While the Bay Area has been enduring a week of rain and the rest of the country is slogging through the depths of winter, my thoughts are turning to my annual quest to do something just a little different. But before I launch into my plans for 2009, I'd like to bring some of the new recipients up to date. For the past four years I have ridden my bicycle ridiculous distances in order to raise awareness and funds to fight Leukemia and Lymphoma. You can read my tales at my blog at http://notabouttheback.blogspot.com/ I've been doing this because, well, cancer sucks and I have a few friends that died from Leukemia, including my mother-in-law Margie Griffin. So when I'm not organizing reunions, or my day job, or my night job, I ride and raise funds. If you want to support me, and of course I'd be very appreciative if you did, visit my fundraising site at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/ambbr09/sasche For the new readers, you're up to speed. If you want some background, visit the blog as I said. Look for the entries about kamikaze squirrels, touching the floor, dieting tips, scary events, and how to crush walnuts with ones butt cheeks.

So this year's saga is a little different. The fine folks at Team in Training decided to allow me to be a coach. That's right, can you believe that. The funny thing is they know me too. They said that if the people you coach have half as much fun as you, then you'll do fine. Well, we'll see about that.

To be a coach you have to take a coaching class. I did that. I can now show you how to change a tire while your still riding your bike. Pretty impressive eh! They even had me take a CPR/AED and First Aid class. I spent last Sunday at the Red Cross sitting with a bunch of well-intentioned folks trying to revive the torso of a dummy. The instructor did not appreciate my comments about the dummy being beyond saving nor the comment about how my dummy never got to see Paris. Despite that, the instructor passed me. Now I am coaching certified and CPR certified so the next thing is to actually coach people. So that's what I'm doing. I'm one of the assistant coaches of the America's Most Beautiful Bicycling team. Can you believe that? That is the official name and these folks will be doing their first century rides on June 7th .

Check it out, there's a picture of me on my first day of coaching. It was like my first day of school. So join me every couple weeks while I indulge you with the latest tales from the road and the America's Most Beautiful Bicycling team's quest to do their epic ride. If you get a chance, support the cause