Hello ALL !!! First ... I would like to give thanks to ALL the brave young men that gave their lives in 1944 so that we ALL might enjoy a bteer world these 72 years later ... Although it may not be a perfect place ... We are still blessed to live in a wonderful country HUG your families close today and be thankful for the MANY good things we DO have !!!
This past weekend was a special time ... It was the Colonial Crossroads MS-150 bicycle tour and whether you chose to ride the route from Richmond or Smithfield ... we ALL ended up in Williamsburg to share and celebrate anoher successful year in raising money and awareness for the M.S. society !!! Over 800 riders raised over $750,000 to help with the cause ... TO LIVE IN A WORLD FREE OF M.S. !!!
I made some new and wonderful friends this years !!! Lori, who has been diagnosed with M.S. about 7 years now rode ... and rode VERY WELL with her team ... I got to meet her family too ... her husband and daughters SUCH COOL PEOPLE !!! It really does my heart well to see someone diagnosed with disease out there riding and pushing themselves like that !!! I am well aware that not everyone is into this kind of self awareness (or self abuse) as cyclists may be but it was my pleasure to run into a "like minded" individual that just thrives in pushing their bodies physically beyond what maybe we should be doing ... I have always ben one that would rather ask for forgiveness than for permission !!! Hey ... on my last day it is my desire and dream to be able to close my eyes on that last day KNOWING I lived a good and full life ... Sure, there have been some regrets along the way ... I am only human BUT in the complete scheme of things ... it's been a GREAT "ride" !!! ;) And the really sweet thing ... IT AIN'T OVER YET !!! ;)
This si where I'm going to ask you to come back to this BLOG as in LESS THAN two weeks I will be pushing myself through the Rockies to help raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and, if you might be willing, to help raise a little money for the MSAV!!! I know very well how much of a challenge this ride is going to be ... I KNOW all to well what a challenge this pasty weekend was !!! A couple times I thought to myself while I was on the trike ,,, With my hands going completely numb and my body listing uncontrollably to the right ... the anguish, the hurt, the pain ... Who will know if I just packed it in and rode to the finish line in the car ???
The answer is simply ... I WOULD KNOW !!! And at the end of the day I knew how much my heart would be broken if I gave in ... so I persevered !!! And today ... and for the rest of my life ... I will be so glad I did !!! The chants of "Kenny" as I approached the finish line, the smiles on the faces of those that waited until the final rider on the course (ME) arrived ... THESE are the memories I know get to carry with me the rest of my life !!! And as my Guardian Angel still sits just off to the side ... (My Mom) ... I can see her smiling and how proud she is of her little boy who is now a grown man !!! Mom always blamed herself for all the physical issues I had ... particularly as a child ... I hope she knows she can also claim responsibility for ALL the "good stuff" her little boy is still accomplishing !!!
So, my dear friends ... I hope you will continue to follow as my BIG adventure quickly approaches !!! My sincere thanks to EACH and EVERYONE of you for following this BLOG and if you so choose ... please consider making even a small donation to the MSAV for no gift is too small if it is given for the right reason !!! THANKS ... Kenny
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