posted on August 20, 2005 10:37:40 PM
Bush tests his mettle in bike ride with Armstrong
Aug 20, 4:27 PM (ET)
By Caren Bohan
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) -
President George W. Bush, an avid mountain biker, got a chance to test his mettle against cycling superstar Lance Armstrong on Saturday.
The seven-time Tour de France champion joined the president for a two-hour, 17-mile trek through the canyons and river-crossings of Bush's 1,600-acre Texas ranch.
Armstrong, a fellow Texan and Bush friend who nonetheless disagrees with the president on the Iraq war, called it a "dream scenario" to cycle with the president.
While many Americans wonder what attracts Bush to the Prairie Chapel ranch, where is he spending the month of August, Armstrong said he thought the biking opportunities were a big draw.
"He rides his mountain bike fanatically," Armstrong said in a recent interview with ABC's This Week. "It might be the mountain bike trails he has there."
Armstrong, 33, called Bush "one competitive dude," but said in the ABC interview he had no doubt he could outpace Bush, even though trails can be challenging for road cyclists unaccustomed to rough, rocky terrain.
"He's a good rider," Bush was said to have remarked about Armstrong after the ride, which featured only one 10-minute break to admire a waterfall on the property.
White House spokesman Trent Duffy said Armstrong was careful to respect "the first rule of biking," a hint that he did not overtake the president.
Duffy said he did not know whether Bush discussed politics with Armstrong, who has spoken out against the war in Iraq. Armstrong has said he believes the money could be better spent on other things, such as fighting cancer.
Armstrong, a cancer survivor who at one time was given a less than 50-50 chance of beating the disease, sits on the president's panel on cancer research and heads a nonprofit cancer foundation.
Armstrong and the Secret Service agents and staff members who rode with Bush were presented T-shirts that said "Tour de Crawford" and "Peloton One" -- a reference to the French word for group -- as well as a pair of riding socks with the presidential seal.
Bush, 59, took up mountain biking after a knee injury forced him to give up jogging a couple of years ago. But he has taken a few well-publicized spills, including one in Scotland last month when he collided with a police officer.
The president was described by his doctors in his annual physical as being in "superior" condition for a man his age.
He takes pride in his six-day-a-week workout regimen and last week he showcased the statistics on his heart rate monitor for a group of reporters who rode with him. The monitor showed he burned 1,493 calories in a two-hour ride, also 17 miles.
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"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on August 20, 2005 10:55:19 PM
I saw this on the news earlier tonight and it reminded me of Armstrongs last race in France. I watched every leg of the race and thought what a beautiful country France is but there's just one little problem with it......................it belongs to the French.
I wonder if the shirts were yellow as this was the color worn by the person with the fastest time in each leg of the Tour De France race.
posted on August 20, 2005 11:02:58 PM
Well...here's a picture, if you look quickly [Drudge changes his front page often each day]...of the President and Armstrong while riding on his ranch.
posted on August 20, 2005 11:30:34 PM
I love swimming in either of our two lakes that my little town sits in between. They're both so clear, when you're treading water you can still see your toes. Absolutely beautiful....and my little piece of heaven.
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There was also mention of their 'race' on the AP, which also speaks of the yellow shirts.
Aug 20, 7:48 PM EDT
Armstrong, Bush Ride 'Tour de Crawford'
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writer
WACO, Texas (AP) -- It's no yellow jersey, but President Bush on Saturday presented Lance Armstrong with another shirt to show off his biking experiences - a red, white and blue T-shirt emblazoned "Tour de Crawford."
The leader of the free world and the world's biking master rode for 17 miles on Bush's ranch for about two hours at midmorning. Bush showed Armstrong the sites of the ranch that he calls "a little slice of heaven," including a stop at a waterfall midway through the ride.
They were accompanied by a small group of staff and Secret Service agents and a film crew from the Discovery Channel, Armstrong's Tour de France sponsor, which had exclusive media access for the ride. Footage was shot for a program on Armstrong to air next week.
Neither Bush nor Armstrong spoke to reporters, although White House spokesman Trent Duffy said the president was impressed with the seven-time champ's skills.
"Recognizing what the world has known for years, the president said, 'He's a good rider,'" Duffy said.
posted on August 20, 2005 11:45:08 PM
There's a lake here where we used to cliff dive by the dam, about a 50 foot drop. I'm too scared to go in head first, besides i might lose my shorts if i did and scare all the fish.....biggest darn worm they ever saw. When going in feet first, you go down so deep in the water that you can feel the lake weeds tickling your feet and it's kinda scarey at first.
Thanks for posting that about the Discovery Channel's program to air next week, i'll look for it.
A red, white and blue t-shirt is more appropriate since the ride occured in the good old USofA.
posted on August 21, 2005 12:07:00 AM
LOL...if that happened here....we have some bluegills that will enjoy 'nibbling' on your worm. That's IF the water moccasins or copperheads don't get it first.
Our lake levels change drastically here....according to how much energy is being used/needed at the time. And we haven't had even half the rain we usually get so their levels are down considerably now.
NO ONE jumps in head-first....or else the odds are you won't be coming back up. We'd had several die because of that...so everyone gets warned not to do so.
We do have lots of cliffs on both of our lakes too...this is the Ozark Mtns after all. And the young, brave one's get their 'thrill's' jumping off them too. But always feet first.
You shouldn't really even jump off a boat ....it depends on where you're anchored, but you never know what's under you. Lots of trees/tree stumps/small islands surface when the water level is down.
posted on August 21, 2005 06:09:09 AM
Did Bush fall off his bicycle again or did he have his training wheels on this time?
Tour de Crawford ---- anywhere out side of his ranch, Bush might have gotten lost and would not have found his way back home.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
---------------------------------- The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'
posted on August 21, 2005 06:34:25 AM
"Actually, i'm a swimmer, leastwise i used to be and i'm thinking about geting back into it."
" I love swimming in either of our two lakes that my little town sits in between."
I gather from this conversation that Piin and Linda are into "water sports"...........................
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Golfer:Stop checking your watch all the time,its too much of a distraction.
Caddy:Its not a watch, its a compass
posted on August 21, 2005 07:56:06 AM
Are you sure you dont wish you were the one pedalling along beside Bush, lindak? Do you think you could 'stay the course'? Do you think you could keep up to 'your guy' Bush??
Or do you dream of doing it tandem with him? Would you be holding on tight singing this song?
Nothing you could say Can tear me away from my guy Nothing you could do 'Cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy
I gave my guy my word of honor To be faithful and I'm gonna You best be believing I won't be deceiving my guy
posted on August 21, 2005 10:50:46 AM
Fenix, i'm a backstroke swimmer but i never swam in competition. I just swam laps but i never liked counting them because it's too easy to lose track, especially after the endorphines kick in and you get your second wind, instead i would swim against the clock. Sometimes when the endorphines kicked in real good i would swim for as much as 2 hours straight without stopping and then i'd be sore as heck the next day.
posted on August 21, 2005 10:55:51 AM
LOL....classic
Yep, you could say I've been into 'water sports'....in the ocean, in lakes, in pools, in rivers, in hot tubs.... LOL and even in the rain....
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kiara - The only person that song that Mary Wells/Supremes sang ever applied to was my husband. Sorry to totally destroy your OWN little fantasy game there.....but your crystal ball remains totally cracked.
posted on August 21, 2005 10:57:32 AM
"""Recognizing what the world has known for years, the president said, 'He's a good rider,'" Duffy said. ""
DUH! Leave it to the pres to come up with that pithy remark..I'm surprised he even knew who Lance was...oh, ya, he DOES have the sports section and comics of the newspaper read to him
""will enjoy 'nibbling' on your worm""
The desperate thing is trying to tell you something
There piface, is that better....she's still after any male on here(or anywhere)...be careful...the black widow spider devours her mate.....
[ edited by mingotree on Aug 21, 2005 11:17 AM ]
posted on August 21, 2005 11:09:47 AM
What does despearte mean?
Water sports are some of my favorite ways to have fun. My Brother and i used to take our jetski's to the lake and do acrabatical stunts on them. Jumping the wakes from speedboats has got to be one of the funnest things i've ever done. Sometimes if i caught the second wake just right it would launch me into the air about 20 feet and out about 60 feet and sometimes i'd have a spectacular wipeout. But it was on the water and not much chance of getting hurt.
I can remember a few times being out on the water doing stunts and looking back at the shore and people were lined up along the beach watching the show.
posted on August 21, 2005 11:19:07 AM
Pi - I started swimming when I was a wee little alss and basically only started competing because the swim teams got the pools two hours before they opened to the public. Back was always my favorite stroke and, you are right, it's easy to get lost in. I think I liked it because I've always hated goggles and it keeps your face out of the water more than any other. Of course now be get to pay the price with bad rotator cuffs.
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An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on August 21, 2005 11:21:38 AM
fenix - I remember you mentioned that you swam in school before. Do you still swim now? We've got a teenager in our family who swims competitively and does very well in her competitions. Sometimes I think she takes it WAY to seriously though....but it's good clean fun.
posted on August 21, 2005 11:21:55 AM
Pi, if I were you I'd also stay out of the Twelvepole River. I hear it's nothing but raw sewage and chemicals and has affected the brains of anyone living near it
posted on August 21, 2005 11:26:55 AM
I agree, jet ski's are GREAT fun. I rode piggypack in Laughlin one summer when my husband and I were up there gambling. Luckily for everyone around us I wasn't navigating the two seater as the river is very narrow. But it was fun. No 'Evil Knievel stunts for us though - too old and too worried about healing broken bones. LOL
posted on August 21, 2005 11:51:59 AM
Fenix, i like the backstroke for the same reasons, i allways hated goggles too and the pool water, with all the chemicals messes with your eyesight. Now i know why sometimes my shoulders hurt, bad rotator cups.
posted on August 21, 2005 12:28:57 PM
Linda - I still swim occasionally - it's a stress reliever for me - Just being in water is enough sometimes then I start feeling like a little kid, doing hanfstands and flips and such and throw in some laps. I can work out issues in my head or just ignore everything and enjoy the sensation of moving thru the water. As for taking things to seriously, that was always the prblem I had with my high school coach. I swam because i loved the water, he wanted me to swim because I loved the competition. I always figured it didn't really matter what the motivation was as long as I won. As long as she still loves swimming, let her go with it. I'll warn you though, you spend a lot of time in your own head when you swim so we tend to be a tad bit wierd
Pi - yeah, the motion that you make for backstroke in not a natural motion to repeat a few thousand times a day, it stretches out rotator cuffs if you do it regularly for a long period of time, it not only messes with you shoulder but you know that wierd "ache" you get inside your elbow that doesn't really hurt but drivess you up a wall? That's a "side effect".
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on August 21, 2005 01:10:25 PM I'll warn you though, you spend a lot of time in your own head when you swim so we tend to be a tad bit wierd
So that's where i get it from, LOL.
When we swim we do tend to spend alot of time in our own thoughts in our heads and sometimes you can get carried away and forget where you are.
So Fenix, tell me has this ever happened to you? Swimming the backstroke you really can't see where you are going and where the end of the lap is so you have to glance over your shoulder every so often or you look for a mark or spot on the cieling that lets you know when you are close. Have you ever been so deep in thought that you bumped your head at the end of the lap, it's happened to me a time or two?
posted on August 21, 2005 01:44:44 PM
Bumped my head, slammed my arm into the side of the pool, tried to do a turn too short and thrown my legs into the edge (have you noticed that the flip turn is now a thing of the past). I was the only person I knew the emerged from swim practice with knots and bruises.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
[ edited by fenix03 on Aug 21, 2005 01:46 PM ]
