Ride with me!

While we're on the topic of two-wheeled undertakings...

Suddenly, it happened: a couple of weeks ago I finally bought a pair of legitimate cycling shoes and upgraded my loaner bike with clipless pedals that my dad got me for Christmas.

No, not this Christmas—the Christmas of 2013.

The thing is, I've been secretly terrified of the whole idea of locking in my feet while riding, envisioning one knee-mutilating, elbow-scrubbing accident after another caused by a dreaded inability to "lock-out" of the pedals once my feet are in place. But alas, no more! I have grown, mentally and... Well, okay—just mentally, I guess. (If even that.)

One might wonder what inspired this sudden act of courage. A charitable donation to Obliteride did.

For you non-Hutchers, Obliteride is an organized cycling event that raises money for lifesaving cancer research at Fred Hutch. 100% (yes, that means every cent) of every dollar collected goes toward developing better treatments and more cures for those in need. A supportive Fred Hutch faculty member wanted to sponsor a team through Hutch United, and I couldn't resist the offer of being one of the riders. Thus, here I am—preparing for a 50-mile ride (80 km), proudly representing HU and our generous donor on August 9th.

However, just pedalling my butt off (and possibly falling over in a ditch because of potential bike shoe-related awkwardness) isn't enough—I want you to be engaged as well. Join the cause by making a donation to our team—big or small, it doesn't matter

If you need more incentives to contribute, please have a look at these 10 reasons to support Fred Hutch. When you're ready to make your donation—as I'm sure you will be—then click on the link to my personal page and show the world that you want to beat cancer too. From there, simply hit the "Donate To My Ride" button and follow the instructions.

We can do this! I promise to conquer my shoe/pedal demons and finish the race with all of you on my imaginary luggage carrier. Ride with me! (It's super safe—for you, at least.)