climbing to find a cure

A couple of months ago I took a rock climbing class with Tammy and our friend Jessica. None of us have ventured outdoors to climb rocks or mountain sides in the wilderness, but it proved to be a great strentghening form of excercise. It helps also to build confidence and forces you to stretch beyond what you think you can, physically and mentally.

Now here is why I mention this now. If you're a climber, day hiker or might blue-green algae in your backyard, you can participte in cancer research. Yep Megan Sturdy is studying different strains of blue-green algae, which is often found off the beaten path in rock crevacies and other remote areas.

If you're interested in assisting; your free collection kit can be obtained through Climbing for Cancer Research. She is hosting a climbing benefit June 6th at the the Red River Gorge, KY in the Muir Valley area.

Belay-on!
-Rhonda
*Thanks Blue Ridge Outdoors for this interesting tidbit of knowledge.

update from the Lance Armstrong Foundation

I feel it is important for you to know where your money is going when you donate to me at http://phill09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin. It does not go to me, it goes to The Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.livestrong.org). They offer support to people after their treatment ends and helps them to know how to live life after cancer, how to pick the treatement that works best for you, and so much more.
As you may know, Lance Armstrong came out of cycling retirement to take his important messege of fighting cancer global. He felt that the best way to do that is on his bicycle. I agree and I am coming out of retirement and helping to spread the word about The Lance Armstrong Foundation and what they do to fight cancer.

Here is a brief video from the Lance Armstrong Foundation CEO and their global efforts to fight cancer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUXUTLLHN28

Keep those wheels turning!
-Rhonda

cancer angels part 2

"When the heart is full the tongue will speak."
~Scottish Proverb

I'm speaking!

Angels are all around us, in the least likely places. You're an angel, whether you realize it or not. This is why, I ask for prayers. Not of myself, but for a family and their 13 year old who seems to be losing in this battle of cancer. Just when she should be getting dressed up to go hang out at the movies or to walk around at the mall, she is in battle for her life. Sadly she is more familiar with blood transfusions, chemotherapy, hospitals and trying to survive another day.

She is here in Roanoke, her family are good friends of, friends of mine. A few weeks ago she had a stroke. Lost some function immediately, but pulled through again soon there after. I cannot imagine the fear a 13 year old must feel in going through such an ordeal and the continued courage to stand strong in the face of such a tough oponent. I hope she is proud, because she continues to fight like hell!

Her body has stopped making new blood and bone marrow and all the things needed to replenish and rebound from any illness. Her family has been there by her side, her Mom leaving her job and doing all that she can for years. Yet, cancer seems to be stronger than the love of a parent. Please pray for these cancer angels the whole family. Also all of the young cancer angels out there that have been knocked down, but are still standing tall in a battle against cancer.

Still riding and fighting for those who can't fight so we can reach an end of cancer!

Peace and love,
-Rhonda

http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Re-cap!

We are at the 90 day point! Woo-hoo!!! The fundraising themometer is steady rising and we are over $1000 and closer to the $2500 goal. You can also now follow how many days we have until the Philly Livestrong Challenge, August 23!

In case you are new to the blog, I am raising money to fight cancer. You can donate today at http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin.

Here is a description of the ride!
45 Mile
The 45 mile course is a great course for the rider who wants the mileage but not the difficulty that comes with the 70 and 100 mile course options. After departing Montgomery County Community College (MCCC), the ride heads west on Morris Road. Within a few miles you will find yourself on pristine roads surrounded by plush vegetation, historic landmarks and Pennsylvania-Dutch barns. You will enjoy the picturesque views of Green Lane Park and conquer the appropriately named Hill Road before heading home across the rolling hills of Montgomery County back to the post event party at the MCCC.

The total climbing elevation for the 45 mile course is 1,681 feet.

Thanks for joining the journey and following along in the blog!
-Rhonda

Mill Mountain!

Hey! Who said a 244 pound chunky girl cannot make it up Mill Mountain on a bicycle? Not me!!!!!

Tammy, Lisa and I made it up Mill Mountain on our bicycles!!!!!!!!! Went all the way to the star and looked proudly over the city! Lisa was great and cheered us on all the way. Tammy and I stopped once at the steepest part to catch our breath. I made it up first and cheered Tammy as she finished the ascent. Lisa who has riden up the mountain before was there to help us and guide us from her experience. We called her Lisa our Mountian Coach. Thanks Lisa!!!!!

Doing it again next week, if you wanna join us!
-Rhonda

fun quote for your Friday!

"Bike racing is art. Art is driven by passion, by emotions, by unknown thoughts. The blood that pumps through my veins is stirred by emotion. It's the same for every athlete. And that's why we do this."
~Chris Carmichael

courage & determination

"Give me such courage and I can scale the hardest peaks alone, And transform every stumbling block into a stepping stone."
~Gail Brook Burket

This 45 mile Livestrong Challenge bike ride is one of the most wonderful decisions I have ever made. When I started this adventure to train and ultimately achieve a successful and complete a 45 mile bike ride, I had not riden much past 15 miles in my adult life. I was 244 pounds, 36 with moderate activity for excercise, but not a couch potato.

Though I had become a couch potato and movie potato when my Dad's diagnosis came down. I was almost crippled. I don't know if it was fear, sadness, grief or all the above, but I had no energy to do anything and didn't care if I did do anything. Now it is 3 months later, I have now riden 35 miles, planning on more long rides, climbing Mill Mtn (If you're not from Roanoke, it has a cool star on the top of it and a pretty good climb on a bike) and the sky is the limit.

Cancer has taken a lot from me, but I am stopping that. I'm not going to let it take anything else from me. How? Because I plan to continue to ride Livestrong Challenge rides and raise money so we can turn the negatives of cancer into positives.

Not everyone responds to the news of cancer favorably. Sometimes the family hearing the news is not able to process the news. I am lucky, I have a wonderful partner and friends that all fell into place and held me up til I could hold myself up. Now I see myself as being able to help hold someone else up. I am riding and raising money so that The Lance Armstrong Foundation can help people make informed decisions about their treatments, help them with living with cancer, learn how to live life after cancer and help with research funding.

Thanks for joining the village of healers against this dis-ease of cancer!
-Rhonda

a Dad update

I do not do a lot of Dad updates, because there is not always a lot of change. Monday was his one month anniversary from his last radiation treatment. Woohoo! He was given 4-6 months to live in January and he seems to be holding strong.

In total he has lost about 40 pounds. Which isn't bad considerng food felt a lot like razor blades and sharp pieces of glass dragging across a sun burned throat with blisters.

Kind of unusual to look at him, his clothes all baggy and bunched up, where normally he fills in all the material. My Dad has always been a big guy. Heck we are a big family. Most of us have spent most of our life, tall and big boned. Haha!

We ate good southern food most of the time. Though it tastes good, sweet and leaves a shine on your lips and fingers, it leaves more on our bellies and thighs. So I know it has been frustrating for my Dad to not be able to eat much at all. When we tend to gather around to eat and celebrate.

Monday we went out to lunch to celebrate my sisters birthday. Though many years divorced, our parents are still friends. It was surreal to be sitting there Mom, Dad, Sara and I, at a table, like when Sara and I were kids. Dad ate almost all of his sandwich and debated about whether or not the chips were a good idea, though he crunched down the whole bag. Food gets caught on the tumors part of the way down, so they wedge in there and slowly slide down. On a still healing surface, that is not a pleasant feeling and you sit by trying to offer anything that helps. You almost feel like seeing if you can help it down frm the outside, cause it looks uncomfortable.

Dad is slowly gaining back his energy and mobility. He went today to have his port flushed. That is this thing they put just under he skin, so they do not have to keep finding a fresh vein for fluids or other meds. This is put in primarily for his chemo (which he opted to discontinue after one round), but he has gone in for fluids too, when he couldn't drink water, cause it hurt going down. He goes to the radiation doctor next week, we're assuming then Dad will get the date of the scope to know how successful the radiation has been.

There is a Dad update! Thank you for all your kind thoughts, encouragement, support, prayers and anything I may not be mentioning here. We are keeping on!

Enjoy every minute of your day!
-Rhonda

my life surrounding cancer

"I thought I knew what ear was, until I heard the words You have cancer. Real fear came with an unmistakable sensation: It was as though all my blood started flowing in the wrong direction. My previous fears, fear of not being liked, fear of being laughed at, fear of losing my money, suddenly seemed like small cowardices. Everything now stacked up differently: the anxieties of life--a flat tire, losing my career, a traffic jam--were reprioritized into need versus want, real problem as opposed to minor scare. A bumpy plan ride, it wasn"t cancer."
~Lance Armstrong from It's Not about the Bike

If you just met me in recent years, you may not know of the cancer that has been around me in my life growing up. In fact I don't remember life without cancer. I cannot begin to express to you how happy I am, that I have never experienced cancer in my own body. I feel blessed abundantly to be 36 and cancer free. Even with the years of improper eating and little to no exercise, I've been able to avoid that diagnosis.

Though many people around us have had, live with or been affected by cancer. Many people have never experienced it first hand, within their family. It might be a coworker or a friends family, but never has it "hit home". Maybe the following lines will help you get a better understanding why I have decided to fight back against cancer, take control of my choices, participate in a Livestrong Challenge and hopefully help others along the way.

You see growing up, I did not completely understand why my cousin kept coming to stay with us. I almost thought he was a brother and my Mom well, she treated him like he is one of her own, still does. I did not understand it then, but have a crystal clear understanding now. They kept talking about cancer, surgery, chemotherapy and hospitals, I did not understand what any of it meant then.

I was young and my normally strong and very tall uncle Jime' (Pronounced Hi-me, Spanish nickname he kept from high school) all of a sudden looked not so good. One year he dressed up like Frankenstein and wore my cousins football shoulder pads and it scared the heck out of me if that gives you an idea. He got a funny skin color and he lost his hair. My cousin came to stay with us a lot during those times. As I am sure a difficult time to take care of yourself and a loved one, that a child becomes a lot no matter how much you love them. My aunt and uncle showed a tremendous amount of courage in the face of cancer and still do. Though this went on for several years, he fought back and won against cancer.

Little did I know, but that was just the beginning of my introduction to cancer. It happened again, all the whispers, and gathering around, my great-grandmother on my Dad's side was diagnosed with cancer and later died. Then my Dad's Father was diagnosed with lung cancer. I can remember watching a large man approximately 300 pounds and tall (just like my Dad) waste away in a hospital. Looking at the skin stretched across his skeleton is still an image I remember vividly, it was an advanced stage and to late to save him either.

I watched my Dad then, now understanding how he felt. Looking at this "giant" in your eyes now crippled by a beast that you cannot see to get your hands on to beat the shit out of. How defenseless it makes you feel and wanting to do what you can to help, but not feeling like it is ever enough.

Then once again when I was older I remember my cousin coming over again and tears shedding and the cancer word came back into our life. My uncle once again was fighting cancer. I was older now and was able to feel the sadness, fear and confusion. He lost his hair again, laughed when it grew back this time, that each time it comes back a little more grey. My uncle has had multiple forms of cancer off and on for many years. He is a strong and very brave man to take charge and set out to fight back without missing a step and alway having a kind smile and gentle nature.

Then in my first year out of high school, I was attending Virginia Western Community College and my grandmother on my Mom's side began having troubles. The doctors messed around with her medication, did tests and all sorts of stuff. We found out soon enough that she had ovarian cancer, which would be something that women in our family would have to watch out for in their own bodies. She was diagnosed, sent into surgery and died within two weeks.

Cancer is a ________________________ (fill in a line of cussing) to me. We hear cancer in our family we move into action, listen, hold hands and whatever is needed. Cancer has not taken my uncle, my Dad is still fighting (one month yesterday since his last radiation treatment), but it has taken many other family members. Minni, Pa-pa, Nannie, Sandy Re (a doggie Tammy and I rescued only had her for 6 months), Theresa, Tammy and that is just in my family. Although I have many friends still fighting cancer, I have many that have been lost too. Still yet there are the ones who won the fight. Way to go! You are amazing!

I am in a fight too! My fight is to fight back so nobody else has to learn what this fear is. The fear of cancer never leaves you! Your loved ones start having problems, we have in the back of our heads cancer. It is always there, right on the surface, cancer.

I'm fighting back so that families don't have to gather around the table to talk about treatment schedules, surgeries and planning their end of days. I'm fighting back and need your help! Please donate to help me reach my goal, I'm going to keep riding my bike and spreading awareness and changing the world one revolution at a time, because I can and because it is PERSONAL!
I'm in a fight and we're going to win with your help! Please visit my fundraising webpage and donate, add your name to the honor roll! http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin Thank you, I appreciate all of your support!

Let's end cancer now!
-Rhonda

2:43:46

2:43:46 is what is displayed on my watch as though it is the time, frozen in place. Still there because I am proud of our accomplishments, of what we were able to do yesterday. Tammy, Casey and I all rode the Huckleberry 3 times out and back which is 35 miles, in the above time. Funny thing it took less time for us to do three laps than the first time Tammy and I did one lap.

I know that Jessee and Elizabeth did a great job too on their 30 miles, but I was not with them so I cannot speak of their ride. So I'll pause here to applaud their wonderful job for doing what they didn't think they could!

As I have mentioned before the first time Tammy and I rode The Huckleberry it took just over 3 hours. It was funny, cause we calculated how fast we had been going on our regular ride at that time (which we now realize is mostly flat) and determined it should take us about an hour and a half. Well we headed out and made a wrong turn for about a mile, so we U-turned and got back on route. Just over an hour and a half from the start we arrived at one end. Proud, cause that seemed tough and it was further than we had ever riden at that time. We paused took a picture (that we take each time we cross) and headed back. It was dark by the time we got to the car and we were super tired, hungry and sore all over. I'll remind you at this point this was before we had coooshy bike shorts.

So we fast forward a few years, add a 45 mile Livestrong Challenge (www.livestrongchallenge.org) bike ride I'm training for, a friend and once again we are celebrating another distance achievement on the Huckleberry. It is amazing to see how far Tammy and I have come on our bikes! Glad Casey was there too! He has his own things to celebrate, he just made his 5K goal last weekend and also rode further than he ever has on his bike yesterday.

The three of us cheered each other on, laughed joked and pushed each other through an excellent adventure. The first two laps of course were easier than the third. The return trip on the last leg was slower than the other two. Changing gears seemed like it took effort and climbing out of the saddle to get up a hill did not happen. That did not matter when we crested that last hill with the grazing cattle, cause we were in the home stretch. A quarter of the way through the last mile I had a goofy grin I'm sure and started whooping at our fabulous achievement. We did it!!!

I read many cyclist say that cycling is a solitary sport. I must be exceptional, because I do not only have a fabulous partner there with me, but there was a whole wonderful group there to support my training efforts. They were there to achieve goals of their own.

Thanks gang!!! Who is up for a repeat performance June 13?

With sore muscles and abundant gratitude!
-Rhonda

saddle wisdom

"You never have the wind with you---either it is against you or you're having a good day."
~Daniel Behrman

In case you're new to cycling or it has been a while since you've been out, here are a few things I hope can aid you along the way.
1- What cmes up must come down, so hills are no big deal....Not exactly, it takes longer to climb than to decend.
2-(this is generalized please take no offense if you're part of one of these parties) Children under 10 on a bicycle or razor scooters, dogs on a retractable leash, parents with strollers and sqirrels all make me reach for the brake! They are all incredibly unpredictable as to their direction or sudden changes.
3-Head winds happen! It does not always mean you'll have a tail wind for the return trip.
4-Warning! Cycling is addictive and you'll think about the joy it brings often! :o)

Pedal on!
-Rhonda

the love of riding bicycles

"The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and reedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard."
~Sloan Wilson

My love of riding bikes started when I was little, I have no clue how old I was, but 3 or 4 seems right. My Mom & Dad picked me up at my grandparents house. I don't even recall the time of year, I'm sure pictures might reveal this information. My Dad told me to go outside, where I saw my Mom standing there with a beautiful bicycle. It was all mine!

I remember it just like yesterday. White and pink with a little white basket with daisy flowers on it. It had a banana seat with a pink and white checked pattern. Those little white pedals were going to become a part of a wonderful new experience.

I don't ever remember using training wheels and my Dad said I never used them. I remember my first bike ride when Dad taught me. We lived on a dead end street so we had a good space to start. There was this big water tower across the street, that I always thought was a giant spider that as going to bite me and remember wanting to stay on the side of the road closest to the house.

No helmet and hair blowing lightly as my Dad stood beside me grinning. I look back now and assume the no helmet thing was common and there was less hectic traffic in the 70s. I don't even remember what he was wearing, I just remember his big-very big ear to ear grin as he held on the back of that seat. Holding tight he ran beside me, wobbled and stopped because I felt out of control. We did this a few times and I can almost hear my Dad saying something like, come on Ra-ra you can do it. Let's go. And I did, finally I took off pedaling and was off on my own. I probably only went a few feet the first time, but kept at it. I would ride down the street to the top of the hill, stop get off and turn my bike around and ride to the end of the street and do it all over again. Turning while on the bike came later. I'm thinking it had someting to do with the water tower/spider across the street.

I guess suddenly I got the courage up and decided to ride over the hill. Uh-oh might have been my thought as the speed I picked up was a little faster than I had been riding back and forth on the flat ground. Slide, crash bang is about how the minutes later played out. I hit a group of those old school big metal trash cans. I had bruises already showing up and scrapes all over the place. My Dad ran down the hill to help carry me and my bike back up to the house. I remeber he told me something about how I did good and way to go Ra-ra, you were doing really good. I got bandaged up and I was ready to go again.

I'm not sure if I went right back out to ride that same day, but the delightful feeling of wind blowing across my face has never left me even with all the scrapes and bruises I've earned.

There is something liberating about riding a bike. I rode all over the place on my pink and white bike, which was around the house and on the street in front of the house, I would fill my little white basket with all sorts of rocks, plants, and treasures du jour. As I got older my little white basket came off and I started to zoom around on my little white and pink bike. I tried ridng off curbs, ramps and was stopped one time trying to ride off our station wagon. Thank God, that would've been an ER visit for sure! The white basket with the multicolored daisies moved on to be strapped to my grandmothers walker, aiding her to carry things from point A to point B. My pink and white bike went to my little sister when she got old enough to ride and I upgraded to a sparkly royal blue ten-speed.

That ten-speed helped carry me from point A to point B. More on those years later.

The love of bicycles grew over the years along with the love between Dad and I. I think that is exactly why a 45 mile Livestrong ride fits perfect. He gave me a gift many-many years ago when I learned to ride a bike. Now I can use that gift and a bike to help make a difference.

Thanks Dad!
-Ra-ra

age

Age is funy-funny thing! It puts wrinkles on our face, causes skin to hang wierd off our body and we may have to buy glasses, orthopedic shoes or who knows how our bodies will react.

I am 36 years old. The main thing I notice with all of this new training scheduled is, I am doing things I never thought I would do at 36. I am preparing to ride 45 miles in August and that feels good! A few things I have noticed different is that it takes a little longer for my body to rebound after long rides or hard workouts. I have to loosen up my muscles before I roll out of the bed to start my day. That is ok, because all in all my body has been good to me. I have abused it, by eating horribly and it is still be-bopping along. I have a few aches and twinges I probably didn't have at 18, but I'm doing it.

Now, I am changing many of my habits. I am eating better than I have my whole life. More whole foods. Fruits and veggies not processed foods, limiting refined sugars and practically eliminating dairy. I am stopping the cycle! You see my great-grandmother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, a cousin and many friends have lost their life to cancer. My Dad, uncle and countless friends are living with cancer or learning how to live life after cancer. All at varied points in diagnosis, treatment and remission.

I had a dream a month ago. One of that I thought was one in the many anxiety dreams since my Dad's cancer diagnosis. I was running for my life through the whole dream, trying to prove I was innocent. That is how I think people feel when they hear they have cancer, they ask why me, what have I done. Or I'm a good person. Then I realized that at 36, having spent most of my life overweight, correction morbidly obese, this is my last chance to change the pattern.

It is my choice what I do with my life and I take full responsibility for all I have done in terms of eating and creating a healthy life.

I hope you talk to your family doctor, ask them how you can reduce your cancer risks. There is even genetic testing to determine your risks. Nothing is 100% effective, there are a lot of factors that go into cancer, but an improved diet and excercise can reduce your risk of some cancers by 50%.
Accept your choices you've already made and change your path. If you have multiple risks, every little bit helps, stop smoking or start excercising, pick what works for you. Let us all stop this disease of cancer. We have the power! I plan keep doing a ride and raising money as long as we are still in battle with cancer, because I know how crippling the disease is on many levels. It's more than about you and me, it is about all of us. Anyone with cancer affects us all! Please donate so that these monies can start going toward prevention or helping someone learn their treatment options.
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Take control and stop the cycle of disease in your life!
-Rhonda

fun quote for a Saturday

"The bicycle will do more for the women's sensible dress than all the reform movements ever have been waged."
~Author Unknown, from Demerarest Family Magazine, 1895

Happy Saturday everyone! Did some weight lifting this morning and walking downtown to support two friends doing a 5K.
Go and make the world a better place!
-Rhonda

a rough ride over 2 weeks and 3 days

Yea, I've had some celebrations and some exciting things to talk about over the past 2 weeks and 3 days. In addition to the exciting news and everything I have had a really challenging time. I hurt! Beyond sore hurt too. I am not injured and I am doing better now. I have not put this in the blog until today, because I did not know what to put. In addition to my hurting, my head was cloudy. Cloudy for multiple reasons, my aches were keeping me up at night so I was not sleeping well. Then last Friday my Mom discloses that she was having a biopsy on her tongue because her medical doctor thought she had cancer. My head got really cloudy. Thank goodness it came back as non-malignant, but still a very scary few days.

Now as I mentioned before I go to an acupuncturist on a regular basis, he is for a lack of another term my primary care physician. I call him for all sorts of things and it is addressed in a Chinese Medicine and philosofical kind of way. One that I understand and comfortable with, I understand not everyone will be comfortable with his xplainations. Before the aching started, my chiropractor stated that there is a deficiancy in my system and suggested a couple of specific vitamins to take. So I started on those. Then my acupuncturist put it in this way again stating the safe deficiancy. My body is changing rapidly he said. It is getting stronger and doing things it has never done or has not done in a long time. It has to adjust, so some aches and pains may occure. He goes into more detail, but that is the basic part of the conversation. If you want to know the details ask.

What I have gone through is tough! For me at least. I had to really push myself beyond what I thought possible. I had the energy level of a slug and felt like a blob. Yea, one day I left the gym without finishing my wrkout, went home and cried. Feeling like a failure and feeling just plain terrible. I had a pity party! It was a day and a half of how bad I am doing and how I do not even understand the purpose of this ride. Blah blah blah! I felt that bad!!! Then the news from my Mom, I didn't know what to do.

I pushed through and not until yesterday did I even start to feel like myself. It's been tough, but I'm glad I have had this experience, for so many reasons. I as at the 2 month mark. Most studies show that it takes 2 months to start a new habit, though habits are always easy to break when the going gets tough. I had a tough time getting there and making it happen, but I went and gave what I had, which I have to tell you it wasn't much. I also had to make myself get on the bike, even though my legs felt broken, as though he bones had shattered. They have not had such a physical injury, but I feel it is all the emotional stuff I've stored over the years in the fat of my body. I also feel my acupuncturist got it right when he stated that for my body, I'm performing at an elite athlete level. I got to trea it that way. I got a chuckle out of that later, eeing a great Tshirt or comic strip, but recognied the truth in it.

Then we sat down to watch The Biggest Loser. They had a challenge to run a marathon. One of the things I find as a neat thing to achieve, but have a century ride and a triathlon that I want to achieve first. Throughout the show I heard one of the contestants state that fat people don't do marathons and that walking a marathon doesn't count (he had an injury that kept him from running). The truth of what my acupuncturist said started to ring through. I cried for each of the 4 contestants as they crossed the finish line. Proud of their accomplishment. That is an amazing thing to do, to walk 26 miles and to push yourself through the fear and pain!

I hate hearing people say you can't do something. You can't do something because you're a woman, you're fat, you're this or you're that. I'm hear to ell you that you can!!!! That is as long as it is with in reason. Find a way, it may not happen right away, but set goals, it will happen. People told me I shouldn't go to college, I graduated from Hollins. That I couldn't rock climb, I have. People have told me that I shouldn't, couldn't and can't a lot. I'm here to tell you that you and I can, will and are!

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quite, however, it lasts forever."
~Lance Armstrong

I'm not quiting and hope that you join me in this fight!
Ride on!
-Rhonda

Join me in Philadelphia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXOVkDp-Rw
This is simply a plea to you to join me in this fight! Join me in Philadelphia. If you cannot do that, please donate: http://morethanaride.blogspot.com
They need volunteers to give out water and do all sorts of assisting. We are all in this fight together and we can defeat cancer, but it is going to take all of us!!! Remember that 1 in 3 people we hear the diagnosis of cancer, is that what you want to hear or a loved one to hear?

Please note that there are two new exciting fundraising opportunities on June 20th!

Strength in unity!
-Rhonda

gear!

"What do you call a cyclist who doesn't wear a helmet? Organ donor."
~David Perry

Unlike running or walking, bicycling needs a few extra items beyond sneakers and flexible flowing clothes. The obvious is a bicycle and there are all sorts to choose from! There is a road bike, cyclocross, hybrid and mountain bike. All have their own benefits and work differently. I have a mountain bike and a road bike. There is lot to choose from past selecting what type of bike you want.

Let's pretend that you already have a bicyce, but do not use it much if at all, but you want to. You don't ride because you rode one time and that saddle (common lingo for the seat) is not comfortable. Well it does take a little getting use to, but let me tell you about bike shorts. A wonderful invention with a padded saddle area! They comes in all styles of inside material to keep down on blistering or chaffing from long rides. They even have a cargo short style if spandex isn't your thing.

Another piece of a equipment that I do not consider optional is the cranial protection. You see, I've always said, you may be cool, but not in a pool of your own drool. There are all kinds and styles of helmets too, get one that is approved for bicycle riding and make sure it has a proper fit. You never know when you may come flying off your bike or over your handle bars or bumped by a bored driver. I wear a Xen helmet by Giro, offering good protection, while being cool (because your head does get toasty) and comfortable, but a little more stylish than the white styrofoam dome.

The next piece of equipment to consider are bicycle gloves. Nope they don't seem like much and give you funny tan line, but they reduce the vibration you feel in the road. They have varied degrees of padding and materials. Take time to shop around for the right ones for you. Mine have a neat panel to help wipe off sweat.

Speaking of tan lines, yes my fingers are darker than the rest of my hand and my hands are less tan on my arms. Haha! Sun screen is important to have on rides during the summer months even overcast days. Those sun rays may give you a golden tan, but damaged skin from over sunning has been proven to cause skin cancer. And I'm wanting to hep stop cancer.

Hope this helps and look forward to seeing you out on a ride.

Keep on keeping on!
-Rhonda
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

wristbands

Tammy and my close friends title me a walking PSA, because I always have crazy statistics running through my head. Such as 12 million people world wide will be diagnosed with cancer this year. On top of my random tidbits of statistical information, I also am keen on observation. One thing that I have always noticed since we bought our wristbands is the yellow LIVESTRONG wristbands. Yes, they are bright yellow, but even slightly tucked under a sleeve, coat or among other bands, I notice that yellow wristband with LIVESTRONG shining brightly on it. It is cool, over 70 million have been sold worldwide, that is at $1 a wristband. Way cool!

I have the privaledge to sell these wonderful wristbands at $1 a piece to help reach my fundraising goal. It really makes me feel good to see people who have bought wristbands from me wearing them. They are not only supporting my fundraising efforts, but they are also supporting anyone they may cross paths with who is suffering from cancer, a survivor or has a loved or friend one with cancer.

Thank you to each of you for your support and purchase of a wristband. Let me know if you would like a wristband. As I said before all the money I raise by selling these wristbands goes toward my fundraising goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF5lmHOQsFE&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR9Y8PRBfxo

Wear yellow around your wrist!
-Rhonda
*Please pass this along to your friends!

donating

I know you're possably tired and exhausted about people asking for donations for this important cause or that important cause. I'm not here to tell you what to do although I am going to ask for money. Though this money goes to my 45 mile Livestrong challenge bike ride goal, it goes to so much more. It goes to The Lance Armstrong Foundation, where they have lobbyist going to capital hill working toward friendly cancer fight drugs, it goes to prevention, awareness and support of the people living with cancer. Visit www.livestrong.org to see why I feel I picked the right organization to help in this fight against cancer.

If you've never experienced it, cancer even as friend or family member is a terrble disease!!! For survivors and those living with cancer, it is often life changing. It strikes people at any age, from 3 months, 8, 14, 26, 39,42, 55, 66 and so on. For example, while at the bake sale (4/25/2009) a woman came by whose best friends 14 year old son was just diagnosed with cancer. The Mother is terrified and felt lost and a friend wanted to do what they could to help. She had just bought a wristband for her friend, then I donated $1 and gave the friend a youth sized for the 14 year old, I cannot remember what I said as words of encouragement. I couldn't remember, because as I spoke I started thinking about when 14 and how it would be so tough to be looking at fighting for my life, just when I was starting to live. Cause when you're 14, you have that independence growing, you're stating to think more on your own and your dreams are starting to form. Then I swallowed hard and continued to listen. I say a prayer for each of them daily and hope they are all learning how to LIVESTRONG.

Please donate, any amount counts!!! You can donate $1 and I'll give you a keen yellow LIVESTRONG wristband. It all adds up to make a difference. Cancer is the second leading cause of death and as Lance Armstrong stated at the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum,"Unless we act on a global level, cancer will be the leading cause of death by 2010. Our goal is to be a catalyst that brings everyone together to fight cancer --- from survivors, like me, to world leaders and policymakers who must commit completely to the effort to avoid a public health catastrophe."

Like I said I am going to ask for a donation:
If you would like a yellow LIVESTRONG wristband (all money from wristband sales goes to LAF) or
if you would rather send a check, email me at rhonda@holisticenergyworks.com or call 540-998-9087.

http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

With love and dreams of a cancer free future for all of us,
-Rhonda