Day 3: Sensibility

The legs felt good and achilles tendons were somewhat less irritated this morning, thanks to the spa at the Cow Palace Inn. The main dining room and pool area seemed like an afterthought, and were likely outdoors before the atrium was built to protect it from the elements. Now, I didn't see the King and Queen Cow, but since I was in their house, I thought I'd try and find them to express what a lovely place they had. The suite was only a few dollars more than a regular room, so we had a view of...the atrium, where everyone ate and swam. Made a six pack of those yummy yam/chicken/black bean burritos for carb-power the previous night, however I am realizing that this is not the best way to go, to constantly burn carbs day in and day out. A body needs protein.

This was evident when my body's fuel gage went from full to 1/4 tank in the span of about two miles this morning. Little did I know that as well as being on the plains of Colorado, Lamar and today's destination, Springfield, Colo., while lower in altitude than Colorado Springs, still gains altitude during this leg of the journey. From 3,500 feet to 4,300 feet. I cried foul when hills, which typically have an upside and a downside, seemed to only have an upside and a level side. Yeeikes - not so good when you're learning about your own nutritional mortality.

After 30 miles (right at the windmill farm between Lamar and Springfield) it was also clear that Interstate 287 was not going to be as bike-friendly as I-50 was, with the broad, well-paved shoulders. It was smooth enough, but there are many more trucks on this portion of the journey, and the rumble strips which signify to sleeping drivers, "Get the hell off the shoulder, sleepyhead," were on the inside of the bike lane, making it necessary to ride nearest traffic.

Well, I'm bold and adventurous, but Indiana Jones was a fictional character. Me, I'm flesh and bone. I'm not going to risk my life to squeeze every last mile in. So, reassessing the situation, I realized I may have to curtail my mileage a bit to ensure that my children do not see me next on a morticians slab in litte teeny pieces.

So instead of blogging from Springfield tonight, you are reading these words as they were written from Dumas, Texas. A little ahead of schedule because of reality, and a sensible decision regarding safety. The distance from Colorado Springs to Dallas is 743 miles. My new estimate will be 500 miles in eight days, or about 60+ miles a day. It is difficult succumbing to the reality of one's limits, and humbling to admit it in public, but I won't lie to you people. I want to see you all again, and I will.

Tomorrow - Amarillo and beyond.

Mom's PS - Whew! the boy finally came to his senses - and very gracefully so I must say - he wants to be alive and I support that! The scenery today was tumble weed, a few fields of live stock, a field of windmills and more tumble weed dotting the wide open spaces of South Eastern Colorado. Still spotting the Rider every 5 miles or so - it's not often a person takes a 750 mile road trip 5 miles at a time.....Mom likes solitude so it suits just fine.

Thanks to the support group in Santa Cruz for cheering us on! Especially important is Todd's sister Stephanie - his biggest fan - who is holding down the home fort. We love you Stef and know you are with us every mile

More tomorrow......

TOTAL MILES TRAVELLED: 182

Day 2: Fun with numbers

Hey, man - I'm sore! Another 77 miles today, leaving from Fowler and arriving safely in Lamar. On the way we saw Swink, Las Animas, La Junta and Hasty. That damn chili burger is still with me, but thanks to a 18 mph average, my 'wind' is no threat to anyone. That, and there's lots of cattle in this nape of the woods (neck of the way - Scotty, Dan), so I cover my tracks, so to speak. Also explains the extra mph in my average ;-)

Warmer morning still made for a slow start. What's killin' me are my achilles tendons. About 20 miles into today's ride I happened to glance down and sure enough, there were Trojan arrows protruding from my heels. Ouch. Chased by Trojans - uh-GAIN.

As the day wore on the riding got easier. Hats off to the CO DOT road crews, for two reasons. First off, all of the work they've done to repave U.S. 50 (this includes the shoulders!) - smooth as Nico or Shane on the grill on football Sundays. Secondly, for hiring absolute hotties for flag-persons. There was a two mile stretch of construction being covered by a hottie at one end and a hottie at the other. I was the recipient of a healthy smile and greeting at the beginning, and just when I thought hottie number two was ignoring me, she turns around, evidently conversing with hottie number one on the two-way, flashes a big smile and says "Have a nice day!" Now, this could have been mistaken for a simple greeting, but the devious look on her face made me think I had a hole in my shorts. That's right, tight lycra. Tights? No, the required uniform.

So, Lamar. Thriving metropolis on the plains of eastern Colorado. Closer to Kansas than Pueblo (please consult your maps), and a nice small-town atmosphere. Life moves slower, and it's refreshing. Stopped at the Wal-Mart for some t-shirts (forgot to pack some), razor blades (doh! forgot), and Vitamin B-complex (anyone at work see them on my desk?). The knees are hangin' in there, and I'm not sure this old boy will last all 750 miles, but he's sure as hell is going to try.

Tomorrow's goal, for those keeping score at home, will be Campo, Colorado, last bastion of Coloradoness before entering The Land That No One Wanted (thanks for the story, Bill Merlyn!). That's the Oklahoma Panhandle - 42.3 miles of vertical highway broken up by a large iron dinosaur in the middle. But that's a story for Saturday...

PS from the crew chief....while last night's accomodations in Fowler were not as elegant as the B&B in Germany 20 years ago Fowler has a small town charm of it's own- not the least of which was another motel guest from Germany who wished Todd a safe journey. Then there was the friendly owner of the-only-place-in-town-to-buy-a-postcard and the post mistress who actually counted back change from a $10 bill in the PROPER (do NOT call me old fashioned) way - coins FIRST and THEN the bills.

The second day on the road the Dude and his Driver were both more comfortable with the conditions so they leap frogged 5 to 10 miles at at time. While waiting for our rider to pass the check points the driver had time to learn how to operate a new camera, viedo, TV watching (give me a break!), e-mail checking (now that is good!) cell phone and read several short stories from a book by Wallace Stegner. All in all a very good day - mostly for sharing this adventure with the one and only Toddorado.

TOTAL MILES TRAVELLED: 153

Day 1: Wrap

Greetings from smalltownsville, USA. Today's post comes to you from Fowler, Colorado, first stop on The Trip 2005. We arrived at 3:30 pm after a 76 mile leg which began with a frown.

I've lived in Colorado since 1993, and rarely (like countable on one finger) have I seen it rain in the morning (before, say, noon) at any time of the summer/autumn. This morning was like Mother Nature woke up and began crying all over my ZIP code. This enabled me to peform the couch maneuver, and Mom was able to sleep a bit longer as the altitude tends to interfere with regular sleeping patterns. It turned out to be okay leaving at 9:00 am instead of 6:00 am.

I rolled by The OverTime not even a mile into the journey, and several friends had gathered to send me off safely. Thanks you guys for caring and for taking the time out of your day.

The only hitch in the first leg was planned: Meridian Road. The road is the only practical direct link from Colorado Springs to Pueblo, where U.S. 50 heads east. I took this route in August, and it wore me right out - 2 inches deep of gravel and speed bumps generated by a gravel truck dumping its load at irregular intervals. With the rain this morning, Meridian was turned into a cakey, muddy mess, so I didn't think twice about slipping the bike in the trunk of the Bonneville and skipping that ten mile stretch.

U.S. 50. One of the biggest worries on the trip, was fine. The shoulder is 7-10 feet wide and vehicles didn't even come close to me, in fact, large trucks gave me a nice artificial tailwind, and a tailwind is like falling in love - always a good thing.

Which brings the story to Fowler. I was really hungry after eating cold yam/black bean/chicken burritos all day, as well as a bunch of bananas. Potassium and complex carbohydrates are your friend when pedaling. We ended up at Bushy's Blue Sky Motel, a nice little no-frills place in the center of town (all of four blocks long). Across the street is the Stockman Diner and Lounge, and they serve a mean Chili Burger which tends to stay with you, if you know what I mean ;-)

Tomorrow's destination is Lamar, where a sharp right turn occurs and southerly progress is made. Talk to ya then, and thanks for your support.

So then, this is a PS from the driver of the support vehicle a.k.a Mom....who doesn't actually seek out adventure easily without a very good reason....I must say that road trips with Todd are some of my happiest memories - Disneyland for his 13th birthday, Berchtesgaden Germany for his 21st and, as you all know this also was one of "those" birthday years - so here we are again...mom's havin' a great time watching handsome son do his thing.....more tomorrow...

TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 76 MILES

Day 1: Wet

Not in years have I seen it rain in the morning here. Not once.

Of course, with beginning a trek of this magnitude, Mother Nature decides to forget to take her meds. Fine - it'll just be a wet start.

Talk to you tonight, everyone.

Football, Friends and Food

My friends at OverTime, the Bar & Grill where I moonlight as a cook, were kind enough to promote The Trip 2005 once again before I depart tomorrow morning. Even in my absence, as there is just so much to do, Monday Night Football Bingo raised additional funds to fight Parkinson's Disease. One anonymous stranger, the winner of the big pot, donated half of his booty to the cause. This kind of generosity touches me, as it has with the outpouring of goodwill for hurricane relief, but with something so close to me the chord stricken is louder...

Then, this morning I was summoned to an impromptu meeting in the conference room at job #1. Now I'm a pretty face-value guy, and I don't read too far into things, but I am well-known for disliking meetings. Much to my surprise, the 'meeting' was a gathering of folks from work wishing to send me off with a show of their smiling and supportive faces. Thank you all for what you do for my motivation! And for the complex carbs (bagels)!

Last night's shopping spree raised the eyebrow of the woman behind me in line. Six cans of black beans (no added salt), six pounds of bananas, five pounds of sweet potatoes and three ten-packs of tortillas. Bananas for the potassium (to help prevent cramping and because bananas are second only to grapefruit on the fruit scale), tortillas for a wrapper, sweet potatoes for mashing with the black beans and spreading on the tortilla, and tuna.

Rats - forgot the tuna (for protein)!

Tomorrow. 6:00 am. The adventure begins, the result being more money to fight Parkinson's Disease. Thanks again to all who have pledged thus far. If you'd like to donate, it's never too late. You can donate electronically at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Thanks

I wish to take this moment, this post, to thank those who have supported me through the entire pre-ride process.

To my Mom, whose unwavering support and confidence has kept me strong and focused. It would not be The Trip without you.

To my sister, who has never doubted me and who motivated me to get this done. You have such strength, - more than I have.

To my children, who inspire me each and every day. I love you so much, and your unconditional love makes it impossible for me to ever give up.

To my family, for their belief in me. I've been away for so long, and through the years you have stuck with me.

To my 'family' at OverTime - so many people, I would feel terrible if I left one name out. Thank you for never doubting me and for your contributions to The Trip. You have been integral in raising money for this cause.

To Heather, my new friend who without blinking volunteered herself to help in promoting the event.

To my friends, both at and away from work - I cherish each and every friendship and will carry it with me on the road. Special thanks to those at work and to Harry for spreading the word through USA Hockey Magazine.

And to my Dad - God Bless You. For three years I have not known what to do with your passing. When this idea hit me, there was never a doubt that it would happen. I miss you, and hope this small gesture pays homage to your time on this Earth.

I promise I'll be careful.

One week

One week to go. This means one week of prep and list checking. This morning's ride felt great - no injuries, no ailments, feeling strong. Nothing much else to report.

The calm before the storm.

A fortnight away

Thirty-seven degrees this morning, people. Had to break out the neoprene Gators, as well as a thick base-layer to keep the cold out. Two weeks 'til liftoff, and there is no room for a car ride during the week, regardless of rain or cold weather. With the increase in miles each week, getting up in the morning is more difficult, which at least means I'm sleeping better. Time to start packing and planning.

To all of you who have pledged so far, I cannot thank you enough. Your donations will help make a difference in the effort to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. Please tell your friends, have them read the Mission Statement to the right and encourage them to donate. I still have lots of orange wristbands (like the Livestrong bands) and a few t-shirts. If you pledge more than $100, I'll send you both. $50 gets you two wristbands! Please specify shirt size and wristband size (most women take M, most men, L).

That is all.

Just chill

Coldest morning of the season so far. Even though summer still claims domain, autumn is here. No doubt about it. At 47º, the commute seems to take a bit longer. It also did not help that I encountered a slight (and rare) headwind this morning. Colorado weather is predictably unpredictable, but the hour between 5:30 and 6:30 is typically pretty calm. No rain, no snow, no wind, no hail. No nothin'.

While I wouldn't classify it as a motivation issue, with the cold weather, I'm finding myself lingering in the future instead of the present and the task at hand. The weather will often be too cold to ride this winter, and thoughts of soup cooking in the crockpot on a Saturday afternoon while watching a movie sounds infinitely comfy. Perhaps distraction is the word I'm looking for.

T-minus fifteen days.

Follow the arrows

New look! Had to - the old one broke on it's own (swear!). The little arrows surrounding post titles decided to migrate to the left margin and form a straight line. What are ya gonna do?

Sorry posting has been sparse of late - I haven't been riding/writing as much as I should. There are several schools of thought when it comes to training, and this may apply to any sport. Either train your ass off up until game day, or taper off the week(s) before to give your body enough training, but also enough rest. I prefer the former as it keeps my body in tune with the stress, strain and conditions to which it will be subjected to during the ride, however I seem to be practicing the latter.

I have to say though, training breakfasts rock. Each morning before the ride to work, I prepare an OJ/blueberry/strawberry/banana/yoghurt/ice smoothie and four waffles. That is good stuff, people.

So with T-minus 17 days, there will be lots of riding, which equals lots of writing.

That is all.

Waist not want not

One thing about riding a bicycle for any extended period of time - your pants fit better. Much better.

Since last summer, when the bicycle became a more significant part of my life, I weighed in at a healthy 230 lbs. It wasn't fat so much as it was just lack of maintenance. My heaviest was 240 lbs., when I left Germany and the Air Force in 1988. Lots of late nights with beer and deep-fried schnitzel, wurst and pommes-frites mit mayo.

Back in 2000 I was working day shift for a global IT conglomerate, having begged to get off of night shift for months. Be careful what you wish for - I missed graves like crazy. Not wishing to appear too fickle, I traded shifts with someone on nights and the change began to happen. I quit eating bacon, eggs, cheese and generally yummy breakfast foods. The weight melted off of me. Dinner (which was taken at 3:00 am) was always something healthy, like tuna and salsa, or salad, and before work each night, I'd lift my weights while watching Friends reruns.

I then was offered a job I never expected to have a shot at, which brought me back to days and back to an unhealthy lifestyle (by choice - I'm no cop-out). This is when all of my 36-inch pants became permanaent fixtures in my closet. My body climbed the ladder back to 230 lbs.

There was a time when I flirted with purchasing a size 40 pant. Trust me, it would've fit, but there's something about graduating from your 30's to your 40's, be it in age or waist size in inches. Denial? Perhaps. Admitting you're lazy and unmotivated? Absolutely. This is why at the age of 40, wearing your pant size is not cool. Three pairs of 36's sat in my closet, draped over hangers for three years, collecting dust. A 38 may fit better, but was still tight, and this is the size at which the cuff of the pant gets wider in circumference, making the pants look big anyway. There truly is no winning.

I'm now at 207 pounds, the lightest I've been since basic training (1984 - a scale-busting 160 lbs.), and a 35-inch waist. Doc says I'd be healthier at 190, and I told him if I ever do hit that weight, I'm bouncing back to 200 like cold water hitting a hot skillet. Fortune has smiled upon me when it blessed me with health, even after all that 'growing up' does to a body. Without my health, I would not be able to set out on this endeavor to raise money to fight the disease which affects so many people in such a brutal manner.

Eat your tuna and moderate those fatty foods, people. Ride a bike if you have one. Proudly wear those used-to-be-too-small-pants. If you're reading this, thank your maker that you've lived this long.