Tour de Pink, Day 0

Thunder and lightening is raging outside the window of my hotel room near Hershey World as we prepare to take off tomorrow for Day 1 of the 3 day Tour de Pink. Fifty riders left on a bus from New York this morning, stopping to pick up some New Jersey riders along the way, and arrived this afternoon, where we are meeting with the rest of the group - I believe there are about 150 of us in total.

Lots of inspiring stories here - many women who are years out of treatment as well as some who have finished even more recently than I have. Fathers who are riding for their daughters. Brothers riding with their sisters. One woman who have never been on a bicycle until she heard about this ride and started training earlier this year. I suspect I may not be able to keep from crying as the sea of pink jerseys streams off tomorrow morning.

Work has been too hectic to allow me to get in as much training as I would have liked this summer, plus I am battling a cold this week. And oh yeah, I just had surgery 5 months ago, so maybe I should give myself a break and just accept the fact that I will hardly be setting any records this weekend - for me, success will be finishing. But as another young survivor pointed out on the bus this morning, this experience is about far more than the ride. It's about about celebrating our health and strength, raising awareness, learning to trust our bodies again, and helping other young women fight this disease.

And on that front, so far, we have raised over $300,000, with Hershey still to kick in a check for another $300,000. Donations are still gratefully accepted! (In fact, I think the site will be open for donations through the end of the year) I have nearly doubled my original goal of $4000 thanks to everyone's support and generosity, but now you can help nurture my competitive streak - I am in danger of falling out of the Top 10 fundraisers at the moment, and I think hitting $10,000 would secure my place there for sure! So if you have not yet had a chance, please visit my fundraising page.

I will know more after our briefing tonight, but it sounds like Monday's TV appearance has changed - we are now scheduled to be on Fox & Friends between 8 and 9 ET, so please tune in! Also, for any New Yorkers who happen to be working in that area, come cheer us on (and enjoy the pink bagels they will be handing out - I'm sure they can't be as gross as they sound) on 7th Avenue between 48th and 49th. And check back for more details from the road!