Tom said our ride would attract thousands of riders and
raise millions; he promised it would raise awareness for the importance of
funding cancer research; he predicted a community of riders, volunteers and
donors would come together and quickly turn Pelotonia into something so much
more than a bike ride.

Done, done and done.

And now Tom has a new promise: “I guarantee it will be
better,” Pelotonia’s executive director said of the changes in the route for
our 2012 ride.

The specifics of the new routes are still being finalized,
but we do know there will be more distance options this year – and that our
riders will pedal through some of the most bucolic and picturesque terrain in
all of Ohio.

And all of the longer routes will end in Gambier at Kenyon
College, which just happens to be one of the most beautiful college campuses in
the world. It’s going to be one helluva party on August 11 when we all get to
Kenyon.

“We at Kenyon are both honored and pleased to partner with
Pelotonia,” Kenyon President S. Georgia Nugent said. “The success Pelotonia has
realized in a very brief period of time is extraordinary; we are proud to join
with them to advance that success, in such an important cause.”

Stay tuned, we’ll have plenty more information about the
specifics of each of the routes, as well as many of the other changes and
improvements we’ve made to the overall Pelotonia experience.

Pelotonia is like riding a bicycle: If you stay in one place
for very long, you’re going to fall over.

“Our goal is to make the Pelotonia experience better for our
riders,” Tom said. “We know that the better the experience, the more money we
will raise.”

OK Tom, we’re going to hold you to that promise!

The Pelotonia website is closing for repairs and upgrades (and other technical IT stuff) on Monday … and will reopen on January 10, the day registration for Pelotonia 12 opens. Get ready.

And, since The Rider blog is part of the website, and the website is shutting down … this will be my last post.

There are so many things I could write about, but what I’ve decided to end with is simple: the lessons I’ve learned from Pelotonia and the members of the Pelotonia community. If I’ve missed any, feel free to add your own. Thanks…

Lesson #1: A good attitude is everything.

I had the opportunity of following Alex Kip through his cancer treatments at The James. There was a time when his cancer seemed to be winning, but Alex never lost hope. He wound up kicking cancer’s butt, and while the amazing treatment he got at the James (chemo, a stem cell transplant and radiation) was the key, I am totally convinced his positive attitude played a part in the victory.

Alex: The harder you fight cancer, the better your outcome

Alex: “I learned the harder you fight, the better your outcome. If you’re depressed and upset all the time, your body will constantly be in a state of stress and anxiety, which is going to make your treatments and the process harder and the time go slower.”

I think this lesson applies to cancer – and pretty much everything in life.

Lesson #2: Forming a peloton can impact an entire company.

Over and over, I’ve heard from members of pelotons about how Pelotonia has quickly become an important part of the fabric of their company, with all sorts of benefits.

Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington: “(Pelotonia) will impact many hundreds, maybe thousands of our colleagues who will have a healthier lifestyle … And it has created a rallying point we didn’t fully expect. It’s been a tough couple of years for our industry and the ability to get our colleagues from our six states … to come together to ride, and the opportunity for people who didn’t know each other to get to know each other has been a tremendous benefit.”

Ted Nikolai, Team Exel: “There’s a lot of buzz about it around here. I think our people genuinely want to be involved in the community and I think companies that afford their associates this opportunity to do that will get payback. Being involved in Pelotonia is a no-brainer.”

Steve: Pelotonia will impact thousands of our colleagues

Lesson #3: The power of the pack.

There’s something special about riding in a group, or peloton. There’s the whole riding aspect, and how riding in a pack helps you go further and faster. It really does. And then there’s the whole social aspect. Riding together is a great way to get to know someone. I believe that if the politicians in Washington, D.C., or right here at the statehouse in Columbus, would just go out on regular group rides, they would come together and work together to solve our many problems. Maybe the leaders of warring nations could cycle together – and ride toward peace.

Lesson #4: Caregivers are key.

Nobody can battle cancer alone, and I’ve heard so many stories from survivors about how the love and support of their caregivers made all the difference in the world.

Here's Super Sam (in the middle) and some of his many caregivers and support team

Super Sam Legg: “I really learned to appreciate the people who take care of people with cancer, my wife and the people at The James. I really admire them…”

Lesson #5: Live and love life every day.

Cancer can change your perspective on life in so many ways, whether you’re the one battling the disease, or you’re the caregiver or friend or family member of the person battling cancer. Several people told me cancer taught them not to sweat the small stuff, to enjoy and live each and every day, and appreciate the important people in your life.

Michael Smith (whose wife Karen lost her battle):  “What I learned is you have to live every day like it was your last and if there’s something you want to do, do it.”

Dale Darnell (whose wife Debbie died a few days before Pelotonia 11): “What I’ve learned is life is pretty special and you need to take the time to enjoy the moment for what it is and not take things for granted. This shows how delicate life is and what can happen in the blink of an eye.”

Cindy Rohal (cancer survivor): “I learned that I’m stronger than I thought I was. This has made me a better and more patient person. I’m not as judgmental and I don’t sweat the small stuff and realize what’s important in life.”

Lesson #6: There’s something special about the start of Pelotonia.

There really is something magical about the start of Pelotonia

I’ve been a serious cyclist since 1990, but never before had I experienced anything like the start of Pelotonia 09 (and 10 and 11). The emotion, the adrenaline rush, the excitement, the cheering supporters along the road, the signs and cowbells, the inspiration of seeing riders with survivor jerseys climbing Starner, and the determination of novice riders to meet their goal all added up to make this a transformational experience.

Beverly Cote (she’s 77, a cancer survivor and rode Pelotonia for the first time this year): “It was fantastic … this was a dream that I never thought would come true. I have never been involved in anything like this in my life and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

Matt Hare (a cancer survivor): “Once you start riding, everyone’s fighting cancer. It was seriously overwhelming at times. You’ve got the physical toll, but so much of it is emotional … what Tom [Lennox, executive director of Pelotonia] and his people have created is this big family and, it sounds like a cliché, but we all come together for one goal: to end cancer.”

Lesson #7: Cycling can change your life

There are literally thousands of people whose lives – and health – have been changed for the better because of Pelotonia.

Pete Geier: “My doctor tells me to keep riding. I’m better with my weight management and I had a mild heart condition and riding has helped to strengthen it tremendously.”

Beverly: I'll remember it for the rest of my life

Donna Householder: “(Cycling has) changed my life. I’m more health conscious, I sleep better at night and I’m more aware of my eating habits and health in general. Riding is also great for your mental health, for reducing stress, and while you’re riding you can really think about and solve your problems.”

Lesson #8: Pelotonia can help ease the pain.

Sadly, too many have lost their battles with cancer. These people may be gone, but they will never be forgotten by their family and friends, and Pelotonia provides an opportunity to celebrate their lives – and be part of something that will one day help end the disease that took their loved one.

Kathleen Green (whose brother lost his battle in 2007): “(Pelotonia) was very therapeutic and makes you feel as though you’re doing something to help beat cancer.”

Lesson #8: Don’t give up. Ever.

John Looker has been battling cancer for years and years, with more ups and down than he can count. But he refuses to give up.

John: “I’m not done here, I’m not done living.”

John (on the left): I'm not done living

Lesson #9: Cancer can’t take away love, courage or hope.

Michelle Harcha’s mom died in 2010, but not before she taught her daughter several more important lessons as she battled cancer.

Michelle: “My mother showed me how to face cancer without fear and to allow the love and support of family members and friends.”

Lesson #10: There are heroes everywhere.

Pelotonia is filled with heroes. You’re everywhere – and somehow seem to be there when we really need you.

Sarah Nelson was struggling during Pelotonia 11, and started chatting with another rider.

Sarah: “I don’t know his last name, but his first name is Bruce. I noticed he had a survivors jersey on and we started talking and I asked him what kind of cancer he had.”

Matt (in the middle): We all come together for one goal: to end cancer

Bruce was battling prostate cancer – and had undergone chemo treatments five days before Pelotonia. Five days!

Sarah: “He’s hauling his butt up this big hill and I was struggling, but said I have no room to complain. He was an inspiration and at that moment I decided I would do Pelotonia every year.”

On Jan. 24, 2000, her doctor walked into the examining room, and in a matter-of-fact tone, told Cindy Rohal she had cancer – and would be dead within five years.

“She said I had one of two types of cancer, she wasn’t sure which, and that I had five years to live,” Cindy said. “Then she said, ‘I’m sorry’ and walked out of the room.”

Jim and Cindy make quite a team

As you may have noticed, it’s 2011 – and Cindy has outlived her diagnosis, with the help of The James and Dr. Pierluigi Porcu.

“I was totally blindsided by the news,” recalls Cindy, who at the time had four daughters between the ages of 4 and 16. “I had no idea I had anything so bad. The doctor said all she could do was put me on some steroids and that we’d talk in a week. My first thought was I have a 4-year-old. When we got home, my oldest asked how was the doctor’s visit – and I just burst into tears.”

Cindy’s husband, Jim, who works at Huntington, wasn’t about to give up, did some research and found Dr. Porcu – an expert in hematology and blood-related cancers. The Rohals had originally been at a different hospital – and quickly made an appointment to see Dr. Porcu.

“My parents were in town and he invited them to come to the visit,” Cindy said of her initial meeting with Dr. Porcu. “We were his last appointment of the day and he sat with us, for two hours, discussing everything.”

Dr. Porcu told Cindy she had Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia – a rare and slow-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“He said the five-year diagnosis wasn’t realistic and that most people die with it, not from it,” Cindy said. “He was so caring and wonderful and knew what I was going through – and he made us feel that there was hope.”

Family means everything for Cindy, who is surrounded by her family in this photo

Dr. Porcu told Cindy steroid treatments were outdated, and wouldn’t work. Instead, he told Cindy they would wait and watch, and keep a close eye on her counts. In November, 2000 – Cindy wasn’t feeling well and tests indicated her hemoglobin counts were dangerously low – and it was time to start attacking her cancer.

Cindy was given Rituxan, a monoclonal antibody, which, in the simplest terms, is a type of chemotherapy that attaches itself to cancer cells – and then works to destroys them.

The Rituxan worked – and Cindy went into remission. She had a recurrence in 2003, but again the Rituxan did it’s job – and she went into remission, and has remained in remission ever since. Once a year, she undergoes a battery of tests and meets with Dr. Porcu, who she says has become a member of their family. Jim and Dr. Porcu occasionally meet for lunch.

“He’s amazing,” Cindy says of her doctor. “He cares and listens.”

Jim rode in Pelotonia 10 – and Cindy will join him this year. Jim is signed up for the 43-mile route to Amanda, but may ride the 102-mile route to Athens, while Cindy signed up for the 23-mile route to Groveport, but just might ride to Amanda.

“I was there last year and to see all the people and all the support was amazing and now I want to do something for The James,” she said.

Cindy has worked at the Westerville Veterinary Clinic for 22 years – and has remained active since she was first diagnosed with cancer. Her battle taught her some valuable lessons, about herself and about life.

“I learned that I’m stronger than I thought I was,” she said. “This has made me a better and more patient person. I’m not as judgmental and I don’t sweat the small stuff and realize what’s important in life.”

So, I’m out on a group ride a few days ago and …

Someone at the front of the pack started pointing to the side of the road, which is the international, bike-warning signal that some rocks or road kill is ahead. So, be careful and don’t run over it, which would be totally disgusting and possibly dangerous.

“What the heck was that?” I asked as we peddled by a small, thin, dark-brown – and very dead animal.

“A mink,” was the answer.

I don't have any photos of a mink - but here's one I took of a deer. Don't worry, she was unharmed during the making of this blog

“A mink? There’s wild mink around here?” I asked incredulously, and was assured there were – and then told that minks are nasty, little creatures you don’t ever want to mess with.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, as we were riding somewhere between New Albany and Granville – and were close to Mink Street.

In this case, the name of the road was accurate.

“Oh man, I hope we don’t pass by a Lion Lane or Tiger Street,” I thought to myself.

We did go on Goose Lane Road, but I didn’t see any. And there is a Monkey Hollow Road just north of Sunbury – and a Black Snake Road close to Utica.

Seeing the mink on the side of the road also got me thinking about all the different dead animals I’ve seen during my many years of cycling. It’s always sad to cycle by a dead animal, even a squirrel. Seeing a puppy/dog or a kitten/cat is totally heartbreaking. I’ve also seen deer, rabbits, possum, birds, ground hogs, chipmunks and snakes.

The most unusual dead animal I’ve ever seen was a rather large and quite white owl. Owls are totally cool and majestic birds, and seeing this one still haunts me.

What about you – what’s the most unusual dead animal you’ve ever seen while out on a ride?

I’ve also seen a surprising number of banana peels on the side of the road. And every time I see one, I wonder: Would you actually slip and fall if you ran over it?

I’m not about to experiment and find out.

I will be leaving Pelotonia at the end of the year, and will return to The Columbus Dispatch as a business reporter. This is where I was and what I was doing before I began blogging for Pelotonia in January 2010. I told people when I left The Dispatch that it was all part of some sort of midlife crisis, although crisis isn’t the right word. My wife insists it was all just an excuse to have more time to ride … and she might be right.

The last two years have been an incredible ride … and there are so many people to thank.

Thanks to Tom Lennox and his crew at Pelotonia World Headquarters: Jessica, Juli, Susie, Kelley, Morgan, Kris and Carrie. You’ve done an amazing job in three short years of creating something unique and special that has become an important part of so many people’s lives and the very fabric of life in central Ohio. Tom, I may have doubted you at first, but you were totally right: Pelotonia is so much more than a charity bike ride … it’s a community of people united by a noble cause.

Thanks to Mike Caliguiri and his crew at The James and CCC for dedicating your lives to battling cancer, and thanks for taking the time to explain to me exactly what it is you do in your labs and examining/operating rooms so I could share it with the Pelotonia community.

And most of all, thanks to the hundreds of riders and volunteers I had the chance to meet and interview, write about and ride with and correspond with via email. You’re an amazing collection of caring, courageous and determined cyclists and cancer warriors and your stories inspired me in so many ways. Every one of you has a story to tell … and hopefully, writing about you and sharing your stories, inspired others to participate in Pelotonia.

While I will no longer be doing this blog after the end of this month, this in no way means I will no longer be part of the Pelotonia community. Are you kidding? I will ride and raise money next year, and will hopefully have time to join in on some weekend group training rides. But please, do you have to start the rides so early in the morning?

Thanks everyone … I’ll keep posting stuff through the end of December, and I’ll see you at Pelotonia 12.

A Masters pin flag signed by Jack Nicklaus

Guitars signed by Tom Petty, Steven Tyler or Roger Waters.

A private suite for the OSU/Michigan men’s ice hockey game on January 13.

A luxury vacation in Sedona or Antigua.

You can bid on a flag from the Masters signed by Jack

These are some of the 43 cool items up for auction online by the Ohio State Advancement peloton – and the proceeds will go toward the team’s 2012 fundraising efforts. Click here to see the website and start your bidding. And hurry, the auction for all these items ends at midnight on December 15.

The auction is being run by OSU’s business advancement team, which overseas operations of the Jerome Schottenstein Center, Fawcett Center, Blackwell hotel and Drake Performance & Event Center.

OSU’s business advancement is part of the larger university advancement – and they combined to help create the Ohio State Advancement peloton, which in turn is part of the Team Buckeye super peloton. The Ohio State Advancement peloton had 121 members for our 2011 ride – and raised about $96,000; Team Buckeye had 1,839 members and raised $1.8 million.

“We were looking for creative ways to fundraise and support our riders and encourage more and more of our staff to participate in Pelotonia,” said Kim Mahoney, the Schott’s director of communications & program development.

Or a stick signed by Pelotonia rider Rick Nash

This will be the first of many online auctions to help the Ohio State Advancement peloton raise money for Pelotonia.

“This is our first foray into this and we didn’t want to set any specific goals,” Kim said. “We want to see how it works and get a more realistic idea of what items are the most sought after and then go from there and set goals.”

The plan is to have a second auction sometime later in the summer, a month or two before Pelotonia.

Others who have been instrumental in organizing the auction include Vicki Chorman, an associate director at the Schott; Xen Riggs, who overseas all business advancement at OSU; and Eric Adelman, general manager of the Blackwell.

Or a football autographed by the only 2-time Heisman winner

“We’re already seeing some steady activity and bidding and I imagine this will pick up in the next few days,” Kim said.

In other words, you better get in on the action soon.

It’s hard to imagine something that began so innocuously could be so serious and eventually life threatening, but this is how cancer often works…

“Whenever I swallowed lemonade or something with citrus, I got a little twinge in my throat,” said Pelotonia rider Sam Legg, 60, who you might know from this blog as Super Sam.

Here's Sam with his wife/caregiver Jeanette (L) and Kay Worrell, one of his nurses at The James

No big deal, right? Sam mentioned it in passing to his doctor, who didn’t think it sounded serious – but said they should keep an eye on it. When the strange twinge didn’t go away, Sam’s doctor suggested he see an ear, nose and throat specialist.

“He thought it might be some sort of infection and gave me some medicine and said to come back and see him in 10 days,” Sam said of the specialist, adding the doctor decided to take a biopsy during his second visit.

“You need to see another doctor, it’s cancerous,” Sam said he was told … and he was sent to see Dr. David Schuller at The James.

“He told me I was in Stage 4-B, the most advanced,” Sam said. “I had a tumor on the base of my tongue and in my lymph nodes. He said I had three options.”

The first was to do nothing, which, well, we all know what this would mean.

Sam rode with what he called an "honor list" on the back of his jersey: the names of people who had supported him and donated money to his Pelotonia account, and the names of people he knew battling cancer

The second option was to try radiation and chemo and see what it would do to the tumor.

Option number three was to operate: to cut out the cancer and then take fat from his leg to rebuild Sam’s tongue and neck, followed by chemo and radiation.

“We asked Dr. Schuller what he would do if it was him, and he said the operation – and that’s what we decided to do,” Sam said, adding there were no guarantees of a recovery. “I put myself in Dr. Schuller’s hands and in God’s hands. There wasn’t a whole lot more I could do.”

The operation took place on Dec. 15, 2008 – and lasted 10 hours.

“I was totally unrecognizable right after the operation,” Sam said of the swelling that resulted from the radical procedure. “My parish priest came in to visit me and he left and went over to the nurse’s station and was upset and said, ‘What did you do to him?’”

Sometimes it takes extreme measures to beat cancer – and so it was in the case of Super Sam, who endured week after week of chemo and radiation – and then a second surgery to remove more cancerous lymph nodes, and even more chemo and radiation. He also had to endure a feeding tube for several months.

“Once the feeding tube came loose in my stomach and they had to rush me into surgery,” he said. “It took me 14 months before I could even swallow some water.”

Sam relearned how to swallow with the help Christy Hart, his speech pathologist

Relearning how to swallow, Sam said, was made possible with the help of speech pathologist Christy Hart – who is also a Pelotonia rider.

With the love and caregiving support of his wife, Jeanette, and numerous family members, friends, neighbors and his new friends at The James, Sam kept battling. “I wouldn’t be here without Jeanette,” he said. “And when I couldn’t mow the lawn or shovel snow, our neighbors pitched in, they were fantastic.”

Sam still has some swallowing issues and while he is able to talk, his voice is quite different than it was before the operation and he quickly gets hoarse. “There’s a lot of foods I still can’t swallow, like fruits and vegetables and steak and chicken,” Sam said, adding his diet now consists of softer, easier to swallow foods.

Sam rode 43 miles in Pelotonia 11, as part of Team Head and Neck – and decided to ride all the way to Athens this year. While riding a century is hard under normal circumstances, Sam had to do it while still recovering physically from his surgeries and treatments – and he had to do it without being able to eat along the way at the rest stops.

Sam rode the last 60 miles with Anne O'Brien and Kay

“Because I can’t swallow, there’s really not much I could eat at the rest stops,” he said. “Maybe a cookie if I drank enough water with it to break it down.” Instead, he packed a few bottles of Ensure, which are loaded with carbs, and sucked one down whenever he was on the verge of bonking.

Sam rode with Kay Worrell, one of the nurses at The James who took care of him during his arduous chemo treatments. “When I got grumpy, and thought about quitting, I looked over at Sam, who was still peddling on,” she said. “His determination inspired me to continue. If he can do it; I can do it and I appreciated being able to share in his victory.”

The last 30 miles were very difficult for Sam. “From the surgery on my neck and holding onto the handlebars all that time, the muscles up the side of my neck were in agony and ready to quit several times,” he said. “But riding with Kay and (her friend) Anne, they kept me going.”

When he arrived in Athens, Sam was greeted by a small army of family and friends, all holding signs in honor of the man they call Super Sam. To them, Sam is super – and his courage and determination are an inspiration.

“It was very emotional,” Sam said of the finish.

Here's Sam and some of the members of his fan club at the end of the ride

The past few years have changed Sam is several ways.

“I’m more patient with people, more caring – and I really learned to appreciate the people who take care of people with cancer, my wife and the people at The James. I really admire them and everyone was so helpful. I’ve become friends with several of the people there.”

This thought came to me the other morning when I looked out the front window – and my car was covered in frost. Uh-oh, winter is here – and there’s not going to be too many more good riding days ahead in the next few months.

It's getting cold ... which means a lot less miles in the next few months

Fortunately, I recently hit my goal for the year when I went over the 5,000-mile mark. This is the third year in a row I’ve cracked this lofty number – and the third time in my life. I don’t think it’s a coincidence there have been three Pelotonia rides.

To many of you, 5,000 miles may seem like a crazy amount of miles, something beyond your comprehension – or desire to pedal. And yes, I may be a bit on the obsessed side when it comes to cycling. Then again, mileage, like everything else in life, is all relative.

I know a guy, an ultracycling buddy, who is over 25,000 miles for the year, including 200-plus century rides.

And then there’s Tommy Godwin, who in 1939 rode his 30-pound bike a total of 75,065 miles to set a world record that has yet to be broken. Click here to read more about this amazing accomplishment.

There’s no way I’m going to try and beat Tommy’s record, or even top my friend’s mark of 25,000 miles. But one day, one year, my goal is to ride 10,000 miles. But it’s probably not going to be 2012.

We have featured the Top 10 pelotons (in terms of money raised) on our website the past several months, but now it’s time to expand the list to brag about and thank our Top 30 Pelotonia pelotons.

The Top 30…

1. Limited Brands ($4,115,308)

2. Team Huntington ($2,035,503)

3. Team Buckeye ($1,838,947)

4. Cardinal Health ($402,098)

5. Stefanie’s Team of Hope ($267,823)

6. Team Bexley ($243,601)

7. JPMorgan Chase ($236,268)

8. Turner Construction Peloton ($169,606)

9. Central Ohio Primary Care ($131,756)

10. Team Exel ($122,039)

11. AEP Energizers For A Cure ($119,092)

12. Team ScottsMiracle-Gro ($82,523)

13. Team Battelle ($81,417)

14. Porter Wright ($78,689)

15. Team Speranza ($72,321)

16. Team Darnell (63,959)

17. Continental Office Peloton ($58,616)

18. Nationriders ($57,442)

19. Powered By Pepperoni ($56,650)

20. Simply Community ($56,325)

21. Red Capital Group ($53,769)

22. Team Abbott Nutrition (51,907)

23. Girls With Gears ($50,242)

24. Resource Interactive ($49,623)

25. Brett Jump’s Bicycle Brigade ($46,666)

26. Spring for a Cure ($46,153)

27. The New Albany Peloton ($41,864)

28. Athletic Club of Columbus ($37,121)

29. RockBridge Capital ($30,421)

30. Team OIC ($28,739)

Being a member of a peloton is a fun and rewarding experience – and requires a minimum of five riders. If your company, organization or group of friends would like to form a peloton for Pelotonia 12, and you need some help/advice about how to get started, contact Pelotonia’s Susie Pattison, our director of rider recruitment and stewardship: spattison@pelotonia.org.

Michael Smith saves people’s lives for a living.

But there was nothing he could do as his wife, Karen, battled lung cancer and gradually grew sicker and sicker.

Here's Karen and Michael

“Not being able to save her was the hardest thing to get over,” said Michael, 44, who is a firefighter paramedic with the Grandview Heights Fire Department and flight paramedic with MedFlight of Ohio.

Karen passed away on January 18. In honor of his wife, the mother of their two sons, Elias, 20, and Zane, 16, Michael is determined to raise more money than any other single Pelotonia rider. He’s already over $8,000 and has several fundraising events planned to increase his total.

Training for Pelotonia and raising money to beat cancer, has helped Michael through the difficult grieving process he’s in the midst of dealing with.

“In talking to grief counselors, they say you need something to do, something that’s purposeful,” he said. “This fundraising for Pelotonia has helped me the most. I can be feeling down and out and can look at the emails people have sent or the new donations that come in and it lifts my spirits. And I can be having a bad day and go for a 20 mile ride and some of the badness goes away.”

Michael and Karen met in December 1986 – and it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.

“She basically slammed the door in my face,” Michael said.

It seems Michael’s best friend was dating Karen’s sister – and stopped by their house to pick up the sister and take her to a party.

“Karen was waiting on her friends to pick her up and thought it was her friends at first at the door, and she was anxious to go out with them and it turns out it’s not anyone she knew at the door,” Michael said.

But a slammed door couldn’t stop true love. The two started dating soon after – and were married on July 21, 1989.

“She was a lot smarter than I am and really determined to make something out of her life and be a good all-around person and that’s what attracted me … and quite frankly I’m not sure what she saw in me,” Michael said. “She knew I was working to be a paramedic and that meant a trying lifestyle.”

What Karen most likely saw in Michael was someone who cared about helping others, and was in the early stages of a heroic career.

“What I like about the work isn’t so much the excitement,” Michael said. “I enjoy going in to help people on arguably the worst day of their lives.”

Time passed happily for Michael and Karen … and then time stood still on October 3, 2010 – one of the worst days of their lives. This was the day when the couple learned Karen had cancer.

“I can remember with absolute clarity what was going on,” Michael said of the day. “She had had a biopsy (for a growth above her left collarbone) and the surgeon came out and shook my hand and as we were walking to the consultation room he said, ‘It’s cancer.’ Everything slowed down and became a blur … and then my focus was to learn as much as I could about this and be strong for Karen and support her in everything she wanted to do.”

The hardest part, Michael said, was telling Elias and Zane the news.

“We didn’t hide anything from them and we explained the process and chemo she was going through,” he said.

Karen was treated at The James by a team led by Dr. Gregory Otterson.

“The thing that sticks out in my mind was how knowledgeable the staff was and how they talked pretty straightforward about what was going on and what will happen, and about what the chemo will do,” Michael said. “At the same time they were upbeat and there for you and gave us hope this could be beaten and that they were fighting for you. At no point did I feel alone and Dr. Otterson and his team were always there for us.”

There were several ups and downs during Karen’s treatment, but she never gave up hope and remained optimistic she would beat the cancer in her lungs.

“Then she got pneumonia and that led to a rapid decline in her health and ultimately her death,” Michael said.

Michael has struggled the past two months, although getting back to work and fundraising for Pelotonia have helped. He’s determined to ride the 180 miles from Columbus to Athens and raise a lot of money.

“When Karen got really sick I told her I would try and raise more money than any other single rider, to honor her,” he said, adding the support of family and friends and fellow firefighters and paramedics have helped him emotionally and have also helped him raise a lot of money.

Michael has several fundraising events lined up, including a beer tasting and events at a few restaurants in the Lancaster area, where he lives.

“This has changed me,” he said of the past few months. “Unfortunately, one of the things Karen always wanted to do was see Europe and we kept saying we’ll have time later, in our retirement years. What I learned is you have to live every day like it was your last and if there’s something you want to do, do it.”

BTW: Michael raised more than $25,000!

I was thinking about this during my annual work-up-an-appetite Thanksgiving day ride … and realized I have a lot to be thankful for, including: the chance to be part of Pelotonia and meet, interview, write about and ride with so many of you. Thanks.

Oh yeah, I’m also thankful for my super-great bike and my wonderful wife Susan (although not in this order).

Chemotherapy was always a special time for Sue and Matt Ising.

The story of Matt and Sue is a love story

“There were a lot of people who wanted to sit with Sue during chemo, but we were selfish about it, we didn’t want to share that time with anyone else,” said Matt, who always brought along a gift for his wife.

The presents included a purse, bracelets, sunglasses, flip flops, clothes, an alpaca shawl to keep Sue warm during all those chemo sessions.

“They were little things, trinkets, but some were big trinkets … and she deserved it,” Matt said.

After chemo at The James, Sue and Matt always went to lunch, usually to the First Watch in Upper Arlington.

Turning the drudgery, stress and discomfort of chemo into something special is one of the many examples of how this brave and loving couple made the most of a difficult situation, creating memories for their family and friends – and leaving behind for everyone she touched the legacy of Sue’s courage and caring.

Sue died on Dec. 26, 2010, a day after her favorite holiday.

“I was lucky and thrilled that she was my wife,” said Matt, who is a full-time member of the National Guard. It also seems Sue was fortunate to have Matt.

The Isings met in 1986 and were married two years later, on October 22. Soon after they were married, they adopted their niece, Heather, who was 3 at the time. They had three other children, Derrick, Katelynn, who is 16, and Noah, who is 15.

Family was so important to Sue - shown here with Heather

Derrick passed away unexpectedly on July 31, 2008. He was 19.

In August 2009, Sue wasn’t feeling well, and doctors eventually found a tumor on her liver. Her initial prognosis wasn’t good, maybe three to five years, but the Isings never gave up hope.

“On September 22, 2009 they operated and took out 60 percent of her liver,” Matt said. “We knew the life expectancy, that no one with cancer like this lives more than five years, but you can’t look that far forward.”

Sue’s attitude was always: I can beat this.

“We viewed it as, we have three years, and maybe that will become four, and maybe by then something will break (in terms of treatment) and we’ll be OK,” Matt said. “It never crossed our minds that we wouldn’t beat it.”

Sue’s cancer was persistent and kept growing, despite round after round of chemo. Nevertheless, life went on, and so did Sue, who Matt calls the ultimate mother. Time became precious – and Matt and Sue made the most of every minute.

In May 2010, Sue hosted a baby shower for Heather. This would be Matt and Sue’s first grandchild – and Sue planned a trip to Las Vegas to be there when the baby was born.

Matt created Team Malibu Sue in honor of his wife

In June, 2010, Matt and Sue – who always loved the thrill of a good amusement-park ride – took the family to Disneyworld.

“I remember we weren’t there two hours and Sue said I’ve had enough of this wig,” Matt said of the bulky, hot wig she’d been wearing since her hair fell out. “She said, ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks,’ and took it off.”

The kids took turns pushing Sue, who could walk a bit, but was weak and in a wheelchair, and everyone had a great time.

In August 2010, Matt rode Pelotonia, riding the 102-mile route to Athens.

“I couldn’t believe the wave of emotion that came over me when I finished,” he said. “Part of it was the physical exhaustion and the accomplishment and part of it was doing it for Sue.”

When Madison was born on September 25 – Sue was there.

“She was in the hospital, we have pictures of her holding Madison within hours of her birth,” Matt said. “A few days later Sue called and I could hear it in her voice, she said she wasn’t feeling well, was tired and was experiencing some swelling and discomfort – and wanted to come home. She’d saved up all her energy for Madison – and it took its toll.”

A scan a month later showed the cancer had spread to Sue’s spleen, pancreas and lungs – and Matt and Sue began to realize she might not get her full three years. Time became even more precious.

Noah – a sophomore – plays soccer and was the junior varsity field goal kicker for the Canal Winchester High football team this past season. Sue was determined to go to the homecoming football game.

Canal Winchester won easily – and Noah played for the first time in a varsity football game, kicking an extra point.

“She got to see Noah play in his first varsity game, the tears were rolling down her cheeks and, sitting there in the stands with my wife of 22 years, at that moment all I could think was that life was good,” Matt said.

Soon after Thanksgiving there was more bad news: Sue’s liver had stopped functioning. Now, it was only a matter of weeks.

“The hardest part was telling the kids,” Matt said.

Here's Matt during Pelotonia

Christmas had always been Sue’s favorite holiday. “If she had her way, the decorations would have gone up right after Labor Day,” Matt said.

It was suddenly 10 days until Christmas, Sue was going to be home from the hospital, and the decorations weren’t up.

“Katelynn orchestrated it and a few of my buddies in the National Guard helped – and Christmas exploded in our house,” Matt said. Heather and Madison visited and “Sue got to hold Madison and Madison would laugh whenever she held her, and all the kids got a chance to talk to her and she got a chance to talk to them.”

As Christmas approached, Sue got sicker and weaker, and was eventually moved to hospice care.

On Christmas Day, she drifted in and out of consciousness while family members visited.

“At the end of the day, I knelt down and said a rosary and then I told her I was going to take the kids home. I said, ‘See you later; I love you,’ and then she woke up and leaned forward and took my hand and said, ‘I love you,” and then she closed her eyes and went to sleep.”

Sue died the next morning at about 5 a.m.

“She was the ultimate mom, everything she did was for the kids,” Matt said. “And she was always available for anyone who needed anything, she was generous with her time and she loved an adventure, to just get in the car and go someplace we hadn’t been before. She wanted to open every door possible for her kids.”

The past several weeks have been difficult for Matt, who said the support of family and friends and going back to work has helped. “I have my moments every day; I just miss her more than anything else.”

Matt is organizing the Team Malibu Sue peloton for Pelotonia11. This was Sue’s nickname, in honor of her love of adventure – and the beach.

“Last year, I rode Pelotonia as a release,” Matt said. “This year I’m on a mission. I want to establish a peloton that will grow every year. What this ride does dials exactly into what Sue needed and it helps a place, The James, that cared for her and that she cared for a lot.”