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Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~ John F. Kennedy 
A HUGE HUGE thank you! I completed the Century Ride in just under eight hours and raised more than $2,300.00 for the Arthritis Foundation.
 As many of you are aware I have been living with a type of arthritis for 10 years now, but continue to be quite active: traveling, surfing, skiing, hiking… Well, I’ve added a new activity to my life this summer: cycling!
I have been training since June to compete in a Century Ride, which is a 100 mile bike race. I am on the Joints in Motion – Arthritis Foundation Team and will be racing in the Headwaters Century in Enumclaw on September 9th. I have just one more month to go!
I have been riding about 150 + miles a week and have even commuted home from work: Downtown Seattle to Federal Way – what a trip – dodging traffic, construction, and finally able to somewhat relax when I picked up the Interurban Bike Trail in Tukwila! On Wednesday evenings I have hill training with my team, which is just how it sounds – up and down, up and down, long, steep hills. Saturdays, instead of sleeping in and relaxing, I wake up at 5:30am to train with my teammates all day – our team now looks official wearing matching team jerseys !
Just 3 weeks ago I became a ‘true cyclist’…I was initiated into the sport…I had my first cycling accident – ouch, a big ouch! My team was biking from Seattle to Bothell and a dog ran in front of the rider in front of me – she slammed on her breaks, I slammed on mine, but I still ended up bumping into her. I fell down and scraped up my left side as my bike fell on top of me (since my feet were still clipped into the pedals). All I could think was “shoot, I hope my shorts didn’t rip (since I learned, the same day, that you go commando in bike shorts),” fortunately my shorts were fine and I was able to finish the ride that day. I ended up with bruises and scrapes, and some ribs popped out of place. So it’s official…I’m a cyclist! As I continue to train, I will keep you updated on my adventures.
More important than my goal to race 100 miles on September 9th, is my goal to raise $2,000 to support the Arthritis Foundation. This money will go towards arthritis research and services for the estimated 46 million people affected by the disease daily, so someday my sister and I, along with others with arthritis might have the reality of a cure.
Please help me attain my goal of raising $2,000 for the Arthritis Foundation by August 31st. Donations may be made on MY DONATION WEBSITE by credit card. I appreciate your positive thoughts as I train and your prayers on September 9th as I race.
Thank you for your support,
Robyn Callahan
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