jump Van Halen

Allison Cashman Ring of Fire Social Distortion

Allison Cashman Pump Up the Volume M/A/R/R/S

Allison Cashman Cotton Eye Joe Rednecks

Allison Cashman I Wanna Be Sedated The Rashones

Allison Cashman Yellow Submarine The Beatles

Allison Cashman Surrender Cheap Trick

Allison Cashman Back In Black AC/DC

Allison Cashman Mambo #5 Lou Bega

Allison Cashman Allison Elvis Costello

Allison Cashman We Are the Champions Queen

Lyrin McKibben Good Old Fashioned Nightmare Matt & Kim

Lyrin McKibben Teenage Wasteland The Who

Ross & Erin Cheer OU Marching 110

Lindsay Cowgill Barbie Girl Aqua

Chris Watt Deliverance Bubba Sparks

Callista Conzett Summer Girls LFO

Ryan & Whitney Tuesday's Gone Lynyrd Skynyrd

Parker & Dani Proud to Be An American Lee Greenwood

Beth & Harry Koch That's How I Beat Shaq Aaron Carter

Mom & Dad River Jordan Peter Paul & Mary

Jen & Jason Koma Sexyback Justin Timberlake

Dittman Boys No Love Eminem

Dittman Boys OMG Usher & Will I Am

Frank Cole Locomotive Breath Jethro Will

B. Walters Hang On Sloopy The Hollies

Braverman Swing Low Zooey Deschanel

C. Walters Le Regiment OSU Marching Band

William Righter Long Train OU Marching 110

Joe & Eddie Unchained Melody The Righteous Brothers

Bobby Thompson Tilt Ya Head Back OU Quad Five Trio

Sarah Elam Animal Neon Trees

Kyle Lewis The 59 Sound Gaslight Anthem

Laura Tynan The Goonies R Good Enough Cyndi Lauper

Laura Tynan Power of Love Huey Lewis & the News

Jon Welty I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor