No Yolk, George Is At It Again

Back in April I wrote about a local sports trainer and ex marine who was attempting the Guinness World Record in endurance spin cycling, George Hood. Hood fell short of his goal then, but he is a supreme example in two things: One, never giving up on your goals, and two, not caring if people think you're a little crazy.
This morning at 6 a.m. Hood was back in the saddle. This time attempting to complete a 60 hour training ride to raise money for a fallen soldier's family. He's really doing two things at once here, raising money while practicing for his next world record attempt at the end of October.
I popped in to see George this morning, to be greeted by the same mix of wonderment and insanity. Last time his attempt was in a huge empty store. This time he's peddling away for all he is worth at the back of one of my favorite local breakfast restaurants, the Eggsperience Cafe, Naperville.
Imagine the scene. The restaurant is busy with customers all chatting away enjoying their food. In the back corner, just in front of the toilets, there's a 52-year-old man peddling away on a spin cycle. It has to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. No one was even looking at him.
Hood, who is nearly as shameless a publicity seeker as I am, was thrilled to see I'd managed to get a piece about his latest ride in today's Naperville Sun. (See photo)
He told me he had learned a lot from his previous failure. There was just too much going on around him at the time and he couldn't stay focused. It was a bit of a three ring circus, so this time things are certainly quieter especially once the breakfast rush is over.
All being well, Hood will be pedaling away until Friday evening when the ride will be marked with a fundraiser reception at the cafe. I really can't work out the pull that draws me to this strange man. While I was there his support was a single woman who had met him on his previous crusade. She couldn't have been more caring than if she was a nursing him through his final hours.
I'd recommend anyone in the area pops in to say "hi" over the next couple of days and cheer him on. If nothing else, you can be assured of a good meal.