Ride for Livestrong Seattle: We're Training and on our Way!

Hello from the backcountry roads of Seattle!

Last weekend (June 11th, 2011) four of our "Ride for Livestrong Seattle" team - Rob, Michael, AJ and Patrick - got together to stretch our legs, have some fun, and ride the "Flying Wheels Summer Century" in Seattle! 

The weather was perfect for a long training ride - cool/warm (high of 65F), mostly cloudy with a little sun thrown in - and the course was beautiful and challenging.  Anyone would love this ride - for the scenery, camaraderie, and different length options - and it seemed that well over 3,000 people did just that. 

We chose the Century ride length, which presented its own challenges of length and hills, but after 95-ish miles we crossed the finish line mid-afternoon, tired but energized.  We met a few cancer survivors along the way, LIVESTRONG supporters, and talked to folks about our team, and what we were up to.  Heck, we may have even convinced a few to join our team!

After all was said and done, it was a great day and we're happy to continue our training, our outreach to the community, and keep LIVESTRONG prominent and on people's minds during rides and in the community.

Our next big ride will be the STP - Seattle to Portland - ride that includes 200 miles over two days on July 9-10 weekend.  At least four of our "Ride for Livestrong Seattle" team will be riding together.  Hope to see you on that course, whether with us or on the sidelines cheering us on! 

Remember, we do have occassional training rides, so be sure to send me a note at rideforlivestrongseattle@gmail.com to stay in the loop if you're interested in joining us.

And above all, please support our efforts - as a team member, please fundraise for LIVESTRONG through your grassroots HQ per our initial email.  If you're not on the team and want to support us - whether by donations (tax deductible!), or in kind, please email me at rideforlivestrongseattle@gmail.com and let's talk!

We appreciate the positive feedback and support from everyone.  Please join us!

LIVESTRONG,

Patrick

Team Captain, Ride for Livestrong Seattle

Livestrong Leader, Seattle.

p.s.  Thanks to Mike for taking the photos.  And thanks to AJ for pushing us to do the Century length! 

Welcome to Ride for Livestrong Seattle!



Hello, and welcome to our Blog!

We are a group of Seattle-area Livestrong Supporters - volunteers, Livestrong leaders, cyclists, cancer survivors and cancer kickers - who have banded together to create a team, "Ride for Livestrong Seattle", to fundraise, train, ride a few good rides in the Northwest, and most of all, support cancer survivors and their families.

2011 marks the inception of our team, to stir the pot and continue the momentum of Livestrong support that began with the Livestrong Challenge events in Portland in 2005, and ended in Seattle in 2010.  Thousands of cyclists and runners participated in these annual events, and we hope to tap into that passionate support through our involvement with Livestrong on the grassroots level.

What is this all about?  Well, quite simply, we have formed a fundraising 'team' that will be participating in the Seattle Century (see http://www.seattlecentury.com/) which is one of the most wonderful, well-supported rides in the Pacific Northwest.  We are individually fundraising through the Livestrong Grassroots website, where 100% of funds raised will go directly to Livestrong, and its cancer-kicking programs.

How do I become part of the team?  Is this an exclusive club?  Is everyone a gear-head?  Ummm, no.  All you need is a road bike, and be able to participate in the Seattle Century (50- or 100- mile cycling options), as well as have the conviction to raise a few dollars for Livestrong.

Three simple steps to be part of our team:

1. Register as a rider for the Seattle Century: www.seattlecentury.com   ***JUST ADDED!  Key in code "LIVESTRONG23" and get a $10 discount off of registration! (Thanks to the Seattle Century organizers for their generosity!)***
2. Register yourself and be part of the "Ride for Livestrong Seattle" team at http://www.tinyurl.com/ride4lssea - while fundraising is not mandated, it is highly encouraged (after all, this is the reason for our team in the first place!).
3. Drop me an email at rideforlivestrongseattle@gmail.com and we will send you information about training rides, social events, and specific information about our Team as it develops around the Seattle Century event!

What's in it for Me?  Why should you join us and fundraise? Well, the incentives a three-fold:

1. Physically, you will be exercising and training for a fun event, improving your health.  We'll even notify you of days/locations that we will be training.  How great is that?
2. Emotionally, you will be feeling the pride and satisfaction of supporting an incredible organization that provides support to individuals who are in the fight of their lives.  We'll help you with fundraising ideas. You'll also have a lot of fun with us ... we're fun people!
3. Pragmatically, we are working on creating some cool 'incentives' to provide you a spark to keep you fundraising.  On top of that, all fundraising qualifies you for Ride for the Roses incentives (an incredible Livestrong event weekend in Austin, Texas, in October). Check out:  http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/Team-LIVESTRONG-Events/Ride-for-the-Roses-Weekend for more information.

Our goal is to provide an inclusive team atmosphere, a supportive team environment around our event, and support for LIVESTRONG.  If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!

Please join us!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for updates!

Patrick
Livestrong Leader, Seattle
Team Captain, Ride for Livestrong Seattle