Ok, Plan "B"

Ok, it's a Plan "B" day...

After a fitful nights sleep, which I always do if I have an early ride time schduled, I woke at 5:15 and got ready to ride. The deck out the back door was damp but no rain! I ate a quick breakfast and flipped on Weather Channel. Yep, rain is heading this way but maybe we'll get a few minutes of riding in today.

I grab my gear bag and head out into the garage, open the door and here it comes... rain. Big sigh of disappointment then turn around and head back into the house, flip the coffee maker on and stand there and stare at it.

I return to my stack of donor letters and it's a growing stack to say the least. I plan on making an impact for these kids I'll be riding for. If I can help make the life of a hearing impaired kid a little better and help him/her to succeed in life then I'm happy. To change it for many? Well, honestly that would be like winning the lottery, I can't comprehend it! It's too good! But it does happen to people! We all dream!

Ok, true confessions... actually two. First, the story about the new bike was an early April Fool's joke but not many folks read the comments attached to the daily entry's so it was a bust. I really do love that bike and am actually taking it out for a test on Tuesday night for the club ride.

Confession #2: Yes, I'm becoming very nervous about going for 3 weeks without a hearing aid and basically being completely without hearing. It's just outpatient surgery but the ear has to heal. Dr. Dornhoffer, you is a hero to me and many others, said no bike for 1 week but no hearing aid for 3!! No music or laughter is just something that spooks me to no end. Serious, can you imagine not hearing anything? Stop for a moment and list all the things you can hear at this very moment. Now take them ALL away. Nope, you can't even hear the tapping of the keyboard, no music, no family voices, no friends voices not even the lawn mower if you were standing right beside it. Spooky huh? That my friends is EXACTLY why I am riding for these kids!

Plan "B" calls for riding in the beautiful forecasted sunny and 80 degrees tomorrow! I can't wait!

All for the kids!
Geo

Weekend!

Ok lunch is almost over so I have to write fast! Here are the weekend training plans.
Saturday morning:
6:30 start time from hut at the bottom of the Big Dam Bridge (yes, that's really what it's called)
We'll ride until the start of the diabetes charity ride, Tour de Cure

We'll ride the century at a social pace (about 15mph) due to the long day in the saddle. When we finish we'll stay down on the river and continue riding until every falls over.

Ok, Plan "B" -- There is a 70% chance of rain tomorrow (Saturday).
Move long rides to Sunday, start around 10:30 (after early service), ride until the sun goes does around 7:30.

Goal: Must have 100 miles in at least one day this weekend.

Oh goodness, what have I done?

I bought this jewel and she's fast and I'm in soooo much trouble! My wife is out of town on business and I haven't mentioned it to her yet. I was supposed to buy a new lawn mower but I bought a bike instead. Oh friends... someone let me stash this Specialized beauty in your garage until I figure out what to do!

Rained out ...

There are rivers of yellow flowing down the roads! The rain finally came and started washing the pollen off of everything. It's been a mess! Everyone has yellow cars.


Since we are having rain I took it as a cue to work some more on the donor letters. It's actually fun to do but really time consuming so I get up a lot earlier so I can work on them before the sun raises and then I can spend after work on the bike and with family. I don't see how these men and women that train for the Ironman races do it. I have one bud that gets up at 4am to swim.
Everything is really come together for a great ride event. I got an email from Unitron, the maker of my hearing aid, and they will be a part of the event and gave me news that made me jump and yell! Serious! They made a donation. It's a major one! More details later... yep, it's like getting that little bit of frosting off the spoon and wondering how great the dessert will be when it's all finished! To Sue, Brian and all the wonderful staff at Unitron, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have changed so many lives with your products. I still remember the day I stepped out of my car that afternoon I got my Unitron and I heard the dry leaves rolling across the parking lot.... magic doesn't even capture it! Hearing things I've not heard since I was a kid. It was a then and there moment that you just never forget! Thank you!


Audiology Online has also jumped on with a great donation and a story that will be worth gold! Paul and Joanne are the best in helping me tell the story in hopes that folks want let a hearing impairment stop them from what they love to do.


Tomorrow will find me back out on the bike and training on the hills. This is one of the little hills out the back side of my neighborhood. It's a nice hill that makes me think of new words as I climb it. I took this photo about midway down. What you can't see is that after what looks like the bottom of the hill, well, it goes on and on and on. It's great for training and car are used to seeing cyclist back there some they're good. I've only had one crazy car in all the years I've been training on this.

I saw the forecast for Saturday and we are supposed to ride in the morning, then ride to the Diabetes ride called Tour de Cure and ride their century then ride more after the ride. On the saddle for at least 8 hours Saturday is the plan. Keep your fingers crossed the weather plays fair! I'll go nuts if I have to cancel a whole training day.

I have this weekend and next then I have my canal plasity (sp?) and have to stay off the bike for a week and no hearing aid allowed for up to 3. Man, it's going to be an experience when I enter 3 weeks of no sound. In all honesty, I think it will make me a better man. It will make me understand what a deaf person goes through. It will make me train that much harder to ride that much better for the kids.

Remember... it's ALL for the kids!
Geo.

Sunday's ride

Today took me from the house through North Little Rock and to the river up to the Heights and then over to Downtown to met my wife. Great afternoon of riding. Finally got to catch up with my friend Jason who is stationed at the Jacksonville Air Force Base. Yep he has been over in the "sandbox" (Iraq) and got home a couple of weeks ago. He had some great stories!

Stats:
Miles -- 42
Average: 15.23 (We climbed a lot! They don't call it the Heights for nothing!)
Total miles 2007: 910
I'll see my first 1,000 miles this week!


All for the kids!
Geo.

Saturday 03.24.07

What a day I tell ya'll! It was great right from the start. Beautiful morning with spring time temps and light wind. I was just about to head out and Emmy and Terri got up so I stuck around to greet the morning with them. I rolled out about 8:30 and headed down North Hills to the river. I was feeling great this morning! Full of energy and had a big smile on my face ... well til the bugs started hitting my teeth! HA! Nothing like a little protein huh?!

When I got down to the river I remembered that last week I noticed the new baseball stadium had it's gates open for the workers to come and go. I decided I would take a chance and sure enough the gates were open and I rode my bike right through the gates and into the stadium. What a beautiful place! I can't wait to go to a game there!

Just after I left the baseball stadium I rode right by the Hilton and there were two tour buses there. I had forgotten that Evanescence (sp?) is in town. Actually they are back "Home" tonight. They are from Little Rock! The buses were all roped off and it was funny because one of the buses also had a black hummer sitting in the roped off section as well. I suspected that the leader singer Amy Lee went home to crash. Alltel Arena is non stop shows and concerts this spring. The Who was here a couple of nights ago and I heard it was great. Rod Stewart is coming, Evanescence is tonight. Cirque is coming in late May. There are several others I'm sure.

While I was riding by the Hilton another rider rode up beside me and lo and behold it was Rick Beall! He is one of the guys that got me back on the bike several years ago. We had a great ride and rode together until we got to the boat ramp and dropped off for the Trek bikes demo days. They were really ready and would be there until 4 so I left and got more miles in. I came back a while later and spoke with the demo guy and got to take a sick Trek Pilot 5.0 out for a while! I'm in love! The bike I have is actually too big but I've been happy with it for over 3 year now. Well, I finally rode one that was my size for the first time and it was candy! It was smooth, quick to change to giddy up, just pure love! If I can get a good trade in I might do it. Richard, the owner of the bike shop, found out today that his shop sold me the bike and said he was sorry several times. I told him it was cool and that I have been happy with it for 3 years now. I really am. Yep, that's the Pilot over in the photo. He also suggested an different Specialized so I'll probably go at least look. Maybe since I have them as a sponsor then I can get are really go deal. If anyone wants a bike, go see Robb or Richard at Arkansas Bike and Fitness and tell them I sent you!

Stats: 46 miles
Average speed: 16.2
Did not count miles on the Pilot demo.
Year to date miles: 868.10

Thursday 03.22.07

Great training ride tonight. Everyone was in the zone and playing hard. When I got to where I normally park my car it was close to 6 already so I expected to see them coming through within seconds but no club. I rode toward the starting point and I could see them up on the hill in the parking lot about to start. They would be coming my way so i started down the route. Just as I got to Ft Roots they fast guys caught me. I rode the rest of the ride in the mid group.

Awesome afternoon and evening to be out. We had to stay away from Alltel since The Who was in town.

I'm ready for the weekend!
Geo.