Hatching Plans: ALA's Big Ride Across America

[Reesha]

So as of yesterday, I am all registered to ride across the country! I also need to raise $6,000, $2,500 of which I am covering so people know that they are not also helping me go on a fun trip. That's the amount of the fundraising minimum that goes toward the costs of the 48 day adventure. Still my overall goal is $8,000 including my contribution, so I have my work cut out for me this year.

I busily set up my training/fundraising/adventure blog this morning as it will be a long year!


You can visit it at http://www.larissaridesforcleanair.org

I think I've decided just to ride my trusty Trek Pilot 5.0 on this one. I don't really need a new bike, and my current bike is great. Another lady did the ride on the very same bike!

It's going to be a challenging year with lots of hard work. Fundraising ideas are ALWAYS welcome, as the goal well exceeds what I could raise just soliciting friends and family.

Woohoo!!!

[Caddy]

Looks pretty amazing - the fundraising goal scares me.

Have you tried the Synapse? It has a more relaxed geometry than a Caad10. I also really like the Jamis Ventura/Aurora bikes.

Edit: Ahh, didn't see the comment about the Trek, have fun with it

[Reesha]

Well, I helped my friends raise $10,000 for their documentary in one month, so $8,000 over 290 days seems easier. We'll see just how much easier it really is!

I think I liked the CAAD 10 as a race bike... it was just so fast! I may see if I can find one used for racing and then save my Pilot for this ride and commuting.

[Reesha]

New blog post!

http://larissaridesforcleanair.org/2...bike-commuter/

[Reesha]

I am going to make an appointment to see a nutritionist this month to see about some pointers for eating while training and then eating while doing the Big Ride! Wrote a blog post about it today:

http://larissaridesforcleanair.org/2...-nutritionist/

[Reesha]

So far I've been doing a lot of baking to fundraise to a small, but palpable effect. I've raised $50 for the faculty. Another faculty member asked if I'd make scones for their Wednesday morning meetings for $25 donations. I'm starting to see how time intensive some fundraising can be.

Nonetheless, I have not yet asked friends and relatives. I bought cardstock at the local art store, cut into three 'business envelope' sized slices of paper, then stamped a beautiful copper road bike on the top and hand wrote a plea for donations onto each one. I have yet to send them out because I need to get to Kinko's to print a sheet out about the ride.

My employer, a private school, donated $175 for my services twisting up balloon animals at the homecoming carnival, that's another 2% of my goal right there.

It's a slow process so far, but I am slowly moving toward my goal! I won't start to worry until about March

For training, our school has a personal trainer on staff-- a real expert-- to work with our middle school kids in P.E. and to build strength programs for the various sports. Luckily, as one of the cycling coaches, we get to use him too. I asked him to develop a body weight strength program for our kiddos for the wintertime (which should help me as well) and then an in-the-fitness-center training program for our season. It should be awesome-- I will be glad to share what I find out!

Also, if anyone has 48 weeks off next summer, I would love to do the ride with someone from Team E! It's going to be so exciting

Here's one of the best big ride blogs from last year: http://www.bigride2011.com/

[Sky King]

Reesha,

Idea for sending out fundraising requests and for thank you cards. I am a huge user of Send Out Cards - (I am also a distributor) Anyway is a great way to create custom cards or any of the 15,000 cards in the system. You create your card online but the cards are mailed for you to the person you created the card for. You can send individual cards or the same card to 100's of people with one push of the send button. www.sendoutcards.com/skp - go send a free card and see what you think. Not expensive and great cards