26 days to report for action in Seattle
Tomorrow is my last day volunteering at the Raptor Education Foundation until I get back from this adventure. We have 29 raptors that we care for and use in educational programs throughout the country. I usually try to volunteer twice a week, and was lucky enough to be Volunteer of the Year last year. Here is a short video of my buddy, a Harris’s Hawk that I am holding on my arm out in the yard to get him some sunshine. Watch closely at the start of the video and you will see a Golden Eagle flying across the pen in the background.
My fat cells seem to be winning. I am still at 195 lbs, and now 5 lbs over my goal. It used to be easier to lose weight when I was running, which makes me think fat cells don’t like bouncing! I have lost enough weight, or toned up a bit, that now I am having trouble with my butt and my saddle. I have to make sure the wrinkles are flat under my sit bones to keep from getting blisters.
Lost two days training to rain this week. I don’t mind riding in the rain, but it has been just too cold for rain. Total for the week is 17 hrs in the saddle, and 202 miles. Again only one day at 75 miles, when I need to be doing some back to back to back 75 mile days.
Thanks to all who have donated to help me reach my goal to ride, but more importantly they have helped eliminate poverty housing. Together we can make this planet a better place to live for all.
Peace
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Four weeks left to train ...
33 days to report for action in Seattle
Same Great Horned Owl nest as last week, but from the first time I found them. Mamma is stepping gingerly over the babies before flying off. She did not like me stopping for pictures.
Found out this week a quick way to loose weight. Just get sick for a few days. I am now at 195 lbs, only 3 lbs over my goal. Had to cut my Thursday ride short, and spent Friday and most of Saturday in bed. Still not feeling well enough to get on my bike, so I’m way short of my 240 miles for the week. I did start the week strong, so I ended up with 171 miles and almost 16 hours in the saddle. I was hoping for two 75 mile days this week, but will just have to do it next week.
We now have 25 whole way riders, plus our van driver, and another 31 riders doing one or more week long segments. That is a total of 57 people on this adventure. What a statement we will make as we ride across the country!
What a bunch of neat people we have on this ride. You should go to the Fuller Center page, button on right, and read about them. When I was getting serious about signing up for this adventure I was worried about raising the money. I hate to ask people for money, but I was recently reading an interview given by one of my fellow riders, Loyal Mehnert, and he said:
“… by not giving a little, you miss out on the chance of making a real difference. When I head off on these wild travelanthropic adventures, it’s not $10,000 donations that roll in. It’s $25, it’s $50, it’s $100. That may not sound like a lot but when you have dozens or hundreds of people pitching in, we all truly become part of something much larger than ourselves. You may not even meet the people who benefit from the charity you’re donating to. But know that for the rest of their lives, they will be thankful to the strangers that took a minute out of their day to donate or a weekend to volunteer. That tiny bit of time or money you gave will radically change their lives.”
So, why am I riding, and donating to my own ride? Simply to make a difference in the lives of people who need a little help.
Peace
Same Great Horned Owl nest as last week, but from the first time I found them. Mamma is stepping gingerly over the babies before flying off. She did not like me stopping for pictures.
Found out this week a quick way to loose weight. Just get sick for a few days. I am now at 195 lbs, only 3 lbs over my goal. Had to cut my Thursday ride short, and spent Friday and most of Saturday in bed. Still not feeling well enough to get on my bike, so I’m way short of my 240 miles for the week. I did start the week strong, so I ended up with 171 miles and almost 16 hours in the saddle. I was hoping for two 75 mile days this week, but will just have to do it next week.
We now have 25 whole way riders, plus our van driver, and another 31 riders doing one or more week long segments. That is a total of 57 people on this adventure. What a statement we will make as we ride across the country!
What a bunch of neat people we have on this ride. You should go to the Fuller Center page, button on right, and read about them. When I was getting serious about signing up for this adventure I was worried about raising the money. I hate to ask people for money, but I was recently reading an interview given by one of my fellow riders, Loyal Mehnert, and he said:
“… by not giving a little, you miss out on the chance of making a real difference. When I head off on these wild travelanthropic adventures, it’s not $10,000 donations that roll in. It’s $25, it’s $50, it’s $100. That may not sound like a lot but when you have dozens or hundreds of people pitching in, we all truly become part of something much larger than ourselves. You may not even meet the people who benefit from the charity you’re donating to. But know that for the rest of their lives, they will be thankful to the strangers that took a minute out of their day to donate or a weekend to volunteer. That tiny bit of time or money you gave will radically change their lives.”
So, why am I riding, and donating to my own ride? Simply to make a difference in the lives of people who need a little help.
Peace
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Five weeks left to train …
40 days to report for action in Seattle
The good news is that I made my goal of at least 210 miles, finishing with 212, and 20 hours in the saddle. Next week’s goal is 240 miles. The wind is still my friend, but you know how it is when friends stay too long? Almost wore out my brakes trying to keep from being blown into Kansas with the wind at my back on the way home the other day.
The bad news is I did not lose any weight; still at 198 lbs. But, I figure since I lost 4 lbs last week, I’m still on track for 2 lbs per week. Oops, just counted weeks. I started at 210 lbs eight weeks ago, so I should be down to 194 lbs. So now I’m 4 lbs over my goal! I just checked my bike log, and last week it registered 10,766 calories burned! Now, I have to wonder, how many calories are in a root beer float? This could be depressing.
Our Anthem Ranch riding club started riding last week. On Tuesdays we ride an easy 20 miles or so; Wednesdays we ride in the mountains about 15 - 30 miles; Thursdays, a short social ride to the local pub; and Fridays, our long flat ride of about 30-45 miles. Weather is still a little sketchy, so turnout is not great yet. I want to ride with them, but my training does not always allow it (as I need longer rides) especially the pub stop.
Practicing putting pictures in my blog. This is a Great Horned Owl nest that is on one of my regular routes.
Great Horned Owls do not build their own nests, this was a crow nest last year.
A good week riding:
Monday - 37 miles
Tuesday - day off to work a raptor program at a school (we brought a screech owl, an American Kestrel, a Harris’s Hawk and a Golden Eagle--kids love it, and I love showing the birds!)
Wednesday - 55 miles with a stop for lunch halfway
Thursday - 74 miles to Carter Lake Reservoir
Friday - 31 miles with bike club
Saturday - 15 miles to reach goal for week of 210 miles
Sunday - day off for church and rest; maybe a ping pong match to keep me moving a little bit
Peace
The good news is that I made my goal of at least 210 miles, finishing with 212, and 20 hours in the saddle. Next week’s goal is 240 miles. The wind is still my friend, but you know how it is when friends stay too long? Almost wore out my brakes trying to keep from being blown into Kansas with the wind at my back on the way home the other day.
The bad news is I did not lose any weight; still at 198 lbs. But, I figure since I lost 4 lbs last week, I’m still on track for 2 lbs per week. Oops, just counted weeks. I started at 210 lbs eight weeks ago, so I should be down to 194 lbs. So now I’m 4 lbs over my goal! I just checked my bike log, and last week it registered 10,766 calories burned! Now, I have to wonder, how many calories are in a root beer float? This could be depressing.
Our Anthem Ranch riding club started riding last week. On Tuesdays we ride an easy 20 miles or so; Wednesdays we ride in the mountains about 15 - 30 miles; Thursdays, a short social ride to the local pub; and Fridays, our long flat ride of about 30-45 miles. Weather is still a little sketchy, so turnout is not great yet. I want to ride with them, but my training does not always allow it (as I need longer rides) especially the pub stop.
Practicing putting pictures in my blog. This is a Great Horned Owl nest that is on one of my regular routes.
Great Horned Owls do not build their own nests, this was a crow nest last year.
A good week riding:
Monday - 37 miles
Tuesday - day off to work a raptor program at a school (we brought a screech owl, an American Kestrel, a Harris’s Hawk and a Golden Eagle--kids love it, and I love showing the birds!)
Wednesday - 55 miles with a stop for lunch halfway
Thursday - 74 miles to Carter Lake Reservoir
Friday - 31 miles with bike club
Saturday - 15 miles to reach goal for week of 210 miles
Sunday - day off for church and rest; maybe a ping pong match to keep me moving a little bit
Peace
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Six weeks left to train (not seven) ...
47 days to report for action in Seattle
I skipped from 8 weeks to 6 because of poor planning on my part. I will not be training the week of June 6. I’m told that I should be tapering off. OK, I’ll go along with that, but I am really going to be resting my fanny.
A big thanks to Joe Rubino, the reporter who came out to my house, spent a lot of time talking with me, called The Fuller Center for more information, and then wrote a very nice article in the Broomfield Enterprise. Thru his efforts and his newspaper the Fuller Center for Housing will be able to raise more money to help more families into affordable housing.
A reporter asked a young teenager why he was helping to build a home for somebody he didn’t know. His answer: “To show people that they’re cared about, that they matter.” That pretty much says it all.
Under 200 lbs and over 200 miles, finally! Now at 198 lbs (a four lb loss), 202 miles ridden, and 18 1/2 hrs in the saddle. So maybe cutting back on the ice cream and cookies is the answer? Naw! That can’t be it! Today will definitely be a Root Beer Float Day (with, of course, nothing but Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream)!
Monday - day off
Tuesday - 52 miles, got rained on a little
Wednesday - 14 miles, left house at 33 F, but warmed to 36 F
Thursday - 40 miles, tried for 50 but ran out of time
Friday - 35 miles, in head and cross winds up to 40 MPH+, but fun coming back. (Head winds are my friends, but cross winds can be dangerous; almost went down twice in the cross wind gusts.)
Saturday - 30 miles, in snow flurries, some rain, and some sunshine, but not much wind.
Sunday - 31 miles. Not much wind or sunshine. I caught and passed a rider today, and it was not a grandmother! Not even a grandfather. Some guy with ear phones who was not listening to “Rocky” music. Needless to say, this was not in or around Boulder where everybody passes me.
Happy Easter to all.
I skipped from 8 weeks to 6 because of poor planning on my part. I will not be training the week of June 6. I’m told that I should be tapering off. OK, I’ll go along with that, but I am really going to be resting my fanny.
A big thanks to Joe Rubino, the reporter who came out to my house, spent a lot of time talking with me, called The Fuller Center for more information, and then wrote a very nice article in the Broomfield Enterprise. Thru his efforts and his newspaper the Fuller Center for Housing will be able to raise more money to help more families into affordable housing.
A reporter asked a young teenager why he was helping to build a home for somebody he didn’t know. His answer: “To show people that they’re cared about, that they matter.” That pretty much says it all.
Under 200 lbs and over 200 miles, finally! Now at 198 lbs (a four lb loss), 202 miles ridden, and 18 1/2 hrs in the saddle. So maybe cutting back on the ice cream and cookies is the answer? Naw! That can’t be it! Today will definitely be a Root Beer Float Day (with, of course, nothing but Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream)!
Monday - day off
Tuesday - 52 miles, got rained on a little
Wednesday - 14 miles, left house at 33 F, but warmed to 36 F
Thursday - 40 miles, tried for 50 but ran out of time
Friday - 35 miles, in head and cross winds up to 40 MPH+, but fun coming back. (Head winds are my friends, but cross winds can be dangerous; almost went down twice in the cross wind gusts.)
Saturday - 30 miles, in snow flurries, some rain, and some sunshine, but not much wind.
Sunday - 31 miles. Not much wind or sunshine. I caught and passed a rider today, and it was not a grandmother! Not even a grandfather. Some guy with ear phones who was not listening to “Rocky” music. Needless to say, this was not in or around Boulder where everybody passes me.
Happy Easter to all.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Eight weeks left to train ...
54 Days …
Wow, The Fuller Center gives us all these neat things that we can do to get ready for this ride, and one of the things is a “News Release.” So I figured why not since all I have to do is to fill in my name, and send it to a newspaper. So I sent it to two papers, and here is a link to the results which appeared in today’s neighborhood paper. Hmmm, I hope I don’t have to start signing autographs now. :-) Maybe just wear my sunglasses all the time.
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_17858890
202 lbs, yikes I gained a pound. I think I’ll make believe it’s muscle. At 68, not sure I have enough testosterone to make muscle, but I’m not too old to pretend. Maybe I should just change my training recovery drink to something besides Blue Bell Ice Cream and cookies. Maybe I can get them to carry Blue Bell in the sag wagon? We can just divert some of the donation money to buy a freezer that runs off a cigarette lighter for the sag wagon. :-)
Well, I did get seven days in a row riding. Not the distance I wanted, I was hoping to get in over 200 miles last week, but had to settle for 177.14 miles and 15.5 hours in the saddle.
Friday was my first attempt in the foothills. We usually ride up, over, down and then reverse the ride. I only made it up, and had to turn around, pooped. Grade percentages of 10% and more, plus the wind again. Today we rode the foothills again, and it went much better. I was able to ride 6 miles all uphill at mostly 6% grade, but some areas of 10% & 12%, with no stops, and I felt good. Cut off on the way down for 2 more miles uphill before turning around and back down.
Now for my relatives. Ya gotta read this email from …. well I’m not telling who, but I love her to death for this email:
Okay, here goes. I enjoy reading your blog. I enjoy your enthusiasm. BUT what are you thinking?! Have you not had some significant injuries that have kept you away from your favorite sports for long periods of time? Have you not learned anything from these experiences? Is no one asking you why you think this is a good idea for you to try? I get that this is a cause that you like but really..... Anyway, I'll consider giving you a penny a mile if you ride this thing and a nickel a mile if don't!
Now, don’t ya just love that? Don’t we all want someone to love us and care about us? (oh yeh, I took her up on the penny a mile)
Peace
Wow, The Fuller Center gives us all these neat things that we can do to get ready for this ride, and one of the things is a “News Release.” So I figured why not since all I have to do is to fill in my name, and send it to a newspaper. So I sent it to two papers, and here is a link to the results which appeared in today’s neighborhood paper. Hmmm, I hope I don’t have to start signing autographs now. :-) Maybe just wear my sunglasses all the time.
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_17858890
202 lbs, yikes I gained a pound. I think I’ll make believe it’s muscle. At 68, not sure I have enough testosterone to make muscle, but I’m not too old to pretend. Maybe I should just change my training recovery drink to something besides Blue Bell Ice Cream and cookies. Maybe I can get them to carry Blue Bell in the sag wagon? We can just divert some of the donation money to buy a freezer that runs off a cigarette lighter for the sag wagon. :-)
Well, I did get seven days in a row riding. Not the distance I wanted, I was hoping to get in over 200 miles last week, but had to settle for 177.14 miles and 15.5 hours in the saddle.
Friday was my first attempt in the foothills. We usually ride up, over, down and then reverse the ride. I only made it up, and had to turn around, pooped. Grade percentages of 10% and more, plus the wind again. Today we rode the foothills again, and it went much better. I was able to ride 6 miles all uphill at mostly 6% grade, but some areas of 10% & 12%, with no stops, and I felt good. Cut off on the way down for 2 more miles uphill before turning around and back down.
Now for my relatives. Ya gotta read this email from …. well I’m not telling who, but I love her to death for this email:
Okay, here goes. I enjoy reading your blog. I enjoy your enthusiasm. BUT what are you thinking?! Have you not had some significant injuries that have kept you away from your favorite sports for long periods of time? Have you not learned anything from these experiences? Is no one asking you why you think this is a good idea for you to try? I get that this is a cause that you like but really..... Anyway, I'll consider giving you a penny a mile if you ride this thing and a nickel a mile if don't!
Now, don’t ya just love that? Don’t we all want someone to love us and care about us? (oh yeh, I took her up on the penny a mile)
Peace
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Nine weeks left to train ...
or, 61 Days ...
Finally a couple of quiet days to ride without wind. Cold and drizzly the first day, but sunny and nice the second day. After weeks of riding in the wind, these two days were a welcome change.
A good week of riding and getting my saddle time in (to break in my butt); a little shy of 15 hours, and 168.05 miles. Not as much as last week, but still a good week. Weight loss only one pound, now at 202, so I will have to work harder on reducing the food intake so I can report 199 next week. :-) Weather forecast looks a bit rainy for next week, so I will have to work at finding the right times to get out. I’d like to get a couple of 40-plus mile rides in this week. I rode to Hygiene last Tuesday, and put my order in for key lime pie for this Tuesday. Now I need a rainless Tuesday so I don’t have to drive my car out for my pie.
Still looking for more donations to help with meeting my goal of $1.00 for each mile I am to ride. And, I would sure like to help build more houses by exceeding my goal. Got a very nice donation from the cutest dentist in the country. My thanks to Christina and Paul Sletten, Rock Dental in Colorado Springs (Christina is the cute one). Oh yea, the best dentist I have ever had! http://www.rockdental.net/
Notice the link under Web Sites of Interest: Active Eagle Nest. If you have any interest in raptors, this is great.
Peace ...
Finally a couple of quiet days to ride without wind. Cold and drizzly the first day, but sunny and nice the second day. After weeks of riding in the wind, these two days were a welcome change.
A good week of riding and getting my saddle time in (to break in my butt); a little shy of 15 hours, and 168.05 miles. Not as much as last week, but still a good week. Weight loss only one pound, now at 202, so I will have to work harder on reducing the food intake so I can report 199 next week. :-) Weather forecast looks a bit rainy for next week, so I will have to work at finding the right times to get out. I’d like to get a couple of 40-plus mile rides in this week. I rode to Hygiene last Tuesday, and put my order in for key lime pie for this Tuesday. Now I need a rainless Tuesday so I don’t have to drive my car out for my pie.
Still looking for more donations to help with meeting my goal of $1.00 for each mile I am to ride. And, I would sure like to help build more houses by exceeding my goal. Got a very nice donation from the cutest dentist in the country. My thanks to Christina and Paul Sletten, Rock Dental in Colorado Springs (Christina is the cute one). Oh yea, the best dentist I have ever had! http://www.rockdental.net/
Notice the link under Web Sites of Interest: Active Eagle Nest. If you have any interest in raptors, this is great.
Peace ...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Ten weeks left to train ...
Wow, over 6.7 billion people in the world, and I have 3 of them as blog followers. Welcome to Megan who will be a fellow rider and has her own blog going, http://eastfcba.blogspot.com/ which I enjoyed reading the other day. Also welcome to Jay, a bike rider, who is a buddy from my working days in Chicago; thanks for following my blog.
Got an email from my good riding buddy, Don E., from our riding club, that he will be joining us for the Denver to Hill City, KS segment. Don resembles the title of my blog, geezer, and he may even be older than I.
Weight loss was successful last week, weighed in at 203 this morning, so back on the 2 lbs per week loss program. Training was great last week. I rode each day, Monday to Saturday, and will rest today (good thing as it is snowing). A total of 20 hrs and 194 miles for the week. Had a nice ride yesterday, with my geezer friends, and we logged in 52.65 miles, but first time out for some, so they were really dragging. We had a head wind that got stronger and stronger as we struggled back to our cars. As usual I kept encouraging my fellow riders to make friends with the inclines and the head winds. Much better to make friends than to make enemies.
All the riders are still trying to raise money for this ride. I got the following info from Megan’s blog page, which points out how important each dollar is. When you donate, this is how your money is spent:
$15 = Box of Nails
$25 = 1 gallon of paint
$50 = 1 box of flooring tiles
$75 = Enough nails to build one house!
$100 = 3 bundles of roofing shingles
$150 = 1 medium size window
$250 = 1 exterior door
$500 = Siding
$1000 = Roof trusses
$2500 = A house in the Congo
$5500 = A house in El Salvador
We all have a decent place to live. If we help others to have a decent place to live, we improve the entire planet that we live on. Much better to help people than to just look the other way.
Got an email from my good riding buddy, Don E., from our riding club, that he will be joining us for the Denver to Hill City, KS segment. Don resembles the title of my blog, geezer, and he may even be older than I.
Weight loss was successful last week, weighed in at 203 this morning, so back on the 2 lbs per week loss program. Training was great last week. I rode each day, Monday to Saturday, and will rest today (good thing as it is snowing). A total of 20 hrs and 194 miles for the week. Had a nice ride yesterday, with my geezer friends, and we logged in 52.65 miles, but first time out for some, so they were really dragging. We had a head wind that got stronger and stronger as we struggled back to our cars. As usual I kept encouraging my fellow riders to make friends with the inclines and the head winds. Much better to make friends than to make enemies.
All the riders are still trying to raise money for this ride. I got the following info from Megan’s blog page, which points out how important each dollar is. When you donate, this is how your money is spent:
$15 = Box of Nails
$25 = 1 gallon of paint
$50 = 1 box of flooring tiles
$75 = Enough nails to build one house!
$100 = 3 bundles of roofing shingles
$150 = 1 medium size window
$250 = 1 exterior door
$500 = Siding
$1000 = Roof trusses
$2500 = A house in the Congo
$5500 = A house in El Salvador
We all have a decent place to live. If we help others to have a decent place to live, we improve the entire planet that we live on. Much better to help people than to just look the other way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)