The Army Goes Rolling Along

Hello, All!

I'm just "Rollin' Along" here. The training schedule is going well now; I started out a little too agressive so I backed it off a touch and now am able to keep up without blowing up. The yoga is still giving me fits but I simply do the best I can. I started going to Massage Envy on Wednesdays (my off day) and that seems to be incredibly helpful with my training program allowing me to get full relaxation and recuperation out of the day.

I have had to make a tough decision. In planning and executing this benefit ride I have found it rather trying to work with more than one organization. So, I had to decide which organization I would go forward with on this Houston to New York ride. Both organizations, Soldiers' Angels and Wounded Warrior Project are really great at what they do and it was a tough choice. What it boiled down to was the fact that I had to get the donation request letters and ride proposal out by 21 June to make certain corporate contribution cut-off dates. The WWP was able to get me approvals for use of their logos in time to give me the chance to get those letters out. Therefore, I was left with having to pull my support from Soldiers' Angels on this ride. My intention is to plan and execute a local, one-day ride event for Soldiers' Angels to take place next year. If all goes well with that we should have another t-shirt ride for Houston area cyclists. I did, however, register with Soldiers' Angels and opted in for "Adopting a Soldier." We will be sending letters and packages to a Soldier in the Iraq and/or Afghanistan theaters to boost their morale and let them know we care about them.

Looks like Craig Durrett has come through for us yet again. Last January we went to Durrett Motor Co. looking for a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He found us exactly what we were looking for and at a price that we couldn't get from any of the other dealers we had gone to. Unfortunately, in a freaky rain storm on 18 April it got flooded up to the dash and the insurance totaled it leaving us without a vehicle yet again. I slapped a new exhaust on the old Wrangler and strapped some tie-downs around the driver seat to keep it from falling completely apart and managed to get it to pass inspection. We've been coaxing a few more miles out of the transfer case although it sounds like a handful of gravel in a blender while going down the road. Yeah, OUCH!

Anyway, Craig called the other day to tell me he had found us a truck that seemed to fit the bill. As much as I loved that JGC, I hated loading and unloading bikes from inside and kayaks from the roof because of the greasy chains and potential scratches from the kayaks. So, I thought it best to go back to a pickup truck for all my out-of-doors needs. Craig found us an '06 Chevy Colorado 4 door Z71 4x4. I haven't seen it yet as it won't be delivered until Wednesday but, if it is as nice as the JGC that he found for us I'm most certain that I will be very pleased. Shout out to Durrett Motor Co. Houston, TX! Whoot! Whoot! Thanks, Craig! Now, I can't wait 'til Wednesday! I feel like a kid at Christmas time!

This morning was a great ride! I spun up 30 miles at an average of 16.8 mph! I didn't even feel like I was working too terribly hard on that one either. Some days are diamonds!

Well, off to other things.

Ride On!