The Ride…

What a great event. Needless to say, it did not turn out like I had wanted. I started off a very  strong ride, averaging 22 miles per hour. At exactly mile 20 of the ride after climbing a moderate hill, I had a spoke break on my rear wheel. When the Bike Support finally made it to take a look, they did not have a tool to fit my Roval Fusee Star Wheels, so my ride was over, just after it had started. These wheels are brand new and including today only had 40 miles on them. Luckily the Bike Support were from Bobs Bikes, so they took the wheel with them to see if it could be fixed, or if Specialized will replace them. He said looking at it, I would probably get new wheels. Makes no difference to me, because the ones I currently have are new, I just want them fixed and I also want to be able to depend on these wheels. I can say they did make a difference cutting through the wind on the flats. I wish I could have tried them out on the steeper climbs, but oh well. I guess it’s better the spoke broke when it did and not when I was coming down one of those hills at 40+ mph!!!

I can’t wait for the Ride of Love! Don’t forget it’s coming up May 17th!!!

Details from my training ride from this day:

My ride details from this day:

It’s been a while since I have updated. Scaleback Alabama (http://www.scalebackalabama.com) went really well. I lost a total of 20 pounds over the 10 weeks. 41000 people started the program, and about 11000 qualified for one of 20 $250 dollar prizes if you lost 10 pounds over the 10 week period. My name was drawn out of those 11000 so I won $250 dollars!!! I plan to donate the money to Camp Sam and The Ride of Love(http://www.campsam.org/rideoflove.asp). It give me a head start on surpassing my money raised for last years ride. Last year I raised $1767.00 for The Ride of Love, so I hope to raise at least $2000.00 this year. On Sunday, March 30th, I did a 30 mile training ride in the gusty wind. It really wore me out. I have also continued my diet plan and have lost and additional 6 pounds. I have a goal to lose another 15 pounds before the Ride of Love. I’ve got to get busy!

http://www.campsam.org/rideoflove.asp

In the rain. My legs are really weak right now. Can’t wait to start getting back on the bike more during the week.

One At A Time

           A friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean.

           As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at time, he was throwing them back into the water.

           Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said, “Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing.”

           “I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it’s low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into the sea, they’ll die up here from lack of oxygen.”

           “I understand,” my friend replied, “but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can’t possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don’t you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can’t you see that you can’t possibly make a difference?”

           The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, “made a difference to that one!”

By Jack Canfield and Mark V. Hansen
from Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1993 by Jack Canfield
and Mark Victor Hansen

I’ve lost 12 pounds the last 12 days. I’m starting my training for the Ride of Love (http://www.rideoflove.org) and I’m also participating in ScaleBack Alabama (http://www.scalebackalabama.com/). I have a goal this year to get in shape, and I’m commited to that goal.

Check out the new and improved Camp Smile A Mile website! http://www.campsam.org This organization is very dear to our hearts. Take a minute to check the website out and you can also donate to this worthy cause. The impact they make on families with cancer here in Alabama cannot be truly put down in words.

I rode 30 minutes on the stationary bike before tiring out. I have to do better about going to the gym and actually working out AND riding the stationary bike. I guess it’s a start!

I jumped on my bike for the first ride of the new year, and the first ride on my bike in the last 4 months. Time to start getting into shape for the Ride of Love (http://www.rideoflove.org). I rode about 17 miles, and my lungs were really feeling it. I can’t wait till it starts getting a little bit warmer and a bit less windy. I plan to start picking up the miles and hopefully by February, be averaging about 100 miles a week. I’m also participating in Scale Back Alabama, so the diet should work in nicely with my training plans!

 Here’s to a great 2008…