Targeting Cell Pathway may Prevent Relapse of Leukemia

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100325151342.htm


About 40 percent of children and up to 70 percent of adults in remission from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) will have a relapse. In recent years, doctors have come to believe that this is due to leukemia stem cells, endlessly replicating cancer cells that generate the immature blood cells characteristic of leukemia and are resistant to typical cancer treatments. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have found a possible way to kill off these cells, and prevent them from initiating a relapse. The study, published online March 26th in the journal Science, shows that leukemia stem cells cannot thrive without a particular cell pathway, known as the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, suggesting that targeting this pathway may prevent the growth and development of AML.

Scott Armstrong's (senior author of the study) work is funded in part by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Week of 4/5/2010 in Review

Sorry, I'm a bit late in posting this.  Here's last week's training log:


Monday 4/5
Tuesday 4/6
Wednesday 4/7
Thursday 4/8 - Loops at Veloway and Autobahn - 18.2 miles
Friday 4/9
Saturday 4/10 - Group Riding Skills on the Autobahn with Team in Training - 34.3 miles
Sunday 4/4

Total mileage: 52.5 miles

Week of 3/29/10 in Review

Last week's training log:

Monday 3/29
Tuesday 3/30
Wednesday 3/31 - Ride out to Southwest Parkway - 16.8 miles
Thursday 4/1
Friday 4/2
Saturday 4/3 - Manor Ride with Team in Training - 45.3 miles
Sunday 4/4

Total mileage: 62.1 miles

Rosedale Ride 2010

 

http://www.rosedaleride.org

This past Saturday we rode in the Rosedale Ride, their sweet 16.  We did the 42.4 mile route -- and finished!  It's our longest ride to date.

For me, it was actually a little bit easier than I thought it would be.  Don't get me wrong, it was a looooonnng ride, but we settled into a steady 10-12 mph pace and just went.  Miles 25-30 were the hardest for me - the saddle and I were not getting along.  But after the last rest stop, I just got back on the bike and felt pretty fresh again.

Chris did well until about mile 35.  He had to push through the last 7 miles or so.  We think he might not have had enough to eat during the ride.  It's crazy how many variables you have to manage on a ride that long.  Make sure you hydrate, make sure you get enough calories so you won't run out of glucose, keep your cadence quick and steady, stay on top of what gear you're in and managing shifting, etc., etc.  We're getting better and better and keeping on top of it all.

Bikes have to brush their teeth too -
cleaning the bike the night before

Quick rest before finishing out the last leg of the ride

Finish line, sweet finish line!

Week of 3/22/10 in Review

Last week's training log:

Monday 3/22
Tuesday 3/23 - Ride out to the Autobahn and back - 18.3 miles
Wednesday 3/24
Thursday 3/25 - Around the neighborhood - 10 miles
Friday 3/26
Saturday 3/27 - Rosedale Ride - 42.4 miles
Sunday 3/28

Total mileage: 70.7 miles

Blocking Cancer in its Path: New Cellular Defect Discovered

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316152520.htm

UCSF researchers have discovered that a key cellular defect that disturbs the production of proteins in human cells can lead to cancer susceptibility. The scientists also found that a new generation of inhibitory drugs offers promise in correcting this defect. According to the study team, this discovery has broad clinical implications in the fight against cancer and could affect treatment of lymphoma and many other forms of the disease, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, brain cancer and multiple myeloma. 

The findings are featured as the cover story in the March 16, 2010 issue of the scientific journal Cancer Cell. The discovery was made in the laboratory of UCSF faculty scientist Davide Ruggero, PhD, whose lab team is doing research in the burgeoning field of study on how defects in protein synthesis can lead to cancer susceptibility. 

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Ruggero is a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Scholar.

St. Patty's Day!

I'm a little bit behind in posting these.  We received $450 in donations from Operation: Leprechaun, just under half of our challenge.  To celebrate, I got some colored hair spray for some temporary green hair (had we hit the $1000, I would have done the leave-in "temporary" dye).  I also thought about coloring only half of my hair, but that proved too difficult to apply.

"Hair dye" of choice,

Still had to fit in a workout. Had tried some green stripes.

Ready to head out to Sherlock's.

Met up with some friends.

It's not St. Patty's without a green beverage!

Good times with good friends!

Week of 3/15/10 in Review

Here's what we did last week in terms of training.

Monday 3/15
Tuesday 3/16
Wednesday 3/17 - Hill Repeats on Lost Creek - 8.1 miles
Thursday 3/18
Friday 3/19 - Veloway - 12.8 miles
Saturday 3/20
Sunday 3/21 - Loop around the Autobahn and Veloway - 18.3 miles

Total mileage: 39.2 miles

Gap Give & Get - 30% off for you, 5% to LLS

March 18th-21st: For 4 days, enjoy 30% off while Gap gives 5% of the amount you spend to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Get the coupon

Good at Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Outlet Stores and Old Navy.

Then you could donate that 30% you save to our fundraising campaign - http://pages.teamintraining.org/ctx/Fiesta10/clowey. Just sayin'.

The Power of Your Money

$5000    Supports more than one week of research for a medical researcher at UCSF, Stanford, or Berkeley who may discover key information to developing curative treatments for blood cancers.

$1000    Allows 20 patients to log on to a webcast and hear the latest information in treatment for their disease.

$500    Provides a blood cancer patient with financial assistance for one year.

$200    Provides a Family Support Group Program for one year for a patient and their family.

$150    Allows 5 patients to make a First Connection with a trained peer volunteer.

$100    Provides 3 patients access to an information teleconference.

$75    Is the average cost of tissue typing to become a bone marrow donor.

$50    Is the cost of a CT scan

$25    Covers a single prescription co-payment.

Fundraiser Night at Craig O's Pizza and Pastaria

WHEN:
Monday, March 22nd

WHERE:
Craig O's Pizza and Pastaria
4970 W US 290
Austin, TX 78735
View Map

RSVP (nice, but not required):
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/IBQAJXCBVNAMAHYNWUZI/CraigOFundraiser

WHAT:
We are training for a century ride and raising funds for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as members of Team in Training and are hosting a fundraiser night at Craig Os.

HOW:
Craig O's at Mopac & 290 will donate 10% of orders for dine-in, take-out and delivery from 5pm-close on Monday, March 22nd.

DETAILS:
Chris and Julie will be at Craig O's at 7pm to eat and hang out, but come in earlier or later if you can't be there at 7pm.  All orders from that evening will be included in the total, so please come by when you can or order out from them.

Note, the fundraiser is only applicable at the 4970 West 290 location.

Please bring your friends and family!  Hope to see you there!

Finally, you can read more about our adventures at our website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ctx/ambbr10/TheLoweRiders. You can also make a direct donation there if you are interested or won't be able to join us at Craig O's. 

Week of 3/8/10 in Review

Here's what we did last week in terms of training.

Monday 3/8
Tuesday 3/9 - Easy ride - 6.3 miles
Wednesday 3/10
Thursday 3/11
Friday 3/12 - Loop around the Autobahn and Veloway - 15 miles
Saturday 3/13
Sunday 3/14 - Ride out to the Veloway - 17.9 miles

Total mileage: 39.2 miles

Operation: Leprechaun

St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching and we are posing a challenge: If y'all donate a total of $1000 between now and St. Patty's Day, Julie will dye her hair green! (Further humiliation can be discussed if we exceed this goal!)


TURN JULIE'S HAIR GREEN

Details: Donations must be submitted online by 11:59pm on Tuesday, March 16th.  If the $1000 goal is reached, Julie will dye her hair green on the 17th, St. Patty's Day.  Note, only new donations count.  Therefore with the $215 online donations currently in our account, the total will need to be $1215 for hair dying to commence.

Week of 3/1/10 in Review

Here's what we did last week in terms of training.

Monday 3/1 - Spin Class at Castle Fitness - 1 hour
Tuesday 3/2
Wednesday 3/3 - Ride out to the Veloway - 13.5 miles
Thursday 3/4
Friday 3/5
Saturday 3/6 - Team In Training Ride in Creedmoor - 33 miles
Sunday 3/7

Total mileage: 47.5 miles

Creedmoor

Saturday's TEAM training was in Creedmoor, where we did what those that are more familiar with the Austin cycling scene know as the "Tuesday Nighter."  For those like me that are just learning, it's 9-mile loop that was the local "World Championships."  It wasn't a real race, just an opportunity to earn bragging rights.



For our training purposes, we rode the loop 3 times.  Plus 6 miles to and from the parked cars, so we logged roughly 33 miles.  After two loops, we stopped at the SAG vehicle for a snack and I noticed that my back tire was low.  It appeared to be a slow leak, so we pumped it back up to pressure and headed out.

Our Team In Training coach, Prescott, rode with us on the third loop.  He had me do some Muscle Tension Intervals on the long inclines we were riding.  You put your bike into a big gear while you're on the incline and work your way up it pedaling at 50-60 rpm, about a walking pace.  Let me tell you, about 30 seconds into it, your quads start to burn!  And you try to keep this up until for about 8 minutes!  The goal is to teach yourself, and your muscles, that it doesn't matter how long the climb is - just get on, dig in, and get up it.

Chris was having some trouble with his saddle being uncomfortable.  To the point that he almost didn't do the third lap.  Coach Prescott told us that Bicycle Sport Shop has a gel seat, where you sit down and they can measure the width of your sit-bones and make a recommendation from there.  Sounds funny, but it works.  We checked that out Sunday morning and confirmed that Chris does indeed need a slightly wider saddle.  So that's his goal for this week: to find a saddle that works for him.  Any recommendations of saddles to try or places to shop for one?

You spin me right round

Yesterday we checked out a spin class at Castle Hill Fitness. They have been generous and offered Team in Training members sweet discount on one of their class cards. Before we purchase cards though, I wanted to try out the class.

The instructor immediately saw our Team in Training shirts and asked us what we were training for. According to her, the ride around Lake Tahoe is great, and "we don't need to worry about the altitude difference - they'll be feeling it too!" Not sure who "they" are, but I'm pretty sure they will be doing better than me.

She pushed us pretty hard - we worked on hills, on cadence, on sprinting. My legs burned! But that's how you get stronger, right? And I need to get stronger. I found an elevation map of the ride, and am slightly terrified now - we have to climb a small mountain starting in mile 12. But it's terrified in that it's-good-to-be-challenged way. Though looking at the elevation map again, it still looks daunting.

For the cyclists out there, how do you train to get better at climbing? I can use all the tips and hints I can get!

Improvised Workout

Julie and I planned to meet the TNT Cycling group at the Veloway tonight, but our car had other plans for us. We have a "fancy car" (Toyota Camry Hybrid) which doesn't have a key. It recognizes you are there by the clicker in your pocket. We found out today what happens when the batteries run out! We loaded the bikes up and the car wouldn't unlock. So, we headed out from our house to the Veloway on the bikes. Its only 5 and a half miles each way. We had a good 15 mile ride (we have a long way til the 100 mark) and luckily we had some winter wear. It was about 50 degrees out which gets a bit chilly when you are riding at 15 miles an hour. All in all we had a good workout and are fueling up for the next.

Where does the money go?

As part of Team in Training, we are raising money to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). You may be wondering, what happens to my donation?

LLS is one of the most efficiently managed non-profits in the country - just over 76 cents of every dollar is spent directly on mission-related activities.

Here are some examples of what a donation can buy:

• $25 - provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options
• $50 - makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members
• $100 - helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures
• $500 - could provide patient aid to a person with a blood cancer for a year
• $1,000 - makes possible one-on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team

Please donate now to support this wonderful organization and help us reach our goal!

Rain or Shine

Today's Saturday group workout was a Mission Workout. We began with all the teams - running, walking, hiking, and cycling - completing a mile in silence. Along the path were signs about why we are doing this - like that leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20. It was a very moving mile.

The only small issue was that it was misting all morning. Which put a damper on the cornering clinic we were supposed to do. We headed to a parking garage where we could get out of the rain to talk about the concepts in cornering. On the way there, we went down a very steep hill. In the rain. Did I mention that I didn't get a chance to take my bike out this week? So this was my first time on the bike in a year and a half - and I was careening down a slick hill with wet brakes. Challenging to say the least.

Then we did a couple hilly loops around the Northwest Hills area. Chris and I both experienced a couple "senior moments" - which lever shifts up vs. down? But we both finished, despite being out of shape. Overall a good first workout for us!

Now the training really starts...

The TNT training season kicked off on January 28th, which is when we signed up to participate. Then I left that weekend on a 17 day international business + a few days of fun trip, promptly missing the first 3 Saturday practices. I had good intentions of hitting the hotel gyms to get in a little bit of training in. However, between trying to rapidly acclimate to new timezones, doing business and fitting in some sightseeing, the gym slipped through the cracks.

So now I'm looking at the impending Saturday morning workout feeling a bit behind as it will be everyone else's fourth group workout. Plus from the email list, it looks like many of them are actually keeping up with the recommended weekly training schedule. I'm hoping all the walking I did while sightseeing may help me a tiny bit. This week's goal is to try to get out on the bike at least once before Saturday. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Joining Team iN Training (TNT)

At the end of January we signed up with Team iN Training (TNT) and committed to raising $8,400 and to complete a 100 mile bike ride, America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, at Lake Tahoe on June 6th. We had a number of reasons for joining:

1. We both want to get into better shape, and this is a program that will push us and keep us accountable
2. The program came VERY highly recommended from a good friend that participated previously and did a marathon in Alaska
3. It supports a great cause - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a nonprofit health organization dedicated to finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma

If you've visited our fundraising page, you know that we are riding in honor of Chris's grandfather, who battled chronic lymphatic leukemia last year and is (thankfully) in remission. So this is personal for us.

Finally, I want to note that we are not expert cyclists. Getting out there for a 20 mile ride is fun, but the thought of riding 100 miles - all at once - is slightly intimidating! Not to mention that the last time we trained for riding in an organized ride was over a year ago. The longest ride we have ridden in was 35 mile in November of 2008. So this will definitely be an adventure.