WE DID IT!!!!

What a team!!! 2010 Team Transplant

Congratulations Team Transplant!!!

What an amazing day on Sunday... shout outs to everyone who made it down to Castle Rock (yes, all 171 of you!!!) for the Team Transplant ride. It was an even more amazing experience than last year!!!

With your help, we crushed our fundraising goal by raising over $62,500... 156% of our goal!!! Great job everyone!!!

Sorry for my reckless use of exclamation points in this post, but short of writing in all caps I just don't know how else to share the enthusiasm, joy, pride, excitement, and delight at what an amazing group of people y'all have been to work with and what a great thing we've accomplished together.

Let's celebrate, shall we? Please try to come to Wheatridge Cyclery for the 2010 Team Transplant After Party on Thursday, June 10th. We'll have beer, wine, food from Spicy Pickle, a team raffle... and of course, a  10% discount from our generous hosts at WRC.

I hope to see everyone there, looking forward to raising a glass with you to toast a job well done, share stories about the ride, and check out the slideshows of all of us in our Team Transplant kits. Did we look hot, or what? Once again, the biggest team at E-Rock! And people noticed!!!

Again, thanks to everyone for a hugely successful event-- hope to see many of you this Thursday.

Susan
Joyous Blogger

... only 360 days until next year!

Ready... Set... Go!

Hey there, Team Transplant!

A happy Friday shout-out to everybody reading the blog. I've just returned from a two-margarita lunch at the Rio (my last indulgence prior to the ride, I swear!) and it is a beautiful, beautiful afternoon out there.

Looking forward to seeing all of you lovely blog readers and riders on Sunday!!! Brian and I will be staffing the Team Transplant booth bright and early, starting at 6AM, for all you riders out there.

A few last minute reminders:
1. For those of you who failed to pick up your packets this week (you know who you are!!!) we'll have them day of the ride for you at the Team Transplant booth.
2. Remember to eat well, and drink often. Ummm... water, that is, at least until after the ride!!! Sunday is supposed to be a pleasant 89 degrees, so stay hydrated and eat well before heading out!
3. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Check through your goodie bags for the nice gifts given by our sponsors, and remember to protect your skin!

It's been a really fabulous couple of months leading up to this year's race. I'm proud of the number of riders we have, I'm VERY proud of the amazing donations we've gotten from our supporters, and most importantly, I'm proud of our friends at the American Transplant Foundation. Cheers especially to Katie and Heidi-- thank YOU for making this all possible!

See you guys Sunday!

Susan

Wondering what I'll do with my Friday afternoons now that I don't have Team Transplant to blog about?

Live From Packet Pick Up... Still Time to Register for All Courses!

Hey Team Transplant!

Sitting here at the downtown YMCA staffing the Team Transplant table as people come in to pick up their packets for Elephant Rock. Check your email and be sure you have it on your calendar to pick it up! These goody bags are chock full of great stuff, plus it has all of the essentials for E-Rock... like your number, your wristband, your helmet sticker. Don't forget to get it! Plus, for all you folks who hit the fundraising levels to earn the 2010 Team Transplant gear will get your jerseys, shorts, arm warmers... and they are really fantastic. I'm wearing my jersey now and it's super comfortable!

We're here at the Y today, tomorrow we'll be at Wheatridge Cyclery from 4 - 7, and the Schlessman Y on Thursday. Last resort is at the ride on Saturday and Sunday, but don't wait until the last minute! Packet pick up details and times are available here.

We had sent out a recent email saying certain courses were closed... but we take it back!!! All courses are still open to register, so feel free to contact your friends, call your cycling buddies, there's still plenty of time to get in this great ride. For the 62- and 100-mile rides, you'll need to call the Transplant Foundation at 303-475-0127 to register; everything else is still available online.

We are 5 days out from what will surely be your best ride of the season. Team Transplant is over 160 people strong, all riding together for a shared cause and to get a message out. On a training ride yesterday at Chatfield, Heidi spotted one of last year's jerseys while cycling. Get out here, pick up your packets, and sport this awesome gear! Help share the message for an amazing foundation.

Really looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend. Stay tuned for photos, last minute updates and news and information related to the ride.

Susan
Packet Pick Up Maven
5 days... and counting... so excited!!!

Training Ride, May 22: Who’s In?

Happy Thursday to Team Transplant! Hope your week has been as enjoyable as mine.


We’re down to the wire, team! Let’s tighten up those helmet straps, fill the water bottles, and stretch out those quads. Time to put your pedal to the… well, you see where I’m going with this.

For the final stretch, we are having another great training ride this weekend departing from Wheat Ridge Cyclery at 9:15 AM! This will be a 28-mile roundtrip out to Golden and back, average pace at 14 miles/hour. The path will be along 32nd avenue, which is mostly bike paths, and will feature a quick refreshment break at a Starbucks. You should be done by 12:30.

There’s an additional opportunity to possibly extend the trip for those who are interested, so RSVP if you want to join us! As always, this is a no-drop ride and we look forward to seeing you all Saturday.

Keep up the great work, everybody. While I’m personally not proud of the fact that I’ve lost my position in the top 5 fundraisers on Team Transplant, I’m very pleased to see the amazing efforts of our fellow team mates! Let your friends and family know that we are weeks away from a really amazing event that will change lives and bring people together!

Keep fundraising! Keep sharing your story! A big, big shout out to my Aunt Lenny for her support—my Uncle George is here today because of his life-saving heart transplant!

Hope to see y’all before the ride!

16 days and counting…

Susan

Volunteer Opportunities Abound

Team Transplant, let me be the first one to welcome you to this beautiful Friday afternoon. It is a perfect Colorado day, and I can’t tell you what joy it is to start a blog post and have something other than rain—and snow—to talk about! I hope that each of you can get out there and enjoy it if you can; I’ve not seen the forecast for the rest of the weekend but let’s hope this is just the beginning!


To all of you Team Transplant volunteers out there, we have a lot of opportunities to use your skills in the coming weeks. The clock is ticking, and believe it or not we are mere weeks away to completing this year’s ride! There are many opportunities to get involved, from stuffing packets to staffing pick up locations. Check your calendars, check in with our hero, Katie, at the Foundation and let us know how you can help!

For everybody else, let’s just get out there and ride. Share the message. Tell folks about what you’re doing! We have a weekend ahead of us, a great opportunity to enjoy the beginnings of what will surely be another amazing Colorado summer.

Thanks again to all of you for your work and your dedication. Thanks for sharing your stories, and the stories of the other people on the team. I was recently profiled on the website, and was so happy to share that honor via another email out to my social circle to help them understand the importance of their support!

Have a great weekend, Team Transplant! I’m off to celebrate my birthday this weekend (yes, I’ll be another year older when I return to you next week… let’s hope some wisdom comes with age!). Definitely will be squeezing in a ride or two this weekend as well!


Susan

Counting the days to June 6th!!! (23, in case you were wondering)