Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Day four riding ...

Bike day 4/20, Dinosaur, CO to Craig, CO 88 miles.

A very nice day riding yesterday. We started riding about 7:00 this morning with a temp of 59F and a max temp of 85F. Very effective cloud cover all day, with some nice cold rain showers here and there, and a relief from the endless sun with only a bit of shade every hour or so. This allowed me to ride comfortable all day, and I seem to be getting a little stronger. Maybe just the relief from the sun allowed the stronger riding.

Raptor sightings have been slim, only three so far with four days of riding, and no pictures. Of course I may have been riding too hard to have noticed them.

I am excited to be a part of my first build day today. Maybe more excited to be able to sleep in and not have to get up before 5:00 AM to help get breakfast ready. Or, maybe more excited to not be getting on the bike again for 6-8 hours. I am surprised that I am having some butt soreness. I assumed that with 2,000 miles of saddle time training this would not be a problem.

Before leaving for this adventure, I changed my handlebar tape color to pink. I have also added a Livestrong yellow arm band to the handlebars. This has caused comments at home before leaving and a number of comments from my fellow riders. The pink tape is in memory of my sister, Pat, who died from cancer 16 years ago at only 54 years of age. She was a very special person, and a very special friend. The arm band is in memory of Julie, who died from cancer last year. It is many hours of riding with only yourself to keep you company, so these are reminders for me to pray about.

The shoulder is just about no problem riding. I can get up out of the saddle with some confidence, and I am getting some strength to be able to ride a little harder. Not ready to power up the hills yet, but neither is the rest of my body.

Peace

2 comments:

  1. Rich Lindbloom7/7/11, 10:47 AM

    Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

    Tom, obviously Paul had something other than a 4,000 mile bike ride in mind when he penned the above verses, yet much in those verses seem to describe the journey you and the young whippersnappers are on.

    Know that the saints in heeaven our exhorting you on. Keep running with perseverance the race marked out before you. Endure your cross - a very sore posterior and muscles screaming out "Uncle!" Do not grow weary and lose heart. Remember the race is not to the fast, but to those who endure. However, don't ever feel that you can't back off a bit.

    Finally,"Fix your eyes on Jesus," the one who kick starts our faith and perfects it.

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