The Trainer Blues and My 2008 Summer Goals

The Trainer Blues are a normal thing this time of year. Weather is getting colder and the roads are heading toward icy, and you really don't want to go out for a ride, so you have your bike on the Trainer Stand.

Personally, I hate riding the trainer. It makes me feel like I'm riding in a Gerbil Wheel. It's the lesser of two evils though, as compared to not riding. I have some goal rides for next Summer to train for.

The first major goal is to turn a high speed Century on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Tour de Cure, 2008. Ideally, I want to turn the 100 miles in about 5 ½ hours. This means I'll need to be able to hold a 20 MPH average to make it and still get a 5 minute break hourly for nutrition and bottle restock and possible output breaks.

My second goal for the Summer is a lot more ambitious and I've been hesitant to talk about it for obvious reasons! I've been struggling with the whole idea as to whether it's within my physical abilities, but I decided it's better to try and not succeed than to not try and always wonder.

I am planning a route right now for a ride starting in Michigan City, Indiana at the Michigan State Line, and ending at the Indiana/Kentucky line by Owensboro, Kentucky. It's a 310 mile route, and here's the catch. I want to do it in a day! It's going to be a fully supported attempt, with a SAG van and support crew, ala RAAM. All I need to do on that end is recruit crew.

Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself.....”Is he insane?” The answer to this is a resounding YES, but in a good way! To achieve this goal, I'm going to have to train, and train hard! When the pain hits, I'm just going to have to “take off my skirt, cancel my manicure, grow a mustache and harden the f*ck up”, to quote one of my favorite funny men, Ronnie Johns, aka Chopper, down in Australia!

My roughed out route

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/in/lafayette/743009585

This ought to be a challenge for me, what do you think?

CASA Cycling Event in West Lafayette, Indiana

300-mile cycling marathon

benefits CASAs for Kids Fund

25-Hour Cycling Challenge

An extreme cycling challenge will be held this weekend in West Lafayette to test the mettle of area endurance cyclists. Six individuals and five teams will try to ride not 100, not 200, but 300 miles in 25 hours (or less) to raise money for the local CASAs for Kids Fund.

You are invited to the opening ceremony, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Calvary Baptist Church, 310 Kalberer Road. Rick Laurie, Joe Bolan, Travis Dorsch, Scott Mills, Bree Studenka and Brian Smith will attempt to ride the entire 300 miles. Relay teams from Alcoa, Fairfield, PEFCU, Purdue and the Wabash River Cycling Club will also participate.

Riders will begin the mara-thon at 6:00 p.m., leaving from the church parking lot. Community members are encouraged to get on their bikes and ride the first five-mile lap with the marathon cyclists at 6:00. A donation of $10 per rider or $25 per family to the CASAs for Kids Fund is suggested. Post-ride snacks will be provided for all who ride the first lap.

The five-mile route (Kalberer to Salisbury to 500 North to Soldiers Home Road, back to Kalberer) will allow well-wishers and spectators to see the riders as they pass the church 60 times during the 25-hour event for a total of 300 miles! Come out and encourage the riders Friday, Saturday or as they ride through the night in support of this very worthy cause.

CASAs for Kids Fund

The CASA program looks out for the best interests of some of the most vulnerable children in Tippecanoe County. CASA volunteers, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, represent neglected and abused children in court. When finances are a limiting factor, the CASAs for Kids Fund ensures that these children can attend summer camp, take dance or music lessons and participate in enrichment activities that many other children take for granted.

The CASAs for Kids Fund has the flexibility to provide goods or services not provided by any other source to move a case to resolution or build self-esteem – things like furniture the children need before they can go back home, or even a bike for a child that does not have one. The fund also gives college and vocational scholarships to students who have been through the court system.

To make a donation

If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to make a donation to improve the lives of neglected and abused children in Tippecanoe County, Please make your check payable to CASAs for Kids Fund and mail to:

CASAs for Kids Fund

c/o Rick Laurie

3379 Putnam St.

West Lafayette, IN 47906

This donation is tax deductible.

Rob Lucas has a Bike Gear Page!

To help him fund his next RAAM attempt, Rob has set up a gear page. It's called Ultrarobs Outdoor Gear Page. Drop by and check it out, it looks like he has some pretty good gear there!

For information as to exactly what RAAM is, the UMCA is the sponsoring organization and Here is their website. RAAM is truly the toughest bicycle race on the planet, and is as hard on the crew as it is on the riders! Sleep deprivation and stress are the order of the day, so crew or rider, you have to be tough and determined!

At his blog, UltraRob's Adventures, he confirms that it's very likely that both Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis will be at Leadville, drop by his blog as well!

Spinner Saturday Report will be published tomorrow, so I'll see everyone then!

300 Miles, 25 Hours, Lafayette, Indiana Cycling Event!

Rick Laurie and his compatriots are doing a charity ride this month in Lafayette, Indiana. They are riding 300 miles in 25 hours to support and raise funds for CASA's for Kids Fund. CASA is a volunteer "Court Appointed Special Advocate". It's a worthy cause and these guys are going to ride their hearts out to support this.

Think of the enormity of riding 300 miles in 25 hours on a bicycle. This is almost double the miles I've ever ridden in a day and my helmet is tipped to them. You can bet I'll be there and tipping my hat to them, well, make that my helmet!

For further information, here is an article from the Lafayette Journal and Courier

Support these guys in their monumental ride! Contact information for Rick is in the linked article.