Today was a Good Day!

Not only did I manage to get up and get 12 miles in before work...but I also received my first donation!!!! Woo Hoo! Thanks Aunt Linda :)

Traing - oh the Irony!

So I had been riding pretty faithfully, 3 - 4 times a week. And then I signed up for the ride...and now I haven't ridden in over a week! Seriously!

My riding buddy Ed and I had been riding 8 miles Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before work. We would then do a 30 mile ride on either Saturday or Sunday. In order to prepare for the ride, I wanted to increase my weekday rides to 12 miles each and do 30 miles both Saturday and Sunday. They recommend increasing your ride by 10% every week. I did do the 12 miles before work on 2 consecutive Mondays, but didn't keep up with the rest of the week or the weekend! So frustrated with myself for that!

I have Monday and Wednesday of this week to ride, and will then be out of town for a wedding Thursday thru Monday. Once I'm back my goal is to do the 12 miles on the 3 weekdays and 30 on both weekend days. Fingers crossed I have the discipline and motivation!!! In order to be held accountable I will be posting on facebook and twitter when I do ride.

New Adventure

Alright, I am re-purposing this often used blog (note sarcasm) to chronicle my exciting new journey. I have recently committed (probably should have been committed) to do the 9th annual AIDS Lifcycle Ride. In June of 2010 I will be riding my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles over the course of 7 days. Yes it's insane. But, it's for a great cause and what a life experience! I have 8 months to train myself for the 545 mile ride, as well as raise the $3,000.00 required to participate.

My plan is to journal the process here and share it with my friends and family and their friends and family. I'm going to put up video clips (Vlogs to all us tech savvy kids) whenever I can (hopefully some action shots for you to mock) to give you a better insight in to the whole process.

I'm open to any and all fundraising suggestions and help as the amount is very intimidating! It has already been suggested that I sell some knitting items, so that will be coming along shortly.

I will be attempting to utilize the gazillion social networking sites out there to track and post my progress, including Twitter and Facebook. I already have a page on the ride site for donations and will be pushing that link hard! (see below)

http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/jotrostle

Thank you all in advance for sharing this adventure with me! I will need your support, a lot. Not just financially, but also emotionally and to remind me why I'm doing it on those mornings that I just don't want to get up and ride!

Following this post I will put up my current ride schedule and you can hold me accountable....I'm sure I will need it. Please follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jotrostle and become my friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jotrostle

Once again the AIDS Lifecycle page: http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/jotrostle

From the site, a little information on why we ride:

It’s easy to think that HIV/AIDS is no longer a problem. Medications have come a long way, and people are living longer, healthier lives. This is why the work of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center is so vital. These agencies continue to provide the critical services and education needed to meet the growing needs of our community. We ride to raise awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among participants, their donors, and the general public. We ride because—in the current economy—our agencies need these funds more than ever. Ultimately, we ride so that someday, we won’t have to.

Please go to the site and learn about what these two amazing organizations do, and where your generous donations will be going. http://www.aidslifecycle.org/

Wish me luck!