Bike Diva

Team in Training Summer 2012 Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn more about Team In Training at an upcoming Information Meeting!

 The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT)   is the world's first, best and largest charity sports training program - and the only one to offer a full complement of exciting sports training options. More than 420,000 people, from first-timers to seasoned athletes, have trained with TNT and achieved their best at marathons, half marathons, triathlons & centry rides.

Join TNT and raise funds for blood cancer research - help find cures today!!

Attend a TNT Information Meeting! Bring a Friend!!
Meet certified coaches, past participants and learn about your honored teammate, a local blood cancer patient, whose personal battle will inspire you. 

Palm Beach Gardens 
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 6:00pm
The Leukemia & Lymphoma office
4360 Northlake Blvd.,Suite109

West Palm Beach
Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 6:00pm
Community Foundation Building
700 S. Dixie Hwy

Want to learn about TNT in a more casual, fun environment? We have two great recruitment social options for you! 

 

Recruitment Social-Boca Raton
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Blue Martini
6000 Glades Rd.

Recruitment Social-Palm Beach Gardens 
Thursday, May 10th at 5:30pm
RA Sushi
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens 

 

Learn more about TNT and events offered this season.  Sign up and attend one of our upcoming information meetings. 

Register Online
Register by May 17th and receive 50% off your registration fee! Enter coupon code: earlybird50

You can also download and print your registration forms by clicking here!

HERO Charity Bike Ride

HERO Charity Bike Ride

I want to let you know about a fantastic cycling opportunity coming your way. The HERO Charity Bike Ride will be covering 1,200 miles as participants cycle from Battery Park, NY to West Palm Beach, FL during the month of May. Participating HERO Riders will be biking the 1,200 miles utilizing the East Coast Greenway trail system.

Wounded Warrior Project

The HERO Charity Bike Ride benefit’s the Wounded Warrior Project. There is no cost to participate in this fully SAG supported ride. However; anyone who wishes to raise funds for the organization is welcome to do so. The Wounded Warrior Project accomplishes their goals by raising awareness and enlisting the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members. Please visit http://www.WoundedWarriorProject.org for more details.

  Above: HERO Charity Bike Ride founder Jeff Master.

The founder of the HERO Charity Bike Ride, Jeff Master, understands how great the sacrifice is for these warriors’ after losing his father in the Vietnam War just four months before he was born. He and his team are compelled to do their part to support our military veterans and their families by riding their bikes to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Additional Information

Visit the HERO Charity Bike Ride website for further information on the ride: http://herocharitybikerides.com/.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002500460149

 

Bike Diva's Going Back to Duathlons

Above: my favorite part of triathlons and duathlons, the bike leg.

Triathlete Back to Duathlete

After much soul searching and deliberation, I have decided I really don't like swimming. So although I made 2011 the year of the triathlon, I have decided to switch back to racing duathlons and participating in some cycling only events. I wouldn't call the great triathlon experiment a failure, I did manage to complete 9 sprint triathlons and 1 Olympic distance triathlon in 2011. Not too bad for someone that didn't start swim training until January 3, 2011.

Above: although I survived the swim portion of this triathlon, I really don't look like I'm having very much fun.

No Stress Racing

I still have way too much anxiety during the swim leg of triathlons which is taking all the joy out of racing. When I made the decision to stop training for triathlons, about a week ago, it was like a HUGE weight was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I didn't realize I also really hate swim training, as trying to fit in 3 types of workouts every week was just stressing me out. I still plan on using my triathlon bike for all the duathlons I will be racing, so I need to do at least 2 tri bike or tri-bike-to-run brick workouts per week, in addition to group rides on the road bike.

Trying to fit in all my swim workouts during 2011 had me scaling way back on my bike mileage. I hardly rode my road bike at all this year and didn't do ANY cycling only events in 2011. So my bike endurance and confidence has plummeted due to lack of time on the bike. But now I will be getting back to some group rides on my road bike while training for my cycling events.

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

If you look at my schedule for 2012, you will see I have a few run only events planned, lots of duathlons and will now add a few cycling events back to the mix. I'll be doing America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (AMBBR) on June 3rd with the Palm Beach Florida chapter of Team in Training. AMBBR is a 100 mile century bike ride which circumnavigates Lake Tahoe while cycling through the mountains in Nevada and California.

My husband and I did AMBBR back in 2009 with Team in Training to help raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here are links to two race reports I wrote for the 2009 AMBBR.

1. Bike Diva Survives Tahoe Century Ride
2. 18th Annual America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

Above: my husband and I getting ready to participate in the 2009 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride.

Bike Diva's Tentative 2012 Race Schedule

I don't have all the dates for the races I'm thinking of doing 2012, but here are the events on my schedule so far. This schedule will change a bit once I get the exact race dates for the Publix Family Fitness Weekend series of duathlons and the West Palm Beach Race Series 15k time trials.

1. @1/07/12 – Disney half Marathon – Walt Disney World – Orlando
2. @2/05/12 - 10th Annual Butterfly Run - 5k - Sabal Pines Park - Coconut Creek
3. @2/19/12  - A1A Marathon – marathon – Beach Front Ave. - Ft. Lauderdale
4. 3/17/12 – 36^th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k or 10 miler – John Prince Park – Lake Worth
5. 4/07/12 - 3rd Annual Egg Hunt - sprint duathlon - CB Smith Park - Pembroke Pines
6. 5/20/12 - Tri Miami - Olympic duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
7. @6/03/12 - America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride - Century Ride - LakeTahoe, CA & Nevada
8. 6/17/12 - Mack Cycle #1 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
9. 7/04/12 - 22nd Annual Independence Day - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
10. 7/15/12 - 23rd Annual Frank Stark Celebration Ride - metric century ride - City Hall - Boca Raton
11. 7/22/12 - Mack Cycle #2 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
12. 8/19/12 - Mack Cycle #3 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
13. 9/09/12 - Mack Cycle Bonus Round - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
14. 10/14/12 - Multirace Series Championship - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
15. 11/11/12 – Miami Man – Half Ironman duathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park - Miami
16. 11/17/12 – 26^th Annual Turkey Trot – 5k – Anchor Park - Delray Beach

@ = Pre-registered for these events

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Try a Triathlon With Team in Training

Above: Rob and Lynn Smythe at the pre ride pasta party for the 2010 Intrawaterway Century Ride, Cocoa Beach, Florida.

FAU WELLNESS TRIATHLON
After 5 years of participating in century bike rides with our local Team in Training chapter, we have decided to start training for our very first triathlon. Although we have raced in a few duathlons (run-bike-run) over the past couple of years, the FAU Wellness Triathlon will be our first ever triathlon. FAU has an open water swim, so we have joined our local YMCA, so we can workout in their lap pool, to get a jump on our swim training. Lynn will be keeping track of her journey to become a triathlete on her Bike Diva blog: www.bikediva.net.

Above: Rob about to undergo his first bladder cancer surgery. Nice cap!


CANCER EFFECTS EVERYONE
Rob is going through his own battle to fight cancer right now. In September of 2009, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He had surgery in October, followed by 6 weeks of immunatherapy starting in December. In October of 2010, he went to his urologist for a routine check up, and was hoping to be 1 year cancer free. Unfortunately the cancer was back and he had to undergo a second surgery on December 15, 2010.

Above: Rob and Lynn Smythe at the start of the 2010 Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride.


Rob begins another round of immunatherapy and interferon treatments starting the end of January. He is in good health, and high spirits. We both enjoy being part of the Team in Training program and staying active, even while we are going through our own personal crisis, is the key to keeping a positive outlook on life. GO TEAM!

PLEASE DONATE TO TEAM IN TRAINING
We are training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. We am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support our participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Thank you for your support. You can visit our fundraising page to make a donation to the society, in our name: Rob & Lynn Smythe's TNT Fundraising Page.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

 

Bike Diva's Tentative 2011 Race Schedule

Run Bike Run

2011 will mark my 4th season of racing, and my third year of racing duathlons. I participate in the majority of the duathlons hosted by Multirace.com. Most of the Multirace.com events can be done as either a triathlon or a duathlon. Since I am swim challenged, I opt to do the duathlons.

Here is a listing of my tentative 2011 race schedule. Besides the duathlons, I plan on dong a few 5k runs and a few cycling events. All of these races take place in south Florida, unless otherwise noted.

Charity Bike Ride

I'm not sure of the exact date of the Honolulu Century Ride. We are trying to get our local Team in Training chapter to offer the Honolulu ride as one of it's fall season events. Team in Training is the main fundraising program of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In the past 5 years my husband and I have participated in five century (100 mile) road bike rides with the society, while raising over $22,000 to help find a cure for blood cancers.

If the Honolulu century ride is a go, I will be altering my race schedule for the month of September. My husband, daughter and I plan on spending around 10 days in Oahu, if we go, so we will be traveling out to Hawaii before the rest of the TNT cycle team gets out there. Time to start saving our pennies!

Bike Diva's 2011 Race Schedule

1. 1/15 - Dyer Consequences - 10k trail run - Dyer Park, West Palm Beach
2. 2/06 - 9th Annual Butterfly Run - 5k run - Sabal Pines Park, Coconut Creek
3. 3/06 - Spring Training Classic - 10k run - Rodger Dean Stadium, Jupiter
4. 4/03 - Multirace Season Opener - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
5. 4/23 - Egg Hunt - sprint duathlon - CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
6. 5/07 - 10th Annual Race for the Arts - 5k run - John Prince Park, Lake Worth
7. 5/15 - Tri Miami - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
8. 5/22 - Riviera Beach - sprint duathlon - Ocean Mall, Singer Island
9. 6/11 -  TBA - sprint duathlon
10. 6/19 - Mack Cycle Trilogy #1 - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
11. 7/04 - Independence Day - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
12. 7/17 - Mack Cycle Trilogy #2 - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
13. 8/14 - Mack Cycle Trilogy #3 - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
14. 9/04 - Labor Day Weekend - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
15. 9/18 - Mack Cycle Trilogy Bonus Round - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
16. 9/25? - Honolulu Marathon - century road bike ride - Oahu, Hawaii
17. 10/09 - Race the Troops - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
18. 10/16 - Last Chance duathlon - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
19. 11/13 - Miami Man - half Ironman duathlon - Miami
20. 11/19  25th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Anchor Park, Delray Beach

Above: Bike Diva racing in a duathlon on South Beach, Miami.

Final Thoughts

I did 23 races in 2010. I was REALLY tired by the end of the year. I've been saying that I need to cut WAY back on the number of races I do in 2011. But it's so hard when there are so many awesome events to choose from. And except for the Honolulu century ride, they are all within a 20 minute to 1 1/2 hour drive from my house. Don't even get me started on the all the awesome events there are outside of Florida, not enough time or $$ in the budget to start racing out of state.

My main race of the year is the 1/2 Ironman duathlon at Miami Man in November. I don't want to totally take off time from training and racing, so I think throwing in a few 5k's during my down time will keep me from totally getting stale.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

 

Tour de Broward 2011

On February 27th, 2011 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital will host its 2^nd Annual ANF Tour de Broward presented by zMotion - ride, run, walk for Joe's Kids!

Enjoy a healthy day at Miramar Regional Park and become part of history as we raise money to build Broward County’s only free-standing children’s hospital! In addition we will have great food, kids’ activities, and entertainment throughout the afternoon on
February 27, 2011.

About Tour de Broward

The Tour de Broward will take place on February 27, 2011 at Miramar Regional Park. The day will consist of a 50k & 100k bike ride, 5k timed run, 3K family walk, spin-a-thons and our new addition – The Power of Play Kid Zone. Our goal is to have an event that involves everyone, creating the ultimate family, fun day! Visit our website at www.tourdebroward.com to learn more about the event.

 

Miramar Regional Park
16801 Miramar Parkway
Miramar, FL 33027

The Tour de Broward offers walkers, runners, cyclists and spinning enthusiasts a chance to enjoy beautiful South Florida weather while helping to ensure world-class healthcare is available for families and children for generations to come. People from all fitness levels are invited to join us.  

This year, all the proceeds from the Tour de Broward will be applied to the "Dreams" unit of the new hospital that cares specifically for children diagnosed with cancer. Help us reach our goal of raising $275,000 for this very special unit in our new facility.

Tour de Broward creates an excellent opportunity to put your name on a building campaign that includes pediatric cancer treatment, open heart surgery and end stage renal disease. Let’s do this TOGETHER…step by step, wheel by wheel, brick by brick…. Believe you can make a difference!

Tour de Broward Kick Off Celebration

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital would like to invite you to join us at the kick off event for the 2^nd Annual ANF Tour de Broward presented by zMotion – Ride, Run, Walk for Joe's Kids! The kick off will take place on Thursday, November 11, 2010 from 4pm – 7pm and will be hosted by the Crowne Plaza in Hollywood. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as we come together to support the building of the first and only freestanding children’s hospital in Broward County !

This year all proceeds from the Tour de Broward will be applied to the “Dreams” unit of the new hospital that cares specifically for children diagnosed with cancer. Please join us and learn how YOU can become a part of this historical event taking place right here in our community!

2010 Cocoa Beach Century Ride

Above: Palm Beach Team in Training bike jersey for the 2010 Intracoastal Waterway century ride.

2010 Cocoa Beach Century Ride

On Sunday, October 31, my husband and I participated in the 22nd annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride. This was a 102.5 mile bike ride which started and ended in historic Cocoa Village in Florida. The ride was hosted by the Space Coast Freewheelers bicycle club.

Above: Participants lined up and ready to start the Cocoa Beach century ride, in front of the Cocoa Civic Center.

Historic Cocoa Village

It was a nice day for a ride. The ride started at 8 AM, in front of the Civic Center in historic Cocoa Village. Approximately 300 cyclists lined up for the start. Riders had the option to do a 14 or 28 mile ride, a 62 mile metric century ride (100 kilometers) or the full 100 mile century ride.

Although the forecast called for mild winds, there was quite a bit of wind out on the route, especially during the last few miles of the ride. The temperature ranged from 70 to 80 degrees, but because of the wind, and being in quite a bit of shade for the majority of the ride, the temperature was not too hot, and even a bit cool at times.

A total of 9 riders were on our team from the Palm Beach chapter of Team in Training. We all completed the 100 mile, actually 102.5 mile, full century ride. Our team consisted of 2 coaches, 1 mentor and 6 team members. 

 

Above: the Cocoa Beach century ride was hosted by the Spacecoast Freewheelers.

Above: Left to right; Team in Training staff member Nicole Mercado Switzer, cycle coach Rob Smythe, team member Lynn Smythe (AKA the Bike Diva), cycle coach Bryan Merritt. Getting ready to cheer on the participants the night before the bike ride at the Team in Training pasta party.

 Ride with Team in Training

The 2010 Cocoa Beach ride was the fifth century ride that my husband and I have done through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. TNT trains participants for a century bike ride, marathon or triathlon and in return, participants raise money for the society.

Above: Team photo, Palm Beach Team in Training 2010 Cocoa Beach cycle team. Top row left to right; Robert Smythe, Carlos Alvarenga, Alex Melkonian, Marc Julien, Bryan Merritt. Second row standing: Nicole Mercardo Switzer. Bottom row sitting left to right; Christine Maly, Micki Fetterman, Lynn Smythe (AKA the Bike Diva), Tami Young.

Here are the rides we've done through Team in Training:

• 2006 - 18th annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride - Cocoa, Florida. My husband and I were both members of the cycle team.
• 2007 - 25th annual El Tour de Tucson - Tucson, Arizona. My husband and I were co-mentors of the cycle team.
• 2008 - 20th annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride - Cocoa, Florida. My husband coached, and I mentored the cycle team.
• 2009 - America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride - Tahoe, Nevada. I was a team member, and my husband co-coached the cycle team.
• 2010 - 22nd annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride - Cocoa, Florida. My husband co-coached the cycle team, and I was a team member.

Above: At the Bank America parking lot, waiting for the ride to start.

Century Ride Statistics

My saddle time was 6 hours and 5 minutes. My total time, including rest stops was 7 hours 42 minutes. So my in the saddle time average MPH was 16.9, but when you figure in the rest breaks the computer calculated a speed of only 13.3 MPH.

Above: The Bike Diva pulling into unofficial Team in Training rest stop, a big thank you to Nicole, for cheering us on; and to Scott, for filling up our water bottles!!!!!!

Why such a difference? This was not a bike race, charity bike rides are social events. Although you can hammer it out if you want to try and set a new land speed record, most cyclists goals on this type of ride are to simply have fun and take the time to stop for lots of photo opportunities. Some year I would like to see how fast I could actually do a century ride, but with my 1/2 Ironman duathlon coming up on November 14 at Miami Man, I knew the Cocoa Beach ride was NOT going to be a hammerfest for me.

Here is a link to all my century ride statistics, as recorded by my Garmin Forerunner 310XT multi sport computer.

 

Grab a Post Ride Snack

After completing the ride, Team in Training members checked in at the Cocoa Civic Center. This was to let TNT staff members know we had completed the ride and to collect our finishers medals and 100 mile century pins - got to love that bling! The Civic Center also had indoor plumbing - woo-hoo! After I loaded all my gear into our van, I went to the Civic Center to change out of my super stinky bike clothes.

Above: Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva, during the Cocoa Beach century ride.

The Spacecoast Freewheelers had a room set up with tables, chairs, pizza and ice cold soda. I'm normally not a pizza eater and soda drinker, but after riding 102.5 miles I was a bit tired of eating bananas, oranges, fig newtons, nutritional gels and electrolyte drink solution. So heck yeah, it was pizza and soda time. I burned a ton of calories during the ride, so dang, I definitely needed to top off the tanks and refuel with food!

Above: Table full of medals and 100 mile century pins, waiting for Team in Training members from the Palm Beach, South Florida and Central Florida chapters, after they cross the finish line.

Additional Information

Read about what hydration, nutrition and personal care products I take along on a typical century ride: Cocoa Beach Century Ride Care Packages.

Read my report of the 2008 20th annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride: Back From Cocoa Beach Century Ride.

 

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Cocoa Beach Century Ride Care Packages

Cocoa Beach Century Ride

My husband and I are getting ready to leave for Cocoa Beach, Florida. We will be participating in the 22nd annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride. This is a 100 mile road bike ride, which takes place in Cocoa Beach on Halloween Day. The ride is hosted by the Spacecoast Freewheelers bicycle club.

Above: our 2010 Team in Training jerseys and pasta party t-shirts.

Bike with Team in Training

This will be our 5th century ride with the Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team. TNT is the main fundraising program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a national organization which helps to raise money to find a cure for blood cancers. I am a member of the team, and my husband, Rob, is our coach! I am one month shy of turning 47, and Rob just turned 54 last week. We are a couple of young chicky poos when it comes to charity bike rides!

Above: close up view of the back side of our pasta party t-shirts.

This is the 3rd time we've participated in the Cocoa Beach century ride. We've also done El Tour de Tucson, in Tucson, Arizona and America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, in Tahoe, Nevada. We like the Cocoa Beach ride, it's only about a 3 hour drive from our house. Since it's a local event, we can take the mini van and loaded it up with all our bikes and gear, and not have to worry about outrageous airfaire charges.

Above: century ride care packages

Century Ride Care Package

Although there will be 5 official rest stops during the century ride, you never know what kind of food and hydration products will be available. So just to be on the safe side, I put together a century ride care package for both my husband and I. I filled the care packages with a variety of products that I thought we would use the day of the ride. I keep a basket filled with all the free samples I get in my race day packages. I went through the basket to look for small, sample sizes that will easily fit into our bike bags and/or the back of our cycling jerseys.

Here is what I put in each care package:

• sample size Chamois butter - don't want to have any chaffing issues during such a long ride.
• small tube Aquaphor healing ointment - I like chamois butter for my butt, but anywhere else that might rub/chafe (arms, feet, chest) I prefer to use Aquaphor.
• lip gloss for me, chapstick for my husband
• Clif Bar shot bloks - something to chew during the ride, gel packs get boring after awhile
• gel packs - mocha with caffeine for my husband, caffeine-free fruit flavors for me
• small package almonds - for before, during or after ride
• Bio Freeze - for aches and pains during the ride
• package Clif Bar roks - a bit of protein will help during such a long ride
• sample packs sunscreen - you can still get sunburned in south Florida this time of year
• Tube of Nuun electrolyte hydration tablets. Never know what brand sports drink they will have at the SAG stops. I like to add 1 1/2 tablets Nuun to each 20 ounce water bottle and fill with water at the rest stops. Certain brands of sports drinks make me sick to my stomach, Nuun is a great product!
• package Recoverite powder - protein/carb recovery drink made by Hammer Nutrition. For after the ride. We'll keep this in the van and grab it as soon as we finish the bike ride.

Contact Sports Nutrition Diva

What kind of products do you carry with you during a long bike ride? Leave a comment at the end of this blog post or send an email to: [email protected].

 

Take care,
Sports Nutrition Diva

A Ride for Josie

A Ride for Josie

About Josie:

On March 17th, 2010, 15 year old Josie Lou Ratley was the victim of a brutal crime when she was confronted by a teenage boy who beat her until she was unconscious after school.

Josie was just released from the hospital where she was in a coma for four weeks. The months ahead are going to be extremely difficult for Josie and financially overwhelming for her family. Josie needs our help on her road to recovery. She is now undergoing intense therapy. Josie's beating underscores the severity of the problem of teen violence in America.

The community has organized this ride to raise money to help Josie," said John Esposito, one of the many organizers of this event and father of a 7th grader who attends Josie's school. "We're trying to raise awareness and get the community involved in helping this child and her family recover from this tragedy." In a show of support to raise funds, all cyclists are invited to participate in "Let's Break The Cycle... A Ride for Josie."

Please join us on Sunday, June 27th, 2010 for this charity bike ride. Together, we can make a difference.

Event Details

• June 27th, 2010, 7:30 AM
• Depart from the Cove Restaurant
• 33 or 65 mile ride options
• Online registration: A Ride for Josie

Bike Diva's Family News

On May 26, I posted up a copy of this season's Team in Training fundraising letter: Coach Rob's TNT Fundraising Letter. My husband and I are training for El Tour de Tucson, a century bike ride that takes place in Tucson, Arizona on November 20. Each member of the cycle team has pledged to raise a minimum of $3,500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Family Newsletter

I am getting ready to send the letter out to our friends and family. I decided to put a short, one page letter together, to send along with the fundraising letter, that provides a brief update/news on everyone at the Smythe household. Here is a copy of that letter. I think we need to get new family portraits taken, the only one I could find is from Thanksgiving 2008 - we all look a bit different now! Rob & I have both lost weight. Ryan has cut his hair and now has a crew cut as we go into the hot and humid Florida summer. Miss Heather has gotten taller, cut her hair and dyed it an awesome hot red/magenta color!

Smythe Family News

Heather – 14 years old, she graduated from 8^th grade on June 2^nd. Heather will be a freshman at Spanish River High School, in Boca Raton, starting in the fall.

Ryan – 19 years old, he is working as an electrician for Personalized Power Systems.

Rob – 53 years old. Rob is the master electrician, supervisor and salesman at Personalized Power Systems. After being misdiagnosed with kidney stones, for most of 2009, Rob was finally diagnosed with bladder cancer in the fall. He underwent surgery in October, followed by two months of immunotherapy treatments. As of January 8^th, Rob is now cancer free! He will continue to have checkups every 3 months to make sure he is still healthy.

Rob started coaching for the local Team in Training cycle team a few years ago. Team in Training is the main fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This season he is coaching the team that is doing El Tour de Tucson. That is a 109 mile road bike ride that takes place on November 20 in Tucson, Arizona.

Lynn – 46 years old, fulltime freelance writer for a variety of online content providers. Lynn is the Herbs & Spices Feature Writer for Suite101.com. Lynn also maintains 9 diva themed blogs on the Blog Diva Network. She is best known for her Bike Diva blog – www.bikediva.net.

Lynn started racing in duathlons last year. This season she has over 20 races scheduled, with 14 of them being duathlons. She competed in her first half Ironman distance duathlon last November at Miami Man and got 3^rd place female masters. Lynn competed in her first Olympic distance duathlon on May 2, at Tri Miami in Key Biscayne, and won her age group! Lynn’s complete race schedule can be found on the Bike Diva blog.

Lynn will be exhibiting at the South Florida Bike Expo, held on July 17 & 18 in Ft. Lauderdale. She will have a table full of Bike Diva goodies and will be handing out samples from some of her sponsors. Lynn is currently sponsored by Brooks Running, Mission Skincare, Rudy Project, Fluid Recovery, MotorTabs, Lock Laces, Sugoi, Aquaphor, Nuun and Sock Guy.

Take care,

Rob, Lynn, Ryan & Heather Smythe