Click on the following link to access pictures of Brick for Women 2009: http://pics.livejournal.com/brickforwome
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We left Little Rock well before dawn working our way back to Malvern. Rode by some beautiful homes and countryside daffodils were blooming and we met the WILD HEARTS motorcycle guys and gals who volunteered to escort us into the city. Along with St. Patrick's Day Parades in Little Rock and the arrival of Joe Biden who was scheduled to speak at our hotel, OUR escort had the BEST fanfare and excitement. Harleys were revving up, horns were honking, and strangers alongside the rode were giving us the thumbs up. All the MUTTS who made it to Little Rock were waiting and cheering wearing their Brick for Women t-shirts. Also, my stepmother, Shirley, was also there.
At the Pasta Dinner, Bart Yasso called me on the stage and honored me for my work for the Brick for Women.
The Cycling Journey is finally over but my marathon starts tomorrow at 8 AM.
Thank you for all of your continued support and donations.
Rick
Kirk and I are making our way to Little Rock but taking it slow! We have been greeted by more dogs wanting to take a taste of Texas and a whole heard of Braham cattle raced alongside us greeting us with an Arkansas hello. The day remained cold with some drizzle in the air.
We were determined to finish no matter what obstacles came our way. Tonight we didn't want to miss dinner with our friends (the MUTTS) so we snuck into Little Rock by car and prepared to head back to Malvern Saturday morning. My Patty changed her travel plans and waited for us in Little Rock.
The dinner at Ciao Baci in Little Rock was great fun with great food. The wine may or may not have helped us.
Rick
Temperatures in the 30’s , blowing rain pressured us to stop at Gander Mountain where we bought waterproof and insulated gloves and layers and we found a bike shop for shoe covers for Kirk. By the time they opened and we bought our stuff, we lost half a day.
Miranda was interviewed by Channel 12 out of Texarkana.
So we reached half way and loaded our bikes on the car to Arkadelphia. In the morning we will drive back to the half way point and start riding again. We may have to do the same thing tomorrow and get into Little Rock Saturday afternoon on the bikes.
Patty will arrive tomorrow…can’t wait to see her!
Thanks again for all of your support..We’re almost there!
Rick
MARSHALL TO TEXARKANA
This is Patty writing today's account of the AMAZING RIDE. Again, before I go any further, I want to say how inspired, encouraged and motivated that I am by Rick’s continued commitment to serving others. The Brick for Women is just one of the many ways he shows his generosity of his time and energy to reach out and serve! He is AMAZING!
Today they met the enemy; cold rain and temperatures in the 30’s! Needless to say the clothing that they were wearing got completely wet. Covered skin became bright red and core body temperatures plummeted. What would anyone do in a situation like this? You got it! Go to the local Wal Mart! Rick and Kirk were able to find the ultimate cycling accessories to keep warm. This included, a pair of fuchsia Playtex living gloves to wear on top of gardening gloves, the 2009 Fall collection of Deer Hunter pants and designer Wal Mart bags to cover their feet. This should make the front cover of the April issue of cycling magazine! Needless to say, Rick and Kirk carried on with their charge and made it to Texarkana by 7:30 PM. 84 MILES!!
Thanks to all of you for your continued donations, emails, phone calls, support and prayers. Rick and Kirk have a challenging day ahead of them but I know they will persevere and remain safe.
Patty
NACOGDOCHES TO MARSHALL
Did you know that there was an East Texas Hill Country? Lots of rollers, beautiful scenery, friendly people, huge, fast 18 wheelers and perfect weather. We are still riding through yellow clouds of pollen but it is worth to ride through this part of Texas. Every town has been very receptive. We were interviewed by the newspapers in Tatum and Marshall. We saw what appeared to be the body of a very large black bear at the side of the road. As we passed it, we could see a snarling snout like a giant ferel hog covered with thick black hair. If we had met him before he became road kill, I am not sure our usual strategy that we use on dogs yelling "GO HOME!" would have done the trick.
Now we are enjoying the wonderful hospitality of the Wisteria Garden Bread and Breakfast. And we are fixin' to consume mass quantities of local cuisine in the town square.
The weather forecast for the next few days is not peachy but we will get there.
The LONGEST day and we made it in style. We greeted more dogs, raced cows, met locals in several mini-metropolises (?), soaked-in more great rural scenery and enjoyed the tailwinds! The highlight of the day had to be the donkey. Yes, and he was very vocal. You know how dogs will run up to the fence, then bark and run along the fence in an effort to "chase" you away? Well, this donkey thought he was a dog and he had a donkey-sized front yard with a long fence to run along, but his loud and repeated HEE-HAWs were cracking us up! We almost turned around to try to film it, but continued on to the finish instead. What a memory he will be.
The hills rolled higher and higher as we got closer to the finish. Apparently, Nacogdoches is at the top of a large, little known mountain range in East Texas, or at least that's how it felt. The local newspaper, the Daily Sentinel, had reporter Matthew waiting on Main Street photographing us and running along the street as we rode in. He followed us for several blocks to the Hardeman House, the B&B that has graciously provided our lodging for the night. There he interviewed the three of us as we relaxed on the front porch with our host, David Hanna, who supplied wine and cheese to go along with the warm breeze and beautiful sunset. I tell you whut, this has really been tough going.
Looking forward to a short 87 miles tomorrow. Hopefully, the headwinds and rains will hold off until Wednesday, but we'll be prepared for the worst and press on.
We'll keep you updated.
Thanks for keeping up with our little project. SPREAD THE WORD!
- Rick, Miranda and Kirk
A very nice Send Off Party was had on Westheimer! My cyclist friends all did great and finished well. We had a wonderful picnic lunch in Cleveland at the old park. There were a few overly social canines that greeted us up close and personal, but we got through the gauntlets. We had some very scenic roadways to enjoy and the Tailwind was "mawvelous". Then, in the Holiday Inn Express parking lot, there was a party in Livingston!
Almost everyone got there this year without getting lost (almost). Patty, Kirk and I are read for tomorrow! Mainly because more tailwinds are forecasted.
Later,
Rick
The MUTTs (marathon unofficial training team) shocked me before our final Saturday run this morning with very generous gifts, including a brick in honor of the Brick for Women that will be placed in Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. Wow.
Tonight we're packing most of my worldly belongings, particularly cycling related stuff, and printing out maps and directions for everyone. It will be quite a ride and my hope and desire is that all make it to Livingston and back safety. Then, of course, I hope Kirk and I make it to Little Rock in one piece. Rain, headwinds and cool weather is predicted for the second half of the trip. Woohoo!
Am I getting butterflies? You bet. I know I'll forget something, too. Part of the excitement is wondering what it will be! We'll just have to wait and see.
I'll post something daily if possible.
Thanks for your interest.
Rick
Looks like there will be well over a dozen cyclists accompanying me on Day One this year. Several of them are returning from last year. That will be a great way "launch" the Brick.
Side note: As a "training" run, a bunch of us did the Surfside Marathon on Valentine's Day. It is run entirely on the very flat Galveston Island beach just out of reach of the waves. What a day! Lots of challenges in that race, including headwinds and downpours, but it was fun and the race director and organizers did a great job. Considering that Galveston Island is still recovering from Hurricane Ike, it went very well. Now, if I just felt as good about my cycling...
Thanks, and keep an eye on our progress!
Rick
Just as a recap: Departure date will be March 8, 2009 from the Women's Home Thrift Store in Houston. There should be another bunch of cyclists going with me on the first day to Livingston, TX. That will be great. From there, my daughter / Co-Founder, Miranda, will follow me in the SAG Wagon heading north toward Little Rock, averaging about 90 miles per day. And, again, I'll run the Little Rock Marathon that weekend (March 15), for a total of 562+ miles.
There is going to be a group of wonderfully supportive and fun friends traveling from Houston to do the marathon, too. We have formed a small, informal training group called the MUTTs (Marathon Unofficial Training Team). My family will be there, too. They are all a little crazy and they help make this fun! It really makes me appreciate the blessings I have in life, and what others are missing in theirs. It is my hope that this can help them in some way.
I hope you will follow along in this Journal. We'll try to post a daily log and, if possible, photos along the way.
For the benefit of women and children in crisis, please don't be afraid to click on that little "DONATE" button on the home page. Any amount is appreciated, big or small. If we beat last year's fund raising, I will seriously consider doing it a 3rd time!
Thank you,
Rick
I have learned that the donations are currently over $4,100! YEAH!!! THANK YOU to those who contributed! I would love to see this continue to grow, and the donation link is still open. IF it hits $5,000, I would be encouraged to do this again next year. No promises, though, at this point. As I've been saying, my butt and I are still not on speaking terms, and we'll need to discuss this before a decision is made.
There will be a Post-BRICK gathering at the BERRY HILL TAMALES at Buffalo Speedway & Westpark, Sunday, March 9, at 6:30. Come and join us! I want to thank all of the supporters and "psycho-lists" who accompanied me on Day 1.
My wonderful daughter has posted some marathon photos in the gallery (http://pics.livejournal.com/brickforwome
Thanks!
Rick
Gay and Deborah came in on Saturday and spent the afternoon with Patty while I was running around, and we all went to the pasta dinner, which was great. Bart Yasso spoke briefly and introduced a slightly elderly NUN who was running the Little Rock Marathon, which would be her 72nd marathon! She looked tough. Oh, by the way, even though none of them prepared for more than a half-marathon, the girls changed their entries to the FULL after seeing the difference in the medals. Maniacs.
MARATHON DAY
Patty, Gay and Deborah all got up extra early to get to the 6:00 a.m. start. They wanted to be near the finish line and run in with me. It worked out great! My goal was to finish just better than the last time I ran Little Rock, which was 4:28, with Huckabee. I was sore the whole way, but not enough to stop me. My fastest mile was Mile 25, which was right after Miranda called to let me know she was at the finish line. The girls and I met about 300 yards from the finish and practically sprinted in. I was very proud of them. The medals are indeed huge and heavy, and we're all glad to have finished the full.
Miranda took some more photos, including the finish, and has posted them, Day 2 through the end. Check out the gallery, using the link on the "DAY 6" post. The actual time was 4:27 finish, despite the picture with shows 4:29, due to the delay at the start, because of so many people.
We're getting ready for the Post-Race Party, catered by a local favorite BBQ place. Can't wait!
THANKS for all your well-wishes, prayers and encouragement. Keep spreading the word to help us reach GOAL! We're not half-way....yet.
- Rick
P.S. I wore my little "hula wrist band" every day on the bike and wore the colorful lei during the marathon. They were "presented" to me at the send-off party in Houston. Wearing them made me feel special.
Miranda and I got up at 4:30 and were pushing hard in the light rain long before sunrise. The slight tailwind and my nervousness about getting to Little Rock by noon resulted in us having 45 minutes to spare. A great couple joined us: Mary and Russell Holt. Mary is the President of the Wild Hearts Motorcycle Club. Her husband, Russell led the way for the last 30 miles. I tell you what! If you want respect on the highways, just put a big guy on a big motorcycle in front and the cars will get out of your way.
Local Channel 4 filmed us getting into town. Then we stopped at the Arkansas State Capitol and met a Channel 11 news reporter. She did a great job and even rode in Miranda's car filming her following me, then filmed me riding through downtown Little Rock while she drove her own car. Then Channel 4 found us at the Expo and interviewed me and the Women & Children First staff. I was most excited to see my friends and family waiting there, including my PATTY. As soon as we got something to eat and I cleaned up, we went straight to the biggest radio station in central Arkansas and talked live from the studio for a little while. They were really helpful. I think Little Rock will make a huge difference in raising funds.
Go to: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?s
Miranda has uploaded new photos to the gallery, so check it out at http://pics.livejournal.com/brickforwome
Tomorrow is all about visiting with family and friends, and resting up for the marathon. Also, Bert at Bike Barn told me to eat everything I could to recover. I LIKE THAT PROGRAM!
Later,
Rick
to see the photos Miranda took since Monday night and uploaded tonight (Thursday, 2/28/08). I think you'll enjoy them.
She will add more later.
Later dudes and dudettes,
Rick
STILL PEACHY after all these miles! Tons o' Thanks to Mike Riley and Team Texarkana Triathlon Club for putting us in a nice hotel room last night. We slept like two hound dogs in a dirt driveway.
Today was a dream ride. Averaged 19.4 mph on wide, smooth Highway 67 and enjoyed a beautiful day. It's AMAZING what a 20 mph tailwind can do to raise the spirits. It must have been from all those positive vibes you folks have been sending north.
Stopped for lunch in Hope, Ark., and said howdy to the hometown of Huckabee and Clinton. Didn't spot either one of them, though. Later stopped in Prescott and realized the elevation was only 308 ft. It sure seems like we've climbed a lot more than that. I think one of the numbers fell off that sign. There have been quite a few friendly and curious locals who have stopped us for an explanation after reading "Brick for Women" on Miranda's car or seeing a cyclist out in the middle of nowhere. We met a wonderful lady today who told us that Hwy. 67 was the best and fastest way to Little Rock and described in detail how to get through Hope and that she knew that town like the back of her hand because she had lived there in the same house since she was born in 1936.
When we pulled up to the Captain Henderson House B&B, on the Henderson University campus, my jaw dropped. We are staying in the suite upstairs in this incredibly beautiful, 130-year old, 9,000 sq. ft. home. Miranda calls it frickenzy awesome. Student "sitters" are at our disposal 24 hours and have already set out fruit and drinks for us in the kitchen. I can't wait to soak out my soreness in the whirlpool tub, with 7 lbs. of epsom salt! That is what Miranda, my massage therapist (and daughter), has prescribed. To bad we have to be gone by 6 a.m. and miss their breakfast. Can you tell I love a big breakfast? Just a tad.
HEADS UP: Miranda is working on building the scrapbook in this Journal. She is organizing the photos she's taken along the way. They're very, very good, if I'm allowed to brag on her a bit. Keep an eye out for these. We'll get them uploaded PDQ.
Looking forward to seeing my Practically Perfect Patty and my step-mom tomorrow when we roll up to the Little Rock Marathon Expo. Might have a motorcade escort, but that's iffy right now. Doesn't matter to me. I'll just do my thang.
Later,
Rick
This is Miranda reporting for my Daddy, =)
Breakfast was GREAT at Wisteria Gardens B&B!!!!!!!!! Waffles, yummy fluffy scrambled eggs w/ cheese, meat, fruit, the works! We highly suggest this place for it's wonderful, kind, refreshing atmosphere.
The weather was much better, no cake, but much more enjoyable than yesterday. Looks even better for tomorrow, southerly gusts 20-30mph.
Today I realized that my Dad is a great man doing a great thing. The birds sang, the dogs welcomed him and even let him rub ones belly, the large cranes flew infront of him, roadkill at his wheels. But really, the reaction from all the people make you realize that it truely is a great thing.
A biker, geared up in his best black leather on his hog, rode by showing his support and respect, revving his engine and pumping his fist in the air. A reaction of one guy, only reading his lips as he read, "Houston, TX to Little Rock, AR" on the window of the car was
"!!! NO WAY!!!"
One man truely CAN make a difference!
A beautiful sunny day, only the smell of sulphur in the air for about 15 miles, and then after dinner when the winds changed. Must have been a paper mill.
Got some great pictures,
one on the State line in Texarkana,
one yesterday at a Feed and Cafe
and he finally went crazy,... in Looneyville, TX
but then he was in Uncertain, TX.... ???? wierd ; )
The main requirement at each rest stop is a tasty Thin Mint girl scout cookie, the only thing besides the cause that keeps him going.
As he ate lunch, there were no clouds, no storms, no tornado, but still there was Toto, coming to greet him. really
Thank you to all those who support my dad!
MJH
The Bike (Belle) is performlng admirably.
Love the old bed and breakfast in downtown Marshall. Great people at the Wisteria Garden B&B who put us up tonight.
Not looking forward to tomorrow's freezing weather but can't wait for a big home cooked breakfast at the B&B.
Thanks again for all your continued support and well wishes. It makes a huge difference.
Rick
Thank you for all your encouraging emails while I was riding on Day 2. Already completed 207 miles.
Had a great surprise in Lukkin. The Local TV station caught us for an interview. Got a chance to watch myself on the 10 o'clock news. The interview ended with a sound bite, " my butt and I are not on speaking terms!"
Stayed at the Fredonia Hotel in Downtown Nacogdoches and had the best pizza in the world!!!
I am a little concerned about Day 3. The weather predicts strong winds, 20-30 mph. Hopefully they will be at my tail!
Thanks again for all your words of encouragement and prayers.
Rick
The opening ceremonies were wonderful. I felt like Barak Obama, getting hugs from ladies in hula skirts and kissing babies. My friends and the staff from the Woman’s Home turned out early in the morning to send us off in style. With a prayer and the group singing the National Anthem, we took off through downtown. No significant mechanical issues. No one got hurt, other than some odd new tan lines. I did have a senior citizen finger vigorously shaken at me.
All I have to say is that it was a blessing to have all those riders riding with me. It made it fun. And every one of us loved our SAG team. The Patty Wagon was always behind us warning traffic. And the Aid Stations were always a welcome sight. The biggest challenge was for the fast guys who kept so far ahead that they had to find their own way several times.
It was an honor to ride with Bruce, Kathleen, Burt, Stacy, Andrew, Andy, Luke, Fred, Laurie, Felix and Loiza. And Cyndy, Janok, Gay, Sylvia and Alan were the Dream Team of SAGs.
At the end of day one I feel surprisingly OK, and things look great for tomorrow. My daughter tells us we are on the front page of the
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