This year's Pablove Across America marks my fourth two-wheeled trek across the U.S. It will take me through 10 states, and nearly 1,000 miles down the road, adding to the 7,500 miles I have ridden with dozens of fellow riders in previous years—all in service of The Pablove Foundation's mission.

I am proud of the work Pablove does. I am proud to watch Pablove grow from an idea my wife Jo Ann and I had in a moment of absolute distress when our son Pablo was diagnosed with cancer into a fully staffed organization that is positively affecting the lives of kids and families.

If you are new to my story, here's some background on why I do what I do...

When I rediscovered cycling in December 2006, it changed my life. I lost 50 pounds, and discovered a world I'd never known—both within myself, and up on Mt Hollywood in Griffith Park. Eventually, I ventured into real mountains, regularly climbing to 6,000 feet above sea level in Angeles National Forest above Los Angeles. Every day, no matter where I rode, I would return home excited to tell Pablo about my two-wheeled adventure. I always asked him if he wanted to go with me when he got older. His response was always the same: Yes.

As Pablo reached an age where he could reach the pedals of, as he called it, a connect bike, we rode as often as we could. I taught him how to ride his own mini-BMX bike in a field in Griffith Park. I figured the soft grass would make a good landing pad. Later, we rode in Lot S at the LA Zoo, and on our 'secret road' in that same area. At home, Pablo and I watched bike races together. He loved the fever pitch of finishline sprints (the photo above is he and I at the Tour of California 2009 Pasadena stage finish line). He loved the colorful jerseys of the teams. Mostly, he liked snuggling with me when races were over, watching one of his movies.

Sometimes, I wonder why cycling is so alluring for me. Maybe I am searching for Pablo out on the road. Maybe I am attempting to become one with the wind, thinking Pablo is there, in nature, talking to me. Maybe I can't sit idly on the sidelines of life, knowing there are children in hospital beds all over the world suffering at the hands of an unfair opponent. Maybe advocating for other people is why I was put on this Earth. The fact is, all of these things are true. And they are all why Pablove Across America exists.

Riding a bike is doing something. Riding a bike is something Pablo loved. Riding a bike is the way I disconnect from the grind of life and connect with something more pure than, like, the nonsense that frequently pops up in daily life. One thing is clear: I have no choice but to ride my bike in support of cancer kids, their families, and the medical professionals who dedicate their lives to their care.

On Saturday, May 17, 2008, Jo Ann and I became cancer parents. We didn't want to join this club. We weren't asked to join. Life delivered us to this place, and we ran like hell to help our little boy, for as long as we could. After losing my big brother Scott to cancer in 2004, and Pablo in 2009, I have come to accept that my abilities to write and speak are not just for ordering coffee and sending email. Those, together with this strange ability I never knew I had as an (gulp) endurance athlete, has allowed me to animate and illustrate both the struggle of pediatric cancer and to literally shout about it from mountaintops.

Today, Jo Ann and I continue our parenting of Pablo by dedicating ourselves to The Pablove Foundation. We are deeply grateful for your support over the past two years, and thank you in advance for your contribution to the fourth annual Pablove Across America bike ride.

To donate click the DONATE button.

If you prefer to donate by check, please mail it, along with a note with my name, to:

The Pablove Foundation
3801 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026

My best to you and your family,

Jeff