Pictures and depression? ...

Ok, one more blog by popular request (well, only two actual requests). Someone wanted to know, among other things, if my wife had the locks changed while I was gone. I am happy to report that my key still works, and she had a special getaway planned and ready for my return, which I will not report on, so you can keep reading.

I have been asked a number of times if I have "recovered from the ride." I have had more trouble recovering from NOT riding for 10 days. I shipped my bike Saturday, August 13 and did not get it back to ride until August 23. Ten days and no bicycle! I could not believe how much I missed, and seemed to "need" to be on my bike, going someplace. I did get out to help with the raptors, which I have missed, but it did not replace riding. A bit of depression? The bare bones truth is that I miss all my new friends, and the closeness developed over the last 6 weeks. I just miss them and the challenge of the mind to keep on keeping on, mile after mile!!!!

I did not take many pictures while on this ride, because I am not good enough to ride and take pictures at the same time, like many of the kids were able to do. If I did stop to take a picture I could never catch up, again like the kids could. However, here is a link to the official pictures that were taken by Scott. All you need is the patience to click through them all, but it does show the story of the ride.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fullercenterbikeadventure/

It was also 10 days until I was able to weigh myself after the ride was over. I started training in March at 210 lbs, and when I finally weighed in on August 24 I was at 183 lbs. If I could have weighed in Sunday, August 14, I believe I would have been at 180 lbs. Now, the problem is how do I stop eating everything in sight, while NOT riding 75 miles per day? I know it's called will power, but that is in short supply between my two ears, and maintaining my weight has always been a struggle for me. Ok, too boring.

I am very pleased with my ability to participate in this adventure. I was not the fastest rider by a long shot, but I don't think I was ever the last one in either. And of course it was not a race, but a team effort, each of us supporting the other. My body held up better riding than I had a right to expect it to, including my separated shoulder.

So I ended up riding about 2,430 miles in 32 days of riding, for an average of 76 miles per day. I reported in Salt Lake City, UT July 1, and ended the adventure August 14, for a total of 45 days. I missed 19 days and about 1,170 miles of riding because of the van accident. There were 22 riders who went the entire distance, and another 23 who did one or more segments, for a total of about 45 new young friends. There were 31 of us who rode into Washington D.C., plus Scott as media support, and Lisa as van support. A fantabulous team! I just loved it!

So here's a picture of my painted nails with bicycles. I had a lot of fun with orange (Fuller Center color) nails until the ride was over, and I became a civilian again, back to the world of reality, so I quickly cleaned them up.

Until next year?

Peace and God's blessings from

geezerman