LIVESTRONG 2011 UPDATE

I started my 2011 LIVESTRONG journey by sending out a bunch of letters and emails. I posted to my blog and signed up on Twitter. OMG...things have really been happening! I have already received many donations and it's been great to hear from so many people! One person I was very excited to hear from was a gentleman I met at last year's LIVESTRONG Challenge! We became buddies and this year he made a donation via my fundraising page. I was so excited to later receive an email from him telling me more awesome news...he works for a company who is matching his donation! I can't tell you how excited I was when I read this news and to know we are going to see each other again this year! It has been so fun watching my LIVESTRONG themometer going up and up! 

I also made a donation bucket and put it at the bicycle shop, Buchanan Bicycles, who is a sponsor of my racing team!  So, if you happen to be in Buchanan Bicycles be sure to drop your change or a dollar or ten in my bucket!

 Ok, I told you I started a Twitter page and I have met so many really neat LIVESTRONGers! I have even met a couple who were married last year in Dripping Springs, TX the weekend of LIVESTRONG 2010. Their names are Brad and Jennifer! Brad even sent me a picture of their surprise wedding cake! Check it out! We've decided we are going to meet this year in Austin! It will be lots of fun!

There is also this really neat guy, Dylan Trakas, who works for LIVESTRONG. He and I were emailing each other as he was helping me with some questions I had. I felt really special when the other day I got the mail and there was a handwritten note from Dylan! He has been really helpful! Thanks Dylan! I hope we get to meet in Austin! 

I know I set a much bigger goal this year over last year but I really feel like I can reach it! My Poppy always told me I could do anything I really wanted and this is something I really want to do! HELPING OTHERS ROCKS! Poppy, I am going to do it! OK...so drumroll please...I have raised...wait for it...$1, 640 (including the matching gift that hasn't posted yet)!!! I am really excited! I still have many different types of fundraisers planned so I'm really feeling confident that I can reach my goal! It takes all of us working together to help defeat cancer! I even saw a show today on how nano technology may one day help attack and destroy cancer! It takes research and your donation helps! If you can help please click here to go to my fundraising page! Thank you for all you do!

Salty & Tall Race-March 12 & 13, 2011

Racing has Officially begun for 2011!

The long awaited race season has begun and it started just like last year. My first race was the Salt Creek Criterium. I was very excited to finally get started this year but I think I wasted a lot of energy just thinking about Saturday. I felt like a soda bottle that had been shaken up and ready to explode but it didn't really go the way I planned!

Part of Team Rad-Dallas, Jay & Luke

There were five Jr.'s in Saturday's race and three of us were from the same team, Team Rad Racing. We had a good plan and most of it was executed like our coach wanted. The trouble for me started when the older boys jumped out early in the race. I felt like I needed to get more from my gears to catch them but when climbing my first hill I got cross geared. I know about crossing the chain, big ring + big gear = no no! But, there I was cross geared and trying to climb the first hill! I was trying to get my gearing corrected but it would not move! I just kept falling further and further behind! It was so frustrating!



Trying to climb...come on gears...CHANGE!



I can do this!



I finally got my gearing to move and I was starting to gain on the boy in front of me but time just wasn't on my side. I'd run out of time and laps! I believe I would have caught him if I'd been able to complete that last 1/2 lap! Oh, well, my teammates place 2nd and 3rd which was awesome! It was their first criterium ever and so I was really happy for them. I came in 5th out of 5...LAST!!! I was really mad I had made such a big mistake and couldn't help my team more! I realized that evening I had really tried to ride someone else's race instead of my own. GOOFY!! But, I had a chance for redemption! I was glad I'd signed up for the Tall Chief Cove Road Race the following day! I needed it to regain some confidence and focus on riding MY race!



Getting ready to start Tall Chief



Start of 1st climb



What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was warm with a nice breeze...today's race FREEZING, VERY WINDY...BRUTAL! This was a road race and to quote the flyer "A beautiful 20.5 mile course with demanding hills and challenging turns." They were not kidding! It was all true...beautiful, DEMANDING hills and CHALLENGING turns...I loved it! Today, I was determined to ride my race. I had a little rough start. Right off the start line my left foot slipped off the pedal while trying to get clipped in and we were starting up the 1st hill! Luckily, I saved it and no one crashed! I felt good as I started climbing and soon we were crossing the dam and heading towards some big climbs! I felt strong on the bike today and  didn't make any of the mistakes from the previous day. It was a great day on the bike! I stuck to my plan and road my race! I knew what I had in the tank and used it! When I saw the little one lane bridge I knew I was in the home stretch! I just put my head down and powered through to the end! I placed 2nd and got a silver medal! I was really proud of how much better I road on this TOUGH course!




Coming across the finish line-2nd place



1st medal of 2011 season



It was a fun weekend! I love getting out there and seeing so many racing friends! I am never happier than when I'm on my bike and doing well on it is even better! I'm so happy my season has started! Stay tuned as I have many more races scheduled!

PASSIONS

I have two passions! Cycling and LIVESTRONG!

If you read my blog enough you probably know this but if you don't well...I'm a 13 year old competitive Jr. cyclist. I believe in going fast and giving back!

I need your help! I am raising money again this year so I can participate in the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin, TX! This became my non-profit of choice because I lost one of my best friends to prostate cancer and Lance Armstrong is one of my heroes. My Poppy was an awesome grandfather! He was also a father, a husband, a brother, a friend, an awesome golfer (he shot a 70 on his 70th birthday) and one of my best buddies. Unfortunately, he didn't get diagnosed soon enough and passed away in November 2007. It was the saddest day of my life!

I put on my yellow LIVESTRONG bracelet and have never taken it off! I am raising money to continue the fight Poppy lost! I don't want anybody else to lose someone they love like I did. It hurts really bad! If we all pull together we can be sure others get the help they need. You never know it could be you who needs the help! Please give what you can...because every $1 helps. Click here to visit my fundraising website or print off a donation form. Please write my PARTICIPANT ID #297759208 on the check. All donations must have a form attached. I want to thank you for doing whatever you can to help me reach my goal of $5,000. Together we can all LIVESTRONG!

DREAMS

I hope everyone survived all the ice and snow! It was sort of fun to play in but it meant no bike training outside...BUMMER! So, I just kept spinning for hours on the trainer and looking at the beautiful white stuff while dreaming of days like we are experiencing now! I mean we all knew it would melt but when it really does it is AWESOME! It is like a dream come true!

I got the biggest surprise right before the snow fell! My NEW Team BIKE!!! My mom picked it up on a Saturday and before I could get my fit the snow fell and fell and fell and fell. I was finally able to get fit and ride outside and I LOVE MY BIKE!!!!

THANK YOU, Coach Green with TEAM RAD RACING for this incredible gift! Thank you BUCHANAN BICYCLES for your sponsorship! Thank you Ryan Lenhart for your amazing BG Fit and the special gift you gave me! I have let my mom wash it a couple of times but then I put it right back on! Thank you SPECIALIZED for this incredible ride! Wow...it feels like I'm just floating on air when I ride! I can't even feel the road beneath me! ANOTHER DREAM COME TRUE!

Well, I begin racing next month and I am so excited! We have been very busy lining out my racing schedule and the anticipation is growing! I am DREAMING of another amazing year!   

I am also getting ready to begin my fundraising for LIVESTRONG! I will be riding again this year in the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin. I am DREAMING of raising even more money than I did last year! Soon, I will be posting a way for you to make donations so we can help others DREAMS come true. A life without CANCER!

So, I'm DREAMING of an AMAZING year. Maybe this is a good sign, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit...hmmm! I hope this translates to me being Fast like a Rabbit! I'll keep you posted!

Unique Gift Ideas for Cyclists-2010

Ok, so we've been looking for some unique or great ideas to give my friends who are cyclists but many sites had some very lame ideas, i.e., 1. Get them a Helmet! REALLY??? If you are a cyclist I bet you already have a helmet...unless you had a crash and busted up your old one. In which case, you might not be riding for awhile since you'll have to lay low while your injuries heal! So, I decided to put together a list of my favorite gift ideas (links to the sites are provided)! And, if anybody wants to get me something for the holidays well, I would love any of these things!

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
(sounds like that could be a catchy song...hmmm)

1. Ok, by now you know I support LIVESTRONG. So, here are several ideas along this line.

     a.  Make a donation to your athlete's favorite charity in their name. Any Charity--Any Amount
     b. Anything on the LIVESTRONG store site
     c. Or, how about for those who can't be without their phone a new LIVESTRONG cover, earbuds  or itouch arm band from Radioshack  Price: $9.99-49.99

2.  Road ID-This will be a priceless gift if it is ever needed in an emergency! This is an awesome gift for anyone-cyclist, runner, swimmer, anyone who travels or drives a car, walks to work or rides the train. And, for those of you who shop late...they even have eCards available. The best part is they will make a donation to one of 7 charities, of your choice, just because you bought their product.
Price: $21.49-31.48 (includes shipping...no shipping costs for eCard).

3.  Basket of Energy-fill a basket your athlete's favorite goodies! I love the Honey Stinger Waffles, Bonk Breakers, Jelly Belly Sport Beans, Shot Blocks and Clif Bars ( usually buy these at my sponsor's shop Buchanan Bicycles in Norman), Gatorade or Powerade. My mom says, "Make it fun and festive with bright colored tissue paper or be green and use the comic pages from your newspaper...then they have some reading material as well!" She's always looking for ways to get people to read!
Price: Varies by how small or big you want to make your basket

4.  Speaking of reading how about a book about cycling? There are tons and so, I provided a link that will take you thousands with just one click! BOOKS will take you straight there and if they have a Kindle you will save money and trees!
Price: Varies

5.  What about keeping our feet warm and dry? Neoprene shoe covers (with zippers or velco please) would be awesome! These are available from lots of different companies but you've got to know their shoe size! I wear a EURO 40...hint, hint!
Price: Varies


6.  True Religion T-shirt: Great gift to give so that when your not on your bike and wearing your favorite jersey you can still honor the lifestyle you love and it's pretty cool looking!
Price: $29.95 plus shipping

 

Front View

 

Back View


 7.  Wool Socks-another amazing gift...I must be cold today! Anyway, these make a perfect standalone gift or stocking stuffer! There are many companies that make these but here are a few:
     a.  SmartWool Price: $13.95-39.95
     b.  Specialized Price: $16.00
     c.  Pearl Izumi Price: $18.00

8.  There are loads of ideas for under $30 at VeloGear. They have apparel, home & office, books & dvd's, accessories. Here's a couple of pictures of my favorites!



Ornament

   

Business Card holder



9. Grease Monkey Wipes-They will love these degreaser wipes! You can carry them in your jersey pocket and clean up after you complete a tire change or put your chain back on! We've all been there and then trying to clean our hands in the grass. These are awesome and have a citrus scent...nothing flowery!

Price: $24 for a box of 24 but this link list them at $20.98

There are many more ideas but hopefully this will help you surprise that special athlete in your life with something they will LOVE! Mostly, I hope you've been good and Santa doesn't have to bring you coal for your stocking!

I hope you have a very HAPPY HOLIDAYS and a super NEW YEAR!

AMAZING LIVESTRONG WEEKEND

Well, before I can even start sharing about my weekend I have to say a HUGE thank you to all who donated to LIVESTRONG so I could participate in this amazing event!
THANK YOU!!!

OK, so I thought I was prepared for what this weekend was going to be like but, dude, was I wrong. First, it took us forever to get to Austin! It may have been because I was so excited! But, we finally got to our hotel and I was headed to the Livestrong Village to pick up my packet! Thankfully, it was just a couple of blocks from our hotel so we were super close!

Supporting one of my sponsors, Buchanan Bicycles, in Austin

I was excited because I had raised almost $800.00 before I got there. Then, I received some additional donations before we left and I was going to make my goal of $1,000.00!!!! I was very proud of myself! We walked into the Village and I couldn't believe it...it was like a dream! So many of my favorite things all under one roof...LIVESTRONG trailer, Oakley trailer, Mellow Johnny's, SRAM, Trek, Radioshack, a Nissan Leaf and the list just keeps going! Bicycle stuff  and sponsors were everywhere I think I must have been in cyclist heaven!!

I sure hope I win this bike!

My mom and I went to pick-up our packets and we met the nicest people. They asked how I raised so much money and we told them! In case, you haven't read my earlier blogs let me catch you up! I held a fundraiser on my 13th birthday instead of having a birthday party. It was really hot that day, about 106 degrees, but I didn't care I just wanted to help those with cancer. Anyway, I was shocked when I got my swag bag, a TEAM LIVESTRONG Nike backpack (it will carry my cycling shoes, helmet, ipod, kit, etc. I LOVE IT!) and a TEAM LIVESTRONG cap! I didn't know you got different items depending on how much you raised in donations! It was a nice surprise! After we turned in the rest of my donations we were able to just check things out.

 While we were visiting the booths we saw the most touching part of the Village. It was the Wall of Honor. People were putting the names of their loved ones or those they were riding for or, in many cases, names of Survivors on the Wall! We filled out one for each of the people we were riding for and hung them! It was pretty amazing! My mom and I rode for 10 different people either in Memory of or in Honor of! I felt honored to hang their names on this powerful wall!

So, Saturday was the day we were going to Mellow Johnny's and find where we were supposed to be on Sunday. Mom did not want us to be late for the ride because we got lost. Personally, I didn't really care about driving to Dripping Springs a day early but I'd do anything so we could go to Mellow Johnny's! I became very agreeable...LOL! 

  

Ok, I'm not sure I can do it justice because it was so overwheleming but if you're into bikes, cycling history, cycling clothes and, again, the list goes on this is the place to be! Mellow Johnny's was Party Central! They had a DJ in the parking lot, and the music was loud and rockin' also, free hamburgers and lots of samples of  energy bars. The place was packed and the SRAM car was right outside!

I can honestly say that I loved it there but my favorite part was downstairs! This is where a $100,000 worth of Lance Armstrong's bikes are on display! Man, I want his TT bike soooooo bad!!! They were all really awesome! I just sat there and dreamed!

Here I am! Mom caught me dreaming of a new bike!

Upstairs they have showers and locker rooms so you can ride your bike to work and not go to the office all sweaty! How about that??? They also have all seven Yellow Jersey's signed by Lance Armstrong...wow wouldn't it be cool to wear one of those???  Well, it was finally time to leave but as we were pulling out of the lot my mom saw a Surburan and had a feeling Lance was in there. We drove around a long time looking for another parking spot but no luck! We found out later that it really was Lance, Levi Leipheimer and Patrick Dempsey (from Grey's Anatomy)! We were bummed but we weren't really there to see them! We were there for a bigger reason! CANCER BITES!

Finally, it was Sunday and we were ready to ride! We got up very early and headed to Dripping Springs. There was soooooo much traffic I was really glad my mom made us get up way before the sun came up! We were getting our bikes ready when my mom went to air up her back tire and her Presta valve just fell out! So, we were changing a rear tire in the dark! Woo Hoo! Again, I'm sure glad we were early!

Found this hiding by the Tractor Supply store in Dripping Springs

We finally made it to the start area and heard Lance speak! It was very inspiring! I started looking around at all the Survivors and all the bibs people were wearing. It was pretty emotional! I knew my Poppy would be very proud of me! I was riding for so many people but Poppy was my original inspiration! He passed away from prostate cancer in November 2007. I just sat there thinking it had almost been 3 years since I lost my Poppy and now I was doing my part to help make a difference! I love you Poppy! It was finally time to ride!

Mom and me waiting to ride!

And...WE'RE OFF!!!!

When you leave it is CRAZY...so many people...over 3100 cyclists! There are cheerleaders, high kick drill team and all the spectators cheering for you! I was ready to ride real fast but there were so many people it took awhile to go faster than 4-5 miles per hour. So, I was glad when I could start really riding! Ok, the deal I made with my mom was that I would not leave her! We were going to stay together no matter what! Well, I did pretty good! I stayed with her until everyone had to get off their bikes and carry them across the water on the road! Well, just passed this point was a VERY steep hill...looked to be about a 10% gradient! A lot of people just couldn't ride it and most were walking their bikes! I felt strong and my mom gave me permission to go climb! I smoked that hill...it wasn't really that hard I'm not sure why people didn't just ride it! Anyway, I never saw my mom again! OOPS! My blog says it all "I live for speed!"

So, I rode the last half of the ride by myself and when I crossed the finish line I felt AMAZING! I also heard the announcer say, "Let's hear it for Luke Neafus of Edmond, OK! He's a 13 year old that raised over a $1000! Great job Luke!" I just hung out waiting for my mom to come in! My Grams never saw me come across the finish line only heard my name announced! I finally found my mom and Grams! Grams had made us a really cool sign!

Alright, do you remember when I said I met some really nice people when we went to get our packets at the Village? Well, I went to the bathroom and who do you think saw me??? One of those really nice people...and he wanted to talk to my mom! He came over and asked her about my donations and if I had gotten a jersey. She explained that I had not raised enough for a jersey but it was my goal for next year. This very nice man said he really felt I deserved a jersey and wanted to buy me one! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? My mom, Grams and I were all shocked! He and my mom talked some more and the next thing I knew he and I were headed to the LIVESTRONG trailer. He bought me this really AWESOME LIVESTRONG jersey! I felt so thankful and lucky!  Thank you Larry! I will never forget your generosity!



I look AWESOME in my new LIVESTRONG jersey!!!

  Well, we finished off the day by going to various booths, eating a great lunch and talking to some truly incredible people! It was the GREATEST DAY and to top it off I got on the cover of Bicycling Magazine riding with Lance! LOL!


 

Lance we look cool but I am getting ready to pass you



I am so excited about next year! Oh YEA, I am going back next year! And, I plan to raise a minimum of $2,500 because I am going to start much earlier! Hey, Lance save a ride for me!

LIVESTRONG Weekend

I'm currently working on my post about this amazing weekend! Please come back soon and see loads of pictures and hear about my incredible experience in Austin!