GAILEY Mission Adventures & Go the Distance

Victoria BC

2011-06-17T13:10:00.002-04:00

This week we are in Victoria BC visiting The Butchart Gardens. This is Celeste's "most favorite place in the world." It truly is beautiful even if we are a bit early in the blooming season for many flowers. We have enjoyed going in and out of the Gardens each day and will do so again today.

I rented a bike for 3 days so I have enjoyed cycling through Historic Victoria as well as the outlying countryside. The lush green grass, giant trees, soft rain (Wednesday only), great trail system, Starbucks...have been great. This morning I rode along the water to Sidney BC. Sidney is a quaint little town that is home to the Sidney to Anacortes Ferry Landing. I will reflect on the Ferry Crossing in my next post. Well, it's time to ride so we can go into the Gardens.

Until next post, Cheers!

Silverman 2010 - 11/05-09

2010-11-09T23:41:00.000-05:00

Every other year I head to Henderson, NV for the Silverman Triathlon. In years past I have done the Full Distance course. This year I decided, based on the amount of training I was able to do, it was best to do the Half Distance course.

I flew out of Jacksonville, FL to Las Vegas. It took a couple of hours to retrieve my luggage and rent a car. After that it was off to the bike shop to pick up the bike I was renting for the race. The bike was a Cannondale Cadd9 and it was Petty blue. They put my pedals on the bike and adjusted it a bit. I test rode it and it felt good, I was excited.

Now that I had the bike it was time to check in at the Silverman Expo. It was still early so the Registration tent wasn't crowded at all. I picked up my packet and walked around the Expo a bit to enjoy the free samples and look at the different vendors. The Pre-Race Pasta Dinner was early that evening so I decided to utilize the daylight to get my camp set up at Lake Mead.

I found a great spot just up from where I camped several years ago. It was beautiful! I set up my tent, inflated my air mattress and unrolled my sleeping bag. Everything was set for my return after dinner.

The dinner was great. Lots of food! We also got to enjoy Ironman Champion Dave Scott and then meet the athletes representing CAF (Challenged Athletes Foundation). These athletes had been injured during military service. They were very inspirational, I looked forward to meeting them out on the course. I looked around the Banquet Hall for Travis and Arron but didn't spot them so I headed to my tent.

I climbed in my tent around 9pm and slept till 4am. I slept and felt great! I cleaned up and headed to the Starbucks in Boulder City. They opened at 4:30am hallelujah! I got all of my reading and podcasting done and then headed to the Expo for the Pancake Breakfast. Shortly after arriving I received a text from Travis, he and Arron were by the kids Jumpy Jump. We found each other and got in the long Breakfast line. We had good time to catch up before we got our food. After Breakfast was the Pre-Race Meeting.

Race Director Frank Lowrey led the meeting. He provided race and course information and took time to answer questions. There was also time for the USAT Official to remind us of all the important rules we needed to obey. If we failed to obey any of them we would be penalized. After the meeting Dave Scott returned to talk about the course and answer any triathlon related questions. We ducked out just before the meeting concluded.

The rest of the day was spent on packing transition bags, tweaking the bike then riding some of the hills around Lake Las Vegas. It helped me get a better feel for the bike. I rode the mile and a half climb out of Lake Las Vegas then rode out into the desert a bit. I love that portion of the bike course. I snapped a few pictures before riding past Lake Las Vegas to tackle the Bike Trail and the Three Sisters. This is a challenging section of the bike course that comes later in the ride for the Full and Half Distance athletes. I climbed Two of the Three Sisters and decided that all was good with the bike and my legs.

After returning to the car I grabbed my transition bags and headed to T1 to check my bike and bags in. After this was done I took a look at the swim course, it looked a bit long for both the 1.2 and 2.4. Others seemed to feel the same way about what they saw. We knew that we would all have to swim the same course so no worries. With the course being so narrow I was a bit concerned that 800 plus Half Distance triathletes would be fighting for space at the start. This concern made me think long and hard about where I wanted to start.

After picking up some dinner I returned to my tent to settle in. Generally the night before is a bit of a restless night. This night I was tired but was unable to fall asleep due to noisy neighbors. I finally did after midnight! 4:30am came early. I cleaned up and headed to Starbucks to read. After that I drove to Lake Las Vegas to go through body marking and take care of last minute details before the Full Distance race started at 7pm.

I met up with Arron and Rhonda as well as Travis and Kippy. We chatted a bit and spent some time in prayer and taking pictures. We all were a bit nervous about what was to come.

7am arrived and the Full Distance triathletes began their swim. We weren't starting till 8:30am so there was more than enough time to hydrate, stretch, pray.... Finally 8:15am arrived and they encouraged us to get into the water and work our way toward the start line. I lowered myself in the water, it was cold! I swam toward the start line and the side where I could stand up (I didn't want to tread water for 10 minutes). Final last minute instructions were given then the race started.

Just as I thought, the first half mile was full body contact swimming. It slowed me up a bit but it wasn't too bad. I checked my time at the turn, I was at 21 minutes. I was on target for the 45 minute swim I predicted. Shortly after the turn to head back in I was kicked in the goggle and it dislodged from my face long enough for water to pour in. I raised up for a moment to empty out my goggle and reposition it. Some time lost but not bad. I kept raising up to spot the buoys, it was difficult on the way back in due to the way they were positioned for the out and back swim. I lost a bit more time but stayed calm. Then with about 200 meters left I began to cramp in my hamstring. I popped my head out of the water and took deep breaths. I also stretched my leg, feet and ankle. I was so close. I swam the last 200 upper body only, ended up climbing out of the water at 49 minutes. As soon as I climbed out both Quads cramped. This was interesting, I never had cramped in my Quads before. I sat for a moment then was helped up. More deep breathing.

I got up and ran to the changing tent. Along the way there were wetsuit strippers who helped us get out of our wetsuits quickly. In the changing tent I focused on nutrition first (GU, Gatorade...) then changing. I finished and ran to my bike. Leaving the transition area we had a carpeted switchback we had to push our bike up. Once up top we could mount our bikes and begin a grueling 56 mile ride.

The climb out of Lake Las Vegas was consistent. After that the ride along Lake Mead was up and down with very fast sections. I rode well and passed quite a few. Just before the turnaround there was a slight upgrade that seemed to steal all of my speed. After the turnaround it was much of the same till we got to the right hand turn that sent us out into the desert. I love this section of the course though it is challenging. I wasn't quite sure where the turnaround was and I did not have a bike computer so I just had to relax and stay as consistent as possible. The rest of the ride was good. I rode the Three Sisters well and then did better than expected on the false flat on the desert trail. Once we got into town I was a bit confused because the course was a bit different than two years ago. I couldn't wait to get up on Horizon Ridge, I really enjoy how fast this section of the course is and how beautiful the view of downtown Las Vegas is. I got to the bike finish and felt good. I dismounted and headed to the changing tent. I grabbed a bit more nutrition and put on my running shoes. Now was the part of the race that I had to survive.

As expected the run was challenging, slow and consistent for me. My knees were ok but the lack of run training due to knee pain was evident. Everyone on the course was amazing. One spectator jumped in alongside of me going up a long grade and encouraged me all the way, it was awesome. I had several opportunities along the way to give praise to the Lord. I crossed the finish line feeling ok. After a some fluids I tried to eat, no good. Eating would have to take place a bit later.

Since I couldn't eat I retrieved my bike and and gear and caught the shuttle to my car. I loaded everything in my car and returned to the race finish to see how the guys were doing, grab some food and a post race massage. I accomplished all that I set out to do. The food was great, the massage fantastic and I was updated on the guys. Arron encountered some difficulties so he pulled out of the race. Travis was making consistent headway and would be coming in several hours before the cutoff. I visited with Arron, Rhonda and Kippy while we waited on Travis. It was so awesome to see Travis coming down the shoot, he looked great. We congratulated him and got a finish line video shot and waited for him to get some nutrition in his body.

After all the bikes and gear was collected we headed to the hotel for a great night of rest. I crashed with Travis and Kippy, what a blessing! The next morning I retrieved my tent and headed into Vegas so I could lodge close to the airport. That night I got to visit The Verve, a church for those who don't like church. It was awesome. What a great way to finish this journey. I look forward to a 2012 return if the Lord wills.

Day 17 - Point Mugu State Park - Woodland Hills, CA

2010-05-20T17:00:00.002-04:00

This was it, the final day. We packed up camp and headed to Malibu to find a Starbucks. We had run out of matches so we were going to enjoy some breakfast and coffee at Starbucks. As we entered Malibu the terrain changed from flat to rolling. It was on one of the climbs that we found a Starbucks inside a store. We once again charged up our phones, caught up on some
e-mail and enjoyed some yogurt and iced coffee.

Today was only going to be about 42 miles so we didn't rush through our internet time. While at Starbucks several asked about our ride. When they found out we were finishing up in Woodland Hills they wanted to make sure we were not going to take Malibu Canyon Road to get there (it's a dangerous road for cyclists). Ben wasn't sure which road we would be taking but I think after their comments he was hoping it wouldn't be Malibu Canyon Road. I assured him that we were taking Topanga Canyon Road and not Malibu Canyon Road.

After finishing up we set out for Topanga Canyon Road. The northern part of Malibu continued to roll and provide some beautiful scenery. We did ride by Pepperdine University, very cool looking. It is set up on a hill. After awhile the rolling hills ceased and it became flat again. Malibu is very long, it seemed to take forever to get to Topanga Canyon Road. We even stopped once to check our maps program to make sure we were on the right track.

Finally, Topanga Canyon Road was just ahead. I stopped to take a picture of the sign because this was going to be our final climb and our longest climb. We started up the road, not too bad at first. Then after coming around a bend we saw the climb. For the next 2 miles we would grind our way up TCR. After conquering the steep section we were blessed with a section that was level or had a slight upgrade. This was great! Due to some road construction we had to stop, nice break. When our lane of traffic was waved on we continued on the level section that led to a section that provided a final slight upgrade to the top of Topanga Canyon. It was really warm by this time so I took a couple of shade breaks along the way. So good! The shade and iced coffee cooled me off.

It was so great to finally see the top of the Canyon. We pulled over and took a picture then set off down the Canyon to Woodland Hills. As we got toward the bottom of the Canyon we found a Starbucks. There we refilled on ice coffee, took care of e-mail and called Bren to let her know we were only 3 miles away from the house. After talking with Joe a bit we headed to the house. Jim and Bren came outside to greet us then opened the garage so we could pull our bikes in.

After chatting with them about the ride and catching up on some of their riding experiences we got showered and enjoyed a great dinner. By 9pm I was ready to call it a night. Tomorrow we will be breaking our bikes down, packing them up and shipping them back to FL. We will also have a chance to get laundry done before heading home on Saturday.

The final mileage for the ride was 1,137 miles. We lost 167 miles due to weather and sickness. I hope to have a mileage make up day sometime after returning home.

Day 16 - Refugio State Beach - Point Mugu State Park

2010-05-19T18:45:00.003-04:00

Today was the day we officially were back in the city. After leaving the Beach we were in Goleta after a short bit. We found a McDonalds for breakfast, to charge up our phones and catch up on some e-mail.

After breakfast we rode into Santa Barbara and went to the Pier. This is the end of the Adventure Cycling Map that begins in San Francisco and ends in Santa Barbara. We rode through a neighborhood that led to the water. We found the water and turned toward the Pier. Once on the Pier we went out to take some photos. Once the photos were taken it was time to begin our journey through Santa Barbara. We didn't have a map for this section of the ride so we asked a cyclist for route info. He pointed us in the right direction and the signage for the Pacific Coast Trail was good.

We made it to Ventura and began to hunt for a cannister for the stove. We checked a couple of stores before locating one at High 5 Sports. It was in Ventura that we met Eileen who was interested in our ride. We chatted and she took some pictures. She shared with us about her upcoming climbing trip to Utah. Sounded cool.

Thanks to our maps programs we navigated our way out of Ventura, through Oxnard and back to the Pacific Coast Highway. By this time we were only about 10 miles from Point Mugu State Park. It was great to leave the city and ride through the fields once again. This led us back to the ocean! It was great to see the ocean again after so much city.

We spotted the brown state park sign that told us we were close to being home for the day. We found the park and a place to camp on the beach. After dinner and the noise of a party going on 2 sites down I drifted off to sleep knowing that this journey was about to come to a close.

I believe it was the prayers of the people today that directed us through the cities successfully. Tomorrow we will ride through Malibu to Topanga Canyon Road. TCR will then take us up over the mountain and down to Woodland Hills, CA. There we will meet up with cycling friends Jim and Bren Wagoner.

Day 15: San Luis Obispo - Refugio State Beach

2010-05-18T19:25:00.000-04:00

The rain was to pass through and be gone by morning, it did and was. The streets were wet but that was fine. Today was going to be a long ride to Refugio State Beach near Goleta.

We hit Starbucks on the way out of town then we proceded to Pismo Beach. There were some ups and downs as usual but the ride to the coast was nice. We passed through Pismo and Grover Beach before arriving in Oceano. After riding through Oceano for a bit we had to check our map to make sure we were still on track. We were, just in a scenic round about way.

After a ride through more fields we turned toward Guadelupe. Along the way the smell of cedar trees was strong and sweet. Before Guadelupe there was a descent that took us past more strawberry fields, sweet smell there as well!

We took a break in Guadelupe and found an old time market that sold coconut water, good stuff. After shedding some extra clothing we turned our sights toward Lompoc. This stretch would take us over our next climb. It was a good climb and the descent down to Lompoc was fast. We stopped at McDonalds for lunch then prepared ourselves for the next climb to come before we turned south on 101 to go to Refugio.

The ride through the country past Orcutt was nice. The final climb of the day was like so many others in CA, not too bad. After the climb it was fast down to 101 then to Refugio. The sun was heading down as we set up camp and prepared some dinner. The cannister for my stove went empty so I made a fire in the grill to heat up my soup. It was so hot and so good.

After dinner Simeon, our neighbor, came out and offered us some strawberries, they were awesome. We had a good chat then I washed my dishes and settled in for the night. The crashing of the ocean waves lulled me to sleep.

Tomorrow the plan is to ride through Santa Barbara, Ventura and Oxnard before camping out at Point Mugu State Park.

As always, your prayers are appreciated and effective.

Day 14: San Simeon Village - San Luis Obispo

2010-05-17T19:15:00.000-04:00

The forcast was for rain today. I poked my head out at 6:20 and no rain, only gray. After coffee, packing up and taking care of calls we set out. Shortly after setting out it began to spit rain. The first 20 miles to Cayucos included a few hills but for the most part it was a very nice ride. We even had a scenic bypass that was nice. In Cayucos we stopped to warm up with some coffee. After taking care of a few more calls we set out for Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.

The through Morro Bay led us into the State Park, very nice. After exiting the Park we headed into hilly farm country. Once we made it to Las Osos Rd. the terrain leveled out a bit but the traffic picked up. Foothills Blvd. led us into town. There we got some lunch and found a Starbucks. Since we had knocked out 40 miles by lunch we had time to catch up on e-mail and blogging.

As we were doing this the heavens opened up and the promised steady rain was now here. We checked the hour by hour for Oceano and it was going to rain till 6am. After that, sunshine the rest of the week. With that info in hand we decided to find a dry place for the night and add today's final 15 on to tomorrow's ride to Refugio State Beach.

As always, thanks for taking the time to pray for and encourage us!

Day 13: Big Sur - San Simeon Village

2010-05-16T19:05:00.000-04:00

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park was a beautiful place to wake up. We ate breakfast, packed up, charged up our phones and set out. The ride started as many have, uphill. I quit looking at riding time after 40 minutes of climbing. When we quit climbing the fog was so thick we could only hear the ocean below.

The first 40 miles included many challenging climbs and the only stop was Lucia which consisted of one store that overcharged for everything. It was hear that we knew we would stretch 3 days into 4. PTL that we had an extra day in the schedule. I tried to track down the Reserve America number via home, mom and directory assistance, no luck. I even spent 4 quarters in the payphone and got nowhere.

With no luck in Lucia it was time to head to Ragged Point. After the climbs, descents, rough road, road construction, and amazing sights we reached Ragged Point. We took a well deserved pie (blackberry & apple) and coffee break.

The gray weather stayed with us all the way to San Simeon Village. The ride down from Ragged Point was good despite the gray. There were ups and downs but the big, grinding climbs were behind us. Before San Simeon we stopped at the beach to check out the seals, they were everywhere and all over each other, I guess personal space is not an issue.

We finished the ride to the Village and found a Mini Mart. Across the street was a lodge, we decided to check in and get warm after riding in the gray, moist and cool weather.

After a salad and some tv the lights went out at 10. The plan is to be up by 6:15 and on the road by 7:30 so we can get to Oceano early.

Soon!

Day 12: Santa Cruz - Big Sur

2010-05-15T19:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever we are near a larger city we are diverted off US 1 onto the scenic route. Today we rode through lots and lots of strawberry fields. Sometimes we were on good road and other times we wondered if we were still on route. We were. We finally got back on 1 and made our way to Seaside, CA.

Before Seaside we stopped to use the restroom. We had seen Sweet Cherries Ahead signs so Ben took a moment to score us some cherries, amazing!

Before Seaside we had to get back off 1 onto a road that led us to a bike trail. We met local cyclists Brick and Robert. My front brake had been dragging, they helped me with that problem PTL. We rode the ups and downs of the trail to the Chilis in Seaside where we met Darren and Sydni Murphy for lunch, it was awesome as were they.

After a Starbucks stop we got back on the bike trail to make our way through Monterrey and on to Big Sur. We knew there would be some climbs but we didn't realize they would be so steep on our way out of Monterrey. After finding the right road that would lead us to a trail we connected with the road that would put us back on 1. It always feels good to get back one 1 because it feels like the most direct route to where we are going.

The ride down to Carmel was fast with lots of traffic. After that we had alot of ups and downs all the way to Big Sur. The beauty of this section is second to none. From Carmel there were big yellow numbers painted on the shoulder every mile so we were able to count our way down to Big Sur, it was good. When I saw the 10K paint my guess that they ran a marathon along that route was confirmed.

Just before Big Sur the ride went from coastal to forest, very cool and beautiful. Before reaching the State Park we stopped at the grocery for some dinner supplies. When we got to the Park the Ranger said we could cancel our full site and stay for cheap in the hiker/biker section, we liked that. The hiker/biker section was secluded and awesome. Redwoods!

We showered, ate Ramen spaghetti with beans and then hit the Park store before it closed at 9. After this we headed to our tents for a good night's rest. Tomorrow we will continue our way down the coast toward Morrow Bay. Thanks to those of you praying, it works big time!

Day 11: San Francisco to Santa Cruz

2010-05-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

The night in the Hostel was good. Great roommates and a comfortable bed. I woke at 6am and retrieved my bike and equipment at 6:30am. By 7am I had it all together. After breakfast we set out through the streets of San Francisco in search of the Golden Gate Bridge. We finally found it in the thick of the clouds.

The day was overcast and there was a mist in the air. Nonetheless it was an exhilarating experience to bike the bridge. On the return trip I asked another cyclist the best way to The Great Highway, the start of our route down the coast. We had to go up the hill...something we would do alot of over the next 3 hours. Around SF, Daily City and Pacifica it was very hilly.

After Pacifica the hills were very fair. Uphill but not forever or too steep. Good downhill with a great view of the ocean.

The CA coast has such a diverse landscape. Ragged cliffs, sandy beaches, fields of fruit, cows and lighthouses. It was awesome!

It was nice to be going through cities that had stores, McDonalds,
Starbucks...civilization!

Before Davenport I heard a loud blast, I knew Ben had had a blowout. It damaged the tire a bit so he had to move it to the front and run a lower pressure in it in hopes of making it to the bike shop in Santa Cruz before 6pm. Shortly after resuming our ride I heard the noise of metal falling to the road, the bolt that held Ben's seat together broke. What next we thought? Especially with the need to get to the bike shop. My prayer was for continued tailwinds and gentle terrain.

The prayer was answered and we pulled into Another Bike Shop at 5:45! The guys at the shop were great. Both Ben and I bought a new tire and I also purchased some sport/energy jelly beans. They are good and they work. Looking forward to snacking in them this next week. Ben had to go to a hardware store for a new bolt, he found one.

After all that we went to Safeway to purchase dinner, some supplies and an iced coffee at Starbucks (at 3:30 this afternoon the overcast turned to blue skies and sunshine). After Safeway we went to do laundry. Since it was going on 8:30pm I decided that we should get a room across from the laundromat. We finished up laundry just before 10 then we changed out our tires.

Tomorrow we will ride to Seaside, CA to have lunch with Darren & Sydni Murphy, Sydni is Celeste's cousin. After lunch we will ride to Big Sur, it will be amazing. We have a campsite reserved at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

For everyone praying for us, thanks and keep it up.

Day 10: Sightseeing in San Fran

2010-05-13T21:11:00.002-04:00

No rush today since it was our rest/sightseeing day in San Francisco. We packed up,ate breakfast and pedaled to the Baylink Ferry. We caught the 8:45 Ferry and 1 hour later we were pulling into Port. It was cool to cruise by the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

We got off the Ferry and thanks to Google maps we pedaled right to our Hostel. What a differance it was riding in SF versus Highway 50 in NV. The traffic was crazy yet controled. They are very use to cyclists and we saw alot of them.

Once we checked in and settled in room 104 we walked the 2.5 miles to Fishermans Wharf. We had a great time seeing all that was there and experiencing the culture. We also experience some clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, lobster bisque and fish and chips. To top it off we bought a couple of truffles for dessert.

Since the walk to the Wharf was so up and down we decided to catch a cable car back. It was awesome! On the way to the Hostel we found a barbershop for Ben. He got his desired haircut and was very pleased.

We returned to the Hostel to take care of e-mail and blogging then went to dinner at a Vietnamiese restaurant, it was amazing! One of our roommates, Stanley, went with us. He is a recent Grad School Graduate from UCLA and a very nice guy.

After dinner was truffle time! Now it's time to go to bed, tomorrow begins the push down the CA coast. We will be camping in the Santa Cruz area.

We covet your prayers!

Day 9: Folsom - Vallejo

2010-05-12T00:11:00.003-04:00

What would today bring re: Ben's stomach ailment? Slept till 6am then decided to check with him, he gave the thumbs up so today we ride!

Jerry was going to ride with us some so that was exciting. We ate breakfast, loaded up, took photos and said goodbye to Peggy. Jerry led us down the road to the American River Bike Trail, what a great ride and change of scenery. Jerry road about 23 miles with us then returned home. We continued on to the end of the Trail then into Old Sacramento, very cool. Since Ben hadn't eaten in awhile we stopped at a Subway so he could do soup and salad.

Our goal was to make the 5:30 Ferry in Vallejo, with 78 miles left it would be tight unless it was a super fast ride all the way. We left Old Sacramento and crossed the river to West Sacramento so we were in traffic and stop lights. After leaving West Sac (that's what the locals call it) we got on the Yolo Trail that led us to Davis, CA. It was nice to leave the busyness of Sacramento behind.

The Trail was parallel to 80 but to our north it was green fields. After awhile we got away from 80 so traffic noise disappeared. By this time we were approaching Davis, the home of UC Davis. It was cool to ride through a college town and around the college, very nice.

We continued on a Trail away from Davis out into an area that was beautiful. Not only was it filled with flowers, nut trees and fruit trees but it was also the route for one of the Stages of the Tour of California bike race that is coming up this weekend and next week. Because of that we saw lots of cyclists training.

We were making good time (13.1 mph) but as we headed to Fairfield the wind and hills kicked in a bit. Before Fairfield and later that day the ride was much like riding in the East Tennessee countryside. Green, hills and cows. I love to greet the cows with a ring of my bell, I think they like it.

Once we arrived in Fairfield we knew we had to get something cold to drink and we knew that we would not make the last Ferry without trying to kill ourselves. Therefore we took advantage of Frappachino Happy Hour at the Starbucks inside Safeway. I got a venti dark cherry mocha frappachino for $2.15, what a deal! I also enjoyed some cold and juicy Ruby Red grapefruit.

After our break we set off at a relaxed pace toward Vallejo. We passed by Winters and Rockville before entering Concordia. In Concordia I had my first flat tire. I changed it quick and we set off on our last two 10 mile segments. Lopes Road rolled up and down along the Interstate until we got to Lake Harmon Road. We took a quick break at a store before climbing the hills of Lake Harmon Road. It was challenging but pretty, especially Lake Harmon. We finally got to Columbus Parkway, this would lead us to where we would be staying for the night.

112 miles after Folsom we were at our resting place. We chose it because it was only 2.8 miles from the Baylink Ferry Terminal. We checked in, cleaned up, found some pizza, caught up on blogging then called it a night.

Tomorrow we will catch the Ferry to San Francisco and enjoy a day of seeing the sights. After that we start down the CA coast to LA.

Blessings!

Day 8: Reno, NV - Folsom, CALIFORNIA

2010-05-11T00:46:00.011-04:00

After the interesting events of yesterday I was curious what today would bring. The day began at 7am. I grabbed a shower then went to check to see if the bus would be going to Sacramento. It was! The Pass was clear. I went and told Ben we needed to get our stuff together and head to the Station for the 9:30 bus.

We got everything together and got to the station by 8 so we could purchase our bike boxes and have plenty of time to break our bikes down and packed up. It took some time but we got bikes, trailer and gear in 3 boxes.

Now that we were ready we got word that our bus was delayed an hour. It actually was two hours but that gave me time to catch up on e-mail. Finally we boarded the bus and headed to Sacramento, CA. We drove through some beautiful snow covered mountains.

After a short stop before Sacramento we arrived at the Station and retrieved our boxes and bag. Ben was dealing with a stomach issue so Jerry and Peggy came to get us. They live in Folsom, CA which is about 30 miles from Sacramento. Our original plan was to ride to their house but Ben was not up to it.

We loaded everthing in and on their car and began the journey to their house. It was great to see them again. I met Peggy and Jerry in Alley Springs, MO during my 2008 ride. We chatted for about 20 minutes then continued our rides west and east. As I was planning this ride it worked out to stop in Folsom so Jerry and Peggy invited us to stay the night with them.

It was a great afternoon and night of chatting, eating and reassembling our bikes and my trailer. About 10 it was time to get to bed, 6am was going to come early.

We are looking forward to riding again tomorrow. The plan is to get to Vallejo, CA to catch the 5:30 Ferry to San Francisco.

Day 7: Fallon - Carson Plains, NV "SNOW" !!!

2010-05-10T23:00:00.008-04:00

After a great nights sleep I woke up at 5am and got a warm shower. Shelby fixed us a great breakfast then Michael loaded us up and took us to Highway 50. We got some coffee at the store then began to pedal toward Silver Springs, NV. The first hour of riding was good then Michael's observation that the wind seemed to be picking up earlier this day became reality.

It was after a bathroom break at a manmade desert lake the we began riding into a strong wind. We finally made it down to Silver Springs and took a store break. I had a good signal so I cleaned up some email (it's been rare to have a good signal). After the break we began pedaling into the wind. We were only averaging 3-4 miles an hour when pedaling and 2.5 when pushing.

Outside of Dayton was the Carson Plains Market. We stopped to get a break from the grind of pedaling into the wind. Earlier when We were pushing I had prayed that one of God's people would stop and ask us if we needed a ride. That never happened but
after being in the store a bit and asking about bus info out of Carson City the store manager asked "do you need a ride?". She said 50 mile an hour winds and a rain/snow storm were called for. Since her specific question was an answer to prayer I said yes. Leann needed to wait for some else to come in so that gave me time to track down a cheap room in Reno, NV.

After that we ate a PB&J sandwich and loaded everything up. By that time Leann was readyto go. As we headed toward Carson City it began to rain. As we turned north toward Reno it began to snow hard. It was Ben's first time seeing snow so he was like a kid in a candy shop. It lightened up a bit as we arrived in Reno and at our hotel. We got checked in, unpacked, said goodbye to Leann and then moved in.

We cleaned up, checked with Grayhound re: a bus to Sacramento and asked what the procedure was for transporting bicycles. I was told our bikes would need to be broken down and boxed up. Fortunately Grayhound sells bike boxes. Everything was coming together.

I returned to pass on the info to Ben. After doing so we got some dinner then walked over to Starbucks to enjoy a dark cherry mocha and the use of their wifi. We stayed till they closed at 9. I was able to catch up on alot of my blog so it was a profitable trip to Starbucks. We returned to the hotel so we could consolidate our gear for the bus ride then get to bed.

It was a wild, crazy day but once again God provided. We are looking forward to what God is going to do in the day and days to come.

Peace!

Day 6: Austin - Fallon, NV

2010-05-09T22:00:00.005-04:00

The plan was to get an early start so we set out just after 6am. We began with a great descent out of Austin. After that the ride was beautiful and the pace was good. We made it to Cold Springs in good time. We stopped there to use the restroom, lunch would be at Middlegate. On the way to Middlegate we stopped to take pictures at the ShoeTree, it's cool and unique. We then pushed on to Middlegate, NV.

We stopped at the only complex in town that was a mini mart, restaurant.... I bought a dusty can of ham and bean soup and a diet A&W. I got out my stove and heated up the soup, awesome! I also got to chat with my cousin Kevin, he is keeping a close eye on our ride. After a quick lunch we resumed our push to Fallon. We saw that we only had 47 miles to go so we felt good about that. It was later that things would get ugly before turning back great.

It was on the last climb that the winds began to gust up to 40 miles an hour. The ride up and down were crazy! As I got to the bottom at The entrance to the Sand Mountain Recreation Area I met Brett who was pulling a B.O.B. Trailer and riding to D.C. We had a great chat, exchanged info and took pictures.

We decided it was time to push into the wind toward Fallon. We set out across the salt flat and the wind was do strong we pulled off the side of the road, laid our bikes down and just sat down. Ben sought shelter by my turned up trailer. We sat for a bit then returned to the SMRA entrance and sought shelter behind large rocks and a big bush. We debated about staying there or pushing on. Celeste wad giving us weather info which was a big help. We finally decided to push on even if it took us 6hours to ride the final 26 miles.

We set back off across the salt flat and survived the wind. I looked to the other side of the flat and saw land so I was hoping the would cut the wind. It helped some but what helped more was the turn in the road. The wind came off our shoulder and our pace picked up PTL! As we were making good time a vehicle passed us and honked and waved. They then turned around and came back and stopped ahead of us. As we approached the vehicle a guy(Michael) asked us if we were about dead yet. At first I didn't recognize who it was then I saw Shelby and Hayden and realized this was the family we met in the Cafe at Austin. Michael asked us if we needed a place to stay and a warm meal, we said yes! He was ready to load us up there but said it was cool if we pedaled into Fallon and then gave him a call.

We rode the final 12 miles into Fallon and stopped at Safeway, I knew there was a Starbucks inside. We called Michael, ordered Starbucks and bought some coffee cake and M&M's to go along with my dark cherry mocha. Michael arrived and shopped for a few items before we loaded up and headed to the house.

The night with them was great. Wonderful dinner, shower and sharing. Michael helped us map out our next say, the plan was to ride 90 to South Lake Tahoe. Shelby made sure we had anything else we needed.

It was a great night with a great family. It was also a specific answer to Celeste's prayer that someone would come along and offer us a ride. Michael, Shelby and Hayden did that and more! Once again God provided!

Day 5: Hickison Petroglyphs, to Austin, NV

2010-05-08T16:30:00.009-04:00

After a great night's sleep it was time to tackle Bob Scott and Austin Summits. We had a minor climb over Hickison Summit before heading to Bob Scott. After each Summit is generally a nice descent. I say generally because sometimes a strong headwind makes you work just to get down the hill. This was the case today. The climbs were tough and the descents were tough due to the headwinds. It took us almost 4 hours to ride the 25 miles to Austin, NV.

The hard riding worked up an appetite in me. We stopped in the Cafe and I had a steak sandwich, salad, water, coffee, root beer and a chocolate shake with pineapple. During lunch we met a sweet family with a really cute baby. I asked about stores in town and Shelby let me know the 2 service stations were it. By this time we realized getting to our destination that afternoon would be impossible due to the winds. We decided to get a room, do laundry and take care of any other matters.

Celeste found us a room at the Pony Canyon Motel. One of the service stations was next door and the laundromat was across the street. We settled in, took care of laundry, purchased some good service station items and returned to the Cafe for chili, salad and veggies.

Since it was Mothers Day weekend the Nascar race was on. Since we are in the Pacific time zone it came on at 4:30pm. It was fun to watch it before and after dinner. After the race it was time to get some rest, the plan was to make up mileage by pushing 112 miles to Fallon, NV. We would need perfect weather to accomplish this. We knew the terrain was favorable.

Day 4: Illipah Reservoir to Hickison Petroglyphs, NV

2010-05-07T16:46:00.001-04:00

After a chilly start to the ride the warmer socks and gloves paid dividends right away. Of course climbing over Summits helps to raise the body temperature. Today we climbed over 3 Summits on our way to Hickison Petroglyphs Recreation Area.After the 3rd Summit we rode down to Eureka, NV. Celeste had something waiting for me at the Best Western so I stopped in to pick it up, it was my orange and blue Disciple's Cross, I had left it hanging on a door at home. The lady at the counter informed us that there was free food across the street at the Fire Station, they were hosting an open house for the FFA.We enjoyed a hamburger, chips and soda. We also enjoyed meeting folks and sharing about our ride. After eating we picked up a few supplies, filled our water bottles and set off for our campsite. No major climbs except for the one leaving town. It was scenic once again but the wind was a factor. We rode late into the day and toward the end of the ride my handlebars loosened a bit and began to turn down. Since it was late and we were close we kept riding till half way up the dirt road leading to where we would camp. From that point we pushed, felt good.We found a great site, set up camp, ate dinner and got settled in for the night. The temperature was great so I slept well. We're looking forward to a challenging Day 5.

STATS - Mileage Today: 89, Pace: 9, Riding Time: 9:48
Total GTD.A cumulative miles: 340

Day 3: Majors Place to Illipah Reservoir, NV

2010-05-06T21:00:00.006-04:00

We knew it was going to be cold when we woke up, it was 23 degrees worth of cold! After packing up and filling our Starbucks mugs with hot coffee we immediately started a 4 1/2 mile climb that had a 6 percent grade. I just had to biig on my back gear and small on my front gear and spin my way up. It's during a climb like this where you think about every single thing I have packed on my bike and in my B.O.B. bag. I decided that what I had I needed.

The ride down was fast and super freezing. At the bottom we met Lee from New Zealand. He was cycling to Denver. He shared with us his experience from San Francisco till our meeting. He warned of the headwinds to come. We wished him well and headed to Ely for McDonalds and warmer socks and gloves.

After lunch and purchasing warmer socks and gloves we headed to Illipah Resevoir to camp. We knew with the climbs ahead of us and the wind there was no way possible to make it to Eureka as planned. The rest of the ride was beautiful and challenging. Finally at 6pm we arrived at Illipah. We had a mile and half ride on a dirt road to our campsite, it was awesome. We set our tents up out of the wind and enjoyed a nice rice dinner. We worked quick because night and a low of 20 degrees was coming.

This was a tough night! Not much sleep, couldn't get comfortable. At 2am I got up to make some hot chocolate, the propane would barely burn. While up I noticed our water bottles were frozen.

I got them and put them in my sleeping bag. Over the next 3 hours they thawed out. At 5:30 am when it was getting light I saw the ice crystles inside my tent, not much motivation for getting out of my warm sleeping bag (thanks Kevin!).

I finally got up and boiled up some water for oatmeal. I had to warm the propane tank with my hands so it would burn, I'm not a fan of these super cold temps! After packing up it was time to start Day 4.

STATS - Mileage Today: 66, Pace: 8.3
Riding Time: 7:55

Total GTD.A cumulative miles: 251

Day 2: Panaca to Majors Place, NV

2010-05-05T23:00:00.015-04:00

We are beginning to see a theme with our ride. God provides exactly what we need when we need it to make it through the day.

After packing up camp early we went back to the store for a few items. Then we set off for a long ride through the very barren desert of NV. The first 10 miles we were climbing. Along the way we had to shed cold weather gear. Due to the intensity of the sun we had to stop in the beautiful, historic, western town of Pinoche. That is where I discovered the Big Cherry candy bar, awesome! Ben bought some sunscreen but the girl at the store thought he needed more so she ran home to get him some more potent stuff.

Good thing because the next 75 miles were direct sun. We made good progress due to terrains and wind. Then, that all changed as the road turned toward Majors Station.

We now rode into the wind and uphill. The last 10 miles were rough. When we finally reached Highway 50 and turned left to Majors Place the wind was so strong we got off and pushed the last quarter mile. By this time it began to spit rain, it look as though a storm was coming. We went in Majors Place and met Ken. We first sat on the couch to rest, we were beat! Then we asked about camping and a shower. Camping free, shower $5. Ken informed us they had good cheeseburgers and fries, we said bring them on. He also mentioned they had a couple of rooms. With a storm moving in and the temperature dropping in the 20's we said we were interested. One room had two beds, we took it. We also took some hot coffee with us to the room. After a hot shower we crashed.

If it were not for the middle 75 where we made good progress we would have struggled to get in before dark and the storm, God is good!

STATS - Mileage Today: 95, Pace: 11.1, Riding Time: 8.33

Total GTD.A cumulative miles: 185

2010 - DAY 1: Cedar City, UT - Panaca, NV

2010-05-04T20:14:00.009-04:00

What a difference to wake up to cold temperatures! It didn't matter though, Day 1 was finally here.We packed up camp then enjoyed some oatmeal before setting off for Starbucks (we wouldn't see another one for a week) and Wal Mart. After a dark cherry mocha and purchasing supplies we began to pedal toward Panaca, NV.

The first part of the ride was smooth then we hit our first climb, what a shock to a flatlander's system. It was warm so we went through the fluids. After a couple of hours it was time to break out the trail mix bars. After the climb was the descent, that was good. The only store along the way was around 35 miles. We enjoyed a beef hotdog and diet soda.After this flat section we climbed up to Panaca Summit. Very challenging! If it wasn't for a fast 10 mile downhill to Panaca the day would have been much longer. We stopped at the only store in Panaca to refuel.

After that we pedaled the final mile to Cathedral Gorge State Park. Beautiful! We met an awesome couple who cycles and wanted to know about our journey. After sharing with them we set up camp. Our neighbors made us coffee/tea and boiled water for our noodles. They were awesome!After a nice shower we crawled into our tents for a good nights rest.

It was a challenging but good first day.

STATS - Mileage Today: 90, Pace: 9.2, Riding Time: 9.41

2010-05-03T18:00:00.005-04:00

Our day of preparation didn't begin as we planned due to Ben's late arrival last night. Instead of beginning in Cedar City it began in Mesquite, NV. We arrived there after midnight last night. We enjoyed our free breakfast then began the journey to Zion National Park. It was awesome...again!

After Zion it was on to Cedar City to get ready for GTD Day 1.

We picked up supplies at Sports Authority, the Bike Route and Sunshine Health Food Store. After that we checked in at the KOA and reassembled our bikes. After that I had to return the rental car to the airport. The Cedar City Airport is so small that the only person there was one lady working in an office. I called a shuttle to return me to the KOA.

After putting the bikes together we set up camp and then biked up the road to enjoy the Chinese Buffet. It was uphill and windy. After dinner their was a community concert in the park. Very cool to see the community come out to relax and enjoy some good music. Now we are organizing, charging phones and getting ready to settle in. We anticipate waking up around 5:30am for breakfast and to break down camp. After that we will bike to Starbucks and Wal Mart before heading off to Panaca.

It's beautiful out here. Getting a bit chilly tonight (around 40). We are excited and nervous about tomorrow's ride. It will be around 85 miles to Cathedral Gorge State Park in Panaca, NV.

GTD 2010 Itinerary

2010-04-26T14:53:00.002-04:00

One week from tomorrow (4/27/10) Ben Anderson and I will begin pedaling in Cedar City, UT. We are excited! Below you will find our proposed itinerary for the trip.

May 4 - Cedar City to Panaca, NV
May 5 - Panaca to Majors Place, NV
May 6 - Majors Place to Eureka, NV
May 7 - Eureka to Austin, NV
May 8 - Austin to Sand Mtn. Rec. Area (near Salt Wells, NV)
May 9 - SNRA to Dayton, NV
May 10 - Dayton to Kirkwood or Hams Station, CA
May 11 -Kirkwood or Hams Station to Folsom, CA
May 12 - Folsom to San Francisco, CA
May 13 - Rest Day in SF
May 14 - SF to Santa Cruz, CA
May 15 - Santa Cruz to Big Sur, CA
May 16 - Big Sur to Morro Bay, CA
May 17 - Morro Bay to Goleta, CA
May 18 - Goleta to Malibu, CA
May 19 - Malibu to Woodland Hills, CA

If we happen to be any where near you along the way let me know, it would be great to see you.

This final week is going to be a week of going over our gear and supply list and checking it twice if not three times. We fly out Sunday to Las Vegas. We will rent a car and drive to Cedar City. Along the way we will take in the beautiful sights of Zion National Park. I had the amazing opportunity to ride through Zion on my 2008 GTD ride.

Once in Cedar City we will set up camp at a KOA. The staff at the Cedar City KOA has been super. Monday morning we will reassemble our bikes and give them a test ride. After that we will enjoy Starbucks for the last time in a week then pick up any last minute supplies at Wal Mart. The rest of the day will be spent organizing and packing our gear. Tuesday morning we will break down camp, pack up and start pedaling to Panaca, NV. We will be camping out at the beautiful Cathedral Gorge State Park. I can't wait to send some pictures!

That's it for now. bob g.

They're Gone!

2010-04-24T10:24:00.002-04:00

On Thursday I packed up my B.O.B. Trailer and sent it off to the KOA in Cedar City, UT. Yesterday Ben and I picked up our broken down and boxed up bikes from Chain Reaction and sent them off to the KOA as well. This intensified the realization that we are very close to heading out west to begin our Go the Distance...Again! fundraising bike ride for the Christian Campus House.

We will actually begin riding Tuesday morning May 4. From Cedar City we will head west to Panaca, NV then on to Eureka, NV, Carson City, NV, Folsom, CA, San Francisco, CA and down the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, CA. After Malibu we climb up and over the Santa Monica Mountains to Woodland Hills, CA. There we will meet up and stay with long distance cyclists Jim and Bren Wagoner.

It's going to be an amazing journey. We will be able to get in the Word, pedal and pray alot as we cover the 1300 miles. Ben will be uploading some ride footage along the way, I will let you know where to find it. I will be posting pictures and updates on my blog so check back from time to time to see what we've seen and read about our experiences.

God bless! bob g.

42 Days

2010-03-22T13:31:00.002-04:00

It is so hard to believe that it is only 42 days till Ben Anderson and I pedal away from the KOA in Cedar City, UT to begin our "Go the Distance Again" ride to Woodland Hills, CA.

So much to do before then. At CCH we are working hard to finish out the semester strong. Ben is working hard to finish out his undergraduate career here at UF strong. We will fly west the day after Ben's graduation.

Before catching the flight there are training miles to be pedaled, supplies to be gathered, packing to be done and trip logistics to be checked on.

Since we will be crossing Nevada on Highway 50 (The Loneliest Road in America) we will have alot of time to pray. Starting May 1, if you have something you would like Ben and I to lift up in prayer while we ride send it to gatorgailey@juno.com.

Until then please be in prayer for us as we finish out what needs to be done here and prepare for what we will be doing out there.

To God be the glory! bob g.

5K & 50

2010-01-31T15:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my brother David and I ran the Daytona 5K and then hopped on our bikes for a 50 mile ride.

We both had a great 5K considering the amount of run training we have been doing. David took off faster than I did, I told him I would ease into the race. At 1 1/2 miles I came up on him and we ran together for the next 1/2 mile. I pushed the pace the last mile just to get a feel for where I am in comparison to where I need to be. Good race for both. No knee problems PTL!

After the post race snacks and conversations we went back to my friends house and got ready for the ride. We rode out to Daytona Beach then up to Ormond where David introduced me to a new coffee at Starbucks. While there we met Victor and his wife, very cool cyclists. They clued us in re: "The Loop" so after a bit more conversation we set off to ride "The Loop" before returning to Duane's house. Just as we were leaving Starbucks the rain began. We had jackets so that helped alot. Since David was riding his road bike I was following him all the way. I was on my hybrid. The rain picked up as we rode. When we hit A1A south we got the wind along with the rain.

The Van was parked at Tomoka Christian Church so we rode there, broke our bikes down and loaded them up in the van. While loading up we got to visit with Pastor Joe Putting, it was great to see him and share a bit. When we got back to Duane's we got a nice hot shower! After that we packed everything up in our vehicles and headed to South Daytona Christian Church for their Mission Potluck Dinner. It was great to see our friends at SDCC. They had me share for a moment about UF CCH and about Christianville in Haiti. They are a great group of mission minded folks.

It was an action packed weekend that was a blast. My other brother Donald came over to the track to sell firewood. It was kind of slow on Friday night but business picked up on Saturday. It was great to see him as well.

2010

2010-01-01T17:15:00.006-05:00

2010 has gotten off to a great start. Morning quiet time has been fruitful, consistent daily miles on the bike has been good and meeting with students now that classes are back in session has been fun.

What hasn't been fun is the frigid weather we are experiencing. It takes awhile to get enough clothes on so that I stay warm as I ride. It also altered our Welcome Back plans as outside activities have moved inside.

I look forward to an exciting week that will be capped off with Girl's Night Out and ManChurch fellowship activities this Saturday. On Sunday our Guatemala Mission Team will meet then DQ and Beth Roberts from Christian Riders Ministry will share with us as we resume Sunday Night Live. Family Groups (gender based small groups) resume next week. It's going to be an amazing semester of growth making Christ known on our campus.

Pray without ceasing! bob g.

12.17-22.2009 - Winter Bike Trip '09

2009-12-17T06:11:00.010-05:00

This year's WBT would begin at Seminole-Collier State Park just south of Naples, FL. Jen, Nathan, Gavin, Ben and I loaded up Friday afternoon and began the journey to Bradenton to eat dinner with Kristina and her family. After dinner Kristina would join us for the trip to SCSP. We endured some wet weather along the way but the rains ceased by the time we arrived at the Park. This made setting up camp much easier. After setting up we closed the day in prayer before settling in for the night.

DAY 1
After a good nights rest we woke up at 7am for breakfast. Oatmeal, bagels and juice yummy! We finished breakfast, broke down camp, packed up, took a picture, prayed and then began to pedal to Punta Gorda. Right after exiting the park we stopped in a store to load up on fluids. After that we got going for real.

The first stretch of road was scenic but we were riding into a headwind. This was to be the story of the day. We left the scenic road behind as we entered Naples. From there to Ft. Meyers the roads were busy but we either had a bike lane or sidewalk. We met Jen and the boys in a CVS parking lot for lunch. We were hungry! Thank the Lord for lunch meat and chips and granola bars. We needed more water for our water bottles so we did some shopping at CVS.

After lunch we began the journey to Ft. Meyers, our next point of reference. Along the way we stopped at New Day Christian Church in Ft. Meyers to take a picture at the sign. Good friend and cyclist Scott Cain is the pastor and NDCC has been a good friend of UFCCH. We also stopped to see where the New Mission Systems Inc. office was located and where my good friend Matt Hickman lives. Matt serves with NMSI in the area of recruitment. Unfortunately Matt was en route to TN for Christmas so we didn't get to see him.

After crossing the bridge leaving Ft. Meyers the ride became a bit more scenic. From that point on we rode into the wind and into the night. About 2 miles before camp we stopped for some fluids and a brief rest, the ride into the wind had been long and taxing. How exciting it was to start back pedaling see Sweetbay, we knew the road to camp was just beyond the store. We made our turn and found the campground. We rode to the back and found Jen and the boys. Camp was set up and dinner was ready! Perfect timing. Dinner never tasted so good. After dinner was a hot shower, the Proverb for the day and sleep time. It was a tough but good first day of riding. Riding mileage for day 1 was 75.

DAY 2
I think we slept even better the second night of camping. I am sure the ride the day before helped with that. We woke a bit earlier because the day's ride would be longer. Breakfast once again was great and breaking down camp was a bit quicker.

Today we would be riding Kristina to her house in Bradenton (Lakewood Ranch) and then heading on to Fort Cooper State Park. The early part of the ride was nice and calm. We rode by the airport in Punta Gorda then on to Nocatee where we would meet Jen and the boys. We snacked some and refilled our water bottles. After Nocatee we rode up 17 to Arcadia. There we would head west on 70. It seemed that no matter the direction we rode we were riding into the wind. We were out in the country so at least the scenery was nice. At one point we needed a break from the wind so we pulled off the road and layed down for a bit. One motorist stopped to check on us, we assured him we were fine. Right after he stopped Jen and boys stopped. All the riding into the wind made me hungry so it was time for another snack. After snacking it was time to head to Lakewood Ranch. We thought we could wait to eat lunch at Kristina's house but that was not too be. By Myaaka River we were ready to eat. There was a nice park so it was perfect. A great lunch and nice bathroom make for a great stop.

After lunch the wind let up some so we were praising God. Our bike lane disappeared from time to time so that was annoying. I have a great mirror so I kept a close eye on the approaching vehicles. Just before Lakewood Ranch we got our bike lane back and a much better road. It wasn't long before we were dropping Kristina off at her house. We visited with her mom and dad for a bit before we set out for Ft. Cooper SP. As we biked north on Lorraine Rd. I received a call from Todd Dawson, a great brother in Christ and avid cyclist. He had seen the UFCCH van on his way home so he called. I told him where Ben and I were so he headed our way. It was great to stop and visit with Todd and his daughter for a few minutes. We couldn't visit long because we had 40 more miles to go to get to FCSP.

Ft. Cooper SP never happened due to a problem with Google maps. The road the map said to take really didn't exist. Therefore we rode east for awhile to catch a road that would take us northwest to roads that would take us east and north to FCSP. By the time we reached Parrish it was dark and cold. At that point we were at 90 miles for the day so I told Jen to meet us there. Since it was the night of the Survivor Finale Celeste (my wife) encouraged us to find two hotel rooms so we all could be warm, take a warm shower and watch Survivor. At first I fought the suggestion but then by Parrish it seemed like a great idea. Jen found us a great place to stay in Ruskin. We hit the McDonald's drive through on the way to the hotel. Vanilla iced coffee and Wraps! After a warm shower Ben and I watched a great final episode of Survivor. When it went off at 11pm so did the tv and we fell asleep quickly. A great end to another great day of riding.

DAY 3
We awoke to great weather and no wind. The hotel had a continental breakfast so we enjoyed some yogurt, bagels, juice.... After packing the van we left Ruskin and headed to Inverness. We turned north on 301 and encountered road construction. This would last till Riverview. In Riverview we turned off of 301 on to Riverview Dr. and then on to Providence. Providence was a mixture of bike lane riding and sidewalk riding. This was a a more direct route to joining back up with 301 which would then take us to Zephyrhills.

In Zephyrhills we took a break at McDonalds. Once again, I was in need a an iced coffee and a McChicken. I seemed to stay hungry on this trip which is much different than the Go The Distance trip across the country. After checking some e-mail we talked with Jen. She and the boys were able to visit some relatives then head north of Zephyrhills to BBQ restaurant near the start of the Withlacoochee Trail. We finished our business and biked the 6.8 miles to the restaurant. There Ben and I split a BBQ sandwich. After food and pictures we set off for Inverness via the Trail. It was great! No traffic just good riding and good conversation. That made the final 28 miles pass by. During the ride Jen called and said she and the boys had a fun time finding the campsite at Ft. Cooper State Park. She gave us the most direct route to where she was so we wouldn't bike all around the Park trying to locate her. Just before the Park we saw a bike shop just off the Trail in Floral City. We met the owners outside the shop. They were about to ride home but they insisted on opening up for us to take a look. The shop was very nice and Ben saw a trailer that he might purchase for our upcoming May ride from Cedar City, UT to San Francisco to Los Angeles. We had a good look at the shop and chat with the owners then set off for our campsite. It was dusk and getting cold so it was great to see the tents set up. Today's ride was 86 miles.

We got a good fire going and cooked up hamburgers and Asian stir fry. Delicious! After dinner it was time for Smores, a campfire tradition. Yummy as always. We cleaned up from dinner and read our Proverb for the night. We also shared in communion since the day before had been a bit crazy. After that, our final night of sleep out in the wild.

DAY 4
The temperature had dropped into the 30's during the night so that made it hard to get out of our sleeping bags. Once I did get out of my sleeping bag and go outside it actually felt warmer outside the tent. After breakfast we broke down camp and packed everything up for a final time. We packed so that Jen and boys could get back early and unload their stuff easy.

Ben and I still had more of the Trail to ride so the start of our riding time was pleasant. We both realized within the first 2 miles that we had too many clothes on so fortunately we saw Jen and the boys at a crossroad just north of the Park. We flagged her down so we could throw some clothes in the van. Ahhh, much better. We started back on the Trail, we would take it to Dunnellon. We got to the end of the Trail and cut through a neighborhood to get to 41 north. Jen called and said she was at a park just before the bridge. We met up with her and enjoyed some lunch. We also unloaded a few more clothes, it had warmed up nicely. I told Jen that we were good from that point on so they could head back to the Campus House.

41 north in Citrus County is not very good when it comes to a bike lane. We either had no bike lane, very little or alot. Mostly none or alittle. Once we entered the County that Williston is in we had great road and a great bike lane PTL! The final day's ride was only going to be 68 miles but I could feel myself struggling just outside of Williston. I was low on energy and my legs hurt. I think Ben was feeling it as well. I knew Williston had a McDonalds so I stayed motivated. I got an iced coffee and something to eat. I felt better for the final 18 miles. The ride from Williston to Gainesville was great. Very scenic. Cows and horses. Once we hit Gainesville we hit traffic. Just before crossing under I 75 we stopped at the Kangaroo station for a bathroom break. From there it was a quick 5 mile ride to the Campus House. Upon our arrival we thanked the Lord for the safe trip and great journey.

This year's WBT was challenging but great. THANKS to Jen and the boys for being such an awesome Support Team. Thanks to Kristina for joining Ben and I for two days. Thanks to Ben for "going the distance" once again. I know this journey was good preparation for the ride to come in May.

Tentative plans for the 2010 WBT have us riding from East Point, GA back to Gainesville.
Needless to say there are many miles to ride before then so we will see how things go.

May 2010 be an amazing year of serving the Lord and cycling! bg

TEAM

2009-09-22T13:28:00.004-04:00

Recently on September 5th, Kristina Anderson, Ben Anderson and I competed in a Sprint Triathlon. We are a Co-ed Relay Team.

I usually compete as an individual but this year I decided to put together a Team to compete in The Great Floridian Ironman Distance Triathlon in Clermont, FL.

Both Kristina and Ben thought and prayed about this undertaking because it was going to take commitment. Kristina will swim 2.4 miles, I will bike 112 miles and Ben will run 26.2 miles. The commitment is both to training and to the team.

We began training and then I found out that there was a Sprint Triathlon in Crystal River on the day of the Gators first football game which wasn't going to be till 7pm. I knew we could do the race and be back in Gainesville in plenty of time to enjoy the pre-game festivities as well as the game. I mentioned the race to Kristina and Ben and they agreed that it would be a good practice day for our Team.

The day before the race finally arrived. We were all excited. We were leaving at 5pm. About 4pm or shortly thereafter Ben sent me a text message saying he hurt his back working out. I thought Ben was trying to pull a joke on me. I sent him a text message back. His next text explained exactly how it happened. It was no joke. My teammate was hurting. We all began to pray that Ben would be healed up and ready to go by morning.

I picked Ben up first. He was moving slow. We picked Kristina up next. Oh, I forgot to mention that Courtney Smith was with us. We were heading to her house to spend the night. She decided to ride along and surprise her parents.

We got to Courtney's house and relaxed before dinner. Ben took another dose of ibuprofen. Our prayer was that he would be healed up in the night so he could run the 5K the next day. After dinner we visited a bit then decided it was time to get to bed because 5:30am would come early.

It did come early! I felt good; ready to go. I checked on Ben. Not good news. He was going to be a spectator and I now was going to do the 15 mile bike and 5K run. Not a big deal because I have been competing in some Sprints this season. I was just sad for Ben. He had been training and his training was going good. He would now encourage us as we competed, heal up and then resume training for Clermont.

We had a good race. Kristina did great in the swim and my run was better than my bike. All in all it was a great Team day and the Team did great to encourage each other and pull for each other. I am proud (in a good Biblical way) of my Teammates and thankful to God that they both are amazing Spiritual Teammates.

Here at the U.F. Christian Campus House we are not only a Family but a Team. We love each other, encourage each other and help each other as family members. As Spiritual Teammates we pray together, work together, serve together and reach out together so that the UFCCH Team is strengthened and that the world around us is impacted for Christ. This is a great challenge in a challenging place. If you are a follower of Christ please pray for Team CCH as we minister here in Gainesville and pray for our Relay Team as we prepare to race and share in Clermont late in October.

We are pressing on!

08.31.09 - Off and Running!

2009-08-31T15:52:00.006-04:00

Classes started last week which means our life just got super crazy! We are excited about all the new students that we have met on campus while playing Ultimate or Kickball. It has been cool to have them join us at UFCCH for Sunday Night Live or a Family Group. http://www.ufcch.com/

Family Groups (gender based) begin this week. Right now there are 3 Girls Groups scheduled to meet and 2 Guys Groups. We are continuing to look for students to host an on campus prayer group.

Today I met with some guys from Operation Transformation. They shared with me The 40 Day Campus Revolution. It challenges students to not only read the word of God and pray for 40 days but also to live it out. It gives them different options each day that will allow them to live out their faith on campus. I am asking our new Freshman if they would like to serve as a test group for this project. The 40 Day Campus Revolution college edition is just being relaunched.

Please remember us in prayer as we begin this semester and begin to make more and more of an impact for Christ on our campus.

Thanks,

bob g.

National Student Conference - Evansville, IN - 8.1-5.09

2009-08-12T20:25:00.003-04:00

This was the year that UFCCH was going to return to the NSC in Evansville. It is an amazing college conference filled with great teaching, worship and fellowship. Ben Anderson and I were the only two that could go this year but that was fine. UFCCH was back!

Ben and I like to make our journeys a challenge so we didn't leave out of Gainesville for Sanford till 11:30pm. Actually, Ben didn't get off work till then so we didn't have a choice. The drive was fine but we both were tired. It was great to get to our hotel and grab about four hours of sleep before we were to catch the shuttle to the airport. Did I say shuttle? The 6:15am shuttle never arrived so we jumped back into the van and headed to the airport. We parked, checked in, made it through security and to our gate.

The flight to Owensboro, KY was good and quick. The airport in Owensboro was small so it was crowded. We called the rental car company and then waited on the shuttle. This one actually did arrive and took us to our car. Before departing Owensboro we needed some iced coffee so we gave McDonald's some more business. The drive up to Evansville seemed to go buy fast PTL! We knew we were early so we went to Wal Mart to pick up some things we needed for the week. We also took some time to check out the outdoor store Gander. When we finally got clued into the fact that we were now in Central time and way early for registration we decided to go to Golden Corral for lunch. We ate, returned to USI (University of Southern Indiana) and then crashed on some couches near Registration. 2pm central time finally arrived and so did Big Dog Tim Hudson. We checked in immediately so we could get the keys to our dorm room. We found our dorm and our room and settled in. After settling we decided that a good nap was in order before dinner. What a great sleep! We grabbed some dinner and then went to the opening session. There we got to meet some awesome folks from all over and bask in a great time of worship. After worship we were introduced to Shane Wood who would share evening messages with us. Shane was right on with his first message. After the session Ben and I visited with Shane a bit and then had prayer with him. Since he had three more messages to share with us we wanted to cover him in prayer. The first day and night were great; now it was time to get some more sleep!

Summer 3 Day Bike Ride 07.15-17.2009, UFCCH Alumni & Sebastian CC

2009-07-16T17:30:00.003-04:00

I anticipated this ride for quite a bit. I missed being off the bike most of May and then it was hit and miss all throughout June. What I didn't anticipate were the difficulties that would challenge me each and every day.

Day one to Apopka was a day of getting use to Zach's bike. He let me borrow it for the trip. Half way through the day I realized I should have changed out the saddle. As the heat set in the cuts from my recent bike wreck began to sting as sweat poured into them. In the wreck I also hurt my hands so it was hard to grip any one way for very long. I was constantly changing my grip position throughout the day.

I stopped in The Villages for lunch at McDonald's. While there I was glad to run into Dustin. He was with a friend and decided to lunch at McDonald's as well. It was great to visit with them.

I got rolling again and didn't stop again till I arrived in Leesburg. There I got to visit with Ronnie Allegro. Ronnie was a student at UF and at CCH a few years back. He also likes to ride from time to time. It was great to see Ronnie and take a break from the heat. He blessed me with a cold water bottle.

I had talked with my brother David off and on throughout the day. His plan was to meet me in Eustis and ride with me to Apopka. I knew the distance I had to cover to get to Eustis and how long it would take so I visited with Ronnie for about a half hour. It was great to see him again. I am looking forward to a return trip to Leesburg so we can go for a ride.

I got to Eustis a bit late because the heat was getting me and I was running out of fluids. David and I met in the middle of Eustis and we rode to the closest McDonald's for a snack and an iced coffee. I also refilled my camelbak. From there to my mom's house we rode well. The McDonald's break did wonders. Once we got to mom's house we cleaned up and headed to Sonny's! I had hoped for that but never mentioned it so when mom suggested it I was super excited. We had a great dinner and visit. I knew the night would call for ibuprofen and lots of rest because the next day's ride to Okeechobee was going to be tough.

UFCCH AFRICA Mission Trip - 05.05-29.2009

2009-05-09T21:00:00.012-04:00

The journey to Mozambique was amazing. It was the culmination of 8 months of raising funds and preparing as a team. I know I speak for the team when I say we were not disappointed. The journey there was long and included an overnight stay in Johannesburg. We got to our hotel by taxi since we could not track down the hotel shuttle. After settling and and having a nice dinner at the hotel we prayed our way into the night.

The morning came early and we were back to the airport to catch our flight to Beira. It was nice that this was a short flight. In Beira we would be meeting Jacob and Jaynie Michael, missionaries with Good News for Africa. They would be hosting us and leading us in ministry for the next three weeks. We arrived and as did our luggage PTL. The lady in charge didn't want to let one bag (filled with yarn) pass through Customs because we didn't have the receipt. Another group was having a similar problem so there was a lot of waiting around. Didn't really matter though because we were still waiting for them to do all the paperwork for the Tourist Visa that we purchased. Jacob came to the Customs office and talked with one of the ladies (the main one was still working on the other group). They seemed resolute in having both of us pay a tax on what we had brought in. The first group stayed in discussion with her and explained that all the supplies were for the people in Mozambique. After awhile she let them go and left the room. We asked the girl we were talking what to do and she said we should go on. I was thanking the Lord for getting us over this little hurdle. After all that was finished with the man in the Travel Visa office came out with all of our Passports and our receipt. Now that all this was done we could meet casually with Jacob and Jaynie and begin to load up all of our luggage and team.

It was an interesting start to our three weeks in Mozambique; I was sure that more was to come. I will write about that tomorrow.

The trip to Chimoio didn't start right away because we had to wait on Dale's flight to arrive. Dale would help translate for us. We knew he wouldn't be in for a bit so we went into Beira for lunch. After ordering we went for a walk on the beach. We knew that we had plenty of time because it takes time for the orders to come out of the kitchen. We had a good time walking on the beach and taking pictures. We returned to the restaurant and waited a bit more time. This allowed for good conversation with Jacob and Jaynie. Lunch finally arrived and it was great.

Dave finally arrived later that day PTL. We then began the two hour drive to Chimoio in the Landrover. It was a good ride but it was even better to arrive at the house. It's always fun to arrive at a new place. See the town, neighborhood and house. The dogs greeted us upon our arrival. They were so excited. We unloaded everything off the Landrover and got settled in. By this time it was time to go to bed. We we so happy to finally be there.

UFCCH Costa Rica Mission Trip - 03.07-14. 2009

2009-03-14T20:36:00.011-04:00

The Costa Rica Mission Trip was an amazing journey. God once again assembled a great team. There were a total of 13 of us who wanted to do more on spring break than hit the beach. We wanted to serve and work and share. That we did!

After a long day of travel from Gainesville to Orlando to Panama City, Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica to 6:8 Ministries in Alajuelita, CR we were tired! We arrived at the mission house, unloaded, had something to eat, had orientation with Spencer and the 6:8 Staff and then hit the sack! It was a great but tiring day one.

The next morning after breakfast we went to church at CCA. The fellowship, worship and message were good. They had the message interpreted for us so that helped greatly. We returned to the mission for lunch and then spent the afternoon prayer walking in different areas around Alajuelita. We visited with many families and lifted them up to God in prayer. It was a great way to meet people, learn our way around and bring our week to come in to focus.

Each night after dinner we had a time of worship and a message by Duke. We looked forward to this time each day because it encouraged us, challenged us, fed us and kept us focused. After worship we would then have group time. In group time we debriefed about the message, the day, situations.... We also took time to affirm each other and pray for each other.

Monday morning came and the work/ministry began. The rest of the week, except for Tuesday, we were teaching English in schools, sharing and serving at a Feeding Center, building walls for a burned down house, serving empanadas and kool-aid in the park.... One day we had gender specific ministry to do so the girls went to a Women's Ministry Center and the guys went to do some work for a local man that Spencer and 6:8 had been ministering to.
The girls loved their time with the ladies! They shared, sang, danced and spent time in the Word. God touched each one's heart. The guys enjoyed getting to know Luis more and helping him with the entrance to his house. They really liked using POWER TOOLS! Luis is confined to a wheelchair and likes to get outside some. The entrance of his house is being renovated so he can come outside and sit in the shade. There were many other bits of ministry that occurred throughout the week in a small group format. It was exciting to see God working and in through each one on the team.

Our free day was Tuesday. We spent the morning climbing the mountain. What's special about this mountain and this climb is that there are 3 crosses along the way. Each one is different and special. The whole group made it to all 3 crosses and enjoyed "the view from the top". After lunch we went to the markets in downtown San Jose. What a change. It was good though. We found some cool stuff, coffee and ice cream.

The whole week was amazing and I praise God for each team member as well as Spencer, his family and the 6:8 Ministries family. The final closed out with the viewing of the video from the week that Molly had made for us. You can see that by clicking on the link below.

God bless! bob g. & the cch cr mission team

To see more of our journey click on this... http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=032067c66a527a0d87b1

Overnight Ride - 02/28-03/01/2009, St. Augustine Beach, FL

2009-03-01T23:14:00.007-05:00

SATURDAY
It was finally here! I had been looking forward to the Overnight Bike Ride with Shawn, Matt and his dad.

We all arrived on time, loaded the van up, prayed over our journey and set out.

Jen and Gavin (Support Crew) went to McDonalds after seeing us off. The ride out of town was good except for some road work being done. We stopped for some fluids and a snack in Orange Heights. It was a nice first stop to access how everyone was doing.

We finished up and began the journey to lunch on the river in Palatka. The ride through Melrose to Putnam Hall was uneventful. Between Putnam Hall and Palatka we had some ups and downs (hills). They were a good terrain change. It flattened out before Palatka so all we had to do was cruise through town to the river. There we met Jen and Gavin. We prayed and picnicked by the water. What a beautiful spot.

Lunch was great. Even better was knowing that we were just over 30 miles away from our campsite. We rode over the St. Johns River and then stopped to reload our fluids. From there it was a quick ride to Anastasia Island State Park thanks to a great tailwind. Everyone did great. Today's ride was 81 miles!

SUNDAY
I love camping at Anastasia Island State Park! Our site was great and having the opportunity to go to the beach just minutes away was fantastic.

After a great night of sleep we got up to dry but windy and overcast weather. We ate breakfast, shared in the Word and Communion, took down camp and began to pedal back to Gainesville.

Shortly after leaving the park it began to rain. With the rain and the wind it became really cold. We were biking into a strong headwind so we were working hard. Just before getting to 95 the rain started to come down hard so we pulled into a Kangaroo station to get out of the rain and get something hot to drink. We also summoned Jen to come back our way so we could get some things out of the van.

We waited for 30 minutes or more then decided to get back at it. The rain had let up alot but just after a mile or so of riding the rain stopped. It was still windy but PTL the cold rain had ceased. We fought our way to Green Cove Springs where we enjoyed Starbucks and lunch out of the van. The low light of the stretch before GCS was crossing over the Shands Bridge. The 30-40 mile an hour headwind made it very, very difficult. The traffic, including big redneck trucks, didn't help one bit. PTL we made it!

Starbucks and lunch were great. It was really great that a Family Dollar store was across the street. I need some cheap gloves and a beanie to keep me warm the rest of the way. We fought the wind to Camp Blanding and then on into Starke. We decided, before Starke, that that would be our stopping point. There was no need to fight the wind all the way to Gainesville. We could do that another day. Our average speed for the day was 11 miles per hour and our total mileage for the day was 60. We met Jen and Gavin at CVS. We loaded up on some food and fluids then we loaded up our bikes in the van and headed home.

It was a great two day ride though day two was quite challenging. I was glad we all experienced day two because that is the reality of long distance biking. Some days are easy and great while other days are hard and frustrating. If you can enjoy the bad with the good you can enjoy life on the road.

WINTER BIKE RIDE - Ft. Pierce to West Palm Beach, FL

2008-12-23T14:01:00.003-05:00

The wind never stopped in the night and it greeted us early in the morning. After breakfast and breaking down camp we got back out to the road along the inlet. The wind coming off the water made the ride very challenging. As we entered Jensen Beach I was glad to spot a Starbucks. We needed a coffee break. We got our iced coffees and sat outside. We talked about the challenge of the morning and what was before us the rest of the day as we rode toward Ft. Lauderdale.

We rode through Stuart, Hobe Sound, Jupiter Beach and on to North Palm Beach. Jupiter Beach was really nice. Some locals shared with us that Tiger Woods was having a house built in Jupiter Beach so we were able to eyeball the construction. After JB Ben began having bike troubles again so we decided to to limp our way to North Palm Beach and call it a ride. The wind conditions and bike troubles made that an easy call. We met Jen and the boys at the CVS and we ate in the parking lot. After lunch we changed in the bathrooms, restocked our fluids, loaded up and began the journey back to Gainesville.

The drive home was good. I dropped Jen and the boys off at Texas Roadhouse so they could meet up with friends and I dropped Ben off at his apt. Then I went home to see my girl, clean up and get some rest.

The second Winter Bike Trip was a great success. We rode 325 miles in 4 days and got to see quite a bit of Florida's east coast. God took care of us the whole way as did Jen and the boys. Ben and I were humbled and blessed.

I am looking forward to Winter Bike Trip 3 this December. We will ride from Marco Island to Gainesville. Jen and boys are on board to serve as our Support Crew once again so we are very thankful for that. WBT3 will take place December 19-22. If you are interested in riding one or more days with us let me know.

Blessings! bob g.

WINTER BIKE RIDE - Titusville to Ft. Pierce,FL

2008-12-22T16:37:00.002-05:00

It was cold this morning when we woke up. After two days in regular riding gear it was time to put on the cold weather gear. We did so after breakfast. I was hungry this morning. I consumed many packets of oatmeal and various other breakfast items. No coffee though so I was looking forward to using our Starbucks card in Cocoa Beach.

After praying we rode back out to US 1 and turned south. We took that down to where we could cut over to A1A. That stretch of road had several bridges so it was up and down and up and down. The cross wind made this stretch a good challenge. After the final bridge we got some protection from the wind as we entered Cocoa Beach. We found the Starbucks at the Cocoa Beach Surf Company so we parked our bikes and enjoyed an iced coffee and a cookie or pastry.

Ben's bike troubles started back up so we met Jen and the boys at Bob's Bike Shop in Eau Gallie. Ben got some work done to his bike and we ate lunch in the parking lot. There was no charge for the bike work so we were grateful and praising the Lord. After lunch Ben tested his bike out and it was better. Not great but better.

The rest of the day he dealt with bike issues but thanks to a strong tailwind we were able to put in over a hundred miles and make it to the campground in Ft. Pierce just after nightfall. We had out headlamps and taillights so it wasn't a problem. Because of the strong winds Jen was only able to set up one tent. When we got there I determined that it was too windy to start up the gas stove so we went to McDonald's. It was nice to get some chicken wraps, iced coffee and ice cream.

We got back to the campsite and set up our tent. The wind was still blowing strong so we worked together to get it set up. After doing so we settled in for a time of reading before drifting off to sleep. The strong wind whipped our tent in such a way that I was reminded of a couple of nights on my GTD ride and my time in the bush in Tanzania. I sleep well in those conditions and a good night's sleep was needed after a long day of riding.

WINTER BIKE RIDE - St. Augustine to Titusville, FL

2008-12-21T17:38:00.009-05:00

Today started early! We awoke just after 5am so we could get cleaned up, eat breakfast and start pedaling by 6:30am. The reason we wanted to leave early was so we could stop at the Beachside Church in Ormond Beach for their 10am service. We just made it. We actually met Jen, the boys and Maria Jones at the Starbucks just before Beachside. Thanks to Maria's mom we were able to get a large iced coffee, she gave us a Gift card to use for our trip PTL!

The service at Beachside was great and it was great to see good friends Robbie and Greg. After service we went to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. Ben's girlfriend and family came to see us, it was awesome to finally meet Caroline and her family.

As much as we enjoyed visiting we knew we had to start pedaling again so we could make it to the KOA in Titusville. Ben had some bike issues along the way but we finally arrived late afternoon. By the time we got there Jen had the tents up so all we had to do was clean up, eat dinner and settle in for the night. As we settled in we were prepared for the cooler temperatures that would greet us in the morning. It had been a great day despite Ben's bike issues. God continues to take care of us.

WINTER BIKE RIDE - Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine,FL

2008-12-20T17:11:00.012-05:00

I was glad we were not in a rush to start the ride. We woke up to cold, rain and wind. We took out time to eat breakfast and get our gear together. After doing so the weather had improved. We unloaded our bikes, took care of final riding matters, prayed and departed. It was great to get riding!

Jen and the boys went on ahead. They would keep us posted as to what was a head. The ride down A1A was pretty as we passed Big and Little Talbot State Parks. We met up with Jen and the boys at the Ferry that would take us to Mayport. It was a nice and relaxing break.

After Mayport we began to deal with the traffic of the Jacksonville area. No problems PTL! We met up with Jen and the boys at Ponte Vedra Beach so we could eat lunch. Having a support van and crew is great. After lunch we began our put to Anastasia Island State Park.

Once we arrived in Villano Beach we knew it was just a matter of time till we reached camp. We crossed the bridge to St. Augustine and then enjoyed the sites along the way. We rode by the Fort and into town. The traffic moves slowly so it is easy to navigate downtown.

After seeing downtown we knew that it was time to get to camp. Jen and the boys had camp all set up so all we had to do was clean up and enjoy dinner. We cooked up some hamburgers, hotdogs and baked beans. It was awesome!

Day 1 went well. We knew that day 2's ride to Titusville would be longer and more of a challenge. We were looking forward to that.

VACATION: Silverman, The Ups and Downs of the Journey.11/06-14/2008

2008-11-16T21:21:00.002-05:00

The Silverman full distance triathlon is my favorite. It is located outside of Las Vegas, NV in Henderson. The 2.4 swim is in beautiful Lake Mead. The 112 mile bike ride goes along Lake Mead until it turns out into the desert and then backtracks through the desert to Henderson. The marathon is on a 2 loop course in Henderson. The setting and the people make this the best full distance triathlon in the country. The course makes it one of the most difficult in the country.

Celeste and I arrived on Thursday afternoon. After the airport we got settled in at the host hotel and enjoyed some dinner. After that we crashed. The three hour time difference caught up to us.

I woke up really early the next morning (Friday) so I went out for a 4:30am run. After that I went to Wal Mart to pick up some supplies and breakfast at McDonalds. After breakfast Celeste and I went out to Lake Mead so I could check out the water and get in one last swim. After that I went to pick up my race packet and take some time to walk around the race expo. Then it was off to pick up my bike at the Bike Shop. I spent time reassembling it and then test riding it. I bought a few items that I needed for the race. The day had been long and busy so I returned to the hotel to chill for a bit before the Pasta Dinner. After dinner it was time for bed!

The next day (Saturday) began with a Pancake Breakfast and then a trip out to the lake to drop off my bike and transition bags. The day was beautiful! There was much talk about the weather forecast for race day. It was to change drastically. It was to go from beautiful to beastly. Cold, wind, rain.... Standing there at the lake under a blue sky, bright sun and warm temperature I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Two years earlier the race day had been cold and windy. Not again I thought, and prayed.

Saturday night we went to Central Christian Church before heading to bed early...

Sunday AM: The forecast was right on. We woke up to cold and wind. There wasn't any rain at 4:30am, that was to come. We arrived at the lake and got checked in. We had time to get our special needs bags turned in and do a last minute check of our bike and bike transition bag. Then it was time to get ready for the start of the swim. It didn't look too bad out on the lake PTL. \o/

We gathered at the waters edge for the national anthem. Then Frank, the race director, talked with us a moment before starting the race. The first two legs of the swim went well despite the heavens opening up during the second leg and the lake becoming a bit more choppy. Then all heck broke loose as we started the third leg back into the wind. The chop turned into waves. I saw white caps, I saw rain, I saw the wind create spray, I saw swimmers struggling to make their way along the course. Fortunately for me, there was another swimmer near me so we were able to chat from time to time to make sure we were heading in the right direction. When we made the final turn to head back to shore we got to a spot where the lake settled down. Oh happy day! The swim in was good until my left calf muscle decided to start cramping. I swam through the cramp and made it to shore. It felt so good to be on land.

I was helped out of my wetsuit and then given my swim to bike transition bag. I quickly changed and then made my way to my bike. I walked it out of the transition area and then began the mile climb from the lake to Lakeshore Dr. It was cold and windy! I ate a Trailmix bar as I rode up the hill, it tasted so good. Once on Lakeshore Dr. I picked up the pace. It felt good to be going fast. This didn't last long because Lakeshore Dr. has lots of ups and downs. The strong wind was a bit scary on the fast downgrades. Before turning to head out into the desert the rain started again. I was so cold. At one point the rain felt like the sleet I had encountered in Colorado during my GTD ride. I dismissed that thought but later found out from other racers that it actually was sleet. I pressed on and finally made the right turn to head out in the desert. I could see lightning off in the distance. It was far away so no worries.

The ride out was mostly good. I was passing more riders than were passing me. I even passed 3 on one uphill section! At that point I knew all the mountains I crossed over during my GTD ride had payed off. About 10 miles before the turnaround the wind was in our face and the road was a bit rough. I was looking forward to turning back and then stopping at the half way feed zone. At the feed zone I was so hungry that I ate 2 trail mix bars, 1 cliff bar, a banana. I washed this all down with lots of Gatorade. I felt renewed so I mounted my bike to begin the last half of the ride. I felt a bit tired but I was riding consistent with the group around me. Then just before the 60 mile aide station I felt a wobble.

No, not again. I looked down and back at my rear wheel and I could see the wobble. My heart sank and I began to pray. As I approached the aide station I called out for a spoke wrench. Nobody had one. What about the mobile mechanic? I asked. Nobody knew where he was. I decided to go on. The wobble became worse over the next 10 miles. At the 70 mile aide station I asked the same questions. No wrench, no mechanic. At that point I knew I couldn't cover the next 42 miles with my wheel as it was. It was hard, but I decided to abandon the race at that point. The workers were awesome. They made sure I got food and fluids and stayed warm.

I sat there for over an hour waiting on sag vehicle. There was no phone service out there so I couldn't let Celeste know what was going on until I was in the sag vehicle and we were getting closer to town. She was relieved to hear that everything, except my rear wheel, was fine. The sag wagon took me and another racer who had to abandon the race to a vehicle that would transport us to the bike to run transition. There I was able to gather all of my stuff and return to the hotel.

The race was a disappointment, especially since I had a better race going than I did in 2006. I couldn't complain though because that was my first mechanical failure ever during a race. I had been blessed to be free of race day mechanical failure for 27 years. Not bad. Now that the race was behind us we could look forward to the week of vacation to come.

Celeste and I had a good time despite being on the run. We ate dinner with Lt. Col. Dan, Sue and Caleb Runyon, who had attended UFCCH years before we arrived.

We enjoyed some time seeing The Valley of Fire north of Las Vegas. We took time one day to see some of the different hotels and watch the fountain at the Billagio. One evening we went down to Fairmont St. for dinner and then the light show. It was a good week. Now it was time to return home for the rest of this semester and Gator football!

We have a heart for NV ! \o/

"Christianville" in HAITI Oct 29th - Nov 3rd

2008-11-03T22:30:00.006-05:00

My long awaited return to Haiti was finally here. It had been a year since I had been there. I was heading down to a Christianville Board Meeting and then spending some time at a couple of churches and an orphanage in the mountains. Finally, I was going to preach at the La Salle church on Sunday.

This trip, this country, this mission is special to me because this is where God changed the direction of my life as a sophomore in college. I went with a group from Milligan College to work at Christianville over our Christmas break. I remember Port au Prince being hot, busy and dirty. As we got out to Christianville it was still hot but much more beautiful then the city. We had a great 10 days of work and ministry. At the time I didn't realize that it would take me 20 plus years to return.

Several years ago God opened the door for me to join the Board of Directors for Christianville. My first Board meeting was at Christianville. It was so different when I finally returned. Health clinics, elementary, high school and college kids, a guest house, a growing farm that included fish ponds.... My how things had changed.

This was my third Board meeting at Christianville. The economic situation in the states had affected Christianville as much as other missions around the world and in our own country. This was going to be a challenging meeting but a good time to be with those on site who serve there day after day after day.

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon. The duration of the trip from Port to Gressier took us toward dinner time. We finally arrived at Christianville and joined up with other Board members who had arrived earlier in the day. Our evening was spent in fellowship and sharing about issues that faced Christianville. Then it was time for bed. It's a challenge to sleep away from home, especially in third world countries. Dogs bark throughout the night and then the roosters begin crowing way before daylight.

The next morning after breakfast we began our Board Meeting. The morning was spent with some folks who were a part of the history of Christianville. They helped us understand more about the past as we were getting ready to address the future. After lunch we began hear reports from the various ministries that make up Christianville. This continued into the next morning then after lunch we had to tackle some tough issues and make some tough decisions. We went into the night so we could finish up. The two days had been long and tough but productive. We closed our meeting time with prayer.

Early Saturday several of the Board members packed up and headed home. Those of us who were staying a few more days walked to the village just beyond Christianville. Two boys took us to their home to meet their family. It was good to see where they lived and to meet their mom, dad, brothers, sisters.... After our walk about we returned to Christianville for lunch.
That afternoon we loaded up in the truck and headed up into the mountains. We visited two churches. The first church is basically an open air church. The pastor is legally blind. His assistant brought him out to meet with us. We shared for a bit and then had prayer with him. The second church is further up in the mountains. The bottom floor is complete but the second floor is still under construction. They build as they have the money to do so. One of the church leaders and his kids showed us around. We concluded our time with them in prayer as well. After the church visits we returned to Christianville for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious.
The next morning I had the opportunity to preach at the La Salle church which is right next to Christianville. After a great time of worship I shared with them from Acts 2.

That afternoon we decided to visit an orphanage up in the mountains. The way there was quite bumpy and at times we were not sure we were on the right path. Recent storms made it a bit of a challenge to navigate the landscape. We arrived at the orphanage as the light of day of dimming. We brought with us a sack of rice and a sack of beans. Amy and Doug had gotten word that the orphanage was running out of food. Everyone was excited to see us and see that we brought food along. They showed us all around the orphanage and the church. We had a great time. Now it was dark and time to return to Christianville. It was hard to believe that this was my last night at Christianville.

The next morning after breakfast we left Christianville for the airport. Our trip to the airport went well so we were there a bit early. After getting checked in we were able to go upstairs to relax and grab a bite to eat. We visited for a bit and then headed downstairs to board the plane. The flights to Miami and Jacksonville were good. The layover in Miami was long so we had plenty of time to eat dinner, drink coffee and talk more about Christianville and the challenges that face it.

My late arrival in Jacksonville meant a very late arrival in Gainesville. I was glad the drive home was uneventful and that I was able to crawl into my own bed. I slept great. No dogs barking. No roosters crowing. It was good to be home.

The plan is to return to Christianville next October to meet again. I am praying that we will see good fruit growing as a result of decisions that were made. Please keep Christianville, Haiti and the kids in your prayers.

SCOTT

2008-10-15T15:20:00.002-04:00

Several weeks ago on a training ride I stopped to get a drink and snack at a store in Worthington Springs, FL. I picked out what I wanted to drink and then began my snack hunt. As I was looking a voice asked, "how far you riding?" I told him I was going to ride 60 miles that day.

He said to be careful and then he added, " God bless you."

"You are a Christian" I said to him. "Yes" he replied. He told me he was helping to put a roof on the church down the street but he lived in and went to church in Lake City, FL. I told him about CCH and my recent Go the Distance bike ride. He was excited. Then he shared with me some of the ministries that his church was involved in. I said "PTL!" \o/

I share this because this was a great time of spiritual refreshing in the middle of a warm, long bike ride. I was thankful for the cold drink and snack but I was more thankful for my time with Scott. "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another." My conversation with Scott took me right back to the conversations I would have day after day during my GTD ride.

As I rode from the store I thanked God for Scott and prayed for his safety as he continued to put the roof on the church. I also thanked God once again for everyone he introduced to me along the way that blessed me and brought me a time of refreshing. I now want to be that time of refreshing for someone else. I hope you desire is to join me in this quest.

For the sake of the call,
bob g.

583

2008-09-26T16:21:00.001-04:00

583 !

It's only 583 days till I begin pedaling from Cedar City, UT to Santa Barbara, CA.

The maps have been ordered and both Jeff and Nike and Jim and Bren have confirmed that they are excited I am coming. Jim has already ridden the pieces of the Western Express route and Pacific Coast route that I will be riding so he is going to be a great resource. He and Bren want to meet me somewhere along the coast and ride toward Santa Barbara or Los Angeles with me.

It is go cool that God introduced me to Jeff and Nike and Jim and Bren. You never know what will come of those meetings along the way.

This past Go the Distance Campaign was successful, but I believe that the total given for the first ride can be doubled.

Please pray that we will put together a more effective campaign for Go the Distance...Again.

Thanks and God bless you!

bob g.

Go the Distance AGAIN in 2010

2008-09-25T09:54:00.002-04:00

GO THE DISTANCE...AGAIN

My recent Go the Distance bike ride from Flagstaff, AZ to Gainesville, FL covered most of the United States from east to west but not all. Therefore, in May 2010 I will fly to Cedar City, UT and pedal to San Francisco, CA to complete the Western Express route.

Then, after visiting friends and seeing San Francisco for a day I will ride down the Pacific Coast to Santa Barbara, CA. This is just one of the sections of the Pacific Coast route that begins in Canada and ends in San Diego. I will cover 1,158 miles in 14 days! That will give me an average of 82 miles a day. Several friends are talking about riding one of the weeks with me. I hope to have at least one person riding with me each week.

Once again I will be seeking partners for my ride. UFCCH took a huge leap of faith to purchase the current Christian Campus House and I am excited about helping to "pay down our loan" by doing something that I love to do. If you would like to partner with me for my ride per mile or with a donation let me know.

A highlight of the trip will be seeing friends I met out on the road. I met Jeff and Nike on a training ride to St. Augustine. They live in San Francisco. They took 6 months to ride the perimeter of the United States and Canada. They rode over 11 thousand miles! They said I have a place to stay when I come to San Francisco.

I met Stacy from Seattle here in Gainesville at the Millhopper Starbucks. She was riding the Southern Tier route by herself (she made it to Houston, TX then had to fly home to take care of her husband who became ill). She was an awesome resource for me as I planned my trip. We still communicate via e-mail. When she found out about my upcoming ride she immediately let me know that her parents live in San Luis Obispo, CA and they want to host me when I pass through.

I met Bren as I pedaled toward Escalante, UT. She drove past me and stopped up ahead. I stopped and we talked. She let me know her husband was pedaling behind me. A bit later after a long climb I met her husband Jim. We got to spend time together on and off the road over the next two days. Jim and Bren live in Los Angeles and want to host me before I fly home.

This is going to be an awesome journey. I can't even imagine the sights I will see and the people I will meet but I know God has some cool stuff in store for me...again.

The bike maps are in the mail. Please pray for me as I prepare for this journey, recruit sponsors and recruit riders. I will keep you posted throughout my preparations and ride.

For the sake of the call!
bob g.

AK Days 8 - 13: Reflections

2008-09-24T13:57:00.011-04:00

Days 8 - 13 -

CAMP!

Camp has been over for awhile but I wanted to finish out with highlights from the week.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

That is what some of our staff wondered as they encountered some challenging kids. We met together the first night and talked about the different situations and we turned it over to God. It was awesome to see God work through camp and the staff to touch hearts. Kids that looked to be a challenge became a blessing. We were fortunate to have a balance. Though there were some kids that looked to be a challenge, there were many others that were excited to be there and excited about the week to come.

PROGRESS

As we gathered at the end of the first full day of camp staff frustration had turned to hope. Progress had been made throughout the day during family time, group games, hang time, worship sessions...that brought hope to the staff who had been so disheartened the night before. God was answering our prayers.

BREAKTHROUGHS

Days 2 through 4 brought about many breakthroughs in regards to relationships with kids, kids trust with the counselors, kids attitudes about camp, each other and spiritual matters. This became very evident in the Worship and Family Group times. No longer were they like pulling teeth. They were now vibrant and enjoyable. This was exciting and we know it was a direct result of lots of prayer and lots of counselor investment in the lives of the kids. We were giving praise to God for these breakthroughs!

IN CONCLUSION

The whole trip was amazing. God heard our prayers and provided us all with an amazing time at camp. Steve and Leslie poured their hearts into this week. Being local they invested so much of their time and money into the camp and we were the beneficiaries of their investments. They didn't do it so that they might be recognized for it (and I am sure they are uneasy as they read this), they did it because they have big, big hearts for kids and they desire to give them the opportunity to encounter Jesus who can rock their worlds.

THANKS

To the team that stepped out in faith to plan, prepare, pray over and lead a week of camp for kids that most of them didn't know. To Brooke and Jacob who went the extra mile to lay a firm camp foundation here so that we could build upon it there. To Steve and Leslie for all that I mentioned above and more. To God who made it all possible and did more than we ever could have imagined.

RIGHT NOW

It's September 24th and we have been home for almost two months. Some dialog has been going on between the campers and counselors, pray that God will use this dialog to keep each other focused on him daily.

THE FUTURE

Brooke, Jacob and Ben will be putting a team together to return next June, 2009. Between now and then there will be lots of prayer, communication, encouragement, advertising.... Please join me in prayer as this team comes together and prepares to impact the lives of kids again at Orton Ranch.

To God be the glory!

bob g. and team alaska

AK Day 7: "CAMPERS ARRIVE"

2008-07-22T13:39:00.005-04:00

Day 7 - Blue sky and sunshine! What a way to start the day that would later turn into the official start of camp for 15-20 high school and middle school kids as well as the crew from UFCCH. After breakfast we had time to take care of last minute stuff before we began our hike to the dock at 11:30am.

With great anticipation for the number of campers we would meet at the dock we began our hike. The pace was much quicker than the day before because "berry stops" were less frequent. We got to the dock a bit early. It was a crowded dock so we wondered where the "fast boat" from Salmon Falls would dock. After talking some and meeting some of the other folks who were docked there we heard the roar of a boat coming our way. It was a Salmon Falls boat and it whizzed right past us and kept going. People waved to us so I guessed that the boat was heading down toward the Naha River just to give everyone a glimpse and after the glimpse it would return and dock. Others weren't as sure. A few minutes later the boat did come back toward us and found a place to dock on the inside of the dock.

We were excited to see Leslie and Elenor (Steve & Leslie's foster child) and one, two, three, four...eighteen campers! Karen, we met last year, is from Titusville, FL and was part of last year's camp team that put on VBS at Metlakatla and then did a camp for elementary school aged kids. Trevan was a camper last year, it was so awesome to see him return this year. He decided to come at the last minute and brought a couple of friends with him. Leslie, Jacob, Ben and God all worked to get Trevan to come so we were so excited to see that he did decide to come at the 11th hour. There were a couple of girls who were with us at camp last year as well. Four were familiar and fourteen were new to us.

Once all the campers, their luggage and supplies were unloaded we began the hike over "the hump" to the other dock where the small boat was waiting to take the luggage. Everyone loaded their luggage and then we began the hike to camp. Along the way was a great time to visit with those we knew and get to know those who were new to us. It was a fun hike that went by fast due to the conversation along the way.

It's always fun to get that first glimpse of Orton Ranch. Inevitably someone yells out, "I see it!" I was toward the back so I don't know if Ben did his ceremoniously run across the field a second time. We all gathered at the Pavilion and received our first set of instructions. Moments later the campers were moving in and setting up their bunk and the space around it. There was lots of excitement in the boy's dorm. I could tell we had some interesting characters. After awhile it was time to begin the camp program which included get to know you games, formation of family groups, worship, a message, campfire, hangout time and bed time. This time of beginning camp and getting to know each other was interesting and challenging.

By the time bed time rolled around (the campers had to be in by 11:30pm and quiet by midnight) it became obvious as to who the rowdy campers were. I was bunked by Izzak, Donovan and Austin. All very cool guys. The guys across the way from me were part of the Rowdy Bunch. Trevan, Jarrett, Hugh and eventually Kaleb. They were lively but respectful. When midnight came they quieted immediately and went to sleep. I was shocked but praising the Lord! \o/ I knew if they did that all week we would be fine and get enough sleep to push through each long and exhausting day of camp.

All in all we survived the first day. I am sure there will be some things to address at the morning Staff Meeting so we can be ready for the first full day of camp and more time getting to know the campers who are new to us.

God answered the prayer re: more campers, I know it is just the beginning of his work among us this week.

PTL!

bob g & the AK mission team

AK Day 6: "CAMP TRANSPORTATION"

2008-07-21T14:57:00.004-04:00

Day 6 - The night before we prayed selfishly to see some sunshine the next day. This morning we woke up to sunshine! We gave praise to the Lord. It was short lived though. As Ben, Jacob and I arrived at the dock to help load supplies on the boat the heavens let loose again.

As I walked to find the dock where Steve and Leslie were I heard one of the guys scream "STOP RAINING." It didn't right then but 3-4 minutes later the rain stopped. This made loading the supplies so much easier. We had a steep ramp to go down to get to the dock that led to the boat we were taking to camp. As the guys helped Steve and Leslie load the boat I made several trips back to the church to get the rest of the group and their luggage. Earl helped with the final trip so we got everyone and their luggage to the dock in a timely manner. The boat needed to sail by 11:30am.

The 3 hour ride to where we would unload was great. We took in the sights, took pictures, snacked on great cookies, talked, read, slept.... Once we got to our unloading spot we got all of us, our luggage and our supplies off the boat. We then had to hike it all over "The Hump" to a much smaller boat that would transport only our luggage and supplies up the river to the Orton Ranch Camp.

Allison rode in the boat to camp. This meant she would be helping unload all the luggage and supplies once they docked at camp.The TWO MILE HIKE to camp wasn't bad. There is a boardwalk off and on along the way. There are a few places where the boardwalk is in need of repair so we had to get off and step on rocks or a beam or the ground to make our way to the next part of the boardwalk. There were also parts of the hike that were on a muddy trail up and over rocks and trees and tree roots. Also along the way are berries! The hike to camp took longer than usual due to all the berry stops. How cool is that!

We arrived at Orton Ranch and Ben made his ceremoniously run across the ranch to the T-House proclaiming that we had arrived. We located our luggage and moved into our dorms. After that we helped unload kitchen supplies and gather supplies to stock the bathroom in our dorm. Once all the work was done we got to take some time to be introduced or reintroduced to Orton Ranch Camp and it's beautiful setting on the Naha River.

Steve fixed dinner and we ate! We only snacked along the way to camp so everyone was hungry. On Saturday prior to leaving for camp on Monday we did a bit of group building because many on the Team were new to each other. It helped some but there was more to be done. This became evident to me at camp and at dinner. I decided that after dinner we would have a team meeting and work on coming together so that the week ahead we could minister to the middle and high school kids as a group united and not divided.

Our meeting was great and God led.

We had some open and honest discussion that helped us clear the air and come together. No stone was left unturned. I truly felt that we made huge progress in unifying as a group. After our unity discussion we talked about Camp. We wanted to make sure we were all on the same page as we got ready to start camp the next afternoon. We were excited about the possibility of 20 campers coming to join us. Just three weeks earlier only 1-2 campers had signed up for camp so we were stoked that the number of potential campers had risen significantly.

After our time of meeting everyone took time to hang out and have fun before the generator went out at 11pm. Tomorrow will include hiking to the dock to meet Leslie and the campers, hiking the campers to Orton Ranch and then getting Camp started. It's going to be exciting!

As always, thanks for your prayers!

bob g & the AK mission team

AK Day 5: "LORDS DAY"

2008-07-20T20:58:00.010-04:00

Day 5: "LORDS DAY" Deer Mountain in Ketchikan, Alaska

Today was a long day! We had to wake up, pack up, clean up and move our stuff out "before" Sunday School and church. We got that all done then Abby shared a devotion with us before Sunday School. We went to the youth class. Pastor Doug shared about the message to the church at Ephesus found in Revelation. Worship was really good. Ben Edwards, Doug's son, led us in a great time of praise then Pastor Doug shared with us how we could live holy in an unholy world. The service and people were super. We also got to meet more youth and encourage them to come to camp. Several said they would.

We ate sandwiches and then loaded up to go hike Deer Mountain. The rain had let up until we got to the trailhead. We headed up knowing that it would take a couple of hours to get to snow and the first overlook. The trail was covered at times so that kept the rain off us some. Because of the massive amounts of snow that fell this winter there was a lot of water coming down the mountain as it melted.

Therefore, our feet got soaked along with the rest of our body. There were some great picture stops along the way as well as places to take a break. The group divided into two due to pace. Both groups made it up to the snow and down in good time. It felt so good to get to the Overlook, what an accomplishment! It then felt great to get back to the van and then to church so we could warm up in the shower and put on dry clothes.

At 6pm we met with the youth group. Several were coming to camp so it was great to get to know them beforehand.

At 7:30pm our dinner showed up. Vee ordered Chinese from our new friend Lee. We hAd a great variety which included Sweet and Sour Halibut. After dinner two groups went to the Ginter's to help bake cookies and do laundry. A third group went to Wal*Mart one last time before camp. The Wal Mart group finished shopping and joined everyone else at the Ginter's. We ate cookies, talked, watched tv, listened to music, finished up the cookies and some of the laundry. By this time it was nearing 11 pm. Many were tired from the hike so we went back to church and thanked the Lord for a great day. Then it was off to sleep.

Tomorrow we again have pack and clean up so we can head to camp! We have to load all the food and our stuff on the boat. Then we have a three hour boat ride to the two mile trail we have to hike into camp. We will do all that we need to do to get settled and ready for camp. We will hike back to the dock on Tuesday at noon to meet the campers and hike in with them. Camp will begin Tuesday afternoon.

Everything is going great, keep the prayers coming!

bob g

& the Alaska Team

AK Day 4: "ZIP LINE"

2008-07-19T12:26:00.008-04:00

Day 4: "ZIP LINE" in Ketchikan, Alaska

Yesterday was all about the whole group coming together. Today was about small groups working together.

After breakfast everyone jumped into their morning devotions, reading and/or journaling. Some even took some time to shower. We have one shower for twelve people so it takes team work to get every one through. At 9:20am Ben Anderson shared a devotion with the group before we set out. He reminded us about the importance and significance of service.

After our morning devotion we loaded up in vans and headed to the Rainforest Sanctuary. Mike Rigas arranged for us to go on the zip line but it had to be done in two groups at different times. We dropped the 10am group off and loaded the 12:30pm group up so they could go help Steve with a work project at the bunk house.

Steve & Leslie bought this house to live in the future and lodge mission teams. The 12:30pm group got busy unloading a trailer of wood. Of course it was raining so it was awesome to see them tackle the task no matter the conditions. While they unloaded the wood I took Brooke to the Randall's house to help Leslie with lunch. Good thing because Leslie got a call and had to head out (she's a flight nurse). Brooke was going to get everything ready for the work group to eat at 11:45am so they could be at the zip line at 12:30pm. When the 10am zip line group was finished they would go up to the house for lunch and then head to work at the bunk house. Most of the trailer got unloaded, lunch was awesome and the first group loved the zip line.

I was in the second zip line group. We met up with Mike, signed our Waiver and headed out. We were transported up to the start of the zip line in a big people moving truck that could go up steep hills easy. Once up top Mike introduced us to Chris who would be assisting him. They got us in our equipment and instructed us on how to zip correctly. We practiced on a short zip line, everyone did well. Now it was on to the first of seven zip lines that ranged anywhere from 150 feet to over 700 feet. The total zip line experience was awesome and it was good for the small groups as they got to know each other better, work together and have some fun.

We stopped by the bunk house to see how much the 10am group got done on the deck and how they were doing. When we arrived we saw that they did great work and found out they had returned to the church to get cleaned up. We went on to the church to meet up with them and decide on afternoon plans. By this time it was raining even harder so everyone got cleaned up, warm and dry. We decided to just relax until we went out to meet Steve to snag some King Salmon. It was nice to relax for a bit in the warm.

At 5:30pm we left to meet Steve. Brooke, Allison and Beth stayed at the church. They would have dinner ready for us at 8:30pm. Snagging was fun. Steve and Jacob caught one each and everyone else got to try it for a bit. A couple of bears put on a show for us across the Cove and the eagles showed up in mass. It was amazing.

We returned to church to a great dinner of Shake-n-Bake chicken, mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Alisha is the M&M Queen so we never have a shortage of sweets. After dinner we had a time of worship, debriefing and discussion of the day to come.

It was a good, challenging and fun day filled with blessings. Thanks for your prayers, keep them coming!

bob g

& the Alaska Team

AK Day 3: "GROUP BUILDING"

2008-07-18T19:12:00.012-04:00

Day 3 - "GROUP BUILDING" in Ketchikan, Alaska

Our first full day in Ketchikan was about group building and having some fun together. After everyone spent time reading, journaling, doing their devotions we circled up in the fellowship hall and began some group building. The first activity was Family, Favs and Faith. Everyone took turns sharing about these three areas of their life. This went on for an hour or so so after we were finished we took a short break.

The next activity was the Tennis Ball Game. In their circle they had to toss a tennis ball around to each person to form a pattern. After the pattern is formed the tennis ball is passed from person to person according to the pattern. It gets tricky as a second, third, fourth...more tennis balls are added to the pattern. It is a great activity for communication, working together and problem solving.

We used passages from "Bulletproof" and I Corinthians to add to our discussion and debriefing.

Our final group building activity for the morning was grocery shopping. We walked to Safeway and discussed what we would need for our meals at the church. We split into groups and headed out to find our assigned items. We all came back together to see what we had and see if we forgot any thing. We noticed a thing or two we forgot so different team members set off to get them. We paid for all our stuff and then each one grabbed a bag and we headed back to church.

After lunch we went downtown to get introduced to Ketchikan. A few groups walked the mile and a half and others rode. As you get downtown you see large cruise ships and lots of tourists and places for tourists to shop and see. After seeing, shopping, taking care of internet stuff we returned to church for dinner. The dinner crew prepared us a great dinner and the clean up crew did a great job washing dishes, pots, pans.... Once everything was cleaned up we went out to meet Steve at the Rainforest Sanctuary.

He led us on a bear walk. We went down the boardwalk and trail, no bears. We retraced our tracks and as we walked I selfishly prayed that God would show his children some bears (they were so anticipating seeing one). Ten seconds later I heard Steve say, "there's one!" After that we got to see several, it was so awesome PTL!

After the walk we returned to the church to worship and work on camp a bit. It was a great day and we closed our time by giving thanks to God for an amazing day. Tomorrow we have a group work project and we get to do the zip line! Mike Rigas got this arranged for us, we are looking forward to this exciting experience.

As always, your prayers are appreciated!

bob g

& the Alaska Team

AK Day 2: Orlando, FL to Ketchikan, ALASKA

2008-07-17T22:19:00.007-04:00

Day 2 - What a whirlwind after the breakdown was taken care of. We finally got to the Quality Inn Airport at 10:45pm. We met for a few moments to talk about the game plan for the morning then we prayed and headed off to sleep.

4:30am came early! We got up, cleaned up, packed up, ate breakfast and caught the 5:30am shuttle to the airport. Beth, Allison, Brooke and Jacob met us there. After getting checked in we had an hour before boarding so people got something to eat or chilled out at the gate.

The flight to Portland was 5 1/2 hours. We all slept some and read some. Once in Portland the excitement began (once again). We got to our gate and found that the flight was delayed. We ate lunch close to the gate and then heard that our flight was canceled. I took all our boarding tickets to the agent and he booked us on another flight to Seattle.

While this was going on Ben and Allison were on a different flight straight to Seattle. Allison was to fly with us to Ketchikan and Ben was to follow us a bit later. When our flight was canceled I realized we would probably miss our flight in Seattle so I called Ben and had him get Allison booked on his flight so they would stay together. He called me back and said it was taken care of.

The flight to Seattle was quick but awesome. Awesome because I sat next to Sean who is a Christian and working on a degree in Christian Counseling. He is schooling in Phoenix but originally from Vancouver. I told him how much Celeste loved it up that way and we intended to visit there next summer. He also was involved in inner city ministry with a friend. It was a great time of sharing but too short. I gave him my card so I hope to hear from him.

Once in Seattle we checked the Departure board and our flight wasn't listed so we guessed it was gone. It was. No problem though, we were now booked on the same flight with Ben and Allison. We were finally all together! We went to D-1 and found them chilling out. We had some time before the flight so people took advantage of the food court and shops. Then it was time to go to Alaska!

The flight there was amazing. Snow covered mountain peaks everywhere! Then, there is the city of Ketchikan with Cruise Ships at the docks. We got off the plane and headed to baggage claim. There we saw Steve, Leslie and Karen who was on the Titusville, FL team last year. Karen has worked in Ketchikan all summer. We all got our luggage except Jacob and Sarai. The Alaska Airline reps told them what flight their bags were coming in on and when they would be delivered to the church. Jacob's would show up at 9:30pm and Sarai's the next morning.

We loaded our luggage in Steve's truck and walked to the Ferry. We had to wait a bit so we took time to take a group photo. Finally the Ferry arrived and we all loaded up. The ride over to Ketchikan is quick. All this time we were adjusting to the much cooler weather. It must have been in the upper 50's!

We got over to Ketchikan where Earl and his sister Mattie met us. It's always great to see them! We loaded up and went to First Baptist Church to unload. They are hosting us while in Ketchikan. When we got there we were greeted by Mike Rigas. How awesome to see Mike once again! We settled in then walked down the hill to Ocean View to eat pizza.

There I got to meet Angel from LA. We had a great time of talking. He and his family are from Mexico and come up to Ketchikan to work during tourist season. They are active in the Catholic church. He gave me his card so I will be dropping him a note. Dinner was great! By this time we were getting tired so we went back up to church to talk about the night to come and the days to come. We also took time to thank God for delivering us and most of our luggage to Ketchikan.

After talking about the game plan for the night and days to come some of us made a Wal*Mart run for personal and trip supplies. After that it was time for bed! It had been a super long day but God really did some cool stuff. We are looking forward to what he is going to do.

More later. Blessings! Keep the prayers coming,

bob g

& our UFCCH Alaska Mission Team

Ben Anderson

Dixie Cline

Abby Crowe

Jacob Frye

Alisha Hagan

Aaron Mayo

Beth Phillips

Brooke Powell

Allison Sudik

Crystal Swartzfager

Sarai Young

& Mike Rigas (our UFCCH Alum) joined us !

AK Day 1: ALASKA MISSION TRIP - Gainesville to Orlando, FL

2008-07-16T16:32:00.004-04:00

Day 1 - "The Best of a Bad Situation"

Most of the Alaska Mission Team and I are sitting in Ocala, FL at Tires Plus waiting for the UFCCH van to be fixed.

We met at the Campus House between 2 and 3pm so we could get to Orlando and get a good night's sleep before an early flight tomorrow. After everyone arrived and loaded up we prayed over the trip and then loaded up to begin the journey that we have anticipated for over 6 months. The enthusiasm was evident.

There was a lot of introductory conversation going on which was good. Then, just before SR 200 I noticed that the Check Gauge light was on and the AC got warm. I immediately turned the AC off, rolled down the windows and got off the Interstate on to 200 west. Right away I saw a Tires Plus on the south side of 200. I worked to get over so I could turn around. Because the power steering belt had come off it was work to get turned around. I pulled in and parked.

Upon walking in I met Phillip and Scott. I told them what had happened and Phillip said they would check it out right away. He and Scott began to examine it and inform me of what they found initially. Before they could move it into the garage they had to let it cool down. At that point we all moved into the Waiting Room. Team members began to do a variety of things. Read, journal or watch television. After awhile we decided to walk to Steak n Shake for dinner. It was good and a good time of community. During dinner it began to rain so we took our time.

Now we are back at Tires Plus waiting for the repairs to be done so they can run a block test. Phillip's preliminary report is that they think the block and heads are fine. That is our prayer. If the test comes back bad then Ed from Central Christian Church will come pick us up and take us to Orlando.

I find that when bad things rain down on God's people it generally is the best of a bad situation. We know God is in control and will provide so we sit here trusting in him and giving thanks for how this situation has played out thus far.

I will keep you posted. Prayers appreciated!

bob g

Day 56: Live Oak to GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA ** 3,512 miles!!

2008-06-29T16:58:00.025-04:00

Day 56 It was finally here. The last day of a long, long bike ride. I woke up at 6:30am so I could pack up, eat some breakfast and start pedaling at 7:15am. As I was eating breakfast Ashton and Renee from Jackson, MS asked if I was riding in an event today. I shared with them that today was my final day of a UFCCH fundraising bike ride from Flagstaff, AZ to Gainesville, FL.

They were excited about the ride because they ride a Tandem bike and are Christians. They live in Jackson, MS and were on their way to Savannah, GA to move their son from Savannah to Lexington, KY so he could begin his first job after graduating from college. Renee asked God's blessings over me as I pedaled today. I was glad for that and glad that I met them.

I also got to meet SHERRIL at the front desk. She and Celeste had talked the day before so she went home after work and read some of my blog. She was looking forward to meeting me before I left. It was nice meeting and talking with her. I thanked her for the super room she gave me and then set off on 129 south to 90 east.

I got to downtown Live Oak and took a left on 90. The sign said I have 24 miles to Lake City. I knew that I needed to stay focused on the next town ahead instead of thinking about arriving in Gainesville by 3pm or else I would drive myself crazy and add undue stress to the ride. The road and weather were good so I arrived in Lake City one hour and forty five minutes later. I checked the maps program on my phone to make sure I located 441 south. I did. It was just past First Christian Church of Lake City.

I began my journey south to High Springs. I was especially excited about this stretch of road because I had biked it several times during training. When I got to the familiar store on the route I felt as though I now could think a bit more about home because I was only 8-10 miles out of High Springs and from there it was on to Alachua and then Gainesville.

The ride into High Springs passed quickly and the next thing I knew I was in Alachua. It was tempting to stop for some amazing food at Conestoga's but I wanted to press on to Gainesville even if I was a bit early. You never know what might happen along the way so I find it is best to get as close as possible to my next destination as soon as I can. I did get to Gainesville early so I pedaled down 43rd St. to the Starbucks on the corner of 43rd and Millhopper.

It was so great to be seeing familiar sights and riding familiar roads. I will admit that at times this past week and today I found myself quite emotional as I got closer and closer to home. It was emotional for me to enter Florida because I left on May 3rd. It was emotional for me to ride down 43rd to Millhopper because I was close to home and close to seeing Celeste and dear friends.

I pulled into Starbucks, parked my bike and took off my bike shoes. It felt so good to get those shoes off. I hope not to wear them many times more. I sat down outside to rest and take my Camelbak off before going inside to get an iced coffee.

Soon after sitting down Gloria Weber came my way. She saw me and said, "I know you". She welcomed me back and then we visited for a minute. She then went to Subway and I went to get my iced coffee. She came out of Subway and insisted on buying me lunch. I consented. What a blessing. She then left for Publix to meet back up with her husband Bob. I took my sandwich and iced coffee inside Starbucks. Shortly thereafter Gloria returned and said Bob wanted to come hang out some. It was great to spend time talking with Bob and Gloria. As we were talking Celeste called and said she was on her way to Starbucks. Just after Bob and Gloria left Celeste arrived. It was great to see her for the first time since June 9th in Kingsport, TN.

We visited for a bit then it was time for me to head to Harvest Christian Church for a Welcome Home Gathering that they had planned for me. It was great to see so many people that I care about deeply from UFCCH, Harvest Christian Church and FCC Lake Butler.

It was also a great surprise to see Bill and Barbara Dolamore who don't live far from HCC. Bill and I went to high school together and spend alot of time at Gator games and other stuff. He and Barb are great friends.

Brittany, a young lady from the local TV station was there to film me riding and then took a moment to interview me about the ride. After Randy DeShong offered a prayer of thanks for my safe return we went inside for some punch and cookies.

This time with so many who were diligent in lifting me up in prayer or dropping me an encouraging note or giving me a call was special. I couldn't thank them enough for all that they did during my ride to keep me encouraged and keep me going. Believe me, there were a few days and nights when I was ready to pack it in and catch the next flight home. It was so cool though how God used someones note or call to encourage me to go on.

Especially encouraging was Celeste. It seemed as though on the days I was down she was upbeat and encouraging and on the few days that she was down I was upbeat and encouraging. I was glad that we were never down together. That could have been an easy excuse for me to pack up my stuff and come home. I know it was a God thing. It is exciting to say that there were many more days that were so great that I couldn't wait for the next day to see what God was going to show me or what he was going to do or who he was going to introduce to me.

We finished up our time together at the church then I followed Jon Peine up 34th as he pulled his darling daughter, Rosemary in her kid trailer. We parted ways once we got to 53rd. They went straight and I turned right to go home. I was riding quick so I got home pretty fast.

Some neighbors of mine were on bikes were there to greet me. We rode down the street and back just so I could finish the day's ride at 77 miles. When we got back from riding down the street several others were there to welcome me back. We have great neighbors! They were so helpful to Celeste during the eight weeks I was gone. We finished talking then I went to the back to unload and see our cats, Runt, Fluff and meet a little black kitten who had recently adopted us.

Our home and neighborhood are so great that it took no time whatsoever to feel back at home. I got unpacked, threw my laundry in, then took a shower. After all that it was time for Sonny's! I had been craving it for weeks but purposefully planned to wait till I could eat at the original Sonny's on Waldo Road with Celeste. It was so good but we couldn't eat it all. We have lots of leftovers for this week.

During the trip I lost 24 pounds so I don't have the appetite I did before the trip. Nonetheless, the ribs were great!

Now it is time to get some rest so I can get up bright and early tomorrow and bike to Starbucks to read and then to the pool to swim for the first time in months. I will be competing in the Silverman Ironman distance triathlon in Henderson, NV in November. I also have to take Celeste's car to the shop, meet with Dan Ball at Coffee Culture, work at the Campus House, get on campus....

Please pray for me as I adjust to life after the Go the Distance bike ride. It will be much different. I am excited about it but I know it will take time for me to adjust to a faster way of life that includes so much work to get done at the Chrsitian Campus House and at home.

There will also be lots of meetings and appointments to go to. Each day during GTD it was wake up, pack up, ride, eat, ride, get there, set up, do e-mail and sleep. Alot to do but all this was done at a much slower pace.

Thanks for your prayers. I will let you know how things are going.

Blessings,

bob g

"FOR WITH GOD, NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE." Luke 1:37

STATS - Mileage Today 77, Pace 14, Riding time 5:22

GRAND TOTAL "GO THE DISTANCE" CUMULATIVE MILES: 3,512

B's Homecoming Photos by our Kyra Lincoln :)

Day 55: Tallahassee to Live Oak, FL

2008-06-28T21:05:00.003-04:00

Day 55 The second half of yesterday's ride into Tallahassee did a number on me. I was so tired last night that I decided to sleep in a bit this morning. I finally departed just before 9am. The first 18 miles to Monticello were hot and hilly. After getting a cold drink I rode the next 16 miles to Greenville pretty quick. There I stopped for a snack and a drink. Lunch would be in Madison which was 14 miles away. The ride to Madison was mostly flat but there were a few hills mixed in. Once in Madison there was a decent climb to McDonald's. I ordered the Ranch BLT minus the T and an iced coffee. I did some computer work then noticed that outside the clouds had turned dark and the wind had picked up. The wind was blowing from the west so I went out and moved my bike to the east side of the building. By this time the storm was letting loose. All I could do was go inside and wait it out.

When it looked like the worst of the rain had passed and the lightening was done I set off. A short while later as I was feeling really good about the final 30 miles in cooler temperatures and a light rain my rear tire blew out. I took off my saddle bags, unloaded and unhooked my trailer and changed my tire and tube. It didn't take too long so I was back and going, just a bit wetter. The light rain continued through Ellaville and Falmouth Springs all the way to Live Oak. I was glad to get to the hotel so I could dry out my stuff (my saddle bags puddled up with water) and get a warm shower.

After getting cleaned up I made several phone calls, then John and Janet Good from Live Oak called me and wanted to have me over to eat and visit. I was excited to get to spend some time with them and two of their three kids. Their pastor stopped by as well so it was a great evening of talking about my bike journey, UFCCH and ministry in general. It was a good night.
Now it's time to get some rest before Day 56 of the Go the Distance journey. It's exciting and weird that tomorrow is the final day of the ride. This project was set in motion 2 years ago and it seemed like forever before we finally started riding. Then when we did it seemed as though it would be forever to make it back to Florida (if it was even possible) and now it is the night before the last day of riding. It is so hard to believe but as with all great journeys, they come to an a stopping point at some time.

Tomorrow I will leave Live Oak early and pace myself to be at Harvest Christian Church by 3pm for a Welcome Home shindig. I look forward to this only because it will allow me to thank many people in person for diligently lifting me up in prayer or dropping me a note from time to time or giving me an encouraging phone call. Without all the prayers, notes and calls this trip would have been impossible. I know for sure that on my very tough days it was those prayers, notes and calls that kept me going instead of quitting.

Therefore, to GOD be the GLORY! See you tomorrow or soon. Keep praying till I arrive at Harvest CC then home.

His,

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 81, Pace 15, Riding Time 5:30

Total GTD cumulative miles: 3,435

Day 54: Panama City to Tallahassee, FL

2008-06-27T21:34:00.003-04:00

Day 54 I woke up to a great smell in the house. Breakfast! Mom Maclean fixed an amazing breakfast of scrambled eggs, awesome sausage, biscuits, fruit and orange juice. Marc, Drew and I gave thanks for the bounty and enjoyed a great breakfast and time of sharing.

I packed everything up, refreshed my Camelbak, loaded up and began pedaling to Tallahassee. The plan was to make it to Bristol by lunch time to spend some time with Dan, Tammy and Elizabeth White. The first hour and a half was fairly fast but hot. I stopped at the 231 Plaza before turning on 20 east. I soaked up some AC, enjoyed a diet Dr. Pepper and refilled the ice in my Camelbak. I got rolling on 20 east and it was good. I did begin to notice some dark clouds ahead. From time to time the cloud would be over me and provide amazing shade. What a great break from the heat!

I arrived in Clarksville seventeen miles later and stopped for a Vanilla Coke and more ice. While inside the store it began to rain. I sat for a few minutes and the rain stopped so I got going. The next city I would ride through was Blountstown. The mileage sign said it was nine miles down the road but it seemed like I was there in no time. I rode through Blountstown and entered the EASTERN TIME ZONE ! I stopped to take a picture.

After the picture I began the ride up and over the bridge to Bristol. Dan let me know that he and Tammy were at Doobie Brothers Restaurant. After taking a picture of the Bristol sign I rode up to the restaurant. It was great to see Dan, Tammy, Elizabeth and Doobie.

Doobie treated me to lunch, THANKS! It was great to spend time with Dan and Tammy, they are awesome God people with servant's hearts. After an hour it was time to begin my assault on Tallahassee. As I was getting ready the rain picked up. There was a thunder crack but I didn't see any lightening, I put my phone in a zip lock bag and set off. I few minutes later I heard more thunder and did see some lightening so I pulled into the Piggly Wiggly and got out of the weather.

After a few minutes of quiet I decided to head on. Within a few minutes it seemed as though I got ahead of the rain. That seemed to be the case for the rest of the ride. The ride to Tallahassee seemed long and then riding through Tallahassee on 90 east was quite a challenge.

There was quite a bit of traffic and lots of hills. No problems with any of the cars or the hills PTL! I got excited as I realized where I was on 90 east in relation to Capital City Christian Church and the Best Western because I knew it was downhill past the church to the hotel. As I got to the hotel I called Celeste and gave her my stats for the day. 108 miles at a 15mph pace! It was a good but long day.

I got checked in and cleaned up so I could go out to dinner with Chip and Andrea. Andrea chose Famous Dave's BBQ and it was great. It was also great to visit with her and Chip. They blessed me with a great meal, I am so thankful for their friendship and encouragement. They dropped me off after dinner so I could get my blog message done, take some ibuprofen, put some icy hot on my knees and get to bed.

Tomorrow is the next to last day of the GTD 2008 ride! I will ride 90 east till I have to go into Live Oak. The ride should be in the 80 mile range. I am looking forward to slowing the pace a bit so the stress on my legs and knees will be lessened.

As always, your prayers are appreciated and THANKS for all your notes and calls as well.

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 108, Pace 15, Riding Time 7:13

Total GTD cumulative miles: 3,354

Day 53: Crestview to Panama City, FL

2008-06-26T21:28:00.003-04:00

Day 53 The stay at the Walker's in Crestview was great. After some toast and juice I began to make my way to Panama City. The ride down 85 south was great but got even better as I got close to the Air Force Base. The temptation to stop and watch the planes was huge but I resisted because I needed to put a good dent in today's 90 mile ride before lunch.

I got into Niceville and enjoyed seeing familiar sights like the high school, Po Folks and the Niceville Christian Church. I got to the Mid Bay Bridge and paid a twenty five cent cyclist toll (they only requested ten cents but I was thankful for the bridge and scenery) and began the ride across the bridge to Destin. I was excited to get to Destin because Katie had given me a heads up that there was a Starbucks at Destin Commons. I found it and indulged in a Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino (I was treating myself to something more than an iced coffee). It was amazing but can only be ordered if one is exercising quite a bit because it has to be super fattening. I finished up and exited the Commons on to 98 east. The shoulder was good then bad then good then bad then good. They are doing alot of road work in this developing area.

When I got to 30A I decided to take it toward the ocean. It took me through many new planned thematic communities. The best thing about these new communities is that you can find a Starbucks. I used my gift card several times on an iced coffee. The Florida heat was intense. At one stop I met John and Lisa and their two kids. They are from Nashville, TN. John is a cyclist and has ridden the Natchez Trace Trail with his friends. They will be making three trips to the Blue Ridge Parkway to ride it in the coming year. We talked alot about my trip and I answered his questions. We also talked about college ministry and UFCCH. Lisa had been involved with Campus Crusade during her college years. They were a really sweet family.

Before leaving John said he wanted to treat me to an iced coffee, what a blessing! It was great!

I was glad that my time on 30A was coming to a close. It was nice to ride through these beach communities but it was a slow ride due to the bike trail or having to ride the white line in slow traffic. I got back on 98 east and enjoyed the nice shoulder. How exciting it was to see the Panama City Beach sign! I decided to ride down Beach Front road. I rode past the Laguna Beach Christian Retreat Center where several of our Fall Beach Retreats were held. It was nice to see it again. From that point on I really didn't enjoy the ride down Beach Front because of the cracks in the shoulder, the pedestrians, the construction, etc.... When I was given the choice to continue on Alt. 98 or take the Express Route I jumped on the Express Route.

This was familiar to me so I knew I was getting close to the new bridge that would take me from Panama City Beach to Panama City. Just before the bridge it was time for a cold drink and snack. The heat had beat me up since the last stop. I found myself thirsty, hungry and a bit shaky.

After a cold drink, snack and some AC it was time to cross the bridge to PC and make my way to Drew and Marc's house in Lynn Haven. My iphone gave me great directions and they were right on. The ride there was good and my pace was up. I was so happy to see Cindy Lane and then Drew. I brought my stuff in and enjoyed some orange juice and conversation. A bit later mom arrived followed by dad and then Marc. I had a great time sharing with them about my trip and answering very good questions. Then it was time to get cleaned up so we could go out to dinner.

Marc and Drew took me to The Captain's Table. Drew's girlfriend Allison joined us as did Chris Fowler. We got to know Chris his Freshman year at UF and UFCCH. We were sad when Chris transferred but it was so great to see him again tonight. The dinner and time together was very enjoyable. After dinner I was treated to a viewing of the four headed palm tree, the only one of its kind, and a tour of Pier Place which was new to me. Tons of shops, stores, eating places and people. It is a happening Place!

After the Place it was time to get home. After some time visiting with the family and enjoying dessert it was time to call it a night because tomorrow's ride to the east side of Tallahassee looks to be long. I will need your prayers to make it through the ride! After tomorrow the rides to Live Oak and Gainesville shouldn't be too bad. Only two days of riding after tomorrow, WoW! Hard to believe but true PTL! \o/

Blessings,

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 90, Pace 14, Riding Time 6:16
Total GTD cumulative miles: 3,246

Day 52: Pensacola to Crestview, FL

2008-06-25T20:50:00.005-04:00

Day 52 What a great night of sleep last night! Because I had a short ride to Crestview I slept till 7:15am. Andy and Eli had me to church by 8:05am so I was biking by 8:15am. Andy told me that I would see a Starbucks before I got to 90 east. I stopped for a slice of their reduced fat strawberries and creme coffee cake and an iced coffee. It was good. A short time later I was on 90 east leaving Pensacola. I love the water and bridges so this was a nice ride despite the semi rough road and shoulder. Before I knew it I was passing through Pace and not too far from Milton. There was a lot of energy on this stretch of road due to the amount of businesses and traffic. I was riding at a pretty good pace.

After Milton it turned to country. The road and shoulder had gotten better after Pensacola so the ride in the country on a good road and shoulder was very pleasant. I got to Harold and found a small country store. By this time I was only 22 miles from Crestview so I was ready for a cold diet Mug Root beer. It was hot so the Mug was so good. I got going again and after a short bit I saw a cyclist up ahead coming my way.

I knew it was Patrick. Patrick is the Sr. Pastor at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Crestview. Chris Davy and Katie Walker met him when they stopped at Woodlawn and to talk with him about the possibility of having their wedding there next June. Somehow biking and my trip came up. Patrick has done a lot of biking and was interested in riding with me some if it worked out with his schedule. Fortunately it did. We had a great time riding and talking. He even shared a joke or two with me. It was a good time.

I asked him about Crestview having a Starbucks and he said it now did. Originally he planned to stop at the Funeral Home where his car was parked but he decided to ride into Crestview with me to Starbucks. I was glad he did. We got to exchange cards and talk a bit more about biking and ministry. A short time later Katie Walker showed up. What a surprise! I didn't know Katie was home. It was so great to see her. Patrick left for home so Katie and I visited for a bit before heading to her house. She drove off and I headed down the road. It wasn't far to her house but there was a good hill you had to go up to get there. I got up the hill and a few moments later I was at her house pulling into the garage. Her dad, Darrell came out and we got everything unloaded and unpacked. They got me moved in and then visited for awhile.

I got cleaned up and did some computer work. Katie took care of getting my laundry started. Then it was dinner time. They have a great restaurant in Crestview called Coach-n- Four, that is where we were headed. It was awesome as usual. Celeste was jealous that I got to eat there tonight...she loves it.

Now we are chilling out. My laundry is done and my eyes are tired. I look forward to a great night of sleep before tomorrow's ride to Panama City. I've already received a note from Marc Maclean, one of my UFCCH Students, with a whole list of restaurant options for dinner tomorrow night. They all look great so I'm not sure how were gonna figure it out.

One thing I have figured out is that your prayers are awesome and God hears them so please KEEP PRAYING even though I am only four days away from home. Almost Home...

God bless you! "I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 \o/

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 53, Pace 15, Riding Time: 3:38
Total GTD cumulative miles: 3,156

Day 51: Daphne, AL to Pensacola, FLORIDA

2008-06-24T23:59:00.003-04:00

Day 51 It's always fun to begin riding again after a rest day. Whether it has been one day or more it seems like it takes a bit to get going again and get everything in sync. Until that time I always wonder, "wasn't that rest day suppose to refresh me?" "If so, how come my legs seem to be asleep?". After those thoughts and then analyzing how the bike feels, how it is shifting and how the trailer is pulling it all seems to come together and then I begin to focus on the next checkpoint.

Today that next checkpoint was the hour mark. At that time I would take a moment to call Celeste and let her know I was making my way to Gulf Shores and the OCEAN ! After that it was working my way over to Highway 59 which would take me straight to the beach. I rode country roads for awhile and then decided to turn east so I could get on 59. The morning traffic on the country roads was a bit more than I expected so I figured I would head east toward 59 and not stress out any more drivers who had to work their way around me.

I got to 59 and turned south. After my bike computer struck three hours I was in Gulf Shores with my feet in the Gulf. How awesome!

I didn't want to stay too long because I wanted to get to the Florida line and Pensacola. Crossing into FLORIDA was exciting! I had been gone from my home State since May 3rd. That is a very long time for me. It was really hot so I stopped to get a cold drink. While inside the store Julie Peine left me a voice message welcoming me back into Florida and wondering what time I would arrive at Harvest Christian Church on Sunday. I called her back to thank her for the call and tell her I would arrive at 3pm on Sunday, June 29th to see all.

Now it was time to push to Pensacola and Gulf Shores Christian Church so I could meet up with Andy. After awhile the heat encouraged me to stop at Sonic. There I met a really nice family who was enjoying lunch and interested in my ride. We talked a bit and then I got in line to order. That was taking longer than I had anticipated so I went across the street to the Tom Thumb convenience store.

There I met a young man who grew up in Orlando and went to Colonial High School. A couple of years ago he decided to get out of Orlando and move to Pensacola. He enjoyed working at the store. After hearing about my ride he said for me to go back in for a free refill since it was a fundraising ride. We talked a few more minutes then I said I had to go. He said be safe and shared with me a better way to get to Pace St. I took his suggestion and headed north on 173.The miles seemed more than my GPS indicated but I'm not sure if that truly was the case. The fact that it was hot and there was lots of traffic could have made the ride seem longer than I anticipate. It was fun though to follow my GPS directions and go from 173 to N. Pace to another street that starts with a P to Brent to Davis to Burgess.

There I would find Gulf Coast Christian Church and Senior Minister, Andy ! And I did!
I came into the church and Andy welcomed me. He was just voted in this past Sunday as GCCC's new Senior Minister so he was transitioning into his new office. That stopped once I arrived because we began to talk about the trip and check out the blog. After a bit I moved my bike and trailer in, grabbed the stuff I would need for the night and then headed to the beach to meet up with Camille, his wife and son, Eli for dinner.

Along the way Andy showed me a cool new housing project that was built between the Gulf and downtown. Very neat. Then we beelined it for the beach. Once there I took advantage of the outdoor showers to get cleaned up. That felt great! I got changed in the bathroom and then we walked out on the Pier.

There was awesome fishing action going on. We saw all kinds of bait fishing being pulled up three at a time. At the end of the Pier there were a bunch of people fishing for the big fish. We saw shark and dolphins come to the surface as the fish bait was moving across the water. It was frantic but cool.

After the Pier we went Bayside to meet up with Camille and Eli. We then decided to go to "Crab's" to eat. Great decision Camille and Andy! We ate out on the deck, very nice. The food was really good and we ended up with more than we could eat. Oh, I don't want to forget to mention that the sweet tea was great, it is so great to be back in the south!

After dinner we went back to the house to visit and watch a bit of tv. Before going to bed Eli walked around the living room a bit as he held on to Andy's hand. He seemed to like this form of getting around the house. Now that I am finishing up this post I will be going to bed.

Tomorrow I have a short ride on 90 to Crestview. There I will meet up with the Walker's and spend the night. I am looking forward to my visit with them before heading to Panama City on Thursday.

As always, I covet your prayers!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 80, Pace 15, Riding Time 5:21

Total GTD cumulative miles: 3,103

Day 50: Daphne, AL

2008-06-23T23:01:00.001-04:00

Day 50 TODAY my rest day was perfectly timed! My body was a bit achy from the high mileage over the past week. The morning was very relaxing. Some computer work, reading and breakfast. After that I took advantage of the massage chair before John and I set out on errands.

We dropped my bike off at the bike shop, checked out potential roads for tomorrow morning's ride, stopped by Belforest Christian Church to see the facilities, took some berries to one of the BCC members, visited the AT&T store, ate some crawfish and a shrimp Po Boy.

Picked up my bike and returned home. Wow! There are some bike issues that could not be addressed so I will have to wait until Gainesville. They shouldn't cause any trouble along the way.

Throughout the day I took time to make some phone calls for the week to come. Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will ride to Pensacola, FL via Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL. It will be so awesome to see the beach once again and cross the state line into FLORIDA !! \o/

From late afternoon, early evening and night Leah, Holly and Noelle came in from work. We sat down for dinner after Leah and Holly were home. Noelle came in shortly thereafter. It was fun to be with them all.

I am looking forward to time with Andy, Camille and Eli tomorrow afternoon and evening.

After that the Walkers, Drew and Marc, Andrea and Chip and then Celeste and my Gainesville family.

Several encouraging calls came in this evening. I am so humbled that so many people will take a moment to call or write to encourage me. God is so good and so are his people.

The ride tomorrow to the beach and along it should be good. I am sure things will get hectic once I hit Pensacola and work my way to Gulf Coast Christian Church.

As always, prayers appreciated! Almost home...

bob g

Ephesians 3:20 !!
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us"

Day 49: Jackson to Daphne, AL ** Finished 3,000 miles today !

2008-06-22T22:35:00.006-04:00

Day 49 Yesterday's ride was suppose to be in the 70's but it exceeded that so once again I did the ibuprofen and icy hot before going to bed. Woke up today feeling good. I got my stuff together, filled my Camelbak with ice and had some toast before setting off. Just down the road I saw a McDonald's so I pulled in for an iced coffee, a great way to start a ride. There I met Atchley and Bentley. They were really nice and very interested in my ride. We talked a bit and then I began my ride to Daphne.

The first two hours were cool, flat and fast. Since I was making good time and expending little energy I zipped through a couple of small towns. When I got to Calvert I stopped to use their restroom facilities and get a cold diet Mug Root beer. Several of the locals wanted to talk about my ride and help me get around Mobile to Daphne. I thanked them and then resumed riding.

Just north of Mobile I got a call from Chad Cowart. Chad and his wife Jenni were students at the Christian Campus House when Celeste and I arrived almost nine years ago. They now live in Orlando and are an awesome God loving couple. Chad asked me where I was and how it was going. I shared with him that the day was going well due to great temperatures and terrain. At that point I was averaging 15.7mph and had ridden about 45 miles. We chatted for a few minutes about the week to come and pulling into Gainesville next Sunday afternoon. It was great to hear from and talk with Chad.

When I got to Satsuma it was lunch time so I stopped at McDonald's to order off the Dollar Menu and get an iced coffee. Jim introduced himself to me and asked about my ride. He used to ride a lot and then unfortunately lost his bike in a divorce settlement. I told him I hoped he would be able to get back in the position to purchase another bike. He had ridden quite a bit in Europe when he was in the service. I could tell he missed it.

After Satsuma it was on to Daphne. I stayed on 43 South till it ended then I got on 90/98 East. I had to ride over the Bay Bridge, it was a great view but the shoulder was very trashy so I had to watch out for nails and glass and rocks. This was not the most flattering way to go around Mobile, very industry looking.

I came upon Battleship Memorial Park and stopped to take a picture of the plane out front and look at the battleship from a distance. By this time the skies ahead looked like rain. I pedaled a bit more and just as I passed Felix's Fish Camp I felt the rain coming. Across from Felix's was an overhang from a gas station that use to be there. I along with a few others sought shelter there. The rain came down and the thunder cracked. I talked with Celeste about the forecast and it looked like this would be a quick moving storm. After about 30 minutes it was very wet on the roads but the rain had almost quit so I got going again.

I got into Daphne and found Starbucks. I had to use my gift card since it hadn't been used since Springfield, MO. I was glad I stopped. Not only did I get a free sample of the new lemonade freeze that Starbucks has out but I met Ovie and Ben. They are young pastors at a church in Fair Hope call The Union. Ben helped me with directions to John and Holly's house and then we all talked about ministry. I shared with them about UFCCH and they shared with me about The Union. We exchanged contact info that I said I had to move on. They said they would check out my ride and keep me in prayer as I finish up.

The ride to John and Holly's was hilly and a bit wet. I had about 5 miles to go to get to their neighborhood. I found Holly Ct. and then spotted the GATOR truck so I knew I was there. John was working out in the garage so he greeted me. He helped me get things undone and unloaded so I could move my stuff in. Holly and their girls were there as well so it was great to see them.
I cleaned up, we talked a bit then John took me to see his birthday present, a massage chair! It was amazing! After the massage we talked a bit then had a great dinner.

After dinner they took me to Fair Hope and the Pier. We got there just as the sun was going down so it was beautiful. Also beautiful were all the roses that surrounded the fountain in the Pier parking area. We enjoyed the Pier for a bit and then returned home for some computer time and dessert. Strawberries, whipped cream over pound cake! What a great day and ending to it. After the news was over at 10:30pm we said goodnight. It had been both a good day and night PTL! I read Proverbs 22 and fell off to sleep.

Tomorrow is John's day off so he is going to take me and my bike to the bike shop for some gear adjustments. This will help with the ride home. We are also going to go scout out the best way for me to get from Daphne to Gulf Shores. It sounds like John, Holly and I will be eating crawfish before Holly goes to work. Should be a great day. On Tuesday I will enter into Florida, Lord willing, and meet up with Andy Pauwels, Minister at Gulf Shores Christian Church. I am looking forward to time with Andy and Camille.

As always, your prayers and notes and calls are so appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 85, Pace 15, Riding Time 5:43
Total GTD cumulative miles: 3,023

Day 48: Demopolis to Jackson, AL

2008-06-21T20:34:00.009-04:00

Day 48 Before I went to bed last night I took some ibuprofen (THANKS Spencer and 6:8 Ministries!) and rubbed some icy hot on my knees. The Ozarks followed up by many days of high mileage had my knees aching. Today was a 76 mile day with some good hills so I will repeat the process before going to bed.

The night of sleep at the hotel was great. Since today's ride was only going to be in the 70's I slept in till 7am. I got up and enjoyed the hotel breakfast and computer. At 8:30am I started pedaling toward Jackson, AL. As I was riding out of town I heard a motorcycle come up behind me slowly. Next thing I knew he was riding beside me and began to talk with me about my where I had been and where I was heading. After a minute he said, "just remember that God loves you." I said I know then I told him why I was doing the ride. He got excited and said that he would pray for me daily. Then he took off. It was neat to meet Motorcycle Man at the beginning of my ride today. It set a good tone.

Once again today there were lots of rolling hills and some good flat stretches. Because of this I pushed on through Providence and Linden before stopping just outside of Dixons Mills at a tiny, old time looking convenience store called Agee's. I had to use the restroom and get a diet drink. The inside of the store was dimly lit with plywood floors. There were two really sweet African American ladies working. One was especially excited that this ride had spiritual implications. We talked about Campus House for a bit then I said goodbye.

From Dixons Mills it was 10 miles to Thomasville. It was a bigger city with many banks and restaurants in the words of the girls at Agee's. They were right. The first billboard I saw before Thomasville advertised a bank. Once in Thomasville I saw other banks and then Pizza Hut. Because of the heat and hills I seem to find myself very hungry by lunch time.

I enjoyed some strawberry lemonade, a salad and their oven baked spaghetti. I took my time eating and then took some time to do some internet work re: the days to come. From Thomasville I only had 30-32 more miles to Jackson so I enjoyed the Pizza Hut AC for a bit longer. After lunch it cooled down some but was still muggy. I did see the clouds darken a bit so I wondered if I would get rained on on the way to Jackson. Half way to Jackson was the small town of Grove Hill.

After Thomasville 43 south turned into a four lane so to go into Grove Hill you had to get off the four lane and go into the Business District. I did and didn't see much until I spotted Tiger Food Grocery Store. There wasn't much going on in Grove Hill or Tiger Food but the people were really friendly and a couple of the girls wanted to hear all about my ride. I filled my Camelbak with ice and enjoyed two glasses of their very own sweet tea. Finally, sweet tea like I am use to! So good.

As I was paying I told the checker it was off to Jackson. He laughed and said he wouldn't want to go there. That made me curious so I asked why? He gave several reasons. One was, he just didn't want to go there. Another was, the big hills you have to go up to get to Jackson. I would have been happy if he had stopped at one but I guess the warning was good.

I left Tiger Food for the four lane. Downhill to start, that's good. Gentle rolling hills for bit, that's good. Listening to Bleach and Seven Day Jesus, that's very good as well as motivational and distracting. As I listen to music I don't look at my computer as much as I keep an eye on my mirror. Just for fun I took a peak at my computer. Wow, 10 miles down and 20-22 to go. The next 15 miles went as well then all of sudden a headwind. The first noticeable one since Kansas and Missouri.

Then out of nowhere came two really good climbs before Jackson. Because of the climbs out west and in the Ozarks my legs are fine for these climbs, they just slow down my progress and cause me to sweat alot. At the top of the second climb I saw the Jackson sign PTL! \o/ Since I am on 43 south and not the back roads on my map it is very hard to find a place to camp so tonight I stopped at the Econo Lodge in Jackson.

After tonight I will spend a couple of nights with John and Holly Peterson in Daphne, AL, one with Andy Pauwels in Pensacola/Milton, one with Katie Walker's parents in Crestview, one at a Campground in Marianna, one with a CCH alum in Tallahassee and a final one somewhere in Live Oak. After that it's HOME to Gainesville!

As always, your prayers are appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 76, Pace 14, Riding Time 5:33
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,938

Day 47: Columbus, MS to Demopolis, ALABAMA

2008-06-20T21:39:00.003-04:00

Day 47 My campground neighbor got back home at 12:51am. I know that because the noise of his motorcycle woke me up. An ambitious bird woke me up at 4am with his singing. I fell back to sleep till 5am. At that point I decided to go to the store to clean up, grab a sausage biscuit and coffee and look over my map and route for the day.

I packed up and pulled out. I had to ride through a lot of Columbus to head south to Aliceville. Before getting out of town I pulled into a store to make sure I was still on route. I met Roger who also bikes and is the Publisher and Editor of The Columbus Packet. We talked about biking and my trip. He then introduced me to Ed who works for Coke and he told him about my ride. Before I left Roger gave me one of his papers. I will read over it. As I was almost out of town I spotted Shipley's Donuts. I had to stop. If you ever watch the Food Network they clue you in to watching out for unique local places. This seemed to be one of those places, so I stopped. Awesome donuts! I figured the carbs would be good for the long day ahead.

I was finally out of town and heading toward Pickensville and Aliceville. For the first time I can remember I was yawning quite a bit as I rode. I guess the previous long days of riding and the lack of sleep the night before was getting to me. I passed on through Pickensville but stopped for lunch in Aliceville. I went to Piggly Wiggly to get some watermelon chunks. After picking out some good looking watermelon the smell of the deli lured me that way. I had to get some of their good southern cooking so I got two pieces of chicken with some creamed corn, green beans and cornbread. I went outside to eat. As I was eating a lady stopped to ask about my trip.

She introduced herself as Poncho and she said, "no I'm not Mexican". Poncho actually is a sweet African American woman. We had a good chat. She was excited about my trip. She went inside to shop and I continued to eat. She finished her shopping and before she pulled out of the parking lot she rolled down her window and asked how long I would be in Aliceville. I told her once I finished lunch I was heading to Demopolis. She said she was going home to fry up some fish and would love for me to have some but she understood that I needed to go. Poncho is just one of so many hospitable people God has introduced me to.

The ride to Aliceville wasn't bad and the rest of the day to Demopolis wasn't too bad but the hills were back. The nice thing about these hills is that they included some long flat stretches after a good downhill. This allowed me to be reintroduced to my large gear on the front. I stopped in Eutaw for some ice and a cold drink. I took my time to avoid some of the muggy weather that had been climbing all over me the hours prior to Eutaw. After Eutaw it was a bit cooler and I hit a 12 mile stretch of rode that was new asphalt. Awesome!

I made it to Demopolis in good time but I could tell that the pushing I did to get there took a toll on my quads. Celeste booked me in a Holiday Inn Express so I could do laundry and have access to a desktop computer. It was a nice place in a good location. There was a plaza next door that had a Chinese Restaurant. I was craving Chinese so I decided to go get some and bring it back to the room. When I came out of the hotel it was raining lightly. This was a surprise but not a problem. I went and got my food then came back to the room to eat and check on the weather for tomorrow. For the most part I have been blessed with good weather so I wondered if rain was in the forecast for my ride tomorrow. I finished my awesome dinner and then checked the weather. It might rain tomorrow afternoon.

I got my laundry done and a lot of my computer work. I also got some good reading done. Hebrews 13 was very encouraging. I think I will camp out there for a bit. Tomorrow the plan is to ride to Jackson, AL. After Jackson it is on to Daphne, AL and then PENSACOLA FLORIDA!

I can't believe I am this close to Florida. As I ride I think back to the days in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri...and think to myself, "how in the world did I get all the way here to Mississippi and Alabama?" The obvious answer is God and consistency. I testify to everyone I meet that the prayers of the saints daily have gotten me to this point. I just pedal. Prayers are the power so thank you, thank you, thank you!

As always, keep on praying!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 95, Pace 14, Riding Time 6:58
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,862

Day 46: Iuka to Columbus, MS

2008-06-19T21:09:00.002-04:00

Day 46 I got up and going today because of the potential for an Ironman distance (112 mile) ride. The flat ride my new friends talked about didn't materialize till after arriving in Fulton. Fulton was about 43 miles down the road so I stopped in Belmont for a cold drink. It wasn't hot but there was a small amount of humidity that kept me sweating.

Kandi works at the convenience store in Belmont. She asked all about my ride and why. When she found out what it was for, she wanted to donate toward the ride but I was one day early, she gets paid tomorrow. I told her a daily prayer would be worth a lot so she said she would do that. While in the store I met a tall young man who was wearing a golf shirt. I asked him if he golfed. He said not really but he was related to PGA golfer David Toms. Very cool I said. Robert was there as well and he shared with me all his biking exploits from his kid years. I had a great time with these folks but I needed to get going toward Fulton.

Just before Fulton the road went to a four lane and it was nice. I was making good time through that section. I came upon a sign for Fulton. I had to turn right off the four lane on to a hilly two lane road. I went for a couple of miles and stopped to ask how much farther and was I going out of the way. A nice man said I had to "fall off the next hill" and then turn left at the light. After a mile I would see eating places and be right where I need to be. I was relieved because the hills I would have to back track over were big. I stopped at McDonalds and met Ricky. He was from down the road but was going to the Community College for Respiratory Therapy. His wife is a nurse and they have two kids. His sister and her husband do mission work in China. We had a great visit.

After McDonalds I had to head toward Amory then on to Aberdeen. In Aberdeen I would make the decision to stay there or go on to Columbus. I stopped in Amory to fill my Camelbak up with ice. I met a young man who just got out of jail. He had been there for two days and nights. I encouraged him to make right decisions so he could enjoy what life has to offer and not go back there. He nodded. He asked for a dollar for something to drink. I gave him one. Later I got some popcorn chicken and ate some and then offered him the rest. He took them and ate them up. Before I was leaving Elton hollered over to me, "how far you going?" I went over to where he was pumping his gas and talked with him about where I was going, where I had come from and why. He said, "so you're a Man of God." I said by God's Grace YES. After that we had some good Man of God talk. Elton was cool to talk with. He was on his way to his daughters softball game so I encouraged him to be a Man of God for her.

Since Fulton the ride had been fairly flat so I was making good time with little stress on the legs. When I got to the road that went to Columbus I decided to keep going instead of riding into Aberdeen. For the next 25 miles I put on some music to help the time pass. I listened to some Audio Adrenaline and Code of Ethics. With good terrain, good road, good temperatures and good music I made it to Columbus in good time. As I approached Columbus I began to hear and see planes.

I stopped to take a picture of the Columbus Air Force Base sign. After that my mission was to find the RV Park I would be camping at. It was just down the road at the third stop light. I had to turn left and go a mile and a half. I found the Park and site number 15. After checking it out I went to the store next to the Park. I asked about eating places close by. The girls pointed across the street to a Plaza and said that a Subway was there. I thanked them and headed that way.

A few doors down from Subway was Beans and Cream. I suspected that it was a coffee and ice cream shop. It was and it was good. I had a frozen white mocha and a taste of some chocolate covered cherries whip cream. Yummy! The lady and girl who were working were super nice and interested in my ride. The lady had gone to the Women's College in Columbus and was involved with the Baptist Student Union. Through BSU she was able to do some mission work. We had a good talk. They closed at 8pm so I went next door to Subway which was open till 9pm. By this time I was getting a bit hungry so I got a six inch roast beef and pepper jack. Delicious! I charged my phone and worked on my receipts till they closed.

I returned to my site and set up camp. I didn't do much else because I was tired. I was glad that I rode the 111 miles to Columbus and I was on schedule. Tomorrow I am to cross over into Alabama and go to Epes. I am looking forward to riding in another State and getting closer and closer to Gainesville.

As always, your prayers are appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 111, Pace 14, Riding Time 7:51
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,767

Day 45: Perryville, TN to Iuka, MISSISSIPPI

2008-06-18T19:42:00.008-04:00

Day 45 I must have been tired from the 100 miles of pedaling because I slept all through the night. The birds were singing with all their might. I got cleaned up, packed up and boiled some water for oatmeal and coffee.

The ride to Burnsville was foggy so I turned on all my flashers to be safe. The ride was up and down but good. When I got to Burnsville I stopped to fill my Camelbak with ice. Two locals began to talk with me about my ride and route. They suggested I take main roads across the Tennessee River down to Savannah, TN.

One of the guys had to head off to work but James stayed. He and I talked more about my ride and then quite a bit about sports. James knows his sports. As I was starting to get my stuff together to leave James said he wanted to give me $20 for my trip. I was blown away. He was such a nice man to talk with. He said he was a disabled Vet from the Korean war. Not totally though because I could tell he had some talents when it came to repairing certain types of machines.

The route they suggested was a really nice ride but it had quite a few challenging climbs. Crossing the Tennessee River was beautiful. It has been fun to cross the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers over the past few days. The bridges (and ferry) have been good. I turned right for the last 5 miles into Savannah. I spotted a Wal*Mart as I was going into town so I stopped for some more Propel powder. I also took some time to look at my maps so I determine the best route to Fulton, MISSISSIPPI.

I decided to head toward Crump and get back on route. This took me to Shiloh and lots of Civil War history. From there I was to hit back roads for awhile. I started down Bark Dr. and encountered a few dogs (go figure). The bad road and dogs convinced me to return to the main road. I rode it to the end and turned left. Within two miles I would turn right on Damon Rd. and be back on route. The road was country and narrow but good. The only problem was the number of dog encounters. At one point I stopped, got off and grabbed a stick. The dog didn't want to mess with me.

At some point on this road I entered into Mississippi. The road ended and put me back on a main road. This lasted only for a few miles. To get to Burnsville the route put me on a bumpy country road that included more dogs. The first 100 yards on this road was very steep. It was barren at the top. After a bit I began to see some houses. Not totally convinced I was on the right I stopped and asked. I was to my surprise. I pressed on this bumpy road with dogs. I stopped a couple of more times to let a dog know that I was mad at their advances and was not going to take it any more. I triumphed over the dogs! \o/

I finally got back on a main road that took me to Burnsville. At this point it was getting late in the day. I stopped to get a drink and local info. There wasn't any place to camp in Burnsville but Three Sisters Restaurant was local and good. I decided it was a good time to eat make a decision to find some place to pitch my tent or continue on. I decided to continue on till I found a place to stay.

I decided to stick with the main road which was more direct. When I got to Iuka, MS the Victorian Inn advertised a decent price. I checked to see if they had a room. They did so I got checked in. I then called Celeste and mom to give them an update. The Inn had Wi-Fi (internet) so I have been able to catch up on my blog.

Tomorrow I will continue on main roads to Columbus, MS. Some nice folks staying at the Inn said it should be a flat ride. They were interested and excited about my ride. The ride to Columbus should be close to Ironman distance which is 112 miles. The road, terrain and temperatures should be good so I am excited.

I appreciate your prayers!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 90, Pace 13, Riding Time 6:46
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,656

Day 44: Dover to Perryville, TN

2008-06-17T20:55:00.008-04:00

Day 44 Today was a welcomed change in the weather. The mid 90's were gone and the low 80's were here for the next few days. Yesterday's short day allowed my legs and bottom to get some extra rest and today both felt much better.

The terrain was now very fair and the hills were rideable (not sure if this is a word but it is in the bg vocabulary) and followed by great downhills. I don't mind this type of terrain. It is a good workout. As much as the Ozarks terrorized my legs I can tell they are stronger.

The ride on 49 and 13 to Waverly was enjoyable. It did get a bit challenging the final 6 miles going into Waverly. Once in Waverly I took some time at McDonald's to work on my blog and eat an early lunch.

After lunch I decided to continue south on 13 to Linden, TN. What a beautiful ride on good roads. Before getting to Linden I stopped at Cissie Lynn's Country Store to refill my Camelbak with ice and get a cold drink. Cissie and I got talking about my ride, she was real excited. I began to ask her about her store, the Loretta Lynn Campground across the way and her relation to Loretta. She said, "she's my mom". I said,"cool". I asked her how mom was doing and she said great. She had just returned from a show. Cissie was great to talk with and she didn't charge me for the ice I put in my Camelbak!

After we talked about what I've learned/experienced along the way she shared a story with me about her dad and her ride on her horse from I 40 to home. Both had to do with taking things slow and noticing the little things along the way. I took Cissie's picture for the blog and gave her my card with the address on it. Now it was time to head to Linden.

Once in Linden I had to decide which way to go from there. After checking out the map my decision was easy. I needed to take 412 to Perryville, TN so I could camp at Beech Bend State Park. I stopped at the store before the Park for a few supplies, I was sure the State Park wouldn't have a store. The Park was very nice and the Manager let me camp for FREE. What a blessing! \o/

A short time later as I set up my site a couple of guys came around with some free firewood. Another blessing! I cooked up some Mac and Cheese that was delicious. For dessert I popped up my first batch of Jiffy Pop. I need more practice. I charged up my phone in the bathroom as I cleaned up and got ready to climb in my tent for the night. It was great that the temperature had fallen. I actually had to get in my sleeping bag right away.

Tomorrow I am heading toward Fulton, MS. Not sure I can get that far but I will do my best as I deal with the terrain, weather, dogs, bike stuff....

It will be exciting to enter another State. Only two more after that PTL!

Keep the prayers coming.

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 100, Pace 13, Riding Time 7:26
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,566

Day 43: Grand Rivers, KY (Land between the Lakes) to Dover, TENNESSEE

2008-06-16T20:24:00.006-04:00

Day 43 Today was tough! After three long days in the heat and hills it was tough to get going. The main motivation was to get to TENNESSEE. The rest of the ride through The Land Between the Lakes was nice. After entering Tennessee I got to see bison. Very cool. I also got to see the historic Great Western Furnace.

It did flatten out a bit for a while then before Dover, TN there were some hills. Fortunately it was downhill to Dover and at the bottom was McDonald's. I couldn't get enough to eat and drink. Some time later I started feeling bad. I attributed that to temperatures in the mid 90's. I soaked up some AC and talked with a family whose dad/husband is currently serving oversees. They can't wait for him to come home.

I decided I better make headway so I pedaled toward Old SR 76. About a half mile down the road I decided it was too hot so I went inside a grocery store for a bit. When I resumed pedaling I was climbing out of town toward 76. I got to 76 and it looked a bit shady. Bad road and lots of gravel. I started down it slowly. It started to curve left and the next thing I knew was that I was back to the main road. A guy stopped at the stop sign. I asked him about 76. He didn't know any more about it other than it was a short loop off the main road. He asked where I was heading and I told him Waverly. He said I should go back down the hill into town and take 49 to 13. I thanked him for the info.

By this time it was closing in on 4pm and I was still feeling bad so I decided to find a place to stay and hit it again early in the morning. It was so hot I decided to stay in AC at the Dover Inn. It was nice. I returned to McDonald's for dinner then went to BP for some batteries. I checked a TN map and talked with the attendant. Both confirmed what the man had suggested re: getting to Waverly so I decided that was the way I was going in the morning.

I returned to my room to take care of my blog and e-mail then I fell off to sleep.

Tomorrow it is off to Waverly first then to Saltillo if possible.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement in these final weeks!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 50, Pace 11, Riding Time 4:25
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,466

Day 42: Vienna, IL to Grand Rivers, (Land between the Lakes) KENTUCKY

2008-06-15T22:51:00.003-04:00

Day 42 I got to sleep in today because the storage room my bike was in wouldn't be opened till 7am. I enjoyed the rest.

For the first twenty miles it was cool and foggy. As I got to Golconda the sun burned off the fog and it got hot. I stopped to get ice for my Camelbak. There had been a Motor Bike Rally somewhere in the region over the weekend so many bikers were at the station and on the road. The ride from Golconda to Cave in Rock was good. Just before Cave in Rock I got some lunch. After lunch I only had two miles to catch the ferry across the Ohio River. I got in line behind five bikers.

The ferry was on the other side of the river so we had to wait 20 minutes. I got to talking with one of the bikers, he and his friends were from a church north of Cave in Rock. They were out for a Sunday afternoon ride. Their destination was a restaurant in Kentucky. We loaded the ferry. He took a picture of me with my bike. When we got to the other side and unloaded I let the traffic go. I entered into Kentucky and began a nice ride through the country and small, small towns. Thankfully each small town had a coke machine so I could get a cold drink and cold bottle of water for my Camelbak.

After Joy, KY I was to go straight but I turned left and stayed on 145. It was fine though, I would take it to Burna and then turn south on 60 to Smithland. At Smithland I went to the scenic overlook where the Cumberland and Ohio Rivers merged. Several locals were there talking. They wanted to know all about my ride and WHY?? They were excited that I was riding for a cause. I asked about getting to Land Between the Lakes and the campgrounds. They said it was a good, hilly ride and there were several campgrounds. They were right about both.

When I got to I 24 I was hungry and right at 100 miles.

The sign said 5 more miles to LBL. It was a quick ride to the Welcome Center. I asked a lady about a good campground, she said Hillman Ferry was good. She was right! I got there and secured sight #79. Before going there I stopped at the store for dinner stuff and laundry supplies. Next I stopped at the facility that had the showers, bathroom, washer and dryer. I got my clothes going and jumped into the shower. When I got out of the shower I put my laundry in the dryer. It would take 45 minutes for them to dry so I rode toward my site.

When I got to the lake I got reception so I called Celeste to say goodnight. Then I rode to my site and set up my tent. I was right on the lake and only had one other family camping out there. I returned to get my laundry. It felt good to have clean clothes! By now it was closing in on 11pm so I was more than ready to go to bed. I had one A T & T cell bar so I checked on some sports news before going to sleep. I also spent a moment with my map program looking at the day to come.

After three long days I was sore and tired and unsure of the day to come. The plan is to go to Waverly, TN but to do so I would have to pull off another 90 plus mile day. We'll see.

As always, your prayers are appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 109, Pace 12, Riding Time 8:44
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,416

Day 41: Marble Hill, MO to Vienna, ILLINOIS

2008-06-14T20:49:00.003-04:00

Day 41 Today I started the day with three scrambled eggs and orange juice at the hotel restaurant. I then pedaled to the store to fill my Camelbak with ice. With the temperatures climbing cool fluids are important. The ride from Marble Hill to Jackson was up and down. Once I got to Jackson I checked my phone GPS to see if there was a McDonald's.

There was up the road so I pedaled on. When I pulled into the parking lot a girl said to me " you ride fast". She had seen me and my Gator flag before I got into Jackson and now I was there. She use to live in Jacksonville, FL and loves the Gators. After an iced coffee I was ready to get to Cape Girardeau and then into Illinois.

As I rode through the Cape as the locals say, I saw three different car washes. Of course each one said they would wash my bike. Just before I was to turn left to cross over the Mississippi River into Illinois I saw a guy biking north. I waived and continued on. A few minutes later I realized that he had turned around and was now coming up next to me.

His name was Greg. He is a local who was out for a ride. He asked about my ride as we rode on. He then said the next light is where we needed to turn left so we got over in the turn lane. He said he had some time so he would ride with me across the river. We stopped to take Mississippi River pictures and then Welcome to Illinois pictures. We talked a bit about the flood waters that covered the fields to the east of the Mississippi. He said that the Cape had closed its flood gates. A few minutes later Greg said he needed to head back. I thanked him for riding with me and gave him my blog address.

The rest of today's ride was in the country till Vienna. That was nice but the cool thing was the people I met along the way, close animal encounters and God's amazing provision. Three miles before Karnak, IL I stopped for a cold drink. That's when I met Heather and Virginia. They had stopped for some snacks. They asked about my ride and then I asked them about the camping in Karnak. They said it was non existent but Heather offered me space in her yard to camp. It still was early and I felt good so I asked them about other options.

They said Vienna wasn't far but they weren't sure about camping. Virginia drew me a map of the most direct route. Before leaving Heather said she would have my name added to their prayer list at church. I let her know I appreciated that. I then went in to get a cold drink. There I met Chris who plays in a Christian rock band. They are getting ready to record in Nashville. We exchanged information. I also met Mary who will be 85 years young in August. She is a sweet lady who loves the Lord.

It was time to pedal so I followed Virginia's directions to Vienna. For a short bit I rode on the Tunnel State Trail which is a hard packed cinder trail. It was a beautiful ride. After a while I got off the trail and on to the road. About a mile before I was to make a left turn to go into Vienna I noticed a deer running in the field to my right. Nice I thought. Then, as I watched him more, I thought he might just come my way. He did! I was watching him closely so as I saw him heading toward the road I slowed down. Good thing I did because he flew across the road about ten feet in front of me. Too close!

As I got to Vienna I searched for a place to pitch my tent. The state park was too far so I headed east toward I-24 where there was a couple of hotels. I went into the first one and the price was too much for me. I explained the purpose of my ride. She called the hotel on the east side of the interstate to see if they had a room. Their rates were a bit cheaper. They did have a room so she told Kathy I would be riding over.

I got to The Gambit Hotel and met Kathy. As I filled out the info card I was telling her about my ride and the purpose of it. I gave her my credit card and before she ran it she gave it back to me and said I was riding for a good reason so she was going to comp my room (free kingsize bed). I was overwhelmed and thankful. I told her I wanted to give her my card with my blog address but I would do that after I got cleaned up and before I went to McDonald's to get a bite to eat. She said to wait a minute.

She got on the phone and called Theresa who, along with her husband, own the Gambit Inn as well as The Gambit Steakhouse. Kathy got off the phone and said that my dinner at the Steakhouse would be comped (free steak dinner) as well. Another blessing! I thanked Kathy for caring about my ride. God is so AMAZING ! \o/

I got cleaned up and headed over to the Steakhouse. I immediately met Theresa and thanked her for this blessing. She was very gracious and showed me to a table. The restaurant was very nice inside. Theresa suggested what steak I should get so I said okay. The whole meal was awesome! If you are ever near Vienna, IL stop and stay at the Gambit Inn and eat at the Gambit Steakhouse. If you golf you can play 18 on the Gambit Golf course. Tell Theresa I sent you.

What a blessed day! Tomorrow, I hope to get to Great Rivers, KY. To do so I will need to put in a 100 mile ride at least. Needless to say, your prayers are appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 92, Pace 13, Riding Time 8:59
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,307

Day 40: Owls River to Marble Hill, MO

2008-06-13T20:40:00.008-04:00

Day 40 I slept till 5am this morning. It was a good night in the tent. I think the sound of the river helped. I got dressed and packed up and set out after 6am. The first twenty minutes was tough, tough, tough! After that it was up and down for 14 miles till I arrived in Ellington. At Ellington I stopped at the gas station and met Riley and Andy. I asked Riley what he thought the best route was to Cape Girardeau, MO. Riley said 21 south to the double H to 34 east. I looked at the Missouri map that a kind lady in Summersville gave me and agreed with Riley.

Ellington is in a bowl so to get out of it you have to climb.

As I set out two west bound cyclists were coming into Ellington. We exchanged greetings and went on. The climb wasn't bad. At the top was H and then the double H. The ride down the double H was great. After a while it got hilly. Then I crossed the Clearwater Dam. The lake and State Park were beautiful. After the Dam was the Clearwater Cafe. I didn't eat before starting out so I was hungry. They had a great Grilled Chicken Salad! The Server told me about the climbs I would encounter between the Cafe and Piedmont. She was right on with her information. The three climbs were challenging but not bad.

I arrived in Piedmont and stopped at Wal*Mart for more Propel powder. I chatted with a few folks about my ride then I set off for Marble Hill. In order to get to the Cape I would have to ride in excess of 120 miles. With legs that were a bit sore from the Ozarks I knew that would be hard to do. The rest of the day was up, down, flat, up, down, flat.... It threatened to rain several times and I could hear thunder off in the distance. That all seemed to dissipate. After a quick cold drink break 11 miles outside of Marble Hill I was ready to get there.

There were a few climbs but the downhills helped the final 11 miles click off. As they were clicking off though I heard thunder behind me. I looked back and saw some wicked looking black clouds moving quickly. I made a quick stop to take a picture of the Marble Hill sign then hurried in to town. As I rode by a house the folks outside hollered to me that a storm was coming. I knew there wasn't any camping in Marble Hill but there was one local hotel. I found it and got all my equipment moved in just as the storm let loose PTL! \o/

The guy at the counter was super helpful. He helped me get everything inside the hotel and inside my room. He said we could settle up later. A restaurant was attached to the hotel so I went to check on the hours and menu. Laura, the Server, provided me with the info I needed. I got cleaned up and returned to the restaurant. The meal was great. It was also great to talk with Laura about my ride and Celeste.

When she found out how long I had been riding and how little Celeste and I had seen each other she expressed pain for both of us. I asked her about her family and she told me about her three kids. She shared with me that she married young and was now divorced. I got the sense from talking to her that she is a great mom to her kids. She said she knows God has a plan. I gave her my card with my blog address. She said she would pray for me.

I went back to the room to blog and go to bed. I was tired after waking up early and pedaling 94 miles.

Tomorrow I am going to try to make it to Golcanda, IL.

As always, prayers appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 94, Pace 13, Riding Time 7:58

Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,215

Day 39: Houston to Owls Bend River, MO

2008-06-12T19:17:00.006-04:00

Day 39 Today I woke up 4am. Didn't plan to, just did. Did some reading and a blog message. After running the spell checker on my message it disappeared into cyber world somewhere never to be read. Bummer! At 5:55am I mounted my bike and pedaled to McDonald's for an iced coffee. A few minutes later I began my ride to Ellington.

The ride was super tough! It was hot, humid and hilly!

When they built the roads through the Ozark Mountains they just went up and over, never through. There were many walk breaks and shade breaks. There was even a swim break in Alley Springs. The water was crystal clear and cool. It was at the top of a hill in Alley Springs that I met Jerry, Peggy and Charlene. Jerry and Peggy are from California. They are riding west on the Transamerica Route. Great folks with nice equipment.

Charlene owned the piece of property we were standing on. She was on her John Deer riding mower cutting her yard. She shut it down when she got close to where we were chatting. After a few minutes we figured we should move on and let Charlene continue mowing. Before we did though, we took pictures of each other and then of Charlene. She shared with us that she had lived there in beautiful Alley Springs for many years.

By now I was just miles out of Eminence, MO. I couldn't wait to get there. I was hungry and needed a fluid refill. Eminence is a tiny tourist town in the middle of the Ozarks. Nice people. Great lunch specials and lots of cold fluids. They know their roads are extremely hilly so they enjoyed talking about where I had come from and laughed about where I was intending to go. They described the hills to come by name. One they said went up, flattened out for a minute then continued to go up and up with a few more flat spots. Not what I wanted to hear but it was the truth.

The ride from Eminence to Ellington was listed as 27 miles. I figured I could take the rest of the day and do 27 miles. I could have but I chose not to. Over the next two to three hours I rode 13 miles in the heat and humidity up those hills. There were very few places where momentum helped me out but fortunately there quite a few places that were great for shade breaks. During one shade and fluid break two of the English cyclists stopped to chat for a moment. They said the other two should be coming shortly and they all would be stopping at Owls Bend for lunch. They rode on and I set out as well.

After a few more miles of climbing we had a nice downhill to the river. Just after the bridge was the turn into Owls Bend River where there was camping and swimming and fishing. The Eye Care America Support Crew was parked on the corner serving up lunch to their cyclists. I stopped and chatted for a bit. We talked about the nasty hills, America's big cars and cheap gas prices. Cheap? They informed me that they were paying the equivalent of $10.00/gallon for petrol in England. They were shocked at how big our vehicles were and how big and wasteful our engines are. They were also shocked that so many of these big vehicles that passed by only had one person in them. Culture shock!

They shared some water and a banana with me then I decided to check out Owls Bend. I found great camping on the river and great bathrooms so I decided to camp there instead of the city park in Ellington. I set up camp next to a great family from Wisconsin. They fed me and gave me cold drinks. I also had some swim time, how refreshing! As evening set in I became quite sleepy. We had been sitting around the fire talking about all kinds of things. I thanked them for the dinner, cold drinks and good conversation then said good night.

Tomorrow the plan is to push through the final bit of the Ozarks to Ellington and then plan the rest of the day.

As always, your prayers are appreciated and keep me going.

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 59, Pace 11, Riding Time 5:19

Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,121

Day 38: Springfield to Houston, MO, ** Finished 2,000 MILES today !

2008-06-11T20:51:00.002-04:00

Day 38 I slept okay in my tent but not great. I woke up at 5am and decided to walk to Starbucks in hope that it would open at 5:30am. It did! I had a coffee and a muffin before doing my reading and e-mail. At 8am I returned to Josh's to pack up my tent and get my cycling clothes on. Josh and Annabelle got up and then we headed to the shop.

Kay, the owner, was already at the shop when we got there. When I walked in she suggested that she transport me and my equipment to Fair Grove instead of me riding 65 North. She said it wasn't a good road and there have been some deaths on that stretch of road. Josh agreed with Kay so I agreed to Kay's request.

As we drove north on 65 I was glad I wasn't biking it. Terrible shoulder and the four lane turned into a two lane.

We got to Fair Grove and Kay helped me get everything put back together. She said she would be praying for me daily and then departed. Since it was 10:20am and I decided to get a six inch roast beef sandwich from Subway. It was great! I finished and began pedaling toward Marshfield. It was a quick and easy ride. I saw a Super Wal*Mart so I decided to stop and reload my stock of Propel powder sticks. When I pulled up to park my bike I met Tiffany, Whitney, Debbie and Tom.

Whitney saw my Gator hat and flag and was excited because she use to live in Florida and is a Gator. Tiffany was very interested in my ride so I shared where I was going and why. Tom and Debbie are recovering alcoholics so they know about God and his Power. Tiffany shared with me her hopes of becoming the "Rodeo Princess" and everything she had to do to accomplish that. I was impressed with what she shared with me so I felt compelled to donate toward her cause. We all said good bye and God bless and then I began my ride to Hartville. I rode through beautiful country and saw lots of ponds, cows and horses. I also noticed that the hills of the Ozarks were becoming more frequent and steeper.

As I rode into Hartville I was surprised at how many kids were coming out of summer school. I went downhill to downtown and saw Subway . It looked to be the only place to eat so I grabbed a sandwich and ice cold fountain drink.

I took some time to look at my map and concluded that I needed to get to Bendavis and then take stock of how I was feeling and how much daylight I had left. The ride to Bendavis was challenging. I got there and the store was already closed. Fortunately there was a drink machine out front and I had change. After two cold Diet Dr. Peppers I decided that I had enough energy and daylight to get to Houston, MO so I pressed on.

It took an hour and a half to ride the 18 miles to Houston, MO. The ride to Houston had a lot more downhill than the ride to Bendavis so I was pleased. What I was pleased about was the dog in Fairview that came running after me. Fortunately I had great terrain so my speed was up and I left the dog behind.

When I got to Houston I came upon a Lodge that advertised cyclist discounts. I pulled in and met a group of cyclists from England who were riding cross country for Eye Care for America. We talked a bit about our rides and then I asked about local camping. They said it was at the city park but they chose to stay at the Lodge because of reports that some cyclists had been bothered while camping at the park. They said the cyclist discount was good as was their room. I decided to check on a room. I got a great deal on a great room so I moved all my stuff in room number 4.

After giving Celeste and mom a call I got cleaned up and then heated up some Mac and Cheese in the microwave. After dinner I read some and looked at my map some. Tomorrow I hope to get to Ellington, MO.

As always, your prayers are appreciated.

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 82, Pace 11, Riding Time 7:09
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,062

Day 37: Joplin to Springfield, MO

2008-06-10T14:49:00.004-04:00

Day 37 Back to pedaling! I woke up at 6:15am ready to get packed up and get back out on the road. It took awhile to organize everything once again. When I started taking stuff outside I noticed the fog, skies and the cool of the air. I got all my gear out, wrote Jeremy and Megan a thank you note and started to pedal north toward Jasper so I could get back on route. It was nice to pedal past Ozark Christian College and CIY before departing Joplin.

43 was a good road to leave on. Nice shoulder with lots of room. The turn east toward Carthage put me on a nice country road but there wasn't much of a shoulder, reminded me of my rides in the country in E. TN. When I got Carthage I stopped at McDonald's for a Southern Style Chicken Biscuit and an iced coffee. I also wanted to confirm I was on the most direct route to Jasper. The Manager confirmed that I was.

I finished and started up 71 which is a four lane with a good shoulder. By Jasper I noticed my new rear wheel had a tiny wobble. This is common with a new wheel. My map said there was a bike shop in Willard so I called the number and got the answering machine at a home. I left a message that included my number. I never got a return call so I assumed the shop was no longer open.

After Jasper I was heading east toward Everton on older but decent country roads that had names like K or A or Z. After a bit the roads began to roll and include some decent climbs. I guessed I had entered the Ozarks. By this time the wobble was a bit worse so I stopped. Several spokes had come unscrewed. I was going to try to nurse it to Everton and then figure out what to do then.

That didn't work. Four miles outside of Everton it got worse. I was out in farm country with only one AT & T bar on my cell phone. I called Celeste and then the bike shop in Joplin. Steve gave me some suggestions. One was to find a house and borrow some needle nose pliers. I had unloaded everything to try to work on the spokes so I loaded back up and began to walk.

After about a mile I saw a nice home at the top of the hill so I decided to stop. I leaned my bike against a tree and walked to the carport. I heard banging so I knew someone was home. I met Arron. He had needle nose pliers. I unloaded everything and began to work on the spokes. I got one screwed back in. I was optimistic. Then the second, third and fourth ones I worked on didn't cooperate. Arron came out to see how it was going. He helped me some but we couldn't get the spokes to screw in.

When I had talked with Steve he did suggest I try to find a ride to one of the many shops in Springfield. As Arron and I concluded that we weren't having any luck he said, "I live in Springfield and could give you a ride". I asked what he was driving and he pointed to his pickup truck. Once again God provided!

Here I was out in the country in need of bike repairs, a ride to Springfield and a pickup truck and God provided all that. Arron just happened to be working at his cousins house because it just happens to be the week of his wedding and he isn't working his usual job out of town. After I explained my situation to Arron he concluded it was meant to be. We had a nice talk on the way to the shop. He and his fiancé had had a few church issues so they didn't have a church to go to that they agreed upon. I encouraged him to get that worked out so they could begin their married life with a church home.

Arron dropped me off at "Sunshine Bikes". The young man took me to Greg. I explained my problem to him and he had a solution. A 36 spoke rim that was super sturdy. He said he would having it done that night so I could leave in the morning! I let him get to work. I then met Kay the owner. She asked if I was taken care of. I explained to her what Greg was doing for me. She wanted to know all about my ride and why. She got excited about my ride. She just happens to be a Christian. She wanted my contact info so she could send a donation. God is so good! She shared with me that the shop had belonged to her son then he passed away. She took it over and now God was providing for the shop everything it needed.

The Manager, Josh, heard my earlier conversation with Greg about having to stay over somewhere. He asked me, "do you have a tent?" I said yes. He said I could camp in his yard if I wanted. I said yes! After a while we loaded up and went to his house. I had met his daughter Annabelle at the shop. At the house I met Micah and Donnie G. (a chocolate lab). They said I could use the shower and then the computer if needed. They also told me to join them for dinner. God is so good!

Josh asked me I had anything to say before dinner so I gave thanks to God for friends who showed hospitality to strangers and for the food. The food and our time together was great. They are outdoorsy folks so we talked about biking, hiking and paddling. Then I went out and set up my tent. Before calling it a night I took pictures of Josh, Micah, Annabelle and Donnie G.
Tomorrow I will go with Josh to the shop, load up and then head north on 65 to Fair Grove. Once there I will be back on route heading east toward Marshfield. Once in Marshfield I will plan for the rest of the day knowing that ultimately my plans are subject to change if God so desires to change them.

As always, your prayers are appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 65, Pace 13, Riding Time 4:48
Total GTD cumulative miles: 1,980

Day 36: Kingsport, TN fly back to Joplin, MO

2008-06-09T19:24:00.000-04:00

Day 36 Today we got up early and had breakfast at the hotel. After that it was time for me to leave. It was hard to do. Neither of us really wanted to say goodbye for three more weeks but that is what we had to do so I could finish what I started in Flagstaff, AZ, on May 5th.
I had good flights to Atlanta and Springfield. I got to talk to Celeste off and on today. Jeremy picked me up and took me to Lambert's Cafe which is "The Home of the Throwed Roll". It was awesome!

We got back to Joplin and now I am taking care of bike and internet stuff so I can resume pedaling tomorrow morning early. I am going to shoot for a long day tomorrow, I will need your prayers!

I am excited about the next three weeks. I know that God is going to do some awesome things and introduce me to some awesome people. At the end of it I look forward to spending some great time with Celeste and then jumping into Summer B at CCH.

I covet your prayers as I finish up this ride.

bob g

Day 35: Kingsport, TN

2008-06-08T20:20:00.000-04:00

Day 35 On Sunday, I took breakfast up to the room for Celeste for her 50th birthday!

Then went to church. Once again it was great to see dear friends that we ministered to and with for over ten years. We were excited that Drexie and Jeff were going to join us at church and then lunch. It was great to see them. Drexie we knew from our time at Boones Creek Christian Church and we got to know Jeff well in Gainesville at Harvest Christian Church. Our time together was a blast.

As soon as we left lunch we went to the Wexford House in Kingsport to visit, Wilmer Jones, a friend who was there after a couple of strokes. We took her communion. We shared that with her and talked with her awhile. It was hard to know if she actually knew it was us. Nonetheless it was good to see and share with her.

After our visit we returned to the hotel to work on bike trip business. We had to look at the second half of the trip and map out days and mileage. I had to make a phone call to Daphne, AL to see if I would be able to stop at the John and Holly Peterson's house in late June. John said they would be there so come on. I can't wait to visit with John and Holly, they are awesome! I also called my brother, David to give him a better feel for when he could meet up with me in Pensacola, FL. He, and maybe my other brother, Donald will ride with me from Pensacola to Gainesville. All the bike ride work helped to turn my focus back to what was going to take place the next three weeks.

Once we finished we went to get me a haircut and then spend some time with friends before calling it a night. We had a great visit with Haynes and Carolyn Phillips and their daughter Anna Lisa and family. Anna Lisa was in the youth group at Oakwood when I was there. She and her husband Cole and kids live in Edmond, OK and have been following my ride closely. I was so excited when Carolyn told me that Cole and Anna Lisa and kids would be arriving in Kingsport on Sunday. After a great time of sharing we returned to our hotel to settle in.

Before doing so though the room phone rang. A long time friend of ours, Randy, was downstairs in the lobby with his wife Cheryl. They had found out from some friends that we were there so they stopped by. It was great to see them. Randy works in South Carolina so it was a great surprise that they were in Kingsport. After our time with them our night came to a close.

Love to you all,

bob g

Day 34: Kingsport, TN - Brad & Laura Jones

2008-06-07T21:18:00.002-04:00

Day 34 On Saturday morning, I took care of wording the Ceremony then we went out to a late lunch. After that we relaxed a bit then headed over to Oakwood Forest Christian Church for the wedding. We got there an hour before the wedding so we got to visit with folks beforehand. The church was packed and the ceremony went well. Brad and Laura Jones are married!

After some pictures we all headed to Meadowbrook Conference Center for the Reception. Before going though we learned that a friend of ours fell after the wedding and broke her nose and a couple that attended the wedding was in a car accident right there by the church. Our thoughts and prayers turned to them before we left for the Reception.

The Reception was very nice. Great food. Great time with friends. Great to see Brad, Laura, family and friends having so much fun. We stayed till 9pm then went to the hotel to get some rest before a busy Sunday.

In Christ,

bob g

Day 33: Kingsport, TN

2008-06-06T20:16:00.001-04:00

Day 33 On Friday, I went for a short run at Bays Mountain before we went to pick up the suit I was going to wear for the wedding. I had to get a smaller jacket and adjust the pants a bit to fit.

After that a good friend of ours, Rita, who is a licensed massage therapist came over to the hotel and took care of my aches and pains. After the massage we took Rita out to lunch.

The rest of the afternoon we took care of other wedding stuff in order to get ready for the Rehearsal. The Rehearsal went well and the Dinner afterwards included great barbecue and fellowship.

More later,

bob g

Day 32: Joplin, MO fly to Kingsport, TN to see Celeste, Brad's wedding, etc...

2008-06-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

Day 32 The 6 day break (Days 31-36) has been great! Last Thursday Jeremy took me to Springfield, MO to catch a flight to Atlanta. We got to the airport early so I had time to take care of e-mail and talk with Celeste before boarding the plane.

The flight to Atlanta was smooth. When I arrived in the D concourse/gate I sought out a Delta agent to ask if I could change from my 3pm flight to the 6pm flight Celeste would be taking to Tennessee. The first one said there were seats left but there would be a change fee of $50. Celeste and I decided that it would be best for me to go on. As I thought about it a bit more I decided that it would be worth it to pay the fee and wait on her in Atlanta. I went to a "different agent" who booked me on the flight and waived the fee PTL! \o/

I watched TV for a bit and took care of some more internet stuff and then moved toward the gate Celeste would be arriving at. I sat across from the gate and watched for her. I saw her coming but she didn't spot me right away. It was a bit funny. Especially when she finally saw me and we both smiled and laughed. It was great to see each other after 32 days. She had lost weight and had short hair. I had lost some weight, was very tan and had longer hair than when she last saw me. It was great!

We got our car and went to the hotel. We unloaded then decided to run around Kingsport. She had not been in Kingsport for 5 years and quite a bit had changed. We stopped downtown for some dinner. After that we called it a night.

Nite,

bob g

Day 31 Joplin, MO

2008-06-04T18:56:00.005-04:00

Day 31 I slept so soundly that I didn't know that we were under a tornado watch last night after I went to bed. Jeremy said that he was in and out the front door several times and checking the weather on TV. I heard nothing. I was really surprised to hear that a tornado touched down in Chetopa, KS, the town in which I stayed the night before.

I woke up around 6:30am and decided to go for a short run, my first in a month. It felt good. After my run I cleaned up and got some reading and e-mail work done. At 8:15am Jeremy said it was time to depart for Starbucks and church. I loaded my bike in his truck so I could clean it at church before dropping it off at the bike shop.

The guys at the shop were great. Mark replaced two cables and one cable housing. He also greased the front hub. My rear wheel had a slight wobble so he turned some spokes to eliminate the wobble. All this for a really cheap price. I got back to the house and went to unload my bike and heard a loud ping. I was hoping it wasn't what I thought it was but it was. A broken spoke on the rear wheel. I called the shop immediately and they said to bring it back. I met the owner and as he learned of my situation he said he personally would deal with my wheel and Jeremy could pick it up next Monday. Once again, the best of a bad situation. God is cool like that.

Now I am with Jeremy and the youth group at the bowling alley. After this it is bed time.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up early so I can run and read before heading to the Springfield airport. It is going to be exciting to see Celeste for the first time in over four weeks. (32 days) I am also looking forward to seeing E. TN friends and sharing in Brad and Laura's wedding.

As always, prayers appreciated!

bob g

Schedule for the next few days:

June 4 - In Joplin today. Enjoying CIY (did many many mission trips with CIY in the past) and Ozark CC, laundry, Bike shop, etc...

June 5-9 - Flying out of Springfield,MO to the Tri-Cities, TN to see Celeste !

Visit friends, UFCCH supporters, Wedding of Brad and Laura on Saturday

Church at Oakwood Forest CC in Kingsport, TN on Sunday.

Fly back to MO on Monday.

June 4, 2008 thoughts shared with our UFCCH Students...

EXPECTATIONS Earlier this year I was planning for and praying about my upcoming bike trip from Flagstaff, AZ to Gainesville, FL. It is so hard to believe that I am 4 weeks and 1900 plus miles into the trip. Expectation has become partial reality.

As I got into the second week of my bike trip/struggle I was looking forward to Joplin, MO and the break I would have to go to TN to get Brad and Laura married and spend great time with Celeste. It seems that tomorrow that will become reality! Lord willing.

We have earthly expectations that are okay. As God's children our earthly expectations should never overshadow the expectation we have for our heavenly home and everlasting audience with God our Father.

This has been impressed on me more and more as I ride each day. I have lots of time to pray and think and sing and....

As I hear about storms and deaths and all the tragedy's taking place in people's lives, our country and around the world I have been reminded that my greatest expectation has to be for eternity because in this world there will be storms and hail and tornado's and death and crushed expectations.

I am thankful that the bike ride is underway. I am thankful that tomorrow's trip to TN and to Celeste is on the verge of happening. I fully understand that other things in my life in the future may not go as planned or as desired but that is a great reminder to me that this is not my home, I'm just passing through.

Scripture reminds us not to love this world or the things of this world because it and they will perish. I truly want to live like that daily so that I do not become to attached to that which will be gone.

How about you? Have a great today.

PREP DAY Today is not just a day off from riding but a day of preparation for the journey to TN and the resumption of the ride next Tuesday. I woke up around 6:30am and decided to go for a short run. I then did some reading and e-mail. Then Jeremy and I went to Starbucks and on to the church he ministers at. There I cleaned my bike and then took it over to the bike shop. I then stopped at another bike shop in Joplin to pick up a spare tire for the second half of the trip.

Now my laundry is getting done. I have started to look at my map for the next week of riding. In a bit after my laundry is done I will pack for the trip to TN. Not only will I take some clean clothes with me but also some winter clothing that I no longer need. Celeste will take that home for me.

Today is great and I expect tomorrow to be even better.

Lord willing,

bob g

P.S. Thanks also to my amazing wife who keeps me encouraged to ride on a daily basis. I have told many that during the hard days I had in the mountains and in the desert it would have been easy to pack it in and call it a ride if not for the encouragement of Celeste first then the rest of you.

God has used her and you to fuel me each and every day. Thank You so much !!

More news later...

Day 30: Chetopa,KS to Miami, OKLAHOMA to Joplin, MISSOURI

2008-06-03T21:44:00.005-04:00

Day 30 Today was the final day of riding before flying to East TN on Thursday to see Celeste and to marry Brad Jones to Laura Cantley this Saturday, so I was excited to get going. I didn't want to get to Joplin, MO too early so I decided to ride south out of Chetopa, KS to Welch, OK.

Other then the head wind I was riding into it was a nice 11 mile ride. As I turned east I saw a Road Closed Ahead sign so I stopped to gather more information. Of course while I was there I got a cold drink. I also got to listen to the locals tell stories about the recent tornadoes that hit the area. One family sought refuge in their storm cellar then was trapped there for some time before someone came looking for them and heard whistles from down below. As I started to leave one of them asked, "where you headin'?" I told them Joplin, MO and then on to FL. "Good luck" one man said.

Inside the store a young man told me that I would have to turn right before the bridge construction and the left onto a gravel road. "How long for the gravel road" I asked. "A couple of miles" he said. He did say there was a longer way around but I would have to bike south into the wind for a bit. I chose to take my chances on the gravel road. Even if I had to walk that would be fine. This was my final day of riding before the break and I had plenty of time to get to Joplin. The seven mile ride to the bridge construction was great. The wind was off my should so I covered that distance at a good pace. I made the right turn and then the left onto the gravel road. I was able to walk half and ride half. Not too bad. It was great to get back onto pavement though.

Once I did it wasn't long before I was turning north to ride into Miami, OK. Good size town with all the normal food places and lots of variations on the Taco theme. Taco Mayo, Taco Tico, Taco Bell.... After Miami I had a sobering ride through Picher. It was hit 3 or 4 Saturdays ago by a tornado and basically the south part of Picher was demolished. As one of the locals in Welch said, "it looks like a bomb went off." He wasn't kidding.

After Picher I went back into Kansas and rode through Baxter Springs. It was there that I encountered Historic Route 66. I had been on it many times in Winslow, AZ but never in the Midwest. As soon as I turned on 66 I saw that I was only 9 miles from Joplin, Missouri PTL! It began to set in more and more that this would be my final day of riding until next Tuesday. I stopped in Galena at DQ for some ice cream and then I set off for the Starbucks in Joplin that was close to the home of Jeremy, Megan and Judah Ritchie. Once there I had two venti iced coffees. I was hot and thirsty. I drank those over a one hour period not one right after the other. During that hour I took advantage of the store Wi Fi and checked my e-mail. I had also checked the GPS on my phone and found that I was less than a mile from their house. I called Jeremy and he gave Megan a heads up. A few moments later I arrived and was greeted by Megan and Judah and then the two loving dogs.

I took my Bob Bag off the trailer and the saddle bags off my bike then moved everything in. I visited a bit then got cleaned up. Jeremy had a meeting at the church and after he was done we were going to meet him at Applebees. How awesome is it that whenever I hit major civilization this past week plus I was taken to Applebees. God is good! We had a great time of visitation at dinner and then Jeremy took me to Wal*Mart so I could buy a t-shirt.

Only having one has been a problem at times. Now that I am getting ready to give Celeste all my winter clothing I have room for one more t-shirt. After Wal*Mart Jeremy took me to The Bridge where he use to work. This place is amazing. It has a concert venue with coffee bar, rock climbing, dodge ball, amazing skateboard and BMX ramps, a skate/BMX shop.... As I said, it is amazing.

Tonight we have been chilling, watching tv and talking about tomorrow. In the morning we will hit Starbucks before going over to church. I will take my bike with us so I can stop by the bike shop to get some much needed work done. I have at lease two cables that need to be replaced, a front axle that needs some attention and a little spoke turning needs to take place on my rear wheel. I also need to get my laundry done and then pack for TN.

It's been a very good last day of riding and my time with Jeremy and family has been great. I have been so blessed my so many people along the way. It is very humbling.

I look forward to sharing some different things with you in the days to come.

As always, prayers appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 62, Pace 13, Riding Time 4:44

Total GTD cumulative miles: 1,915

Day 29: Cedar Vale to Chetopa,KS

2008-06-02T19:13:00.008-04:00

Day 29 I woke up to a beautiful morning! The temperature was just right. After a chat with the locals around the picnic table about the recent hail storm I began to pedal east. The first small town with a store was Peru. It was a small, dark store with a grill in the back. A few folks were there eating. No one really talked except two young girl's were picking at each other. I finished my drink and continued on 166 east.

Awhile later 166 joined with 75 and went to Caney. I stopped to use the restroom facilities. I got talking to Kenneth. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in both lungs a year ago. They gave him 6-8 months to live and here he was a year later talking with me and getting ready to go to his niece's wedding this weekend in Arkansas. He knows he is blessed and his life is in God's hands.

Kenneth gave me some info on an old county road that went toward Coffeyville. I decided to take it. It was a nice country ride without dogs! It joined back with 166 about 12 west of Coffeyville.

In Coffeyville I stopped at McDonalds for a snack wrap and iced coffee. I worked on my phone a bit to check the weather and the map. I had to decide to stay or go. If I go, where? I decided it was too early to stop so I decided to pedal on to Chetopa, KS where there was a small locally owned hotel. Before Chetopa was Edna and a cold drink. I arrived in Chetopa and the hotel was on the east side of town. I got settled in and then walked to the park by the river to relax and take care of e-mail.

I finished with my e-mail and went to clean up. Then I walked over to Chetopa Foods and bought a Lunchable for dinner. I returned to my room to eat, watch the Women's College World Series, took care of some more e-mail and settled in for a good night's rest. Today was a good day.

Tomorrow I will dip down into Oklahoma and then cut over and up to Joplin, MO.

As always, prayers appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 88, Pace 13, Riding Time 6:52
Total GTD cumulative miles: 1,853

Day 28: Arkansas City to Cedar Vale, KS

2008-06-01T20:44:00.005-04:00

Day 28 Once again rain and lightning woke me up. It had rained a lot in the early morning hours and it didn't look like it was going to quit. No worries though, I was going to church and then lunch before I had to make a decision about riding.

Randy came over and picked me up. We then went back to the house and picked up the rest of the crew. We stopped at Ike's Doughnuts on the way to church, very good!

At Bible Christian Church (top photo) everyone was friendly and when the Pastor was shown the Buzz column in the Christian Standard he introduced me to the congregation. That was cool. Several wanted to know more about the ride.

After church the weather cleared. Randy and James ran in to KFC and returned with a family feast. We got back to the house, blessed the meal and enjoyed good food and fellowship. Once lunch was done it was time jump to action. Jonathan and Ashley were going to help me load up and then drive me to the corner of 77 and 166. The rest of the family went to their assigned tasks as the first day of camp was just hours away.

Once everything was unloaded on the corner I had to put it all together. I started riding east at 2:30pm central time. It was warm and the ride was rolling hills. It reminded me if a mix between Clermont, FL and E. TN. It took me 2 1/2 house to go 30 miles. I was now at Cedar Vale, KS. I was hot and a bit tired so I decided to get a cold drink and ask if there was any place to stay. Just so happens that the lady who runs the store also runs a neat one room lodge next door. It is really cool.

A metal building that she use to use for storage. Since there was no other place to stay in town and people were always stopping in the store to ask about lodging she decided to remodel the inside to make it a Lodge with 5 beds a bathroom, shower, living room area, dining area, and small kitchen area (fridge and microwave). It is great at a super great price.

It's been a good night to catch up on e-mail and my blog. The signal at camp didn't allow me to do much.

The best signal here is at the picnic table in front of the store. The store closed at 9pm but several stopped by after that to see if it was still open. One of those was Dwayne. We got talking and it came up that I was involved with college ministry. This opened the door for an interesting spiritual discussion. It was enjoyable to listen to Dwayne share and then share a bit as appropriate. After 20 minutes we exchanged "God bless you's" and he left.

I now am finishing up this post and going to bed.

Tomorrow's plan is to head to Coffeyville early and then make destination decisions along the way. I want to arrive in Joplin, MO on Tuesday afternoon so that will serve as my guide for where I go after Coffeyville.

As always, prayers appreciated!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 30, Pace 13, Riding Time 2:22
Total GTD cumulative miles: 1,765

Day 27: Wichita to Arkansas City, KS

2008-05-31T20:50:00.003-04:00

Day 27 Early, early in the morning rain woke me up. I was hoping it would quit by daylight. It didn't. I checked the weather and there was a severe weather alert in effect. I relaxed a bit more then began to organize my stuff in hopes the weather would break.

David made me a fruit smoothie and I enjoyed a little bit of the morning with he and Kim. We checked the Weather Channel and it looked like the bad weather was about to move beyond Wichita.

I started to load my saddle bags and trailer and small hail began to fall. David and Kim both let me know that I could stay as long as I needed. After the hail quit I could see the sun coming out and the rain quitting. It was time to go. We had prayer and I pedaled off.

The first city I would come to was Augusta, KS. Just before I got there though there was a loud BOOM. My rear tire finally blew out. I changed it and rode into Augusta. It was just before lunch so I decided to stop at McDonalds for an iced coffee and fish sandwich.

Before getting inside Brian asked me if I was getting good gas mileage. I said "great mileage!" He wanted to know all about the ride so I shared with him. Then he handed me some money for lunch. What a blessing! Once inside I met his wife and he shared with her where and why I was riding. She was excited because she is such a believer in Campus Ministry. After her purchase she handed me her change. Another blessing! I thanked them both as they left.

After lunch I made the turn south toward Arkansas City. It was a nice ride in the country with son rolling hills. It was warm so I stopped in Douglas for something cold to drink then in Winfield for some ice cream at DQ. By this time the blue sky had become cloudy. Several players from girl's softball teams were there grabbing lunch and wondering if rain would wash out the afternoon game.

I finished and decided to head to Arkansas City. I stopped at the store after the Welcome to Arkansas City sign. Again I got something cold to drink and began to hunt a Campground. As I struck out on a place to camp I checked on churches. I went to the Bible Christian Church web site and found a link to the Prairie View Christian Camp.

I talked with Nancy and she said come on. The camp was located out in the country southeast of town. After leaving the main road I was on country roads the rest of the way. With country roads come dogs. I was chased several times. Not happy. I was happy to finally see the cemetery, that was my stopping point because the final road to camp is dirt and gravel.

Jonathan Nash came and picked me up. He had a trailer hooked up to the camp Bronco. We loaded everything up and headed to camp. What a great camp! They have 100 beautiful acres and lots of great buildings along with a pool, sand volleyball court, climbing wall, horses....

I met Randy Nash and his twin boys Paul and Matthew. Randy told Jonathan where I would be staying so he took me to the Rock Lodge and helped me unload. I had a great room and shower. There was also a refrigerator in the common area so I put my water bottles in to chill. Randy invited me to dinner in an hour so I called Celeste and my mom to give them an update then got cleaned up for dinner.

Nancy made fajitas and they were awesome. They have a full, fun house. There is Randy, Nancy, James, Jonathan, Jonathan's girlfriend Ashley, Paul and Matthew. It was a great meal and family time. I was able to get a photo before everyone dispersed. There was still some camp work to finish before High School Camp began the next day.

We talked about the morning plans. I would go to church with them and head out after lunch. I said goodnight and went back to my room to read a bit before going to sleep.

Tomorrow will be see how it goes day since I will be getting a later start after church and lunch.

As always, prayers appreciated!

bob g

STATS Mileage Today 66, Pace 13, Riding Time 5:15
Total GTD cmulative miles: 1,735

Day 26: Pratt to Wichita, KS

2008-05-30T19:14:00.006-04:00

Day 26 What an awesome day! Actually slept in to 6:30am. As I was packing up an RV neighbor told me I could check out the TV in his RV if I needed. I told him I was good. He came back out moments later with a 5 day weather report. He said it looks good.

Today the wind was great, the roads were great, the stop at the Casey Jones General Store in Kingman was cool, the grassy fields were green, the horses and cows were pleasant and Wichita has Starbucks! I stopped for an iced coffee and met Hailey and a really nice young man, both were excited about my journey. I took care of some e-mail then called David Welsh to get directions to their house. It was about another 12 miles to their home on the east side of Wichita. What a wild ride. The traffic was crazy but I kept telling myself, this will prepare me for Mobile, AL.

I made it to their house with no problem. I got cleaned up then Kim threw my laundry in. We went out to eat with Doug and Val Reed, it was so awesome to see them. David and Doug are on staff together at Central Christian Church here in Wichita. After dinner Kim and I ran into the grocery store and she blessed me with a few groceries for the days to come. This has been a great day PTL! Of course it was awesome to talk with my beautiful wife today and tonight and just a moment ago a dear brother in the Lord, Bryan, called me from Texas to encourage me. How awesome is that.

Tomorrow I head to Arkansas City then after that on to Coffeyville. From there, Lord willing, I will dip down into Oklahoma to camp at Wyandotte before biking into Joplin, MO to prepare to depart for TN.

I am humbled that so many of you take the time to keep up with where I am and what is going on. Thanks as always for your notes, prayers and calls.

I count it a blessing to call you family, friend or new friend.

To God be the glory!

bob g

STATS - Mileage Today 94, Pace 15, Riding Time 6:05
Total GTD cumulative miles: 1,669