Since October is also Breast Cancer awareness month, and the month is rapidly coming to an end, I thought this week I’d fill you in on an event I participated in for the first time. This past weekend here in Austin, TX the last of 4 “LiveStrong Challenge” events took place. If you are not familiar with the LiveStrong Challenge, it is the signature fundraising series of events that takes place in four cities in the United States to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). LAF was founded in 1997 by Lance Armstrong (cancer survivor and 7-time Tour de France champion). LAF is committed to providing funds for research, cancer prevention, access to screening and care, and improving the quality of life for cancer survivors.
Like most people, I personally know a lot of people who are either cancer survivors, current fighters, or whose lives were taken by cancer. Over the years, I’ve done races like the Komen Race for the Cure, and I’ve donated money to other people who have participated in various running or walking events to raise money for cancer and other diseases, but I had never done a cycling event myself. Being primarily a marathon runner, I thought it would be good to challenge myself with some long distance cycling, so I signed up for the 45-mile course.
The Austin LiveStrong Challenge had a 5K race on Saturday, and various cycling distances on Sunday (10, 25, 45, 65, and 90 miles). There was also an Expo both Friday and Saturday where not only could you pick up your race packet, you could also visit the LAF mission booth, get information on cancer prevention, register to win prizes, get samples from various vendors, and purchase merchandise (clothing, shoes, cycling gear, etc.).
Since I am in the middle of training a group of runners for a marathon (and I actually do all the runs with my group), I really did not have time to train for a “long” cycling event, so I figured 45 miles was a good start. I knew the course was going to be fairly challenging as it was set in what is known locally as “the hill country,” so doing anything longer than 45 miles was not an option for me this season. That area is also prone to being quite windy, so the hills were not going to be the only challenge. We also had to ride over A LOT of cattle guards, and some of the roads were also quite bumpy, which can really wreak havoc on your upper body if you are not careful.
To get prepared, I had been taking a couple of spin classes each week, and tried to get in a “long” bike ride once on the weekends, but the last couple of months, that was just not possible due to my schedule. Luckily for me, all the run and core workouts we’ve been doing have kept me in pretty decent shape. By the end of the ride yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised that my legs were not sore at all, and even more importantly, I did not get “saddle sore.”
It was such a fun experience; very different from any other race I have ever done. All the volunteers were great, and it just felt so good to be a part of an event that is making a difference in so many people’s lives. If you have the opportunity to participate in this event in 2010, I highly recommend it. Visit here for more information.
Like most people, I personally know a lot of people who are either cancer survivors, current fighters, or whose lives were taken by cancer. Over the years, I’ve done races like the Komen Race for the Cure, and I’ve donated money to other people who have participated in various running or walking events to raise money for cancer and other diseases, but I had never done a cycling event myself. Being primarily a marathon runner, I thought it would be good to challenge myself with some long distance cycling, so I signed up for the 45-mile course.
The Austin LiveStrong Challenge had a 5K race on Saturday, and various cycling distances on Sunday (10, 25, 45, 65, and 90 miles). There was also an Expo both Friday and Saturday where not only could you pick up your race packet, you could also visit the LAF mission booth, get information on cancer prevention, register to win prizes, get samples from various vendors, and purchase merchandise (clothing, shoes, cycling gear, etc.).
Since I am in the middle of training a group of runners for a marathon (and I actually do all the runs with my group), I really did not have time to train for a “long” cycling event, so I figured 45 miles was a good start. I knew the course was going to be fairly challenging as it was set in what is known locally as “the hill country,” so doing anything longer than 45 miles was not an option for me this season. That area is also prone to being quite windy, so the hills were not going to be the only challenge. We also had to ride over A LOT of cattle guards, and some of the roads were also quite bumpy, which can really wreak havoc on your upper body if you are not careful.
To get prepared, I had been taking a couple of spin classes each week, and tried to get in a “long” bike ride once on the weekends, but the last couple of months, that was just not possible due to my schedule. Luckily for me, all the run and core workouts we’ve been doing have kept me in pretty decent shape. By the end of the ride yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised that my legs were not sore at all, and even more importantly, I did not get “saddle sore.”
It was such a fun experience; very different from any other race I have ever done. All the volunteers were great, and it just felt so good to be a part of an event that is making a difference in so many people’s lives. If you have the opportunity to participate in this event in 2010, I highly recommend it. Visit here for more information.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment