This has been a great, but difficult week on the bike.  I was able chalk up 185 miles.  I was hoping to crack 200 but the weather was in a word, HOT!!!!  Not just hot, but crazy humid as well.  For good measure I was riding with full gear = 35 extra pounds.  While this proved to be a bit demanding, it was certainly good training none the less.  I am getting comfortable with the added weight and slowly but surely, I am finding a pace that I can sustain regardless of distance.  The one area I am still trying to figure out is staying hydrated; especially in this weather.  Try as I might, I can't seem to take in enough water.  I have to keep working on this or dehydration will cause problems. 

The good news is that a great friend, Ross was visiting, so I got to ride 2 days with him. On today's recovery ride, my wife also joined to make for an awesome day!  Normally I tend to ride by myself; mostly because of my schedule.  With my ride set to start in 19 days, I hope to ride more often with friends.  Starting on the 9th of September, I will be off on the longest ride of of my life - alone.  I am certain there will be many times during the ride I will be wishing I had others around to support and encourage.

I want to give a shout out to all of your that have donated to these worthy causes.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  I want to take a moment to share with you a few other experiences I have encountered to date.

   - One of my best friends shared with me that his daughter - in her 20s, was diagnosed with MS 2 years ago, and just before her wedding.

   - Someone I did business with over 15 years ago saw my blog and made an awesome donation, in honor of the son of his best friend who was diagnosed 2 years ago with narcolepsy.  This young man is the same age as my son.

   - I found out the daughter of a HS friend has cataplexy.

   - Someone I use to coach swimming with was inspired with my blog, and signed up to do the MS 150 ride.

   - I have met people during my training rides that are generally interested in and support what I am about to embark on.

Yes I want to meet my donation targets of $5,000 for both of these organizations, but any increase in awareness I can bring, or inspiration I can instill is just as important.