Shwulih Gorow died from an inoperable brain tumor at age 45

Felicia Gorow isn’t preparing for a 300-plus-mile bike ride — her father, Mark, is on board with that.

However, Felicia is certainly tuned in to Mark’s training regimen.

“I’ll get a random text that says, ‘I just rode 100 miles,'” she said about her dad’s practice treks leading up to this coming Monday’s start to his five-day journey from Seattle to Spokane in honor of his late wife, Shwulih (pictured), who passed away in 2005 from an inoperable brain tumor. She was 45.

“Just did a training ride, ending up Nike Hill (228th). That hill is a bear!” Mark wrote the Reporter on Tuesday about the Bothell incline. (He rides about 50-100 miles a day, and has participated in the two-day, 200-mile Seattle-to-Portland event the last four years.)

Mark, 52, who lives in Bothell, will stay with Felicia on Night 3 in Moses Lake. His other daughter, Zoe, a Bothell resident, will see Mark off at 8 a.m. Monday in Seattle from the Swedish Hospital Neuroscience Institute on Cherry Hill.

Mark’s ride will raise money and awareness for the 2012 Seattle Brain Cancer Walk and Team Shwulih. He’ll be tweeting and blogging along the way at www.twitter.com/cyclingforawalk and http://cyclingforawalk.wordpress.com/.

The cyclist plans on riding first to Cle Elum, then to Wenatchee, Moses Lake and Ritzville before hitting Spokane on Aug. 31. He’ll stay the night in each town and estimates he’ll ride between 60-65 miles each day on various roads, trails and even on Interstate 90 for a while.

“I’m so proud of him. For him to able to do this as his own healing process is really commendable. I do think he’s ready,” said Felicia, who noted that Mark will drive back to Seattle after finishing his journey.

Added Mark: “Six years ago, I started riding as a way to cope with the loss of my wife. For me, it was challenging myself to do something like this to keep me going.”

Shwulih, who was born in Taichung, Taiwan, met Mark at the University of Washington in 1984 and they were married three years later.

Mark, who works in King County Metro’s Web department, hopes to raise about $1,500 for the Brain Cancer Walk, which he and his team participated in last year in Shwulih’s honor. Additionally, they folded 17,000 origami paper cranes to place in the Tent of Honor.

The team’s original goal was 1,000 cranes (a Japanese custom to bring good luck, but also to bring peace and to honor people), and Mark added: “I’m always trying to outdo myself.”

Next up: the open road for Mark and his bike.