Posted on
Oct 8, 2009 by amy
I can’t believe my ride starts in less than 2 days. I feel a mix of emotions and keep going back and forth between incredible calm and “Hurry hurry Friday, get here already! I’m so excited I want to ride NOW!” I’m not nervous though about the ride itself – I just feel proud of how far I’ve come since April when I decided I would ride in the Hershey’s Tour de Pink. At that point, a 2 mile run was torture and I felt slow to recover when I exerted myself. Now I can ride 60 miles and feel fine afterward. This weekend I went down to Wildwood Park which has a 3 mile loop through a conservation area in Harrisburg. I just went to relax and walk but got bored and so for fun decided to sprint up the hills. And it wasn’t lost on me that during treatment there was a period of time I couldn’t physically walk the whole way around that loop. TDP Goal One- get my health back – Check.
My second goal for this ride is to raise... read more >>
Posted on
Oct 2, 2009 by alane
When you work on behalf of a non-profit organization whether it be for a short period of time, such as fundraising for a specific event like selling daffodils for the American Cancer Society or ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, or working in an official sense as I am now doing for the Young Survival Coalition, one thing you can expect, but never get used to are what I call, for lack of a better name, "One of those moments."
These moments are characterized by someone sharing a story, or going beyond the usual effort required to donate and support a cause, and truly touch you in a way that will never be forgotten. It isn't the generosity of the monetary gift, or even the generosity of a person's time that makes these moments special. Instead, it is the generosity of these people's story, a window into their soul that touches you, that opens your heart like a flower, and that for an instant, makes anything in life seem possible. It is a moment as close to grace as anything I can ima... read more >>
Posted on
Oct 1, 2009 by alane
Yesterday Brad and I got to go for a great ride. He planned the whole 40 mile trip which took us down to the tip of Park Point, back along the shore of Lake Superior, and up a hill that loomed large in my psyche. We had ridden up it about a month ago.
It is a very steep, long hill. I am still stinging with the knowledge that the last time I tried to make it up, I gave up. I let my mind overpower me, and I simply gave up. I am usually not a quitter, but it was clear that I had made the decision from the start that I was not going to make it up the hill. I quit way sooner than I needed to, and Brad rode past, making it all the way to the top. I did a walk of shame up the hill which had no shoulder, bad footing, rocks and chunks of asphalt, garbage, etc. as cars whipped by me at 40 mph. Honestly, it wasn't all that much easier to walk the hill. By the time I reached Brad (who had kindly pulled over to wait) my calves were screaming from trudging up in my bike shoes. I felt so darned defe... read more >>
Posted on
Oct 1, 2009 by maureen
Today is my last day at work before the big ride! I am getting ready to say my goodbyes. I still cannot believe the support of all my friends and family. It is an amazing thing that cancer can do for your life. Cherish each moment and experience as they come, and never have any regrets. I was surprised yesterday by yet another generous offering. Two of my friends from work surprised me with a beautiful jacket for me to ride on my journey. It will be appreciated even more for the chilly mornings. We leave for our 8 hour ride to Hershey bright and early; 5 am to be exact! I am very excited and terrified at the same time. Having done most of my training on park roads and trails, I have no concept as to what I have gotten myself into. I am proud to say that I logged in over 800 miles of training miles this summer but I still question if what I did will be enough to see me through. I guess I will do what my mother told me and pray to my guardian angel to push me up all those hills. I have t... read more >>
Posted on
Sep 30, 2009 by amy
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here are some of my favorite things about being a Breast Cancer Survivor. There are actually more, but here are five for now:1. I’m warmer than I used to be. This is purely my opinion but I honestly believe I’m more cold resistant since I went through menopause. To explain- chemo induces menopause but in my case just before starting chemo my doctors gave me a Lupron shot in an attempt to protect my ovaries and preserve my fertility. So I spent 10 months in menopause- hot flashes, mood swings, the works. The positive was no PMS for 10 months (PMS on top of cancer treatments- I would have been a nightmare!). Ten months later I emerged- no more menopause. During that time I packed all my heavy sweaters away- I couldn’t stand to wear them due to the hot flashes, which was so weird for me because prior to that I always dreaded winter - I felt like I could never get warm. But even now I still can’t bring myself to wear them- ... read more >>