Ft Smith -- the night before

We made it to Ft Smith and the Holiday Inn City Center is pretty nice. It's really clean.

We had dinnar at a really good place called Varsity.

Everyone is really ready to go! Excitment building.

KKPT POINT 94.1 interview

Here's the photo's from the Point 94.1 Interviw with my buddy Kevin Clay. Kevin is an all around good guy and what you hear on the radio is really what he is like in real life. Just as happy with life as sweet tea on the front porch!

Video link to news report

We made the news last night! KTHV did a spot on the ride!
Here's the link if you want to watch it:
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=47973

KTHV have always been huge supporters of ACH and we thank them!

Thoughts on video...

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WELCOME TO RIVER 2 RIVER WEEK!!!!

WELCOME TO

RIVER 2 RIVER

WEEK!!!!

Shout out to Jeff who rode with me this afternoon. I really was just going to take it easy today but I was bored out of my skull. So I rode...

Terri did make it in from her convention complete with stories of Ft Smith happenings. Let's see there was a sprinkler system rupture around midnight and it released who some said was about 5,000 of water on the 3 floor which made a waterfall down to the indoor courtyard of the hotel. It rained almost every day in Ft Smith last week. But she was in good spirits and even wanted to go out to dinner last night.

Got up and went to church this morning and there is a senior couple that sit in front of us. She is going a little slower these days and he is her biggest fan. Mr. and Mrs. Sherril are a huge inspiration to everyone around them.... they always have been. If you know a senior person or couple that's an inspiration to you, why not let them know? Tell them or send them a card. It will brighten their day!

Had lunch over at Olive Garden (Yes, I did have a take home order of ter-a-mah-sue! HA!) Y'all know I don't do Itilian without the stuff... yep, I know too that a serving equals about 1300 calories... and your point is? HA!

I had planned to hang around the hut today but just like Giligan, I got bored! So I loaded the hot rod into the Explorer and headed down to the river for a flat ride. Just moved the legs a little was all I planned to do. Say hello to my friend the wind! She was sort of messy today and a pest at that. As I was riding along I rolled past another rider and mentioned the wind. Next thing I know me and another Sherwood homeboy have rolled along to the BDB. He was doing a recovery ride from yesterday's Hotter'n'Hell training ride (70 miles). It will be his first one. He was smart and made his reservations last year for this year's event. If he is already riding at 70 miles with a couple months still to go then he'll have not trouble at all with the 100 there (unless Mother Nature sends the fireballs to Witcha Falls again like last year). Shout out to Jeff... it was great meeting you and getting to ride along this afternoon. I am finding out more and more folks who live in Sherwood are riders.

Well, heading over to the valley to hang with friends and have dinner!

Thanks for reading!
Geo.

Saturday afternoon 06.23.07

Before and after the clippers! Coworkers said, "Geo, you look like a little boy." Sort of looks like a dog that just got a big haircut if you ask me! I love it though! I could feel the wind on my head all morning long and by did it feel great!

Had a great ride this morning. Had planned to "sleep in" but sure as the sun will rise, I woke up at 5:30 something and I wanted to go ride. That is a good sign for me! I took my time this morning and did a couple things around the hut then headed out to the river. It was a nice morning. Funny story: When I had just started and maybe two miles in I felt a drop of water run down the side of my head. I thought I was sweating already but had forgotten that I washed my sunglasses before I left and didn't get them all dry.

I buzzed along North Hills Blvd in North Little Rock and over the bridge as the traffic of I-40 went under me. Not a lot of traffic this morning. I noticed a car was behind me and I was ready the bike lane and then looked up to see my buddy Charile Hight go by. He was on his way out to Cook's for the ABC ride. I spotted them later. I'm looking forward to returning to some of those rides later this summer. They rode out to Scott and loaded up on fresh fruit at their break. They are blogging about how great the plums were.

Rolled along the river and came up on a transition area for a race. I went on but got lucky on the return when most of the racers were coming through the transition. Man, that's fun to watch. There's a half Ironman in Arkedelpha in August that some folks are going to do. I hope to go down and cheer them on. Someday I plan to go see a full blown Ironman event.

Spotted several groups this morning out for rides and I got behind one guy who reminded me so much of myself when I first started riding. He was looking around at the trees and really enjoying the ride. Oh, I still do that but just not as much. I always seem to be in the training zone these days. Nothing wrong with that either. I spotted several of our club coming back in from their screaming fast ride in the country. These are the guys that pace about 23-25. there was talk of their ride last Tuesday night going over 30mph at times. Crazy stuff!

I wonder sometimes what the racers of the Ironman think the week of their race? I'm doing my best to stay focused and positive. There's that nervous energy that is sort of there. I have no doubts that I can and will do great on this ride. I have awesome support and I really enjoy riding with the folks that I'll be in this event with. The only thing that's in the back of my mind that I'm wrestling with is getting to the hospital by 4. There are a lot of factors involved like rain, wind, rider conditions, bike conditions. I have it in my mind that if we are delayed, well then we are delayed. If we are delayed at lot then we'll ride right on through because no one is expected to hang out for hours waiting on us. But all in all... I think it's gonna be AWESOME!!! I'm sitting here thinking, ya know, this time next week this will be over. WHA???!!!

Em and I went over to Firehouse subs for lunch and by Academy Sports for gels, cliff bars and I even bought a couple of 6 buck headlights. I know what you are thinking but they could come in handy. Energizer is sending cases of batteries to power us along the ride. Those guys are awesome!

Terri arrives home around dinner time from her convention. This is one happy guy here but she will be exhausted to no end! It's at the same hotel we will be staying at Wednesday night and here's the weird thing. It's been raining in that one section of the state all week. We did have a nice storm come through here just minutes ago but it's broken up and the sun is returning. Oh boy, an Arkansas streamer!

Have I mentioned that my son, Tyler is going to be with us as support in the team car?!! I'm really excited about that in a huge way! I remember the 'round the state ride I did and he was in Denver at college. I remember him saying, "Dad, I missed your biggest day." No, kiddo, this will be my biggest day... you'll be there along with Terri and Emmy! What more could a dad ask for?!

I'll leave you with a couple of photos I took along the ride this morning....

Aren't these flowers beautiful? And they had a rose smell that was out of this world! The leaves are shining and healthy. It's just one of those plants you just have to notice.

But back up the frame and look at the whole picture! Can you believe this beauty is the ONLY thing living at this old boarded up house? The grass has been killed, there is a beer bottle discarded out in the yard. Windows busted out and boarded up. I have thought about this house almost every morning for months now. It's on the way to my office. I think it's very symbolic of life. Here everything around it is gone yet it thrives and grows like it's in one of the finest kept gardens around. You know what else I think? I think of a child who can't hear and how they would do the same if given the chance. They would grow and their beauty explode to capture the world around them. Please, donation to the River 2 River ride today and help us get the equipment needed to help a child hear!




If you would like to donate on line please go to http://www.archildrens.org/ and click on the Donate Now button. It is secure and tax deductible.

If you would rather send in a check, please send it to:
Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation
ATT: Geo's Ride
800 Marshall St
Little Rock, AR 72202


Thanks for reading!
Geo.

Thursday 6.21.07

What a fast and crazy week this has been. I posted a time or to over on the River 2 River blog (www.river2river.blogspot.com).

This is taper weekend so not going to be doing a lot of riding. I've spent every free minute working details and going over details and plans and redoing, etc etc... I've got the equipment I need for the most part for the night section of the ride thanks to my buds! I have to make another list this weekend and start a pile somewhere of the stuff that will be going.

Terri is in Ft Smith right now and even staying in the same hotel we are going to. She is the convention director/planner for their associations summer convention. The weird thing is that it has been raining in Ft Smith most of the week but nice pretty much everywhere else. A sprinkler broke next to the secretary's room on the 3rd floor and flooded her room. Bet Terri will be ready to get home and crash a minute or two. I miss her.

Emily showed interest in the bike races last night when she came to get me. She even wants to go back when we return from FL. I think that's cool that she has an interest in it. I think the guys coming up to register liked having her sitting at the table too. HA!

So what's the plan for the weekend?? Well tomorrow night I get a buzz haircut. It might be the shortest I've ever had. Shock and awe for the ride! HA! Then I head over to American Pie for a club get together. Saturday morning I'm taking my time getting started. I might not go out to ride until 8 or 9. Just a big circle from the house to the river and back. Then I'll work around the house/yard and Terri should get back around dinner time so I'll unload the stuff at her office if that's the plan and then she'll crash. When she returns from a convention she usually crashes hard and fast.

Oh I get the air card for the laptop so I'll try and do some video and photo uploading with the card. Should be really cool.

The jerseys are selling like wildfire! Everyone is saying they are the coolest jersey they've ever seen. That means a lot to me.

I'll write more this weekend and put some video and photos in for your viewing pleasure.

If you want to donate to the ride you can donation on line at www.archildrens.org.
Or if you want to mail a check:
Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation
ATTN: Geo's Ride
800 Marshall Street
Little Rock, AR 72202

Thanks and have a great Friday!!
Geo.

Monday 6.18.07

Nothing like getting a text message form the kiddo letting me know I had a package from FRS today! Yeah baby, the nice folks at FRS sent me a little swag to get me started. Uh huh, I'm not only an FRS snot but an offical FRS poster child now too! Me and Lance Armstrong sponsored by the same group. Oh yeah baby! HA!

Well no testing tonight for the adjustments to see if I can figure out what the deal is with the knee. We've got those summer rain showers tht started about 3 this afternoon. Man, one time it was raining so hard it looked like a thick fog. Maybe it's a good thing so my leg will recover a tad more. I'll be out there with the club tomorrow night and I'll get all sorts of input I'm sure but hey I welcome it.

Shout out to my doc buds Brain Hardin and Brent Sprinkle! Both gave me excellent advice on the knee. Brain runs our Sports Med group at ACH. Super nice guy and always goes out of his way for folks. Thanks bud! And Brent is an awesome, strong rider that I've gotten to ride with quite a few times. He was the one who sent me the "chocolate milk after a ride for recovery article." And yes, I drink a juice glass of chocolate milk after almost every long distance ride. Brent is one of those doctors that after they tell you something you sort of think, "Dang man, this guy knows his stuff!" Thanks Brent!

This photo is for my bud Wes. How's this for clean? I know it's out of focus but you get the idea. But of course it's raining this evening so no riding.

12 days until the big ride! I'm excited! I'm ready!

Sunday 06.17.07

It's Father's Day and we went down to see my folks and took them to lunch at a catfish place they like called Whippet. Serious. I'm not a catfish eater but it was pretty good. It was in a small town called Prattsville.

It's also Tyler's 23 birthday today. Happy birthday kiddo! My son was born on Father's day and Terri was 23 years old when she had him. Today, he is 23.

No riding today but I did clean the bike up. She's looks really good right now!

Not really much...
Geo.

Saturday 06.16.07

An Arkansas summer with miles of green fields.

I flew past this sign then realized it was one of my sponsors signs

so I turned around and came back to shoot it. Thanks Delta Grow!!!

This is a lawn statue at a store in Keo.
Again, I went right past it but then the
light came on that it was the little girl from
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
I'm not ashamed to say that's one of my favorite all time movies
and I don't have a clue why but when I watch it I laugh til I cry!

The day on the bike started at 7 and the plan was to ride to the river then out to Keo and back, evaluate the legs then repeat the course. As I was riding to the river I spotted a couple of neighbors with their bikes loaded on the car/trucks and heading the same way. Got the "howdy beep" from them as they passed. Both were a big part of the Carti group I've been riding with and then it dawned on me that there was one more Carti ride, a post event ride. It was announced before we took off that Carti's Tour de Rock brought in about $50,000. That's so awesome! Jennifer and the crew put on a first rate event!

Paul Bentley and I rode together a bit then we broke off at the top of the heights. He had to be somewhere at 10:30 and I was riding way to hard to make it go all day like I needed to. We made our way back to the boat ramp at Burn's and bidded each other farewell. I was going to start my Keo training ride. While we were talking JohnEEE came up he was going to ride some intervals this morning. We rode along at a social pace and he is an awesome rider and all around good guy. I was asking him if he had ever had knee issues and after explaining were the pain was (Yes, it's back again today already!). Sounds like I need to drop the seat a tad. Plan to do that and ride maybe Tuesday night easy and see what happens. It goes away really quick after I stop riding but today by the time I rolled back in it hurt so bad I was on the border line of barfing. Yes, serious, the pain was that bad. I was so glad I took the MP3 player because when I listened to the tunes my knee was secondary. Funny part was that by the time I rolled in, I hated the tunes I had loaded. I wanted to pop Ted Nugent up the side of the head. Stop screaming at me!! HA!!! I told Terri later about this and she smiled then I told her what I really wanted to hear was some nice soft jazz... you know the kind of music that reminds you of your momma pressing you up against her bossom so tight you can't breath and she rubs your head and tells you everything will be awwwright. I thought Terri was going to spit tea! Ya jest never know what's gonna come outta my mouth do ya?! Well, it makes life a lot funner!

Oh yeah, I saw my first live and moving snake on the road today. I rolled right by him and lo and behold the monster started moving!! He was a big un! Looked blackish with a pattern.

I played with the video upload last night and it works but I didn't think y'all wanted to see a video of me chasing Sadie, our dog, around the house. Good video's will probably be posted tomorrow.

Thumbs up to the JB Hunt crew again today and thumbs up to Oakely Trucking of North Little Rock! Both trucking companies gave me lots of room. I was lucky to have a wide shoulder for most of the ride.

Terri and I are heading down to Bosco's for dinner with Chris and Rebecca tonight! Mouth is watering already! Chris and several others will be riding the time trials tomorrow. Good luck everyone on your race! Rock the race!!

Finished the day with a sad 74.41 miles at 16.6 mph average. It's tapper down time for the next couple of weeks. I can not believe the ride is almost here!!

Thanks for reading!

Geo.