PAIR PEDALING FOR CHARITY

Kate F. Polk and Kimberly S. Amaral have taken on a daunting challenge. For five months, the two friends will train six days a week in preparation for a grueling bicycle ride, all while working to raise a collective $10,000.

They have agreed to do all this as members of the Central New York Area's Team In Training, a fundraising arm of the national Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

When they sit down to talk, though, it's hard to tell that Mrs. Polk, Watertown, and Mrs. Amaral, Sackets Harbor, are under pressure to prepare physically for a 100-mile race in June or raise $4,700 each by May 1.

The women, both in their early 30s with short, blond hair, spend much of their time laughing. When they describe their workouts and their sponsorships, it's clear they relish both quests.

"It's a lot of money," Mrs. Polk said. "That's one of the things that's exciting to us. It's challenging to know you're raising this amount of money for a good cause."

Mrs. Amaral's and Mrs. Polk's journey to Lake Tahoe, Nev., began last year. Mrs. Amaral, a personal trainer at the Watertown Family YMCA, was introduced to Mrs. Polk by a client. The women, who embody a mix of compassion and competitive spirit, bonded over their experiences as military spouses and former college athletes.

Last year, Mrs. Polk switched from running to bicycling as part of her rehabilitation for a knee injury. From a Syracuse bicycling group, she learned about Team In Training and its preparations for a 100-mile endurance ride around Lake Tahoe. She persuaded Mrs. Amaral to sign up for the event.

Mrs. Amaral had done shorter runs and bicycle rides, often raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Mrs. Polk, a former Army captain, had run in half marathons and 10-kilometer races.

The local Team In Training program features eight athletes and four "honored teammates." These local women, ages 5 to 29, are suffering from either leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma or Hodgkin's disease. Mrs. Amaral said she was inspired by her "honored teammates," whom she has yet to meet.

"It helps when we're training, when we're feeling down, we're feeling tired, we just don't have the zip, we remember these people who are struggling just every day to get up and live," she said.

Mrs. Polk and Mrs. Amaral will hold a benefit night from 4 to 10 p.m. April 15 at the Texas Roadhouse on Route 3, town of Watertown. The highlight of the evening will be a raffle, with the main prize a $1,500 K2 bicycle donated by Black River Adventurers' Shop, 129 Mill St., Watertown.

Tickets for the raffle are being sold at Black River Adventurers, by Mrs. Amaral at the Watertown Family YMCA and at A Doggie Doo, 22252 Route 11, Watertown.

Mustard Seed Natural Foods on Arsenal Street is sponsoring a weekly in-store drawing with all proceeds going directly to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team In Training.

In the meantime, the two women train every day in the YMCA's weight room and on the stationary bicycles, eagerly awaiting the time when the weather will warm enough for them to start outdoor workouts.

"We have many good talks on the bike: religion, marriage, our husbands," Mrs. Amaral said.

"Especially when the CD player doesn't work," Mrs. Polk said, laughing.