Every single year I'm reminded that the battle isn't over. Our dear friend Melissa Hanin was diagnosed with breast cancer this year and even a double mastectomy couldn't remove all the cancerous tissue. She has been so brave in her chemo battle and signs are positive. I ride for Melissa.

My classmate from Kellogg, Jill Ramsey, has left her career behind to focus on her health and family following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. She's in an experimental program which looks as though it's treating her cancer well, but it has had implications to her quality of life. I ride for Jill.

My good friend Mitch Baddeley lost his father this spring. Diagnosed with cancer on May 1st, Ed Baddeley, father of 3, was gone by May 30th. He was a devoted father, grandfather and husband and just two years older than I. I ride for Ed.

As always, I must mention my father in law, Joe. He's been gone 17 years now and I entered the Pelotonia fray because of him. I miss him daily and think about how the entire Mugler/Brunetto family would be more complete if he were still with us. I ride for Joe and his sister Julie who lost her battle just 2 years back.

I must thank my dear friends Tom Lennox, Doug Ulman and Joe Apgar. Tom had the insane vision to found Pelotonia a decade and a half ago. I thought he was insane. He was as crazy as a fox. Doug left LiveStrong, moving his family from Austin to Columbus to carry the torch for Tom and what a job he did. Doug made Pelotonia worldclass. Joe, a survivor himself, left his life in the private equity world to run Pelotonia full time. It's now stronger than ever. The cause is incredibly meaningful to me, but even more so that my friends, who are all survivors, are pulling the strings and curing cancer ever day. Thank you to all three of you.

I'll ride hard this year, but as I age it's less about the accomplishment of the distance and more about the community Pelotonia creates which inspires me to keep riding. Thank you to all who have helped me to cross the $50K lifetime mark this, my 14th year.