Back to back rides this weekend! Gotta love the chinooks in Calgary! It was +9C today, and although a little wet and windy, it was great to be outside!
Today's Ride:
Yesterday's Ride:
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Little Blessings
Today, through my boss, God gave me freedom to have a full ten weeks off work this summer. June 20 through September 2. And my job will be waiting for me when I return. This is a tremendous answer to prayer, and a huge relief. It also speaks volumes about my boss, and the goodness of God in His provisioning for me.
Thank you everyone for your prayers in this department. And thanks be to God for crossing one more item of my "Items of Concern" list as I continue to make preparations for this adventure and learn to trust His divine coordination.
Sometimes it's the little things that make my day...
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Maps & Donors
Hey folks, as I mentioned previously, I'm assigning donors days of riding in the order gifts are received. Check out the map below for who's supporting which days of riding. So far I'm sponsored to day 15 which will have us end up in Ignacio, NM.
View Sea to Sea 2013 in a larger map
View Sea to Sea 2013 in a larger map
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Winter Training
I shouldn't complain, but training in the winter is boring. Three hours a week on the stationary trainer in the cold, dark basement makes me long for summer. Or spring. Or even March (!) when I can start to ride outside. I'll need to re-read this post in July when we're crossing the dessert in +40C sunshine...
Today I took the fixie for a quick spin. Outside. It's been warm in Calgary the last few days (as in +3C), and the perma-packed ice on the back roads is starting to melt. So I seized the opportunity and went for a little ride. Little as in maybe 5km. Not exactly a training day, but I'm testing out the new bike. It's a track bike, so the geometry is such that the steering is super twitchy. Not the best setup for skinny tires on icy roads, but it's better than spinning in the basement.
Again, I shouldn't really complain. Spending time on my bike has always been a relaxing time for me. A time to clear my head. A time to consider life. A time to talk to God. And sometimes, a time to listen to Him. Training in the basement is perfect for this. I don't have to worry about the hazards that typically accompany a ride on the road. No dogs nipping my heels. No cars crowding my space. No inclement weather to dampen my mood. Just me and the buzzing of the resistance wheel, alone with my thoughts.
These days are the time to mentally prepare for the long days ahead when cycling is more of a chore than a joy. Admittedly encouragement from fellow cyclists will ease this burden, but the challenge will be in my head, too. I have no secrets for convincing myself to continue when "The Wall" inevitably tries to stop me in my tracks. But necessity of reaching camp, and a commitment to you - my friends, family and supporters - should be all it takes.
Speaking of donors - after 2.5 weeks of donating, your generosity has brought me over 20% of my fundraising target! Again - a big "Thank You!" to everyone who has supported me to date. The deadline of April 1st is fast approaching, so I'll remind y'all to use the link on the right of the page to donate today if you haven't yet.
Some exciting plans for fundraising are in the works:
Today I took the fixie for a quick spin. Outside. It's been warm in Calgary the last few days (as in +3C), and the perma-packed ice on the back roads is starting to melt. So I seized the opportunity and went for a little ride. Little as in maybe 5km. Not exactly a training day, but I'm testing out the new bike. It's a track bike, so the geometry is such that the steering is super twitchy. Not the best setup for skinny tires on icy roads, but it's better than spinning in the basement.
Again, I shouldn't really complain. Spending time on my bike has always been a relaxing time for me. A time to clear my head. A time to consider life. A time to talk to God. And sometimes, a time to listen to Him. Training in the basement is perfect for this. I don't have to worry about the hazards that typically accompany a ride on the road. No dogs nipping my heels. No cars crowding my space. No inclement weather to dampen my mood. Just me and the buzzing of the resistance wheel, alone with my thoughts.
These days are the time to mentally prepare for the long days ahead when cycling is more of a chore than a joy. Admittedly encouragement from fellow cyclists will ease this burden, but the challenge will be in my head, too. I have no secrets for convincing myself to continue when "The Wall" inevitably tries to stop me in my tracks. But necessity of reaching camp, and a commitment to you - my friends, family and supporters - should be all it takes.
Speaking of donors - after 2.5 weeks of donating, your generosity has brought me over 20% of my fundraising target! Again - a big "Thank You!" to everyone who has supported me to date. The deadline of April 1st is fast approaching, so I'll remind y'all to use the link on the right of the page to donate today if you haven't yet.
Some exciting plans for fundraising are in the works:
- March 3rd I'll be visiting Maranatha CRC just across the river in Montgomery, and getting the good folks in Dale Melenberg's congregation excited about the tour; and
- March 17th I'll be at the Kelowna CRC chatting with my old church friends there. Council has also graciously decided to give people the opportunity to support through an offering that morning as well! Very exciting!
Looking ahead, I still haven't finalized plans with my employer regarding time off and this is causing me a good deal of concern. The subject has been approached, but we haven't reached an understanding yet. I would very much appreciate your prayers over the course of the next week that some resolution on this front can be agreed upon.
To add more uncertainty to life, my roommate and landlord, Luke, has listed his/our house for sale, and I will need to find a new place to live for June 1st. I would also appreciate your prayers for a good resolution to this unknown in the coming months.
That's it for tonight, folks! Time to grab some beauty sleep...
Friday, January 25, 2013
Progress!
You folks are fantastic! One week from making my plans public you have responded with incredible generosity. Current fund-raising progress is $1,440 of $10,000. That's over 14%!!
As a way to engage you wonderful people as donors, I'm assigning days of riding to donors as they give. For example, if you are the 15th donor, I'll sign you up for day 15 of riding - Wednesday, July 10, riding from Pagosa Springs, CO to Del Norte, CO.
To date, I've been sponsored to day 8, which takes me all the way to Heber, AZ (not Huber as spelled on the website).
View Larger Map
But with 48 more days of pedaling, there's a long way to go! So again, if you can, please donate using the link to the right --->>>
In other news, it has warmed up in Calgary a little bit, and I finally got to take the new fixie for a spin! No front brake connected just yet, but that's coming. Can't wait for it to dry up a little more so I can ride this for real!
As a way to engage you wonderful people as donors, I'm assigning days of riding to donors as they give. For example, if you are the 15th donor, I'll sign you up for day 15 of riding - Wednesday, July 10, riding from Pagosa Springs, CO to Del Norte, CO.
To date, I've been sponsored to day 8, which takes me all the way to Heber, AZ (not Huber as spelled on the website).
View Larger Map
But with 48 more days of pedaling, there's a long way to go! So again, if you can, please donate using the link to the right --->>>
In other news, it has warmed up in Calgary a little bit, and I finally got to take the new fixie for a spin! No front brake connected just yet, but that's coming. Can't wait for it to dry up a little more so I can ride this for real!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Brooks FTW
Also, I ordered a Brooks B15 Swallow saddle today from Sean at Bike Bike in Calgary... they are supposed to be the best for long distance touring.
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