40 mile Lousiville Tour de Cure

Tonight I signed up for the Louisville Diabetes Tour de Cure. It is a 40 mile bike ride to be held May 15th to help raise funds and awareness for diabetes. My brother-in-law had originally approached me with the idea of the Indianapolis ride as something to do next year. I looked into it, but the Indy ride is not something I’ll be ready for any time soon. When I found the Louisville ride with shorter distances and smaller fund raising mandates. I thought, “hmmm…..maybe.” I told my brother-in-law. “You raise the money, I’ll do the ride. This one. This year. May 15th” The reason for that is I don’t feel comfortable raising money for multiple causes at one time. But last night I did so me math. With the promised donations I have today, if I raise another $300 by the end of the month I’ll hit $2400 and get my last $100 matched. I am there!!! Sooooo….I signed up for the diabetes ride. I still don’t like the idea of raising side by side, but my brother-in-law and a friend and her husband are supposed to be helping me with the bulk of the fund raising. TeeHee. This is going to be an awesome training ride for my big one in September. I can’t wait!

More Donations!!! $575 to go

I hate that check donations take so long to post, but love knowing that I have $400 coming to my ride to conquer cancer!! That's right! $400!!! The two good Doctors I work with and my husband's company, Samtec, have all just contributed to the $2500 I have to raise to ride both days!! So excited! It is hard to work after finding out I got another donation, no matter how big or small of a donation it is! I am so excited about this ride and the cause and the fact that I am also there! Once those checks get credited to my ride (which may be a couple weeks) I only have $575 more to raise!! Holy cow! If I can raise $475 more by the end of April then I have both days of the ride in my pocket and secured!

This is so amazing!! All my friends and my family have been amazing with their help also! Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

Yesterday and Today

Ok, so I didn't go to my yoga class last night. I didn't do anything. I picked up a pizza from Papa Murphey's (our first one) and went home. It was nice. I needed a break. Got to eat dinner with the family in my own home and then lounge like a lump playing computer games and knitting. Breathing was good. Especially since I started my morning dizzy and dehydrated. Ooops. I am a heavy water drinker and pay close attention to my intake normally. It was very scary to find me, of all people, dehydrated, but I got it fixed quickly.

Tonight I go to spin class and pump class. I am ready to sweat!! Water is ready. One in each hand. Got my salad to eat in line while I wait ready to go too. I love the busy life :-)

Tuesday no wait..it's Wednesday!

Wow what a great several days! I got some great miles in over the weekend. Got my biking shoes Saturday and another great ride on Sunday. Monday I had a doctor’s appointment that got me out in time to do an endurance ride spin class at the Y. What an awesome class that was. There were pools of sweat under everyone’s bikes at the end of that class. Had to watch my step! Last night I really considered not going to spin class. I finally found sore. Not horrible sore, but sore none the less. I went though and am SO glad I did. The class wasn’t easy, but it was a definite cool down to the rides I’d done the rest of the week. And, because it was a slower pace and intensity it stretched me out nicely. Tonight is a break and yoga. Ahhh…A breather……

RCC- Sunday ride

My goal today was to ride 20 miles. It didn’t happen. It started raining on me before I could get them all in, but today’s ride was awesome anyway. I did my traditional ride to the gas station for a power aide drink. After stopping there I headed up Henriott to Frank Ott, to Alonzo Smith Road, in to a neighborhood and out the other side. Up the road, over the creek and in the direction of my grandmother’s house I pedaled on and on. Up the hills and down the hills climbing hard and feeling free flying down the other side.
Eight miles in and feeling pretty good after some decent climbs, I thought about going to grandma’s to visit for a minute. I changed my mind when I saw the hill she lived on. I wasn’t ready to tackle that one today. I knew the hill that was coming to make it back home. So instead, thinking to myself, “Maybe next week grandma,” I turned right into a neighborhood with more inviting hills and continued on. It was time to start heading toward an unavoidable hill I was trying to put off as long as possible.

“Pedal, pedal, pedal. Keep up the pace. Hell yeah this feels good! I’m getting closer to the hill. I see it coming. I’m a little nervous, but I can do this. I can do this. I am doing this. I think I can do this. Maybe I can do this. Holy crap this is hard. Really? You can keep a bike upright at 3.2 miles an hour. Is this hill ever going to end? Am I going to make it home on my own? Do I dare look up to see how much more of this hill there is? I think I may die today. Wait, wait. It’s getting easier. Almost there. Hell yeah the top!!! I made it to the top! I just reached the top!!”

The hill I rode is a mile of incline. The incline for the first six tenths of a mile is fairly gradual and light. The last 4 tenths is dang near straight up and down. I made it to to the top and am alive to type about it. I think I am ready to try Henriott Hill again after that. I’ll wait a few days first though.
It wasn’t long after my hill triumph that it started raining and I had to go home. I didn’t get 20 miles in like I’d wanted but I did still get 12 great miles in.

RCC- Trip to Clarksville Schwinn

Before going to work, I spent the day at Clarksville Schwinn. I went to look at shoes and toe cages, and to get some information. Let me tell you. The people there are wonderful!!! They are straight forward and honest. They tell you what you need and don’t try to sell you anything else. They understand that it is repeat business that keeps them open not a few pricey sales to unsuspecting newbies. They are patient and helpful and willing to answer any question and take their time with you no matter how many other people there are there waiting. I have been there before and love them every time. I recommend them 100 times over for sure!
I got shoes while I was there. I wasn’t going to lock in, but I think I am going to give it a try. I can always change the pedals back out if I hate it. Sell the shoes and pedals on e-bay if I have to, but something tells me I’ll like it. I’ll be getting the pedals as soon as I can get my bike up there. They are even putting them on and adjusting my clips and everything for free. I really like that store!! Can’t wait to try out the new shoes!

RCC- First real training Ride

I finally got to take my bike out for a real ride. My goal was to do ten miles. A hefty feat considering my last real ride I threw my bike and myself on the side of the road after 7 miles and called for a ride home. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I couldn’t survive all ten. This was my first test to see where I was compared to where I should be with training for the ride. I was scared to death to go out on this ride because I was afraid of the level of disappointment I would be feeling when I wasn’t able to do the full ten I wanted.
I did a quick bike check, aired my tires and headed out the door full of ambition and drive that I could do the ten miles. I headed on a path I had taken a few times the summer before that takes me in the direction of my dad’s house and a gas station in case I needed to stop for a rest or CPR. The first hill I hit I was at the top of before I realized I had even started it. It isn’t a huge hill, but it is a long hill that I huffed and puffed to get up last year. First hill down and I was feeling good, of course I had only gone one mile. I figured I’d ride through my dad’s neighborhood next. Keep it safe. When I made it through all the hills there I decided to see if I could do the big hill. I didn’t make it all the way, but I did make it about ¾ of the way up!! Hell yeah. Feeling great about that. Instead of walking up the rest of it I turned around and rode back down and made my way to the gas station for a snack and a drink before continuing on.
Back on the road I was kind of stuck. I could only head back the way I came because to get anywhere else I had to conquer the huge hill. Wasn’t going to happen today, so back the way I came. There is one spot on the way home that I struggled and struggled and struggled with on every single ride. I only made it up this long drawn out hill once and had to stop at the top to recover from it. Today, I made it up! It was work, but I made it the whole way.
Still full of energy and sunlight I continued past my path home and further up the road in a different direction, looped around and came back. Not ready to be done, I went one more direction and rode it as far as I could without having to hit another huge hill. Running out of day light I had to head home. I could have ridden longer, but the sun was telling me no. When I got home and checked my mileage and re checked it against mapmyride.com I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The ten miles I thought I’d struggle to get done had turned into a fairly easy 15 miles! Cloud nine, top of the world. I can do this!! I can do this ride! Today was a great day!

Not doing the 1 day ride

I’m not doing the one day 75 mile ride for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. My goal is instead to do the full 140 mile, 2 day, $2500 ride!! I’m not sure exactly when I decided to change my fundraising goal to $2500 and my ride expectations to the full two day ride. Something tells me that I had that decided the day I signed up though. $1200 was a safer goal, and 75 miles a more attainable achievement. It isn’t “official” on paper yet. I can’t change the ride I am registered for until I have the $2500 raised, but I will raise it with everyone’s help! At this point though, having raised over $1200, I am guarunteed to get to ride at least the first day!! Thank you all so much!!

Day 1 is Done! Over halfway there (money wise)

I made the $1200 goal!!! The deal is sealed for the first day of the ride!! Oh my goodness this is amazing!! And I made it before the end of March which gets me another $100 credit. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have met that fund raising goal. I am so amazed by the level and amount of help and support I am getting from everyone, especially my husband. He has done so much to help me raise the funds I need to participate in this epic journey. I still have a long way to go though. I sure hope I can keep this fund raising momentum up.

The Mary Kay sales will be ongoing through September. Jeans day money will continue to come in, and there are other work fund raisers set to go on that I will benefit from. Plus the things we have planned for warmer weather to raise money.

I am so excited!!!

THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

(if you want to help me out click here)

RCC-Email of Congratualtions 50% of goal raised!!

Hi Angela,

We're sending this note to let you know you're half way to your fundraising goal. Congratulations! You've made great progress, so don't slow down now. Use the momentum you've gathered so far to speed ahead. You'll reach 100% of your goal soon, but if you feel like you're stuck, here are some things that you can do:

Call a Ride Guide at [877]688-BIKE[2453]. We are full of advice and great ideas to help you go well beyond your fundraising goal.

Visit your Participant Center. You can check your progress or send out a thank you for the donations that helped you reach this point. Remember to bookmark your Participant Center so that you can check it often for the latest news.

Visit the fundraising page here for some ideas you might not have tried yet.

Call us at [877]688-BIKE[2453] or email us at kentuckyguides@ridetovictory.org.
Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

The Ride to Conquer Cancer®
Benefiting Norton Cancer Institute



Fundraising Goal:
$2,500.00

Total Raised:
$1,254.07

% of goal:
50%

RCC- RSVP'd to Ride Orientation

We are pleased that you will be attending the following event:

Event Name:
S. Indiana Orientation

Date & Time:
Monday, March 15, 2010 6:30 PM

Duration:
1 hour, 0 minutes

Location:
Scheller's Fitness & Cycling

Visit this event's page.

1 guest or guests attending

Please print or save this message for your personal records


Event Coordinator
The Ride to Conquer Cancer

RCC- Bio for Profile in work news letter

Our newsletter at work is giogn to be profilign some of the people riding in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. I was asked if I would be the first one profiled. Of course I said yes. Here is what was asked followed by what I submitted....

Angela,



Will you be our first profile for the next newsletter? Do you have a picture in your ride gear? What information do you want to include? Here are some of my ideas:

1. Name

2. NCI Location and job

3. Biking information

a. How long you have cycled

b. Favorite memory!

4. Why you are participating



My name is Angela Bernardi. I am 32 years old and work for Louisville Oncology-Audubon as a registrar. I am new to biking. I used to ride all over the neighborhood when I was younger. When I hit Junior High School I was allowed to start riding to my grandmother’s house on weekends which was five miles away. It’s funny how small of a distance that seems now, but how far 5 miles was when I was 12.

Once I started getting friends with cars and then my own license the bike went away until last year when I got a bike from my husband for Valentine’s Day. It is a schwinn hybrid bike that I rode on weekends as long as the weather let me. By the end of last summer I had worked up to 7 miles. That’s a long way from 140 miles, but I’ll get there. I have been working hard cross training at the Southern Indiana YMCA building strength and endurance. I was able to get my bike out the other day and took a ride to the grocery store and back. It was only a four mile ride, but it was easy this year. That was a very encouraging moment for me early on in the training process.

I have had a few days already where I have asked myself why I signed up for the ride. Moments where I wonder if I really can hit the miles I need to hit to do this, but then I remember why I am doing this. I am doing this for my mother whom I lost to leukemia in 2002. I am riding for my best friend I lost to lung cancer in 9th grade. I am riding for the friends I have lost to breast cancer. For the friends who have survived various forms of cancer, and for the family I have that has been recently diagnosed with cancer. I am riding so the people who can make a difference and find a cure have the funds they need to make that difference and find that cure. I am riding so that one day no more children lose their parents, no more parents lose their children, and no more people lose their friends. I am riding because cancer sucks and there is a cure out there if we just do what we can to find it. This is what I can do to help find it, so this is what I am doing.

RCC- Ride Update- Training Schedule- Current Fund Raising

What I’ve been doing to earn your dollars and support…

My typical week:

Monday: Work, Yoga

Tuesday: Weight training, Work, Spin Class (cycling), Power Pump Class

Wednesday: Work, Interval Hill training on stationary bike (45-60 min), Yoga

Thursday: Weight Training, Work, Spin Class, Power Pump

Friday: Work, 30-45 min Jog, hill climber, or gazelle, or bike (Friday’s vary)

Saturday: Weights, 30 minute power class, Work

Sunday: Bike or run, Yoga, work



And in my spare time I am counting down days until it is warm enough to get road time in J.



So far, with all of your help I have raised $1111.07 towards the $2500 that I need to raise to ride!!! If I raise $88.93 more by the end of the month (total of $1200) I get matched another $100. I never thought I’d get anywhere near that match goal and I am that close!! It’s thanks to all of you!!



Thank you all for all you do!! Your support, be it money, or help in raising funds, asking how it is going, or just saying good job has all meant a lot to me. I have a lot of personal drive, but that stuff sure helps keep it there!!. I have an email that can’t be sent out if anyone has friends or family they want to send a solicitation email. Just let me know and I’ll send you a copy of it. If you don’t want updates on my progress, let me know. No hurt feelings here. Hope everyone is doing well!!



Don’t forget about the continuing Mary Kay fund raiser. I get 30% of all sales that go to Susan Frederick ( http://www.marykay.com/sfrederick11 ) Just put my name, or cancer ride, or anything along those lines in the comment box if you order online. Or I can give you her phone number if you want to order direct.


Other fund raisers are coming soon!

Thank You,