Hello

I'm the kind of person that generally keeps to myself but this is a little different.

I happened to stumble upon this race right after it had started last year and I was immediately fascinated by it. I raced cross country mountain bikes for a long time but this is completely different. In cross country, I never had time to smell the roses and I think that's one of the reasons I got sick of it. When I first contemplated this race I knew I would have the opportunity to see some truly amazing things while working my way towards Durango. The blooming wild flowers, various animals, old mining stations, ghost towns, and mountains will be very cool. I'm hoping to actually take time to document these things, photographically (albeit quickly), so that I can share them with others. As I thought more about the distance I'd be riding, I knew this was a good time to try and do something small in the bigger scheme of things. I started looking for a suitable charity and didn't have to look too long.

Ironically, in the last week, I have had two people in my life become affected with cancer. I know it sounds cliché but I'm sure everyone has been affected by cancer in some shape or form. It's taken many of my own family members. I'm thrilled to say that I am raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I'm doing this race for me, my students, and for the people out there who may not be able to do it for themselves right now but hopefully will be able to one day.

I have a donation website set up through the LAF and it can be found here. The idea of this blog is not to document my day to day life but to serve as a headquarters for anyone interested in tracking my progress (or lack thereof). While I am doing the pedaling, I will make sure that you can follow along right here with the mandatory voice mail check ins along the way (or podcasts) as I suffer like a dog.

Please pass this along to anyone that you think might be able to help me spread the word. Thanks everyone.

-Chris