Bike to Work Day / LIVESTRONG Day 2014

Please Join Us! 

 

Hello, Local LIVESTRONG riders and supporters, and Seattle Bike to Work riders!

Here are the details of this year’s LIVESTRONG Day event in Seattle – I hope you can join us THIS FRIDAY to have some fun for an extended Friday lunch hour … coinciding on "Bike to Work Day":

 

 

WHAT:	“LIVESTRONG DAY - Spin for LIVESTRONG”: a celebration to support those affected by cancer, part of a series of worldwide events. A number of Seattle-area LIVESTRONG Supporters will take to the streets and spin during lunch hour while fundraising and raising awareness for LIVESTRONG and the foundation's programs to help and empower people affected by cancer. This event coincides with “Bike to Work Day”, as part of Bike to Work Month, encouraging healthy and safe commuting.
DATE:	Friday, May 16, 2014
TIME:	11:45-1:15 (ride time noon to 1:00pm) - please arrive on time for setup.
LOCATION:	Union Street, south side, between 4th and 5th Avenue (Rainier Plaza).
HOW:	Cycling.  Spandex.  Survivorship. Need we say more?  Cyclists and supporters will ‘spin’ on stationary trainers for an hour in support of cancer survivors on the downtown streets of Seattle! We will ride in unison to raise awareness and fundraise, and heckle pedestrians as they pass by our line of cyclists. Grab a wristband!  Cheer us on, or cheer with us!  Every donation gets a round of applause.    What to bring: -     Your bike (!) -     A stationary trainer (we will try to source one if you don’t have one, please let me know, or if you have an extra to lend) -     Your cycling kit/clothing! (I will have extra jerseys to lend if needed) Always good to have a change of clothes/covering post-event.  If you’re not biking: come cheer us on, wear yellow! Be ready to make some noise!  Some snacks provided.  Please bring full water bottles!

Thanks again – and in advance – for all your help supporting, participating and promoting this event!

LIVESTRONG,

Patrick

Team Captain, Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle

LIVESTRONG Leader

PORTLAND CENTURY 2013 - THAT WAS A HOOT!

Thank You Everyone in Portland!

Wow!

I was at first trepidatious to drive down to Portland and try out a new ride.  But, knowing the area, previous awesome experience with event organizers (who put on the Seattle Century), and great communication and support from my local LIVESTRONG contact, I was quickly put at ease ... and what a great ride it turned out to be!

The day started out in downtown Portland - Portland State University, to be specific - under the shade of the plaza trees.  Riders were busily downing a breakfast (The Portland Century, put on by Good Sport Promotion, is known for their spread of food) of cereal, yogurt, eggs and berries.  Our group quickly found each other ... and we were off at 7:00am!




Part of our LIVESTRONG contingent at the start - note the smiles and energy!

 

Our first rest stop was one that I was much anticipating - the LIVESTRONG Rest Stop!  The ride organizers continued their support of LIVESTRONG from previous years: while they provided us with a group registration discount code and a place to meet up at the finish, we drove riders to the event and also provided the volunteers for the rest stop.

It was great to roll in and be greeted by the sea of yellow - t-shirts, banners and wristbands - as well as a terrific group of volunteers (who our local LIVESTRONG volunteer Stefan managed to organize, and Scott who ran the show) with an awesome level of energy and excitement!



Rest Stop #1: the LIVESTRONG stop! Busy preparing food, handing out wristbands and ... yes ... hugs.

 After some catching up, peanut-butter sandwich refueling, and a group photo, we were back on the road!



LIVESTRONG Rest Stop Volunteers and Riders! A great bunch. 



And what a road it was!  The course went west out of Portland, through the beautiful countryside (many miles of which followed the same course as the LIVESTRONG Challenge Portland routes from years past!), and on many quiet and less-traveled roads.

The weather was perfect - cool morning, blue skies, high in the low 80's - and our group had a good time on the road, regrouping at the rest stops.



Beautiful ride through the Portland countryside. We had many roads to ourselves!



Ahhhh, the rest stops!  Similar to the Seattle Century rides of years past, the stops were well situated and well placed.  Berry farms! Pasta! Sandwiches!  All appreciated and quickly consumed.

At this time, I would like to mention my one regret: I did not take a photo of the rest stop where an Elvis impersonator served me a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich.  Life did not get much better than that moment ... if only I could have captured it on film.



Two rest stops to the end: build-your-own sandwiches. Ahhh ...

 I would also be remiss to not talk about my main Portland contact, and LIVESTRONG volunteer extraordinaire: Stefan.  He was truly the glue of the riding and rest stop groups, offering up much of his time to be sure that everything was organized locally, and that everyone was accounted for and taken care of.  Stefan is a rare breed of person who is selfless, energetic and hard-working - without a single request in return.  Thank you so much for all of your hard work!

Of note is also Stefan's son, Paul, who rode his first century ride with us!  A quiet, determined rider, Paul (pictured behind me in the first photo of this post) impressed us all with his cool cycling prowess.



Our fearless Portland-area LIVESTRONG supporter, Stefan.  What a great guy - I don't know what we would have done without him!



All good things must come to an end ... and after a long climb into Portland, and brake-heavy descent through the zoo area (yes, staying on roads), we arrived at the finish line to enjoy our dinner feast, Hopworks beer, and reflect on the day's ride adventures.



The Finish! (You think this was about cycling?) Always a good spread put on by the ride organizers.



It was truly a great day on many levels - connecting with more LIVESTRONG supporters, both on the bike and off, continuing the supportive relationship with the ride organizers (thank you Chad!), and enjoying a beautiful, well-supported, food-rich ride with new friends.

THank you everyone for your support - direct and indirect - to make this such a success!  We hope to build on this support and energy into the next year, and continue to build awareness and support for the LIVESTRONG Foundation in the process.

Next stop: Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge in October ... join us ...!?

LIVESTRONG,

Patrick

Team Captain, Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle

Senior LIVESTRONG Leader

SEATTLE! JOIN US FOR LIVESTRONG DAY FRIDAY MAY 17, 2013!

More Cycling.  More Spandex. More Survivorship.

Need we say more?



Don't make me ride alone! (2007) ...

... Join a great group for a midday spin! (2012)

LIVESTRONG Day has been moved to Friday, May 17th this year!

Come out and join us for our SEVENTH annual "Spin for LIVESTRONG" event in downtown Seattle.  It's a hoot! It's a holler!  It's full on heckling of passing pedestrians and drivers!

Be ready to make some noise! If you are a cyclist, bring your bike and your trainer and spin with us.  If you aren't a cyclist, come down to cheer us on and heckle as well!  Wear your LIVESTRONG jerseys, t-shirts, or something yellow to support us!

Here are the details of this year's LIVESTRONG Day event in Seattle - hope you can join us, bring a friend, and have some fun for an extended lunch hour frolic on ... "Bike to Work Day"!

WHAT:	“LIVESTRONG DAY - Spin for LIVESTRONG”: a celebration to support those affected by cancer, part of a series of worldwide events. A number of Seattle-area LIVESTRONG Supporters will take to the streets and spin while fundraising and raising awareness for LIVESTRONG and the Foundation's programs to help and empower people affected by cancer.
DATE:	Friday, May 17, 2013
TIME:	11:30am-1:30pm, including15 minutes setup/takedown on either end. Be ready to start spinning by 11:45am!
LOCATION:	Union Street, south side, between 4th and 5th Avenue (Rainier Plaza).
HOW:	Cycling.  Spandex.  Survivorship. Need we say more?  Cyclists and supporters will ‘spin’ on stationary trainers for two hours in support of cancer survivors, on the downtown streets of Seattle! We will ride in unison, raise awareness and fundraise, and heckle pedestrians as they pass by our line of cyclists. Grab a wristband!  Cheer us on, or cheer with us!  Every donation gets a round of applause.   What to Bring:  If Biking: bring your bike and stationary trainer (need one? Let me know and I may be able to scrounge one up!), and your cycling kit.  Wear LIVESTRONG colors - yellow/black - but we may have a jersey to lend if you need it, too. If you're not biking: come cheer us on, and wear yellow!  Some snacks provided.  Be sure to bring full water bottles! We're riding rain or shine!  This year, we will have canopies overhead to keep us dry, just in case, compliments of our local Performance Bike store!  (As well as some raffly giveaways, too ...!)

It would be great to see you - please show up (RSVP's encouraged to rideforlivestrongseattle@gmail.com) and support us!

LIVESTRONG,

Patrick
Team Captain, Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle
Senior LIVESTRONG Leader
@patchatfield

LIVESTRONG - WHO WE ARE

POST-LIVESTRONG ASSEMBLY, PRE-BIKE EXPO ANTICIPATION

Hello, "Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle" Followers!

As a 2013 Senior LIVESTRONG Leader, I just returned from almost a week of training at the annual LIVESTRONG Assembly, in Chicago, Illinois and wanted to write a quick note:

A few weeks ago, I must admit that I was uneasy heading into the Seattle Bike Expo (next weekend, March 9-10, 2013), which is our group's first LIVESTRONG event for the year, and which sets the tone for our group during the season: I mean, how settled would we feel about LIVESTRONG, and what would we say to Expo-goers as they asked about LIVESTRONG this year?

Well, the good news is that the LIVESTRONG Assembly has reaffirmed my initial beliefs in the Foundation.  LIVESTRONG is not going anywhere.  Will it thrive?  Hell, yes.  Will it continue to grow, strengthen its survivor-focused programs and chart new territory to fill the voids in the cancer community?  Absolutely.

I was blown away by the energy, commitment and hearfelt dedication of LIVESTRONG staff, Leaders, Mentors, community partners and grantees - over 500 of them, who flew in from all corners of the globe - all working together to coordinate, grow and enhance existing and new programs.  The unanimous feeling was to double-down and move forward and continue to serve the 28 million people currently affected by cancer.

I invite you to check out the link above, which gives a heartfelt behind-the-scenes look at the work of the LIVESTRONG Foundation's staff, as well as this year's "State of the Foundation" address here: http://blog.livestrong.org/2013/02/28/the-2013-state-of-the-foundation-address/ which should give great insight into the Foundation that we support.

I'm looking forward to next weekend's Seattle Bike Expo with great anticipation and excitement.  There remains a lot to accomplish - please drop by and say hello!  We look forward to talking to you - our excitement is contagious.

LIVESTRONG -

Patrick

Senior LIVESTRONG Leader

Team Captain, Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle

@patchatfield

BACK IN THE SADDLE!

Hello, 2013!

Well, it’s been a rocky few months since the last posting in October of 2012, both personally and cause-driven, for our little Seattle team:

Ahhh, the accident.  Note the LIVESTRONG jersey (!).

-        Personally, I was unfortunately hit by a car while bike commuting to work in Seattle, just two weeks after the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge/Ride for the Roses Weekend in Austin, Texas in mid-October.  A car drove out in front of me, causing me to hit and ‘superman’ over the vehicle and land on my head, injuring me and totaling my bike.  Not great at all.

-        Cause-driven, and now with several weeks’ perspective, we are all affected and disappointed with the recent revelations of Lance, but the sentiment remains that LIVESTRONG is not about one person, nor about the professional cycling word: it is about the mission to serve people affected by cancer and to empower them to take action against the world’s leading cause of death.   LIVESTRONG's mission has not changed, nor should that powerful personal meaning of the yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets. Lance is no longer associated with the Foundation, but we thank him for his dedication to the cause in transforming cancer victims into cancer survivors.

But now, we’re improving and recuperating, focusing and forging forward into 2013!  Let’s get back in the saddle, physically and metaphorically!

Pre-accident, at the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin 10/12

Bring it on!  Please join us!

(You can register to fundraise with us here: https://secure.livestrong.org/site/TRR/675010060 - search under “Seattle” for our team!)

There’s much to be done, and a lot of fun to be had along the way.

There’s a lot to look forward to as we plan our events for this year.  Our team has been discussing what rides and events to participate in, and ask that you plan to join or support us however you can – and help us continue to build a LIVESTRONG community in the northwest!

Riding Events on tap this year (so far – keep watching as we update this post and blog):

1.      2013 Seattle Bicycle Expo: March 9-10: https://shop.cascade.org/content/events/expo Please join us at this annual landmark event, where we kick off our season – talk about the upcoming season, connect with survivors and caregivers – and meet YOU!

2.      Flying Wheels Summer Century: June 8: https://shop.cascade.org/content/events/flying-wheels-summer-century We have ridden this ride for the past handful of years, and enjoyed it as a humbling century (depending on your course length) for the start of the riding season. Please register and join us!

3.      Chelan Century: June 22: http://www.centuryride.com A couple of us are planning to attend, after hearing a colleague’s account of the harrowing three hills. Meh!   

4.      Portland Century: August 18: http://www.portlandcentury.com We’re switching things up this year!  After a great couple of years with the Seattle Century, we are teaming with the same organizers for the Portland Century.  Stay tuned for more details – working to still have the same discount, semi-group ride, gourmet food and finish line dedicated area for LIVESTRONG riders.  A great late summer ride!

5.      Austin Team LIVESTRONG Challenge: October 20: http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/Team-LIVESTRONG-Events/Ride/Team-LIVESTRONG-Challenge-Austin A highlight by any measure – riding a fantastic ride through the Texas hill country, in LIVESTRONG’s back yard.  You are part of the LIVESTRONG community the moment you arrive.

In addition, we will have representation at the 2013 LIVESTRONG Assembly in Chicago at the end of February, and will connect and join forces again with the likes of Camp Kesem (http://www.campkesem.org) and other organizations, as well as YACFest (http://www.yacfest.com) and other community outreach events.  More to come!

Rest up! Please join us! 

It’ll be another fantastic year.

LIVESTRONG,

Patrick

Senior LIVESTRONG Leader

Team Captain, Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle

@patchatfield



REVVING UP FOR LIVESTRONG DAY 2012!

Cycling.  Spandex. Survivorship.

Need we say more?

Come out and join us for our SIXTH annual "Spin for LIVESTRONG" event in downtown Seattle.  It's a hoot! It's a holler!  It's full on heckling of passing pedestrians and drivers!

Please participate!  If you are a cyclist, bring your bike and your trainer and spin with us.  If you aren't a cyclist, come down to cheer us on and heckle as well!  Wear your LIVESTRONG jerseys, t-shirts, or something yellow to support us!

See you there!

WHAT:	“LIVESTRONG DAY - Spin for LIVESTRONG”: a celebration to support those affected by cancer, part of a series of worldwide events.
DATE:	Friday, October 5, 2012
TIME:	11:30-1:30 (ride time), with about 15-20 minutes setup/takedown on either end.
LOCATION:	Union Street, south side, between 4th and 5th Avenue.
HOW:	Cycling.  Spandex.  Survivorship. Need we say more?  Cyclists and supporters will ‘spin’ on stationary trainers for two hours in support of cancer survivors, on the downtown streets of Seattle! We will ride in unison, raise awareness and fundraise, and heckle pedestrians as they pass by our line of cyclists. Grab a wristband!  Cheer us on, or cheer with us!  Every donation gets a round of applause.  You can check out our event here: http://www.livestrongday.org./events/spin4livestrongseattle

The crew of volunteers from our LIVESTRONG Day 2011.  Please join us!

LIVESTRONG LOVE AT THE SEATTLE CENTURY!

SEATTLE CENTURY 2012:

WHAT A FANTASTIC RIDE!

Enough cannot be said about the fun and pride that I had captaining the LIVESTRONG presence at the Seattle Century this year.  In every respect, the ride has grown for our local grassroots LIVESTRONG group - in terms of rider numbers, presence during the ride, and generosity of the event organizers - but especially so about the people: the upswell of support and kindness and community of riders and non-riders alike.  We are gaining momentum and team spirit - and will continue to work on building our group and LIVESTRONG presence in the Seattle area community. That's a promise.

That said, let's talk about the ride!

I must admit, I was a little tentative early in the morning: I had emailed all of the people from the past months about the ride, and hoped that they would all show up.  Some I had met before, others I had "met" virtually, and others were strangers who were planning to ride with us, as part of a group of friends.  Some were locals, and others drove or flew in to participate in this ride - from Oregon and Nevada.

And show up they did - in all, we had TWENTY people (yes, twenty - I had to count everyone on my fingers and toes) ride with us through the day.  While keeping together on the initial flats, and separating into smaller groups during the hill climbs and pacelines, we did regroup at the rest stops and especially at the finish line festival.

Items of note throughout the day:

1. The Start:

Only part of our gang, getting ready for the start!

Our motley crew of LIVESTRONG riders found each other in the registration crowd, before 7:00am at Magnuson Park in Seattle. It was great to meet old and new faces alike.  After fueling up, we warmed up on the first 20+ miles of relatively flat route - trading stories, getting to know one another, and trying to keep from running each other down while distracted in conversation.

2.  The LIVESTRONG Rest Stop

Nina, Ron, Patrick, Paul, Rob, Amanda, Stefan
and Anthony at the LIVESTRONG rest stop!

New this year, we worked with the Seattle Century organizers to have the first rest stop be 'sponsored' by LIVESTRONG: we provided volunteers (thank you, Nina and Kevin, as well as Claire and Michelle from Camp Kesem who were there at 6:15am!) as well as decorated the stop with our LIVESTRONG banner and handed out LIVESTRONG wristbands.  Many riders were delighted by our stop, let us know they were survivors, and shared their stories.

3.  Hills

After the initial flats, reality hit quickly (Novelty Hill) with the introduction of what Seattle rides are infamous for - hills!  Novelty Hill was the first, but definitely not the last of a series of epic climbs.  Each was a great challenge ... making the last smaller climbs feel 'epic' on our tired legs.

4.  Pie

Ron and Patrick enjoy ... PIE!

A close runner up behind LIVESTRONG as the reason I participate in the ride is the food.  While the ride is challenging, riding with a food coma is even more so.  The Seattle Century is known not only for being "all about Seattle", but "all about food": There is a sandwich stop within the first half of the ride.  There is a strawberry shortcake stop in the last quarter.  MOST importantly (according to me) is the PIE stop mid-ride - in the middle of a farmer's field - serving the freshest and best pie imaginable (according to me again). 

5.  Stefan and Paul

Rob (far left) and Bill (far right) enjoy a rest stop with
the father-son power duo of Paul and Stefan.

One of my highlights of the day was finally meeting - and riding with - two cyclists who joined us from Portland: Stefan and his 14-year-old son, Paul.  I am in awe of a father-son relationship that includes cycling to support a cause (rather than, say, sitting at home playing Wii or Playstation).  Both Stefan and Paul actively raised funds for LIVESTRONG through our grassroots webpage, and I was in awe of their email campaigns, relating that they were riding in honor of colleagues and teachers who were cancer survivors.  Great people.

Stefan is an accomplished rider, and this was Paul's first long ride.  We were all amazed by Paul's determination and tenacity on the ride - he basically kept up with us the whole way!  I can hardly wait to see how he rides next year (he may be pulling us most of the way, I just know it).

6.  Amanda

Patrick and Amanda at the start.  I think that's the only
photo we have of her that's not a blur ...

I met Amanda back in March of this year, during the LIVESTRONG Assembly in Austin, Texas.  Being from the Northwest, and working for Nike-Livestrong, we naturally started chatting, and struck up a friendship. Amanda decided to join us ... and only two days before the Seattle Century, was informed that she would be competing in Ironman Kona in 2-1/2 months' time.

With that competition hanging over her head, Amanda related that she would need to turn up the heat, and would likely be pulling for most of the ride.  And pull she did!  It was like watching a blur ... 

7.  The Scenery

Snoqualmie Falls - beautiful, majestic ...

... speaking of beautiful and majestic:
Bill, Meredith, Patrick, Kenny and Ron at the falls!

The route for the Seattle Century was perfect, highlighting both the great urban trails and well as rural road routes around the Seattle Area. We passed through forests and small towns, alongside lakes, viewed mountains, saw abundant wildlife ... a ride where locals pinch themselves at their luck for living in such a beautiful and diverse area.  Challenging uphill climbs were matched by "woohoo!" downhill descents.  Loved it.

And did I mention we had a stop at Snoqualmie Falls?  Not a bad "bonus" for completing the 100-mile course!

8.  More Food

Enough cannot be said about the food stops.  Did I mention the pie?  A cyclist-architect colleague of mine, Bill, who was riding this ride for the first time, remarked at the first stop, "There's food like this at every stop?  I don't think that I could eat at every stop!" But eat he did, as well as everyone else ... with room to spare for the food-climax: the finish.

9.  The Finish

After the long ride, long hills, long stops for food (did I mention the pie?), floating bridges, amazing scenery and great downhills, we finally arrived mid-afternoon at the finish ... to be greeted with - you guessed it - more food!  It was the infamous grilled salmon feed and (open) beer garden, complemented with salads, rice dishes, grilled asparagus, cheesecake ... and the list goes on.

The organizers supplied us with a reserved LIVESTRONG section which we fully took advantage of, and we spent a few hours together, swapping stories, growing our friendships and finding how cancer had all touched our lives in one way or another.

10.  Old and New Friends

I am humbled by all of the people I met, and the support that we received as part of "Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle" this year at the Seattle Century.  During the ride, every rider in our group commented at how wonderful the other group members were, and that they would love to ride together again. What a HUGE compliment. 

Yes, I would love to ride and meet up with you all again, too - and invite like-minded friends to join and be part of our cycling and cancer-fighting LIVESTRONG community.  We have more rides, and other events in the cancer community - such as LIVESTRONG Day (end September/ beginning October), and the Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge (October).

To Kenny, Claire, Meredith, Patrick, Stefan, Paul, Ron, Rob, Nina, Kevin, Anthony & crew, R4C, Amanda, Bill and anyone I might have missed (my apologies) - thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and participation.

Let's keep this great group together - along with our other riders who could not make it - and I look forward to more adventures in the future.  You can always reach me at: rideforlivestrongseattle@gmail.com

LIVESTRONG,

Patrick
Team Captain, Ride for LIVESTRONG Seattle
Senior LIVESTRONG Leader