El Paso Puzzler!

Alright, today is the first official training day for the Puzzler after a week of caution-to-the-wind eating over the Thanksgiving holiday.
If you've just heard, I'm racing this beast to raise money for Anna's Fans and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
50 miles, more than 8,000' of climbing? 2 weeks after the holidays? Am I nuts?!?!
Show your support and make a donation to these 2 charities. Reference this blog, and maybe you can will me through it!

Loss.

I just found out that a good friend lost his oldest daughter to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia at the end of October.
We'd been out of touch for several months, not because of a falling out, but because we both got busy.
I don't even know what to say. It's heartbreaking to think about what they must be going through, losing their little girl like this.
I've decided that I'm going to race the El Paso Puzzler in January, hoping to raise some money to help offset some of their hospital bills, as well as for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
If you're interested in helping out, or even just want to hear about what kind of pain I'll be going through racing a single speed mountain bike for 50 miles, through Franklin Mountains State Park, with over 8,000 feet of vertical, stick with me.
And feel free to donate, and tell them that it's through this race if you wanna. Or keep checking in for a MyFaceSpaceBook page where you can donate.