I am in Chicago staying at my Aunt Ruth’s on the way to the 2010 National Kidney Foundation Transplant Games in Madison Wisconsin that start this weekend.

I was really busy tying up loose ends before I left and doing conditioning work ergo no posting.

One of my events will be a 20k (12 mile) bike race. I have done several 10 mile practice runs so I feel confident I will be able to do the 12 miles though a collapse may follow it. The first time I managed 10 miles the next day I spent the whole day languishing on a couch unable to perform even clerical tasks, but earlier this week I did 10 miles on back to back days and still was able to do some packing on the second day so I have improved quite a bit.

I am counting on race day adrenalin to push me the extra 2 miles and am allowing for a large chunk of time for recovery.

This is a long ways from when I bicycled 2000 miles (3300 k) from Grand Forks, North Dakota to Daytona Beach, Florida. Then I would  cover 15 miles in an hour, take a short break , then do it again many times a day, then get up and do it all over again the next day, day after day. 

Just see the effects of old age and disease. :-)

I also signed up for a 5k which is Saturday, the 20k bike race is Sunday, then Monday an 800 meter run (1/2 mile) and softball throw.

Yesterday Tulasi and I went to a nearby park, him on a borrowed bike, with two of my aunt’s gandsons, ages 11 and 12. We did an estimated 9 miles but broken up into two chunks with a rest in between.

During the rest, I got a tutorial on how to throw a softball. Even though I  played baseball as a youth and could make a reasonable attempt at throwing, I got some good pointers from these currently active ball players and added 15 meters to my throw by the end of the session.

Today we are going to watch the boys play a water polo game then hit the road to Madison so I can get registered. My aunt  is also going to come to Madison and do the 5K. My sister Laura is coming down from North Dakota and doing the 5K as well and they are both staying on for a couple of days so we will get a chance for a nice visit.

Tulasi brought his laptop so hopefully I will get some internet access in Madison and be able to do some posting from there.