This one's for Phyllis!

Anyone that reads my blog, follows my tweets, or is my friend on facebook probably knows that I've taken an interest in cycling lately. This stems from my brother, Mike; he lives in Basalt, CO, and is very much immersed and part of an incredibly healthy cycling community. For a few years, I sat on the sidelines on the east coast and loved hearing stories about Mike racing for 24 hours in the Moab Desert or racing on the road for 100 straight miles. Last June (2010), my brother yanked me off the sidelines and into the cycling game with possibly one of the best Best Man gifts ever for his wedding: one of his prized road bikes. He had it shipped to Orlando and since last summer I've been getting used to a sore back and a painful ass.

Annie and her mom, Phyllis

So by now you're probably thinking, "Who is Phyllis and what 'one' is for her?" Phyllis is my girlfriend's mother. She has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and is in an assisted living center in Tulsa, OK. While paroozing the web last week looking for any local races or group rides, I stumbled upon a race coming up in May that directly benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Bike MS - The Citrus Tour 2011 - JACKPOT! It's a two-day race starting in TheMiddleOfNowhere, FL and ending in Orlando on day one, and back to TheMiddleOfNowhere on day two.

Over the next couple of months I will be training and training hard. I've poled the audience on facebook and got an overwhelmingly awesome response - I have some pretty kick-ass friends and family willing to support me in this endeavor! I will be covering registration costs as well as anything else related to competing in a bike race, but am asking for anyone's help in donating to help meet my fundraising goal. I haven't yet registered so more information is yet to come. I know you've heard people say it, but literally every little bit can help! Whether it's $10 or $100, it's all going to fighting MS, a disease that has touched and hurt so many people's lives.

I hope you can find it in your heart to help me reach my goal and provide me the motivation I'll need not only to compete, but perform damn well in May!

Thanks so much for reading and you can count on training updates as well as more information to come in the near future!

Cheers!