Yep, about 84 hours from now, my alarms (I need more than one) will start going off to get my lazy backside out of bed for the hardest two days I will have ever spent on a bike. Oh, some of the hills will be simple, I'm sure, and some will offer me a lot of difficulty. But the overall distance will be the toughest couple of days I've ever spent in the saddle. And it's almost here.
With that in mind, I'd like to share something with you about the team I'm riding on: It's called "Champions for MS" and the idea is that they pair each rider up with one individual who happens to be afflicted with the disease. THe rider rides for that person. My person is Maureen. We've been in some contact, and I realized just how much my battling with hills is like her battling this disease. You can either give up and take the easy path, or you can fight, keep going, do that hard thing, and accept that you may go slow and you may even lose some days, but you keep getting back up and trying again.
Maureen has been diagnosed now for about 9 years. She walks with a cane, and sometimes needs a scooter. She works as much s she can as a nurse, but even that is pretty light duty, and not a lot of hours - a couple days a week for a private practice that gives her only a few hours each day. Two yorkshire terriers keep her busy, too. She does as much as she can for as long as she can. Every day is an uphill battle for her.
And I complain because I get to choose whether or not I attempt a hill. Maureen doesn't get to choose her hills.
I also wanted to take a moment and say a very public thanks to all those who have been so gracious as to donate to this worthy cause. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me. I know that some of you really don't understand this obsession I have with riding, and to many of you I'm "that crazy guy I know who's really into biking for some odd reason," but your support means the world to me, as it has throughout this 3-year long adventure I've been on.
Speaking of adventures - I've now been informed by a lot of people that I should probably change the title of this blog. They tell me I'm no longer fat. Well, I simply couldn't change it now - but just so you all know the tradition of the Fat Kid:
It started with my college theatre troupe. We have chairpersons in charge of certain elements of the production: lighting, sound, costumes, props, and most of all, the set. Two set chairs before me, there was a guy in charge of the sets whose name was affectionately given as, "The Fat Kid." I think at the time, he may have been...gravitationally gifted. The title was bequethed to a slightly less chubby kid, when he took the position, and again when I held the position. Thus, I am Fat Kid the Third...it's really kind of a mental state of being rahter than a physical description, although I earned some of that, too.
So no - I'm not changing the title. Once a Fat Kid, always a Fat Kid. But don't you worry....I don't take myself too seriously (you know - in case you had a hard time keeping up with that fact)
I will try and work out some way to keep you all posted during the ride this weekend, and maybe even *gasp* post some pictures. There will be status updates available...
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
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