9 May 2010

Happy Mother's Day! My mom is no longer with us, but we're fussing over the mother of my children today (my wife!) and will have dinner with her mother this evening. Love on the moms in your life today.
Some catching up to do, it's been pretty busy around here! Let's start with Samoa.
I was asked several months ago to pray about joining a medical mission team which would visit Western Samoa this summer, and it would appear that God is leading me to do so. I have been raising funds to take my nursing skills overseas short-term and with two-and-a-half months to go, I am at over 60%! I hate to leave my family for two weeks, but I am getting excited about it, and perhaps they will even join me if I go again next year!
Next on the list: 2010 Tour de Cure, a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. There were 350 registered riders for rides of differing lengths raising nearly $150,000 for treatment of and research for a cure for diabetes! Exciting stuff! Here's a photo of the start taken by Rob, April's husband:
Rob is a tri-guy who just got back into it recently and is doing well. Last year April rented a bike and rode 25 miles in the 2009 TdC, and talk about progress! She finished her first century in this year's TdC!That fat guy with her is yours truly, who also (in my humble opinion) did very well this year. This was my third year doing the century for the ADA (first year was inbearably hot but I finished without puking!) and my time for 2010 was an hour and ten minutes shorter than '09 with an average speed 2.5mph faster! Yep, I'm pleased with that.

Trying to prepare for the 2010 Assault on Mt. Mitchell, just two weeks from tomorrow. Been needing some time on some serious hills, doing some climbing unlike any found around here, so early yesterday I left home and drove to the top of Mt. Mitchell. I figured if I left my car at the top, I had no choice but to climb that sucker! It was a real eye-opener when I got there, though; instead of finding temps in the mid-60's, they were in the upper-40's, with winds that were showing some real attitude! At noon, gusts were up to 51mph, and by 4pm they had "settled down" to only 43mph!
Wanting to get off the top as soon as possible, I rolled down as fast as I could. Not too fast though; it was so cold, I would shiver and shake the bars. Went 25 miles to the dam at Lake Tahoma and turned around and started climbing. Most of the ride back to the top was granny-gear slow, but I made it back to my car, and actually faster than any climbing I had ever done in that area. I know I am not through training, but yesterday gave me a good indication that I can, in fact, complete the Assault this year, after two failed attempts.
So, I will keep training, working on my nutrition, and next Saturday do another century for the Lexington Greenways Alliance. This AOMM thing has me like a man possessed and will be the climax of my cycling year!
Be blessed, be safe!