I am leaving for Duluth tomorrow(Thursday) around 2pm.

My beautiful Dana and I are going up to enjoy a little peace, quiet, and relaxation before I ride.

We have a lakeside whirlpool suite that will keep us comfortable.

Calm before the storm.

It is predicted to rain from Duluth to Hinckley all day Saturday, and from Hinckley to Blaine all day Sunday.

Lucky me.

Wet Sack.

It sucks but I will prevail...I will complete my journey with or without reaching my goal of 17 mph average.

I seriously doubt that I will reach it now.

It was a stretch before I heard that the weather was going to be poor, now it is almost definite.

Whether or not I succeed with my 17 mph goal, I will be done pushing myself to the limit for future rides.

I want to relax, go slow and meet people, or better yet ride with friends at a decent pace.

That is the next step of my life.

I will be able to meet more people with MS and get to know them better than I have in the past.

The end of an era...

Hopefully I go out on top.

I rode yesterday even though it was moist.

My Left knee is still bothering me a bit.

It was VERY windy and my speed reflected it but I was still OK with my end result even though it sucked.

16.1

The good news about it all is this:

I am officially down 30+ pounds from March 1st.

And I have trained more than I ever have before. 206 miles of training compared to 202 from last year!!

Also, I raised over $1000 in 4 days!!!!

That is amazing! I am totally ecstatic about this!!!

Thank you all who donated!!!

Wish me luck.

Pray for no wind or for the wind to be at my back.

Pray for safety and security...and no rain!!

Thank you all for backing me.

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

17.2

16.6

16.1

17.7

17.3

16.7

18.0

18.3

17.9

17.9

16.1

_____

17.64 average for the last 5 rides

_____

16.46 average overall

Please donate:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=1867336&pg=personal&fr_id=7100&s_tafId=56911

I will start complaining now:

I started out slow and sluggish today, my left knee is sore, I ran out of energy half way through even though the wind was a non-factor, sweat stinging my eyes and too many unnecessary stops.

Just a poor day overall.

My average was acceptable I guess.

17.9

Only 6 days until I begin my trip.

Please Mr. Weather, please let the wind be at my back or nonexistent.

P-L-E-A-S-E!!

I need all of the help I can get.

Please donate:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=1867336&pg=personal&fr_id=7100&s_tafId=56911

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

17.2

16.6

16.1

17.7

17.3

16.7

18.0

18.3

17.9

17.9

_____

17.76 average for the last 5 rides

_____

16.48 average overall

I went for a bike traing ride this morning.

I averaged 17.9 mph.

I also weighed in today and I am down 31 pounds from 3 and a half months ago. This should only help during my journey. I have not been working out at all, so I am becoming skinny with lack of muscles.

This is on purpose. Lance Armstrong was skinny and it seemed to work.

I plan on lifting weights after my bike ride and I imagine that I will get in shape quickly.

After my bike ride, I hopped on the motorcycle and headed out with my little cousin Johnny. What a beautiful day to ride!!!Way more fun than a pedal bike!!!

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

17.2

16.6

16.1

17.7

17.3

16.7

18.0

18.3

17.9

_____

17.64 average for the last 5 rides

_____

16.4 average overall

Hi everybody!!!

I just arrived back from my 18th training session.

I will give you a rundown of the last 4 rides since I have been too busy to bloggggggg:

On Friday before Memorial day (I hope you all had a great, safe one), I averaged 17.3 mph in a slight wind.

Later in the day, I picked up a new toy. I purchased a brand new Star Motorcycle!!!

It is a Midnight Roadliner and it is beautiful!!!

I love it!! I love it!!! I love it!!!!!

I cant stop thinking about it. I ride it every chance I get!!!

So that's the new problem.

It is severely hard to get on my pedal bike and sweat and strain and exert myself, when a beautiful, soothing, piece of art is lonely and waiting for me in my garage.

Choices.

Ugh!!

Dana and I headed up to Mom and Pops place in Isle for a relaxing, party filled weekend with the family. There were probably around 40 people up there for the annual Memorial Day Celebration.

It was a great and memorable time that I do not see myself forgetting anytime soon.

PS-Thank you Tommy for the money that you gave me playin craps, the beer that I bought at the Jeremy Enigk concert on Tuesday tasted extra delicious being that you were the one paying for it.;)

Back home on Monday, I started up the MS 150 training again.

I had a very tough ride with a miserable wind.

I hate you wind.

Seriously.

At least when I am pedal-biking.

Come back when I have a kite or something.

I averaged 16.7 and I was happy enough with that being that the wind was Wizard of Oz like.

On Wednesday, I set an all new speed record.

It was a calm and sunny day.

18.0!!!

I dig it.

Even with the stop and go of the roads that I need to cross, I managed 18 mph.

On the actual MS150, I should have a slightly easier time due to a more straight forward, anti-stop and go trail.It is hard to regain your momentum after stopping every 3 minutes. It really wears you down.

Now on to today, Friday.

First off, HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYBODY!

For those of you members of the TechnoViking club...Have a happy Technoviking Friday!!

Today, I felt like the Technoviking on my bicycle.

I am a powerful beast.

A new record was set.

Mark it on your calendars.

18.3 mph

That's right.

I am getting better.

Wish me luck!

Better yet, donate to my MS fund and help me with my journey:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=1867336&pg=personal&fr_id=7100&s_tafId=56911

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

17.2

16.6

16.1

17.7

17.3

16.7

18.0

18.3

_____

17.6 average for the last 5 rides

_____

16.32 average overall

I went for a ride yesterday but took an all new route because it was too windy.

That, and even though I like the Vento Trail, I am just plain sick of stopping for the cross streets when I am in a groove and am full of momentum. It's really a pain in the ass...it's just that I don't want to get hit by a car.(I have come semi-close this year already, and it's bound to happen)

The wind was going South and I didn't want to ride 5 miles with the wind at my back so that I could kill myself and possibly not make it home on the way back, so the new route was preferred.

I took of to the North, against the wind, and into Vadnais Heights so that the wind could push me home for the return trip.

Nothing to cool to report except that I saw Mr. Sterner on the way back around the lake. That's not even as cool as it could have been, because he didn't see me. I couldn't honk to get his attention, although in retrospect I could have yelled out a roadrunner-like BEEP!!

Oh Well.

Overall the wind was the worst of the year...and it sucked.

I hated it.

I finished with a 16.1 average.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today however, was a much more successful ride back on the Bruce Vento Trail.

I was watching the cotton blowing...er...I mean falling in the wind. There wasn't any. I was going almost straight down.

PERFECT!

I rocked today with good music and a solid focus.

I broke the all time 2008 record.

17.7!!!

Nice score, but I really am doubting myself now.

It is only a little over 2 weeks away.

I believe that 17 mph average is out of the question.

...but I am not giving up yet.

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

17.2

16.6

16.1

17.7

_____

16.98 average for the last 5 rides

_____

15.96 average overall

If you all (all 2 of you) remember my goal of losing 25 pounds before the MS150, I have an update for you.

If you don't remember, please move on to the next blog.

It's official..... have reached my goal of losing 25 pounds before the MS150.

I am officially down 26.5 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeay me!!!!!!!!

Also, I had my cholesterol checked on Friday.

In 2005, the doc told me that my cholesterol was high...like 268 high.

It is supposed to be under 200. I was at risk of strokes and heart attacks.

What he told me was that instead of taking the pill to help cholesterol, I should cut fried foods out of my life.

He asked how many times I ate fried foods a week.

My answer was 14 servings every week.

So, in 2005 I rarely ate fried foods with hope of lowering my cholesterol and living a little healthier lifestyle.

It was hard...very hard.

I have been eating fried foods for my whole life and actually really like it.

I went in a year later for another cholesterol test and found out that it only went down 5 points.

5 POINTS!!!!!

Down to 263.

I didn't cheat...I rarely ate fried foods and it didn't make a damn differance!

I was seriously bummed. I also found out that mom has high cholesterol and that it is hereditary.

So my doc told me to keep up what I was doing and then asked me how many servings of red meat I ate per week.

The answer was again 14 servings.

He then told me to cut that out of my life, or at least down to 2 servings a week, which REALLY BUMMED ME OUT because I love meat!!!

But I did.

I went down to 2 servings a week from the 14 for the year.

When I went back in 2007 and found out that I only went down 6 more points and was now at 257.

Whatever.

Just give me the pill.

I pretty much gave up but he didn't want me to start on the pill yet.

He recomended that I lose 10 pounds and keep doing what I was doing.

Now, I have been on this diet and I have lost over 25 pounds.

I seldom eat red meat...or fried foods...

I went in last Friday for my next cholesterol check:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

172!!!!

I PASSED!!! I PASSED!!!!

I feel very good about the lack of weight and the low cholesterol.

Actually, I feel great.

I didn't ride today because I have a little headache from last night...more from the lack of sleep than the alcohol intake.

However, I did ride yesterday(16.6mph) and the day before(17.2).

Yesterday was a beast of a day due to the strong winds from the West.

It killed me.

My right knee has been giving me a little pain as well.

Today, I had the AIDS WALK. If any of you like to do fund raisers, I highly recommend the AIDS walk. Totally happy (dare I say...gay?) people dancing and having a blast!!

I go every year and look forward to it next year as well.

So, back to boring biking. Yesterday I saw a few unique things:

Number 1 - I saw a slithering snake on the path.

Not a huge deal because I used to catch them when I was a little tike*...but I really havent seen a single snake for years, so it was pretty cool.

(*Sorry mom for letting all of the snakes go in the house that time...I didn't mean it. I thought that the small, open bucket could contain them all. Oooops!!)

Number 2 - I spotted the Pointer man.

Is he a myth?

Or a legend?

I come into eye contact of a wide range of people on the Bruce Vento Trail on a daily basis. Whether it be a fellow biker, or somebody out walking their dog, a jogger playin frogger, or a rollerblader...we all have our own reason for being there.

Common etiquette is to either nod with acknowledgment, maybe give a little smile, or a wave.

I see these same people once, and sometimes twice a day since I ride to the southern end of Vento Trail, turn around and come back.

Well, I ran into "Pointer Man" and instead of waving to me, Pointer Man simply held out his arm and pointed at me.

Fuckin' cool is what that is.
I dig it.

...and I do believe that I am going to steal his gimmick and make it my own.(I hope he doesn't read my blog or I will look like a fool and it could be an uncomfortable experience the next time we meet.)(actually, if I point at him and he points at me that might be uneasy too.)

Number 3 - Redbirds.

Are they bad or good luck?

Or nothing?

Because I am seeing at least one every time I ride but I would guess the average is 3 every ride.

I have never seen that many Cardinals before in my life.

Are they following me?

(For the record, I think that the female Cardinals are very pretty too.)

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

17.2

16.6 - Very windy today...I am happy with 16.6.

_____

16.66 average for the last 5 rides

_____

15.8 average overall

Other than that, I did hit the 100 mile mark! As of now I am at 105 miles on the year.

Beautiful sun, minor breeze....

It was a near perfect day for training...

17.3!!

OK, So I hit the 17 mph average.

It's a start.

3 more weeks until the ride.

Speaking of the ride...I came up with a goal at the end of February to lose 25 pounds before my bike ride so that I could succeed at reaching my 17 mph average...

I weighed myself on Monday, and found out that I had reached my goal.

I lost 25.5 pounds!!!

Yeay Me!!!!

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

17.3

_____

16.24 average for the last 5 rides

_____

15.58 average overall

Sven Sundgaard said that it was going to be rainy for 8 days straight from Thursday to Friday.

Sven was wrong!

Again!!!

Smile it up flounder...you were finally right yoday...it's raining and I skipped my training.

I trained Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. I would have on Sunday as well, but it was Mothers Day (HAPPY MOM'S DAY MOM!!! I LOVE YOU!!!) and we had the Race for the Cure.

That was chaotic as always...

I cant understand why the Race for the Cure is so crazy every year, but the AIDS walk, Great Strides for CF, MS walk, MS 150 Bike Ride, and the Walk for Animals are relaxed and smooth flowing...why is that?

It sure was windy out yesterday...I was happy to end up with my final result.

Still, I have not hit my goal of 17 mph ONCE so far on my little itty bitty 10 mile bike rides...that isnt good.

I need to up it.

Here are my averages so far in order from my first ride of the year, to the last:

13.7

15.1

14.8

15.1

15.9

15.5

16.2

16.1

16.1

_____

15.96 average for the last 5 rides

_____

15.39 average overall