Introduction

Santa Ana River TrailTis the season! So this weekend I got out and enjoyed a little white powder on the trail with a couple of friends. We initially started at the Santa Ana River Trail and ended up at Loch Leven which is down at the bottom of Santa Ana due to the snow making the trail to hairy to ride. However, we did manage to get a ride in and enjoy the day on a new trail. Here are some photos and video of the ride.





Thanks for stopping by the site and a big hand to all those that have supported the Livestrong ride Thanks so much for you support and generosity!

I've posted a few new photos of Oahu, Hawaii. After I finished the Livestrong ride, I grabbed a flight to Oahu to do some mountain bike riding with Eric. I figured 104 miles plus some of the training for the Livestrong ride, I was overdue for some mountain biking.

Usually this time of year, I'm headed for Durango, Colorado. This year I decided to break it up a bit and head to Hawaii for some new trails with ocean views and grass skirts (Not that Durango is out just yet, just delayed). Now the trials in Hawaii don't compare to Durango or Moab in length, but the views are definitely worth seeing. I felt like I was riding in a rain forest and I had a bit of climbing and hike-a-bike. Did I mention; Fern, Fern, Fern every where you look. So here are a few of the rides:

Aiea Loop
Maunawili Trail
Mokule'ia Access Rd., Kuaokala Access Rd., Kealia Trail

The Livestrong Challenge has come and gone. I had a wonderful time and was able to raise $1500.00 for the cause. The event was able to raise a total of 1.2 million dollars - funds that will help power the cancer survivorship movement and allow the Lance Armstrong Foundation to continue it’s mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.

The ride was a total of 104 miles throughout Orange County that covered some areas like Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano, and Foothill Ranch.
Course Map

You can view the GPS data from the ride at Orange County Livestrong Century. This link will trace the route from the data by Garmin recorded. For statistics and an idea of what it took to ride 104 miles, check out Livestrong Stats. My little disclaimer, I didn't approach this as a race. I was more concerned with finishing and not bonking, so I had some help from my friends pulling me for the most part of the course (that really helps). I don't think I'll burn this many calories until the next century.

LiveSTRONG Challenge

Right AlignSo what's the deal??? I've signed up for a 100 mile ride in the OC in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation called the Livestrong Challenge. To donate, see my LIVESTRONG page.

If you're interested in the ride, check out the web site. You can walk, run or ride a bike. Also the mileage differs, so you don't have to ride or run 100 miles. I'm just overly amped from all the Starbucks, and thought I would make it worth my while by doing the whole thing. More important, ALL proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. So what is the donation for? Where does your money go? Here's a brief description of what LAF does:

  • More than $9.6 million granted toward cancer survivorship and testicular cancer research
  • More than $1.7 million invested in the development of 5 comprehensive cancer survivorship centers across the country
  • Nearly $1.6 million invested in survivorship education and outreach initiatives with 60+ national and regional community partners including Fertile Hope, CancerCare, the Office of Native Cancer Survivorship, and the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship
  • Advocacy efforts helped increase NCI Office of Cancer Survivorship budget by 256% and CDC Comprehensive Cancer Control budget by 383%
  • 4-Star Charity Navigator ranking with more than 80% of LAF expenses invested in mission-related activities and grants
  • A National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship: Advancing Public Health Strategies developed in partnership with the CDC helps the public health community address cancer survivorship issues
  •  More than $2 million invested in 104 Community Program Partner initiatives that provide direct support and education to people living with cancer
  • 500 cancer survivors and caregivers per month receive direct support and referrals from social workers and case managers through the LIVESTRONG™ SurvivorCare Program
  • 200,000 visitors per month utilize valuable tools and information from the LIVESTRONG™ Resource for Cancer Survivors
  • 7,200 volunteers across the country raise funds and awareness for the LAF through the Peloton Project
  • Approximately 55 million people across the globe wear a LIVESTRONG™ wristband in support of people living with cancer

For more information you can check out my page on the Livestrong web site, http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/06CA/brad. This will be a struggle to get through the training and the ride, but it's well worth effort.