Our Athletes are making a difference!

From Nina

Do you recognize any of these quotes from members of Sorella Cycling? They're quotes that stayed in my head throughout the Tour de Cure 2008.
"Don't let the hill beat you."
"Don't look down, always look to the top-where you want to be."
"Ride predictably."
"Come on, you can do it. We're almost there."
"Pedal to the beat. Feel the rhythm..."
"Pedal with your legs, knees to your chest."
"Take your time, catch your breath."

Our team of 5 Sorellas started with the mass exit. Shannon was planning to do the 50K which would begin at 8:30. She decided to start with the 100K group at 8:00 so we could all begin together. As we started off, Shannon noticed that her front tire was flat. And within minutes, she realized that both tires were deflated. She had to return to the start to remedy the problem. I followed so we could ride together. Problem fixed and we were on our way...about 20 minutes behind the others. But this isn't a race. We figured we'd catch up to the others at a SAG stop.

For the first part of the ride we would be together. We came to a turn and I spotted the arrows indicating to turn right. Shannon noticed other riders going straight. I told her I was turning and she followed me. ( I think she was a bit concerned but I was confident...although there've been times when I confidently made a mistake.)

We rode along and after a while a huge peloton of riders were approaching. I told Shannon this was probably her group. But it turned out that all of these riders were sporting orange bands (100K route.) All of the rideres didn't see the arrows on the road and erroneously went straight. Uh-oh  Shannon speculated, "What if our Sorella Team is behind us???"  

We got to the place where the 50 and 100 split. Shannon makes a decision to ride the 100K...even though she hasn't been training of riding.  We were on our way. We called the others to let them know our status and that we were okay. Riding along, Shannon experienced difficulty shifting. We stopped at the fire station for some repairs. Back on the road, the gears were still not working. Shannon is climbing hills in the big gear!!!   What a trooper!

Long story short, Shannon pedaled 50 MILES on Silk Sheets in the big gear. Her intentions were to ride the 50K. She rode to the 5th SAG stop where she got a ride home. Her gears were totally shot...so were her legs.
I told her I'd see her again at the starting place and I was off like the wind. We were nearing the end of the event. We were told that everything is closed down at 2:30. At that time the SAG vehicles do a sweep and pick up stray cyclists that are still out. I WAS DETERMINED to ride the FULL 100K on my own. Every time I saw a SAG vehicle, I put my thumb up to indicate that I was fine and didn't need the assisst thank-you-very-much. The end result was that I made it in and I felt terrific!

The training and preparaton for this ride contributed to finishing strong. All of those Sorella quotes were going through my head. It was good to see the rest of the team back at the start. Team work...that's what Sorella Cycling is all about. It was truly a great day to ride!!

Julia  is also  raising money for a noteworthy  cause!

I am raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in their Team In Training program and I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.

Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress.  You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sc/nikesf08/jiglen

Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers.   I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support.  I greatly appreciate your generosity.

P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again.