Bring on the weekend!

Sort of sad how I live for the weekends huh?! Nah!

Awww right, here's the rest of the week stuff.

Thursday evening: River trail riding with the gang. Coach says, "I don't want to see you out there hammering! Save the legs for the weekend."

Friday: Bike cleaning if my wife and I don't have a date night... we usually do. Hey, y'all ever been to Roma in Jacksonville? Oh man, it's tha bomb!!!

Saturday: Last CARTI training ride. 8 a.m. at Burn's Park soccer fields. Next Saturday is the Tour de Rock that CARTI does and it's an all out blast! ACH also has a family ride in connection with it. This last training ride will be for 45 miles. The course next weekend for the actual ride is 50. This has been a lot of fun to train with because some of these riders are riding their first 50 mile ride. That's so awesome! It's the Little Rock Marathon on bikes for them. I so proud of those folks!

After the CARTI ride I'll either keep riding for the remainder of the day or I'll ask my coach to flip my recovery weekend and let this be recovery weekend and next weekend ride to Memphis. I would start with the Tour de Rock but jump the course and keeping on riding. Just like my sponsor dudes Energizer... just keep going and going! I need to ride that part of the course and Terri and I have talked about her picking me up in West Memphis and jumping the river and playing in Memphis for the weekend. I guess I could go really crazy and ride back to Sherwood. the next day.

ACH story: The other day I was walking over to Java City (Y'all stop laughing!) and there was a guy sitting outside in the reflecting pool area. He was talking on the cell phone and had his head down. He was crying. Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a parent cry. I guess sometimes folks think we all just get used to it but we have too much compassion and there are many of us who have been at ACH for years and still get choked up. That's what makes us the best!

Thanks for reading! If you are just jumping on to reading the blog...welcome to River 2 River!

Later y'all!

Geo.

To donate go to www.archildrens.org and click on "DONATE NOW"

or send your check to:

Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation

River 2 River Ride

800 Marshall Street

Little Rock, AR 72120

Then later that day...

Hey River Readers!

Yep, I still feel great even after yesterday! I've heard from all but one of the riders and everyone seems to be doing great! We all agreeed that it was good to have had a real long ride to iron out kinks and listen to what our bodies were telling us.

Here's some things we learned:
Keep a nice social pace and you can ride forever.

Eat light but eat often

Drink up!

Make sure those shorts fit.

Sunscreen is a beautiful thing! Just don't wipe your hands on the back of your shorts or your have white hand prints on your rear.

Sunglasses are a must. You should see my eyes today! Dracula red! Bad Geo bad!

Laugh and sing songs.

Laugh at yourself.

Surround yourself with good people and you won't notice when you get tired.

Take a friends advice.

Folks, I am getting so excited now about the ride! The training yesterday just boosted my confidence level 100%

We did it! Training ride to Russellville and back!

Jack, Me, Rebecca, Coach Mark, Chris, Jim, Razz, Marvin, Keith H,

Shawdawg, Shawkitty, Everyone's Mom and Yale

Heading out from Cook's Landing

Proof that we were really there!

We did it! We went to Russellville and back yesterday and I logged 147.87 miles!

12 of us started out at Cook's Landing and rode through Maumelle, Mayflower, Conway, Menifee, Plumerville were we were met by Yale's mom and her husband Jack. They are the most awesome folks! We had cold drinks, and fruit as well as cold water soaked towels.

Several were only planning to ride to Conway and back but everyone was feeling so good they stayed with us until Plumerville. 5 of us headed on out and by the time we got to Russellville it was the perfect time to stop. We all felt great but were ready for a break.

We crowded around an outdoor picnic table at McDonalds. I was as nervous at that point more than any other time on the ride. I usually can't eat a meal on a long ride. My tummy hates it but I knew I had to eat something so I got a fish sandwich without the tartar sauce and drank a Sprite. I worked with no problems at all!

We then reloaded our water bottles with cold drinks and hit the road for the ride home. One of my bottles had water and the other had green tea. I love that stuff and it has a calming effect on me. I usually drink it with my lunch at the office. Sweet tea does the same thing.

We rode into the wind and worked as a team taking turns at the front pulling. At times we would be rocking along at 18-20 then others when the wind would gust we could be seen going 14mph. The ride ended with and average of 16.6mph. My actual ride is set at 15 mph so I really felt good about that.

I did get a cramp just outside of Morriton but it quickly went away as I took a replacement cap.

As we rolled into Morrilton everything was closed except the Big Star grocery store so we loaded up on water and ice and Yale picked up a 6 pack of small V8 drinks. He stands by those as the drink to have when riding long rides. Again I decided to experiment with something while hot and getting tired. I drank the V8 and it was awesome! I had no idea those tasted so good! I'm hooked! Thanks Yale!

My coach had also given me a drink mix to try. It was great and I could tell between the drink mix and the V8 that I was going to do good the rest of the ride. Thanks Mark!

We rolled on pushing through the winds. They weren't wicked but just enough to make you wish they weren't blowing. I was excited as we rounded a curve to spot the hill that takes us back into Conway. It was one of those "almost home" feelings you get after a long trip.

We stopped at the Citgo (sp?) station on Tyler and Hogan St and we were all just having a great time. Everyone was still feeling good with over a hundred miles already behind us. Yale's mom comes driving in and what do they have? Cold drinks!! I had another almost frozen V8 drink and I was so good!

We then headed toward Mayflower and stopped on the side of the road for just a moment and rolled on to Maumelle. I remembered the hills just before Maumelle and the last one before the turn onto Maumelle Blvd smacked me up the side of the head. I was glad that that would be one of the last hills on the actual long ride on June 28th!

We got back to Cook's Landing and everyone was smiling from ear to ear! We had done it! Yale opened the back of his Element and there sat an ice chest! We had cold drinks and Yale made turkey sandwich halves with a thin slice of dill pickle. I laughed and told him it was the best sandwich I had ever eaten! We chased it with huge strawberries and blueberries!

All in all it was a fantastic day with great friends... great memories and great training! My hat's off to the greatest friends in the world for coming out and riding this! Yale, Ironman, Rebecca (Mrs. Ironman) and Razz... they stayed with me the WHOLE ride. Shawdawg, Shawkitty, Jim A, Coach Mark, Keith (Hey, you smell really nice! HA!) H., Robert, and fearless Marvin ... you guys rock!

Sunday

Great weekend so far! Met up with friends and rode some of the Carti training ride but a few of us had a late roll out due to a flat among our group. We caught up with the back of the group and then we got off track somewhere along the way. Still had a good time.

This afternoon I drove from Maumelle to Conway to check the route I will be riding tomorrow. There are several of us going out in the morning and riding the day out on the course. I'm looking forward to time on the actual course.

If all goes well then I will log 142 miles tomorrow. Tough day ahead but it's a good route that almost runs right along the interstate and there a small c-stores dotting the route as well so if anything were to happen to any of the riders it wouldn't be hard for a family member to pick him/her up.

Memorial Weekend just ahead

Well awwwwright! The weekend is about to start so this is a quick hit!
Tomorrow finds me at 8am at Burn's Park soccer fields to meet up with riders doing the CARTI training ride. We've been having a lot of fun on these rides! Planning on riding out to the farmlands toward England. I have a great sponsor out that way -- DELTA GROWS. Everyone who knows me knows I love the farmlands.

Sunday is an easy ride and then... Monday....
143 mile ride from North Little Rock to Russellville and back. I love it love it love it!!


Have a great Friday y'all!
Geo.

Honored

Remember when I was laughing about the Governor's Office calling mine? Look what came in the mail yesterday! It's the appointment letter from Governor Mike Bebee for the advisory board of infant hearing. What an honor!

5.23.07 Part II

Work day over and clipped in and rode to the house. Well not straight home. I rode along the river and got 15 in before heading to the house. Saw JBar out crankin'. Good ride and good wind most of the time. The one real climb on the way home was met with a pushy snot headwind. Nothing like a shoulderless road, lots of traffic, a hill, headwind, and the Cow God. But hey, I survived. I keep telling friends about riding to the Cow God. I'll take a photo of what I'm talking about this weekend and post it. There is a meat warehouse on top of this hill and it has a huge black angus cow on the roof. One day a year ago I was really hot, tired and bonking to the hilt and it was like the cow was putting some evil curse on me. It was one of those sweat in your eyes and stinging like crazy sort of days. Since then I've called it the Cow God. When I climb that hill I won't look up because it's head turns a looks at me and it's eyes turn red. Ok, I'm lying but it sounds cool huh?! Speaking of things comin' to life -- Transformers the Movie comes out July 4th! Oh Yeah!!

Anyway, the ride home was good and it was one of those rides where when you stop and every sweat gland explodes. I was sweating a river!

Ok so the weekend plans (hey, it's Wednesday night! Long weekend is almost here!)
Coach tells me to save the legs... I tell him he's a pain in the butt some days. So I'll save the riding for the weekend... maybe. (I see Coach M. rolling his eyes! HA!)

Thursday: Maybe easy spin
Friday: No ride
Saturday: House -- Carti Training Ride -- not with the front group since I'm saving the legs.
Sunday: Easy spin
Monday: (Fasten the seat belt baby cakes here we go!!!) Cook's Landing and on wheels at 7am for a ride to Russellville and back for about 143 miles. Several folks are going. Some all the way out and back and some part. It will be steady and easy pace due to the distance. Ya wanna ride with us a bit? Come on out and feel tha loooove!

Hey, check this out -- Coach M likes Blue Coast Burrito's Fish Tacos and Baha Tea. I knew there's was something about this guy. Blue Coast owner lives just down the hill from us too. I need to get them on as a sponsor. My family thinks I'm the only person that likes fish tacos.

Don't forget to go over to www.archildrens.org and make a donation to the ride or send a check to the hospital for the ride! Man, it's a tax write off and you know you need it so send a lot!

Well awww-right, I'm outta here!
Geo.

Wednesday 5.23.07

Rockin' Mount Nebo!

The Rock and Republic pro racing team is awesome!

Sorry, forgot to post Sunday. I went to Mt Nebo to watch the pro's race. Found a new team to cheer on -- Rock and Republic (www.rockracing.com).

Monday -- Pop up rain shower. Weirdest thing happend. I was sitting in the den and started to get up and I couldn't. Serious, on my knees couldn't sort of stuff. Felt like someone hit me with a baseball bat. I'm all bent over and walking like an old person. It was sore most of the night but I was able to sleep and woke without any pain. Maybe it was just a catch or something. Never had that before and don't want it again.

Tuesday -- Plan was to ride home from the hospital. Storm came up. Daughter's car in the shop,they called and said 4 days and over $1,000. I gave her my Explorer and Went to Enterprise and picked up a truck for the week. Yep, I'm a manly man now with a truck. Only the truck bed is too short for the bike so I had to turn the wheel and lay it down. I was able to get out and ride after the storm past. It was one of those cool, humid rides and a fast 24 miler.

Today -- lunch almost over and I'm riding to the house after work if no rain. Plan to get some miles in and maybe ride tomorrow too. In-laws coming in from FL (They live there) so plans may change.

Oh hey Phonak will be here tomorrow with test gear! Oh yeah!!!

Funds are coming in for the kids and we are 5 days from the 1 month count down. I have one more large batch of letters that need to go out and will work those over the long weekend.

Saturday

Woke to a crisp 48 degree sunrise this morning. Not sure why I woke so early but was glad a did. I had time to eat and let it digest before riding. I rolled out at 7:20 and met the Carti riders for an 8am ride leaving Burns Park and heading out to the farmlands and Scott community.I

t is a training ride and some of the riders are new so there is a little antsy feeling going on in the middle of the group. Everyone was having a good time and the morning was just beautiful. I took off my wind shirt when I got to Burns because it warmed up pretty fast on the ride in.

We kept it at about 17-18mph on the way out until a couple of guys took off. I was in mid-pack and couldn't seem to get a break long enough to chase. The front group got about 50 yards ahead and stayed there until the first rest stop for regrouping.

After the break we headed towards Scott and I was right behind JBar and Keith H for the lead out. Next thing I know a dude on a bike with areo bars came flying by and of course that set the stage. We go! There is a breakaway group and I'm a few behind and I thought areo-bar-man was going to keep it going but he blew. 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17 Ok, I gotta pick up a bit so I go out and around and me and a doc from the hospital cruise on out at 22. I pulled and pulled and pulled and then I couldn't figure out if they turned and they didn't but when I slowed down doc thought I was blown and whizzed around and I jumped behind to cruise on in to regroup area #2.

On the way back we caught a little head wind but not bad since we got to turn and then had great tailwind pushing us along. I rode with Dan H for a bit and we talked about his trip (cruise) he had just taken. One of the stops was Jamacia. I asked him if he liked it and he said no. I was surprised because all the commercials they run on the tube make it look great. Said the people aren't friendly. Ok, I'll mark Jamacia off the list as places I want to go.

I headed on to try and jump on the front group but was back to far and the wind was acting a fool! Paul B and I got us a little train going on and cruise at 23 on into NLR. Paul is a great guy to be around and I always enjoy my rides with him. Same with Dan H. Just good guys.

After the ride we all stood around sharing stories of wind, attacks, some car that flipped off the front group, etc. Then I headed on to Sherwood to the house. Rolled in at a little after 11.

Ended the morning with 55.43 and a 17.6 average speed. Should have been higher but had headwind and a big hill on the way home. All in all it was a most excellent day mate!

Photos from Rubicon ride

A couple of Rubes with Jenn, Razz and Jo

The photos below were all taken by Diane B.

Zippin' down Ft Roots

The crowd riding through Riverfront Park in North Little Rock

Listen up! There's JBar in the yellow with the black crow on it, Jo and me.

Mayor Hayes. Yep, our mayor rides.

Police dudes tellin' us not to pop wheelies.

Another Dime???

Hope y'all know how to ride your bikes 'cause gas has gone from $2.70 to 3.15 and then to 3.25 and as high as 3.35 around the city!!

I know I know...

I know I know... I've gone into blog-slackerville! I'll update this afternoon... I hope.

We interupt this silence with a post...

So gang, it's been a busy time at the office and Em was using the home laptop for school work.

Ok, update since Saturday's ride, lemme see...
I woke Sunday feeling like I hadn't ridden the bike the day before. I felt great! I really wanted to spend the afternoon out riding but I knew I needed to work around the house cutting grass and cleaning the garage. Y’all ever do that? I didn’t think so! HA!

Last night it rained – yep, another one of those pop up afternoon showers.

I was asked to speak at the Soundstart conference this afternoon. What an honor! It’s a conference for parents with deaf or hearing impaired kids. My part was the, “Don’t let a hearing impairment stop your child from being whatever they want to be!”

Team Rubicon is parked right out here in the parking lot right now! They are in visiting the cancer kids! I haven’t gotten to met them but they will host a ride at 5:30 today. I’ll be there! I see them now!! They are heading to the van.

OK, y’all aren’t going to believe this. When I went home yesterday they were right beside me but the team car says “Russ” on the side. I thought it was another team in town. Dang, they were in my neighborhood! Geo, you dork!

Oh well, more tonight…

Great day for a ride!

It was an awesome training day! I left the house and rode down to the river then out to the farmlands. I rode through England then planned to ride even further out but it was getting sort of like it was trying to build those spotty rain showers again so I headed back to North Little Rock. The corn was knee high, the wheat was ready and the rice was just starting and the snakes were everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. All kinds and sizes. All dead in the road. There was a swamp that I passed and I'm not sure what the splash was but it was a big animal. I kept thinking it might have been one of the alligators the Game and Fish have been talking about. we have them so bad now that there will be a first ever alligator hunting season this fall. But the air was filled with Magnolia, honeysuckle and several other smells that just made me so glad to be alive and able to enjoy the ride. Funny story: while I was out on the farmlands I could hear something and glanced over my shoulder to what I thought was a oncoming car but it was a whole herd of Carve riders ou for their training ride. They had a huge group. Always a bunch of friendly guys. They turned on Honey Road and I went straight to head on out to England.

Just as I get back to the river the BUZZ BBQ was in full swing! Oh man did it smell good! I rode a bit longer then stopped by my office and dined on Cheese Peanut butter crackers and an oatmeal cream pie. At first I thought the Little Debbie snack was going to make me ill because my tummy kicked a few seconds afterwards buy I strectched out for a few moments and was was well. I got back on the bike and headed out. 82 miles, not bad. I was in the office 17 minutes but it seemed like a lot longer.

I headed back over the Broadway bridge and over to the soccer fields to met up with friends for the CARTI training ride. I was feeling really refreshed and ready for more riding which was a big confidence booster! There are 2 groups and my buds talked me into going with them. When we hit 20-22 mph I thought this was a bad idea. I told Shawdawg and Shawkitty (yep, they are married) than if they dropped me not to wait. Dawg gave me the smile and said they weren't planning on waiting! We laughed and I told him I'd put a garage sale sign in their yard! They just put there house up for sell about an hour before they came. I hope it sells fast for them!

Any way we had a great ride and even went through a bust rain shower that lasted about a minue and a half but it was fairly hard. I stopped under a tree to drop my hearing aid into a zip lock. Nope, not getting that thing wet!

I rolled over 104 miles by the time I was home. I felt good all day. I mean ready good! When I got home and cleaned up I was feeling the love. I had a juice glass of Java Chocolate milk which set a little off with the tummy. Guess I ought to cool off a tad before drinking that stuff. But once I showered I felt good. I wasn't expecting that at all. I didn't feel any where near this good last Saturday after the ride.

Here's a few things I did different. I kept my gears in the small ring on the front most of the day. This was a coach trick and I think it worked. I love the big ring but it seemed to tire me out a lot faster. I drank FRS as my supplement drink. Yes, I really believe in the stuff. I rode solo all morning and kept it around 17 except for a short stretch on the farmlands where the wind was beating up on me and dropped to 14 at times. Wind is wind and if your solo riding it's going to slow you down. I rode with friends in the afternoon which seemed to help build up my confidence as well as allowed for a draft and get my speed up a notch. Jenn, Chris, Yale, Keith, Marvin and Razz... thanks friends!!

We headed down to see my folks who had just come in from FL today. They had a perfect trip thanks to Cathy and Doug and perfect weather and water. Both seemed rested and happy. My sister Sherry came over and brought mom the biggest mothers day card I've EVER seen. It was poster board sized! She's a third plotter!!! (Family joke). It was just really nice to hang out with the folks and Shery and my little bratty sister Barbie and her husband Tim. Never a dull moment.

Ya'll call your momma or think of all the good things about your momma!

Quick hit heading into the weekend...

Ok blog-o-nites and blog-o-nettes here we go with the weekend... Starts in 20 minutes!

Eat out with the wife for dinner. Go to Home Depot and maybe to Barney Nobels.
Home and check over bike. If eat and then home then I'll mow the yard then tell the neighborhood he needs to mow his. He he he.

Goal for the night: Stay away from the sweets!

Check over the bike. Bottles in the freezer. Put gear in the office so I don't wake anyone up in the morning.

On bike around 7 to Cook's, then out around the Cartin training loop or maybe longer. Back to the river. Stop by Murray Park to say howdt to BACA folks I've not seen in a year. Now that's really sad huh?! Over to the office if needed to break a moment and eat lunch if it's time. Back to river and ride until start of CARTI training ride (it's on Saturday at 2 this week). Then just ride out the time until stopping at 10 hours. Yeah baby! 10 hours on the bike tomorrow! I will feel the love by the time it's over! HA!

Then I have to head to the house and go to Benton to see my mom if they are home from Florida. I saw a couple of live cameras from down there this week and the beach was perfect! The water looked like a pool! Super clear!

Let the weekend begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!
Have an awesome weekend friends!
Geee-oh!

It was just a pishhh shower

The river trail

The river is raising but you can't keep the fisherman off the point.

It was really prettier in person. It was one of those spiritual looking sunsets where the rays of light shoot across the sky.

The family just hanging in the grass and chomping an occasional bug.

It turned out to be one of those pishhhhh showers. You know the kind that is sort of like when you turn the shower at home for a few seconds. Rained at the hospital but not at the house. Awww ya gotta love those summer showers.

So I geared up and headed out to ride. The womens running club was out and there most have been a 100 women running.

The river is way up and flooding a little. I was wondering if it was going to be over one of the smaller bike path bridges but everything was clear.

I did spot a small group of riders that it looked to be the Fast Girls Slow Guys club ride. They are now going so insanely fast that most folks can't really ride with them anymore. They are a racing club through and through. There is nothing at all wrong with that but they are way to fast for me and many of he riders from last year. I did see quite a few of last years riders out tonight.

I had been telling folks about all the duckings or gooselings or whatever you call baby geese. They are everywhere. I also saw a goose that looked as if it had been tangled in fishing line for a long time. It was limping pretty bad and I tried to get closed but it hopped away. I thought about calling my niece with the Game and Fish and ask them to see if they can retain it for a moment and just cut the line off. Just sort of pains me to see an animal in pain like that when it would be so easy to correct.

I rode down and back and down at a comfortable pace since coach will get me if I get caught riding fast just before an long weekend training ride. I plan to get an early start on Saturday morning and ride all day. I'm taking stuff to my office so I will have a place to stop and eat and take a short recovery. I'm looking forward to the training. The weekend calls for a 10 hour ride. Weeellll doggie, let's saddle up!

Tomorrow is TGIF and not a moment to soon!

Later y'all!

Geo.

Another afternoon shower??? Ahhh now come'on!

Can you believe this mess? Every afternoon it has clouded up and thundered and blown and rained. I don't want to sit on the spin bike tonight and watch TV. I need to feel the air, smell the honeysuckle, blah blah blah!

Another afternoon training busted by storms

Storms popping up. In fact loud thunder and big rain outside the office window. Bummer!

Hearing aid day #2

This morning a funny thing happened. I almost walked out the door without my hearing. Hey, it is a habit ya know! I've had it on all day and people will walk by my office silly funny stuff and I'm responding and we all laugh. They seemed to all have gotten used to me being deaf. It's taking a minute for everyone get back to a "hearing" Geo.

I was fun hearing the TV last night. It was fun hearing Terri talking in he car on the way home from work. It was fun hearing the kids. I heard Sadie bark too! Now thinking back you have no idea how comical it was to watch Sadie bark but not hear it. Ok, it's funny now but not then.

Well, it's Wednesday afternoon which means it's the other side of the week and heading toward the weekend. I told Terri this morning that I have GOT to find time to ride more or I'm going to be in trouble come June 28th. She said, "Well why don't you take you're bike to work and ride home?" Why did she marry me? Smart marries dumb (She marries me). I really thought about heading out to the house and bringing the bike back and riding home. I'll just bring it with me tomorrow. As I look out of the office window the afternoon pop up storms are already building. Those guys didn't waste any time today.

Tomorrow is the big hospital ice cream party for hospital appreciation week. Semi's with ice cream come in and we get to build these giant sundaes and they give out hospital wear like polo shirts and such. There is usually music blasting and someone will always start dancing. Usually someone who can't dance. Hey, it's a large office party, what can I say. All the elements of a TV sitcom. Oh well, everyone seems to always have fun.

Weekend ride this weekend is a 10 hour training ride! That's something like 7am to 5pm will be spent on the bike training. this time I'm planning a little different. I think I'll ride from home and go to the farmlands, which by the way they are building a shopping center out that way. Ride the farmlands for a while, come back and ride along the river, Maumelle, back to river, to my office and eat and break a moment (20-30 minutes at the very most). Then start riding along the river some more then maybe the CARTI training ride route, which is heading out to the farmlands again but not as far. Then I'm not sure. Since I have my hearing back I can go out on long rides away from normal spots and not worry.

Special shout out to my blogging buddy WES -- Congrats on your first Tri! And you've signed up for how many more already?! HA! You sound like some of these guys around here! Hooks you more than Meth!

Well, lunch is over... sigh...

RE-WIRED & HEARING!!!

Oh this is so good! But y’all everything is sort of loud in the world of the hearing folks!

Yep, today Dr. D checked the ear and poked around and even shot purple dye down into my ear canal and then said, “Do you want to put your hearing aid on?” I did and he was standing there with Dr. Smith and started talking and I jumped. Hold everything!! I haven’t even turned up the aid yet and it’s too loud?!! WHA??!!! Oh my gosh, is there going to be this big of a difference? There were smiles all around the room then he gave me the pep talk and the caution talk as well.

I then went across the hall to Mary Martha’s office and she made a new ear impression for a new ear mold. I’ll have a new one with the air vent so I can let the heat and moisture out when I’m training. That was the caution part. I’m still really in the infection zone right now so I have to continue the drops every night and clean with alcohol. That’s doable.

I told Mary Martha that I didn’t realize her office was so loud. She has an air vent and a return in her office and it sounds like you are sitting in a jet. She was telling me that it’s hard for people with hearing impairment to hear in there because of that.

The rest of the afternoon was spent much like the first day I got my new hearing aid learning sounds. When a coworker in the next office coughed this afternoon it sounded as though it was in my ear! No, I didn’t have it turned up.

I was really hoping to get out and test sound on the bike this afternoon but once again the afternoon pop up thunderstorms are rolling through. I can hear thunder so I’m not going out. Instead I’ll work on donor letters tonight.

Ok, so what did I learn from this experience? I learned that I’m not as strong in the fact of sickness as I thought I was. I wondered if it would have been something that was going to be permanent if I would have handled it different? I didn’t have to learn sign language even though I think I will now. I saw the world in a different way. No one meant to but it is a world of isolation sometimes. Many people have no idea how exhausting it was to sit through a simple meeting. People naturally turn their heads while they talk but when you are forced to read lips it can wreck you. Some people don’t move their mouths very much so it’s hard to follow there speech. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just hard to keep up.

So it makes me think really hard about this ride and what it means. I wondered if after the recovery period if I’ll have a different outlook on the ride and how I can help those kids that can’t hear … oh boy, you have no idea how it has changed me! No idea!

All for the kids!
Geo.

Sunday ride recap

I always forget the beauty of sunsets while riding. I waited today to ride after 6pm. It was crowded with walkers, runners and family bikes. Everyone having fun and wrapping up the weekend.

I kept a brisk pace of 17-18 and knocked down 27 miles quickly. The sunset was awesome! I really wanted to ride up on the BDB and lean on the rail and watch.

Legs felt good.

Plan for the week is to get a good ride in Tuesday. An easy ride one other evening and another long distance on Saturday. I think I add another hour this week which would be 10 hours of riding. But hey I'll be plugged in and can hear so I'll ride to who knows where!

I get to plug in tomorrow a little after 1pm and it's like waiting on Santa. Actually it's more like having the present you always wanted under the tree and you've started to lift the corner of the wrapping paper but then didn't. that's exactly what I did today! I started to lift the wrapping paper. I am so excited that this morning I got out my hearing aid and put it in the nice case and brought it to work. About mid morning I look over and there it is sitting on the corner of my desk. I simply couldn't stand it any longer and I opened the case, put a battery in and put it up to my ear. I needed to push it on in and as I was doing it, something just didn't feel right and I stopped and closed everything back up. It will be fine I told myself. it's just the odd feeling of not having worn a hearing aid in weeks. OK, I'm under 24 hours to being a hearing person again. You have NO idea how exciting this is...

Saturday -- Long ride recap

Oh where to start???How about opening the garage door?Yep, that ‘s a good place… Ok, so it’s Saturday morning and I plan to meet Brandon in the bowling alley parking lot about 5 minute downhill ride from the house. I open the garage door and what do I feel? Sprinkles and the road is damp. Oh no no no! Mr. Weather guy said a nice day was on tap. I walk back in and flip the tube on and no rain around. Says it’s high fog and will burn off about midmorning.I met up with Brandon and we head toward the river. I was feeling good. We ride the river and meet up with Keith on the bridge and head down the LR side.1st stop was Central High. (http://www.nps.gov/chsc/) for an insiders look. Brandon’s folks work there so he gave us some cool facts. I felt excited and ashamed at the same time. Excited that I was seeing it close up for the first time and ashamed that this was my first time to visit this historic place. It’s huge! My goal this week is to find out what the 4 statues are on the front of the building. Who are they and what do they mean?

There is a Mobil gas station that is a museum and then across the street is a memorial time line. As I was looking at the photo on the timeline, I was looking at the Mobil station and then as I looked up I was looking straight at it in real life and it’s exactly as the photo from 1957.

Afterwards we rode over to the hospital expecting the Miracle Walk to be coming around but they were still over at the capitol doing the rah-rah stuff so we rode over there. We got to the start point and over to the side and off they go. I was a walk and not a race but the kids at the front were running to keep up with the pace car who slowed way down when he saw this.

Next was a ride through the heart of downtown and over to the Heifer Project. Keith told us about the building and I didn’t pick up all of the conversation but the put I did was really neat. I plan to get him back over there sometime when I can hear so I can get all the details.

Ok, play was over and it was really past time to get some long riding time in. We rode back to the BDB and Keith pulled out to ride home. He had already been running that morning. JMar had jumped in and rode with us a while. Then we headed over the BDB and he jumped out at Cook’s where his car was. He had already been on a farmlands ride (a fast one at that!).

Brandon and I rode out to Maumelle and at the turnaround I told Brandon I was going to get a little cash out of the ATM. So here I am doing that and not really watching what Brandon’s doing. It’s a Saturday and even though there were no cars going through the bank was open but he didn’t know that. He’s over there pushing the buttons and the canister goes flying up the tube then the voice comes on to ask if he needed help! HA!!

We take a back road back through Maumelle and it’s great because the wind has picked up and it would have been some stiff headwind coming back but it wasn’t bad since we were hidden in the trees.

The rest of the day was ride, ride, and ride. Brandon rode on home about mid afternoon and I rode the river some more. It was nice and then it was not nice. I enjoyed having folks riding with me and when Brandon left I sort of didn’t know what to do with myself. What I mean is that while he was riding I didn’t have to worry about being a deaf rider because he knew where my phone was, he knows Terri, he could talk to other riders or let me know if cars were in the area. It made for a semi-stress-less ride with him around. Brandon, if you read this, thanks for riding most of the day!I finally rode over to my office and waited for Terri to pick me up. I was tired but felt a lot better just stopping in a cool place for a little bit.

When I got home I got cleaned up, ate and rested a bit then went out to the garage to check over the bike. I had been having computer problems on the bike and knew that I had 6 miles more than Brandon when he left off. I added and subtracted and then just sat there. Oh man, 99.7 miles! UGH!!!I still really enjoyed the ride and getting to learn about places around my own city. Thanks guys!

135 mile training ride

Ok, everything is falling into place for my longest training so far for this event. Saturday is looking like prime weather for me to training. I do my best riding in 80 degree weather and tomorrow it will be in the 80's. I didn't want to leave Terri without a car so I'll ride from home and use my office as my stop and rest station. I can fill water bottles, eat, cool off, whatever right here and even make blog progress notes during the day.

Start time is about 7:00 from my house. I think there may be some other riders meeting me down on the river around 7:30 to ride along along for a bit. Then others when they come back in off the farmland rides. Should see a lot of friends tomorrow and looking forward to it!

These shoes are made for walking!

Great way to start your Saturday morning! Weather is going to be perfect! Y'all come on out!

Sign up now for the 2007 Miracle Mile Walk benefiting ACH. The Walk is set for Saturday, May 5, 2007, at 9:00 a.m. ACH employees are encouraged to join representatives from Children’s Miracle Network National Sponsors in this one-mile walk, from the State Capitol to the campus of ACH and back, to raise funds and awareness for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Registration is $25 per person (kids 12 and under are free). Registration opens at 7:00 a.m.; Walk begins at 9:00 a.m. Register online at http://www.miraclemilewalk.org/ or call 501-3641477.

If you are an ACH employee and will be on campus Saturday morning, please come out and cheer on the participants as they walk past the hospital. The group should begin walking down Marshall (in front of the hospital) at approximately 9:15 a.m. Please come out and cheer on the many people that are donating their time and resources to support ACH!

Come on weekend!

Well friends we are getting closer to the weekend by the minute! I’m ready too! We were supposed to go over to Memphis to the Memphis in May music festival and I was going to get to see Wolfmother before they had back across the pond but due to not getting to put my hearing aid back in it looks to be a local weekend.

Emily turns 17 tomorrow. That is so hard to grasp. At times she’s my little girl and runs across the room and lands on my lap and at times she walks through the room as she’s about to go out looking better than any model that graced magazines. She can still make me laugh harder than anyone else. She can make me laugh until my tummy hurts. I have a year and a few months left before she goes off to college…sigh….

Ok, training… here we go! It’s going to be an eat and drink on the bike training. I’ll have some supplements (Endurolytes and Perpetuum) that I’ll be trying. One of the things long distance folks are told to do is get used to eating and riding. I read one account where a female long distance rider ate her meals while she was on a trainer. Nothing like a trainer at the dining room table! HA!

The plan is to ride the river for hours. It is actually for a 9 hour ride. I had planned to go up the road about an hour north of town and ride a charity ride (Plan B), Tour of the Wine Country but with no hearing aid, guess I best not. The ride is a charity ride for the hospital and a festival.

I’ve been planning my start time and want it to be around 8 a.m. and that gets me off the bike around 5p.m. Gee whiz, I’ll be riding a whole work day. If I keep at 15 mph pace for 9 hours that will be 135 miles. That’s the distance from Ft Smith to Cook’s Landing. Half of the ride for June 28th. I’m really hoping to some how get a chance to get up toward Ft Smith or even to Ft Smith and ride back before the actual ride. May be a nice thing to do for Memorial Day Monday. I usually ride from my house to Searcy and back on that Monday or that weekend for 90 miles but I think this year I’ll change it up.

Even though Dr. D asked me not to wear the hearing aid until Tuesday, I’ll honor that but boy it’s going to be a good mental exercise if I stay down on the river riding for hours with no sound, no music, etc etc… I still find it really funny that folks know I can’t hear but they will just talk and talk. I just do the best I can picking up bits and pieces. If you only knew what I thought some people have said!

Well, lunch is about over… back to work.

To donate to the River 2 River ride to help children with hearing impairments go to http://www.archildrens.org/ and click on the donate now button and note it's for the bike ride.

Later y’all!
Geo.