A busy period at work has me behind on updating the blog. I was able to make some updates to the
Mark's Trek Across America website and made some local connections with a few other folks riding across the country this summer.
Dale Johnson from Towson, Maryland is riding for Multiple Sclerosis with a group of young bucks. He will provide the experience and wisdom to the younger folk. His ride runs east to west and begins in Yorktown, VA on June 1st and ends in San Francisco on August 1st. Dale introduced me to
Saul Zuckman, who is also from Columbia. Saul is a type 2 diabetic like me and also used cycling to shed some weight and manage his health/condition. He turns 70 this summer and is a rider on the Team Type 2 relay team participating in the
Race Across America (RAAM). The team will cross the country in less then 8 days! Each rider goes all out for 15 minute periods once every 2-3 hours. I hope to get in a few training rides with Dale and Saul this spring.
Tons of snow on the ground, cold temperatures, and a big proposal at work kept me inside on the trainer all week. I took Monday off, and had strong sessions on Tuesday (35 miles to music) and Wednesday (25 miles to music). On Thursday, work got the better of me (need to pay for my Trek somehow!) and kept me off the bike. I was back downstairs for another muscial 25 miles on Friday. Leah was finally able to get back to school and had her big Renaissance Festival . Karen was a whench (aka waitress) for the fun event. Karen continued intense work sessions on her upcoming auction. We have dueling fundraising spreadsheets!
Leah and her Girl Scout troop led a community service fundraiser for the Johns Hopkins Children's Oncology ward this week. They raised over $250 and obtained needed items for the kids. She will be leading a similar fundraiser for ALA and my trek in mid March. The ALA in Virginia sent her a box full of goodies (pins, stickers, bracelets, etc.) and educational materials to hand out.
My facebook group and connections have started to go mini-viral thanks to amazing help from Elaine O'Donnell (a high school classmate) and her friends Mary Wall and Tricia Watkins. All three have invited their friends to join the group. Membership mushroomed to over 200 people. I also posted several links and messages on other facebook and LinkedIn groups and saw positive feedback/response.
On Saturday, we got a surprise visit from out friends Marcia and Gary Holman (and their kids). They were on their way back to New England from Florida, but the dreaded Saturn transmission went out on them again. A nice visit and a lot of roller coaster building (for Leah's science project) prevented any spinning, but that gave me more motivation for a long 50 mile session on Sunday. My first 4 day riding week of the year, but I still managed to get in 135 miles. Expect more spinning for next few weeks.
