Greg Rainey's Team In Training Page
Cycling to Save Lives--We've Almost Raised $2500!
Greg Completes All 107 Miles!
Welcome to my Team In Training home page! ...Headlined With the Armadillo Report!
Last updated Sunday, May 11.
Armadillo Report
Wrapping up four months of training, yesterday I completed the 107-mile Armadillo Hill Country Classic bike ride. The ride kicked off at 8 am, and was supposed to close at 5 PM, translating to a speed of around 12 MPH. I made waypoint estimates based on my previous practice rides, with an average speed of 13-14 MPH. Although I started out at that level, the environment had its own ideas for me and the other people on the course that day.
Miles 1-50: 14+ MPH AVG. The day was unseasonably hot, and the 1000-or-so riders who turned out could not drink sports drinks and water fast enough. I got through mile 50 around 11:30--at my desired pace, and feeling pretty comfortable.
Miles 50-75: 11+ MPH AVG. As the temps soared well into the 90s (we measured them as high as 104 degrees over the pavement), I slowed down, and TNT alumnus Jay, who served essentially as my personal coach for much of the ride, helped me set a pace I could sustain through mile 75 about two hours later. The heat was to be a factor for all on the course for the remainder of the day.
From then on, it was a real struggle. Where we had stopped only every other rest stop for a quick five-minute refresh, I found myself having to stop at every one for 10-15 minutes to cool down and catch my breath. There were also a lot of riders clearly stalled out at the rest stops--unwilling to take the safety ride in (TNT provides great support--they drove up and down the course throughout the day offering water and rides), and unable to muster the strength to continue the ride.
Miles 75-100: 8 MPH AVG. From 75 to 100 miles, I doggedly pushed on, and Jay told me later that he knew I was in trouble because I wasn't speeding to gain momentum on the downhills (I usually pick up 30-40 MPH; average speed runs 13-15 MPH). We hit a brutal steep hill with two people dismounted at the bottom, one visibly upset. I got about halfway up and lost all energy. Quickly unclipping a pedal, I stepped down to one side to catch my breath and let my heart rate come down.
This was one of the low points of the ride, and a real moment of clarity. I told myself that if our honored hero Olivia could endure months of cancer treatment, I must find the strength to complete the ride. After a minute, I clipped back in, and was able to ride to the top of the hill, and to limp to the last rest stop, with a cramp in my back and occasional chills signaling that my body had had enough.
Miles 100-107: 9 MPH AVG. Three members of the team had gathered at the last rest stop, seven miles from the finish line, at about 4 PM. This was 30 minutes after I had planned to complete the ride. After resting, hydrating, and cooling down for about half an hour, Kelly, Chris, and I mounted back up with the mutual promise that we would stay together--no matter how slow the pace--until we reached the finish line.
A little after 5 PM, Kelly, Chris, and I rode 3-across as we pulled into the Team in Training area past the finish line. Little did we know we were some of the first from our team to make it. The last of my teammates who completed the century rolled over the finish line after 7 PM (the ride was supposed to conclude at 5 PM).
As TNT always does, there was a loud cheering section for our arrival. I looked up and saw Rebecca, Thomas, and Claire were there--wearing purple shirts in honor of the TNT color. The kids were even holding homemade posters, and I saw that the family had decorated our minivan with encouraging slogans. It was great to see them, and great to be done!
Our team raised over $80,000 to fight blood cancers. I am still shy of my minimum goal by a less than $200. If you have not contributed and have been waiting to see how my ride went, I can think of now better way to spend a small piece of the tax rebate! At my web site, you can see the names of many of those who have contributed (many have remained anonymous), and get a feel for the range of amounts people have given, and see examples of what a given amount of money can purchase, e.g., a week of low-grade chemotherapy is $54.
Thank you so much for the support each of you has given me in this effort! Together, we've struck another blow against cancer.
Mission Moment
At every team event, somebody steps forward to share with us all a story of a person’s struggle with cancer--what we call a mission moment. These mission moments keep us grounded in the underlying reason for our fundraising activities, and provide inspiration and strength to push through the physical discomfort and emotional challenge of long-distance cycling. We remember the teammate whose cancer is in remission, and the mother who was killed by leukemia. And as I struggle to crest one more hill, I think, “If that person could endure chemotherapy and everything else, I can take this minor discomfort and fatigue to complete this ride!”
Although very close, we have still missed TNT's minimum target of $2500--as of this writing, we're short by a few hundred dollars, and really need your help for that fundraising last mile. I hope to raise a round $3000 before the account is closed out!
For more than three months as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training, I have been preparing to ride the Armadillo Hill Country Classic--100 miles of grueling Texas Hill Country on May 10th. With Team In Training, I am raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Now celebrating the 20th anniversary of the program, the Society has had significant successes in this battle. Those successes have been grounded in the generosity of the people who have supported Team In Training over the years.
Many of you have written me with personal stories of your loved ones battling blood cancer. Thank you for sharing these stories and for your support; they are a source of strength and motivation for me!
Weekly Training Plan
Monday--Bike to/from work--25 miles
Tuesday--Spin Endurance Training
Wednesday--Team Evening Hill Practice--20 miles
Thursday--Swim with Thomas and Claire
Friday--Bike to/from work--25 miles
Saturday--Six Hours+ team practice--70+ miles
Sunday--Rest!
Upcoming Milestones
May 9th--drive to Austin and join with team
May 10th--Armadillo Classic Hill Country Century
Olivia--Honored Hero
I'm completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers, but especially Olivia, my team’s honored hero. Last year, Olivia, a high schooler who loves sports, dancing, and movies, was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and blood.
Thanks to the work of LLS and others, the survival rate for children in this age group has improved by nearly 70% over the last three decades, yet leukemia continues to take more children than any other cancer. Clearly much work remains to be done.
Olivia has undergone intense treatment, including chemotherapy, and her cancer is in remission. She personally comes to events to encourage my team. Her challenge to us: Never give up, help find a cure; always believe in miracles, prayers, faith, and hope.
How Can You Help?
I have answered Olivia’s challenge by committing myself to raise and $3000 by April 28th. I have just gone over $1500, and still need help to reach my final goal. Please make a donation in honor of Olivia, and to support my participation in Team In Training. Please contribute online or by check. It’s far easier if you contribute using the online payment link on this page. If you want to pay by check, I’ll gladly send you the form and a return envelope if you have not already received one.
Ideas for Giving
$32: Anti-nausea drug prescription
$54: One week low grade chemotherapy
$60: Most common donation
$75: Screening for bone marrow donor
$100: Monthly blood analysis
$200: Blood transfusion
$350: Medical researcher, one day’s salary
$500: Blood chromosome analysis
I hope you'll visit my web site often, and will share it with friends and acquaintances. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!
My training is wrapping up...
Feb 2: I rode 10 miles at our first practice, and am getting comfortable riding a road bike instead of a mountain bike. I also rode 10 miles by myself. (Week total = 20 miles)
Feb 9: I rode 21 miles at practice. A last minute business trip cut into training earlier in the week. (Week total = 21 miles)
Feb 17: A serious storm front threatened the area, so we held practice a day late on the 17th. It was a good ride of 26 miles. We practiced a team technique of riding in a speed line--the first time we've done part of a ride this way. We are coming together as a team!
Feb 24: Sadly, Rebecca’s beloved grandmother, Mae White, passed away, and I was out of town with the family, then left town for a week on business.
Mar 1: Team garage sale. Rebecca and I, and some friends--especially Pam and Chuck Perry--pulled together two truckloads for a big team garage sale. We raised over $400 to fight cancer!
Mar 8: The training kicks into high gear. The team bikes 40 miles around Castroville to the west. It is the first time we have to address hills. We start out cold, with extra layers, and end the day pretty warm. It is a very good ride, but the training comes with a bit of discomfort! Several contributions arrive in the mail, putting me over $1000 raised; thank you--your support means a great deal to me!
Mar 15: We are closing in on the emotional milestone of 50 miles, biking a little over 45 miles around Bulverde--a four-hour tour of edge of the Texas Hill Country. This week I also did some training in an intense 60-minute spin class at our gym. I can feel myself getting more used to longer distances, and feel that 100 miles eight weeks hence is within my grasp. I will be looking for other training opportunities during the week to intensify the training.
Mar 22: Spring Break retreat.
Mar 29: We go north of town to Cibolo. It starts out pretty cold, but warms up through the day. The team is starting to hit their stride, as we go a bit over 50 miles. Wednesday night practices become normal for the rest of the season.
April 5: I am picking up strength and speed, and handily roll through 55 miles in less than four hours to the east of San Antonio, starting in China Grove. Spring has clearly arrived in San Antonio. Blue Bonnets are everywhere, and it is starting to get hot by the time the rides conclude. I cross a major fitness milestone with this ride as I earn enough points to complete the Presidential Champion’s Gold Award.
April 12: The hardest ride to date by far--the coach encourages me to take the longer of two routes. Starting at the edge of Hill Country at Boerne, north of San Antonio, I ride over six hours, completing 78 miles over terrain more challenging than the actual course.
April 15: 20 miles evening practice with the team.
April 18: 25 miles to & from work. When I started training, this trip seemed a daunting prospect. Now it is well within my range, and good practice.
April 24: Brutal endurance spin class; ouch!
April 26: Solid 73 mile ride out of Converse, in the vicinity of NE San Antonio. A front that brought thunderstorms through has just cleared out, and puddles, mud, and debris are everywhere. The team suffers many flat tires--at least one person endures two! We stick together, and complete the ride. I returned home to host a very enjoyable fundraising BBQ. We almost broke the $2000 barrier; thanks to everyone who helped make this a big success!
May 3: Last Wednesday was our hardest weeknight practice--a hard, fast, hilly 21 miles with wind gusting well over 20 MPH. I finished in good time, but it was a difficult ride. On Sunday, I participated in the last team long practice--75 miles based out of nearby Helotes. The only way I could finish as well as I did was through teamwork. The route put us into winds gusting over 30 MPH. On the section that went across farm fields, the person in front of me was clearly leaning on his bike to keep from being blown over. These are the miles that are usually the comfortable buildup to hills, on which we can knock out speeds of 18 MPH without too much effort; we struggled with 12-13 MPH. Then we skirted the hills of the Government Canyon wilderness area, pedaling up long hills right into the wind, often through cuts blasted from the rock that served as field-expedient wind tunnels. Thanks to coaches/alumni Kurt, Jay, and Gus, I often had someone to pace me and provide me a person behind whom to draft--the only way I made decent time and avoided exhaustion on this ride. During much of the beginning of the training season, I learned a lot of the mechanics of this sort of ride. The last few rides have taught me a lot about teamwork, and I am humbled by that blessing.
End of training.
