Breast Cancer Ride

This weekend I participated in Minnesota's inaugural two-day fundraising bike ride to nourish women and men living with breast cancer in our community; the first ever Breast Cancer Ride. Saturday, June 21 we started at the Normandale Community College in Bloomington with opening ceremonies and rode to Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Red Wing.  Gordy and I were among the first riders to hit the streets. I was jonesing to get on my bike throughout the opening ceremonies.  Kudos to Gretchen for mapping a fantastic route. The sun was shinning and the weather was perfect for a ride.  I rolled into Treasure Island around 12 noon, my ride time was just over 3 hours and I averaged 16 mph.  I don't usually ride that fast but the day was meant for riding and the course was excellent.  There were only about 115 riders so we were strung out pretty good. After arriving at Treasure Island I chatted with Dave from Erik's Bike Shop, I had a squeak on my bike that was driving me crazy and I determined it was my gears and not my peddles as I had first suspected; believe me after 55 miles of listening to a squeak you can narrow down it's location. Dave took a look and discovered my derailer was out of alignment and needed an adjustment. Within minutes he had my bike up and running absent the squeak, yay! I put my bike in the bike corral, Gordy arrived shortly after I did and we had lunch together.  I also received a fantastic Thai massage, it was heavenly.  I then picked up my luggage and checked into the hotel.  After showering and putting on fresh clothes I headed out for a walk and a visit to the marina.  It was just a beautiful day!  I then went back to my room to cool down a bit and found myself taking a nice little nap.  I woke shortly after 6, put on fresher clothes and headed off to dinner.  I sat with some fun people for dinner and ran into an old friend.  We went out for a beer and then off to the beach for a bonfire.  

The goal for Sunday was to be the last two people to leave the Island and I believe Gordy and I succeeded in that.  I met up with Amy, from Specialized bikes in the morning and she hooked me up with a bike to test ride for the day.  I had never ridden a high end road bike before so let me tell you it was nice! Sundays ride was full of wind and hills, in stark contrast to Saturdays ride. That little Specialized Ruby rode like a dream.  The MPH for Sunday was much slower and a super workout.  I believe it will take a few days to get my riding legs back. We rolled into Normandale about 3 PM and waited until the last riders arrived.  While waiting I was able to take advantage of the chiropractors free adjustment, that was nice :)  It was great fun to see everyone at the end of the ride, we attended closing ceremonies then headed on home.  

I will for sure do this ride again next year.  It was one of the best!  The crew was fantastic they made our job of riding so much easier.  The food was great!  Lots of firsts for me, a Thai massage, riding a fancy high end road bike and meeting some great people whom I hope to keep in contact with.  The money raised on this event will go to Open Arms of Minnesota. Open Arms is the only service provider in the Twin Cities that delivers nutritious meals to people living with chronic and progressive diseases including breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Unlike a traditional meals-on-wheels program, Open Arms prepares it's own food, tailored to the nutrition needs of their clients.  Best of all, there is no charge for any of Open Arms' services.

In 2004, Open Arms began working with breast cancer clients. The kitchen staff developed a Mild Diet, which includes milder smells and flavors that are more appealing to those who struggle to eat due to nausea, and Nausea Care Packs, for clients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. In 2008 their efforts include incorporating organic foods into the Mild Diet menu. 

Proceeds from the Breast Cancer Ride will not only support the current breast cancer program but will allow Open Arms to accept additional people dealing with breast cancer. No one in our community should go hungry during this difficult and challenging time.

For more information, visit: www.openarmsmn.org or call 612 872 1152

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