Weather and family committments kept me inside the whole week. With winter here, this will be the norm. I have started using Cyclo-Core warm-up routines and will slowly add more core work outs. Monday was a rest day with some late night work on my website - Mark's Ride Across America. On Tuesday I spun for 20 miles to The Biggest Looser. Pretty amazing stuff. The winner lost more than I weigh ... 239 pounds. The transformations are something to see. The show has helped so many people. I also officialy launched my website and opened my secure donation page. Over the coming months, I will execute an agressive fund raising plan to help the American Lung Association improve the quality of life for families living with lung disease. Pledges raised will help search for cures, keep kids off tobacco, and fight for laws that protect the air we all breathe. The work of the American Lung Association helps to save lives every day. I hope you will join me in my effort to raise $25,000 to help make a difference in the lives of millions of adults and children who are living with chronic lung disease and asthma every day. CLICK HERE to go to my secure on-line web page for donations. 
I received my first major corporate sponsorship from Lancesoft, Inc. LanceSoft is an ISO 9001-2000 certified global IT Services and Solutions Company. LanceSoft is based in Herndon, Virgina and operates out of 15 locations in US, Europe, Asia Pac and India. They were also my lead sponsor for the 2007 Trek Across Maine. Thanks also to Matt McGoey from All American Bikes in Damascus, Maryland for a donation and discount off future purchases. I bought my last two bikes from Matt and use his shop for service.
On Wednesday I spun another 20 miles to my favorite TV show, Criminal Minds. I continued sending my first wave of fund raising announcements. Thanks to Mary Bowden and Brian McElyea for donations. I also had a great conversation with the president of VBT Active Vacations in Bristol, Vermont. I hope to see them as a significant sponsor real soon. Thursday saw more spinning (21 miles) to a great new show on the History Channel that I really like called Pawn Stars. Check it out. Another 20 miles to Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes hockey on Friday (Caps win 4-3 in OT) as well as some of Leah's favorite show on Food Network ... Unwrapped. Thank you Judy Johnson and my Uncle Ernie Gotthardt (he has pledged every year I have ridden for the Amercian Lung Association) for donations.
The weekend included some catch up work on a proposal for the Maryland statewide health information exchange. I also worked hard on building my website. Saturday included a fast 15 mile spin watching the Eloise christmas movie with Leah. I wrapped up the week with a 24 mile effort to a few more episodes of Pawn Stars and a little of the Giants/Eagles game (Eli looses again). Thank you Rakesh Malik for a donation (two years running).
120 miles of spinning and lots of work on launching my web site and fund raising efforts.
