Saturday, February 28, 2009

California cyclist peddling to the Moon

James Burns
Merced Sun-Star

Up the gravel driveway and through the garage of this McSwain ranch-style home sits cycling's next shining local star.

Larry Burns is seated at the kitchen table, hands folded in his lap, mileage log in front of him, hot tea warming on the stove.

The Moon Rider.

And to the best of our knowledge, he is the only one of his kind.

For nearly five decades, the former fourth-grade teacher at McSwain Elementary School has been combing the rural grounds outside the Merced city limits.

For the last 30 years, he's been keeping track of his daily travels, jotting his miles down on note pads and calendars.

He projects he'll reach the pie in the sky by the summer of 2011. To do so, he'll have to log at least 1,000 miles a month for the next 2 ½ years.

"He knows how to set goals, that's for sure," his wife, Anise, said. "He likes destinations. Not physical destinations, but goals to go after.

"He gets a goal in mind and wants to achieve it. I think it goes to show that if you find a workout you like, and you really, really enjoy it, you can achieve just about anything."

Read the story HERE.

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