Sea to...Denver with Laura

Its not over 'til its over: lasting lines.

2008-08-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

The promised Tan Line Portfolio.

I find that blogging about a bike trip comes much easier when I am actually on the bike trip. Not only was this a little “more than a bike trip,” but I believe it is always healthy to reflect.

Not only was I (and everyone who supported me) part of an event that successfully raised awareness, action, and funds for poverty related issues, but also the lives of everyone involved will be and have been changed. (We can pray that it is long-lasting and positive). Last I heard, we had already surpassed our goal of $1.5 million and were at $1.85 million.

These days I get strange waves of emotion (jealousy, sadness, camaraderie) whenever I see touring bicyclists on the highway. Exercise less than 4 hours in duration seems like nothing. An hour for a bike ride is barely worth putting on my chamois. I judge roads in terms of their “bikeability.” Busy roads don’t faze me. (Nothing can be worse than I-80). I miss waking up outside.

Most of these habits and standards will fade in the coming months, but I hope (and fully expect) that my habit of using trusty “Rosie” as a major form of transportation will continue--as I hope that the 221 bicycles used on the tour continue to get heavy use in daily life. And I hope that this trend spreads (as it has been already, we can’t really claim the idea) outside the Sea to Sea Bike Tour 2008.

And what am I doing now? As the rest of the tour faithfully pedaled east out of Denver, I spent some time with my great “Rooney” friends in Denver. Then I was able to meet up with my family for a few days of hiking in Ouray, CO. When we parted ways, I explored around Crested Butte and the Maroon Bells Wilderness on my own…in the rain. I was abruptly reminded the difference between tenting in a tent city of friends and backpacking alone in bear country. And now I am residing in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I am looking for housing and waiting for classes to begin. I will be working on an M.S. degree in nutrition. Its funny (but probably not surprising) how hundreds of miles on the road can shake one’s perfectly laid out plans. So far I have executed mine as planned, but not without much thought and wrestling. And I haven’t actually made it to class yet! The fact that 3 of my friends who planned on leaving the tour in Denver, are back on the road might tell you something.

I can’t thank you enough for your support. We are part of something great.

The Denver Part

2008-07-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Van Dyks (I'm not sure I spelled that correctly)
The ultimate Dutch bingo
Audrey.
The top of Berthoud Pass with Brian.

The tail end of Rabbit Ears descent.

"Sea to Denver with Laura" has arrived in Denver. What a swirl of emotion. Many people have suggested it being bittersweet, but at the moment, it is all bitter, I have to admit. As we rolled into Denver Christian on Saturday, those poor cheerleaders must have been confused to why I was in tears. Maybe they didn't notice, there was so much going on--music (a mix including Garth Brooks and Black Eyed Peas), goodie bags, cheerleaders, haircuts, mail, and lots of family and friend visitors.
The ride on Saturday was in my top 2 ever. We left Snow Mountain Ranch in longsleeve, full-finger glove, and legging weather and soon started the climb up Berthoud Pass, which was one of the most picturesque and least physically demanding climbs. Or maybe we are just in excellent shape now. I had my 6th flat tire on the way up. I squeezed my 7th flat in on the way home from church on Sunday, just hours before my departure.
The way down was filled with hoops and hollers as Hans, Matt, Sarah, Brian, and I all hit our record speeds (at least I'm pretty sure of this fact). Mine was 50.2mph. How can you not yell about that? We were passing cars.
We rode through several cutesy towns, the Red Rocks Amphitheater, and many courtesy refreshment stops supplied by friends and churches.
I met several supporters on the route who enthusiastically waved the "Shifting Gears" devotional or a Sea to Sea bracelet saying, "I've been following you guys! See my bracelet?" A random family reunion crowd described themselves as only "flatland riders" and promised to donate online. I realized that I was a flatlander not long ago--before I fell in love with mountain passes. About a year ago, I remember driving up Berthoud Pass and seeing 2 bicyclists riding up. I thought, "Why would anyone ever want to do that?" Its funny how things change.
As sad as leaving the tour is for me, which was planned, we have to remember Tyler and Arnie, who were forced to leave unexpectedly. Arnie had surgery on his ruptured achilles last Friday, and Tyler broke his collar bone in a crash on Saturday. He is on his way home. Please keep them in your prayers.

No comment.

Colorado

2008-07-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Joan
Rabbit Ears Pass...Continental Divide!
Plenty of time to take pictures at 6.7 mph.
Lesson learned: Don't forget to take our biking gloves before you put your laundry in the dryer.
Kremmling
Thank you Cory, keeper of the portable outhouse.

Words of yesterday:

96 miles into Kremmling, Colorado today. For me, today was by far the best day yet in all respects. It all started with a giant bowl of cereal, as usual, but today I mixed 4 kinds instead of my standard 3. And someone had moved my bike out of range of the sprinkler last night—very thoughtful. And I smuggled my ipod to listen to as I crawled up 4000 feet of Rabbit Ears Pass. Our terrain was green, opposed to the usual sagebrush. We passed aspens, rivers, and lots of mountains. We passed “chimney rock,” which did not look like a chimney at all. I drank two cups of “Muddy Lake Pass” coffee in Steamboat Springs. My legs felt as strong today as they felt dead yesterday—much like a motor. I had a great mix of solo riding and group riding. I had great company on the ride. The pine trees were very aromatic. Julie added tortilla chips to her water stop refreshments at the false summit (they really hit the spot on hot days). Aaron Carpenter’s parents had popsicles waiting at the top of the pass. We had lots of smooth road to ride. Wildflowers abounded at every bathroom stop (“Girls don’t go in the wild..” is an untrue statement I heard today). “Key Largo, Montigo, baby why don’t we go down to Kokimo?” was in our singing repertoire as well as U2’s “Beautiful Day.” Real, snowcapped mountains are in view as I write. The high school we are staying at has a mustang painted on the center floor of the gym with purple and gray swirls in the background—very mystical. It rained. Our tents are on “shag carpet grass.” My choice of raspberry sherbet on cookies and cream ice cream was the best I made all day.

“I love right now.”

Today we had an easy 35 miles to Snow Mountain Ranch. None other than Nancy Meyer, my Calvin XC coach met me on the roadside today. That was a nice surprise. I caught my first glimpse of the Tour de France in a coffee shop. I have a new appreciation for the sport these days.

Audrey, a young woman from Quebec has been riding with us the last 2 days. She is touring the country, carrying much more gear than we are.

This is a quickie because I must make the most of my little time left with these wonderful people.

In the land of the Dinosaurs and lacking emission standards

2008-07-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Perfecting the over-the-shoulder shot
Bittersweet to be in my last state
A very candid high five with Nick in front of the summit elevation sign w

We are in “Colorful Colorado,” land of Dinosaur. Yesterday we enjoyed 90 miles of changing landscapes starting in a nice green canyon, climbing up an 8% grade into mountain meadows and beetle-ridden forests (reminding me a lot of field work last summer), and then descending into the generic Utah red rocks dotted with sagebrush.

Today was a tough day of 92 miles--the theme of the week. From this ride’s experience, this section of Utah is not a bicycle-friendly place. We rode on highway 40 all day, which had a rumble strip perfectly centered on the shoulder, leaving about 8 inches on either side to navigate. I can say we did not fall asleep. We had the choice of battling traffic on the one side or debris on the other. And the traffic was not friendly. There was a large ratio of pick up trucks on the road and a large ratio of these trucks emitted hideous black exhaust as they honked, yelled, and revved their engines as they passed.

On the upside, our route was scattered with weathered, off-colored dinosaur statues of various sizes. The best was the town of Vernal’s famous pink dinosaur with long eye lashes.

The last 10k (I must be surrounded by Canadians), I was the closest I have ever been to bonking on a bike. I’m blaming my exhaustion for allowing myself to spend $4.80 on a frozen coffee drink as soon as I got to town.

I am falling in love with early morning cycling. If only I could learn to go to bed on time.

We’re losing so much salt, my sweet tooth is pretty much gone these days—by the end of the day, I’m covered in salt, and the best treat is dutch licorice (thank you Krabbe’s and Walter), jerky, or salted nuts.

Its bittersweet to be in my last state of the tour. I didn't realize it would be such a big deal to leave early. What a great community I will be leaving.

We're in the mountains now

2008-07-20T14:45:00.001-07:00

A view from our pavilion of our tents.

I made history with my first century ride yesterday thanks to a “short cut” and a mini-tour of the University of Utah. The ride was amazing. The mental energy that went into that ride was powerful. Camp the evening before and morning of was so tense! I’m glad I left at 6am just to break free from the looming cloud of intensity. Another plus was getting in 60 miles before the heat. It was great to ride with Hans yesterday—we are (seemingly) miraculously similar in our riding pace, which is something I am always thankful for.

Local churches provided 2 rest stops on the way, with the best service so far—girls were eagerly serving me special-order drinks and energy bars from my chair. It was great to start making some connections in my new home of Salt Lake City as well. I already have hopes of a rock climbing buddy.

Our first pass up Emmigrant Canyon was beautifully winding, our second was tediously straight up a highway. But it does feel good to pass overheating trucks on a bicycle. Momentarily, I struggled with the moral dilemma of stopping to help with my limited resources, but realized any one in need had plenty of time to ask while I inched past at 7.3 mph.

The two most emotional times of the day were arriving into camp and realizing we were staying in a “walk-in” campsite requiring a ½ mile walk to our tent sites. There were far more tears shed over the camping situation than over the biking.

And a storm is here....we’re in the mountains.

2008-07-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

A brilliantly designed shower.
The bustling downtown of Snowville.
Horizontal pace line?
The tandem: Rita and Bill Wybenga.
A touching moment.

We continue on.
We pedaled 86 miles yesterday to the smallest town of the tour—Snowville, Utah. Today we passed through Brigham City and are camped at a State Park on a warm, murky fresh water lake adjacent to the Great Salt Lake. Swimming is good, tent sites are lumpy. We swam to an island that was farther away than it looked (as always). On the other side of our camp is the beginning of the Wasatch Mountain range—foreshadowing tomorrow’s climb.

Yesterday in a café, some of us heard the story of a farmer, who considers himself impoverished because of increasing gas prices and decreasing potato prices. I doubt our listening ears were enough to satisfy him.

Yesterday we also were able to enjoy a homemade tarp shower--quite the bonding experience. Ingredients: tarp, webbing, softball backstop, and a hose.

Beautiful full moon last night.

Also, yesterday was a difficult day for morale. It was a hot and long day with a steady headwind and no scenery except for farms and sagebrush. There were several grueling uphill climbs that looked so innocently gradual. I kept checking to make sure my brakes weren’t rubbing or my tires weren’t flat--how could I be crawling so slowly? The outhouse fell off the van and landed in the middle of the highway, and the kitchen truck door opened on the road.

Also, there were a few injuries, including Arnie, who partially tore his achilles tendon. Please pray for him as he goes home soon to see if he needs surgery.

Thankfully, today’s ride was very smooth as far as I know—through farms, salty “marshes,” and lots of roadside fruit stands. No “R-rated” movies in the theaters.

Pray for us tomorrow—95 miles ending with a climb into the mountains. It will be a long day for everyone.

A Taste of Camp

2008-07-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Kitchen
Jim.

Internet!

ziplocs and purel, very common things

So a couple of days ago I was telling someone who I had rode with that day. They replied, "Oh, so you are a part of Team Sweet now?" Little did I know that there was such thing as Team Sweet and that I was "intruding." Fortunately, Team Sweet is very inclusive and malleable. I rode with a core of them again today, and had to rename the team for about 20 miles to Team Squeak due to my pesky derailleur (sp?).
Today was long. We made it into a 90 mile day with a waterfall detour.
Highlights: base jumper sighting, dairy tour, Twin Falls RCA lunch, crop duster, and a Moose Drool.

Southern Idaho is not like Northern Idaho

2008-07-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

This one is for Uncle Rick--Trucking Christian Ministries
Our campfire last night.
All Talk. Me, Hans, Pastor Len, Sara, Matt

Having fun on trusty "Old Highway 30"
Checking off another state line.

Monday's entry:

As of this weekend, I’ve reached the half way point of my trip in days, but not miles quite yet (not elevation either). We enjoyed a great tailwind for our 55 miles into Mountain Home, Idaho today. I have yet to see a mountain home, or a mountain for that matter.

We had a restful weekend in Boise. It was nice to be in a good size city again, for exploration’s sake. With a group our size, we take over the roads as we commute to swimming holes, coffee shops, laundry mats, church, bike shops, etc. etc. I hope we continue with transportation method when we return home.

We stopped at a truck stop off the highway for coffee--"food and fuel," said the sign. We arrogantly boasted that food and fuel are redundant in our case.

On Saturday, some of us helped out at the Boise Bicycle Project, which is a young program that fixes up donated bikes to distribute to the homeless and low-income families—a really awesome concept. The building consisted of 3 rooms lined with bikes and 2 piled with bikes. It was a great lesson in bicycle history. We spent our time stripping bikes to the bare bones for future re-assembly.

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The real today:

62 miles on bumpy road to Gooding, Idaho. Old Highway 30 in this section is so lightly used, it is covered in gravel for much of the way--resulting in rough cycling. But we can also ride "neighborhood bike gang" style, which can be a nice break.

This was an incredibly uneventful day for me, except for my first flat tire of the trip. It breaks my heart to think of my perfect streak shattered...well, maybe that's an exaggeration.

I rode with Jess Fox today--great company. The variety of riding combos is great--solo for ultimate freedom (but high probability of loneliness), duo for good conversation and simplicity, pace line for good cruising, gang-style for a good party on the road. No two days are alike.

I appreciate everyone's encouragement and prayers.

Oregon Peaches

2008-07-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

A warm welcome by Huntington.
Agatha at work in her roadside beauty parlor.
Adventures of Sweep Team J.
Watermelon thanks to our great sag driver, Walter.
Jenna, Peter, John

Tents are photogenic.

Internet access has been difficult to obtain these last few days. I apologize for the delay in updates.

Yesterday my “sweep team” was on duty, meaning we were responsible for loading and unloading the gear truck, helping with dinner and breakfast, and making sure everyone made it to camp. It turns out to be a fun time, since we are “forced” to go slow and take our time on the ride. For Sweep Team J, this meant spending two hours in a coffee shop before we even left town at 11:00 (which was preceded by applause from various coffee shop patrons—for well wishes I hope, not because they were happy to see us go).

Last night was extremely windy in the small, small town of Huntington, the home of catfish fishing (where you can also still buy penny candy). I took a lot of flack for saying in my zeal, “Penny candy--I’ll buy a few!”

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I wrote this post on Wednesday night:

“Today it is difficult to report on the coffee shops we stopped at, the sights we saw, and the hills we climbed. It is all feeling quite redundant (I may even go as far as to say silly). I’m having a great time for sure, but finding it difficult to deal with the trip’s relevance with the big picture of poverty. At the moment all I’m clinging on to is the fact that we have raised 1.55 million so far. Does that mean the biking is working?

We had a great time of “Wednesday Worship,” led by Hans Doef. Tonight we read through the book of Ruth aloud.”

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It seems as though God directly answered my recent questioning with an encouraging encounter in the grocery store today. I went inside to buy a couple of peaches while Johnny sat outside to watch the bikes. As usual, I struck up a conversation about biking with the produce manager, Jerry (okay, it’s not always the produce manager, but someone who is wondering about my spandex and clanky shoes). He turned out to be extremely passionate about issues involving orphans, widows, and the poor here in Ontario. Not only was I inspired by his passion, but he was encouraged by our mission on the bike trip. He compared us to Ezekiel who lay on his side and fasted prayerfully for 300 and some days for a city in despair (I need to research Ezekiel more fully). He saw us as people who set aside time to pray for those people in need and people like him who have dedicated their lives to helping the afflicted. And he was touched by it.

In this way, Jerry opened my eyes and encouraged me about the mission of this bike trip.

“Will you pray for us?” Jerry asked me. I said that sure I would pray for him while I was biking.

“No, pray now,” he said.

“Oh, okay.”

So we held hands right amidst the peaches and prayed. Jerry wouldn’t let me go until he introduced me to close friends and co-workers of his who were all active in his church.

By the time I got back out to Johnny, he was wondering how in the world I could take so long to pick out 2 peaches. Before we saw the pits of our peaches, we were approached by the owner of the grocery store, Jerry, and a few other workers, who insisted on praying for us and then gave us a dollar bill…a dollar bill wrapped around a 100 dollar bill.

“This never happens to me,” says Johnny.

Me neither.

Its so hard to put this in words, but I hope others are as encouraged by this as I am.

A (tent) City on a Hill: Pendleton, OR

2008-07-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Entering the wheat fields.
Agatha and I. State #2.
Lake Walluha.
Computer time at the yellow school on a hill.

Blurriness.
Our progress so far.
Rest stop.
Rest stop.

We made it to Oregon!

After a great Sabbath in Kennewick at a riverside park, we clicked off 69 miles of rolling hills today. I started with a large relaxed group in the morning, and then split off in the afternoon to catch a few guys at a quicker (but not as steady) pace. Highlights for the day…. We spent several miles along Wallaluh Lake in sagebrush and then headed off into the wheat fields, very hilly wheat fields. Onions littered the road over-filled trucks and we smelled regular wafts of mint from trucks flying past. A grain elevator provided a nice shady break, and its farmer shared his metallic water and offered, “There’s an outhouse over yonder. You might need this,” as he tossed me a roll of toilet paper. That’s true hospitality right there.

I can't forget to mention my first chocolate extreme blizzard of the trip!

To the Sunnyside

2008-07-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Early morning hops.

Agatha and Florene team up.

Me, Julie, Florene, Agatha, all very small.

Yet another easy day of 39 miles to Sunnyside, WA.

We welcomed a gentle rain this morning as we packed and started off through grape and hops vineyards (do hops grow in vineyards?). It was the first day back on the bike for one of my small group members, Agatha, since she fell and endured a slight concussion on day 1. At 77, she is proud to be the oldest rider on the Western section of the tour. In celebration of her return, our small group rode the entire day together with Agatha in the lead (she says she likes to lead because it makes her feel free). What a blast we had!

The grand total of flat tires today was 22. Our little group had 2. We blame them on an excessive amount of glass and goat heads. We have been enjoying the support of local CRC churches in the form of a refreshment stop in Zillah and dinner in Sunnyside followed by rootbeer floats and fireworks. Going this rate, we’ll all gain 10 pounds before the tour is over.

Yakima, as in the bike rack?

2008-07-03T21:48:00.001-07:00

Tent city.
Yakima River. Alida and Jess.
Yakima River all day long. View into Selah, WA.
More of the same.

It is so hot in Washington many of us swam in a fishing pond today. After riding beside the Yakima River all day, I was looking forward to an afternoon swim, but the water was threateningly high and the current fast. The fishing pond felt good.

Last night I was woken up first by wind, thunder, and lightening. Then by the sprinkler system going off. It was a good test for our tents.

The ride today was quite easy—42 moderate miles. Most of us took our time. Alida, Jess, and I made several stops, including a “Heritage Marker” aka big rock cemented to a brick post and a coffee bar aka coffee shop/living room/convenience store/corny sign storage.

We have several opportunities along the way to serve in local communities. Tonight 11 of us served dinner at a homeless shelter. We were grossly over-staffed due to our over-zealous crowding of the sign-up sheet, so my only task of the night was to wipe of a table. But overall we were useful. It is a bit ("a bit" is a phrase I think I picked up from the Canadians) tough to do the "one night stand" service projects.

Not long after I made an off-hand comment something like, "We'll show them," refering to US patriotism for the 4th of July compared to the Canadians zeal for their July 1st celebration (which included lots of red and white, and frequent national anthem singing), we were informed that a group of Canadians bought 150 American flags for us all to sport tomorrow as an act of unification of our group. Does this prove that I am a jerk? This is really a great group of people.

Leavensworth to Ellensburg, WA

2008-07-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Washington.
Ryan and I after our second long climb of the day. He pulled me up.
Stuff.
Our bikes locked to the Honey Bucket outhouse.
Blewett Pass.

Its hot! Temps are over 100 degrees. Today was another tough day of climbs, but 20 miles shorter, which was a nice break. I participated in my first "pace line," which was amazing. Its a great feeling to be hauling around 24 mph and needing to barely pedal. My eyes have been opened to the power of the draft.
Today I caught myself thinking, "Only a mile from the top," and quickly realized that I don't think there is any hill in Michigan that is a mile long. So I guess we are acclimating to the terrain well. There are a lot of tough people in this group of cyclists.
This life is good. We're settling into the routine of camp life, and cycling (I'm learning not to call it biking), and talking with strangers along the way. We are quite a spectacle-- 141 riders spread thin along the highway in our bright yellow safety vests, all shapes and sizes and speeds. We stop to talk with onlookers whenever we can, handing them our Sea to Sea "business card." It feels sort of like handing out a tract, which I'm not a big fan of, but it just has info about our ride.

I think we all have learned to pack bigger lunches. Not to put anything in our jersey pockets that we don't want soaked with sweat. And that Canadians are very patriotic.

The supper horn is honking.

Thank you all for your prayers.

Two days

2008-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday Sunday. My good friends Moni and Dan (Seattlites) brought me fresh bakes strawberry rhubarb pie (candle and hat included).

Our first truck packing on Monday morning.
Sideways picture of the inside of the gear truck. 2 laundry baskets each.
View of the pass we just biked. Enjoying the downhill.
Tire dipping in the Pacific.
Sea of Sea to Sea-ers.

Two days down. First day was relaxed. Second was not. Today we did 80 miles, including Stevens Pass-a 4000 ft climb. Overall success. Tired legs.

Meets and Greets

2008-06-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

We've been here at the U of Washington for over 24 hours now, and I think we are all getting anxious to start riding. The last day has been full of bike safety training, group photos, many truck unloadings and reloadings, orientations, worship, and our first Celebration ceremony, which will be happening every Sunday throughout the tour. Today we celebrated with a few Seattle CRC churches in a ballroom on campus.
Lots of meeting and greeting is going on among us riders. Its crazy how many ages and backgrounds and abilities are represented in the group. Just the large number of people to get to know is quite intimidating, but its nice to know we all have the same goals for the trip (awareness, involvement, and fundraising in the name of poverty). Hearing some stories of fundraising troubles of my fellow riders, reminds me once again of how blessed I have been by the donations I received in my name. Thank you once again!
Tomorrow we dip our tires and begin our trek East.
These pictures portray a common scene this weekend--a sea of jerseys huddled around bikes (or more often one). Random spandex and helmet-wearing is also no surprise.

I realize this post is extremely disorganized, and by the pace of our schedule thus far, I hope you can get used to it! I'll try to keep you as updated as possible, and I think I will err on the side of disorganization rather than polished paragraphs.

I can't wait to report after actual miles have been pedaled!

Synod Presentation

2008-06-21T17:17:00.001-07:00

So close!

2008-06-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

The excitement is here! After a quick presentation at Synod yesterday and a couple of hours of wrestling my bike into a box, I and fellow (fortunate) Grand Rapids residents were able to drop off their bikes at the Sea to Sea truck. I already feel the loss of my favorite form of transportation--I don't like being so dependent on my car to do my last minute errands, but I know this means the trip starts soon! Although I never doubted this trip would happen, there is quite a different feeling between the day I took a picture of my bike in the snow and yesterday with all the piles of camping gear and bike boxes. Getting a peek at the warehouse gave me a glimpse of the tremendous amount of work that has gone into this event.

Training

2008-05-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Training takes time.

An "Average" Day

2008-05-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Scott and I rode from Grand Rapids up to his cabin in Woodville, MI--home of "The Woodville Country Store," a miniature pony, and not much else. It happened to be the eve of the "Blessing of the Bikes" up in Baldwin, so we were "blessed" with the roar of motorcycles whizzing past us all day. On the up side, the ubiquitous "Welcome Bikers" signs were very hospitable.

Our grand total mileage was 70.69 miles--a distance record for both of us. The route was pretty hilly, and there was a healthy headwind all day, so I really felt good about how it went. I am very grateful for Scott's company (roaring motorcycles aren't very good company). My bike, clothing, and equipment all treated me very well, and I successfully pedaled a short ways with a Dairy Queen blizzard (a skill that I hope to develop more fully in the future).

This time we got a lift home, but I'm trying to imagine doing this 4 weeks (or 9!) in a row. I was surprised that my seat wasn't more sore on a quick ride for an ice cream cone yesterday. That is encouraging. Yes, ice cream is my weakness.

All the answers...ha

2008-05-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a few friends and family who have taken up the hobby of cracking jokes about "fixing poverty" by riding an expensive bike, the vision of this tour is on my mind often. And I am grateful for that it.

Thanks to a recent riding partner I gained a little more insight. Not surprisingly, it has been right in front of our faces.

Bikes....poverty....cycling....poor....

Who is most affected by the consumption patterns of us North Americans?
Who can most easily change the consumption patterns of us North Americans?

Our consumption directly affects those in poverty. And though biking from Sea to Sea may seem to be irrelevant in fighting poverty, the lifestyle we are developing in ourselves and promoting to others is right on.

Bike more, burn less petroleum.

Just the bike

2008-05-15T06:52:00.001-07:00

I am now a (self-proclaimed) cyclist. After finishing the Riverbank 25k run on Saturday, I became a full time cyclist. Its exciting! The running definitely helped my fitness for the tour, but its nice to have a single training focus as well. I have about 5 weeks until I leave to make my way to Seattle.

Our Route

2008-04-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

Our official route is official! The squiggly line is nice, but it is also exciting to have some numbers too. I'll be riding the "red" Western section, which is a gentle, half-inch downhill ride according to the squiggle--but 1562 miles of mountains according to the numbers. You can check out our "campsites" and mileages here:
www.crcna.org/pages/sea_route.cfm

I got a new seat! (at least it feels like it)

2008-04-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

So I tried out my new bike shorts yesterday on a nice, sunny ride with Katie, my sister. Before these guys, I thought I had a couple pairs of bike shorts--great.
But my eyes have been opened.
Now I have a real pair of bike shorts.
Amazing!
In a way I'm glad I waited so long to get a quality pair of bike shorts, because it feels that much more magical. Much like the concept of the longer you go shower-less, the better a shower feels.

Looking around

2008-04-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

This morning a strange dynamic concerning this ride hit me in the face. I was just finishing up an early morning ride before work, and I decided to stop by my (other) work to check the schedule. (This spring I have been holding down 4 part time jobs =crazy life transition period). As soon as I stepped in the door, I felt uncomfortable. Not because I was wearing clanky bike shoes, a helmet, or an over-abundance of neon color--well okay, maybe it was because of those things--but it was also because I realized how blessed I was to be able to go on this ride. A lot of my coworkers are working pay check to pay check and wouldn't dream of doing something like this. I'm not sure what to make of the uncomfortable feeling...maybe its a good thing, or maybe it a bad thing, or maybe it was just the biking attire. I think it comes down to the fact that I am "working to alleviate poverty" by riding my bike across the country which seems like a very strange and irrelevant way to help the problem when it is in front of my face everyday.

I know that this ride is and will be very powerful and effective and it is worth all the energy put into it. I am behind it all the way. On the cyclist forum, there has been a recent discussion on why we have chosen a bike ride. Through this wrestling, many have pointed out that the ride isn't just for the money, but more importantly its for raising awareness. And it is one step to help solve a big problem.

Still, sometimes it just feels weird.

Yeah, and this weirdness and uncomfortable-ness is good I guess. Because if we didn't feel "weird" when faced with our own and other's hardships, there would be an even larger problem.

And now I am just preaching to myself, so I will stop.

Lots of Money and a New Rivalry

2008-04-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you all who have donated! I have surpassed my goal of $4,000 already--and its barely April. I was quite confident I could raise the money by June, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the generosity of my friends and family (and I can't forget the "stranger" who gave me $25 for shoveling his driveway after listening to my not-quite-polished Sea to Sea blurb on his doorstep).

So thank you.

Your generosity is making my part seem easy. But it is also challenging me to stretch out of my comfort zone to follow your example (as well as future fellow riders' examples).

Training is going well. I think it is safe to say all those pesky winter injuries that always come with running on snow and ice are behind me. But more importantly, today I realized that my love of biking is starting to challenge my love of running. I'm afraid that some of my urges to run are now being replaced by urges to get on my bike. And the smooth speed I can get on a bike is rivaling the familiar feeling of my feet pounding down the road.
At first I thought this "trade" was a tragedy, but I guess its also very appropriate, since I will be riding my bike for 1,550 miles in 4 weeks this summer. Running will just have to cope with the pangs of jealousy.

Back on the Saddle

2008-03-12T16:22:00.001-07:00

I'm still sweaty (and muddy) from my first outdoor ride of the season!

After biking most of my miles on the emptier roads of Colorado and Montana this past year, I had forgotten about dealing with car traffic. Yuck! I was quickly reminded that rush hour is not the wisest time to ride. Lesson 1.

Here We Go!

2008-03-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Oh good readers, I don't even know where to start! After just a few weeks of effort, I am overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of support I have received through notes, words, and donations thus far. My hope for this blog is to provide a way to include you all in the Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour.

First off--a quick run down of what this is all about.

It all starts with the Christian Reformed Church.
Well, actually, we can go back farther....to the problem of poverty.
A large tragedy.
Too large, but we need to start somewhere.
We'll start by riding our bikes.
Camping along the way.
Some will do this from Seattle to Jersey City, New Jersey.
Some will pedal somewhere in between.
All and all, 211 of us pedaling.
An exponentially greater number of us praying, giving in other ways--any way.
We need all the help we can get!
100% of the money we raise goes toward projects focused on
leadership,
community,
and business development
through the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee,
the Christian Reformed World Missions,
and Partners Worldwide.

I can't thank you enough for your support!

And I can't wait to get on the road on June 30th!