Cycling is much more than exercise for Janie Thompson. It's a way to continue to fight ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a neuromuscular disease that has no known cause or cure.

Photos by LEITA COWART/Special

Avid cyclist and Emory Healthcare nurse Janie Thompson organized the annual Muscle Mountain Mania Charity Bike Ride to raise money for ALS research.

In April, Thompson, a cardiovascular ICU nurse at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, and her family organized and rode in the second Muscle Mountain Mania Charity Bike Ride to raise money for ALS research. The disease took the life of her husband, Bob, two years ago.

"Bob had been an avid bike rider and competitor for many years. He was such an athlete. In fact, we met through a biking and running group," she said. "He recognized my distinctive biker's tan - the one you get from wearing a bike jersey, long shorts and white socks."

They married and biked together through Europe and the United States. They were cycling in Brevard, N.C., in the fall of 2003 when Bob realized that something was wrong. Two weeks later, he couldn't walk up the stadium stairs at a Georgia Tech football game.

At Emory University Hospital, the Thompsons were stunned by the diagnosis of ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. By April 2004, Bob was gone.

"Bob stayed cheerful and positive through most of his illness, but he was an overachiever, and it bothered him that he couldn't find a way to fight `the monster,' as he called it," Thompson said.

When Janie told him about her idea for a charity bike ride, he loved the idea. "I got pencil and paper, and we started planning that night."

Photos by LEITA COWART/Special

Thompson and Dr. Jonathan Glass wave as riders in this year's event leave the starting point on a ride in North Georgia. They are wearing jerseys with Bob Thompson's silhouette.

Bob died before the first event, but it definitely had his stamp on it.

"He was frugal, so he wanted to keep the cost low," Thompson said. "He wanted the entry fee to include a bike jersey, because as a runner, he had a closet full of T-shirts, and he absolutely insisted that there be good food at the end. He wanted it to be a good value for those who rode."

The jersey sports a silhouette of Bob Thompson riding a bike. An electrical engineer, he helped keep the telephone systems in order for nearly 30 years at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The couple wanted the money to go to the ALS Center at Emory University, a one-of-a-kind facility in Georgia that cares for patients while conducting groundbreaking research.

"The center helped us with everything from day one - from the clinical symptoms, the emotional impact, nutrition, care and equipment - and Dr. [Jonathan] Glass is one of the best-known researchers for the disease," Thompson said.

"Janie has firsthand knowledge and experience of the horrors of this disease, as well as our efforts to both care for patients and families and to find a cure," said Dr. Jonathan Glass, professor of neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, and director of the ALS Center at Emory. "Giving back is the best `thank you' Janie could give."

By the time Thompson contacted Emory, her family and friends had already organized the event.

"It's very unique to see a family and close friends with such a high level of engagement for a fund-raising event. They saw it as a way of staying connected to Bob and his memory," said Suzanne Baker, director of development for the Department of Neurology at Emory Healthcare. "We were trying to help them manage their expectations, because staging events takes time and a lot of volunteer effort and often brings a low return."

Photos by LEITA COWART/Special

Bicyclists get ready for the start of this year’s Muscle Mountain Mania Charity Bike Ride near Suches.

Thompson expected about 50 riders and hoped to make about $5,000 at the first event. Despite 33-degree temperatures, strong winds and snow, 302 riders showed up to ride the 15-mile Scenic Shorty, the 50-mile Fabulous Fifty and the rugged 62-mile Muscle Mountain Mania loops around Suches.

"The sponsors and bikers all had such a generous spirit, often paying more than the $65 entrance fee. The checks, pledges and in-kind gifts eventually reached $64,600," Thompson said.

"The results were phenomenal, especially when you consider that Janie was holding down a full-time nursing job at the time," Baker said. "This year, many of Bob's friends were back, but so were others with a connection to ALS. One group rode for a friend's mother-in-law. A hospice nurse rode to honor a former patient who had touched her deeply. There are so many stories."

Thompson hopes that the momentum will keep growing.

"We want this ride to be a legacy to Bob, and we want the logo of his silhouette to be instantly identifiable with ALS as time goes on," she said.

Seeing his silhouette on the jersey worn by other riders has been "magical" for Thompson and her family, all of whom ride. "We'll be at some biking event, and suddenly, there's Bob," Thompson said. "It's wonderful how he just shows up and then passes you."

Organizing the race and knowing that Bob would have wanted her to help others has been therapeutic, Thompson said. "There's no way to assuage the sadness and loneliness, but this is hopeful. I feel like I'm doing something productive with grief."

For information on the ride, see www.alsride.org. To contact the ALS Center at Emory University, call 404- 778-3754.