More Than A Ride

Episode 10 ( cue the applause)

2011-05-04T12:27:00.001-04:00

Thank you for watching and learning how you can win a Pop's T-shirt.

Did you mention race anxiety?

2011-04-20T05:38:00.001-04:00

Hello! Welcome to another podcast and today we are going to look at race anxiety and a few ways to help work through those unexplained but very real times.

Music -Shayna Zaid and the Catch www.musicalley.com

A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt - http://www.jeffalt.com/jeffalt.asp

Born to Run by Chris McDougal - www.borntorun.org

You can find other blog posts and in

formation at www.morethanaride.com. There you can also link to me via Twitter. Please let me know what you think, what you want to hear about or if you do not want to hear anything else. You can also email me at rhonda@morethanaride.com.

Thanks for Listening!

004_D_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_003_C_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_c.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Never Say Never and I am Wearing Vibram 5 Fingers

2011-04-06T16:48:00.001-04:00

Show notes are found at www.morethanaride.com

Join me as I talk about my experience and the things I have learned while wearing Vibram Five Fngers. Thank you for listening! This episode discusses the Vibram 5 Finger sand the hot button topic of barefoot running and being barefoot. Well more of my personal experience and what I have learned in the process and some resources I have gone to in assisting me in this conversion.

004_D_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_003_C_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_c.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Never Say Never and I am Wearing Vibram 5 Fingers

2011-04-06T08:46:00.001-04:00

Show notes are found at www.morethanaride.com

004_D_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_003_C_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_c.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Happy St Patrick's Day

2011-03-19T01:54:00.001-04:00

Intro Music by Shayna Zaid and the Catch found at www.musicalley.com

More on the Vibram Five Fingers in the next episode. For now, www.vibramfivefingers.com

US toughest Road Race....www.blueridgemarathon.com

I did speak incorrectly in Roanoke you can find Vibram Five Fingers at Walk About Sport, but mine were purchased in Charlottesville, VA at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports.

Talk to you again soon. You can find more at www.morethanaride.com

004_D_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_003_C_001_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_2010_10_20_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_c.mp3 Listen on Posterous

A quick hello

2011-01-15T09:31:00.001-05:00

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First long walk in 13.1 training

2011-01-15T09:14:00.001-05:00

Just before the hiss ofa tire going flat

2011-01-01T12:43:00.001-05:00

HAPPY 2011

2010-12-31T18:03:00.001-05:00

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Happy New Year.WAV (78 KB)

New Years Resolutions

2010-12-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

We have all done it, do it or planning it. A New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, to once and for all be skinny or however you phrase it. I know I have done the same thing and still in the process of losing weight or getting healthy. I prefer the term releasing the weight that I no longer need and creating a healthier me.
Here is why I phrase it this way. If I lose something, then my subconscious might say “heck, what did she lose? Weight, well goodness we can’t lose something. Here it is back and here is some more in case you lose it again”. Sound familiar? How many of us can say, “I’m really good at losing weight, I’m not really good at keeping it off”? This is why I say that I am letting go of the weight I do not need any more.
Why did I need it in the first place? I was unaware that I needed it, but created the protection for whatever reason. If I have extra fat around me then, nobody can hurt my feelings. I will fill the void with food. I do not have to feel anything if I distract myself with food. I cannot have what I want and I want this candy bar so I am going to eat it, because I can have this. These are all the emotional things that I subconsciously thought while mindlessly eating.
This year maybe try on a different New Year’s Resolution. “Each week I am going to positively improve some part of myself”. This goes deeper than improving the outside appearance. Because many of us who are obese, morbidly obese or overweight are that way for a reason and it is not just because we like food. It is because we have an emotional thing going on.
Here are a few of things to look at for your monthly, weekly or even daily goals in creating that over all positive improvement of yourself in 2011:
1. I will give myself an opportunity to help in my community for 4 hours of my month over to a non-profit. You can donate 4 hours of wages or go do volunteer work.
2. I will give myself a healthy new food to try each month.
3. I will give myself permission to be loved.
4. I will give myself a new outlook about work this week.
5. I will read once a month a book on spirituality
6. I will allow someone to help me.
In the end our health is not limited to the outside of our body. It is our body, mind and spirit that make up our total package of who we are. By looking at our weight as something we do not need as protection or a filler to mask something, then we are better able to let it go and keep it away. After all our health is not limited to our physical appearance it is about the inside and out.
This year how about making your New Year’s Resolution to be more interactive and not just mentioning that this is what I want the end product to be, but to set different steps to achieve that goal. It is easy to say this is what I want, but without smaller bench marks along the way it is easy to lose sight of the bigger goal or to know there is a deeper reason behind our actions. Sometimes what we are looking at is not really what we are trying to fix in the first place.

New stuff to be announced soon!

Episode 3 - Tri Starting

2010-11-22T19:20:00.001-05:00

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Episode_3_More_Than_a_Ride.mp3 (75948 KB)

Welcome to episode 3 of More than A Ride Podcast! Thank you for listening. You can now download the podcast on iTunes and more specific show notes can be found at the blog www.morethanaride.com

Join me once again along the Roanoke River Greenway(http://www.rvarc.org/greenways/roanoke_river_greenway.htm – Some of these images show an incomplete greenway, it is actually completely paved and some other changes have occured) for a ride and SAG detail for Tammy. The ride total was 23.68 miles, it was chilly without a wind.

Please do send comments to Rhonda@morethanaride.com and please do give feedback on iTunes so that more people can have a listen. Also feel free to join me on Twitter @morethanaride.

Thank you for listening!

-Rhonda

Start of Star City Half

2010-11-20T13:05:00.003-05:00

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Sent from my iPod

Start of Star City Half

2010-11-20T13:05:00.001-05:00

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IMG_0027.MOV (2253 KB)

Sent from my iPod

A shadow of myself Haha!

2010-11-07T09:57:00.001-05:00

Gorgeous evening bicycle ride

2010-11-02T19:05:00.001-04:00

Revolution In Running And Riding

2010-11-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

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001_A_001_Rhonda_Chattin_Podcast_2_2010_10_20_Intro_More_Than_A_Ride_c.mp3 (45672 KB)

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Welcome to Episode 2! Show notes can be found at www.morethanaride.com. Join me for a bike ride along the Roanoke River Greenway, while I talk about my decisions around a half marathon and find a revolution within. Thank you for listening!

blog change

2009-10-15T07:44:00.002-04:00

Remember the "More Than a Ride" blog has changed addresses to a free standing blog.
www.morethanaride.com

If you are not sure what to do, here is what you do.

Go to www.morethanaride.com and click on register and follow the directions or click on the RSS feed an click how you would like to receive the updates from the blog. There is a new blog post today and more to come and I would hate for you to be left out of the loop. :o) Let me know if you are having any problems.

Keep connected with the journey!
-Rhonda

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-06T10:27:00.002-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Also an issue that is on the rise and increasing. Especially with cancer expected to take the lead in 2010 for cause of death. So sad considering many cancers can be prevented and treated if caught early enough, such as breast cancer. Be sure to get to know the facts about Breast Cancer at www.livestrong.org or www.komen.org. Both sites have excellent information and about treatment options.

In case you didn't know, the Susan G. Komen Foundaiton was started by a sister who made a promise to her sister when she was dieing of cancer. It is now the largest foundation with a single cancer focus. There are all sorts of Breast Cancer Awareness events in Roanoke, VA and beyond, be sure to find an event near you and help build awareness. Guys, do not you are at risk too!
According to the CDC (Centers of Disease Control):
# 186,467 women and 1,764 men were diagnosed with breast cancer.
# 41,116 women and 375 men died from breast cancer.

Get to know the facts and do a self exam once a month!

Be aware!
-Rhonda

13.1/26.2 Challenge & FREE Entry Contest

2009-10-04T16:33:00.005-04:00

"13.1/26.2 Challenge & FREE Entry CONTEST" Posted on the blog www.morethanaride.com.

”Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”
~William Ellery Channing

So far, there are four people who have accepted the challenge set forth to join me in a life changing 13.1 miles!

Here is your chance to get a FREE entry into The Blue Ridge Parkway Marathon and Half Marathon (www.blueridgeparkwaymarthon.com)!

I completely will admit that the training guide that I am going to use is from the book mentioned a few weeks ago in the blog post “Rainy Day Reading”. The half marathon training schedule that I am using is from, The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women, by Dawn Dais. If you do not have the book, email me (Rhonda@morethanaride.com) and I will get you a copy of the schedule, though you may enjoy the book.

If you are like me and have never in your life participated in or thought you would be doing a half marathon, then this helpful schedule will be just what you need. With a run group and a walk/run group for a half marathon, it takes you over a 20 week time frame. Those 20 weeks will start in December 2009. Yes it will be cold then!

Now, to help you even more with accepting this most amazing challenge of joining me over 13.1 miles and how you can get a FREE entry into The Blue Ridge Parkway Marathon and Half Marathon (www.blueridgeparkwaymarthon.com), all you have to do is answer a question. The weather is getting cold and for most of us it is requiring more gear than simply lacing up sneakers and throwing on a T-shirt and shorts.
What is your preferred source of warmth on those cold days of training through the winter?
A. Tights (sleek like a gazelle)
B. Track warm up pants (the whistling would sound neat)
C. Tough it out in the shorts (my legs lost feeling years ago)
D. Take it to the gym (I’m a weather princess)

Email me at Rhonda@morethanaride.com or post a comment on this blog post. Your name will be thrown into a hat, well more like a fish bowl or salad bowl, seeing as how I do not have a nifty top hat laying about the house. But either way your name will be added and winner will randomly be drawn from submissions between today October 5, 2009 to October 19, 2009, will be entered and a name. Remember your email and name has to be included in the response so that you can get cool updates on The Blue Ridge Parkway Marathon and be notified if you won.

Good luck!
-Rhonda

1 mile

2009-10-04T15:39:00.001-04:00

1 mile as posted to the new site www.morethanaride.com! Go join today, only a few more posts left on this site.

“All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one... characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers. “
~Henry David Thoreau

One mile never seemed to be so far as when I took the first step. Retracing in my head the steps I had just taken, with intervals of 2 and a half minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. I knew the distance I was going to have to cross to complete the task at hand.

A runner passed, giving a big smile and a “thumbs up” just before I got to the half mile point. I just had a group of girl runners run past me leaving me in their dust watching them gracefully bound away out of site. This left me wondering why I was even bothering. Then I remembered I set a really cool goal and I kept going. That “thumbs up” came at the right moment, then I was at half a mile. I had just finished a half a mile two days earlier so I knew it was achievable, but knows an off day is a possibility. Slowly up the little incline (which feels like a hill), half a mile and beyond, I was now running to the next goal of one mile. I had to keep reminding myself to go slow, to just reach the goal and not allow myself to get excited at this point.

Then at .75 of a mile I started to chant my mantra as the road beneath my feet started to feel like a conveyor belt moving in the other direction, keeping me from moving forward. With every other step I spoke a new word under my breath, “Yo..soy..una..machina*.”, and I kept with it. Then a woman passed, we had seen her every morning since we started, I told her with a quiver in my voice (from excitement) that I was about to finish my first mile without stopping. Then I told a stranger that blew past me. I was proud of my almost accomplishment.

With blubbering tears of joy, I finished the last steps up the incline over the other side of the bridge. Wanting to run to Tammy and Lisa to tell them of my most amazing accomplishment, my body needed to stop and walk for a while. I was still crying tears of joy when I got to them, because I had just finished running my first mile since high school.

I am ashamed of saying that we have driven past people who are running along the side of the road, probably looking a lot like I do now when I run; I have said, “why bother at that point? Just walk”. Well now I know and I am sorry! As my friend Lisa said, you had the “runners bounce” and that is what matters. That little bounce makes a difference, it is tougher and it does make you work. I had sweat rolling and bouncing off. It may not have been a graceful gazelle running across the park along the greenway, but I was running. Now after that first mile of running without walking, I feel like I can call myself a runner, although I felt like a runner with my intervals and proud of every step I take no matter how they are take!

Baby steps!
-Rhonda
*translation: Yo soy una machine = I am a machine. :o) It works!

Happy October!

2009-10-01T10:38:00.001-04:00

Happy October! as posted at www.morethanaride.com, do not forget to join the new blog site so you can keep getting updates. Let me know if are having trouble.

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
~ Henry Ford

It is October and Breast cancer Awareness month and tomorrow is LIVESTRONG Day so be sure to wear your yellow LIVESTRONG wristband or other gear. If you do not have a wristband, let me know, I still have some and all the money goes to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You can also get shirts, shorts, shoes and other LIVESTRONG Gear at Dick’s Sporting goods or through their website www.livestrong.org, though it may not reach you in time for tomorrow.

With October comes cold weather and boy I should have put on some running tights or something more than shorts. It was chilly and my legs are still chilly, I must have forgotten it was fall. It might have been the extreme cold after my first .75 miles on the return trip, when I decided to see if I could run for half a mile solid without stopping. I kept my watch timer counting down to two and a half minutes, just in case. It beeped and I reset it. About that time I was running up toward Walter and told him with as much excitement as I could muster that I had just ran for five minutes and was shooting for half a mile. It was not much faster than my walk, but I had the “running bounce” happening, the rest will fall into place. I ran for a whole half a mile (actually close to .6 tenths of a mile) without stopping!!! I was giddy with excitement!!!

I am just amazed at how well I have done! It is tough; some days are easier than others, some days you feel like you are really doing great and others you feel like your legs are of cement. The thing on those tough days that I try to remember is that I cannot compare myself to the gals that just left me in the dust. What I do have to remember is that I am out and moving my body and doing more today than I had done yesterday. It is about doing it!

LIVESTRONG!
-Rhonda

More Than a Ride Continues

2009-09-28T18:52:00.004-04:00

Now at www.morethanaride.com!

On March 14, 2009, I started the blog “More Than a Ride”, Tammy came up with the name and it has been a perfect name. I had no clue when I decided to sign up for a LIVESTRONG Challenge raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and start this blog that my life was going to change so much.

You see, I had just found out in January that my Dad had stage three esophageal cancer. I was trying to figure out life and understand illness and death. I think I was doing a pretty good job, but found out later that I was struggling more than I thought. Though I did realize I needed to do something to help myself and still be able to help my family when needed. So forcing myself out on a bike to train for a 45 mile bike ride and fundraiser was a journey I started and wanted to share it with you. Primarily, because I know I am not the first person to experience a loved one with cancer, sadly I will not be the last.

So, here we are six months later. I completed my first LIVESTRONG Challenge and raised a total of $1,195 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Please note: I did not do it alone! However, when I crossed the finish line I heard a little voice whisper in my ear, (it was probably one of the “cancer angels” I have gliding along with me) “Rhonda, your life will never be the same”. I have to agree, because I soon realized how amazing it is to do something that you do not think that you could do. Even though I had ridden more than 45 miles before that day, those 45 miles were the toughest I have ridden to date. It lived up to the name of LIVESTRONG Challenge and served the purpose to push me to my limit, to bring me to tears of fear and tears of joy.

Now I am ready for the next journey and I would love for you to experience something as amazing as I did. I hope you can join me April 24, 2010, for 13.1 miles!

In fact, I am challenging you! (standing with a Victorian white glove in hand)

Come to Roanoke, VA and join me for 13.1 miles in the Blue Ridge Parkway Marathon (www.blueridgeparkwaymarathon.com), it is considered one of the toughest on the east coast. No, I am not crazy, but the experience will be one of the most rewarding you have ever had. IF YOU SO CHOOSE not to join me for 13.1 miles, remember you can walk and have 7 hours to finish, you have a few other options. Remember, I will nag!

If you choose not to walk, run or run/walk 13.1 miles with me, I ask you to donate at least $13.10 to FOUR different non-profits fighting cancer (of your choice) in honor of three people in your life, plus $13.10 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.livestrong.org), making it 13. You have until April 24, 2010 to complete.

There is also another choice we call it the stimulus option. If you choose not to join me for an unforgettable 13.1 miles, I ask that you VOLUNTEER at 13 area fundraising events (they do not have to be cancer related), such as 5Ks, half and full marathons, and so on.

You see, “More Than a Ride”, is more than about the ride, it is about “changing the world one revolution at a time”. Whether you choose to turn your pedals, sneakers or hours volunteering, it is amazingly rewarding to do all of the above and making a difference in the world around us. I hope you choose the one you think you have no possibility in achieving, because I know you will cross whatever finish line you set!

Come on along and join the journey!

We are changing the world one revolution at a time!
-Rhonda

PS: LIVESTRONG Challenge 2010 is out there too, so stay tuned for that journey! It is going to be a great year!

changing up a bit

2009-09-28T15:41:00.002-04:00

Hey!
This is awesome and exciting. I will continue for a few more blog posts to post here on this blog site. However, I will be switching to www.morethanaride.com. This is cool because originally I had no clue where the blog would take me. Nor did I know where the LIVESTRONG Challenge would take me. Over the past several months I have learned truly that this journey has been "More Than a Ride"!

It has been:
More than expected.
More than amazing.
More tears than thought.
More than a blessing!
I can keep going too!

I hope that you join me in the next journey of "More Than A Ride". It is a little different. Feel free to ask if you want to continue to get updates and having trouble getting connected. As I said, I'll give you a few more posts here to give you some time, I know we have busy lives.
SOOOOOoooo, go to www.morethanaride.com and click on the little box or link thingy RSS. Select how you want to receive notifications and follow the directions from there. Let me know if you have problems and I'll try my best to talk you through. :o)

Tomorrow will have an amazing exciting announcement!

Come on along and join the fun!
-Rhonda

running

2009-09-25T09:57:00.003-04:00

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
~Arthur Ashe

So I have been running. I have to say I have a new hurt in my legs, I did not think possible and my knees, well they may never be happy with me again. However, I am up to running for a minute and a half solid for a mile and a half. That is big, since I have not run since I was in high school and then it was mostly up and down the basketball courts. One would think that with all of the cycling I have been doing that my legs would be strong and have the strength needed to run without the soreness. WRONG!

Like I said, my knees hurt, I hobble now every now and then and standing out of a chair takes me a few minutes. I do not mind though and here is why. You see, I started this blog back before spring hit, as a way to tell my journey through completion of a LIVESTRONG Challenge and sharing in my experiences with cancer. Though not a survivor or someone with cancer myself, I have had a lot of experience around cancer with many friends and family. I remind myself when it gets tough that I have had friends to have difficulty getting up to go to the bathroom to get sick off their chemo or even to help feed their children. I have had friends unable to hug their children. So I may hobble from time to time, but it has to do with working to help end cancer.

I am not a good runner, I recognize that I run with friends that leave me behind as the bop off along the greenway. One friend just joined and thought I had a limp. No, I said, it is my funny little stride with my achy-not use to running knees. I walk for a minute and a half and walk for one and repeat for the set destination that day. I remind myself repeatedly, that sometimes it is not about me or the end, it is about the journey. The LIVESTRONG Challenge journey changed my life and gave me a new set of eyes. I see now more than before the different ways we get out and go do. We may not do it the same as someone else or as well as someone else, but we are doing it.

I hope you join me on this next journey! On Tuesday you will see the next phase of "More Than A Ride". I will still be working toward ending cancer and you are going to enjoy where we are going. I am goig to invite you out of the blog! In the mean time, visit http://starcitystriders.com/ to find a couple of 5K races to participate in and register. Set a goal to get you out and moving, find friends and talk to your physician about your new athletic goals. One I have joined as a walker, but will instead cheer for the participants is "The Drumstick Dash" (http://www.rescuemission.net/ddash%20info%2009.htm) which is Thanksgiving morning here in Roanoke, VA and has become a tradition in our family. It is a lot of fun! This money also goes to another great cause that I believe in, because we never know when we may need to knock on their door for services.

It is important to do what we can, to make a difference in this world.

Changing the world one revolution (of sneakers now) at a time!
-Rhonda

rainy day reading

2009-09-20T10:33:00.000-04:00

Here in Roanoke, VA it is a drizzly day. Not a day you want to go outside and ride or run, though you could if you are die-hard. There is always a gym option, but sometimes it is good to embrace a day and relax.

Here are some books I have read or reading that were informative, entertaining or inspirational. Not every book is good for everyone. For example Tammy loved one book, but I was not all about it. So browse and find what you like.

Ok, so there are a lot of magazines and blogs. The mags I read most frequently that are athlete oriented (Martha doesn't fit here) are Bicycling, Runners World, Triathlete and Blue Ridge Outdoors (A local free rag). Then there is www.roanokeoutside.com is a great local blog and resource for stuff to do in the area.

These books are fabulous and inspirational, especially if you or someone you love has ever had or has cancer:
It's Not About The Bike & Every Second Counts
Both by Lance Armstrong
They are both very moving and inspirational!

Ladies only! Sorry guys, but I'm a girl and we have some unique needs and well anything you can do I can do better...
Every Woman's Guide to Cycling, By Selene Yeager
She breaks down cycling for woman. Looks t bikes the differences in male and female built frames and more. She also helps with those little things like the special needs for a woman's hydration, special saddles and clothes to help you still have style and grace. Plus, tidbits to help even the serious cyclist. You can find her regularly in Bycicling magazine.

Us chubbies!
Heft On Wheels, by Mike Magnuson
He shows that even a bar, hopping, smoking kinda person can change their life and experience the previously unthinkable.

Plan your next ride:
Rails To Trails! we have the MD, DE, VA & WV edition, look for one for your area. Our first big rides were completed on a Rails-to-trails with multiple laps on the Huckleberry.

Then for some sarcastic entertainment:
The NonCyclist Guide to a Century ... by Dawn Dais
Tammy enjoyed her whit and humor. I got lost with it and didn't finish it. However I know we all like a different things.

Now for running books. Yes I am running.

Marathoning for Mortals; The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running for Your Life; & No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide
All 3 by John "The Penguin" Bingham
I'm a penguin! Penguins are the runners in the back of the pack that are kinda not fast but love being out there just the same. He says it is ok to run/walk, there is no shame in that. I have to agree! I enjoy his humor and honesty, witout feeling discouraged.

The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women, by Dawn Dais
It has a great training guide for running or run/walking a half marathon and one also fr a marathon. Once again, I could notmakeit through, but Tammy enjoyed it.

Ultramarathonman, by Dean Karnasaz
Amazing! He makes you feel like going out for a run! Though I don't recommend how he went out for his first run. Very good!

Hope these help you find inspiration when you need it. Next week you will find out why you may need inspiration and you are going to love every minute of it. Cause as I always say, "Without the journey, we will never go anywhere"!

Enjoying the journey!
-Rhonda

These are just a few, mostly the ones we felt worthy of purchasing.

road id

2009-09-17T13:38:00.006-04:00

Let me tell you a story about a hike, a 17 year old, a bike and an ER.

Last night I met up with a group of friends that meet every Wednesday evening to hike around a local mountain. Mill Mountain is a nice hike with some challenges. It is so wonderful to have a group of friends to share all sorts of adventures with. Well ten minutes into the walk up the old road to our trail head, we see a seemingly calm young man sitting on the wall. We looked over closer and noticed a good amount of road rash and blood, so we hopped on over.

We get over and he could not see us clearly, he was seeing in pinks and greys. He looked really hot and really pale and a lot in shock. One of us dumped water on his head as we tried to contact a parental unit (it was a bad time of day to find people we learned) and address some of his immediate concerns. We got him to lay on the ground in case he passed out and so he could maybe get some oxygen to his head. Another cyclist (who also happened to be a police officer) was riding by up the road and stopped. He called EMS, while we were trying to find anyone he could talk to on another phone.

Let me tell you, for the type of accident he had at 17, he was quite calm and brave. I would'a been all sorts of upset!

So EMS got there and he was loaded up into the rescue vehicle and we loaded up his bike into our car. I followed him as the others walked on. Well at 17, I do not know I would have wanted to have been left alone in an ER, after all that had just happened. So I stayed in the ER, as we talked about all sorts of stuff, while we waited on his Mother. He was not feeling well, felt a little light headed and I did not want him to start thinking and get more scared than he was.

Long story short, he has a broken wrist and getting a pin put in it on Friday (tomorrow), hurts a lot and got pretty shaken up I am sure. His Dad picked up his bike from me today and I was glad to find out he did not have a concussion, though he was hurting pretty bad.

I did not think I would ever need identification or emergency contacts on me, whether running, walking, hiking or biking. You see I have always thought this way, I do not really go that fast in descents when I am on my bike, I wear a helmet and use caution if the terrain or weather calls for a little something extra. Plus, I am fortunate to often have friends to ride with. Even if I was by myself I always felt I would be ok, if there was an accident. I also figured that with a helmet on and working toward maintaining a low speed I would be able to give the phone numbers and names of people to call. Last night I found out that is incorrect! Our new friend could not remember any numbers and was so panicked or in shock that he could barely register who to call.

So this has inspired me to get something I have talked about a lot, but have lacked follow through. Purchasing a Road ID!
What is this you ask?
It is this really great idea! It is a bracelet, anklet, necklace, shoe attachment, you pick it, with your personal information on it. Name, hometown, emergency contacts and even space for a personal motto.
Where do you find this great idea?
www.roadid.com
Here is what I am getting, though the "dog tags are cool too": http://www.roadid.com/common/learnmore_ankle.aspx?GoBackURL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.roadid.com%2fcommon%2fid.aspx%3fhash%3dankle

I hope you take time to build your own Road ID sooner rather than later! Make it easier for people who find you to contact your loved ones!

Quick and happy healing my friend and look forward to riding with you when you are all better!

Not going into an ER as Jane Doe,
-Rhonda

get out & ride!

2009-09-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, the 2009 Philly LIVESTRONG Challenge is over, but the riding has not stopped. Plus I have started to work on my running and working toward the half marathon in Roanoke, VA (home turf!) in April of 2010. So not as much riding as before. More coming soon on that. I took some time off from the blog, to set the focus for the next events. Stay tuned!

SO HERE WE GO! You need a bike!
I know you're itching to get out and feel the wind blow across your face, feel the wind rushing by as you cruise down the street. It is something I look forward to as soon as I get off my bike.

Go to www.campuscruisers.com and get your really cool "Campus Cruiser" Bike and we'll even let you call it a "Greenway Cruser". :o) $25 of each of the Komen Cruisers sold will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. A one-speed is $299 and a 3-speed is $499 and you get some good karma points for your bonus contribution.

Ride-onward friends!
-Rhonda

learn more about childhood cancer

2009-09-09T11:34:00.003-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQYlX3r-KWs&feature=PlayList&p=7D9E1CAC01BC79A3&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=66
Take a moment to learn more about childhood cancer and some of the warning signs. Many childhood cancers are hard to diagnose. This is very informative and interesting.

Learn more www.livestrong.org

LIVESTRONG
-Rhonda

September is Child Cancer Awareness

2009-09-09T11:27:00.002-04:00

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month! With 36 children and teens diagnosed daily, we need to change the odds. Support the Lance Armstrong Foundation to help with research and to offer support to those diagnosed, www.livestrong.org.

And watch this video, a young child took it upon herself to start making a difference after her diagnosis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nIoZ-gHZrw

Peace and joy!
-Rhonda

get ready

2009-09-06T06:51:00.000-04:00

Get ready, there is a challenge coming your way real soon!
What do you have to give?

"Whatever your 100% looks like, give it!"
~Livestrong

Livestrong Challenge 2009 Summary *The Directors Cut!

2009-08-26T10:19:00.011-04:00

On the front of the map that showed the directions for the ride I was to take the next day read, "Are you ready for a Challenge?". One thing I did notice was the total climbing elevation moved from 1600 some odd feet to 1700 some odd feet. I had no clue what I was about to undertake in less than 24 hours.

I was so proud picking up my packet and they made me feel absolutely wonderful about the money I raised. Cowboy and Lorax went out to pick up the packet with us. They wore their "Team Mascot" and "Team Captain" T-shirts. It was a family event! :o)

#569 was going to be what I wore and we paused for photos. My LIVESTRONG Challenge T-shirt as well as everyone elses reads, "Game On Cancer", I think that is well put! We kept it low key the rest of the day, to recover from the long drive up in the sheets of pouring rain thanks to Bill the hurricaine. It was still kinda soggy when I picked up my packet, but the rain eased up through the day and dried the ground some.

We slept through Tammy's alarm, but woke up to mine. This started us off 15 minutes later than we had planned. I ate breakfast and we were off. I was worried I would be late and relieved to find that I had plenty of time. In fact I ended up standing and waiting with everyone else in the bike corral. As I put my tire on once we got there, I noticed my breakfast was still in my throat and that my nervous tummy had come back. Oy vey, it was about to be a long morning I was afraid.

Wheels on, I took a spin around the lot to make sure all the bike parts were working correctly and checked out the porta-potty situation. I hate those things, they are some sort of torture device. Spun back to Tammy to finish getting ready and stand in line of the porta potties, wishing I did not have to. Breakfast is still in my throat, it might have even moved up some.

So Tammy stood with me in the bike corral taking pictures. If you look at them, I look terrified in most of them. That would about sum it up. I was also wondering when my breakfast was going to move the rest of the way down. Everyone is milling around and talking, meeting up with friends, talking, and waiting. I did not have a thing to talk about, I was stuck in my head and wondering what I was about to encounter. Poor Tammy was standing there patiently. Then quietly a voice comes over the speakers, different from the guy talking and giving us start time updates. "Oh say does that star spandled..." and a hush goes across the parking lots.

Then we all cheered and sent off the 100 mile group. It contained a guy on a fixed gear to ride the whole 100 miles, more power to him, I enjoyed my granny gear. It also had a professional cyclist, Jason Powell who rides with Team Jelly Belly. I thought that was pretty cool, to take time off to help raise money and ride in an event to help fight cancer. 70 mile group rolled out next, I have no clue how some of the ones on the mountain bikes did in that group. It seemed to have less in that group than the 100 or the 45. Not sure why.

Then we were rolling out. It was slow going for the first 5 miles at least because we were all there on top of each other. You couldn't look around much, because everyone was weaving in and out and trying to get situated and find their friends. The first "power stop" came up around mile 10. I did not see Tammy, which was also the first cheer station location. So I kept going so that the crowd could thin out and the friends I had met were skipping this stop. Sadly they dropped me around mile 12, on a long two mile steady climb and a cross street that I had to wait for. The event is not a race so the course was not closed to cars, though there were wonderful police officers all along the course at streets intersections.

Jim and Karen were the first two people I rode with and started talking to. They were riding in honor of a friend who had an intestinal cancer that had spread throughout their body. Their friend had multiple surgeries and had many organs and parts of organs removed, along with chemotherapy. They said that they went into remission this summer and was riding the 20 mile ride. As I said shortly after the first "power stop", they dropped me, I wish I had not been dropped, becuase the next eight miles were tough.

When the terrain is tough, you feel really lonely. This was when the climbing started. The rains the previous two days put a lot of rocks, debris and silt in the road, making it hard to utilize the downhills. Not to mention the downhills were twisty and around corners. It made the uphills tough, becuase you had no momentum to help you up the hill. I passed a really bad accident and was afraid of what news was being relayed back to the people waiting. So on a really tough hill, I hopped off, switched my bottles around, cause one was empty and one cage is easier to get to. I told Tammy I was not at second power stop yet, but doing ok, toughest ride I had ever done.

As I rolled into "power stop 2", I had tears in my eyes. That was the toughest milage I had put on my bike and I was only at mile 21 and more climbing to go. Being grateful for our new riding crew, even told Tammy if we had not riden with them, I would have already been in a SAG van.

Tammy met me at that "power stop", I was ever so glad to see her, with a hug, a banana and peanut butter. The 100 and 70 mile groups did not leave much by the time I got there. I think the hug was the most valuable thing! :o) I had to make a minor bike repair so I was there for a few minutes longer than I had planned. Talked to an athletic trainer from the Philadelphia area that said she was glad we got the rain, cause it had been terribly hot until that day. I said, it has been really cool in Roanoke, VA, so this was hot. LOL! We're in the south.

I headed out on the second half of the ride. Little did I know that the next 3 miles was going to be an uphill climb, with a steep decent and more climbing. It was not an easy climb either and really started to see people hik-a-bike, especially the ones riding on a hybrid or moutain bike. And God bless the ones that did 45 miles on a hybrid or a mountain bike, because a road bike makes it 50% easier to ride. Trust me, it makes a difference.

It was amazing at the end of the 3 1/2 mile climb was a family out giving the riders water. I had just hiked-a-bike up that hill, cause well, my legs were burning after the first three mile climb, then a short descent and then another 1/2 mile up. I made it up most of that hill, but wanted to finish and did not know what was ahead and my thighs were on fire! This family was so sweet, their 7ish year old daugther looked like she was splashing herself with water and very proud to have carried a bag of ice all the way out to the road. It was a "surprise generous power stop" with ICE COLD WATER. They were very gernerous. They said this was their 3rd year doing it and had it down pretty good, the first year was a little rough going.

I climbed back on and met Lela from Fairfax, VA. We chatted for a few miles, trying to help each other out through the rest of it. She was in a breast cancer pink ribbon jersey and her bib said she was riding in honor of her Mama. As we talked I learned that she her Mother has been diagnosed four times with breast cancer and Lela has set out to start organizing a "Dog Walk" for breast cancer in Fairfax. Sadly, I lost her on a hill in a very hot section so I do not have any other details. Maybe I will be able to find out more for you in the future. I wish her and her mother well and sorry we were not able to finish together.

I could not believe it when I finally made it to the 3rd "power stop" that it was only 25 miles. OMG! That last few miles were tough! There was a tub of ice and part melted ice, that I wanted to sit in. It looked like it would feel really good!!! By now the sun was super hot, so I picked up bite of bagel, filled up my bottles and got a towel to help dry my face. Saddled up and headed out. At this time we started to see people pull off with really bad leg cramps, stomach cramps and heat fatigue.

Somewhere after the 3rd stop I ran into Rob and Jason with Team Fatty (www.fatcyclist.com). Fatty's wife Susan is fighting cancer. I found out while riding with Jason he had done an interview with Fatty at www.rocbike.com and possibly the only voice interview he has done. Jason was riding an Xtracycle. Good God knows how he made it through carrying all of that extra bike. Well I was carrying a lot of extra person, maybe it was the same. Though his bike even had nobby tires, which cuts down a lot on the drift factor. We chatted for a while and learned that we both have family dropping like flies from cancer. Though our odds are increasing in my family and so far everyone is holding their own. :o)

At the top of one hill that most people climbed there was a chap sitting on the guard rail. He was talking about how tough this route was this year. He said last years was tough, but this one is tougher. He said Lance Armstrong was at the 2008 Philly LIVESTRONG Challenge and said it was to easy. This guy had participated in all of the Philly Challenges so far and this was the toughest. I do not know if Lance really said all of that, but it had already been the toughest ride I had done. There were more hills to come. I had learned early on that LIVESTRONG Challenge is correctly named.

Then after another long one mile climb there was another family out there. It is amazing the generousity people have to use their money to buy cups and ice and sit out there in the heat to give us ice and water. They filled bottles with that priceless water solid!!!! I wanted to sit in their cooler, but did not think the hips would make it through the top, then it would have just been awkard. So I did not ask. I climbed back on the saddle and finished that hill. Very grateful for my icy cup of chilly goodness in my bottle!

Around 15 miles to the finish there was a family that set a gallon of water out and some cups. They sat on the porch cheering everyone on and telling us we were doing a good job. I did not stop there, I had a good momentum going up the hill and did not want to stop, but thought it was kind just the same.

Let me tell you about the people on the side of the roads. It was neat to experience people out cheering you on, that have no clue who you are, but they offered an amazing amount of encouragement. One woman stood out there with this huge triangle, it was bigger than her head and had to weigh a ton. She clanged around that triangle, as we rode by. Lots of cow bells too! Thank you to each of you!

Finally at the last "power stop", about 10 miles out. I was hot. Incredibly hot!!! I was so hot I think I had steam coming off as I drank water outta the cooler. A lot of people had started to leave in SAG vans after the 25 mile stop from exhaustion, overheated and injury. Some had popped tires or other bike issues.

There were two really bad accidents that required an ambulance. That was sobering. I was extra careful after the first one and extra-extra careful after the second, because it was in a steep descent.

At that last stop, Tammy said you're still standing, I'm seeing lots of people coming in, in a SAG van, you're doing great, keep going. I filled up my bottles and headed back out. Cheered Lela as she rolled in to the "power stop". I figured that at this point if the bike fell apart or something happened I could walk across the finish line but I was going to finish by golly. I got tears in my eyes, because it had been a tough ride and I knew more inclines were ahead, though not steep hills, but knew I was going to finish.

I did not get off the bike any more, except for a few stop lights. Had trouble getting on at one light, my back was tightening up and it spasmed as I climbed back on the saddle. That startled me, so I timed the next lights so I would not have to get off the bike. About three miles to the finish I talked to a couple of medics that rode the whole 45 miles with big hot back packs on. They were nice and kinda funny, I had been riding alone again since the last "power stop", so it was nice to talk to someone. Like I said, when you're hot and it is tough, it gets lonely.

We were all starting to get excited cause we were at the finish line. One gal said ok, my odometer says 45 miles, I'm stopping here, send the shuttle. One guy said here we go, we're in the home stretch. Then as a police car comes flying up the street behind us, I shouted back that he was going to fast and needed to slow down. We laughed. It was that kind of excited chatter you have when you have just done something you did not think you would make it through.

Then I saw the stop light at the Montgomery Community College sign. I got one huge lump in my throat along with a big goofy grin!!! I have to say the past 45 miles had been incredibly tough, I was surprised to have to walk up some of the hills (something I'll work on this next year) and I questioned if I was going to make it a couple of times. I was hot, my body was tired, I was hot, hungry and AMAZINGLY proud!!!

Riding down the shoot of yellow with balloons all lined with people cheering you as you finished. I saw Tammy and smiled really big, unable to hold back the lump at that point. Gliding across the finish line with a big grin on my face and a full cup pour out!!! I quickly found Tammy and gave her a big hug.

A very nice volunteer was there offering cold water. The volunteers were amazing and many volunteered many years. One gal giving us food had LIVESTRONG tatooed on her wrist when her Dad died of cancer. She hads volunteered every year. They all had smiles and were quick to help out. Thank you to each and everyone of you, without you, it could not have happened!!! Oh and I don't want to forget Dylan, at the Lance Armstrong Foundation Headquarters who answered a lot of endless questions and helped me with a lot of stuff in preparation.

If there was a hiccup, the participants did not experience it. It was the most rewarding and unforgettable experience I have ever had.

I also owe an amazing huge thank you to Tammy!!! Who without her, I would not have been able to go to Philly. She stood and waited a lot Sunday in the blazing sun, she took pictures and was patient as I nervously waited before the ride. She was there to help me get the bike put away and get into comfortable shoes, peal the gloves off and stand patiently by my side. She was even patient when I insisted that I had to go through the cool mist tent. Let me tell you, that the cool mist tent was amazing!!! I had never been so hot that I wanted to sit in a bath of ice. Yet she stood smiling and taking pictures. She is amazing and I look forward to riding with her in the 2010 LIVESTRONG Challenge.

Thank you to everyone that donated, I was able to raise $1,145! That is really good!! Just so you know, I did not make my goal and I plan to make that goal for the 2010 LIVESTRONG Challenge. That goal is $2500, so be ready!

I really cannot recommend enough that you try a LIVESTRONG Challenge. I have participated in many cancer fundraising events before. This is the first time that I have felt like my achievements have made a difference and that I actually acheived something and that they were appreciated. They really make you feel great about everything that you do. It is truely an unforgetable experience. Be sure to plan to participate next year, www.livestrongchallenge.org, I'll see you in Philly if you go there, because there are four cities to choose from and many different events, even a walk.

LIVESTRONG!
-Rhonda

What next?

2009-08-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

Ok. So I am still riding high on yesterday!!! WOW-WOW-WOW!!!! And ouch-ouch-ouch-ouch I'm still pretty sore.

So I finished the 45 mile Livestrong Challenge Ride and I bet you think I'm gonna stop. Well as the song goes, "ain't stop'n me now...." and well here is why.

In 2010, 10 million people will die of can EACH year. Not to mention that when I started this journey I was 246 pounds and my eating had fallen out of control and I had stopped excercising. Why? Because I was upset, someone I love was going to have to have to face life with cancer. Cancer can be unforgiving and there are a lot of inpredictable variables. Back to me, so I fugured I had to have a goal to get me going. It worked, though my weight is not a lot lower, my body has shrunk and I am doing some pretty great things.

In Dublin, Ireland right now the Lance Armstrong Foundation is hosting a global cancer summit. There Dr Wild stated that obesity, environment, STDs and tobacco atributed to 1/3 of all cancers. So I want to help you change those odds!

Friends Agaisnt Cancer Team - FACT!(more on this in the near future) We can be from anywhere, but plan to meet up and participate in a Livestrong Challenge annually. More on the team later, but I want you to know, the healthier your body the better your odds at making it through the cancer treatments. So this way, you are not alone even if virtually. You'll hear about my struggles through training later this week.

I will not toss The Lance Armstrong Foundation to the side, but I am going to continue to fight cancer, in as many ways possible. The next events that I am training for, to fight cancer are as follows.

March 27, 2010
Charleston, SC
The Cooper River Bridge Run
http://www.bridgerun.com/event.php
Yes folks I'm gonna be walking with a little running (more on that later), don't think I'm hanging up the bike.
There is an online registrations and here is the registration form:
http://www.bridgerun.com/uploads/2010Application.pdf
I will be registering and selecting the Susan G. Komen Foundation. You'll be learning more about that in months to come. It is a great foundation.

Susan G Komen Race For The Cure
April 10, 2010
http://www.komenroanoke.org/main/index.php?m=1&p=18
Learn more!

Philly 2010
I had planned to do 100 miles, but after yesterday I am reevaluating that. I ran into a guy at the top of a climb, cause we stopped to rest that explained the toughness. He had participated in every Philly Livestrong Challenge and this was the toughest. Why? Because Lance Armstrong was there last year (2008) and felt the course was not challenging enough, so they added more climbing. Trust me, Livestrong Challenge is the right name. Do not get me wrong thje volunteers are all wonderful and everyone makes you feel absolutely amazing through every step!!! My whole experience through the Livestrong Challenge is one of my proudest moments in my life!

If you so choose to hope with on with FACT, we can do different events, you can run or walk the 5K or bike 20, 45, 70 or 100. Registration is low and you only have to raise $250 and they give you a website to assist you.

So, yes "More Than a Ride" will continue onward, because we are against cancer.

Changing the world one revolution at a time!
-Rhonda

2009 Philly Livestrong Challenge DAY!!!

2009-08-19T10:11:00.004-04:00

WOO-HOO!!!!
I rode honoring my Dad, my uncle Jime (pronounced Hi-me) and Lorax our little baby girl who also rode to Philly with us.

Let me tell you something!!! This has been an amazing experience!!!

I am very proud of myself! The accomplishments of this Livestrong Challenge rank up there with some of the proudest things I have done in my life thus far.

Speaking of things so far in my life, this was also the toughest bike ride I have taken to date. I thought since I had done a 53 mile ride and a 60 mile ride and climbed up Mill Mountain almost once a week, I was going to be set. My nerves got up the night before when I noticed the elevation moved from 1600 odd feet of climbing to 1700 odd feet of climbing.

Well let me tell you something, well guess I've done that for the past few months. LOL! Titling these rides as a Livestrong Challenge is correct!!! I climbed a lot of hills and walked a few too, especially toward the end. It had gotten hot and by the end I had been in the saddle 4:48:12, the total milage was 46.3 miles.

I met a lot of great people all in the same fight. The fight to end cancer! Jim, Karen, Jason, Lila, and some encouraging riders along the way. We all cheered each other along. Expect their stories later.

Please pray for all the individuals that went down, two required an ambulance and were pretty bad looking. Slowed me down on the sharp corners or sharp descents. Sad that they got hurt during such an amazing ride.

I know you might be thinking; Why on Earth would you want to do this and planning on a repeat in 2010? Simply put, it is amazing to push yourself beyond what you thought ever possible. Tears were in my eyes as I crossed because of the amazing ride I had just taken and how I raised $1,145 to help end cancer. I am very proud of myself.

LIVESTRONG!!!
-Rhonda

packet pick up

2009-08-19T10:10:00.003-04:00

Picking up the packet today. I might wear my Tshirt for a week, just so I can tell everyone about this experience.
I didn't sleep weel, I am so excited about tomorrow, plus a vicious storm came through around mid-night. I tought a plane as landing on the building. Woke up at 5:20a.m. so excited I filled my bottles andhave them chilling in the fridge. All my gear is set out and ready to go.
There is a hurricaine that they are blaming the incredible amounts of rain on. Driving 10 hours to get her in the sheets of rain was not fun. We couldn't drive any faster and still be able to see and even had to pull off once.
Off to Montgomery Community College to pick up my packet. Saw everyone setting up for the ride this morning on the news.

Don't forget, I can still take donations on the website
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Til tomorrow!
-Rhonda

on the way

2009-08-19T10:08:00.004-04:00

We are on our way to Philly. I could not have done it without you. Though I am still raising money on the website http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin.

Thank you to everyone who has helped along the way!!!

Here we go!
-Rhonda

flat begging

2009-08-19T09:58:00.004-04:00

Ok, so now, I am just begging you. Please donate! I really want to raise as much money as I can for The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) to help give as much money as possible to fight cancer. If you do not know much about LAF here are a few things.

Yes it was started by 7 time Tour de France winner and testicular cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. It helps to provide 24 hour support to people living with cancer. You can call anytime and they have someone there, a survivor to help with the terrifying questions you might have, because your fear is not always set to the 9-5 office hours. The have detailed information on the different treatment options, because there are often several options out there. If Lance Armstrong would have gone with the first treatment suggested to him, he would not have gone on to inspire many people with cancer or affected by cancer being in their life. His lungs would have been trashed by the treatment. LAF also helps to be an advocate to help you get a second or a third opinion and they also help when there is no more treatment options left. It is important to know smeone is there for you.

I believe in The Lance Armstrong Foundation and that is why I plan to participate in a Livestrong Challenge every year. They have gone global and working to end cancer on many fronts, not just in the U.S., but everywhere. Why? In 2010, cancer is to become the leading cause of death around the world. Cancer has no borders!

DONATE PLEASE! http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Thank you,
-Rhonda

More Than A Ride

2009-08-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

When I signed up for the 45 mile Livestrong Challenge, I started this blog. I was struggling with the name, truth be told I was struggling with a lot in those days, and Tammy gave me this name. I new when she said it, that the months ahead would be more than about the ride and they have been. It has been an amazing few months.

When yet another loved one was diagnosed with cancer, my world began to spin and nothing made sense. This time we were looking at my Dad's battle with cancer, I still remember his Dad's battle. Cancer is not one of those things you forget. It just eats away until your body has nothing left to give.

I remember a friend who was in her second bought with breast cancer. The first one took her breast, this time it had moved to her lungs and chest. She had a 6 year old she had to take care of and she was just beginning to get back on her feet. It seemed cruel, her daughter had no family to go to and Darlene had few people to turn to, because she had no close family. Cancer moved through her body, made her neck rigid and it took her mind by the end. I remember one of the last memories with her, she had been moved to a nursing facility by then. She looked up at me, all of a sudden crystal clear she said, "Today is our anniversary of when we started talking. Thank you for being my friend.", tears were on the edge of my eyes and a huge lump in my throat. While holding my hand, she picked up her head and then she said, "here they come, they have such a sweet sound and they make me feel better." and her head dropped and the next time I went to visit she was not clear again. I sat with her and got her a few things she asked for, though none of it made sense to me. I wondered later if the mind goes so the body doesn't feel the pain. She made the most loving decision of her life, before she went on to be an angel. She allowed a loving family to adopt her now 7 year old daughter, knowing she could not do it much longer. They had been caring for her over the past months and she new they would take care of her.

So is this "More Than A Ride"? You better believe it!!! It is about finding yourself and honoring your loved ones who have wn the battle and about honoring the memory of those watching over us. I had no clue how much I would change when I signed up for this ride and I for once was given something by cancer. Because cancer has taken a lot from me. I was given "More Than A Ride" and all that came with it. I cannot explain it, it just is and you have to experience it yourself.

Help find a cure! Help stop cancer! Help there to be options!
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Changing the world one revolution at a time.
-Rhonda

3 sleeps

2009-08-18T16:38:00.003-04:00

In three sleeps we will be packing up and heading out for Philly! I did not think that we would ever get to this day, it seemed so far away, yet so close.

When I started out the most I had traveled on my mountain bike was 15 miles, 18 if I am lucky. Traveling 12 miles was a long ride. Now 12 miles is a keep my muscles warm ride. It is amazing how far I have come in such a short amount of time. One thing I do not feel that we have come far enough about is the fight against cancer.

1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime
1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime

I am sorry those are not good odds! I am about to ride 45 miles and plan to keep on riding, this has become my fight too, while so many people learn to live with a disease that knows no barriers. Cancer has taken many people I love and have put many people I love through a living hell. Many people you love may have the same battle and struggles. May you LIVESTRONG, through those days.

So we can find out ways to make these battles easier, find ways to cure and find ways to end the devastating diagnosis of "you've got cancer." and together we will. One thing I ask you to do is to make an appointment to get regular exams by your family physician, eat healthy foods, exercise and to donate today; http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin.

I'm not giving up! Are you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ZWbQ5-wrA&feature=related

Riding to a cure!
-Rhonda

another way to get back at cancer

2009-08-14T09:42:00.003-04:00

We have to fight cancer on all fronts. I picked The Lance Armstrong Foundation, but there are other ways to fight cancer.

Take yoga at Uttara Yoga Sudio
August 31 - September 4
Ride your bike and do yoga for $5 and the money will be donated to The American Cancer Society.http://www.uttarayogastudio.com/
Class schedule:
http://www.uttarayogastudio.com/schedule/index.html
This might be easier:
Mondays*
Noon - Power Yoga. Siobhan
6:30 pm - Yoga Basics. Karen (JUNE only- karma class, $5 drop-in donation)

5:30 pm - July 6 through August 10 only - Hot Yoga. Rita (*75 min. class, 6-week series 7/6 through 8/10). $12 drop in, $60 for six weeks, separate fee class, class pack cards not accepted

Tuesdays
9:30 am - Hatha. Jill
5:30 pm* - Hatha Flow. Wendi (*75 min. class)

Wednesdays
9:30 - Power Yoga. Siobhan
Noon - Power Yoga. Jill
5:30 pm - Hatha. Lisa
6:45 pm - Ashtanga. Arien (*75 min. class)

Thursdays
9:30 am - Hatha. Jill
12:15 pm* - Beginner’s Yoga. Lisa (*45 min. class - karma class, $5 drop-in donation)
5:30 pm* - Hatha Flow. Wendi (*75 min. class)
7:00 pm* - Power Yoga. Cathy (*75 min. class)

Fridays
9:30 am* - Ashtanga. Arien (*75 min. class; no class 6/5 & 7/24)
11:00 am - Jivamukti Yoga. Mary (*75 min. class; no class in AUG)
5:30 pm - Beginner's Yoga. Lisa (4-week series, JUNE only)

Saturdays
9:45 am - Hatha. Jill (no class 7/18)
11:00 am - Children's Yoga (ages 4-8). Jill (only AUG 1, 8, 15)

Sundays
8:30 am - Power Yoga. Shannon
10:00 am - Children's Yoga (ages 9-13). Jill (only JULY 28, AUG 2, 9)
5:00 pm - Less Stress Restorative Yoga. Jill (only JULY 12, 26, AUG 9, 23)

Breathe!
-Rhonda

1 week!

2009-08-14T09:26:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDfCTJQTpXs&feature=channel

We are a week away. I will be riding in my first Livestrong Challenge! If you cannot ride this year, let's ride next year together, the more we have against this disease that knows no limits the better our odds. www.livestrongchallenge.org

We are going to make a difference!
-Rhonda
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

What would you say to cancer?

2009-08-14T09:19:00.005-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXOVkDp-Rw

What would you say to cancer if you could?

I say, "NO MORE!".
Donate today and stop the cycle, 8 million people will die this year to cancer. Will we know any of those 8 million? http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Changing the world one revolution at a time!
-Rhonda

numb hands

2009-08-14T09:02:00.004-04:00

Yikes! Saturday we went on a long ride, it was 60 miles, the longest Tammy and I have ever gone and it was not easy. There was at least 15 miles that was climbing, though it was not steep it was a tough climb or "slog" as we call it up the road. About 7 miles of it was a tar and gravel mixture, which made it tough to look around and tough to do anything other than look at the road and avoid pot holes and whatever else might cause injury.

My collar bone/shoulder was screaming in pain! I was hurting so bad I took Advil and I have not done that in two years. It hurt bad and a couple of other people we ride with regularly had some old aches to surface again. This ride seemed to bump a lot to the surface and look at some ergonomic changes.

One thing that did surface again was Tammy's hand going numb. It was a problem more on the mountain bikes and really had not been a problem on the road bikes. So we thought it was in the past, until Saturday when her last two fingers went almost completely numb. Eeek!

Here is what happened. There is a nerve, well there are many in your hand, but one nerve that runs between the two padded areas on your hand. This nerve is the nerve most commonly linked to carpal tunnel syndrome. There are a series of stretches and other things that you can do to help prevent this, find a good sports medicine person, Qigong instructor or physical therapist for these actions. Because the only other treatment is slicing that nerve and well, you really do not want nerves sliced through unless it is the last resort.

There are a few things that caused this and Saturdays tough ride probably aggravated the situation. Riding with a constant pressure on your hands can cause the nerve to be pressed so long that it stops sending signals to the fingers. Having gloves or handlebars with to much padding can cause this problem, oddly just as much as not having gloves and padding can cause the same problem. It is all about finding the balance that works best for you. It is that whole thing that what works for one person may not work for another person. So keep at it until you find what keeps you most comfortable on the saddle, even for the long and bumpy rides.

By the way! There are 600 spots left for the Philly Livestrong Challenge!!! www.livestrongchallenge.org and you have a little over one week to raise your minimum. I know you can do it!!! Come ride with me next week, the deadline to register is August 20th and the ride is the 23. If you cannot ride this year, then please donate, we're all fighting cancer http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin.

Come along and join the fun!
-Rhonda

Livestrong Playlist 2

2009-08-10T09:32:00.003-04:00

We are in the homestretch just before the 2009 Livestrong Challenge, so I thought it would be a good idea to update the inspirational iPod tunes. Some for creating speed when I'm in the gym, others are uplifting and a few other good ones to get us through. Though the song has crossed my mind, Bruce Springstein's "Streets of Philadelphia" will not make this playlist, mainly because I cannot listen to it without crying.
Hope you enjoy and please do not forget why there is this blog titled "More Than A ride". We're changing the world and ending cancer one revolution at a time! http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Enjoy!
-Rhonda

Livestrong Playlist 2

Prayer for Peace - Star Children from the Earth Dance CD (it just feels good)
Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copeland if you've watched the Olympics you know why
Carmina Burana, O'Fortuna - Carl Orf, it builds you up
The Olympic Spirit - John Williams and the Boston Pops, again watch the Olympics
Rind of Fire - Johnny Cash, Yea it surprised me too, but those tires are a ring of fire!
La Copa de la Vida - Ricky Martin, it is a repeat, for obvious reasons. Gotta enjoy life while we have it!
The Freight Train - DJ Irene from Phonosynthesis - Listen you just hear a fast moving group of cyclist in it.
I like to move it - Will i am - it is fun and well you gotta move it move it!
Elevation - U2 from the Tomb Raider Soundtrack, it is fun and lifts you up.
Dive In The Pool(X-union remix) - Barry Harris Featuring Peppa Masha, Cause you get soaking wet out there on a bike. Yep it is a repeat, it's that good.
Speedball'n - Outkast - Gotta have some more speed in the selection
Spin spin Sugar - Sneaker Pimps - It has some speed too!
If Everyone Cared - Nickelback - Listen to it, it has soul.
Make it Go Away(radiation song) - Sheryl Crow - For Tammy, because when we had a breast cancer scare a year ago, it gave her some strength and well it's obvious if you listen.

and miles to go...

2009-08-09T17:48:00.000-04:00

It is amazing how fast, yet how slow August 23 has been in getting here. In two weeks from today I will have completed my first ever Livestrong Challenge (www.livestrongchallenge.org) and raised a respectable amount of money. I will have riden 45 miles through the streets of Philadelphia and will have proudly displayed the names of cancer survivors in my family; Dad, Jime' and Lorax. I don't have enough body realestate for everyone, though everyone is important.

I chose a Livestrong Challenge, because I believe in The Lance Armstrong Foundation and I believe in the need to end cancer. This is my first Livestrong Challenge, I plan on others and would like to see an end to the need for a Livestrong Challenge.

I believe far to many people have lost their lives to cancer, to many have lost their hair, to many have sat in fear, to many have cried and to many have been touched by cancer.

I have mentioned all the people in my life that have had cancer. I've shared some personal stories and some I will in the future. I am going to write a few of the names of people whom I have known during their cancer battle, listened to their story (cause sometimes it feels good to have someone to listen), sat with in their last days on earth (cause I know they are all angels now) or have known while in their battle. Feel free to post comments of people in your life or your own name.
Lorax, Dad, Jime', Nannie, PaPa, Mini, Thresa, Don, Tammy (not my partner), Pat, Pat (yes 2 different people), Anna, Darlene, Virginia, Ann, Margaret, Sandy 'Re, Richard, Nancy, Kenny, the tearful woman who worked in my building years a go with a pink ribbon breast cancer hat on who needed a hug, Eyde, Skylar, Peggy, Evelyn and sadly the list continues...

Please help to stop the vicious affects of cancer, donate to The Lance Armstrong Foundation! http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

I am not stopping until people stop hearing, "you've got cancer"!

You can change more than you think!
-Rhonda

almost two weeks

2009-08-07T14:47:00.002-04:00

We are just over two weeks away until the Philly Livestrong Challenge 2009!!! This has been an amazing past few months!!! I really cannot say it enough!!! Thank you to each of you for all that you have done!

A couple of things, this blog will continue after the 2009 ride, because the fight against cancer is not going to stop! Two I am contemplating organizing a Livestrong Challenge Team for next year. How about it, "Star City Cyclists"? Who is gonna join?

You know, I had a thought cross my mind today when an ambulance went screaming up the road. I pulled over to the side of the road, moving out of the way. I looked at the a lot of other cars, just sitting on the road and not moving to the right as we are instructed in drivers ed, although there was room to move. It made me think, that if their loved one was in that ambulance; would they not be frustrated that the cars were in the way, limited the speed at which they can get to the hospital? We often do not think of how our actions affect other people when we are in a hurry. It is interesting once the shoe is on the other foot how we look at things in a different light. Things are all relative, but one thing I have noticed that has proven consistant and that is cancer AFFECTS and EFFECTS EVERYONE!!!

So please, make a donation today http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin! Any amount helps, it adds up and makes a difference.

Make a difference!
-Rhonda

Gear - pedals

2009-08-03T10:59:00.000-04:00

So after a post last week I was asked; How can you pull your pedals without yur feet falling off? This prompted me to wonder how many understand the differences.

As a child the idea of attaching my foot to a pedal seemed like a crazy idea. What if I fell off? Though the thought was raised when we got our mountain bikes years ago, we never did follow through because we just were not comfortable enough yet.

So the first pedal type is the standard, put your foot on and go kind of pedals. These are the most common on entry level and department store bicycles. Not a thing wrong with these pedals, unless you are trying to improve effeciency. It is most important that you are on the bike.

There is a toe cage that kind of traps your toe onto the pedal. It is adjustable and affords you the ability to have some push and pull with your peddle strokes though not the same as the clipless pedal. One issue I had with this style was I was riding in sneakers with a tread and that made pulling out in a hurry a little difficult. Otherwise an affordable step to gaining more effeciency on the bike.

The clipless pedal comes in all sorts of styles. The tension that is applied to clipping in and out is adjustable, so the more comfortable you get the more tension you can apply. It is important to get use to clipping in and clipping out before going out on the road. It is easy to forget your foot is attached to the pedal. The you become face to face with the pavement. Trust me, I grabbed a lot of stop signs in the early days of the clipless pedal, even with practice.

The clipless pedal is helpful because you can push on the down and pull on the up. This way you are using your whole leg and not limiting yourself to the power of half your leg.

Happy peddling!
-Rhonda

cancer angels part 4

2009-07-30T10:15:00.007-04:00

I know that cancer angels will continue to cross my path and I will continue to write about them. I will also attempt to recognize all of the cancer angels who have contributed to the Livestrong Challenge (http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin) one way or another in the near future. This one is going to go out to the people who have helped me through all of this, who became priceless in these past few months. I am grateful for each of you being a part of my life, I thank you abundantly from the bottom of my heart! The cancer thing may resurface later on, but I want those of you to know how much I have appreciated each of you!

I am going to start off with recognizing Tammy and her unwavering support. Though we cannot take vows, she has stuck through, for better and for worse. Even hopping on a bike as I rode toward my 45 mile Livestrong Challenge goal and she went to each fundraiser. She has been amazing, knowing when to hold my hand, go roller skating, kick me in the butt, hand me a tissue, take me out for retail therapy and on and on. And probably watched more movies in the first months than she has watched her whole life. I have felt so blessed to have her in my life through all of this, that my appreciation is unmeasurable!

For Jime, Suzie and Steve, through your years of courage and bravery. I knew that through all each of you have been through so many times, that I would be able to make it through this. You have each taken it with stride and moved onward, seemingly to not skip a beat. Each of you are all amazing!

Mom, Dad, Suzie and Sara, who have watched your parents fight cancer. To worry about how your children will respond when they cannot call their grandparents when reports cards come out, for the ballet recital, baseball games or track meets. To worry about their needs before your own in many cases.

Dad, Mom and Suzie who sat with parents as they talked about angels and loved ones coming to visit. Trying to gather up more memories before you cannot anymore and being strong in the face of fear.

For Jessee and the mind distracting games of chess, listening and know when to a hug was in need.

Val, I had no clue about the anger phase! Thank you for listening and for all of the advice and knowledge, even though it hit close to home for you. Not to mention all of the lunches at McAlister's because it was the only thing that was not upsetting my stomach. If you never ate there again I would not blame you.

Jamison and Alexander, two wonderful practitioners that helped my body not crash while I was on an icy slope.

Carolyn, the Amethyst bio-mat felt so good when my head was spinning out of control.

The Reiki Practice crew, Carolyn and Wanda, that really helped to sooth the ache and anxiety.

For the Craven Crew who went to many movies and sat in the back, because they know the front makes me nervous. For the hugs and prayers and always checking in.

Richard, who even in battling your own cancer, asked about my Dad's cancer and checked in on how I am doing.

Lisa, for "Dot" so I can do the Livestrong Challenge on a road bike and for "Tweetzie" when "Dot" (bicycle names) broke her wheel. Because riding kept me sane.

For everyone that we ride with. It has helped putting in the miles so much nicer.

I thank the many others of you for your hugs, support, donations, listening, prayers and so many other ways!!! I cannot begin to express how much this has meant to me. I am hopeful I will not need to call on you for the same reason again, but for now I thank you for all that you have done!!! If you feel left out, it might be that my tears of gratitude clouded my memory, know that you crossed my mind, but not my fingers as I typed.

With love,
-Rhonda

resurfacing

2009-07-30T09:32:00.004-04:00

I have to say that my life has been all out of sorts for the past several months. I am just now feeling like I am resurfacing, though I thought I was doing pretty good, I can tell now that I have not been myself. It also helps that Tammy and Jessee have both commented that it is nice to have me back.

I have to tell you, my hat goes off to all of the people who have fought and fighting cancer!!
I have to tell you, my hat goes off to all of the people who have had a loved one fight cancer!!
I have to tell you, my hat goes off to all of the people who are caretakers to people with cancer!!
It is ROUGH!!!

I have grown up always knowing cancer in one way or another, since many relatives and friends have lived and died with cancer. When it was my Dad, one of the two people who have been with me my whole life, it was hard to hear. Hard to grasp. Hard all around. Then all of the other stuff in between!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post titled "The Ride", that was pretty much how I have felt. Even after my Dad stated that there were no more tumors, it took a few weeks for it to register. You are kind of on edge, waiting to make sure the information was right, making sure they have the right person, just making sure, because things became so uncertain once you have heard them say, "I've got cancer!".

I am not sure life will ever be the same after all of that. I cannot imagine the struggle people living with cancer have. To know there is this foreign thing in their body, slowly killing them unless they go through treatments that make them feel like they are dieing or pretty darned bad. Cancer almost makes you paranoid and on alert at all times so that you are ready, but you are never ready.

Even with a friend talking me through the phases and warning me that when the anger phase hits it is without warning. I thought, well I am pretty intuitive, I'll be ready. With tears streaming down my face weeks later, no I was not ready. It comes out of no where and not even the warning it was going to happen helped, until afterward. Nothing prepares you for all of the stages of anger, denial, fear, and in some cases loss. It is good to know though, because you know you are not losing your mind and you are not the only one feeling lost in the middle of the woods without a compass.

My biggest advice I have for you, if you or a loved one or a friend is diagnosed with cancer, these are my most valuable tips!
1. Get a support network!!! Do not think you can do this alone!!!
2. Get more support network!!! You still cannot do this alone!!!
3. Believe in something higher than yourself!!! Even if it is that the grass is green and the sky is blue, have some kind of anchor to hold on to.
4. Do not get caught up in the story, because you can get lost.
5. Did I mention a support network?
6. Play! Always make sure you have fun things to do (if you have cancer as you are able). It helps to keep your spirit young and recognize joy in your life, because it does get tough to see.
7. Stay strong! Know you are not alone.
8. Eat well and drink water!
9. Love often!
10. Keep a journal, do not get caught with the same reel rolling through your head, let it go.

Taking a breath!
-Rhonda

perception

2009-07-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

One of our on going semi-joking (cause there is some truth to it) comments is, "Self perception is everything.". Which is true on so many levels, but in this instance we're going to be talking about bicycling.
Yesterday, we joined another crew to go cycling with. It was nice to see other people and their techniques and riding styles. Then I also realized Tammy and I have not been riding not as fast as we can be and we can do more than we thought.

Here is a funny story:

So we were going to ride to Greenhill Park, for those of you not familiar it is just on the otherside of Salem in Roanoke County. If you'll recall, Tammy and rode our bikes there to the kit festival in April. That is the location of the obsession to sun screen occured. I apply often now! It took us one way 57 minutes and some change, the return trip was rough. We were dehydrated from the sun burn and lack of water consumption and that was a long ride for us then. :o)

Fast foreward three months, it took us 36 minutes and some change to get there and we were able to keep on riding. We did what our "New Riding Crew" called; "The Extendo"! It sounded serious, with such a name. Haha! We started out with what we thought was going to be an easy out and back 22ish miles, turned into a 32ish mile adventure. If we did not have other obligations we would have kept going.

So here is the perception part. Casey, Tammy & I shared with one another how certain rides use to be a big deal. Then we talked about, how now, we glide past that previous goals and keep going.

Years ago, Tammy and I got all kinds of excited, high-fives and all when we rode 12 miles one morning. We thought we had gone a long way and we celebrated too! It was a long way then. Now it is funny how our perception has changed, at 12 miles, we are practically warming up now. Tammy is great, she has those great long distance muscles and she is trimming up quite well, so even at 30 miles, she's just getting ready to go. I remember watching her zig-zag up what we now call a slight incline.

Last evening we were so proud of our accomplishment and chattered on about the ride with Jessee (from our regular crew), we took her out to show her the route. We talked about the new people, what we talked about and the experience of being shoved out of our comfort zone. For example, my legs stopped moving on one hill, they literally would not push or pull any further. I uncipped and had to walk, because I was afraid I would topple over without any forward movement. I hopped back on and we continued, that felt good.

So perception is everything and forever changing. Don't get caught in the story or get caught in your comfort zone. You might just see what you're made of and I am here to tell you, it feels darn good!

Look forward to seeng you out there!

What are you made of?
-Rhonda
* http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

ending cancer

2009-07-22T15:42:00.005-04:00

The Livestrong Challenge ride is on August, Saturday will mark the 30 day point. I am excited. I would really like to have a Livestrong Challenge weekend here in Roanoke, VA. It is a big deal! Cancer is a big deal to me, it has greatly impacted my life on many levels.

I hope that you do not wait until you have a loved one in your life fighting cancer to make changes in your own life or to donate or begin the ending of cancer. To me ending cancer is important, make that VERY important. It is horrible and I hope that you are never to experience such a horrible disease directly in your life or even close to it. I am doing everything I can to end cancer in and surrounding my life. I do not want any more of my loved ones deciding what to do with their life, now that they have a cancer diagnosis.

If you do not want to support The Lance Armstrong Foundation(http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin) then look for other organizations who are working to end the affects and effects cancer has on our lives as a whole. Keep reading on another organization.

Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer and 1 in 8 of all women will get cancer in their life time. Those odds, are not ones I want to waiger my life on.

Learn More about your risks!

You can learn more about genetic testing and your hereditary risks to breast and ovarian cancer on Thursday, August 6, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Women's Health University, yes guys you can attend, but you seem to be out numbered so that you know ahead of time. Cause guys you are at risk too for breast cancer! It is brought to you by Carilion Clinic (www.carilionclinic.org), with speaker Kara Bui, M.S., CGC, the cost is only $15 and they feed you. Call Carilion Direct to register or for more information, 540-266-6000 or 1800-422-8482.

THEN YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR A Susan G. Komen For The Cure race April 10, 2010. You have plenty of time to get in shape and be able to participate. Get a pink team together and train together! Here is a link for more informaion http://www.komenroanoke.org/main/index.php?m=1&p=18 Yes I have already contacted them, so I will be there and look forward to seeing you, however you choose to participate. Please take time to make a difference and end cancer in all our lives!

WE HAVE THE POWER!
-Rhonda

Throwing in the Towel

2009-07-22T10:15:00.000-04:00

"Energy and persistance conquer all things."
~Benjamin Franklin

Have you ever wanted something and did not seem to be reaching your goal fast enough? Or encounter a road block so tough you almost sabotaged your end result?

I have and did this past week. Many spiritual scholars state that only through suffering are we truely able to reach enlightenment, Nirvana, true forgiveness in God's eyes and so on. Whatever belief you follow you know what the term or phrase is, this isn't a spiritual discussion. It is though "More Than A Ride". I cannot say one way or the other for sure, but I know the past several weeks and the most recent days has brought me to a new place, within myself.

To say the least. This past Friday I decided I was not gettng back on a bicycle. Ever! Plagued by a reoccuring/constant injury (the exact reason is speculated, but unknown). The injury was affecting my personal and professional life and was a constant hurt. I reached a point of frustration that I for whatever reason was unable to shake. I think for most of us we do not have iron clad determination (and well darned goo VO2Max) like Lance Armstrong, but we have exactly what we need when we need it.

I even went through all the reasons to keep going and nothing would move the feeling of defeat along. I was preparing my bike to sell and wrapping up all loose ends for the Livestrong Challenge. I just did not feel I had what it took to keep going. I even thought about the people fighting cancer. I wondered if they ever reach the same point of frustration. Of not understanding why the equation is not changing.

Tammy kept saying she wasn't accepting my decision, because "you're not a quitter", she would say. I was quitting, cause I'm not a quitter. Like many of us when we reach our limit, we begin to go back through all the times we did not achieve what we had hoped. I felt like "the fat kid on the playground" (no offense to any fat kids on he playground-keep playing by the way), the kid so uncoordnated and unable to do what the other kids are doing and get hurt, because their body is not as flexible or fast. Kids hurt usually bad enough to need a bag of ice or a trip to the school nurse. I know this, cause I was that kid struggling to make it and "hang" with the rest of the crowd. So Friday I had finally (or so I thought) reached my limit and tearfully gave up.

The tears should have told me I still believed in myself. It was a series of events that pushed me out of the hole I dug. Here is what I did, if you should ever reach a point of giving up on yourself.

1. Tell a friend you trust and had confided in your goals.
2. If you already do not have one seek out a support group. Riding (or walking or running or whatever, fill in blank) with a group helps to hold you accountable.
3. Believe in yourself. You're worth it. Even if you do not believe it right at this moment or any point in the future, remember that I believe in you right now.
4. Stop looking at your goal. Don't lose sight of it, but don't focus on it. Life is nothing but a journey to help us to grow. It is not about where we are going, but where we are right now. Enjoy, what you have, not what you don't have.
5. Keep a journal of what you are doing. You will find that you are doing better than you originally thought, once you reflect back.

I am lucky. I had Tammy who refused to allow me to give in. Jesse who kept asking if was riding and kept checking in. Joyce who reminded me, that I was not hurting ayone else, but myself. And Me because through riding I have begun to love myself and appreciate what I have been able to achieve, in many ways. I am not the first one up the mountians or hills, I have trouble sustaining a fast speeds, my endurance is not with everyone else I ride with, but I realize where I am right now is where I need to be.

Just have to keep going and keep turning the pedals, because accepting defeat is more memorable than working through the struggle. Don't give up, you're worth it!

Keep on turning,
-Rhonda
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Saddle wisdom Part 3

2009-07-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

"The sound of a car door opening in front of you is similar to the sound of a gun being cocked."
~Amy Webster

The quote is oh so true! Think about it, a lot of our riding is on streets with on street parking. We may now notice everything out there, but we try to keep our eyes on the road all the time.

This being said, it is hard to avoid broken glass, pot holes, lose gravel and whatevr else there might be on the road. So if you can, could you maybe peak before you fling open your door? We very much appreciate it.

The car door flying open is a common object of injury to a cyclist. Think about it, you have no extra protection around you and your being thrown at whatever speed of travel into an unmovable object.

Ouch!
-Rhonda

why I bike

2009-07-14T13:10:00.004-04:00

I wrote this for the Roanoke Outside Blog http://ow.ly/h7up. I hope that you take a minute to write your own story!

Why I bike…
By Rhonda Chattin

Why I bike is part obvious and part spiritual. The obvious part is that I started training for a 45 mile Livetrong Callenge to be held in Philadelphia in August. Though I have been on a bike off and on for most of my life, the true love for the bicycle did not really fully return until half way through training for the Livestrong Challenge. I realized once the regular riding began that one of the best ways to improve my odds against a cancer diagnosis is by staying on the bike on a very regular basis. But it became more and the experiences grew.

Bicycling became an addiction one Saturday a weeks after successfully climbing Mill Mountain all the way to the star for the first time, when our crew ventured out on the Parkway for a cruise. It was a tough trek traveling to the Parkway from our Old South West home by bicycle. After 50 minutes mostly up hill, we were there. Let me put it this way, it was a well earned coast once we turned left onto the Parkway! While on that ride the freedom of a child on two rubber tires returned. Even with a helmet on my head, I felt the air rushing past my face, through my hair (what little that stuck out of my helmet), and blowing my jersey. I wanted to throw my hands out and shout look “no hands!”, but traveling at that speed I refrained.

Though in that moment, you cannot help but shout out a woo-hoooooooo, as you glide down the Parkway with all of nature surrounding you. Not trapped inside a steel petrol propelled vehicle, you are immersed as in a pool of scenery. You are using your own body as fuel and moving yourself forward feeling as free as a bird.

The sounds all around you, mixed in with your on breath, absorbing all the sounds of life. There is so much to experience while on a bicycle, that you do not in a car. The rustling of the leaves and trees, birds off in the distance or the hollow woodpecker making a new home. You get up close and personal sightings of owls, chipmunks, bunnies, snakes, deer, squirrels, turkeys and so much more if you are paying attention. You make friends and achieve things you never thought you would or could. The bicycle is not only a piece of machinery that moves you from one point to another it is a source of great experience.

Why I ride is simple, it is all captured in those silent moments when you really know you are alive and grateful for what you are able to get out and do. In those moments when no cars are zipping by and nobody is saying a word and you are there almost paused in time, with the rays of light peaking through the trees that God breezes a whisper in your ear…

just do it

2009-07-14T11:17:00.001-04:00

After the concluding statement of the last blog post titled "4 hours, 27 minutes & 12 seconds", I wanted to share this new commercial. If you did not read it, then hop back and read it. It's a care and share personal story from our first ride in 2003! :o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI5xSdhwdjY

New Nike commercial. Though it is so much more. Why not do it? You know if it is in reason. See how you can change your life, how you think, how you react, how you live toward others and how you can just do it!!!

Nike says it best...

Just do it!
-Rhonda
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

2010

2009-07-14T11:13:00.006-04:00

We had the last of our fundraisers for the 2009, Philly Livestrong Challenge. I would like to thank Haverty's Valley View, Tammy, Val, Darla, Jessee, Sidney and Lindsey for all of your fabulous help!!! Could not have done any part of it without you! Though we got rained out, we were able to raise $50. I am still raisng money by selling the yellow Livestrong wristbands and on the fundraising webpage and still accepting any other donations though not in a formal fundraiser.

All donations are not showing on the tally board yet, but our total is just over $1000. Way to go and thank you for your contribution(s)!!! I am not going to hold any more fundraisers, instead our focus is on us being able to pay for our trip up there and back. I would like to thank all contributions all ready made and those that are yet to come. All the donations are greatly appreciated!!! Please go check out the "Honor Roll" on the right hand side
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin, many people have honored their loved ones.

Interesting thing at the car wash, there were a lot of survivors that wanted their car washed and were excited to say how long they had been since their battle. I was able to pause and listen to a few. Many others walked past with statements like: "to busy", "not enough time", "in a hurry" or just a polite "no thanks"-without eye contact. I thanked them, knowing life gets crazy sometimes, and hoped they were never touched by cancer. Though, I do not know how, with 28 million people affected with it globally!

In 2010, cancer will globally be the leading cause of death!!! Although something like 40% of all cancers are treatable, not everyone responds to treatment as favorably as others. While many forms of cancer are preventable with diet and exercise.

Take a second to look at www.livestrong.org and learn more about cancer, the treatments and how you can prevent them. Or talk to your family physician (PCP), if you do not have one, find one. Getting regular check-ups helps to keep your PCP to know what is going on with you and recognize when things are not working as they were before. In Roanoke, you can call Carilion Direct at 540-266-6000 and find a physician.

Know your risks, know your body and know how to prevent cancer in your life!

Let's change the odds!
-Rhonda

4 hours 27 minutes & 12 seconds

2009-07-12T14:58:00.000-04:00

4:27:12 is how long it took us to ride 53.69 miles today. We picked up Casey & Jessee and headed out for an adventure. Paused for lunch, cause it was lunch time and we were hungry. Tammy, Jesse and I dropped Casey off at 42.75 miles and we rode onward. Jessee was dropped off at 50 miles. With the distance to and from home, Tammy and I were able to ride further than we've ever been able to safely ride on our bicycles. To say we are proud of ourselves is an understatement. Well right now we're a little more tired with our proud though.

Today we were able to ride our bikes a long distance, with a respectable average speed of 12 mph. However this has not always been the case and if you think you cannot go out and ride, read on, but see your physician first. :o)

On a sunny, June Sunday morning in 2003 Tammy & I woke up, with the hair-brained idea to purchase a bicycle. We went to the only place open to purchase our bikes, CMT Sporting Goods (which has since closed). We hopped on and tried out a few different bikes, opting for a mountain bike, because we were quite chunky (me = close to 300 pounds) and thought those sinny road tires would in no way be able to support our weight.

We bought spiffy red and white Specialized Hotrock's, one red helmet (Tammy) and one black helmet (me). We squeezed them into the back of our Toyota Celica, cause appareantly we had not thought far enough to think about bringing them home.

Once home we re-attached the tire and headed out for our first spin! :o) We live in Old South West so we were able to connect quickly to the beginnings of what is now a wonderful greenway system (the same one we went 53.69 miles on today).

Tammy started shouting to stop, less than half a mile into the ride at the first low water bridge, then there was a myserious problem with her bike before the second bridge, we walked up the hill at the end, just before turning left onto Wiley. Where we went to the bleachers to rest. This is 2 hours into it and no water cages (an oversight on our part and lost sales on their part.) so we found a water fountain.

After we rested a few, we headed back out. This is when Tammy turned really red and we discovered she does not like it when my inner cheerleader/coach comes out to help. We have another name for it, you'll have to ask next time you see me, it would take this blog out of the PG rating. We got off on (what is now) a slight incline, but seemed like a hill then, so we could walk up. Then a slight down hill and walking over the Walnut street bridge and a downhill, with some flat and another walking section. You get the point? We arrived home over four hours later, guzzled a lot of water and hopped in the car. We had to go drive the distance cause well an odometer did not exist then either.

Thinking we had gone at least ten miles, we were disappointed to find out it was four and some change. Though we did not stop! We invested in some gel seat covers, cause we were thinking bicycle shorts did not come in a size that would stretch across a VW Bug. We later found out they do. So we got a couple a pair, Tammy's a size smaller than me of course, these crazy hips of mine. We also strapped an old military canteen on, so we could take water and took frequent stop breaks.

We kept at it and every day we would go out on what became our "Regular Ride". By the end of the summer it was under an hour, now we can ride it in approximately 15 minutes. It is a fun memory to have.

I think about those days whenever we ride past someone, visibly struggling. I want to encourage them and offer any suggestions, but concerned they would not receive it as it would be intended. I do mention as we pass "have a nice ride", so that we do not just glide by. We had all sorts of people fly past us in those days, leaving us panting in their dust.

It is tough to keep going out there when it is that much of a struggle and I am glad we did. My tips for you if you want to give it a go are as follows. After talking to your physician, find a friend that will ride with you. Set out and see what you can comfortably do and it is ok to walk the hills. Or even zig-zag up hills, that takes away some steepness. Do what you can and ride that as often as you can to build up your strength, then try another ride, sightly longer (that's another funny story right there) and do that on a day you can take the next day off. Ask and read whenever possible, there are tons of books, magazines and people out there to get advice from.

Be like Nike and "Just Do It"!
-Rhonda

Car Wash!

2009-07-10T08:01:00.000-04:00

CAR WASH!!!
WASH AWAY CANCER
Saturday
July 11
11 - 3
Haverty's Valley View
$3 per car
$1 per bicycle
SEE YOU THERE!!!

The Ride

2009-07-08T11:47:00.005-04:00

by Rhonda Chattin

I gotta tell you about this ride. Consider this a heads up, but I don't think it is one you can ever fully prepare for.

It starts off with an unforgettable descent, so fast that things blur by unfocused. You see nothing more than streams of color, no images register. You are denying that you even got on in the first place.

Then you realize more than ever before you have to keep flexible, cause now you're on these immediate turns. They are so fast, quick and blinding you have no clue what your going to be up against around each corner. You make one turn and you're almost certain you've some how turned around as it feels as though you are traversing the same terrain you just crossed. You start to want to shout for help, while looking ahead, hoping to find forgiveness in your path.

All of your senses are on alert, you start an ascent that is ruthless. This all just when your blood is coursing through your veins and you don't think you have any more to give. You know without a doubt, this climb will either make you or break you. Water is streaming down your face by now. This climb is steep, tough, hidden turns, and is vein popping and lung expanding. You're already on it and you feel there is no turning back.

You've made it this far. Right?

Followed up with some more unexpected twists and turns, just to see what you're made of. Keeping you on your toes, your reflexes already dulled, you're exhausted, breathe heavy and realizing you've got to be ready for anything now.

Then it all changes, you spin along this section of rolling ups and downs. At this point wondering if there is an end in sight, you hurt like you've never hurt before. You feel or know some how by now you really don't reach the end of this ride.

It is a ride that stays with you, you become a part of it. Or does it become a part of you? So that you know, if you should ever cross the path of this ride, it is called, "sweetie, I've got cancer...".

youth cancer

2009-07-05T11:02:00.003-04:00

The Lance Armstrong Foundation even reaches out to the youth living with cancer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiEsaPratZY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msnF6JkP4LY&feature=channel

This is more of why I picked the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Because everyone is affected by cancer. With 1 in 3 people being diagnosed with cancer, we are all affected by cancer. Right now look at the people around you; Can you figure out which one is going to be the one with a cancer diagnosis? Nope, because cancer knows no boundries, it can attack anyone at any time in their life. We have all the power to stop cancer, to help those with cancer and to eliminate the word cancer from our vocabulary.

Donate today: http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin
or join us at the car wash! July 11, 11-3 at Haverty's Valley View.

Change the odds!
-Rhonda

Why The Lance Armstrong Foundation?

2009-07-05T10:56:00.004-04:00

I know I have mentioned this before, but want to mention it again.

I have been asked by many people why I picked the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF-www.livestrong.org or www.livestrongchallenge.org), because of the services they offer and their visibility and well, read on. This is why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htoM5B3DwKc

The Manifesto of the Lance Armstrong Foundation

We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

We kick in the moment you’re diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You’re in the fight of your life.

We’re about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that’s what it takes.
We’re about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It’s your life. You will have it your way.

We’re about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It’s knowing your rights.
It’s your life.
Take no prisoners.

We’re about the fight.
We’re your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.

LIVESTRONG™

Thank you for donating!
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Changing the world one revolution at a time!
-Rhonda

never give up

2009-07-05T10:30:00.002-04:00

Life is short when we are looking down the barrel of a gun or at the end of an IV tube.
Life is short when we are laying in the hospital fighting for our life.
Life is short when we are looking at the face of a loved one in a fight for their life.
Life is short when we are looking at dreams that are not fulfilled.

In short we think we have all the time in the world, we can do it tomorrow, we can take care of it later or just wait until we have to. We have to make the best out of our life, because it is short. Though sadly many of us have to have a serious illness, have a loved one diagnosed with a serious illness or have to put our affairs in order long before we think we should.

Why wait? Why give up on yourself? Why?
BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH IT! WE ARE STOPPING THE CYCLE OF CANCER!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ZWbQ5-wrA

Livestrong!
-Rhonda
Car Wash - Wash Away Cancer
July 11, 11-3
Haverty's Valley View Mall

The governor

2009-07-02T13:08:00.002-04:00

Today I had a unique experience on multiple levels. Some of the experiences more experienced cyclist might take for granted, others are more unique.

Today I was able to participate in a ride with the VA Governor (picture on the blog homepage). I went up to talk with him, told him I am doing a 45 Mile Livestrong Challenge in Philladelphia in August and I started a blog. I would appreciate it if he would pose for a picture with me so I can post it. I was excited to see he had on a LIVESTRONG wristband. :o) He was not there to talk about cancer research or other cancer funding, but was there to talk about the Greenway systems and developing old rails into trails (www.vtran.org). It was a very nice experience and learned a lot. Keep reading for the rest. Thank you Governor Kaine for the pause for a picture with me, I appreciate your time.

Now to the other stuff I learned. Starting out with a group of cyclists is an exciting thing. One you have to really be on your brakes and ready for anything. There was something I had never heard in such volume and it is a really neat sound, though I am sure more experienced cyclists may not feel the same. Seeing as how I am pretty new to the clipless peddle thing and mostly new to serious cycling. I was more of a "weekend warrior" before. The sound of everyone clipping in as we took off, was a neat sound that I wish I would have recorded to post on the blog.

I was able to meet several different people. Pam who rode a fixed gear 1953 Schwinn (Hokie colors and with a bobble Hokie bird-ready for tailgating) who has spoke of many friends with breast cancer. I also spoke with Sue who helped with my photo op, I returned the favor. Sue and I talked about our riding experiences, she's done a few tri's (I still want to really bad), and rides with some of the local groups. So I was able to learn about some of the local group rides. It is important to learn how to ride in packs. I talked with a few other people. One lady wants to start a 3/4 club, then tickled herself when she said that it was for those 3/4 of the way through a century. It was a fun experience to meet all the different types of riders and learn why they ride. They in turn heard about my quest to help end cancer.

Overall it was a very neat experience, I feel honored to have participated with the group and to have learned what I did. Most of all, on our bicycles we were one, a rainbow of colors and on all sorts of bikes, clicking along with a unique experience to ride with our Commonwealths Governor.

Clicking along,
-Rhonda

it is about you!

2009-06-29T09:57:00.001-04:00

You make a difference without knowing it. Someone seeing a yellow wristband on your arm or wearing a Livestrong Tshirt or a pink ribbon, you're helping someone on their path to know they are not alone. We are not alone! We're all affected by cancer!

This is Patrick Dempsey, he is doing a 100 mile fundraising ride to help with the cancer clinic he is opening in honor of his mother who is battling cancer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JViYeGIK77I&feature=channel

It is about us!
-Rhonda
\/ Look \/
***For bicycle fun!
Tonight at The Transportation Museum The Carless Brit Museum grand opening. Also included is a 100 year history of bicycles and a tribute to Roanokes Blue Ridge Bicycle Club's founder Artie Levien. 6-8 all free tonight!

July 11
Car Wash!
We're washing away cancer 11-3 at Haverty's Valley View! All money goes to The Lance Armstrong Foundation.

who is it about

2009-06-29T09:55:00.004-04:00

Cancer affects all of us! It is all around us, whether we realize it or not, but we can make a difference! We are doing it, but we cannot stop now.
How do you want to make a difference??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_bD8pnVq70&feature=channel

Make a difference!
-Rhonda

the parkway!

2009-06-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

I grew up in Salem, VA, with the beautiful colors of fall, bright blooming rainbows during the spring and watching the clouds roll across the valley below, as we cruised along the parkway as a child. I remember being piled into the faux wood paneled station wagon with my younger sister, as we ventured up the mountain for hours of viewing from inside the car. Being scared and shifting from one side of the car to the other side of the car as the expansive view changed around the corners showing what appeared to be a steep drop. Like we often do, I lost the appreciation of the mountains as a teenager.
I gained some appreciation when I traveled to Nebraska in the tenth grade to visit a pen pal over the Christmas break from school. It just did not seem right to be able to see the yellow house two miles away, without a bend or rise in the road. I was happy to see mountains again on the return trip home. It was not until I was in my mid-twenties that I began to truly see the mountains. I started to see the subtle changes of green colors on the trees as everything begins to bud in the spring. The painted canvas of reds, yellows, and oranges in the fall, all of a sudden had a different view.
Riding my bicycle helped to bring the mountains even closer. I remembered thinking back as a kid to our rides on the parkway, to watching the people on bicycles riding along. My Dad would talk to my Mom and with us about the cyclists, about the climb they had in front of them or some snip-it of cycling trivia. I would sit and think about the rides my Dad and I took. How we would ride for hours and hours together on our bicycles. We’d pull into the house smelling of sweat and fresh air, but a real sense of joy and accomplishment. I can remember making the comparison of cyclists on the parkway as being serious. In my youthful head, I probably thought they were professional cyclists.
Those memories came flooding back a few weeks ago in early June when I took my first ride on the parkway with a few great friends. One was guiding us along the way and talking us through. I went really slow, because I was uncertain of “the climb ahead of me”. Though it was only a steady gradual climb, not steep at all, but I wanted to have some reserve, just in case. I have experienced all to well that the terrain in a car and on a bicycle end up being completely different. It was a short ride, from our home in Old Southwest Roanoke to Vinton on the parkway and home, just over 22 miles, it was a nice gentle ride. The best way I have ever traveled on the parkway!
This past weekend we took to the parkway again, I held nothing back as a few of us ventured out again. After climbing up Mill Mountain and Roanoke Mountain to enter the parkway, I glided joyously along the road. I was smiling, soaking in the sun and feeling the cool breeze sliding across my face and jersey. It was an amazing feeling, a freedom I may have never felt before. Almost of flying without wings, of zipping through the air listening to the birds all around, seeing turkeys, horses and deer, fields of grass soon to be food and soaking in all that I could and not being trapped in the car. We road past the Vinton exit this time and went toward the next exit. We were on and adventure!
Pulling off the parkway for further rations for our return trip home, we decided to take to the rural roads and return through town. After winding our way home, just shy of 43 miles and having climbed 1572 feet, we dismounted from our bicycles. An amazing sense of accomplishment, of pride, of knowing how those “serious cyclists” felt from my childhood memories.
The Livestrong Challenge I am doing in August, is 45 miles, with an elevation of 1615 feet, you can look at the map in an earlier post or on the blog homepage. I know now I am going to be just fine on the ride, but one thing more happened. I realized on that ride I had been nose to the handle bar, sights pointing to the ride in August. I have forgotten to have fun and enjoy the ride, I think that is what happened when we crossed the exit we were going to take, I did not want it to end and they were willing to carry onward. I was with Tammy and Casey and it was a beautiful morning.
I think the little kid in me woke up that morning. Something else woke up inside me, I realized more than ever, that the Livestrong Challenge ride has given me so much and it is defiantly “More Than A Ride”. I have learned it has encouraged many people to buy bikes, that I know of four people have new shiny road bikes. People have told me that they have felt inspired, what they have done with that I do not know. I have also seen how people honor their loved ones on the fundraising honor roll on my fundraising webpage http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin. This Livestrong Challenge is making a difference in a world sadly full with cancer.
I have also learned more than ever the value of teamwork and that we are never alone. So if you are battling cancer, a loved one or friend is battling cancer or however cancer has impacted your life, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We are all part of the Livestrong Army and we are making a difference!

We are changing the world one revolution at a time!
-Rhonda

The ride will go on!

2009-06-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

Although my uncle is not currently fighting cancer, Lorax's cyst has been removed and is doing well with her acupuncture treatment and Dad's PET scan shows no tumors, don't think I'm stopping now! Yes! My Dad's PET scan shows no tumors, his next step is going to the endoscopic doctor, though he was so excited he couldn't tell me why.

YES I a still going to complete a 45 mile Livestrong Challenge ride in Philadelphia!!! Yes, the final thing that happened to push me out on my bike and to start raising money for The Lance Armstrong Foundation is my Dad's diagnosis of cancer. BUT! There are many other Dad's out there, Mom's, Uncle's, Aunt's, grandma's, grandpa's, cousins, nieces, nephews, children, pets and may other loved ones still fighting for their life.

1 in 3 people will hear the diagnosis of cancer in their lifetime and I'm doing what I can to help stop this TERRIBLE disease! Help me to allow others to recieve good news about their cancer or the cancer a loved one has been fighting. To get beneficial information about treatment options and know what to do when they are free from cancer.
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Break the cycle!
-Rhonda

Cancer Angels Part 3

2009-06-24T12:31:00.000-04:00

Angels are all around us, day in and day out we angels helping us throughout our day. We might feel a gentle breeze brush by our cheek or smell of a flower as you walk by gardens that nobody else smells. Those are angels letting you know you are safe, you are being taken care of and that they are right beside you.

For cancer angels, many are more physical. They are the loving wife that sits through all the appointments with you. Taking detailed notes of the treatments ahead, of the next battery of tests. They stay up to make sure you're still breathing when you're really sick.

I've seen cancer angels in a mother and father holding their childs head so they can try to eat. Or holding their hand as they cry not understanding when their hair starts to fall out.

I've seen cancer angels stand quietly in the checkout line with a newly shaved head, hidden under a hat with a pink ribbon on the front. Standing strong, courageous and happy to just be.

The cancer angel with the selfless act of allowing a loving family to adopt her young child. Because they have reached a point where you cannot take care of them and will soon not be an earth bound angel.

Cancer angels are all around us. We have to stop and listen to what they have to tell us. I do not mean to talk to them, but to listen by watching. They teach us grace, humility, courage, and so much more. They have looked at life and at their life and at the life of their loved ones, to realize that there is more to life than we allow ourselves to experience.

Remember to enjoy life while you can, because when you cannot you will wish that you had. Experience your dreams before it is to late and live without regret.

Listen to an angel!
-Rhonda

http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

gear - The Jersey

2009-06-23T16:16:00.000-04:00

Through three weeks in July you see streaks of bright colors flying by on fine tuned pieces of machinery. I mean the bicycles, though their operators are as well.
They are sporting their team sponsors in various colors and designs. Some are memorable while others fall to the wayside. These flashy jerseys, are more than sponsor advertisements, they are multi-functional.

1. They are made of various materials that help to pull moisture away from the body. That can help the rider keep better maintenance of their temperature. Until the 1970s the main material of choice was wool. Although it has come a long way since, at that time when the jersey got wet it got heavy and smelly. One of my jerseys is a wool jersey by, Earth Wind and Rider wool jersey, it doesn't feel hot, heavy and I haven't felt like I smelled like a wet sheep yet.

2. Most jerseys are ride ready. What does that mean? It means that when you lean over to the handle bars that your sleeves do not roll over and bunch up around your neck. Many have a slightly higher neck to protect from sun. It also means that the back is a little longer and when you bend over you limit the opportunity to burn your lower back cause your shirt is now bunched up around your neck and the sleeves have rolled over your shoulders. And you reduce the chance of showing off a little plumber crack, though I guess in this case it would become cyclist crack.

3. Like a backward kangaroo they come often with three handy pouches in the back. In early photos of The Tour de France you see them toting glass bottles in their pouches. These days cyclist out for a long ride might be storing snacks for the road, protien or carb bars gel pouches, sleeves (when the weather is cooler) and a host of other items.

4. For cyclist trying to improve their speed, a jersey can help where a basic Tshirt might get in the way. Most jerseys fit close to the body, reducing wind drag and helping their aerodynaics.

5. You can bling out your ride with a flashy jersey or a modest jersey, but either way you can add personality.
6. For women out there Terry (they also have a few plus sizes) has a great line of fashionable clothes for women. If you're like me and a little more on the full figured or curvy side Jenonia has a nice line of plus size active wear. Or of you want to show a little more personality, Primal Wear has something that might strike your fancy. Various styles and materials from modern to retro and wool to lycra and small zipprs to full length zippers. Trust me there is something for everyone.

Though a jersey may not be something you have ever thought of, I hope you don't discount the functionality of a jersey.

Hopping along!
-Rhonda
CAR WASH
July 11, 11-3
Havery's Valley View

loyalty

2009-06-22T10:53:00.003-04:00

I am pleased to report that I am out of a sling and feeling pretty good after my collar bone popped out. Repeatedly in one week. Crazy thing to happen! Though I was able to ride and work, it was to be in a sling whenever not doing either of those or sleeping.

So I was happy to advance from short rides to a long ride yesterday. Cruizing along on a 40 mile ride, enjoying a perfect morning. Then at mile 25, BAM! I had a bug hit my leg, which I thought would bounce off and keep moving, that happens. But NOOOOOOOooooo it decided to bite me. As I yelped like a dog, who just had their tail stepped on, I tried to knock it off my leg, but it was latched on like a tick. So I am slowing down, avoiding a wall, clipping out, smacking at a bee and some how popped my tire all at the same time. It takes talent, I cannot teach such things, they come natural. So our ride stopped, for me at least, Tammy rode home to get the car as I went to a pick up point, with my leg turning red and hurting. It is better, but my tire needs a tube.

This is where I begin to plug our favorite bike shop! :0) I like to show loyalty to places where I shop, brands that I buy and so on. Generally there is a reason. This reason is the guys at Just The Right Gear are always nice and helpful. They have stood there answering our endless line of questions, helped us pick out Tammy's bike (Cannondale Synapse), we got our Giro Xen helmets there a few years back and many other odds and ends. They sell Cannondale bikes, Kona bikes, Litespeed, all sorts of gear, components, do repairs and so on. You can even get some Livestrong bike shorts there.

They have a Facebook group and a website too. If you are traveling from Downtown Roanoke on I81, take the first Salem exit and keep to your left. Take a left at the light onto 419, then right at the next night onto 311, driving toward 311. If you have driven a mile, you've gone to far, they are on the right hand side, almost seeming tucked back.

So I am off to get a new tube for the already popped tire and replacement tubes for our bikes and an on the road pump, so next time a blow-out happens we can keep on riding. Though if a rabid yellow jacket attacks again, we will listen to the universe and assume that it is time to get off the bike for that day.

Happy Summer!
-Rhonda

good luck!

2009-06-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

I am wishing everyone participatng in the Livestrong Challenge events this weekend in Seattle good luck!!!

You still have time to get in on the action for Philly in August or Aistin in October! There are 5K walks and runs. Bike rides at 20, 45, 70 and 100. www.livestrongchallenge.org Something for everyone!!! If you can't find an event that fits your personality, but still want to do something, then you can donate, http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin.

Stop cancer now!
-Rhonda

good karma, good cake & healing

2009-06-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

Good Karma Healing!
Tomorrow from 12 - 2
At The Lifestream Center
2001 Windsor Avenue
Small workshop about chakras, with chakra balancing and healing Reiki energy.
$20
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (cause it is summery and has yellow rings like the Livestrong Wristbands) made by The Dessert Divas as refreshment!!! You enjoyed some of their tasty treats at the bake sale. :o)

50% of all monies goes to The Lance Armstrong Foundation to help fight cancer!

Look forward to seeing you there!

Happy healing!
-Rhonda

it is a car wash!

2009-06-17T11:37:00.002-04:00

The almost last fundraiser for the 2009 Livestrong Challenge season. July 11, 11-3 at Haverty's Valley View. I have put a flyer up on the blog for that fundraiser, along with the fundraiser this weekend and also have posted an image of the bib that I will wear the day of the ride. I chose to ride in honor of my family members that are still living with cancer or have survived cancer. I just do not have enough real estate on my body to ride for everyone who has touched my life and lived with cancer or have been taken by cancer.

The 45 mile ride is just shy of 60 days away. Minus a small problem with my collar bone popping out, I am ready to go! The collar bone is being treated by my chiropractor and acupuncturist and I plan to be 100% next week. :0) I can still ride, but uncomfortable pretty much the rest of the time.

This is one of those times where I have had to be reminded why I am riding and to keep pushing myself through, but to remember not to push to hard. Crazy balancing act.

I keep hearing people say I am to old or I'm this or I'm that... I don't believe in that. You're never to old or whatever. You just may not be able to do what you once did, but you can get out there and start. Don't sell yourself short, because of a social image you have. I've read about a gentleman for his 65th birthday decided to run the Chicago marathon, he has since inspired his daughter and helped train many others. Or the 80 year old who competes in marathons. Or how about the gentleman that pushes his son in a wheel chair through marthons and triathlons???

One thing I have learned through all of this, is that we put our own limitations on ourself. Yea, I have a few more curves at 36 than I had at 16, I recover a little more slow, but I'm still getting out there and trying. That is all you have to do is try, just see what you can do. If you make it down your drive way, WAY TO GO! If you make it past that, you're doing remarkable. Just do it!

If you want someone to ride with, then let me know, I love to ride and can ride almost any speed. Hey before you know it, you'll be doing things you never thought possible. I know I have.

Keep on turning,
-Rhonda

picking a challenge event

2009-06-15T10:58:00.004-04:00

People do a Livestrong Challenge for many reasons and ride in honor of people or in memory of people. Here is a video from The Lance Armstrong collection of Livestrong, take a minute and see how cancer has affected peoples lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-dw3e_KoFQ

Help keep this fight so we can live in a world free of cancer:
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Thank you for all of your support!
Rhonda

I know I can

2009-06-15T10:15:00.002-04:00

Now I know I can! :0) Make it 45 miles on my bike that is. :0) The total elevation that I will climb in August will be more than the elevation that I climbed on Saturday, but I know I can make it 45 miles. Which is a relief!

Saturday, June 13, Tammy (on her spiff new road bike from the last time), Casey (also a new roadie) and myself all (Jessee was also on her new road bike and Elizabeth went along too, for 34 miles) went to Blacksburg again to ride the Huckleberry, for four laps. We did 46.08 miles in 3:32:25, which is respectable. Casey finished first ahead of us, someone did not fuel along the way properly and bonked so finishing was a struggle and it was not me. I was hoping not to have to say "I told you so", so I searched for a nice way to put it. Haha! It is easy to do, feel ok and as though you have more to give and not fuel. Heck, it is easy, even elite athletes misjudge. It is a tough task to accomplish, especially for me cause I want to feul, but I am also trying to reduce the weight that I am carrying around, so I have to be careful what I eat while riding. If you are having trouble on long rides, talk to a friend who does a lot of riding or with your physician. Proper feuling, including hydration can make a huge difference in a long ride or a lot of climbing.

As part of my regular training, we have started climbing on our bikes up Mill Mountain every week. It is a good steady climb with some steap parts. There is an old road that is much steaper, I want to make it up the new road a few times without stopping first. This week we did not ride up Mill Mountain, because we were going to ride 46.08 miles. So I figure if the riding continues and keep climbing up Mill Mountain, by August, 45 miles will be an achievable task and before they cut off the course. When I signed up, 45 miles seemed like a distant goal. I was going to be happy if I was 75% of the way there before the ride. :0) I am ahead of my fitness goal for the ride.

I have posted the course description and I am excited to show you the course map, with elevation and water stations.

http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/site/c.frKPI1PAIoE/b.4180485/k.56F6/Philly_45Mile_Course_Map.htm

Saddle up!
-Rhonda

saddle wisdom part 2

2009-06-12T16:06:00.000-04:00

Here are a few things I've learned recently with my time on a saddle. Hopefully it will help you on your rides.

1. A car door with an occupant not noticing you on a bike can be a dangerous obtsacle.

2. Long distances might call for skin protection in the saddle area. Even with padded shorts, friction occurs. Body butt'r or bag balm come recommended. Nozema was mentioned, but I'm not sold on that yet.

3. If you're on road bike, watch out for railroad tracks or road grates with wide slits. Your tires are narrow and can get stuck and hitting the tracks just right can pop a tire or knock you off your bike.

4. Friends. Find a group to ride with. They help keep you accountable when you're not feeling the ride. They can also encourage you along the way in all sorts of ways.

5. Talk to your physician if your having any unusual problems. Such as continued fatigue, slow recovery or any other things that can cause you long term damage.

Go out and ride and have fun!
-Rhonda

forward moving

2009-06-09T17:22:00.000-04:00

"One who does not look ahead, remains behind."
~Brazilian Proverb

One thing I am doing on a regular basis is looking forward. Looking forward on the bike for any obstacles to avoid, looking forward as I work to improve my health, looking forward to fundraisers to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation, looking forward to the 45 mile Livestrong Challenge ride in August and looking forward to a world free from the devastating disease of cancer.

Cancer is a terrible disease and we have the power to stop it, but action needs to be taken.
Write letters:
Lobby your Congressperson for more funding for cancer research for vaccines, more humane chemo drugs and whatever way you feel they can help end the 1500 deaths per day that will occur from cancer.
Donate online:
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin
Attend:
Good Karma Healing
June 20, 12-2 at Lifestream Center $20
50% goes to The Lance Armstrong Foundation
Get your car washed:
July 11, 11-3 at Haverty's Valley View
All monies go to The Lance Armstrong Foundation

Looking forward to a cancer free world!
-Rhonda

75 days left

2009-06-08T10:09:00.002-04:00

WOW! It is amazing how time flies when you're having fun.
Here is a quick update. Been a little busy after Lorax had her cancerous cyst removed and getting her squared around.

I have been able to do amazing things in this short about of time and have a wonderful group of people supporting me and riding with me. It is great! We have now completed three successful rides up Mill Mountain, our first Parkway ride and rode for 31 miles without more than a few minute break to stretch or fill up water bottles. This weekend we are shooting for four laps on the Huckleberry, which would put our total miles to 46.1. Since the last time we rode, Tammy has bought a road bike and two of our other friends have bought road bikes, one is renting one for the day. It is going to be another fabulous experience.

The gym thing is not as often as I am trying to get in more miles on the bicycle. Though we plan to pick that back up this week two days during the week to continue with some strength training.

Have you checked out the honor roll yet on my Livestrong Challenge fundraising page? The site is, http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin, you can add your name really easily. :0) More money in checks and cash to be sent.

This has been a wonderful experience and looking forward to the next 75 days. I am glad to be sharing this with you and you take time to read these updates.

Stay tuned for more exciting news, updates, rides and fundraisers!
-Rhonda

children and cancer

2009-06-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

As you've already read I do not know life without cancer being in it. Sadly, but true. Fortunately I am 36 and have never had it in my body, tho many others around me have. Many are not even adults.

Today after noon, Skylar (cancer angels part 2) lost her battle with cancer. Her body got to tired to continue to fight the fight. No matter how ready you are for your loved one to be out of pain and discomfort, you are truely never ready for that next day when you will not be able to smell their smell, hold them or hear them. So remember to give blessings to the families of people with cancer. My love and prayers go out to the soul of Skylar being lifted heavenly and to her family who has shown unending love.

Another young one is fighting for his life. I do not know him, but someone at my vet does. So I'm passing along their story.

Here is the flyer as they have it:
Pack the Park-June 17th
Help us pack the park June 17 to benefit Dylan Smith (AKA Dill Pickles). Dylan us a brave 6 year old that is currently battling and winning the fight against medulloblastoma (brain cancer). He has endured numerous medical procedures over the last 6 months and has more treatments to go. We are trying to help the family with medical expenses and greatly appreciate any and all support and wishes given.
Thank you The Dylanators

For tickets you can call Monica Farris 389-2113 or go to Vinton Vet and see Lauren or Meghan.

HERE IS THE DEAL!!!!
If you buy a ticket from one of them it is $5 and $3 goes to Dylan's family. If you wait til the day of the game it will be $7 and 50 cents goes to the family. **In short you can save $2 and they get $2.50 more. So make that call.

****Really neat thing, it will be his birthday that night and he plans to attend!!!!

Keep up the fight!
-Rhonda

another name on the bib

2009-06-01T14:33:00.000-04:00

Though we have a lot to celebrate on the bike. We still have times of struggle, both on & off. We had our first ever bicycle ride on the Parkway. We climbed Mill Mountain, I didn't freakout and feel I needed to stop part of the way up. This time I went all the way and kept going all the way to Vinton. Again with many thanks to Lisa and her wonderful coaching and cheering all along the way. Casey & Min joined us too, it was a nice group.

Lisa must've realized what she was doing, when she helped me through the heaviness in my heart. I was having a tough slow climb up Mill Mountain, a lump in my throat and I wanted to turn around and go home. I was having a moment of feeling defeated. The rain kept us off our bike all week & randomness kept us from the gym. So Tammy and I didn't feel as prepared. Not to mention the day before we found out that Lorax our 16 year old poodle was diagnosed with cancer, when we took her in to have a growth on her lip looked at. She had surgery today and all of the cyst was taken off. Given her age, we opted not to treat her cancer with chemo and/or radiation, but we are addimg to our regular vet by taking her to acupuncture to keep her comfortable. That starts next Thursday.

Lisa talked me through my visible struggle and helped me to realize that I was honoring her playful side by going out and playing outside on our bike. I talked about her playing soccer, by dodging a slightly smaller than regulation ball between her front paws. She won second place at a talent show once with such fantastic talent! :o) I ls have to brag she once won a pet costume contest. :o) She has oozing personality. Then another friend, Wanda, helped me again to realize that Lorax and my love for her will keep me strong on the bike when my dedication may waiver. Thank you to, two wonderful women that reminded me that life is pecious and deserves to be celebrated and appreciated when we have it!

So I add a 3rd name to my bib of the people I am riding in honor of, because all three have given me so much. I ride with in honor of their courage, their love of life and unique qualities. In August I chose to ride with those in my family still living with or surviving cancer; Dad, Jime' and Lorax will be proudly worn all 45 miles through the streets of Philadelphia, PA.

Don't forget to enjoy this moment!
-Rhonda

climbing to find a cure

2009-05-29T12:53:00.000-04:00

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

2009-05-28T10:26:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-27T11:34:00.001-04:00

"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!

2009-05-24T19:00:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-05-23T10:14:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-05-22T19:23:00.000-04:00

"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

2009-05-21T17:43:00.000-04:00

"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

2009-05-20T15:49:00.000-04:00

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

2009-05-19T10:47:00.003-04:00

"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

2009-05-17T08:59:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-13T18:42:00.000-04:00

"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

2009-05-12T16:32:00.001-04:00

"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

2009-05-11T12:47:00.001-04:00

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

2009-05-09T16:07:00.000-04:00

"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

2009-05-07T11:36:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-05T13:45:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-05-05T10:18:00.000-04:00

"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

2009-05-03T18:33:00.010-04:00

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

2009-05-03T12:53:00.000-04:00

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

fun quote on a cloudy day

2009-04-30T10:35:00.000-04:00

"It would not be strange if history came to the conclusion that the perfection of the bicycle was the greatest incident in the nineteeth century."
~Author Unknown

Dad update with fun quote

2009-04-29T09:27:00.000-04:00

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live."
~ Mark Twain

My Dad gave my sister and I a wonderful gift when we were young, among many others of course. This one though has carried me further than most, that is a gift of the book. That quote is for Dad, who has inspired me in so many ways. One thing I remember him making me do (though I am grateful for now) is read Mark Twain's, "Huck Finn". It was the biggest book I had ever read, but glad I plugged through. Though I didn't understand every aspect of the book, I am glad I did take the time to read it.

Through my love of reading I have been able to learn so much, earn a degree from Hollins University and learn several spects of holistic healing. Travel to places I may never see and study so many other parts of history, life and so on.

My sister and remember fondly our summers with Dad. A police officer for Roanoke City at that time working nights. He would take us, I now realize how tired he probably was, to the Salem City Library (cause we grew up in Salem, Va), where we would spend hours. Hours among the shelves upon shelves of different colored book ends, holding all sorts of tales, knowledge and adventure. Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Mark Twain, and the list can go far beyond the classics. Sitting in bean bag chairs reading all we could absorb. Then hearing Dad's snores resonating to the second floor as he fell asleep reading. I'm sure exhausted from his night serving and protecting.

My Dad has been experiencing a new form of exhaustion these past few months. That of survival and to be able to make it through the day. Tired because he cannot put in enough food to help his body have energy. His throat raw from the radiation burns, from his treatments. Tired because his body is fitting against an intruder. Tired because he wants to live to see another birthday, more holidays with his family and so many other special time in between, and trying to fit so much into everyday.

He is one week and two days past his last radiation treatment. He has to wait until June or July to do a scope to see the amazing results of healing his body has been doing against shrinking the tumors and reducing cancer. You see the radiation is still working for many weeks after the last treatment, so we have to wait to learn of the results of months of radiation. So we wait and continue to enjoy every moment we have with him.

I know it has helped me to pause and appreciate the people in my life more and to be sure to let them know. My sister and I have grown closer. We still have our own families, careers and othe obligations, but we've paused to take time to connect and support one another. Something I feel will go far beyond our Dad's diagnosis. Through our struggles as individuals and as siblings of learning how to live with our Dad's diagnosis of cancer. We have so many fond memories with our Dad, some different and some the same, but still an important part of who we are.

Now take a moment and look around you at work, at home or cafe or where ever you are and reading this. Take a moment and look at everyone and put them in groups of 3. Include yourself in a group of 3. 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Is this a diagnosis you want to hear? Is that a diagnosis you want your family, friends or neighbors to hear? I am almost certain you are saying, NO! Learn how you can reduce your risks and how you can stop the cycle of disease and death caused by cancer.

Stop the cycle!
-Rhonda