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August eNewsletter
Challenge Accepted
The Southern California & Nevada Chapter's new President isn't planning to cheerlead on the sidelines at the Bike MS: Coastal Challenge on October 6th. Susan will has accepted the challenge to ride alongside YOU, when she cycles the 60-mile route. She'll be joined by Board of Trustees Chair Dina Tecimer who is also taking on her inaugural ride.
But training is where our leaders' teamwork ends. The competition will heat up as they vie to see who will raise more money.
Will you accept the challenge again this year?
Register online now or call 310.479.4456 to join your team again at Bike MS: Coastal Challenge in Ventura on October 6 & 7.
Mark Your Calendars: Training Rides & Events
August 7: Lazy Dog Cafe Fundraiser 
Simply bring this flyer to Lazy Dog Cafe's Thousand Oaks location between 12:00 - 9:00 pm and 15% of your total bill will be donated to Bike MS. BONUS: The team or participant who brings the most people will receive the money raised credited towards their fundraising account.
August 11: Newbury Park Bike Shop Training Ride
Mileage: 49 miles
Meet time: 7:00am; Ride out time: 7:30am
Location: Newbury Park Bike Shop, 1560 Newbury Road #6, Newbury Park, CA 91320
Telephone: (805) 498-7714
RSVP to kari.boatner@nmss.org
August 12 (NEW DATE!): Bike Effect Training Ride
Mileage: 40 miles
Meet time: 7:00am; Ride out time: 7:30am
Location: Bike Effect, 910 Broadway #100, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Telephone: 310.393.4FIT (4348)
RSVP to kari.boatner@nmss.org
August 18: Cool Breeze Century--Bike MS is having a booth!
If you're planning on riding in the Cool Breeze Century in Ventura, make sure to stop by our Bike MS booth and say hello! This is the perfect time to register, get some snacks and freebies, and spread the word about Bike MS. See you there!
Vitamin D & MS
3 reasons to take a ride in the sunshine: The results of three independent studies published in the journal Neurology suggest that higher levels of vitamin D may reduce disease activity in people with MS.The authors comment that ensuring that people with MS have adequate levels of vitamin D should be part of routine care. “...considering the high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in persons with MS, the high risk of osteoporosis, and the safety of vitamin D at modest doses, the evidence is sufficient to recommend monitoring of vitamin D levels and supplementation as needed to achieve at least a year-round level of vitamin D sufficiency in persons with MS.”
Challenge Week is coming August 20-24
Team Prize: The top fundraising team August 20 - 24 will will a Packet mailing for the entire team (*members must have reached the $350 minimum by August 24 to receive their packet by mail). Avoid long lines at packet pick ups and get the convenience of your team's rider numbers delivered to their door steps.
Individual Prize: The top individual fundraiser wins a 2-night stay at the Marriott for Friday & Saturday night of the ride.
July eNewsletter
Time to Train
Bike MS Coastal Challenge is only 87 days away! Remember, group riding takes practice. So, get out there and practice cycling with friends and/or join one of our July group training rides.
July 14: Bike Effect Training Ride
Ride with us and meet other Bike MS riders! Thanks to bike shop sponsor Bike Effect for leading monthly training rides for our cyclists.
Mileage: 40 miles
Meet time: 7:00am
Ride out time: 7:30am
Location: Bike Effect, 910 Broadway #100, Santa Monica, CA 90401
RSVP to emily.hazlett@nmss.org
July 21: Route Sneak Peak Ride!
Get a taste of the Coastal Challenge route before the ride in October! We will provide snacks, water and a SAG vehicle for support.
Mileage: 36 miles
Meet time: 7:30am; Ride out time: 8:00am
Location: Ventura Bike Depot, 239 West Main Street,
Ventura, CA 93001
RSVP to amy.dittmore@nmss.org
Challenge Week is coming July 16 - 20!
Start building your list of who to call and email next week to ask for donations. Check out our Participant Center Tutorial for tips on uploading your Outlook, Yahoo or gmail contacts into your Participant Center, fundraising with facebook and more.
Here are 2 ways to win:
- The Coastal Challenge or Vegas Challenge team that raises the most money July 16 - 20 will win a team tent. If the team already has a team tent, they will be served breakfast and coffee in their tent the morning of the ride.
The top individual Coastal Challenge or Vegas Challenge fundraiser that week wins a $250 gift card to Cynergy Cycles in Santa Monica. Shop in-store or online.
Give Back Night
Join us on Tuesday, July 31, 6:00 - 9:00 pm at the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills for the first Bike MS give-back night of the 2012 season! The proceeds from the sales of the Avalon's signature cocktail that evening will benefit Bike MS.
Be sure to sign in with your Bike MS staff who will be there to greet you because the team that brings the most people that night (team members, friends, co-workers, etc.) will receive the donation given by the Avalon!
Where the Money Goes
The National MS Society has just committed $18.4 million to support 52 new MS research projects and training fellowships as part of its comprehensive strategy to STOP MS in its tracks, RESTORE function that has been lost, and END the disease forever.
New projects include a study by Dr. Nancy Sicotte at Cedars Sinai using a novel MRI technique to evaluate the potential impacts of estriol treatment on the nervous system during a clinical trial in women with MS. Another grant for Dr. William Stohl at USC will be used to study the potential for a new treatment approach for MS by altering a molecule that influences immune system cells.
June eNewsletter
Road Warriors
Our Bike MS Road Warriors are not content with just one Bike MS challenge...they commit to both the Coastal Challenge and Vegas Challenge this fall. Register for one ride, and receive free registration for the second. Enter discount code WARRIOR to receive free registration on your 2nd Southern California & Nevada Chapter ride.
Thanks to our first 11 road warriors to sign up!
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Robert Felger |
Matt Smith |
Training Tip of the Day -- Climbing
In this short video, Tour de France veteran Marty Jemison talks about how to properly ascend a hill.
Help Wanted
Do you have friends and family who are not cyclists, but would like to get involved with Bike MS. We need hundreds of volunteers to make our event weekend run smoothly. Recruit your non-cycling friends to join your team as volunteers and help with one of these critical jobs.
Sponsor Spotlight
HUGE thanks to Caesars Foundation for returning as our Bike MS Presenting Sponsor. Thank you for your generous contribution to our Bike MS: Coastal Challenge and Bike MS: Vegas Challenge!
The Caesars Foundation's Will to Do Wonders is working wonders each day, in cities, in towns throughout the U.S. and globally. With this very generous sponsorship, they are certainly making a difference in our local MS communities.
Save the Dates
July 16 - 20: Challenge Week #2
Recruit and fundraise to win great prizes. Stay tuned!
July 21: Route Sneak Peek Ride #2!
Get a taste of the Coastal Challenge route before the event in October. Our 50-mile training ride will be on Saturday, July 10th! Details will be available soon on our website.
Look for our Bike MS staff at these upcoming events:
June 23: Find Bike MS staff at the mile 88 rest stop on the Grand Tour which starts at Arroyo Verde Park.
July 4: Ventura Street Fair along Main Street in Ventura
July 8: Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
For more information about any of the above events, please email bikeMS@cal.nmss.org.
Where the Money Goes
Most kids who are diagnosed with MS have never met or even heard of another kid with MS. Our Kids with MS Family Day this summer provides a terrific opportunity for both kids with MS (18 years old and under) and their parents to connect with others who truly understand how MS impacts their lives, and learn how to better manage the disease and its symptoms.
May eNewsletter
Training the Mind
The mental aspect of preparing for Bike MS is just as important as the physical aspect. The biggest mental challenge you will likely face in your training is staying consistently motivated. Here are some suggested ways to keep your motivation level high:
- Train with others—Sharing the training experience with others is a powerful motivator for most cyclists. Ride with friends who may or may not be training for Bike MS. (Though if they're not riding in Bike MS, recruit them to your team!)
- Get objective feedback—Results of hard work can motivate more hard work. Do an occasional timed ride to see how far you can ride during a designated period of time (say, one hour). As you become fitter, you will be able to ride farther and farther in the same amount of time.
- Change it up —Sometimes the monotony of doing the same training ride every time causes motivation to sag. When this happens, change the workout: drive to a different location and ride, do an alternative cardiovascular workout instead, or do fast-paced “intervals” instead of a steady ride.
Challenge Week is Coming...
May 29 – June 1:
CHALLENGE WEEK in celebration of World MS Day
RECRUIT cyclists, FUNDRAISE and raise AWARENESS to win:
- The cyclist or volunteer who raises the most money May 29 - June 1, wins his/her choice of Corum watch (value $6,000) or new road bike from Cynergy Cycles.
- The runner up wins prize not chosen by the first place winner
- The team to register the most members May 29 - June 1, wins a supported training ride, complete with a Bike MS SAG wagon, bottled water, snacks and lots of cheering!
- The individual who uploads a video May 29 - June 1, to our Bike MS: Coastal Challengefacebook page and receives the most "likes" will win a Sigma BC 509 cycling computer.
Where the Money Goes
For many people with MS, spasticity (muscle tightness and spasms) is a painful and disabling symptom that can have a significant negative effect on quality of life.The search for more effective treatments for spasticity and other MS symptoms is an important research priority for the National MS Society, and the Society is currently supporting a clinical trial of different forms of cannabis products to test their ability to relieve spasticity in people with MS. The Society is also supporting research on non-pharmacologic treatments for spasticity, such as muscle-targeted exercise.
Save the Dates
June 2: Stop by Don’s Bicycles for their Grand Opening in Redlands! We will be there promoting BIKE MS!!
June 10: Route Sneak Peak Ride! Back by popular demand for 2012, we'll be hosting 3 rides that give you a taste of the Coastal Challenge route before the event in October. Our first will be on Sunday, June 10th! Details will be available soon on our website.
June 16: Ride 2 Recovery – Honor Ride To support of one of our Titanium Level Bike Shop Partner, Newbury Park Bicycle Shop, we are attending and promoting a ride near and dear to them, the Ride 2 Recovery – Honor Ride. Newbury Park Bike Shop is a title sponsor of this event. Come out and do a great ride AND support Newbury Park Bike Shop, our awesome multi-year Titanium Level Bike Shop Partner for Bike MS: Coastal Challenge again in 2012!
April eNewsletter
Eye on the Prize
We want to give you a good reason to set your fundraising goal high. The very best reason is because every dollar you raise makes a difference for people living with the unpredictable effectsof multiple sclerosis. But our 2012 prizes are another fun reason.
For the first time, we are also offering a complete cycling kit for anyone who raises over $5,000, complete with Bike MS: Coastal Challenge cycling jersey, a pair of Bike MS gloves or Bike MS hat, and a pair of Bike MS cycling shorts
Come Visit Us
Stop by our Bike MS booth at the following events:
- City of Angels Fun Ride - this Sunday, April 22nd
- Long Beach Bike Festival - Saturday, May 5th
We’d love to see you out there AND it’s a great opportunity to get your cycling friends registered for Bike MS: Coastal Challenge on October 6 & 7!
Early Fundraising Incentive
Raise $200 within 30 days of registrationand receive a pair of Bike MS socks to wear proudly on your training rides.
Where the Money Goes
Learning more about progressive forms of MS is a key priority for researchers and the National MS Society. Join us on May 3rd for An In-Depth Look at Progressive MS. This free, interactive teleconference will provide information about research in progressive forms of MS,ways to optimally manage this disease course and its symptoms, and how to cope with the emotional and family issues that often accompany progressive disease. Learn about resources and assistance that are available to help.
Learn more and sign up for An In-Depth Look at Progressive MS.
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