Where does the money go?

Some of you may have wondered where the money that I am raising goes. Good question! Team in Training raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to fight blood cancers such as leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphona, and myeloma. The society takes the money that I and the rest of team in training raises and uses it to fund research and patient services programs.

Research:

• Everyday research is being done to find a cure for these types of blood cancers. The hope is that one day, research will find a cure to this and other types of cancers.

Patient Services Programs:

• Patient Education Programs - The society provides up-to-the minute information to patients and caregivers. These educational programs are offered free of charge to help clarify treatment options and strengthen decision-maiking and coping skills for patients and their families.

• Information Resource Center - The society provides patients, families, and healthcare professionals with the latest information on leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. This support is available via phone, email and live chat online.

• Family Support Groups - These groups facilitate communication among patients, family and friends and the medical team. With professional guidance, patients and family members can discuss their anxieties and concerns with others who share the same experience.

• Back to School Programs for Children with Cancer - This program fosters communication among healthcare professionals, parents, young patients and school personnel in preparation for a child's return to school after cancer treatment.

• First Connection - The society provides a peer support program that provides patients and their families the opportunity to share experiences with someone who has been successfully treated for the same diagnosis. Coping skills and hope are gained from trained volunteer survivors who share their perspective on the recovery process.

• Connecting through the web - The society's website, www.lls.org, is the definitive resource for information on blood cancers.

• Patient Financial Aid - The society provides some limited financial assistance to help patients with significant financial need cover some of the costs associated with transportation, drugs and treatment.

These patient service programs provide immediate relief to patients who are battling blood cancers and the daily challenges that become part of their lives.

As you can see, your donation is providing a great deal of help for the present and for the future. If you have not had the opportunity yet, please visit my fundrasing website at http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/herb and make a 100% tax deductible donation. Any amount, even just $25 will help the society keep these programs going.

Thanks for your help!

Five boro bike tour

This Sunday was the five boro bike tour which was a bike tour through the five boros of NYC (Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island), seems pretty self-evident, huh. All in all, a 42 mile trek through the city with 42,000 of your closest friends. I met up with a friend of mine at the exit from Central Park to the tour. From their we traveled through the five boros and saw the sights. The tour started in battery Park City and finished up in Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. Like any event this size, joining 42,000 people at the start line and getting home from the finish line can be the toughest part of the event. Especially when most of those people want to take the ferry back to Manhattan from Staten Island. here are some pictures from the day.

First of many port-a-johns set up for riders along the route. This one just north of the exit from Central Park.

After a brief trip through the Bronx, we traveled down the FDR drive towards the 59th st. bridge to get into Queens.

Rest area at Astoria Park in Queens, one of several where people replenished on Water, Snacks, and enjoyed the sunshine.

Another rest area in Brooklyn, more water, snacks, and sunshine.

Colorful costumes, headgear and unique bikes were the order for many of the riders.

A view of the Verrazano bridge from the BQE, almost finished.

This time, a view of the BQE from the Verrazano.

A view of the Verrazano from the finish at the park in Staten Island.

The long trip home on the ferry. Actually, the long wait for the short trip home is more like it.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! While this holiday may receive minor press in Mexico, it is much bigger in the U.S probably due to commercial interests of beer, tequila and people looking for any excuse to drink. Not to be confused with lesser known holidays such as "no pants day" and "talk like a pirate day", Cinco de Mayo is an excuse to drink Mexican beer, tequila and develop your bilingual abilities. This leads to hearing many calls throughout the day of "Donde esta mi cerveza" and "Uno mas cerveza, por favor".

Of course I started off the day with a group training session in Riverbank park. My ankle is feeling much better from the initial sprain, although I am holding off on running on it for at least another week or two. Today's ride started off with a basic bike skills handling clinic including important stuff like changing gears, stopping and starting. So the use of trees, cars and small children are not recommended for stopping. Very useful information. Due to the park being completely closed for the Revlon Run/Walk, we finished our biking workout riding along the Hudson river.

After the GTS (for those of you not, playing along, group training session), we had a team picnic afterwards for some food and team bonding. While no calls for cerveza could be heard (hey, its not even 10am yet) there were bagels, OJ and other goodies to be had. Much better for you after a run anyway.

In other training news we will be now starting our Saturday sessions at 7:30 am. That's right, not a typo. So for those of you who have donated, I'm working hard for your money. And apparently, the Hudson river is deeper than the pool at Riverbank where we normally do our swim practices. So, no running or walking during the swim on race day is possible. As a result we are moving our swim training sessions to a deeper water pool. Things are getting serious now.

Tomorrow, the five boro bike tour.