The involuntary muscles, such as those that control the heartbeat, gastrointestinal tract and bowel, and bladder are not directly affected in ALS. Sensations, such as vision, hearing and touch, are also unaffected.
Today was delightfully uneventful except for the weather. We had a lot of clouds, a little bit of sun, too much rain, lots of mud and thankfully a tail wind to bring us home. We also had donuts and ice cream! Can't beat that!
I will say, I am totally impressed with the commitment of Ohio to their bike paths. We traveled most of the day on paved and well maintained bike paths. There were lots of stop signs to cross busy streets and a many quick turns to navigate but they were well marked and easy to negotiate. Our biggest obstacles today were the multitude of wildlife along the trails. Sadly, one Kamikazie chipmunk and a dazed and confused squirrel didn't make it across the path in time. My favorite part of the trail was the Kokosing Gab Trail, a must see if you are biking through Ohio. Lots of covered bridges, babbling brooks and lots of interesting sites to see.
The support crew, as usual was superb. We lost Tim Hecker but gained Rick Palumbo. Rick is a retired nurse and after yesterday, certainly a welcome addition to the crew. The dinner conversation wasn't the same without Tim's on-line dating advise but Rick certainly fit right in. The best part of traveling with your own support vehicles is that when you are soaking wet, your luggage is in the car at the rest stop and you can change into dry clothes! Doug and Rick also kept watch on the bikes while we ate at a sit down restaurant. They sent me this photo with a text telling us our bikes were safe. They kind of reminded me of Cheech and Chong so we weren't feeling so secure!
We are settled into a lovely farm house with lots of rooms and nooks and crannies. Not too many bathrooms but we are making do. A large field with some really amazing cows are right across the road and I made friends with them during a quick visit! They were delightful. Dave made a lovely stir fry dinner and Sarah and Rod got the awards today - Rookie of the Year and Resiliency Award respectively. We said goodbye to Dick Wagner after riding for 2 days and welcomed my PMC friend Margaret McCarthy from Massachusetts who joined us after dinner and will be riding with us for the next two days.
Feeling strong and ready for some early morning hills!
We are going to kick ALS to the curb!!!
Comments