[Brad Radice] It's time now for our Bulldog Conversation Brad Radice back with you
and I'm joined by Brian Toone a computer science professor right here at Samford
University, Brian thank you so much for joining us. [Brian] Thank you.
[Brad] Well deciphering code in computer science is tough enough but tell us
about a bicycle ride you just did and I say ride it was 10 days and 3,000 miles.
[Brian] Yes so this summer I did the race across America and it is a 3,000 mile bike race
it goes from California to Maryland across the country and when they say go
there's no you go there's no individual stages or anything like that you decide
how much you're gonna ride each day so I averaged just over 300 miles a day and
so that's about 20 about 20 hours of riding each day and then you know with
eating and then just a tiny little bit of sleep to about about 2 hours 2 to 3
hours of sleep per day you are exhausted by the end of this race for sure.
[Brad] And outside of a passion for cycling to take on an endeavor like this it's also for
a good cause you raised a lot of money for a special special cause near and
dear to your heart. [Brian] Yes yes so we were raising money for Hope for Gabe which is
a charity based here in central Alabama and they are raising awareness about
Duchene muscular dystrophy it's a genetic disease that affects primarily
young boys and it affects their their ability to continue to grow at a normal
rate and so muscles over time do not rebuild themselves which we found
throughout this race you know the number of parallels between exercise and sports
and then and then the struggle that boys with Duchene face we found that over and
over again but with Duchenne it gets progressively worse as boys age and it
affects all the muscles eventually including the heart and so
it is a fatal disease boys typically don't live past their early 20s and so
young boy here in Birmingham the Birmingham area has this disease and so
we partnered with them to really raise awareness and make connections across
the country with different research institutions and as well as as political
connections to try and hopefully find a cure for this disease
[Brad] Absolutely well it was a ride worth doing and I know you've done it before
and I just have to ask because I know you trained I know you practice for it I
mean what is tougher is it the physical aspect of the ride which I'm sure is
difficult but boy mentally it's got to be tough too. [Brian] It's definitely the mental
side is the tough side the the problem is is when you are so sleep-deprived and
you know just so far into the race it's actually hard to remember that you're
supposed to be going fast and so you just get slower and slower and it's
interesting because give a good example in eastern Ohio we were riding through
this cornfield and all of a sudden I decided I was gonna go fast again and I
went fast for the next ten miles and there was not tired I was just having
great time you know just just flying through the these cornfields you know
this section of Ohio and it wasn't because I had eaten something it was
just because I had gotten so out of it mentally and it was just you know and it
it was great actually during that section I talked to the parents of
another boy who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and and and I think that was
part of that motivation but but it was so it was it was really exciting to to
connect with him out on the course and it just just kind of shows you that that
you know it's not it's not all the physical it's that mental side how can
you push yourself to go harder. [Brad] You finished I imagine that moment is
just just explained just take us through it when you finally get done and you
don't have to ride anymore yeah yes yes that is a great moment especially how
this year's race ended it was very difficult and with a headwind and more
heat there's a very hot day as I was finishing up riding into a very strong
headwind and so by the end I was just so sleepy so exhausted I was ready to be
done with the bike but those are very excited because we had met all of our goals,
we had met our fundraising goal we had met our my personal time goal and I was
the first American to finish which I was really excited about that
third overall in my category and so yeah you know we were the mixture of relief
to be done and then just happiness excitement joy at having met all these
goals. [Brad] Well Brian it's an amazing story congratulations and thank you so much
for joining us. [Brian] Thank you. [Brad] You've been listening to the Bulldog Conversation.