154 days and $2735 to go!

I haven't been able to do too much training this week but I have been working on my back exercises and I did get in a fun 45 miles around Cincinnati with my brother, Jim, on Saturday.

I have two issues affecting my training that I am still trying to get a handle on. My periodic back problems which seem to interrupt my training at the most inconvenient times and leg cramps. First the back. I went to physical therapy on Monday. I told the therapist that I just wanted to figure out what to do so that I could keep training without worrying about being periodically "side-lined" by back problems. He gave me a series of exercises for my abdominals and lower back muscles and stretches which target my hip muscles. Hopefully, this will do the trick. We'll see.

My dear friend Miranda, who is training for an Iron Man, left some powder in a bag on my desk at work with a label reading "For Louie". This got more than a few chuckles from my colleagues and a quizzical email or two since I was not in Florida this past week. After the Corporate Run I had discussed my leg cramping with Miranda and she helpfully suggested this training and racing preparation (the powder) that she was trying in preparation for her big race. She offered to let me try some of this "magic powder". So, there you have it - a bag of powder appeared on my desk. Thanks, Miranda!

Now to the fun stuff! Whenever I get to Cincinnati to visit my family, I try to get in a bicycle ride with my brother, Jim. He picks great routes around the city and in the surrounding areas. This time, he mapped out a tour of the best overlooks around Cincinnati. It was, of course, a great "hill" workout. Not sure I was fully ready for it since it's been a while since I have ridden hills. But, I worked it out and managed to handle each hill, although I had to shift into "low low" toward the end of the ride. And my butt was definitely dragging going up that last hill. Our first stop was Eden Park on the east side of town where we also checked out an outdoor art exhibit. Our next stop was Mt. Adams where we got a cup of coffee to break the morning chill and enjoyed a beautiful view of the Ohio River. A harrowing ride down a winding road found us in downtown Cincinnati where we visited the huge display of pansies at fountain square and stopped at "Lytle Park" which is named after William Lytle, a Cincinnatian and a Civil War General who was killed that the battle of Chickamauga. He was also a noted poet of his time whose death was mourned in both the North and the South.

We then crossed the River and rode around Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, looking for a view - which we never found. Our most memorable view of the city was from Devou Park (see the photo), which is also on the Kentucky side, but at the other end of the city. Recrossing the river, we rode up to Mt. Echo on the west side of town for our final view of the Ohio River. After lunch at Findlay Market we rode up to Fairview Park, the final overlook on our tour. All in all, a very enjoyable ride on beautiful day!