Monday, April 18, 2011
Biker George
George W. Bush is riding hard for America's heroes:
Next week in Texas former President George W. Bush will host a 100 kilometer bike ride with 14 U.S. servicemen and women who were seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dubbed the “Warrior 100K,” the race will take place in Big Bend, TX from April 25-27.
“I’ll be riding across the deserts of Texas with wounded warriors to show the unbelievable character of our men and women in uniform,” President Bush said in a statement. “It’s a 100-kilometer ride in the desert, and it’s not a leisurely ride; it’s a ride to herald people who were dealt a severe blow and said, ‘I’m not going to let it tear me down.’”
And I had forgotten this nice memory from back in the day:
Bush is an avid mountain bike rider who put his Secret Service detail through some grueling workouts during his White House years and rode on his Texas ranch with cycling star Lance Armstrong. The former president took up mountain biking after running proved to be too tough on his knees. Described by some who have ridden with him as “aggressive” and at times “reckless,” Bush had a few biking accidents that left him with scrapes and bruises, including a fall in 2004 during a ride on his Texas ranch and a collision during a 2005 ride in Scotland that sent a Scottish police officer to the hospital.
I'm more road than mountain -- did almost 19 miles this morning before 7:30 -- but I'd love to do more on the trails. George Bush's project sounds like an awesome ride.
8 Comments:
By 
, at
Mon Apr 18, 11:09:00 PM:
By 
Unknown, at
Tue Apr 19, 01:16:00 AM:
yeah george bush is awesome..he was to great man and a president..
Texas Ranches For Sale
By , at
Tue Apr 19, 06:19:00 AM:
He's better than the New Guy. I'd leave it at that.
By , at
Tue Apr 19, 10:29:00 AM:
It's ironic that he dropped running for mountain biking to save his knees. I blew out both knees doing too much (apparently) mountain biking, and can't ride any more. I miss it, I lived in perfect Appalachian biking country and rode a lot. Mr Bush is lucky that he can ride that intensely at his age.
By Dawnfire82, at
Tue Apr 19, 10:47:00 AM:
President Bush was good to his soldiers, and did a lot of things for them (esp. the wounded) that never appeared on front pages. He also respected us, and put confidence in our ability to complete the mission when virtually everyone else wanted to cut and run away in Iraq.
I miss him. And I'm glad I put away the uniform before having to work under His Majesty.
By , at
Tue Apr 19, 01:47:00 PM:
"when virtually everyone else wanted to cut and run away"
I predict one day that will be widely recognized as a truly (and classically) heroic decision.
By , at
Tue Apr 19, 02:13:00 PM:
"I predict one day that will be widely recognized as a truly (and classically) heroic decision."
Agreed, I'll give him that.
How about an assist for John McCain?
McCain also supported Bush on immigration, and paid for it.
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Thu Apr 21, 12:10:00 AM:
It's a small thing, not having much to do with the presidency even in the realm of symbolic connection with the citizenry. Still it is an example of a real accomplishment versus a promised but never delivered one, isn't it?
A moderate, with old-school virtues, though not a conservative.
