A note from my buddy Lance...

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I had a pre-existing condition Dear Michael, Lance was denied insurance when he needed it most. Sign the petition and tell Congress that no one else should be. Today is LIVESTRONG Day. Thirteen years ago today, my doctor told me I had advanced testicular cancer. What most people don’t know is that at the time, I didn’t have health insurance. In the following weeks, I received letter after letter from the insurance company refusing to pay for my treatment. I was fighting for my life—but also for the coverage that I desperately needed. The legislation currently being debated in Congress is not just words on a page—for many cancer survivors, it’s a matter of life and death. Now, as this debate enters crunch time, I need your help to ensure that what happened to me doesn't happen to any other American: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare No matter what side of the healthcare debate you're on, I believe we can all agree on two things: No American should be denied health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions. No American should lose their insurance due to changes in health or employment. Will you sign the LIVESTRONG Action petition to make sure any legislation includes these two critically important reforms? We’ll deliver these to Capitol Hill this month as the debate reaches its climax and make sure our voices are heard in the debate: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare When I received my diagnosis, I was between cycling contracts. My new insurer used the diagnosis as a reason to deny coverage after the new contract was signed. Fortunately, one of my sponsors intervened. At their insistence, I was added to their insurance company and was able to continue my life-saving treatment. If my sponsor, a powerful company, had not gone to bat for me, I may not have made it. I was lucky. We can't rely on luck to ensure coverage and treatment for the millions of Americans affected by cancer. Some cannot get coverage because they've already been diagnosed. Others get calls from their insurance companies saying they have been dropped. It happens all the time—and it's unacceptable. Every year on LIVESTRONG Day, we come together to take action for a world without cancer. In the U.S., a critical step is to make sure cancer survivors can get and keep their health insurance. It has been 13 years since my diagnosis, but in some ways, not much has changed. No person should have to worry about health insurance while battling cancer. That so many do is an outrage, and we must speak out. Please sign the petition and forward it along to your friends and family: http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare LIVESTRONG, Lance and the LIVESTRONG Action Team P.S. Don’t forget today is LIVESTRONG Day. There are more than 1,100 events taking place to raise awareness about cancer all over the world. View our interactive map to see events in your area: http://www.livestrongaction.org/map

Randonneurs Having Fun: Bike MS, New Bern, NC, 2008, by Dean Furbish

On September 13th, more than 2100 cyclists descended on the historic town of New Bern for the 20th annual Bike MS celebration sponsored by the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Randonneurs are rightly viewed by their friends as a determined lot, logging miles in 100km multiples.

This begs the question: What are randonneurs like when they are not riding their metric marathons? The answer is that randonneurs can be a very charitable and fun-loving lot!

This was certainly the case this past weekend in historic New Bern, where I caught up with NC randonneurs: Ed Hirsch, Alan Johnson, Mike O'Connor, and Sridhar Sourirajan.

Friday afternoon. Some cyclists opt to be close to the the action, camping at the water's edge in Union Point Park, near the start of the the ride.

Cyclists anticipate the Saturday morning start of the 30-, 75-, and 100-mile routes.

Capturing the festive mood of the weekend, these kids felt obliged to test the sprinkler system.

Riding buddy and friend, Sridhar, in Blackbeard MS team Jersey. Sridhar and I have ridden together this year more than 1000km of sanctioned randonees. Thanks, Sridhar! On Sridhar's left is Karen Ambrose, capable captain and organizer of my MS team, the Rehab Racers, out of WakeMed. Thanks, Karen, for your charitable work!

Time for a little fun with an RTP quiz question: Can you spot the randonneur/randonneuse in the above picture: Sridhar or Karen? Hint: Check out Sridhar's steel Heron bike, replete with generator-hub headlight and handlebar bag. It seems we randonneurs can stand out in a crowd!

Mike O'Connor lined up at the start. Although initially dogged by a couple of flats caused by errant wheel rim tape, Mike made great time anyway! Somebody said there were no hills in New Bern. But, here, Mike seems to be holding onto his Eddie Merkx in order to prevent it from rolling downhill. Or is he holding it close because he's noticed several covetous admirers?

This weekend, I learned something interesting. . . Our Fearless Leader, Al Johnson, is a native son of New Bern! Not only was he a great riding companion, but doubled as tour guide, pointing out several points of interest.

This quaint church near Tryon Palace was founded in 1895 as an Episcopal Mission Chapel. Today it is a garden and gift shop called Late Bloomer.

And what is historic New Bern without Tryon Palace, which we passed on our route?

A couple of my Rehab Racers teammates. Angela on the left and Lee on the right. Pacelines are ubiquitous at the MS ride. Part of the fun is being able to hop one almost any time.

First class operation. With its many volunteers, the MS folks really know how to spoil cyclists, with complete SAG and rest stops every 10-15 miles. This particular operation of filling drink bottles was as efficient as an Indy pit stop. What the picture fails to capture are nearby volunteers stuffing cyclists' personal drink bottles with (n)ice!

An interesting community on the 100-mile route.

The approach back to New Bern (between the two distant cranes) at about mile 95 over the Neuse and Trent river bridges, the only hills on the route.

Sumptuous buffet reminds me of the ingenious NC randonneuring slogan coined by Branson Kimball: Ride, Eat, Sleep. Once again, the MS people spare nothing.

And when sleep finally restrains us, may we find ourselves in the misty contours of our dreamworld in the shape of fun-loving kids!