Tom Butler: 0:04

This is the Cycling Over 60 Podcast, season 2, episode 4, the Great Cycle Challenge, and I'm your host, tom Butler. I have 46 days left of my 10-week program to drop 20 pounds before I start training for my Nick's Cycling Challenge. I felt better about my effort this week than last week. I made to the gym finally, and I would have done more rides this week, but we got hit by a few days of poor air quality. The meals have been going well. Last week I mentioned I need to do a better job of meal planning and I definitely did that this week. Overall, I think I can only give myself a C grade for the effort this week, but at least it was a step up from last week.

Tom Butler: 0:53

One thing I know for sure that I haven't been doing that makes a difference is getting my cyclin' clothes, or gym clothes, out first thing in the morning. If I lay them out so that they're ready to go, I see them every time I pass by. That makes it more likely I will put them on and actually get out. I have learned that once my cyclin' clothes are on, I almost always go for a ride. Since I work from home, it does make it easier to do this. Here's maybe the biggest improvement. At this point I think I have reset my dopamine receptors a bit.

Tom Butler: 1:22

I know that I am heavily driven by dopamine when it comes to eating. For anybody who's unfamiliar with dopamine, it is a major driver of behavior. I believe everyone should read the book Dopamine Nation by Ann Lemke. The bottom line is that dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is heavily involved in driving behavior. In my case, I know that I start feeling flat at times, not really depressed, but just kind of a low energy, blah feeling. I've learned that getting up from my seat at these times and grabbing something to eat changes that feeling. But that learning isn't only on the cognitive level. My desire to get up and get something to eat is a way of stimulating dopamine production. My body is driven to snack not by logic, but by a different drive that is centered in the learning areas of my brain that dopamine activates. The drive is to find stimulating snacks, that is, things that are high in sugar, fat and salt.

Tom Butler: 2:14

For me, pizza seems to be the most stimulating of foods. Just thinking about it here makes me want to have pizza right now. But it isn't a pizza desire coming from my rational, cognitive part of my brain. It is a desire that comes from the drive to sufficiently saturate my dopamine receptors. So in effect, I become a pizza zombie where my brain is controlled by this powerful neurotransmitter. If that sounds kind of like an addiction, it's because dopamine is a huge element in addiction.

Tom Butler: 2:42

Here's the real sinister part when I am turning the snacks to get a dopamine hit, over time it takes more and more to get the same effect. So over time, even though I am snacking, I still get that flat feeling that leads me to snack or overeat in the first place. So I'm doing something unhealthy and yet not getting the hit for it. But in the last few days I'm feeling less of a drive to snack. While I believe it takes a good 30 days to really reset the dopamine system, seems that I am seeing some progress already and I will only see more improvement over the next 46 days. The really good news is that the less dopamine hits I get from food, the more impact there is from the dopamine hits I get from biking. Well, I am still on track to lose 20 pounds, but let's see if I can ramp up all the areas a little bit next week.

Tom Butler: 3:37

I only have 7 days until the start of the Great Cycle Challenge. Please consider helping me support child cancer research by contributing to my Great Cycle Challenge campaign. You can find the link to my Great Cycle Challenge donation page in the show notes or just search for Tom Butler on their website at the Great Cycle Challenge. Because the Great Cycle Challenge played such a big role in my return to cycling, I reached out to see if someone from the organization could come on the podcast. I am so happy that they did so. Here's my interview with the people behind the Great Cycle Challenge. This is a special podcast in my view because I am joined by some people with an organization that really launched all this. For me, with me today is Elizabeth Allen, the CEO of the Children's Cancer Research Fund, and also Charlie Manzoni, who is a longtime participant with the challenge and a board member. Thank you, guys, for joining me.

Elizabeth Allen : 4:30

Thanks for having us, tom. It's great to be here.

Charlie Manzoni: 4:32

Well, thank you, tom, it's a pleasure to be here.

Tom Butler: 4:35

So can you guys talk a bit about how the Great Cycle Challenge was founded? Maybe some of the inspiration behind the creation of the initiative.

Elizabeth Allen : 4:46

Absolutely so. In 1979, 13-year-old Katie Hedgeback, who was from Minnesota, was nearing the end of her 16-month battle with leukemia, and before she died, katie had asked that the money she was saving for a 10-speed bicycle would be donated to a very little known fund called Children's Cancer Research Fund at the University of Minnesota. We call it CCRF for short, and with that seed of support from Katie and her family, ccrf has grown to contribute over $200 million in funding for national-wide research, education and quality of life programs for children with cancer. So Katie never got the chance to ride that new bike. So now we all ride to realize her dream of a world without childhood cancer. And since the first Great Cycle Challenge event in 2015, our community of riders from all 50 states have ridden nearly 30 million miles and raised more than $63 million in support of research to develop better treatments and carry on Katie's legacy.

Tom Butler: 5:50

Wow, that's $63 million. That has really been put to good use. That's fantastic, Absolutely. You know this starts, as you said, as a kind of a small effort with a small fund, but it has certainly evolved over time. I'm wondering if you have some milestones that have been achieved or significant things that have happened over time.

Elizabeth Allen : 6:12

Well, absolutely. I mean Children's Cancer Research Fund was founded by Katie's family in 1981, and we've had lots of milestones, but related to the Great Cycle Challenge. The first Great Cycle Challenge USA event was hosted in 2015. And we were joined by more than 12,000 riders who raised more than $1.6 million, which is pretty incredible if you think about it for a first year event, especially looking back at 2015. This was pre-pandemic and virtual rides and events of this nature, and to think back to that and see that success is pretty incredible.

Elizabeth Allen : 6:54

And in 2017, we introduced our group rides to introduce a more personal, in-person element that motivates riders to connect with other riders in their local area. 2020, when the pandemic was obviously affecting the world, our riders rallied and raised more than $14.8 million in one year and rode 12.6 million miles. $2.3 million of that $14.8 million was raised on one day alone, which was Kick Cancer's Butt Day, where all the donations were matched up to $1.5 million. And then, in 2021, we first landed among the top 30 US peer-to-peer fundraising programs, a community including organizations like the American Heart Association's Heart Walk, alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's, and National MS Society's Bike and Walk MS, in which we all work together to uplift and support other non-profit peer-to-peer fundraisers like GCC.

Charlie Manzoni: 7:52

And Tom, just to be clear. I think it is, but I want to make it clear Children's Cancer Research Fund is the charitable organization that runs the Great Cycle Challenge, which is one of its fundraising events. So the Great Cycle Challenge is not a separate entity. It's the Children's Cancer Research Fund, that is the 501C3 organization that raises money in many different ways, the Great Cycle Challenge being the most significant.

Tom Butler: 8:21

Yeah, I think that's an important thing to point out and for people who don't understand, why is childhood cancer research so important.

Elizabeth Allen : 8:29

So cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States. I don't think a lot of people know that, and many of today's treatments like chemotherapy and radiation really haven't improved in many years. They have a significant side effects that affect children's growing bodies for the rest of their lives. So today we only have six drugs that were approved in the first instance for use in cancer treatment for children. We need treatments for kids that are targeted, ones that can seek out and destroy cancer cells only and leave the healthy ones alone to prepare those growing bodies for a healthy, long life. Funding for childhood cancer research pales in comparison to funds available for research into adult cancers. In fact, as a percentage of cancer research funding from the federal government, childhood cancer research funding is in the single digits, and that just seems unacceptable to me and, I think, most of the riders and definitely our staff and supporters. It's crucial that we fund safer, more effective treatments and cures for childhood cancer. The road to new, better treatment options always always starts with philanthropic support.

Tom Butler: 9:37

You mentioned that the Great Cycle Challenge is one of the ways to raise funds, and there's other initiatives and other things. I'm wondering if you could share some success stories, some examples of how these funds make a difference.

Elizabeth Allen : 9:52

When we think about the money that the GCC riders raise, with a singular focus on childhood cancers. Ccrf can stay ahead of this ever-changing landscape and invest in research really strategically. The experts on our Scientific Advisory Board evaluate applications annually and identify the highest potential projects, and because we're not affiliated with any institution, we can fund the most promising research anywhere. To date, we have supported more than 180 researchers at 30 different research institutions. We focus on providing seed grants that allow researchers to prove their idea and then reach for even larger grants. This model is why, on average, for every dollar CCRF invests in research, our scientists are able to secure $18 of additional funding. On top of that. Our unique approach for funding research and support programs makes us the organization where your donation, big or small, will stretch as far as possible.

Tom Butler: 10:49

I love that aspect of having a big impact. When I'm out talking to people about supporting my campaign, knowing, and what I do is I say, hey, go to the website, check it out, go to greatcyclechallengecom, check out the organization, check out what they do, and I think that if people do that, they see the organization and the impact and everything, and so I think that's wonderful. Participants of the Great Cycle Challenge are often motivated by personal connections to child cancer, I believe. How do you foster a sense of community and support among riders?

Elizabeth Allen : 11:49

We can talk a little bit more with Charlie about that. So just to give you a little intro on Charlie's story in 2011, charlie's son, nick, was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, which is a rare bone cancer, and was treated at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. Thankfully and gratefully, we say that Nick was cured and is cancer-free.

Tom Butler: 12:12

Wow, awesome.

Elizabeth Allen : 12:13

So Charlie joined the Children's Cancer Research Fund Board in 2013. He was chair until 2018. But on top of all of that, charlie has ridden nearly 5,500 miles. He's probably going to make that number back in the dust this year. So I think Charlie could speak a little bit about how we have engaged folks with those connections and those experiences with childhood cancer and kept them along the journey, since he's been doing this from the beginning.

Tom Butler: 12:43

So, charlie, I'm guessing that you are part of the cycling over 60 crowd, is that?

Elizabeth Allen : 12:48

fair to say.

Charlie Manzoni: 12:49

That's fair to say. So yeah, so talk a little bit more. Cycling over 70 crowd.

Tom Butler: 12:54

Okay, okay, fantastic, well, awesome that you're staying with it and being involved with it. And again, how long have you participated so?

Charlie Manzoni: 13:04

the Great Cycle Challenge is in its ninth year. Right. I've participated in each of the nine events. I think I've raised over 80.

Charlie Manzoni: 13:14

And I've had different experiences every year. Most years I would just set a miles goal and I always set it so I could make it, and then about halfway through I would add to it and just keep stretching it out throughout the course of the event. And same thing with a fundraising goal. And I don't think people have to or necessarily need to have child cancer touch their lives directly. I mean, everybody can have an interest in finding cures for childhood cancer and, as Elizabeth was talking, I mean the amount of funding that's available for childhood cancer at the federal level and pharmaceutical companies. Because it's such a rare and small population that's affected, the economics are not there to get a large organization's interested in it. So organizations like CCRF are critical to provide I'll call it seed capital to emerging scientists who have ideas. They prove the efficacy of their ideas, enables them to go to NIH and get a bigger grant to take the next step in their research. We're seeding the people who otherwise would not be able to get funds to pursue their ideas.

Tom Butler: 14:31

I'm an example of someone. I don't have a child in my life that has cancer but that element that it is an underfunded thing, that the research is not as heavily funded as it should be, that was really an inspiration to me and one of the reasons that I did it for the first time last year and I'm doing it again this year. So talk to a bit about your son and kind of his battle. What was it like as a parent? If you go back to that first ride, what was it like as a parent? What pulled you in? What was some of the things that were inspiring you at that time?

Charlie Manzoni: 15:05

You know I mean back. Fortunately, when the first ride came along, 2015, nick had been a few years cleared of cancer. So I mean I was, it was. I mean it would be totally different if I were trying to do that in 2011 or 2012, when he was in the middle of his treatment and you didn't know the outcome His treatment for Ewing sarcoma and I may not have this precisely right, but I don't think the protocol for what he had has changed in 15 years. I don't know, it might be 20 years. Whatever it is, they found a formula, it worked and they kept doing it.

Charlie Manzoni: 15:41

It is a devastating cure. I mean to have chemo bombarding your body for weeks on end when you're 18 years old. It has lasting effect on other parts of the body. Nick is incredibly healthy. He's you know he climbed Mount Whitney two weeks ago, so I mean he's pulled through it remarkably. And you know a lot of kids do not have that outcome and it's. I challenge anyone to spend an afternoon at Masonic Children's Hospital, the fourth floor, and just see the range of children and what they're suffering for.

Tom Butler: 16:21

You have this connection to the ride and also connection to the Children's Cancer Research Fund and I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about that. What is your connection and kind of what do you do?

Charlie Manzoni: 16:34

CCRF, as Elizabeth mentioned, I've been on the board. I'm in my last year of being on the board. There's a 12 year term limit, so I'll be done it in December and so that I mean my connection with CCRF is serving on the board, serving on various committees. I chaired it for one year and I've been involved with the organization again very, very intimately for 12 years. My involvement with the ride as a person who's interested in the mission of CCRF and as a board member, I have a responsibility of raising money for the organization.

Charlie Manzoni: 17:10

And as someone who's a cyclist, when the organization has a fundraising event that involves cycling, I mean it doesn't take a lot to connect the dots and it's an easy way to raise money. You have, you know, you reach out to your network and people are more than willing to contribute to sponsor a ride. And it's a little different than just saying you know, I'd like your money. I'm going to do this many miles and I have this much to raise and I'm looking for sponsors to help me. And I mean it's been remarkable because I have, over the years, I've had people reach out to me that are among my sponsors before I would solicit them for the next year asking hey, are you riding in the Great Cycle Challenge event this year, or waiting to hear from you? You don't normally get that from normal fundraising activities.

Tom Butler: 18:02

One of the fun things I find is I have a group of friends that seem to enjoy trying to push me to ride to the point where you know I'm exhausted. So it's like, okay, I'll, I'll increase. If I see this much money come in, I'll increase my goal this much, and they're always willing to push me. So we'll see how far they take that this year. Do you have any words of encouragement or motivation for other riders and listeners who might be interested in joining the challenge?

Charlie Manzoni: 18:34

I think the encouragement, or motivation, is one. The mission is very important in terms of encouragement to people. Everyone has their own limits, right? I mean, for some people, putting a goal of riding 100 miles in a month might be, you know, remarkable for them to do that, and I so. Everyone is an individual in this program. It's not a race, it's a. It provides an opportunity to set some goals that help raise money for a very important cause and will help you, as an individual, improve your health by getting out on a bicycle and cranking some miles.

Tom Butler: 19:13

Yeah, and that was my journey. I got out. I wasn't sure. Well, I was at a poor fitness level last year, no doubt about that, and I got out and actually the Trek dealership owes you guys some, some funding or something, because I went out and bought a new bike and jumped on it and loved it and it got me, you know, focused on let's use cycling as a way to get back in shape and reverse some lifestyle diseases I had.

Elizabeth Allen : 19:42

I think, speaking to what Charlie was saying about, what's great about the Great Cycle Challenge is, you know, people like you, tom, who weren't in the best shape at the start of it, you know, used it as motivation, but it's really a place that we're welcoming all ages, abilities, backgrounds, states, anywhere you are, and you can set that personal riding goal and, with no entry barriers, we can really see riders push themselves that entire month of September. So we should call out the Great Cycle Challenge. It happens the entire month of September, which happens to be Children's Cancer Awareness Month, and so it's a perfect tie with ambassadors that are telling their stories throughout the month and others who are starting to pay attention to childhood cancer and the barriers and the obstacles that are facing these families and future families that are going to be impacted.

Tom Butler: 20:36

Now you guys do an excellent job. I want to call out a couple things in particular. One is the interface that you have for tracking. That I'm sure took some time to come about to be where it is right now, but I think that the whole process of logging miles and everything I used Strava and so it can connect. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the experience. People have the dashboard everything from getting registered to the ride to tracking the ride.

Elizabeth Allen : 21:09

You're right and I'm glad you're experiencing the rider dashboard as it was meant to be used to be easy to create group rides to fundraise off of. I don't know about you, tom, but I was just talking to my husband about Peloton and other exercise type pieces. I am a person who feels like they need to get credit for doing what I'm supposed to be doing just in my normal life, and so any activities dashboards like our rider dashboard or Strava or other pieces that we can tie into so that riders are feeling that sense of accomplishment on a daily, weekly, monthly basis always makes it an easier ride, for lack of a better way to say it, tom.

Tom Butler: 21:55

Donnelly, I love your comment that I want to get credit for what I do and I want people to see it. You know that's true If you don't have your Apple Watch.

Elizabeth Allen : 22:03

Did it really happen?

Charlie Manzoni: 22:05

Did you actually?

Elizabeth Allen : 22:06

burn a calorie if you didn't have your Apple Watch on.

Tom Butler: 22:09

Tom Donnelly. Yeah, so you know, and you guys do great things, like I just got notification of my defender status for, or defender badge or whatever you would call it for, this year. So there's a lot of really fun things in there. Cancer's Butt Day, if I'm saying that, right, the matching days, if you're, you know, wanting to be involved in something that's really interactive and really fun. I think the great cycle challenge is one of those things. Also, you do a lot of really fun things through social media, and so could you talk a little bit about social media efforts?

Elizabeth Allen : 22:45

Tanya Kralin, in tandem with really that that was no pun intended, by the way with fostering a sense of community among the riders.

Elizabeth Allen : 22:55

We really prioritize sharing the real stories of not only the children experiencing childhood cancer but also the experiences of our dedicated riders and their own personal connections to childhood cancer. So we're encouraging our participants use your social media, share the mission of great cycle challenge. I think to Charlie's point earlier about you'll be surprised by how people respond and get excited for you and happily contribute to your cause, particularly through social media and other pieces. We use a variety of tools so that you can keep that fresh on your social media channels templates, stickers, facebook and Instagram images, profile photo frames, all of the fun pieces to keep you and your network engaged in that piece. And I think we've heard that from riders before that have set pretty modest fundraising goals and their friends really knock it out of the park right off the bat and they're surprised at how easy it was to get support for the mission. And that makes it really exciting too to have to up that goal, because your first one got knocked out pretty quickly.

Tom Butler: 24:10

Those are all, I think, really good tools from someone like me who's writing and wanting to let people know about it.

Charlie Manzoni: 24:18

One of the other tools. You were talking about your use of Strava and tracking the ride. The other thing that the dashboard does a very good job of doing is tracking your sponsors, and not only for the current year, but for each of the prior years. So if you're looking for some historical support, it's right at your fingertips.

Tom Butler: 24:39

Yeah, and I get a notification when somebody donates and there's a link right there, you know, respond and that's again to me. It's really user friendly and it's really an effective tool to help the way that you guys have your website set up and all those efforts. Now I had a unique experience where I'm wearing my Great Cycle Challenge jersey from last year right now, although no one can see it, so you guys well, thank you.

Tom Butler: 25:10

Thank you, it does look great. You know, that's another thing. I've seen the jersey for 2023 and I definitely want that jersey to. It looks really great to. But I was at an event and I was able to set up a booth at the event a cycling over 60 booth and I just invited people to come share their stories about cycling over 60, which was super fun. But I was wearing this jersey at the event on one of the days and so I just had so many people that you know noticed the jersey, who knew what the jersey was about, who gave some good comments. In addition to the month of September, I'm wondering what kind of impact you think the visibility of the Great Cycle Challenge has, like all year long to help raise awareness or help people to be thinking about childhood cancer research.

Elizabeth Allen : 26:00

I think once people are touched by the mission of childhood cancer research and the need for it, it's hard to let that go and you don't just come back to it in September, particularly the ambassador stories, those kids people feel a very close connection to them and their story and wanting to support them. So beyond September and childhood cancer awareness month, this really brings that awareness to a larger group of people who might otherwise not know of the need or know how much they can impact the future of how our kids are being treated for this horrible disease.

Tom Butler: 26:44

You mentioned ambassadors. Could you talk a bit about that?

Elizabeth Allen : 26:46

Yeah, so we have eight ambassadors this year and those ambassadors are the bravest warriors I've ever had the honor to be introduced to, and they're kids from across the country who have been impacted by childhood cancer, diagnosed with childhood cancer, who are stronger than most adults I know and healthier, at least mentally, than many adults I know, in their grit and perseverance, and they are brave enough to share their stories and do whatever they can to support our writers, to get them motivated to be giving more money to research and learn more about these kids and these fabulous families that, while they're dealing with all of the medications and treatments and all of that, are taking time to tell all of us about their story so that the outcomes and the treatments are different for kids ahead of them.

Tom Butler: 27:44

I'm wondering, charlie, if you again it's been a number of years and do you have more than the typical connection to the Children's Cancer Research Fund and the Great Cycle Challenge. I'm wondering if you have a story that you could share that you think really brings out the impact the event has on people. Can you share a story about community element or the fun or other things about this event?

Charlie Manzoni: 28:11

Yeah, I mean one thing. So in 2019, I did a ride across the country from LA to Boston and as we got further to the east, when we started the ride, ccrf wanted to promote it for me and I said I don't want it.

Charlie Manzoni: 28:29

I don't know if I'm going to get past Las Vegas. I don't want any publicity, I just you know. So I got far enough along where I knew I was good and I said okay, I'll do some interviews and support this organization going forward. Now it was somewhere I don't know I think it was in Indiana or Ohio, I can't remember where and I did an interview with a local newspaper and or a radio show I can't remember which, but talking about the Great Cycle Challenge and the ride and all this stuff. And the next morning I got up and it was raining and we got on our bikes and we're heading out of the location and there's this woman with an umbrella standing on a corner in the rain with a $20 bill in her hand wanting to give it to the Great Cycle Challenge, and I was just blown away.

Tom Butler: 29:17

Wow, that's precious.

Elizabeth Allen : 29:19

I do want to say one thing I wanted to call out because Charlie is being humble and not sharing how it's great with the Great Cycle Challenge, because you can do it anywhere and wherever you are. Charlie, would you share with us where you're going to be logging the most miles this September for the Great Cycle Challenge?

Charlie Manzoni: 29:39

This September, if all goes as planned, I will be riding my bike with a friend of mine from Seoul, south Korea, to the Busan. It's called the cross country trail in Korea, so that'll be just shy of 400 miles.

Tom Butler: 29:57

Wow, what an adventure that will be. Yeah, is this your first time cycling in that area? Oh yeah, okay, that sounds like a great adventure. Maybe we can book you afterwards to give a synopsis of what that journey was like.

Charlie Manzoni: 30:13

That'd be really fun. I would be if we did it. I would do it with my friend and I mean it would be a more traditional cycling after 60 event than a Great Cycle Challenge. But we could mix them together.

Tom Butler: 30:26

Yeah, that would be awesome.

Charlie Manzoni: 30:28

You got to get to Busan first, though.

Tom Butler: 30:30

Yeah, we'll hold off, we'll let you get finished and have success, and I have a feeling like that's not going to be an issue. It sounds like you're someone that is able to finish things. You start.

Elizabeth Allen : 30:39

Absolutely.

Tom Butler: 30:40

I'm hoping that everybody that listens to this will be inspired and want to do the challenge this year. So can you just talk about the process of getting involved and getting up and going?

Elizabeth Allen : 30:51

It's pretty easy. If you go to greatcyclechallengecom and all the information will be there to sign up and, as Tom so graciously explained, you'll get your Rider dashboard all set up. We'll give you everything you need to start fundraising, and we'd love to have you, we'd really love to have you and you'll meet members of our team along the way as well. So we have a great team at Children's Cancer Research Fund that is keeping in pretty constant contact with our riders and here to support you anywhere you need.

Tom Butler: 31:23

Yeah, that's for sure, and that's another fun part of it. I really feel like a part of a community, so I think that's fantastic. Any final things you'd like people to know? Any final thoughts?

Elizabeth Allen : 31:33

Just keep riding and you really are making a difference. This is a core effort for, obviously, our organization, but I think everyone who cares about children's health and the future of our kids and help them leading healthy lives, and every dollar raised, is making a major impact on that effort, and so no amount or no goal is too small, and we just thank everybody for even considering joining us in the ride this September.

Tom Butler: 32:05

Well said. Well, Charlie and Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining me and I'm really looking forward to again the interaction that goes on with your staff and everybody there as they do it, and good luck. This year Everything goes smoothly.

Charlie Manzoni: 32:23

Thanks so much. Thank you, tom, and thank you for your participation.

Tom Butler: 32:27

Well, you're welcome and all the best on all your cycling ventures or other ventures that you have. Thanks, yep, bye for now.

Elizabeth Allen : 32:36

Bye.

Tom Butler: 32:45

Elizabeth and Charlie are so inspirational to me. A clarification is needed that Charlie has actually raised more than $90,000 through the Great Cycle Challenge for the Children's Cancer Research Fund and, of course, he has contributed in many ways as a member of the board. I really hope that he can come on after the trip he's doing in Korea. I think it would be very interesting to hear all about that experience. So I started a cycling over 60 team for the Great Cycle Challenge. I am the only one on the team for now, but I would love to be joined by anybody that also wants to take on the challenge. The team is currently not ranked not sure what that means but get signed up and set a goal and let's do this together.

Tom Butler: 33:27

If you don't want to do the challenge, please consider giving a small donation to the cause. You can find the link in the show notes to my campaign, or just go to thegreatcyclechallengecom and search for Tom Butler or search for the cycling over 60 team and you can find me there. Just in case it matters, donations can be done anonymously. I am really looking forward to September. In addition to the Great Cycle Challenge, I will be doing a couple of cascade bicycle rides as well, and I'm going to enjoy it getting a little bit cooler. I hope you are finding some good group rides. I would love to hear about your local bike club or rides that you were doing or things that are coming up. Please reach out through email or on Instagram. You can find those links in the show notes. Good luck with all your cycling adventures and remember age is just a gear change.