Houstonian to Blog His Way Across America by Bicycle

On June 5th, Robert Rowley, 54 year old resident of the Post Oak / Galleria neighborhood in Houston Texas, will leave for San Francisco, California where he will join a group of about 40 bicyclists on a 3,000 mile, coast-to-coast bike ride across America led by the tour company America By Bicycle, Inc. This will be the climax of a very grueling journey for Robert which began with personal tragedy last year.

Rowley explains: "I've been training for the bicycle ride across America since February 15 this year. In the past 15 weeks I've cycled 3,095 miles - 206 to 300 miles a week."

That includes the 180 miles that he rode in the 2010 MS150 from Houston to Austin in April, which, while being the largest event of its kind in Northern America seems only a fleeting highlight along the way to Robert's 3,000 mile trip across the country. But this challenge is about much more than miles for him.

"My out door interest are wide. They have taken me on excursions in attempting to climb Mount Everest to sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to jumping out of helicopters and skiing down mountains. A friend influenced me to cycle across America. He saw that I needed a goal last year when I was rehabilitating my right knee from a skiing accident. I signed up for the trip the very same day. The ride is significant to me since my dad has played a significant role in my life up till when he died last May. We've shared a lot of endeavors together. His spirit speaks to me now when I'm done in, ready to throw in the towel."

Robert peddles on, even in the face of friends and neighbors who have tried to discourage him and the elements of summer.

"My psyche is vulnerable. My mental attitude can be sabatoged easily so I have to keep strenthening it by trusting myself more and more. Physically, the 4 H's, headwind, humidity, hills and heat continue to eat away at me every day when I cycle around Houston and the surrounding countryside."

You can follow Robert's adventure as he chronicles his trek across America by bicycle with a brand new laptop and digital camera on his new Wordpress blog at:

http://www.dusky01.wordpress.com

Robert Rowley is an investor by trade who enjoys acting and is a member of the "Professionally Speaking Singles Toastmasters" (PSST) club of Houston where he is known to give very colorful and humorous speeches.

by Laban Johnson of HoustonNewMedia.org