The Finish
With the holiday card crunch behind us, we thought we would take a moment to catch up on our blogging and to share one of our favorite memories from this fall - our participation in the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin. Members of Team LilyPad each completed the 45-mile bike ride through the Texas hill country, raising a total of more than $3,000 to help in the fight against cancer!
The adventure began when we woke up at 4:45 AM to drive to the start of the race in Dripping Springs, Texas. We quickly learned that the Texas hill country had earned its name for good reason, as we biked the first grueling 20 miles of the course uphill and into the wind with a cumulative elevation change of 1411 feet! The landscape was beautiful, though, and we cycled past several large ranches, colorful wild flowers, plenty of longhorn cattle, and other uniquely Texan vistas.
Jen and Kristin had never biked more than 20 miles prior to the start, and making it to the end was a feat! We were so inspired by the courage shown by those who have battled this disease, as well as by those who are close to them. Many many thanks to our generous supporters, and we're already looking forward to tackling the 65-mile course in 2011!