A Few More Photos from the Weekend

LAUREN: It's hard to believe that the ride occurred one week ago today. It seems like ages ago now, but the experience was unforgettable and incredibly fun. Kudos to the Challenge staff for another great event.

Here are more pictures from a fun-filled weekend.

Angie Kelly and her buddy, Bruskie.

Our Prom Pose - (left to right) Melissa, Jen, Angie, Jerry and me.

All the way from Denver, Colorado - Patricia and Michael Birdsong and me.

Erica Brown working hard at the LAF Booth at the LIVESTRONG Village

Jen telling people about Prop 15 at the LAF Booth

Volunteer (and LIVESTRONG Day 2007 Delegate) Rebecca Esparza

Sue, Jen and I having some fun in the LAF Booth

Lining Up for the Start of the Ride

Steve and Ralph - our great riding partners

Preparing to Start

Low Water Crossing - We had to get off our bikes and walk across it.

Jen Riding Into the Rest Stop

Connecting with Old Friends at a Rest Stop

(left to right) Rob and Spencer Sartin, Bill Eby, me and Jen

What a view! This was at a rest stop.

Those are real longhorns. We rode past them and I stopped to take a quick photo.

Don't you love Texas?

My husband, Richard, was waiting for me at the finish line.

It was our two-year anniversary that day.



Jen and Matt, her husband. He was waiting for her at the finish line too.

Yellow Roses

JENNIFER: When our friend Michael sent us these photos from last weekend's LIVESTRONG Challenge, I couldn't keep them between just Lauren and me. It's more fun to share!

LIVESTRONG means...

JENNIFER: ...pushing through the pain and not giving up!

LIVESTRONG also means supporting each other and seeing challenges through, together.

That's what Lauren and I did today at the LIVESTRONG Challenge. We ended up doing the 40-mile ride (it was really more like 45). It was very hilly and much more difficult than last year. It was a beautiful day and we had a wonderful ride.

Thanks to Steve and Ralph for riding with us and making it such a fun day.

I'll write more later (I'm tired!) but I wanted to post a few photos.

Here we are on Ride morning - pretty morning sky!

Our friends cheering at the start line

Lauren, Ralph, Steve and Jennifer - a great team!

Are we crazy? Yes, but it's for a GREAT cause!

LAUREN: Okay folks, time flew by and the LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin is just a few days away. Are we in tip-top shape for this event? Well, not really; but it could be worse. We weren't able to train as well as we did last year, but there is nothing we can do about it now. Our strategy is to stay hydrated, pace ourselves and to have fun with our riding mates. So far, it looks like we will have two members from last year's original riding crew - Uncle Steve and Ralph. My buddy, Loubel, from Pink Ribbons Project may also join us. We tend to pick up folks along the way and that's okay by us. We enjoy the conversation and will welcome the distraction from our hurting legs any time. If you can't tell, I am really excited about this ride. So many friends will be in from out of town - including Jerry and Angie, Michael and Patricia, and Erica B. - and I can't wait to see everyone. It's going to be great!


In between the "few" training rides we had, here are a few pictures to show you what we have been doing.

UT Women's Football Clinic - That's Melanie, Mack Brown and me!




Watching the Killers at ACL Fest: That's me and Jen with our super supporters - Gwen, Melissa and Devon!




That's me and Jen watching Blue October AFTER we rode 30 miles that day!

Traveling for work: This photo is from National Manufacturing Week near Chicago. Pretty, isn't it?

UT Football Game vs. Rice: We won that one. Hook'em!

Watching my pal, Lisa, complete a Half-Ironman. That's me, Lisa, Jeff (her husband) and a real longhorn!

P.S. I just signed up to do the MS 150 (the ride from Houston to Austin) as part of the National Instruments Cycling Team. Fun times!

I think I've been in denial...

JENNIFER: It's not like I can really ignore the fact that the LIVESTRONG Challenge is almost here. I mean, I do work at the LAF.

The Challenge team sits right next to Marketing, and I've seen them working their tails off to plan the Challenge events in Philly and Portland. We get updates in monthly staff meetings and I get all the emails from the Challenge team with fundraising updates and other important information.

So the fact that the LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin will be here in 10 days is not a surprise. But am I ready for it? Welllllll...

To our credit, Lauren and I have been riding together. Two weekends ago we rode for almost two hours, the weekend before we rode for three hours, the weekend before that we rode for two...but still, we both know we're not in as good of shape for this ride as we were for last year's ride.

I'm not prepared. The more I think about it, the more nervous I get. What have I gotten myself into?

Long Time, No Blog

LAUREN: First off, my apologies to everyone for being a bad blogger. Things have been a bit crazy in my life, but are now starting to settle down. For this, I am grateful.

Let me bring everyone up to speed. How much riding have I done since I last blogged? I rode once for an hour. Am I terrified of what lies ahead on October 14? You bet! But, it will be fun and it will be a challenge for me indeed.

Here's the scoop on my other life stuff.

New Job - It's great. I am on a tremendous learning curve, but it's fun. The people are great, the technology is interesting and I am enjoying it. Here's a sneak peek of what lies ahead for me for 2007 regarding tradeshows for National Instruments. I survived my first NIWeek too!

Working Out - My new job has a gym on campus, so I have been doing yoga classes twice a week. I love it and it is a great perk to the new job. I have been sprinkling in some light cardio sessions too, which is muy bueno.

Health - Since I left LAF, I have been dealing with hypothyroidism. Luckily, it can be managed by taking a pill everyday and I have seen a MAJOR improvement in my quality of life since I have been on the meds. The down side is that I have been on "restricted exercise" since my body is adjusting to the drugs, which doesn't bode well for someone who is supposed to be training for a 70-mile ride.

Getting Older - I just celebrated another birthday a few weeks ago and I am feeling the effects of aging. I have a gray hair (sadly, it's not the first) but I am a bit intrigued by it. This one is near the front of my head and I am tracking its growth. Sad...I know.

A Visit from the Milligans - Karen (one of my BFFs) and Greg came from London for a visit. I miss her dearly and was so happy that we were able to spend time together while she was in the States. Our night on the town included a visit to Trudy's near campus (just like when we were in college) and drinks at Union Park and Molotov.

Milford's Back - One of the smartest people I know finally returned home after a summer of making the world a better place. MM and BP hosted a fabulous brunch and I was the last person to leave the fiesta. Luckily, they didn't mind it and I was grateful that I was able to spend time catching up with both of them.

Jen and Lauren's Day of Fun - Due to busy schedules and my phone being broken for what seemed like an eternity, Jen and I haven't been able to hang out or catch up on life. Hence, we scheduled a day-long fun fest that included an office design class at Pottery Barn, our first (and lengthy!) visit to Le Garage Sale, a quick run-through of the City-Wide Garage Sale and a lovely lunch at Zocalo. Fun times!

Longhorn Football - My favorite time of the year is about to begin - it's time for COLLEGE FOOTBALL! I went to Mack Brown's Football Clinic for Women on Thursday with my pal, Melanie, and we had a blast. Not only did we walk away with a bag full of goodies, we also got an autograph from Mack and a photo opp. Bring on Arkansas State. Hook'em!

The LIVESTRONG Challenge in Philadelphia is this weekend. Good luck to all of the participants! To the Challenge girls at the LAF, I hope all goes well this weekend.

That's all for now.

Lots to say on Friday

JENNIFER: I could swear that Sawyer's (LOST) friend and hair stylist left a comment on my blog, and now I can't find it anywhere which makes me think that either I forgot to publish the comment or I was dreaming when I thought I got a note from someone who knows Josh Holloway. Sigh.

Melissa and I are well into season 2 of LOST. Last night we watched episodes 5-8 of season 2, and it was the first time I was left a bit unsatisfied. Rumor has it that season 2 goes slower than season 1. Still, the show is greatness.

This weekend Lauren and I are taking a class at Pottery Barn about sprucing up your desk area at work. I hope we learn some fun tips! It's timely because soon I'll be moving my desk to a different area of the office to be closer to the rest of the marketing team. I just hope I can find good spots for my framed Wicked and Rent musical posters.

My friend Haley and I saw Wicked last month when we were in Chicago for a meeting with the YMCA. It was my third time to see it, Haley's first. I love that musical! Defying Gravity is my favorite song from Wicked, and I also like Idina Menzel's non-Wicked version of the song.

Speaking of songs and Haley, today we listened to the song by Heidi from The Hills. Spencer, um, raps during the song. Seriously?

If it doesn't rain tomorrow morning, I'm going to ride my bike. Today I got a little freaked when I learned that although the LIVESTRONG Challenge ride in Austin is 60 miles, not 70, it will feel like 70 miles or even more because of all the hills. (Thanks, Lance.) Eight weeks and counting!

Flight of the Conchords - Business Time

JENNIFER: Matt got me into watching Flight of the Conchords on HBO on Sunday nights and it's hilarious.

So what am I doing on this Friday night? Playing around on YouTube looking for Flight of the Conchords videos.

Business Time is my favorite!

I'm lost without LOST

JENNIFER: In case you were wondering what I'm doing when I'm not riding my bike, at least once a week I am watching LOST with my friend Melissa.

Here's how it started: Sometime a while back, I watched the last five minutes of some random episode. Then in May, I watched the season 3 finale and was instantly hooked.

Melissa has seen a few episodes here and there too, so we decided to embark upon the LOST adventure together.

She orders the LOST DVDs from Netflix, and once a week we get together and watch an entire DVD-worth of LOST episodes. That's four, 42-minute episodes each time. That's a lot of TV.
But it's SO good!

So, last month we watched the last four episodes of season 1, and boy, did it not disappoint.

Wow, that final episode, what a cliffhanger - made even more suspenseful by the fact that we've both been traveling the last four weeks so we can't get back together to begin watching season 2 until next week.

In an effort to capture my enthusiasm about the show...but also in the spirit of not spoiling the surprises for anyone out there who hasn't watched LOST before but might watch in the future...

I can't believe that ____ kidnapped ____ off the ____! I can't believe that ____ tried to steal ____'s ____! I wonder what's in the ____! And although this was a few episodes back, I'm still in shock...I can't believe ____ wasn't on the ____!

No spoilers, please. Melissa and I want to be surprised. We can't wait for season 2 - just a week away!

RAGBRAI

JENNIFER: I just got home from RAGBRAI, a week-long bike ride across Iowa. It was like nothing I have ever seen in my life.

Cyclists riding through never-ending corn fields from town to town and stopping to eat, drink beer and listen to live music - not to mention the mud volleyball courts and huge super-slides that popped up at a town or two - it was like an 8-day Mardi Gras in a small-town Iowa setting.

Throughout the week, I worked with a lot of different media outlets - TV and radio stations and local papers from across the state - and I'm thrilled to see the media interest and coverage of not only Lance at RAGBRAI, but also Team LIVESTRONG.

The LAF brought to RAGBRAI a team of 150 riders, each of whom had committed to raising $1,000 for the Foundation but together surpassed their collective goal by raising more than $300,000 for the LAF. All of them were either cancer survivors themselves or were riding in honor or memory of loved ones who had been diagnosed with cancer.

Getting to know the team was an absolute highlight of my week! In between my work with the media, such fun I had running into Team LIVESTRONG members at the different towns, hearing about their adventures and the media interviews they'd done that day, hanging out back at Camp LIVESTRONG with cold Shiner and dancing into the wee hours to local bands playing at the beer garden.

And if you can believe it...I actually rode Thursday at RAGBRAI. 55 miles!

Wednesday was the busiest of days with a million things going on, and they all went off without a hitch. I was in the most euphoric of states, thrilled about the success of the day, beer in hand, when I realized that I didn't have much going on the next day until the evening.

Someone suggested I ride a leg of RAGBRAI and I said great! I'll do it! without thinking it through, and the next thing I knew I was outfitted in LIVESTRONG gear with a brand new helmet and a borrowed bike on the way. What had I gotten myself into?

If you've read my past posts, you know I haven't been on my bike hardly at all the past few months. No training, nope.

But on Thursday I rode 55 miles, thanks to Team LIVESTRONG member Julie who rode with me all day, kept me entertained and encouraged me as I rode uphill into the wind with the sun beating down. At times I thought I was not going to make it, but I rode into Independence, IA, on my bike, not on the SAG-mobile like I'd figured.

It was hard. Boy, was I sore the next day.

But if anything, I know now that I can ride the LIVESTRONG Challenge in October. If my hesitation to train was rooted in fear I couldn't do it, I know now that fear shouldn't hold me back.

I am proud of myself and I am inspired to get after my training, just as soon as I get back from my next trip to Chicago. I leave tomorrow morning and I'm back on Tuesday, but this August, it's on. I'm ready to kick my training in gear.

Missing Lauren

JENNIFER: Things just aren't the same without Lauren at work. We've been working together practically the entire time I've been at the LAF. Not only that, but we always sat next to each other or across from each other.

Literally, for the last two years and four months, whenever I needed my friend I only had to turn around and look over my shoulder or sit up straight in my chair and, unless she was traveling, there she was.

I'm really sad that she's gone. But I am really happy that she has such an amazing opportunity at National Instruments. She is going to do great there, so great.

And, of course, I know that our friendship extends far, far beyond the cubie walls at the LAF office. Lauren is one of my very closest friends, and how lucky for me that the LAF brought us together.

Changing Gears...

LAUREN: When we started this blog a few months ago, Jen and I were very open about working for the Foundation along with training for a 70-mile ride together. While we still plan to ride the 70-mile course for the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin in October, I wanted to share some news with you.

Tomorrow, Friday, July 13, is my last day at the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). While I am sad to leave my full-time position with the LAF, I will continue to be involved with the organization as a volunteer and as a fundraiser for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. (Just like all of you!)

I will remain in Austin and will be joining National Instruments on a full-time basis. I will still continue to blog about my training, but you will notice that some of the work chatter will be a little different from what you have read in the past.

Thank you for all of your support along the way. I am very excited about the future, and am looking forward to serving the LAF in a new way.

LIVESTRONG!

No Rain and No Weekend Travel = Time for Riding

LAUREN: Count me in for the basic bike maintenance training. A few weeks ago, I was trying to air up my tires and realized that the pump I had at home wasn't a match for the valve on my tire. By the time I figured it out, I was left with a flat and no way to fix it. Hence, I headed down to the local bike shop and promptly bought a new pump. Although, I had to convince the bike mechanic that it wasn't a busted tube or something else more serious (i.e., read this as something that would cost more money to fix). Nope... this issue was a result of me not knowing what I was doing and then figuring it out after it was too late. After all that, I was a little embarrassed but happy to be on the riding again shortly thereafter.


It has been a long while since I have been able to ride (and a long time since I have done a blog posting - my apologies!) I did sneak in a short ride this past Wednesday morning; but it was less than 20 minutes, so I don't think it really counts. Between all of the rain we have had lately and other commitments I have had in the evening and on the weekends, today was the first day this week that I have been able to ride.


I rode the usual neighborhood route and headed to the stretch of road that is frequented by a few riders. I also read that it is a" better cardio workout" to alternate your riding pace so that is what I did. I rode as fast as I could for 2 minutes and then dropped to a more comfortable pace for 3 minutes. This lasted for about 15 minutes, which was a good challenge for me and it definitely helped pass the time. Overall, it was a good ride. Plus, I think my legs are going to be sore tomorrow.

LOG:

Total Time: 1 Hour; 3 minutes

Distance: Not quite sure; Maybe 10-12 miles

Temperature: 88 F

Same scene, take two...

JENNIFER: ...and cut! Mission accomplished. I finally got back on my bike and beat the rain and rode - about 35 minutes. I didn't go very far, but I felt great and I was so happy when I got back home that tears sort of came to my eyes. Today was a good day.

P.S. I learned about tubes today. I didn't learn how to change one, but I plan to attend one of Bicycle Sport Shop's women-only classes soon to learn all sorts of important bike maintenance lessons. L, you in?

It can't ever be that easy, right?

JENNIFER: I'm all dressed and ready to go, airing up my back tire, and somehow I break off the top part of the valve. So now my tire won't hold any air and I'm off to Bicycle Sport Shop to get my tire fixed.

I was so close to getting back on my bike! Sigh. Stay tuned.

I have these aches and pains...

JENNIFER: ...and I haven't even ridden my bike yet!

When I woke up this morning, first thing I did was stretch and pull a muscle in my arm.

Last night at the downtown Paramount Theater's showing of Breakfast at Tiffany's (tied with the Wizard of Oz as my very favorite film), my knee started throbbing. I couldn't stretch my leg out enough to make it stop so it ached from the time Doc Golightly shares his Cracker Jack with Fred Baby until the end of the movie.

Is this what it's like to be in my thirties?

Today's goal is to not spend any money, except for when I go grocery shopping later. Aside from that, I plan to ride my bike and read my new book, Eat Pray Love. I haven't started the book yet, but a lot of my friends are reading it and it sounds very good. I'm looking forward to a nice day.

Perhaps my aches and pains are due to my recent lack of exercise. Well, that changes today.

I'm dressed in my cycling gear and I'm heading out to the garage to check my tires now. Wish me luck!

This is the weekend, I just know it!

JENNIFER: This will be the weekend I finally get back in the saddle. If I keep saying it, and if I say it to more and more people, and if I post it on my blog...then I think it will be so. I'm gearing myself up to make it so.

If only the crazy, rain Texas weather would cooperate. Rain rain go away. Come again another day.

Today my friend Devon reminded me that I did not share our experiences at the Luling Watermelon Thump last Friday night. She seemed to consider this a missed opportunity. In Devon's words, "the Thump was the place to see and be seen."

Aside from the Randy Rogers Band (they were good!), some of the noteworthy things we saw at the Thump include:

• Camouflauge watermelon koozies
• A huge watermelon sign that, as the legend goes, used to be lit up with twinkle lights but now it's not
• Matching turquoise his-and-hers Lynyrd Skynyrd concert tees
• Lots of cheap canned beer with a beer tent system that operated like clockwork
• A group of friends singing and dancing around one girl who apparently indulged in too much cheap canned beer and fell down in front of us. Twice. Poor thing.
• Sparkly glitter-adorned campaign posters for the Thump Queen

On that note, congratulations to Vanessa, this year's Thump Queen, who we recognized from afar due to her tiara and sash. Also a shout-out to the Thump Princess and Thump Duchesses.

We got to Luling too late to see the watermelon eating and seed spitting contests. Next year!

Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You...

LAUREN: I'm not naming names (Jennifer), but someone (Jennifer) is having a birthday today. LOL! If you have a second, please send your birthday wishes her way.

JHL: You are a wonderful friend and I am so thankful for people like you in this world. Have a great birthday today, my friend! --lm

P.S.: I rode my bike this morning, although it was a very brief ride around the neighborhood. The weather was much cooler, and it was the start of what I am hoping will be a morning routine. Hey, you have to start somewhere!

Crucial conversations

JENNIFER: Yesterday, Lauren and I wrapped up a two-day training in Crucial Conversations.

Along with half of our colleagues (the other half took the training last week), we learned techniques for having effective conversations at work and at home.

Everyone picked a learning partner to help us identify conversations we needed to have and to practice having difficult conversations about some of the challenges we face.

Colin was my learning partner, which meant that I got to know someone who I didn't know very well before. While I have always thought Colin was a great guy, he is not someone at work with whom I typically share these types of things so I wondered how far I would go with the sharing.

(Short commercial break follows here: Colin works in the LAF's development department, and he and his team work on ways for people to get involved with the LAF through our grassroots fundraising and marathon programs. Check it out.)

How nice it was to work with Colin! He offered insightful feedback when we practiced our new techniques, and I hope I helped him, too.

On another note... Did I mention that tomorrow is my birthday? In exactly one hour and seven minutes, I will officially be in my thirties...

Where the heck have I been?

JENNIFER: I wish I had a good reason for not blogging for the past few weeks. I think about it often, but day after day has gone by without a new post.

It probably doesn't help that I still have not touched my bike. I'm frozen, and I don't know what my hang-up is. Fear that it's going to be hard when I finally get back on the bike? Shame that it's been so long? Resentment that other responsibilities have kept me from riding?

Here's what pushed me over the edge this evening and caused me to finally log back in. It's after midnight and I'm sitting on the couch finishing up some work on my laptop. CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 is in the background, and my ears perk up at the mention of cancer survivor's blog. I've just been introduced to Miles Levin.

Miles is a high school kid. He just graduated and attended prom with his girlfriend and he has cancer and is undergoing chemo. I read backwards through his blog until my eyes started to burn and tear. His beautifully written story - and his incredible strength - are inspiring.

I just had to share.

Maybe now I'll get on my bike.

Miles Levin's blog is hosted at www.carepages.com. To see the full blog you must register, and in the page search field type LevinStory.

Riding Again

LAUREN: On Saturday I rode 15 miles at the Veloway. Yes, 15 miles! I know it's not much; but for me, it was an important start. I needed to push myself since it had been so long and wanted to see just how far I could go after a two month hiatus.

I had some hurdles to overcome in the morning like a flat tire, needing to buy a new helmet and getting my tire fixed. By the time all of that was done, I didn't start riding until after 11am. I know that doesn't sound too late, but it's already hot in Texas and only gets worse as the day progresses. My goal was to ride at least 12 miles, but I knew that I would have to gauge it by how much water I had with me or by just how much of the heat I could take.

In the end, I was happy to have surpassed my goal and just thrilled to be riding again. I must admit that I am a little intimidated by the 70-mile course due to the fact that I am behind in my training. However, all I can do is take it one day at a time and I am happy with Saturday's start. Sunday will be a rest day and I hope to do a short ride on Monday.

LOG:
Total Time: 1 Hour; 17 minutes
Distance: 15 miles

Back in the Saddle

LAUREN: I'm back and boy has it been a LONG time. Things got a little crazy with LIVESTRONG Day and then I took a short break from work after the event. Now things are back to normal and I am finally back in sync with the "plan" I originally started a few months ago.

Today, I took a brief ride around the neighborhood and I do mean brief. In fact, I would consider it starting all over again because it has truly been that long. It's crazy to think that it is now June and I can't really remember riding my bike since April. WOW - where did the time go? I hope you are doing better with your training than I am.

Looking back at LIVESTRONG Day, there are a ton of wonderful memories but my favorite is from the press event on Wednesday, May 16 at Upper Senate Park. With the Capitol in the background, all of the delegates were chanting "LIVESTRONG," "LIVESTRONG," "LIVESTRONG" right before the event started. It was so powerful and moving.

On a separate but sad note, today I am heading out of town to attend a funeral for a family member who lost his fight with brain cancer on Friday. Man, I hate this disease.

P.S.: Today is National Cancer Survivors Day so check for activities in your community to attend. For those of you living in Austin, there is a huge National Cancer Survivors Day at the Quarries Park from noon to 4 p.m. More information can be found at www.texascancersurvivors.org.

So proud of my friend and the LAF!

JENNIFER: By all accounts, LIVESTRONG Day was an incredible success. I am SO proud of Lauren and all of Team LAF who were involved in our D.C. efforts!

Back at home in Austin, we had a fun LIVESTRONG Day too. Everyone wore yellow. In typical LAF fashion, we started off the day with breakfast tacos and later enjoyed sandwiches and yummy yellow cake.

There were a number of fun LIVESTRONG Day events all over Austin to encourage people to sign the LIVESTRONG petition and sign up for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. The Challenge team hoped to get 500 registrations on LIVESTRONG Day, and they surpassed their goal!

Check out this photo of the Empire State Building...lit up yellow in honor of LIVESTRONG Day. Cool sight to see, huh?

The fruits of my labor...

JENNIFER: Check out the LAF’s new website…my big project the past five weeks (and my excuse for not riding my bike)!

My small-but-mighty team is amazing. Please indulge me while I send a couple of shout-outs their way:

Bianca, you're an absolute rock star. All along the way, you have provided invaluable, critical insight to the redesign process. Not only have you taught me a lot, but I'm happy to say I also made a new friend.

Rick, you are wonderfully creative, and your dedication to this project has been just incredible. Your parents -- the inspiration for your hard work -- should be very proud. I'm certain they are.

I am thrilled to have been the project manager for this website redesign. I have learned so much from the experience -- about effectively managing a project and directing a team as well as HTML coding and understanding super-geeky techy lingo.

We're in the home stretch now, and I’m so proud of our hard work!

Words of Encouragement Needed

LAUREN: The following blurb was featured in the April issue of the Advocacy Newsletter.

Anchorage, Alaska: Sean Swarner, the first cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest in 2002, hopes to summit Mount McKinley - the seventh and final mountain of his historic quest- on LIVESTRONG Day. May 16th is not only special to Sean because it is LIVESTRONG Day, but because it is the exact five year anniversary of his summit of Mount Everest. Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, marks the final stage of his quest to become the first two-time cancer survivor to mount the highest peak on each of the seven continents to raise awareness and give hope to people everywhere whose lives have been affected by cancer.

He's climbing now and I receive daily updates about his progress. He's at Camp 3 and he's facing some weather issues. If you can, please send him some words of encouragement. I am sure he would love to hear from you.

Go to www.iridium.com

Click on "Send a Satellite Message"

Type 881631012858 in the "To" Box

Enter your message and hit send

P.S.: LIVESTRONG Day is almost here, LIVESTRONG Day is almost here...I can't wait. I hope you are as excited as I am.

And another week goes by...

JENNIFER: For anyone who is keeping count, I still have nine weeks to go before I prove to Matt that cycling is a true hobby for me and I am in real need of a brand new bike.

It's not going so well.

This is the second week in a row that I haven't even looked at my bike, much less checked the tires, clicked in my cycling shoes and gone for a ride.

I blame it on a strong work ethic and pursuit of perfectionism in my job. Does that get me off the hook? Work is unbelievably busy. While Lauren is crazed with LIVESTRONG Day planning, I am swamped with my own big website project.

Our desks are so close to each other that I could sit up super-straight in my chair and have a perfect view of Lauren all day long, if I wanted. And yet, this week we've barely had a chance to say more than two words to one another -- just a quick chat or a hurried wave and smile as she rushes past my desk. Very unlike us.

L, LIVESTRONG Day is going to be SO great, I just know it. Your hard work and late hours will totally pay off.

Also, a big XOXO to my LAF friends who I won't be seeing around the office.

Tomorrow is Friday! Then the weekend comes, and Matt and I have a fun Cinco de Mayo planned...

15 DAYS UNTIL LIVESTRONG DAY!!

LAUREN: It's confession time again. Last week wasn't good for me on the training front. In fact, I didn't get to ride my bike once (sigh!) or didn't keep to working late only two nights a week. Well, did you read the headline? That's why!

These days, I am all about LIVESTRONG Day. I have been working on this project since last September and now we are in the home stretch. And let me let you in on a little secret, IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME! We have some exciting things planned in both Washington, D.C., and in cities across the country. My question for you is...what do you plan to do on LIVESTRONG Day?

In Washington, D.C., the LAF will lead 200 advocates to Capitol Hill to demand that our nation's leaders invest in resources, treatment and services for people affected by cancer. To complement those efforts, approximately 200 LIVESTRONG Day events will be held across the country to engage communities with experiences that increase awareness and show support for cancer survivors and their loved ones. To find a local event near you, use the LIVESTRONG Day local event search tool. You can also see a complete listing of local events here.

If you don't see an event in your area, it's not too late to organize one. The deadline to register a local event is THIS Friday, May 4 at 5:00 p.m. CDT. Your event can be as simple as wearing YELLOW to work, handing out LIVESTRONG wristbands and sharing resources to help people affected by cancer. (My husband plans to do that activity at his workplace and just registered his event last night.)

I'll be heading to D.C. with the 200 advocates, but tell me what you plan to do in the comments section below. I can't wait to hear from you.

Vegas, baby!

JENNIFER: I've been in Las Vegas since Sunday, and I'm leaving later this afternoon. Whew! That's a long time to be in this city.

I'm here for the Oncology Nursing Society annual conference, where I was manning the LAF booth and talking to oncology nurses about the services we offer that can help their patients. I am happy to say that our information and the giveaways we distributed were very well received.

This year I developed the marketing strategy behind our booth presence at healthcare professional conferences like ONS and some others taking place this spring, so I enjoyed seeing my brainstorming and preparation finally come to fruition and be successful. Yippee!

Except for a couple of dinners out with my colleagues and some Fertile Hope friends, when I haven't been at the conference, I've been working in my hotel room. Needless to say, I haven't ridden my bike once this week. I even brought my cycling shorts and jersey with me, thinking there might be a workout room in my hotel. Sadly, I didn't even think to ask hotel staff whether an exercise bike exists here. Blame it on the long expo hours and distraction of the blinking and dinging of the casino downstairs.

In between the conference hours and plugging away at my laptop, I did get to see a show. My friend Tara indulged me and agreed to see Barry Manilow at the Las Vegas Hilton. Yep, I'm a Fanilow.

Barry was awesome! Everyone got a glow stick when you enter the little bitty theater. Then they played great dance music to get the crowd going. Then the stage went crazy with lights and a few cheesy graphics, and Barry came out and by the end of the show we were all on our feet, dancing with the glow sticks.

The best part was that halfway through the show an usher asked Tara and me if we wanted to move up closer from our seats in the back corner of the theater. She took us down the center aisle to the 12th row! Awesome, especially at the end of the show when Barry climbed a ladder-crane-like thing that hovered over the audience.

Wow, that man still has some serious moves. I have to admit...I was dancing and singing along to Copacabana and waving my glow stick in the air.

And then there's the casino. I'm a craps player - that's the only table I play. I especially like the $5 tables because I understand how all the odds work and generally feel comfortable with the amount of money I have out there during a given roll.

I am here for work - really - so I haven't gotten to spend much time at the craps table. That might be a good thing, seeing as the time I have spent playing craps has resulted in my being down about $30 or $40. Oh well. If that's the cost of entertainment this trip, I'm okay with that.

That being said, I'm about to get kicked out of my hotel room where I've been working nonstop, and I'm not leaving for the airport for a couple of hours...so I guess I'll have to find another $5 craps table to occupy my time. Wish me good dice rolling!

Checking In

LAUREN: First off, thanks to everyone who has posted comments and shared thoughts and ideas regarding riding and fundraising. I enjoy hearing from you and am so inspired by what each of you are doing too. Keep'em coming!

Now to the update...

Last week was a complete blur for me due to a busy work week, which was followed by a busy weekend. To be honest, last week was a bit of a challenge because it wasn't the typical week for me. At the end of the week, I had a trip scheduled to Washington, D.C., to conduct a site visit for our upcoming LIVESTRONG Day event. It was a short trip, but action-packed no less. I would like to say that I held to my "only two days of working late" but it didn't happen...and I'm okay with that (sort of). The reality was that while I was traveling and away from the office, the emails kept coming and deadlines needed to be met. It happens and I'm okay with that...for that week.

As we headed into the weekend, my husband took me out for a nice sushi dinner at Beluga and we enjoyed spending some time together. We are co-presidents for our neighborhood association and we had recently organized a crime prevention meeting for our neighorbors on Thursday. I was traveling, but my husband conducted the event on his own and we discussed what we wanted to do next. Overall, he was pleased with the turnout, and I was happy that it went so well for him.

Saturday brought our quarterly "Adopt-a-Trail" clean-up along the creek in our neighborhood. We had five neighbors show up and we spent about two hours picking up cans and snack wrappers that had washed down with the recent rains. Saturday also happened to be "Dumpster Day" in the city so we managed to do a little cleaning of our house too. I was really tired that night, so I headed to bed early and proceeded to sleep for ten hours. Ten glorious hours!!

Sunday was by far the best day, and along with a little more house cleaning, I managed to squeeze in a long ride. Since the hotel where I stayed didn't have a bike in the gym, I figured that I needed to log some time to make up for it. Hence, I rode more than hour and would have gone longer if I had had more time. The weather was so beautiful and the wind wasn't too bad. I rode in a new area so the scenery was nice too. I also stumbled across a great stretch of road that had little traffic and was fairly long. All was good until I got a little closer to home and then IT HAPPENED!

I experienced (I believe) a cyclist's rite of passage because I had my first crash on the bike...EVER! I'm okay and so is the bike. Luckily, I wasn't going too fast to do serious damage. However, the story of how it happened isn't very glamorous either. I was down the street from my house and made a U-turn in the street. I managed to get too close to the curb and lost control of the handlebars. Before I knew it, I hit the curb and fell off the bike. It kind of scared me, because it happened so quickly. After it happened I immediately thought of my friend, Rodney, who had encouraged Jen and I to learn to fall. Again, it wasn't too bad because I fell onto a grassy area but I think was more embarrassed than anything else. Like I said, not a glamorous story and I don't have any major road rash; but it happened, which is kind of a big deal when you are beginner.

Looking back on the week, there is definite room for improvement and this week will be a true test of that. Although the week didn't unfold exactly as I planned, I am still happy with what I did accomplish and am committed to making it better each week.

Happy Friday!

JENNIFER: Yesterday was the best day.

All week long I have been working late-late hours on a big project and getting home after dark so riding my bike has been impossible. Yesterday morning I decided to give myself some Jennifer-time - to come into work a bit later than usual so that I could ride in the morning.

It was such a nice morning, not too many cars on the road, and I enjoyed my 40-minute ride. And wonder of wonders...arriving at the office an hour later than usual didn't cause the LAF to completely fall apart. I felt quite good about taking the time to give myself what I needed, so that then I could jump back into my job without having to compromise much.

The end of the day was just as fulfilling as the beginning of the day. Last night was Book Club, and although I didn't finish the book (What is the What), I had a wonderful time drinking wine and spending time with friends. We shared funny stories and laughed a lot. Although Book Club is made up mostly of work friends, we didn't spend too much time talking about work - which was nice.

Whew! It's Friday. I'm looking forward to getting to spend time with my parents and my in-laws this weekend, as both sets of parents are coming to Austin. Yippee for the weekend!

Enough Talk...It's Time for Action

LAUREN: I read Jen’s posting last week and it really struck me because I was in the same boat. A week had gone by and I didn’t get on the bike once last week. UGH – so disappointing! In addition, I was reading my friend's blog and she’s recovering from her first half-ironman. I was thrilled for her, but again disappointed that I had done nothing last week. (She’s also doing the MS150 from Houston to Austin this weekend, and that’s something I would like to tackle next year.)

So enough talk, it’s now time for action and that action started yesterday. From here until Challenge weekend, I am getting serious about training and will only let myself work late two nights per week. (I can hear some of my colleagues laughing about that, but I am going to make it happen!) I will also ride three times a week – two times during the week and once during the weekend.

I rode on Sunday for an hour (without padded biking shorts – big mistake, I won’t do that again.) through my neighborhood and had the best time. The weather was so beautiful and tons of people were outside doing yard work or hanging out in the yard.

While riding, along with admiring the nice landscaping of many of my neighbors, I started thinking about how I also needed to get my fundraising efforts started. I met some of the Challenge mentors for breakfast on Saturday morning (Viva Las Manitas!) and heard stories about what each of them planned to do. They had some interesting ideas and advice, but I will focus on that next week.

This week, it’s all about getting back on the bike and logging time in the saddle. I am trying to start a new routine, which will require me to get up earlier and arrive at the office earlier in order to miss traffic. I am striving to achieve a better work/life balance and today was my first step toward making it happen. I know it won’t always be easy, but it wouldn’t be worth it if it were easy. Plus, I will have each of you to hold me accountable. :-)

I am also heading to Washington, D.C., at the end of the week for a site visit to prepare for LIVESTRONG Day. I hope they have bike in the hotel gym because I will be there on a “ride day.” On a work-related note, we are about four weeks away from LIVESTRONG Day, and it’s going to be G-R-E-A-T!

I'm back!

JENNIFER: The first ride back is the hardest, right? The same with running, when I used to run with my friend Angela in Dallas. The same with yoga, when I was really into Ashtanga yoga a couple of years ago. Today, it probably didn't help that I think my tires were a little low. It certainly wasn't my best ride, but the weather was beautiful and perfect. I rode my bike around the neighborhood and enjoyed being outside.

First thing this morning, I had breakfast with some of the LIVESTRONG Challenge mentors at Las Manitas (my first time there - yum!) and laughed my tail off for two hours. They were in town for the weekend, and yesterday I had the pleasure of making a presentation to them about the LAF's programmatic initiatives, specifically our grants programs.

Next ride scheduled for Tuesday after work. Hopefully Lauren and her new bike will join me!

So ashamed...

JENNIFER: I can't believe it, but another week has gone by and I did not ride my bike ONCE. Between busy work and cranky weather, it has not been a good week for evening rides. I am so ashamed...

But Sunday is going to be the start of a new week and a new resolution. Twice a week, I will leave the office in time to ride my bike. I will begin riding on Sundays to start each week off right. Even if I think I don't have time, I will remember how good I feel when I get home from riding my bike and know that it is worth the effort to make time.

You gotta love Texas weather

LAUREN: This past week was a bad training week for me. I rode once for 40 minutes, but that was it. I was looking forward to taking my bike to our family ranch in Shiner, Texas, to log some riding time on the country roads in between our usual family activities of playing softball, chasing each other with confetti eggs and fishing. However, the weather had a mind of its own. After we had a nice week of Spring-like weather, the temperatures plummeted into the low 40s and it rained all weekend. Needless to say, the bike stayed in my garage in Austin and I stayed inside watching movies and playing board games with my family in Shiner. We had a lot of fun and I enjoyed beating my brother at the 90s edition of Trivial Pursuit. :-) (I was able to beat my brother on a question relating to Baywatch. Yes, Baywatch! Go figure.)

I am looking forward to a better week of weather. The forecasters think the weather will be warm again at the end of the week and throughout the weekend. I hope they are right.

P.S.: I won second place in the NCAA tournament bracket, right behind Jennifer’s dad. LOL!

Matzah break, now back on the bike

JENNIFER: My small break from cycling and blogging this week was due to my stressing about, hosting and then recovering from celebrating Passover on Monday evening.

Matt and I invited some friends over for Passover seder - our first time to formally entertain since we moved into the house. I used our wedding china and crystal, and our dining table looked lovely! Thanks to my friend Melissa for the great decorating ideas.

I made a brisket that halfway through resembled worn leather but ended up perfectly tender, juicy and yummy. I also served gefilte fish (out of the jar), matzah ball soup and garlic sauteed spinach. Matt picked out a couple of pints of Ben & Jerry's for dessert, and our friend Stacey brought over delicious baklava. YUM.

I finally got back on the bike this evening, and I had a nice ride. The weather had cooled off, and I tried to push myself to ride longer than a half hour and faster than my normal pace. I was a little disappointed when I got home and realized I'd only been on the bike for 35-ish minutes. I thought for sure I had ridden at least 45 minutes! I know I need to build up my time because soon I'll have to kick into gear with some serious training for the 70-mile.

A quick shout-out to my dad for taking first place in the NCAA basketball bracket that Lauren and her husband put together. Daddy said I should use his winnings to treat my friends to the first round of drinks at tomorrow night's happy hour. What a cool dad I have!

A Great Start to the Week

JENNIFER & LAUREN: When you head to the grocery store or your local bookstore, be sure to check out the magazine rack. On the shelf today is the latest copy of Newsweek with a photo of the LIVESTRONG wristband on the cover and featuring a powerful column from Lance.

As LAF staff members, we take great pride in the work we do and are committed to helping the millions of people affected by cancer. For the last ten years, the LAF has worked to change the way people think about the disease. We started this work years ago with testicular cancer, moved into urologic cancers, began tackling the issues that survivors deal with each and every day and now we are not only supporting survivors but tackling the social injustices associated with cancer.

With recent cancer recurrence announcements from both Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow, cancer has received a tremendous amount of national news coverage. This week is no exception and the LAF is proud to be a part of it. But it’s not enough. We must and will do more for the more than 10 million cancer survivors living in the U.S., and we ask you to do the same.

We are both a part of the LIVESTRONG Army and we ask you to join today if you haven’t already. If you have already joined us, then please ask five more people to join the fight. Together we will make cancer a national priority. LIVESTRONG!

An unexpectedly nice ride...

JENNIFER: All day I have been watching the rain come and go, and I wondered whether the crummy weather would keep me from my second ride this week.

I decided to ride, and I'm so glad I did. While I was riding along -- singing songs from the Wicked soundtrack and evaluating how my neighbors' garage doors would look on my house -- the clouds overhead suddenly broke and I saw a teeny bit of blue sky. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make me glad I got on my bike this evening.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been riding only 30-35 minutes each time, but beginning next week I plan to start building up my mileage. For now, I'm just trying to get my bike legs back. I definitely feel it working!

I GOT A BIKE…A NEW BIKE!

LAUREN: A strange sequence of events occurred today. As you may recall, I was supposed to check out a used bike I found on Craig’s List today. For some reason, the seller never responded back to me to arrange a meeting time or to let me know that the bike was no longer available. I was a little disappointed, but it happens.

Coincidentally, Chris saw an advertisement at a local gym promoting the same bike I had been eyeing on Craig’s List, but it was a more recent model and BRAND NEW! It costs a little more than the used version, but it had better components too. Since the original plan of checking out a used bike fell through, Kim and I headed down to Bicycle Sport Shop today during lunch and found the bike in my size. SCORE! Kim also works there from time to time and she connected me with Rick, a very knowledgeable sales guy. Here’s the other cool thing. Technically the bike sale doesn’t start until Friday, but Rick said he would give me the sale price on the bike if I came back and purchased the bike tonight. SWEET! We were short on time so I put the bike on hold and promised to come back later for a test ride.

My husband and I arrived at the bike shop thirty minutes before closing. We found Rick and soon I was set up for a test ride in the parking lot. The frame (52 cm) was fine, but the handlebars were a bit far for my reach. Just to be sure we had the right frame size, I tested a smaller frame (49 cm) and it was definitely too small. Rick changed the stem on the 52 cm bike and it felt much more comfortable. We quickly ran out of time and since the store was now closing, I opted to purchase the bike tonight instead of risking that it might be sold the next day. I also didn’t bring the bike home tonight, but chose to leave it at the store so I could do a “true” fitting when I had more time. Hence, I now have a fitting appointment tomorrow evening.

I am super excited to have this big purchase out of the way. (Although my husband would probably say that he had a little heartburn when we were paying for it. ;-)) It’s funny how things have a way of working out, but I guess that is why they say “everything happens for a reason!”

Thank you to everyone that helped me with this process. I can’t wait to start riding my new bike! (See photo)

March Madness

LAUREN: I meant to do a little riding this past weekend, but it didn’t happen for a variety of reasons. Aside from a “little” home issue, I couldn’t seem to pull myself away from the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. I am a victim of March Madness and I love every minute of it! I have my own bracket and have been cheering on “my picks.” Right now, I am in fifth place out of 19 people. I am not sure I can pull off a victory now, but we’ll see. (Go Florida!)

On a cycling-related note, there is a big bike sale going on this weekend at Bicycle Sport Shop. I have had this on the calendar for a while and can’t wait to check it out. I have been exploring all of my options – both new and used bikes. I even found a used bike on Craig’s List that has potential. My pals, Chris and Kim, are going with me to check it out tomorrow and that makes me feel better about considering a used bike. Both are experienced cyclists and can help me determine if the bike is still in good shape for riding. I’ll keep you posted. If you have any tips on buying bikes, I would be happy to hear them.

One week down, eleven to go!

JENNIFER: I just finished my third bike ride for the week, and just in the nick of time. I guess I waited until the last possible moment to get my third ride in, because the sun was setting as I pulled up in my driveway. Next week I'll be better about spacing out my rides and not cramming them into the end of the week.

Now that I have decided that my spring project is to update the exterior of our house, my bike riding is really coming in handy. On my bike is an easy way to check out all the front doors, mailboxes, address numbers and outdoor light fixtures on houses all around my neighborhood. I am getting some great ideas!

Elizabeth Edwards

JENNIFER: My thoughts are with Elizabeth Edwards and her family as they face her cancer recurrence head-on. I had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth backstage before she spoke at the LAF's LIVESTRONG Summit last October, and she was incredibly genuine and kind. She is the type of woman with whom you want to grab lunch or gab on the phone -- very down-to-earth and unassuming. I look forward to reading her book, Saving Graces. (Just as soon as I finish (start?) my Book Club book.) And I wish her the best as she begins her cancer treatment.

Some colleagues and I watched today's press conference with Elizabeth and John Edwards in Lauren's office. To me, as a newlywed, seeing their demonstration of a true partnership was heartwarming.

Speaking of the news, did you happen to be watching ABC World News Tonight tonight? If you watched closely, you saw a few seconds of footage of Elizabeth at the LIVESTRONG Summit. Yellow stage, huge photo of Lance, Elizabeth reading an excerpt from her book.

I spent the better part of this afternoon working with our awesome, amazing video production company friends at Alpheus Media and the ever-helpful local ABC affiliate to send our Summit footage to ABC in New York so they could include it in the package. It was quick, but it was there! Today's PR victory.

Have a good evening.

And here's a little about Lauren!

LAUREN: Last year’s LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin was my first time to be back on a bike since I was a kid. When Jen asked me to consider doing the 40-mile ride with her, I thought why not? It’s for a great cause and it’s a good way to get some exercise. Deep down, I must admit that I was a little intimidated by the distance. Plus, I didn’t even have a bike to ride. Luckily, I was fortunate to borrow a hybrid bike from a friend (Thank you, Steph!) and was able to train and fundraise for the event. Through my job last year, I worked the LAF booth at most of the LIVESTRONG Village sites. However, being an event participant was such an amazing experience that it inspired me to ride again.

This year, I am challenging myself to ride 70 miles, which means that I am also in search of my very own road bike. I am educating myself about frame sizes and bike components, have visited nearly every bike shop in Austin and am looking into previously owned bikes too. I am also grateful to have a handful of friends who are pretty knowledgeable about bikes (Thank you – Kim, Chris, Rodney, Michael B. and Lisa!) and don’t mind all of my questions. After the initial sticker shock of road bike prices wore off, I knew that saving up to get new bike would also be a challenge.

I am eager to start training again and to start fundraising too. I raised a little more than $2,500 for the LAF last year and I am not sure if I can top that, but it will sure be fun to try.

I hadn’t thought about this earlier, but this year’s ride in Austin occurs on my two year wedding anniversary. I mentioned this to my husband earlier today and he might join me and Jen on our ride. He’s much faster on a bike than we are, but it would be nice to have him join us. We’ll see what happens!

A friend shared this quote with me a while back and it really spoke to me. I hope it speaks to you too.

Above all, challenge yourself. You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish.--Cecile M. Springer

Learn a little more about Jen...

JENNIFER: Yesterday I learned that my husband owns eight guitars, not just the three that are leaning against the wall in his study. Most recently he went over to a friend’s house to play music with some guys and everyone had nicer guitars than his, and the next morning he came home from Guitar Center with a new Martin acoustic in his passenger seat.

To his credit, Matt wakes up early to play his guitar while I snooze, and often I’ll come home from work and find him playing guitar again. He writes his own music and played in a local band for the past two years. He recognizes the importance of supporting a hobby, and he was more than willing to make me a deal:

As soon as I ride my current bike three times a week for 12 weeks, I can buy the new road bike I’ve been eyeing since December, a couple of months after I rode in my first-ever cycling event.

Last summer my birthday was coming up and I wanted to do something special to celebrate turning 30, so set myself a goal to train for and ride in the LIVESTRONG Challenge 40-mile ride. I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was 12, but I trained up and down Shoal Creek on my light blue hybrid for a month, and when I mustered up the nerve, I started riding in circles around the three-mile veloway and then the eight-mile loop on the nearby highway.

Lauren and I began riding together when she decided to do the Challenge, too, and I was comforted to have a beginner cycling partner who rode as slowly as me and would push me as I pushed her when we felt unsure of ourselves.

Once I had my first cycling event behind me, I was hooked. Cycling was going to be my new hobby. But I didn’t want to stick with 40-mile rides, and my hybrid can only take me so far. So I decided I needed a new goal – and a new bike.

That brings me to today. My new personal goal is to train for and ride the 70-mile course this October at the LIVESTRONG Challenge. I’m working on my fundraising goal, too. Last year I raised more than $4,000, and I just don’t know if I can raise that much money again.

But first things first: I have to get out there on my bike and prove to myself that my 40-mile ride last year was not just a one-time event, that I have the dedication and the discipline to ride enough to make it 70 miles in October and earn myself a new bike in the process.

Will I do it? Stay tuned to see.

the beginning

Last year we decided to do the LIVESTRONG Challenge 40-mile ride together. We trained for months and raised money and rode our bikes 40 miles, and we had so much fun that we’re back in 2007. Except this year, we signed up for the 70-mile ride!

Right up front, let’s just put everything out on the table. We both work for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which puts on the LIVESTRONG Challenge. Jennifer works in Marketing and oversees marketing and public relations support of the LAF’s programmatic initiatives. Lauren is part of the Advocacy team, where she serves as the liaison for advocates interested in becoming more involved in LAF grassroots advocacy initiatives and events.

We are participating in the LIVESTRONG Challenge not as LAF employees, but as two friends trying something new together. And we are excited to write this blog together, too – something else neither of us has ever done before.

Check back to read about our training and fundraising leading up to the LIVESTRONG Challenge. This is going to be fun!