This ride is the longest ride scheduled in what has been about 3 months of aggressive training at Fuel Sports Performance Training Center in Crest Hill, IL.   This ride is actually about 13 hours shy of my Jan07 ride!  On Friday, Sept 3^rd, Fuel Sports will be hosting a customer appreciation party that will start after the local football game at about 9pm or so.  This will give me a tremendous boost going into the final night.  If you can make it to the venue, pls drop on by, any hour of the day.  Fuel is located straight south on Weber at Caton Farm Road, just a few hundred yards straight south of the location for the annual Statesville Haunted House that will soon be operational.  Thanks for all the support and I’ll see you on the other side!  72 Hour Notice

Attended two Eagle Scout Court of Honors this morning with my youngest, Andy…both scouts were ones I had a hand in training when they were with Troop 849.  Was good to see them and so many other parents and scouts from the troop that I haven’t seen in awhile.  Its possible I might sponsor a trip  to the Boundary Waters with the Troop next summer….i know I’m going anyway….

Got only an hour on the bike today then met Andy and Bobby at X Sport for a brief workout.  Looks like Bobby is going to join the gang at XP and for one, save himself some money at least from the outrageous fees he’s been charged at another health club….certainly a first step for Bobby in his desire to train hard and go to the next level with regard to his own personal health and fitness.  

Spent yesterday (Sat) administering a PFT to two young scouts in conjunction with their Personal Fitness Merit badge training at Wheatland park and was pleased to see that at least the mens bathroom door was open.  The pavillion was still a mess but upon closer examination of the bathroom, it was discovered that the door was actually broken!  Looks someone really had to go and simply wasn’t going to stand for an otherwise locked door.  Inspiring to see the boys complete the mile run and better their times from the previous PFT.  

Well, its Sunday and i’m looking ahead at clients starting at 4am tomorrow but I’m off Tues to relax and load up in prep for the 72 hour ride on Wed.   I’ll post details later re the stream link, etc…..have a good week.

Today, Wednesday, i will once again embark on a covert 12 hour non-stop ride at Fuel Sports.  The ride will start at 6pm or so and go for 12 straight, finishing around 6 on Thurs morning.  The 12 hour last week was perfect.  This is the first time I’ve ever done back to back rides such as the 12 hour.  This will be an additional overnight experience, by choice , as I continue to grasp the beauty of 3-7am and all that goes with that wonderful block of time….we’ve gotten better at it trust me and certain thanks to Connie and Kathy who’ve taken the lead recently on getting me thru those night time hours.   Many of you continue to wish me well in my journey via text, email and the like and it always means alot.  This ride as was the previous 12 hr will not be streamed and is being conducted so that I can strenghen my spirit for the 72 hour ride next Wednesday thru Sat.  The rides are tempo rides of sorts often maintaining a 15mph pace up to the 40 minute mark and then walking it in to 12 or 13 in the remaining 20 minutes or so. 

I also want to mention that the 60 hour ride being conducted on Sept 29 to Oct 1st will be held at the Eggsperience Resturant in Naperville as part of my hosting a benefit fundraiser for Gunnar Hotchkin, a local soldier, dad and husband who was recently killed in Afghanistan as a result of a roadside bomb.  HIs story made local news here recently.  He left behind a wife and 3 kids along with family here in the area.  He also left behind a mutual friend in Preston Bokos, who many of you will recall has been part of my rides for the last 3 years.  Preston and his wife Devyn and their kids were very good friends of Gunnar and I’m proud to use my bike as a conduit for a benefit to be held on Friday,Oct 1st from 6-11pm at the “Egg”.  The benefit will begin just as I’m finishing my 60 hour ride, which starts on Wed of that week at 6am.  More details and ticket information will follow. 

Because i was up at 3am this morning to host clients at the club, my awake time in conjuntion with the 12 hour will be approximately 35 hours by the time I find rest late in the day on Thursday.   The cooler is packed, the food bin is stocked and I look forward to seeing my hosts at Fuel, John and Ricky, who continue to provide the optimum training environment with minimal distraction so that I might focus in hopes of accomplishing what I’ve done three times in the past and that is, set a new GWR!   More to follow in days and weeks ahead!

Stats for the ride are as follows:  AHR 83;  Avg RPM’s 81.4;  Total DST 772.6 miles;  Avg DST per hour 12.7;  Total Calories burned 14006 or approximately 234 per hour.  Beginning weight 168.2 lbs.  End weight 166.2 lbs.   Total fluids consumed both SUCCEED fuel and water: approximately 8.5 gallons.  Total output was approximately 9 gallons.  Total awake time in conjunction with this ride was approximately 84 hours….I’ve attached the hour by hour breakdown of the ride in the atch’d spreadsheet  60 hour stats

I felt confident going into this ride that it would be a success.  I was blessed with an abbreviated crew but one which was committed to remaining with me at all hours to accomplish the mission of completing an unprecedented 60 hour training ride.  I want to thank Emerson, Connie, Kathy, my youngest son Andy and Marcia, all of whom gave hours on my behalf at one time or another during the ride.  They coordinated their availability with me or each other, which reflected teamwork in the highest regard.  They function so well behind the scenes in the prep of my fuel and food stores and they’ve given me confidence that my well being for the duration of the ride is something I know I can trust them with. The crew is getting better at reading me and knowing how to handle my walls and corresponding breaks…. I felt great and owe so much to them.  Very few walls were encountered but those that were present,  I dealt with.  I also want to thank John Bylina, owner of Fuel and Ricky Alamillo, trainer for their support and for being the great hosts they are.  Ricky’s stretching of me during what few breaks were taken was invaluable. 

I was very inspired by the countless emails, text messages and facebook posts that I got from so many folks who either saw the stream or simply heard about the ride from one source or another…..many said some of the kindest things which validated my notion that volunteering and giving of ones time and energy on behalf of others is still a good thing.   So many inspired me beyond belief and I hope many keep in touch as the rides get longer.  I respond as often as I can but can be limited depending on where i’m at in the ride….I was fortunate that good friend Teresa and her son Nick visited me on Friday afternoon.  Teresa you’ll recall, was a big supporter of the April event.  T gave me a couple text messages around midnight on Friday night/Sat morning that really helped propel me thru hours 50-55 give or take….her words just hit me at a time when I was struggling and it was enough to ignite a pace that brought me back.  So thanks T!  My good friend Bobby Bachar is back from Scout Jamboree and he, along with T’ son Hank, made their way to the venue very early on Sat morning.  Good to see Bobby back and hear of his experiences at Jamboree.  My dog chips spent alot of time at Fuel during the ride.  He enjoys doing laps there as part of his continuig PT efforts to lose a pound. 

Well, I’m finding myself drifting now as I type so I’m going to launch this and bring this ride to a close.  I’m off to Boundary Waters on Monday with Andy and Brandon then back for 2 12 hour rides in prep for the 72 Hour Ride Sept 1-4, 2010 at Fuel.  Many thanks to so many for  a great ride!  Have a great week.

The rides have been done in rather arguous conditions lately with operating temps in the 80’s at times and at a venue that affords one no real distractions or unnecessary drama that could otherwise derail the extreme mental prep that is so necessary for rides of this duration and beyond.  The rides are done at a tempo crafted by Emerson which keeps my pace at 15 mph and getting to the 10 mile mark at about 40 -45 minutes into the hour leaving me a balance of about 15-20 minutes or so to get my remaining 2 miles in and satisfy the ever imposing GWR goal of 12 miles travelled each and every single hour that i’m on that bike.  I can often stand at this point which relieves pressure on my bottom, which helps me sustain the waning portions of the ride.  I hafve to credit my good friend Alvin and John Wu for first getting me used to pacing and getting out in front of the clock sooner rather than later.  Just a few rides ago, we used to shoot for 11 miles in 50 minutes but I’ve since refined that strategy but have Alvin and John to thank along with countless others who often endured the early morning hours with me….With the advice of Chris Arnes playing over in my head,  I’ve found myself now embracing that previously dreaded period of 3-7am and getting through it with less issue than in previous rides.

At the conclusion of this ride, Andy, Brandon, chips  and myself will depart for the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota putting in at Moose Lake at which time, we’ll spend about 4 days on the water, camping and the like….this will be my first real departure from the area since my return from Afghanistan in 09 so I’m looking forward to the break.  The weather window looks great at this point so it should be a good trip and a time for me to rest and recover from the 60 and enjoy some quiet time…I dont fish but I do take pictures and I’m looking forward to Chips having his first real outdoor experience! 

Commented this week to clients at the club that to see them perform at the level they do during the course of my “timed events” during their sessions certainly makes it worthwhile for me to get to the club and be involved in their training….kind of makes it exciting to go to work if you know what i mean…something about doing what one loves to do so I’m grateful to the staff at X Sport who continue to facilitate my rewarding career there as a member of their personal training staff. 

Well, its a quiet nite now and I look forward to an evening of rest…tomorrow I’ll meet Andy at the Egg at 9am for my traditional pancake breakfast which will pretty much be the last meal I’ll eat before transitioning to the liquid fuel that will sustain me during the ride….I hope many of you can join me in this ride experience via the web, text or whatever, but I’ll look forward to keeping you updated as the ride moves forward and to sharing w/you the stats at the rides’ end.   Anyone want to guess total calories for this ride or distance travelled?  Comment at will and have a great rest of the week…..G

The ride was held at Fuel Sports Performance Training Center in Crest Hill, IL,  a small, covert location where I’ve been training discreetly and without distraction since June.  My training is in prep for an event in October that will once again find me raising money for yet another worthwhile charity organization whose vision is vested in kids.  The stats for the ride are as follows:  AHR 87, Avg RPM’s 81,  Total DST 618.3 miles, Total CAL’s burned 13,052 and about 85% were fat calories!   A detailed hour by hour breakdown of the ride is included in the atch’d spreadsheet.   48hourstraingstats   Additionally, I drank nearly 5 gallons of water, 5 1/2 gallons of SUCCEED liquid fuel and my output was about 7 1/2 gallons.  Operating temps inside the venue were anywhere from 77 to 87 degrees.  Total awake time during this training ride was about 60 hours. 

I was once again supported by a very unselfish crew anchored by Crew Chief Emerson and which further consisted of Connie , Tinamarie, Jillian, Marcia and Kathy L.  Their time on my behalf was seamless and their work in and around the bike reflected a genuine concern for my fluid and food intake as well as my success on the 48 hour ride.  I’m grateful for the support shown by them and to have such success as I did on this ride can only be attributed to those that surrounded me at all hours…..no real walls were encountered that lasted for any duration…a few waves now and then but nothing I couldn’t shake and get re-engaged with the help of the crew….something about my eyes seems to be the cue that I’m coming up on a wall and they know exactly what to do…..

Bobby was at the Scout Jambo in Ft AP Hill and called a couple times.  Bobby turned 18 on Thursday!  I had a surprise visit from Larissa last eve which was nice and when she plugged in her IPOD several songs were an instant cue for me to get back on I Tunes and download.  I really gotta re-arrange my playlists and I’m finding songs on my pod that I didn’tknow I had which helps during the ride, but then I dont know where to find them afterwards to save to a playlist cuz most are all “unknown artist” types and I cant tell you how many thousands of those I have in my library!  Also want to thank Ricky Allamillo for being my host at Fuel and being there throughout my ride training clients and keeping the lights on for us….my youngest son, Andy who is in Boulder, CO at a running clinic called me last eve which was a nice surprise.  He shared that he climbed a 9000 foot mountain after supper with his buddies, and while I could sort of relate, I really enjoyed hearing from him.  Andy turns 17 tomm (Sunday)  Both he and Brandon were able to pull up the stream on their phones so they could at least see and hear me.  The stream continues to be a success and we had about 154 total viewers this time around with many putting blog comments right on the stream which were ultimately given to me by Tinamarie so I do see alot of what is posted…..we hope to do more with the stream on future rides, perhaps recording excerpts so others can see what it’s like to ride thru the night. 

Responded to a request from a reporter back home about just why I’m doing what I do and what inspires me and while the full context of my reply to her isn’t visible here, her story ran today in my hometown paper and the link to the story is here but I’ve alson include the full text below as well:   http://www.facebook.com/l/35b30;indianagazette.com/articles/2010/07/24/a_news/10048531.txt  

Ride of a Lifetime Part II
After his fourth attempt to break the Guinness World record for riding a stationary bicycle fell short, Indiana native George E. Hood Jr. is at it again.
Hood, of Aurora, Ill., recently started training for a fifth attempt, “Operation V2F: Hood’s Ride for Five to Finish.”
His longest attempt has been 177 hours, 45 minutes in 2008, which was published in the “Guinness Book of World Records.”
His most recent attempt – from April 11 to 19 – was about 175 hours. The record to beat was 192 hours, set by Shirvani Merhzad in Belgium.
The goal for his last attempt was 300 hours. For this attempt, Hood said his goal is 220 hours.
Hood’s rides have all been fundraisers, and this one will be no different. It will benefit the Victory Baseball League in Crest Hill, Ill., and other charities yet to be identified.
Hood finished a two-day training ride early this morning, and while riding, he said he pondered what motivates him to continue trying for the record.
“The why is simply this,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I’m an ordinary guy with extraordinary talent to do this stuff, and I do so without any extraordinary money or benefits, unlike some others. … I enjoy being that example to others that `ordinary’ folks like me are capable of doing such great things and for so many right reasons.”
His record attempt will be from Oct. 22 to 30 at Fuel Sports Performance Training Center in Crest Hill.
Hood is the son of Indiana Mayor George E. Hood Sr. and his wife, Arlene.

– Margaret Harper

 Well, I’ve got to bathe chippy now and prep for a nights rest with Sunday being my recovery day…..once again , thank you to so many who chimed in during the ride with a variety of messages of support….it means alot and even my buddy Lance, who is in Pittsburgh suggested I ride an extra hour for my alma mater the IUP Crimson Hawks!  So so many of you are with me on this, some actually and some virtually, even a guy from Boston who simply just texts me….it all means alot and I’ll continue to press on with the task at hand, just doing as I often call it.  Not getting bogged down in questioning it all to death, simply just doing what simply needs to get done and we’ll even help a few folks along the way!   Have a great week, comment at will on the blog and I’ll be in touch regarding the 60 hour ride to be held Aug 4-7 at Fuel…..this is gonna be good!  Bye for now….G