The cost of doing this ride

The costs associated with doing the Ride2Survive are adding up.

• It costs $400.00 to sign up for the ride ($200 each). This is necessary to cover off any costs associated with the ride (ie: transportation, food, etc) so that we don't take any funds from the donations we get.  We are SUPER strict on using 100% of the funds that are donated towards cancer research and not admin, etc costs.
• We typically donate $500.00 ourselves.  We want to put our money where our mouths are.  How can we in good conscience ask others to donate if we are unwilling?
• Bike fittings for both of us: $550.00 ($275.00 each).  If we weren't doing the ride, we wouldn't get them done......but we don't want to chance being uncomfortable on our bikes when we have to spend 17 hours on them.
• The gas alone to drive up to B.C. and back will probably be $300.00 (guessing?)
• A hotel one night on the way up $125.00
• Dog in a kennel for the week.  Cheapest: $140.00

Without even factoring food on the road, or the costs of a trainer (optional), or the cost for new bike saddles ($350.00- for seats on our bike-you could argue that we don't *need* them, but again.....17 hours on an uncomfortable saddle?)

I don't see how we won't end up out of pocket over $2,000; even without factoring the extra costs in.

So that is the financial cost.  Then, there is the time commitment 'cost'.  This is HUGE.  The training required to be able to do this ride, or even attempt to do the ride is humungous.  We trained on Easter.  No-we didn't have to.....but there are limited times during the week that you can get out for several hours to ride......and we need to do it MULTIPLE times a week.  We will be gone from our kids a LOT over the next few months.  There is no way around this.  When we get closer to ride day, every weekend we'll be gone one of the days for basically the entire day (between 5-7 hours on a single bike ride, every week for several weeks).  There is no denying that there is a 'cost' to our children.

My mind has been swirling over the last few days about these things.  The time.  The money.  The commitment it takes to do this.  The fact that even though I like riding my bike, that doesn't mean I want to ride it every second day for hours.....or feel guilty about missing a ride.....or have every thought consumed with making sure we get enough training in.  It's a LOT to take on.

But then, I think about the cost of NOT doing the ride.  More families hear the news that their daughter, son, husband, wife, father, mother, grandparent have cancer.......and all of the stress, agony and uncertainty that goes with that.  I remember what it felt like the first time we heard it with Den, and I remember that in that moment, we would have given ANYthing to make it go away.  Honestly, anything.  Nothing else seemed to matter once we found out he was battling cancer.  And then I think about what it was like a few months ago when we thought there was a possibility that it had come back.  - as sadistic and negative as it sounds, I have to tell you that I had envisioned myself as a widow.  My mind went there. But we are the lucky ones.  The ones that get to live productive 'after cancer' lives.

The 'cost' of doing this ride doesn't seem as big once you factor in the cost of NOT doing it.