Team in Training needs Volunteers at the Water Stops for our 18 & 20 miler

Team in Training needs people to man Water Stations for the 18 & 20 miler!

We need help one last time this season for our biggest and longest training yet. If you’re not training right now come on out and support your fellow TEAM mates. If you are training, wouldn’t you love to have your family and friends out there supporting you? Do you know any kids who need community service hours? We need help to support our Team in Training Athletes training for the Chicago and Nike Marathons! Helping them helps to save lives as they are raising funds to find a cure! We are looking for volunteers to man our waterstops for our longest trainings of the fall marathon season, not only to pass out water and gatorade but to cheer our participants on and make these trainings extra fun and special and to show everyone on these paths training that day thatTEAM in TRAINING Rocks! When and Where: Saturday, September 4 & Saturday, September 18 on the Chicago Lakefront Specific waterstops will be assigned when you sign up! Who: Anyone who would like to come out and support the TEAM! *We will sign letters for anyone who uses this opportunity to get community for service hours. *If you are training these days this is a great way for your friends and family to show their support for YOU! Time: Training starts at 7:00 am. Not everyone will have to begin at 7:00 am and no one will have to stay the entire training unless they want to. Shifts will be assigned when you sign up. What do volunteers have to bring and what do they have to do? We will provide coolers with water and gatorade, cups and sports nutrition (power gels and bars). We will also provide directions to water stop locations. Volunteers need to bring their enthusiasm and support and anything else they would like to bring to support our athletes (snacks, fruit, signs, cowbells). They will pass out water and gatorade to our athletes and cheer them on. They can set up whatever kind of fun cheer station they want! Interested? Contact Marie Jarrell at 708-359-1989 ormysunbow@yahoo.com

Why you should donate $1 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

As you know I’m fundraising for the The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I want to reach my goal of $2,600 by June 1st.

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Why should you donate $1?

• An estimated 912,938 people in the United States are living with, or are in remission from, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma. 
• Every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. 
• Every 10 minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer.
• Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20. 
• Lymphomas are the most common blood cancers and incidence increases with age.
• The survival rate for myeloma is only 37.1 percent. Incidence is nearly twice as high among African Americans as for all other races.

What does the LLS do with your money? What has the LLS done?

• LLS has invested more than $680 million in research, approximately $69 million in fiscal year 2009 alone.
• Programs like the Specialized Center of Research (SCOR), which brings together teams of scientists from different disciplines and the LLS Translational Research Program, which funds research with a high probability of producing innovative patient treatments in an accelerated time frame, have directly contributed to many breakthrough cancer treatments.
• Research funded by LLS has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and new, targeted oral therapies such as Gleevec®.
• The LLS provides critical information and support for patients and their families:
• LLS has made 4.9 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals in fiscal year 2009, through it’s Information Resource Center (IRC), it’s award winning Web site and community-based patient service programs. 
• The LLS puts people together with experts through Web-casts and teleconferences, and provided professional education through seminars, to extend the latest findings to a broader professional audience.
• Advocating for issues impacting blood cancer patients:
• With more than 20,000 advocacy volunteers throughout the country, our voice is being heard by those responsible for legislation to fund blood cancer research and educational programs.

All of this information can be found on the LLS website at www.lls.org. 

I urge please donate $1 on my fundrasing website  for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and pass the link on to your friends. The change you have lying around in your pocket can save someone’s life. 

This July I become a Half Ironman to find a cure for Cancer.

This year I decided to race in the 2010 Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Triathlon this July in Benton Harbor, MI. More importantly I’m doing this to raise money for cancer research.

	In March of 2002 my Dad, Bob Sr., was diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to a combination of radiation and chemotherapy he survived. On Christmas Eve 2009 my Dad had a heart attack. The Doctors told my family that one of the contributing factors of my dad’s damaged heart was his cancer treatment. My Dad survived again and in my mind became Ironman for facing death twice.
Me with my Dad, AKA my hero and mentor

So I’m racing a half Ironman as a member of Team In Training to push myself to my limits, just like my dad and every other cancer patient that had to keep going to cross their own finish line and become healthy again. I’m raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) because it’s believed that once we find a cure for blood cancers other cancer cures won’t be far behind. Besides, I want to find a better cure so every cancer patient doesn’t need to be cured and then face another health challenge.

LLS has invested more than $680 million in research, approximately $69 million in fiscal year 2009 alone. Programs like the Specialized Center of Research (SCOR), which brings together teams of scientists from different disciplines and our Translational Research Program, which funds research with a high probability of producing innovative patient treatments in an accelerated time frame, have directly contributed to many breakthrough cancer treatments.

So PLEASE donate at least $1 on my fundraising webpage. My goal is to raise $2,600 for the LLS by July1st. Look out for other fundraisers through this blog and my twitter page.

For example,  my Party at Pump It Up Glenview on Monday June 21. Kids are $15 and Adults are free but asked for a $5 donation.

I Love you – Wish me Luck – Rock and or Roll \m/ – GO TEAM

Finally a video from the 2009 Chicago Tri Triple Challenge

I finally had a little time and I put together a little video of my experience in the 2009 Chicago Triathlon Triple Challenge. Take a look and enjoy.

Team in Training needs people to man Water Stations for the 20 miler!

We need help one last time this season for our biggest and longest training yet. If you’re not training right now come on out and support your fellow TEAM mates. If you are training, wouldn’t you love to have your family and friends out there supporting you? Do you know any kids who need community service hours? We need help to support our Team in Training Athletes training for the Chicago and Nike Marathons! Helping them helps to save lives as they are raising funds to find a cure! We are looking for volunteers to man our waterstops for our longest trainings of the fall marathon season, not only to pass out water and gatorade but to cheer our participants on and make these trainings extra fun and special and to show everyone on these paths training that day that TEAM in TRAINING Rocks! When and Where: Saturday, September 19 Chicago Lakefront Specific waterstops will be assigned when you sign up! Who: Anyone who would like to come out and support the TEAM! *We will sign letters for anyone who uses this opportunity to get community for service hours. *If you are training these days this is a great way for your friends and family to show their support for YOU! Time: Training starts at 7:00 am. Not everyone will have to begin at 7:00 am and no one will have to stay the entire training unless they want to. Shifts will be assigned when you sign up. What do volunteers have to bring and what do they have to do? We will provide coolers with water and gatorade, cups and sports nutrition (power gels and bars). We will also provide directions to water stop locations. Volunteers need to bring their enthusiasm and support and anything else they would like to bring to support our athletes (snacks, fruit, signs, cowbells). They will pass out water and gatorade to our athletes and cheer them on. They can set up whatever kind of fun cheer station they want! Interested? Contact Marie Jarrell at 708-359-1989 or mysunbow@yahoo.com to sign up or to ask questions.

Your Old Cell Phone Can Save Lives!

If you have a old cell phone lying around collecting dust give it to me!

Why, you ask? Your old cell phone can help cancer victims.

There is a company that will take old cell phones and make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Old cell phones and batteries will be recycled.

This is a win-win. You’re saving the environment and your saving lives.

Please e-mail me at bobby.dobroski@gmail.com or hunt me down on Facebook. We’ll figure out a way to get those old dusty cell phones to me. 

Or you can make a $1 donation using your credit or debit card on my Team in Training Fundrasing Page then pass on the link to your friends & co-workers!

This summer I will be competing in the Chicago Triathlon Triple Challenge. That’s a total of 68 miles of swimming, cycling, and running in one weekend to help victims of blood cancers. Just to break it down:  1.63 miles in the water, 44.67 miles on the bike, and run 10.85 miles!

My first Century Ride…El Tour De Tucson 2008!

I did it! I rode on my bike in El Tour De Tucson on November 22, 2008 in 8 hours and 49 minutes. The El Tour De Tucson is a 109 mile bike ride. More importantly I raised about $4,000 that will help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with TEAM IN TRAINING! Thanks to the Coaches at Team in Training and my new bike I’m a much stronger rider then I was last year. I might off finished faster but that wasn’t my goal. I’m going to save that goal for the next time I do El Tour de Tucson. This ride I had more important goals:

1. To finish all 109 miles of the El Tour De Tucson
2.  Finish Strong
3.  Stay Positive      
4. Be a inspiration to others
5.  Help pull my pace line team mates along the way.

The day was beautiful. I loved looking at the mountains. I told my team mate Heidi at one point, “It’s like looking at God’s Sand box…In a good way. I like Sand boxes.” The weather hit a high of 80 degrees. Their was a great tail wind. I can’t wait until the next time

Here is how the day went:

Race went off great. We crossed the Starting line around 7:15 am. The Pace line was determined to stick together. Our pace line got so many good compliments because we communicated and stuck together so well. We were taking short turns at pulling.

For non bike people when you are “pulling” you’re in front of the pace line while everyone else is “drafting.” When you draft you don’t work as hard and conserve energy. Everyone takes turns pulling to share the load.

Unfortunately the pace line broke apart through out the race.

•  Gale and Rose broke off before the first crossing. That was expected
• Sue was over heating before the second river bed crossing. She stayed back with Katie. Sue finished with Coach Al Later.
• We lost Mark around mile 66 at a long incline. Mark caught up with Tom and finished with him. Throughout the rest of the day we kept passing each other up at rest stops. In the end we got ahead of them.

At that was left was Brian, Heidi, and me.

Susan was the brains of our pace line. She planned out stops and help set our initial pace. Our goal was to make 6 minute stops at stations: D, I, M, & Q. But you never know what is going to happen race day…

• We stopped at “C” because we all had to go bathroom. I thought the lines were long for the porta potties. I decided to go up a little further and help water the cacti. We were there for about 10 minutes
•  “D” was short because all we had to do was drop off our extra gear with Katie’s parents and top off our water bottles.
•  “I” took too long because lines for bathrooms were too long
•  “M”, in my mind took too long. My rear wheel fell off because the nut came loose at that stop for what ever reason. I was able to fix it
•  “Q” was within limits. At that time my rear brake was out of alignment though. I was able to push the break and fix it.
• We had to stop a couple other times between stops for a refresher.

 There were two hills and some long inclines. The hills and the incline was my time to break away from Heidi and Brian. I felt really good and really strong. Our Barrington and St. Charles rides were worse in my mind. I thought, “Hey, I could ditch them and finish around 7 to 8 hours.” If I left them, I knew I wouldn’t reach my goal of helping my teammates pull. I couldn’t do it. I already let Sue, Mark, Gale, Katie, and Rose down. I wasn’t going to let Heidi and Brian Down.  The only thing I could really do was just to keep reminding Heidi and Brian how great they looked and kept cheering them on and everyone we passed up or passed us up.

 Heidi at times told me to “GO” so I kicked it up a notch. I went in to the drops and rocked out. There were times I thought I lost Brian and Heidi but I slowed down and they caught up. Incase I forgot to say Heidi’s job was to keep me in check. And a good job she did at that.

 There was this stretch of road along mile 90 were cars were really close. One car with PVC pipes hanging out of the passenger side, I thought, got too close to Brian and Heidi. That was the only time I cursed. I believe my direct quote was, “Watch where the #$%@ you are going you #$%^&^% @#$ %$#!!!”

 At the end for the last 3 miles, Heidi said along the lines off, “Alright Bobby let’s finish this.” According to Brian, “I took off like a rocket”. Heidi told her mom, who was waiting for us at the finish line,“I knew if you heard Bobby finishing, you would know I wasn’t far behind.” Heidi and Brian finished about 5 minutes behind me.

 When I crossed that finish line I was cheering and yelling at the top of my lungs!

 Heidi, Brian and I all ended up with Sliver Medals. At the Team in Training Tent the staff rewarded all of us with out 100 mile pin. For finishing a marathon, a triathlon and a century I was rewarded with the coveted Triple Crown Pin!

 Mark finished with Tom 10 minutes after we did. After I dropped off my Bike off at the Team in Training Trucks I saw Gale and Rose finish and cheered them on. Sue Finished with Coach Al.

 After the race people told me and my team mates that they were lucky to have me. That I made there day brighter and gave them that extra push.

 If I inspired people, well in my mind, then IT WAS THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT of the day for me.

 Thank you all of Team In Training for helping everyone cross the finish line. Thank you to all the participants that help fundraised over one million dollars for the LLS! 

A Letter to Team in Traing Cycle Alumni of the 2008 Tour de Tucson

I just rode the Tour de Tucson. It was an amazing experience. As soon as I got home rather then right down my experience first I wanted to write to my fellow cyclists at Team and Training. Here is that letter.

Dear Team and Training Cyclists,

 It’s Bobby here, the happy go lucky, out of control, spirit you all rode with for the past 3 and half months. I wanted to take a moment and say thank you.

First to all the Coaches for giving me the tools to help me finish a 109 mile bike ride.

Paula: For being my first Spin teacher and convincing me to do a cycle event.
Steve: For teaching me how to use my gears and get up hills with ease.
Al: Riding with my pace line for the first 40 miles at Tour de Tucson.
Julie Ann: For teaching me how to reach for my water bottle while riding my bike.
Angus: For being hard headed and getting the ball rolling for me to be a Assistant Cycle Coach.
Dan: For being a positive inspiration and showing everyone that every day is a beautiful day.

Second, to the people in my Pace line through out trainings and Tour de Tucson who had to deal with my bad jokes for hours on end.

Susan: For making it okay to be myself and encouraging my zest for life.
Hedi: For keeping me in line when I strayed too far.
Brain: For staying positive even though it was tough at times
Gale: For reminding me how freighting and exciting doing your first endurance event can be.

Third to all the members of Team that helped me reach my fundraising goal:

Gary and Bonnie: For teaching me how to gamble and win money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at the same time
Mark and Rose: For helping me at Jewel that one Sunday. If it weren’t for you two it would have been a beautiful day but a very lonely and non profitable one.
John V: For keeping and eye on my fundraising.
Clint and Marianne: For the two people who have been with me since I first started TEAM back and 2006 on the Chicago Marathon Team and supporting me the entire way. 

Fourth the happiest TEAM staff member I have ever met.

Tracy: For dealing with all my crap, jumping over hills to make me feel special event weekend and always having a smile.

Finally but not least, everyone that rode the Tour de Tucson and fundraised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is people like you that make it possible for people for, like my Dad, to survive cancer.

This is my 6^th time with Team in Training. Every experience is special and has a place in my heart. This experience made me feel I was in a Team because we all supported each other the entire way. I’ve never felt more part of TEAM then I have this season. Some of you told me how I inspired you with my energy, well, it goes right back. It’s AMAIZING PARTICPANTS like YOU who give me that super human energy. It’s the reason I show up to every practice and keep Team in Training part of my life. 

Thank you again, I love you all, and most importantly…

 GO TEAM

Bobby Dobroski

“You can be happy or you can be miserable, either way the distance is the same.” – Keegan Grant. A Little Boy who lost his battle to Cancer

Football Squares for Cancer Research

If you haven’t heard I’m riding 109 miles on my bike for victims of Leukemia & Lymphoma this November. I have 2 goals:

1. Raise $4,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
2. Finish The Tour De Tucson 109 mile bike Ride this November

The great coaches and participants of Team in Training are doing a great job helping me reach my second goal. Here is how you can help me with my first goal.

1. Donate $2, the price of a cup of coffee, on my fundraising website then pass the link to your friends and family and ask them to donate.
   The address is http://pages.teamintraining.org/il/tucson08/rdobroski.
2. Send me your old cell phone. There is a company that will send me a donation for old cell phones. If you have one lying around send it my way. It will either get refurbished or recylced .
3. Play my Bears football squares game. Each square is a $1. The winner can receive up to $50 and the other $50 will go to fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

In 2002 my dad was diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to great doctors and medicine he is with me today. I hope with my fundrasing others loved ones will be saved and not be put through the pain I saw my dad go through. Money that is donated goes to cancer treatment research and outreach programs to help cancer victims.

For more information visit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website.