Way to go, George!

My first thought upon reading this article was, “Does he really want to be in the Guinness Book that badly?” I’m encouraged to see that George Hood of Aurora, Illinois, who apparently broke the world record for riding a stationery bike on Saturday, used the feat to raise money for an organization that helps families of slain police officers. That’s a wonderful and worthy cause for anyone to ride a bike for 85 hours. Even better, he may have given the biggest donation in the organization’s history:

Hood hoped the feat would help raise thousands of dollars for the Illinois chapter of COPS, an organization that helps the families of slain police officers. Illinois COPS president Jennifer Morales has said Hood could be the largest single fundraiser the local group has had. Baron said Hood raised $25,000 for the group – $5,000 more than his goal.

Congratulations to Mr. Hood on achieving his goals, physical and philanthropic.

I wonder why people are so compelled to earn world records. I understand the desire for excellence when it comes to athletic or artistic achievements because those pastimes are widely followed and performed by a large population of people. In other words, holding a world record in track is significant because millions of people around the world run on a regular basis. Holding such a world record means that very likely no one, or at the least a very small number of people, can surpass your effort at that activity. That is an accomplishment to savor, no doubt.

I have no interest in diminishing Hood’s achievement because it is remarkable, but it’s important to note that he did not technically ride for 85 consecutive hours. For those of you wondering how he went to the bathroom, here’s your answer: “Hood took a few brief power naps along the way. Guinness Book rules allow a five-minute break for every completed hour of cycling.”

Nonetheless, I could not match Hood’s achievement without a serious period of conditioning training, and I have zero desire to try. Nicely done, George! [Image: AP via CNN.com]