My New Personal Anthem!

Finally a song that sings what I feel in my heart!

2009 Sam's Club MS85

Day One of the 2009 Sam's Club is finally in the books.

Here I am at the Start Line with a college friend, Rob.


There were about 4,000 cyclists in this year's event - here are about half of them!


As I mentioned before, I rode this year in honor of my college roommate's wife, Amy, who was diagnosed with MS just last year.


As for the results - not too shabby!

85 miles in 4 hours, 24 minutes with an average speed of 19 mph! That blows away my previous times of only 16.5 mph - so I'm pretty stoked!

Here's the real reason I rode so well today. I pulled into the lunch parking lot and saw this truck handing out ice cream! It gave me the sustenance to carry on!


But more beating my previous time, I also blew away my previous fund raising record as well. During the two previous years, I was only able to raise around $500. But this year, thanks to some very generous friends and family of Amy's, I was able to raise over $2,100 to help fight MS!

And I have to admit that I feel that God blessed this whole endeavor because, for the first time, it wasn't about me and my own personal acheivement but all about Amy and those who suffer from this disease. And because of that, this year's ride really is special to me.

Unfortunately, Day Two is already in the books as canceled due to severe weather! . . . hence the title of this post!

I'm really disappointed! First, the City of Fort Worth made us re-route Day Two because they didn't want the Finish Line downtown because of fears that we'd all get Swine Flu. And now, the National MS Society cancels tomorrow because Pete stinkin' Delkus is predicting rain all morning! You better be right, Delkus!

(Update:  It didn't rain a drop!  Overcast skies.  Temperature in the mid-60's.  5-10 mph wind out of the north that would have made for a perfect tailwind for the last 30 miles.   Otherwise known as, A PERFECT DAY FOR CYCLING!!!!!  Umph - that's what you get for watching the News! I'm trying not to be bitter!)

Oh well, it was fun and I really enjoyed getting out and stretching my legs! Thank you all for your donations and encouragement! By the way, you can still donate you want - click here!

2009 Sam's Club MS150

It’s the time of year again when I jump on my bike, head out with 4,000 other loonies on two wheels and conquer 150 miles in two days as a part of the Sam’s Club MS150 on May 2-3, 2009 – benefitting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society!

Although this will be my third time to participate in this event, it will be the first time that I do so with a purpose greater than just my own personal achievement. This year, I will be riding with someone very special in mind!

Just last October, Amy Steele Davis (who married one of my closest friends and college roommates) was diagnosed with MS. Amy recently told me in a letter . . . 

“By the time I got the diagnosis, the words ‘it is MS’ from my neurologist were not shocking or devastating to me. In fact, they were sort of anticlimactic. MS had been suspected for several weeks, so I was just thankful to finally know for sure. 

Reality did set in a couple of days later; however, and I went through a period of severe anxiety as I began to contemplate what the disease would mean for me, my husband, and my two young children.

Several months later, I can say I am doing very well. I get tired a little easier than I'd like, and occasionally my symptoms do flare up. But as I regularly tell people who ask how I'm doing, I just take my injections, try to get a lot of rest, and, as much as possible, try to live life as though I don't have the disease. I find that approach works well for me.

 
The advancements made by MS researchers over the past several years are absolutely remarkable, and I am very optimistic about the possibilities for the future. My understanding is that a pill form of the medication I'm currently taking is just around the corner. That is very exciting news to me! 

I am confident that one day there will be a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. As MS is thought to be a hereditary disease, my primary interest in helping to find a cure is on behalf of my beautiful babies!”

When I think of the hard work involved with training for and completing 150 miles in two days, there’s really no comparison to what millions like Amy have to deal with on a daily basis. I’m more than happy to ride my bicycle for Amy if it can increase awareness and help fund the research that could help find a cure for her and so many others.

I’m writing today to encourage you to support Amy and myself as we face MS head on. Please contribute to our efforts at my personal MS150 webpage. Friends and family on Facebook will be able to track my progress during the event.

Amy and I both thank you for your encouragement and support!

I'm Starting His Training Early!

He may not know how to draft a peloton or how to keep an aerodynamic tuck . . . but at least I've got Tate looking good on three wheels!

Wade vs. Road

Watching the Olympics got my competitive juices flowing so I thought I'd conjure up some friendly competition.

Since cycling versus a clock or versus some other "Armstrong wanna-be" seemed a bit boring, I had the idea of seeing what would happened when I went up against a road.

200 lbs of flesh, bone and bicycle versus several tons of gravel, limestone, sand and concrete. I know - genius, isn't it?

Place your bets!


Yep, those are 4 sutures . . . and there are 3 more underneath my skin that will dissolve in a couple of weeks. Needless to say, I lost my first head-to-head competition versus the road!

Oh well, there's always London 2012!

I'm purposefully being a bit facetious because I don't want Jeremy to feel bad for cutting me off while riding our bikes early this morning. As we approached an intersection, he thought I knew that we were turning right - I thought we were going straight.

Jeremy’s back wheel meet Wade’s front wheel. Wade meet road. Wade meet nice physician at neighborhood urgent care.

(Which happens to be the same urgent care that sewed up my finger last year!)

Shannon & Audra would be proud of me - I didn't scream, cry or make a fool out of myself by acting like a little baby - though they did have really cool retro Transformer stickers that nobody bothered to offer me!

I think my lifetime suture count is now up to 22. Is that worth a medal for anything?

My New Favorite TV Commercial

Watch the video first, then read below.

I missed it the first time - did you?

Just so that you don't miss me, this is what I look like when I'm on my bike!

Not All Hope Is Lost!

As a card carrying member of The Grumpy Old Men’s Club, I’m required to carry a certain amount of hidden disdain and blatant lack of patience for today’s youth.

But below is a photo of 4 young men who might have actually single-handedly restored my hope for America’s future.


This year’s cycling season had its official start today at the Moritz Ride for Heroes. I did 45 miles in 2 hours, 30 minutes. Not bad – the fun part came when I topped out at 35 mph down a country road!

Weeeeeee!

Afterwards, we were able to take in hamburgers from the Aledo Fire Department and live music from a local garage band. Being the hooligan-looking types that they were, you would have thought they would have only played current (mind-numbing) stuff like Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5 or Good Charlotte.

But much to my surprise they actually played mostly Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin or The Beatles. In fact, the closest they got to today’s current Top 40 was some GNR and old school Van Halen. And what was even more surprising . . . it actually sounded pretty good! They’re playing Hey Joe in this picture.

The guy playing the white guitar was throwing down some screamin’ licks! In case you don’t know, that’s cool garage band talk for ‘really good guitar playing!’

It’s good to see that the youngin’s can still appreciate good music. It would be even better if they would get decent haircuts!

I guess kids these days first learn music appreciation before they're taught personal hygiene!

Score One For Personal Victories!

I try really hard not to bog down my blog with a bunch of cycling stories.

If you've ever been beaten down by the mind-numbing experience of listening to a golf story then try listening to a cycling story - just ask Kelly!

"I got on my bike and I started pedaling - it was so cool!"

At least in a golf story you can talk about how close you got to making a Hole-In-One or making a 30-foot putt. But what can you say about cycling?

"Then there was this big hill and I had to keep pedaling. But when I got to the top I got to rest while coasting down the otherside. It was great!"

See what I mean?

But I have to stop down for this one because more than just another cycling story, it's a personal victory story. Those are cool, right?

I finally reached a goal I've had ever since I started cycling a couple years ago. I've always wanted to finish a ride averaging 20 mph. Yesterday, I rode 40 miles in Weatherford's Peach Pedal and crossed the finish line in less than 2 hours. My fuzzy math makes that an average of 20 mph!

Yea, Me!

I realize that this pales in comparison to the slightly roided feats of physical accomplishment currently on display in France. And I also realize that Lance Armstrong's records are no more in jeopardy now than they were when I hopped on my bike yesterday morning.

But you know what, I set a goal for myself and I finally reached it. The last time I got close to 20 mph I ended up getting a not-so-free ambulance ride to Dallas Baylor Emergency Room!

But not yesterday!

We've all got goals just waiting to turn into stories of personal victories. I think it's important to celebrate our victories no matter how little they may be. It reminds us that we're capable of doing so much more than we think - particularly if we get God involved!

The best part of a new personal victory is getting to celebrate it. And how did I celebrate 40 miles in 2 hours?

4 words: Blue Bell & Magic Shell!

Vive la Crashe!

I can't believe I forgot to update you all on the Tour de France! It's the greatest bicycle race in the history of ever! A couple hundred dope-addicts ride over 1,000 miles in 2 weeks to prove who has the best steriod lab!

By the way, it has never been proven that Lance Armstrong used steroids!

The Tour started this past weekend and already there have been some great falls!

Click here to see the crashe du jour! (That is, unless your name is Kelly and you happen to be my wife!)

Keep in mind that the cyclists were going close to 30 mph when they fell! Road rash, anyone?

Call it NASCAR on two wheels if you want - but one of the reasons its a great show is because of the crashes!

Techinical Disclaimer: You will only be able to see the video if your computer allows pop-ups. The link is to the Versus website, once there right-click on the pop-up message below your address bar to temporarily allow pop-ups.

Now I Know I'm A Daddy

Cycling Rule #1: Don't wear headphones while cycling - it makes it hard to hear other cyclists, cars or large dogs giving chase.

Since I don't listen to music while riding I'm reduced to singing songs in my head - which usually isn't too bad.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't get this song off auto-repeat during my ride today!

By hey! At least it was the "U2" version!

2007 Sam's Club MS150 - Day Two

I had to wake up pretty early this morning (5:00 AM) in order to make the 6:45 start for Day Two.

I was so tired that when I began backing out of my garage I looked up and suddenly realized my bike was sitting up on its wall rack and not on the back of my car where it was supposed to be. I stopped and thought, "Wade, I think you're gonna need that."

The cool part about Day Two is that you get to do a lap on the track at Texas Motor Speedway. Below is a photo of my friend Claude and I just before the start. We're standing on Pit Row.



From TMS we rode 30 miles north to Decatur where we stopped for lunch. From Decatur, the route took us 40 miles due south to downtown Fort Worth. The only problem was that there was a 20 mph wind coming out of the south - umph!

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate wind. Until now, I think it was more of a "dislike for wind" or a "not really fond of wind". But after today it is definitely a "I hate wind" kind of thing.

Since 40 miles into a 20 mph wind will ruin any bike ride, I stole a trick from Nascar and drafted nearly the whole way to Fort Worth. If you're not familiar with drafting then think of it as me hiding from the wind by riding directly behind someone who is bigger than me - it takes the edge of the wind.

Despite the wind, the aches and the pains I rolled into downtown Fort Worth to the cheers of Kelly and my In-laws, Rick & Stephanie. Tate was there too but he got distracted by a tree just as I rode by. Otherwise I know I would have heard him above the roar of the crowd!

Since Kelly was only a couple months pregnant when I rode in the MS150 last year, there was something cool about having Tate at the finish line this year. And yes, he did give me a great big smile once he saw me after the finish! That made all the hard work worth it!

Today's numbers:

Distance: 76.5 miles
Time: 4:49
Top Speed: 35 mph!

Total distance: 155.2 miles
Total Time: 9:39

Thanks again for all those who have supported me. I have until June for fund-raising so feel free to donate (click here). Yeah, this is a great cycling event but it's an even better cause - fighting Multiple Sclerosis.

2007 Sam's Club MS150 - Day One

What a day for a bike ride across North Texas!

I was a little worried coming into the weekend because the weather forecast called for hot and windy - try mid-70's, slight winds and rain!

(Note to self: Write a post about how amazing it is that weathermen can keep a job despite being wrong 90% of the time!)

The day got a slow start when only 4 miles after the start I noticed my crank (the arm that the pedal is connected to) was literally about to fall off - you can file that one in the "Not Good Catergory".

When this sort of thing happens on the Tour de France, there's someone in a car that races up and fixes it with Nascar pit crew efficiency. I guess I'm no Lance Armstrong because I had to wait on the side of the road for about 20 minutes for a mechanic to finally show up.

Take your time buddy, it's not like I'm trying to get anywhere!

From then on it was smooth sailing . . . until it started raining! There are plenty of things about riding in the rain that take away from the enjoyment of cycling:

(1) At any moment your super thin tires can lose traction and give you an chance to make an impression of your face in the concrete.

(2) You get totally soaked! Waterlogged clothes = more weight to carry.

(3) (My favorite) You can't see jack with all the rain falling on your face!

Sorry I don't have any pictures. I forgot my camera - but with all the rain it would have gotten ruined anyway. I'll be sure to bring it along tomorrow.

Tomorrow should be fun: We start on the Texas Motor Speedway track. After that we'll ride up and down a gazillion hills between Decatur and downtown Fort Worth. And apparently doing so in the midst of severe thunderstorms - which is tomorrow's forecast.

Great! There probably be a tornado as well! But hey, if the tornado gives me a big tail-wind then it might not be that bad!

Oh! By the way, it's not too late to sponsor me! As you can see I'm just a few bucks short of my goal! Click here to read how to donate on-line!

Here are today's numbers:

Distance: 78.7 miles
Time: 4:50
Number of bananas eaten: 4.5

As If Once Wasn't Enough!

Everybody is a glutton for punishment for something. For me, it's pedaling crazy miles on a bike!

That's right - it's Sam's Club MS150 time again! May 5-6, 2007

If you're not familiar with the MS150, it's a 2-day 150-mile bicycle ride from Frisco to downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The cool part of this ride is that the starting line on Day 2 is on the race track at Texas Motor Speedway! Let's hope I don't hit the wall on Turn 4!

But as cool as that is, the real reason we're all out there is to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society! Such a great cause!


You may remember my ride from last year (Day 1, Day 2). Apparently I don't quite remember the dehydration, the cramps, the sore muscles and the really sore bum because I've signed up for another round of brutal punishment this year.

(Me at the finish line in downtown Fort Worth last year. Don't ask about the face I'm making - I'm really not sure myself. Hey, Michael Jordan stuck out his tongue when he dunked a basketball! I'm just sucking in my lips . . . for, uh . . . aerodynamic purposes!)

I'm hoping to improve upon last year in two categories. First, my goal is to finish 150 miles in less than 9.5 hours. But more importantly, I'm hoping raise more than $500 to help fight MS.

And guess what - you can help me do both! Come out and give me a big push from behind and/or sponsor me by donating on-line to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Any dollar amount is appreciated!

Click here to make an on-line donation. You'll need the following information:

Rider Name: Wade Strzinek
Rider Email: rstrzine@cephalon.com
More Information: Team FedEx/Mad Duck

This year our team joined up with the riders at FedEx to make Team FedEx/Mad Duck. Here's our team blog that I've been managing.

Also, I'm looking for MS survivors to ride in honor of. If you or someone you know suffers from MS then let me know and I'll add their name to a bandanna that I will carrying during the ride. Riding to keep in shape is great but there needs to be a reminder that this is a for a much better cause than keeping off that spare tire.

So please support me as I help fight Multiple Sclerosis by doing a pretty bad imitation of Lance Armstrong!

QOTW: The Four Seasons

For me, 'hope springs eternal' this time of year - and that's one reason why Spring is my favorite season.

The other reason? Spring marks the beginning of cycling season! Whoo-hoo!

Here's a pic of the MS150 training ride at Texas Motor Speedway this last Saturday. I sure do have a sore bum for only riding 30 miles!



My second favorite season is Fall. The 'F' in Fall stands for football -obviously!

My third favorite season is Winter - but only if I get to go snow skiing. Otherwise it's a 2-way tie for last with Summer.

Summer is just too dang hot!

(By the way, stay tuned for updates this week - I got about 4 Kelly-ism's all on Saturday!)
________________________________________________

"Which is your favorite season of the year?"

Total votes: 24

Spring: 11 votes, 45%

Fall: 9 votes, 37%

Summer: 4 votes, 16%

Winter: 0 votes

The Power of Prayer . . . and Pickles!

I usually don't bog you all down with my cycling stories - mostly because I know they are about as interesting as my dad's golf stories - sorry, Dad! But, I'll try to make this good . . .

Yesterday I rode in the Crazy Kicker Bike Rally. 50 miles through the most gorgeous scenery west of Mineral Wells - the only problem is that there is not a flat stretch of road the entire route. You're either going up or going down. Going down wouldn't be that bad if your thighs weren't still burning from going up!

Because of the up's and down's I tried something new this time - pure 100% pickle juice! The high-salt content in pickle juice helps with cramps and gives you quite a kick! It worked great for me yesterday! No joke - even WebMD.com agrees!

Seriously, I felt like I was on steroids . . . uh . . . not that I would know what being on steroids was like . . . so . . . maybe you should just ignore that part.

Unfortunately it would take a lot more than just pickle juice to get up Cherry Pie Hill - a 15% grade incline with 4 switchbacks! This is the type of hill that makes you regret ever taking up cycling. There were signs on the side of the road saying, "There's no shame in walking!"

Anyway, about halfway up I began to really struggle so to focus I actually distracted myself by thinking of Kelly and Tate. I said a little prayer for them both. I prayed that God would grant Kelly peace of mind and comfort of body. I prayed that God would help Tate grow strong and healthy. And I prayed that He would give them both a good day - yesterday was also our first baby shower.

At the end of my prayer I suddenly realized something . . . I was now at the top of Cherry Pie Hill and pedaling at a faster rate then I was when I started at the bottom!

I don't want to get too cheesy, hokey or whatever you want to call it - but at that same moment a thought crossed my mind: Our own struggles don't seem near as bad when we are in constant prayer for other people.

As for the ride: 50 miles in 3 hours with a top speed coming down Cherry Pie Hill that Kelly would not be very happy about . . . but boy it was fun!

Nice ride, buddy!

I can’t think of it at the moment but there’s a word for humanizing objects – giving objects feelings and a personality. Car enthusiasts do this a lot, “She purrs like a kitten.” “He likes to run on the open road.” I do this all the time!

My latest offense occurred yesterday when I shipped my bicycle to its new owner! Yep – I sold my bike! No, I’m not giving up cycling – this is a scheduled upgrade (I can’t wait to get my brand new Cannondale CAAD8 R700 next week!). But just as I was about to close the box and administer packaging tape, I actually peeked inside, glanced at my very first road bike and said to myself, “Nice ride, buddy!” Don’t worry – no one heard me!

I feel like I should apologize for being so sappy but I can’t help it. Every time I walked through the garage it called out to me, “When are we going to hit the road again?” On days when I just didn’t have it I could hear my bike encouraging me, “Let’s go! Dig deep!” When I would head out for just a short 20-mile ride it would say, “C’mon! Let’s do some crazy miles today!” Most times I could hardly resist.

Here’s me and my bike in our greatest moment together – finishing the MS150.

So please excuse me for being a little sentimental. I just want to take a moment and say thanks to a good bike that taught me the love of a great sport!

Ever heard of road rash?

I remember wondering when I was a little kid what it would be like to ride in an ambulance – now I know.

This past Saturday I rode in the Mesquite Rotary Bike Rally – which was a 57-mile route through Mesquite, Combine and Seagoville. 40 miles into the ride I was averaging close to 20 mph (a new record for me) and was looking like I would finish strong . . . until I rode over a grease spot in Seagoville!

Riding over a grease spot on a warm June morning is like running on pavement and then suddenly hitting sheer ice - and I hit it going 20 mph! One second my rear wheel is fishtailing and the next I’m on the pavement. Although I don’t remember anything after I hit the pavement, I was told that I slid 20 feet before stopping.

When I came to, people were huddled all around me. A student nurse saw the whole thing from her car and had already immobilized my head and shoulders just in case I had a head injury. Everybody was asking me questions, “Where do you hurt?”, “What’s your name?”, “Can you remember today’s date?”, “Who is the president?” (most questions were asked to see if I had a significant head injury).

By the time they put me in the ambulance I was starting to come out of the fog. Then I remember thinking, “Huh . . . so this is what it’s like to ride in an ambulance.” When I was a kid, I didn’t realize that riding in an ambulance would involve so much pain!

By the time we arrived at Baylor Dallas ER I began to realize that I didn’t brake any bones – but there was an incredible burning pain coming the right side of my body. Remember my sliding 20 feet on the pavement? Enter: road rash. Here’s a visual: take a concrete center block and use it to scrape skin off your body – road rash! It’s essentially a 2nd – 3rd degree burn. I’ve got road rash on my right forearm, on my right tricep, 2 places on my shoulder blade and on my right hip (the one on my hip is as big around as my hand with my fingers spread apart). I would show pictures but this is a family-oriented blog!

The worst part about road rash was when the nurse cleaned it. I’ll simply say that although I didn’t cry when I wrecked that wasn’t necessarily the case when he cleaned my road rash!

Kelly and I did, however, have a chance to laugh in the ER when they brought me a jumpsuit to wear home – it looked like a prisoner’s jumpsuit! Here’s an another visual for you: I walked out of the Baylor Dallas ER wearing a white (practically see-thru) jumpsuit, reeking of sweaty stinch from the bike ride, high from the IV morphine and covered in road rash! Surely this was one of Kelly’s proudest moments as my wife!

I’m actually doing pretty good considering. I’m walking around easily and I’m in pretty good spirits thanks to my pain medication. I love me some Lortab! I know this could have been a lot worse and I’m grateful that it wasn’t.

Kelly has been really great about not giving me a hard time about this . . . yet. I’m sure it won’t help much if I were to promise her that I will be even more cautious when I ride in the future. It sounds strange to say that these things just happen – but they do. I’ll give myself (and my bike) sometime time to recover and then I’ll start riding again soon.

Meanwhile Kelly, I’m sorry that I made you worry. I’m sorry that you were scared. You may not realize it, but I was scared until the moment you were by my side.

Sam's Club MS150 - Day Two! (Updated)

And just like that, Day Two is over!!

The day started off great with a spin around Texas Motor Speedway. While I was waiting for the start, I noticed former Dallas Cowboy Herschel Walker pull up on his bike so I ran over and got a picture made with him on my camera phone (See below - Sorry for the poor quality). Knowing that I had finished around 2:00 PM yesterday, I asked Herschel what time he finished – he said around 11:45 AM!!!! I guess if I'm going to be competitive against guys like Herschel Walker then I'll have to start taking steriods!

Below is a picture of me and Claude (see Day One comments) just before the start. At this point we were on Pit Row - you can see the stands behind us (Again, sorry for the poor quality).

Once we got started, we made our loop around the track - I was amazed at the incline of the track on the turns. Kelly waited for me that the end of the exit tunnel coming out of the speedway and since she was standing in front of the News 5 camera she got to be on TV!! How is it I am the one who pedaled 150 miles yet she gets to be on TV?

Here are today’s numbers:

Distance: 85 miles
Time: 5:02:00 actually riding (6:45:00 including 8 rest stops)
Average Speed: 16.9 mph
Top Speed: 35.7 mph (thanks to the hills in Boyd)

Total Distance: 163.5 miles (I thought it was supposed to be only 150 miles!)
Total Time: 9:48:00 actually riding (13:15:00 including 16 rest stops)

Below is a picture of a guy who had a basket on his handle bars where his little Schnauzer sat! You can see the dog just above the his rider number. I asked him if he was afraid if his dog would ever jump out while he was going down the street, "He does it all the time! He just hangs there from his leash until I reach down, grab him and throw him back in his basket!" This guy better hope PETA nevers hears about this! (Thank goodness my phone is better at taking calls than it is taking pictures!)

When you’re riding in these races you hear riders say things like, “Hey man, nice bike!” or “Hey, cool jersey.” But do you know what people said to me? “Hey man, cool number.” My rider number was 2222. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond, “Thanks . . . I guess.”

My favorite thing to do during the ride: Pass guys who shaved their legs!

Here I am looking good at the finish line! That's my dad behind me thinking, "Hmmm, I bet I can do this!" Actually, I'm sure he could!

Let me take a moment to thank so many of you who supported me in this ride. As of today, you have helped me raise over $500 - which is well past my goal of $325. Our combined efforts have helped a great cause – fighting multiple sclerosis.

There was one point in the ride where I wanted to pull over and take a picture of a lady standing on the side of the road cheering us on. She was holding a sign that said, “150 miles closer to a cure” and it reminded me that this weekend wasn’t about burning thighs, top speeds or even personal achievement – it was about providing relief to the victims of multiple sclerosis.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement! I couldn't have done it without you!

Sam's Club MS150 - Day One!

Today was Day One of the Sam’s Club MS150 – which is a 2-day charity event where 3,000 cyclists ride 150 miles from Frisco, Texas to Downtown Fort Worth (all benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society).

It’s safe to say that I was a little nervous coming into this weekend – I woke up this morning at 3:30 AM and was never able to go back to sleep. As it turned out, I didn’t have anything to worry about. I actually finished stronger than I had hoped.

Here are my numbers:

Distance: 78.5 miles
Time: 4:46:00 actually riding (6:30:00 including 8 rest stops)
Average Speed: 16.3 mph
Top Speed (Kelly doesn’t like this category): 31.6 mph

Kelly did her best to be a supportive wife by following behind in the car. I was impressed that she was able to navigate the North Texas country roads and pull up to at an intersection just as I was was riding by. When I saw her later at the lunch stop, I felt so bad that she was driving around by herself that I told her to go home and relax - she said, "Ok, bye!"

The best part of the day was bumping into a friend who used to go to church with me. I hadn’t seen Claude in probably 3 years! As it turned out, we rode almost the entire day together. It was great having Claude there to talk to me because it made the ride go faster - hopefully I was able to return the favor for him!

Right now I’m doing my best not to nap so that I can sleep easily tonight. Then the alarm clock will go off around 4:45 AM and I’ll be off to pedal another 72 miles!! The best part about tomorrow is that the first mile will be on the race track at Texas Motor Speedway!

Keep praying for me! I’ll give another update tomorrow night!

(Kelly took this picture just before our 7:00 AM start.)