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Health & Fitness

You may be right, I may be ...

Sometimes people look at me as if I'm insane, then they hear my story and they really start to think it! But there's a really good reason...

Crazy. That's what many people think I am. Well, not necessarily in the sense that they think I need professional help, although sometimes the look in their eyes says they're not too sure. No, crazy in the sense that they can't believe that what I'm telling them is true. They look me in the eye and try to get some sign that I'm bluffing or that I'm holding back a laugh and the punchline is coming shortly. It takes them a few minutes to realize that I'm completely serious. Then the questions start. "What are you doing?" "How long will that take?" "How many miles?!?" "Are you doing it alone?" And the most common, "Why?!?!"

The "what" is cycling across the country this summer to raise enough money to send eight children with cancer to Sunrise Day Camp, the only dedicated day camp in the nation for children with cancer.

Sunrise is an amazing place designed to meet the emotional, social, recreational and physical needs of these children while allowing them to enjoy the comforts and safety of their own homes at night. It's a camp that enables them to explore the types of activities and friendships they might not normally get to experience due to various limitations. And best of all the camp is offered free of charge to all children being treated for cancer or related disorders and their siblings.

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It won't be easy and I'll be pushing myself harder than I have ever physically pushed myself before. By the end of the summer I know I'll be exhausted but joyful because my efforts will have created an opportunity for a summer these children will never forget.

How long will it take? I'll be on the road for 64 days if you don't count the six days to get to the starting point in San Diego and the two days there to recover from that initial journey. And I won't be cycling all 64 of those days. I've built in one or two rest days a week (I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid).

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How many miles? It's 3,700 total miles from San Diego to Sunrise's grounds in Wheatley Heights on Long Island. I'll be covering anywhere from 60 to 110 miles a day.

Are you going alone? Although I'll do most of the riding alone, my wife and three children will be going along as my support team.  And my 12-year-old daughter (who'll turn 13 the day before we push off from San Diego) and my nine-year-old twin sons all plan on joining in for various parts of ride -- probably in the flatter states of the Midwest. My daughter's goal is ride at least 300 of those miles with me.

The answer to the incredulous "Why?" is easy. You see, for the past two summers during the break from my regular gig teaching at , I've had the joy of teaching theatre and dance at Sunrise. I've seen first hand what a difference a summer there makes to these kids. They're hungry for the kind of experiences many of us take for granted, and which their families often can't afford due to the costs of medical treatment. They embrace the experiences at Sunrise with the zest of those who truly savor every moment.

Now who is this crazy person? I'm just like everyone else. I have a family. My wife Amy and I have been married for almost 17 years, and we have three beautiful children - soon-to-be 13-year-old Sarah, and 9-year-old twins William and James. I have a job. I've worked as a teacher at Syosset High School for the last fifteen years, and am currently the Theater Arts Coordinator running the drama and dance programs. Before that I was a professional dancer, so I know what it means to push my body. This trip, though, will test me physically like never before and I look forward to every mile. So on a (hopefully) weekly basis I'll be joined by my wife as we blog to share our experiences of how we're working to send eight kids to a camp where they will have a summer they will never forget.

You can also get updates on our progress by liking us on facebook and by following us daily on the road on our Connor's Army blog and Cross Country Mama blog (one guess whose is whose). And if you'd like to help us help the children, you can donate online by going to the secure donations page set up for us by the folks at Sunrise Day Camp. So you may be right, I may be crazy but sometimes it takes a lunatic to get the job done.

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