As the actual event has yet to occur, I can't really truly reflect on it. I can, however, reflect on the training and season thus far. Because I am doing this with an eye on the ride on Sunday (a for-real milestone in my life), I consider this a preflection: a looking forward to things to come.
Looking back, since I began training in May:
- I have logged 998.45 miles
- I have burned over 30,000 calories
- I have lost 5 lbs
- I have ridden a longest-ever ride four times
- I have raised $2,250, almost exclusively from private donors
Come Sunday, I will ride 100 miles in support of those whose lives have been impacted by blood cancers. I will do so with survivors and those who (like me) have never been ill; with experienced cyclists and those who had never ridden before and are on borrowed bikes. I will ride with people old enough to be my parents or grandparents, and with people even younger than I am. I will be riding with some teammates for whom this is the third (or sixth, or tenth) event with TNT, and with those who, like me, are new to the TEAM. Most importantly, I will be riding with my new friends, who have come together for this cause.
Our reasons for riding are varied and personal, and range from the originally selfish (me) to the selfless (everyone else). The important thing, though, is that we ride.
My sincerest and most heartfelt thanks go to everyone for their support, both financial and moral, while I trained for this event. I have been fortunate not to have had any setbacks in my training and more fortunate still to never suffer from a major illness such as leukemia or lymphoma,so that I could ride for those who have.
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