Balance

Training to the 2005 Tour de France

Something that I wrestle with is balancing time with family and the desire to be in shape for the ride. My family is very supportive and encouraging, but I think about the extra work my wife does to take care of (Austin (10) and Abbi (7)) while I'm out training. I took the day off training on Tuesday just to play catch with Abbi in the back yard, and then we hit practice golf balls around with Austin too! It definitely keeps things in perspective, that yes, I am a missionary, but more importantly, I am the husband of my wife and father of my children.

I wanted to hear how you guys are managing your family time vs training. What has worked for you?

Mental Training

Today was my last day (of 5) out of town and as I write this I'm in my own chair at my own desk in my own house with my family!  Ahhh...it's so nice to be home again!

This morning started at a leisurely 7:30 ish AM. There was nothing on the agenda for today except exercise, pack and get to the airport for the flight home. I wanted to have a 'good'work out this morning, so not having access to my bike I was aiming for up to an hour on the treadmill. The actual time was just over an hour and a little over 7 miles covered. That includes walking speed up to 12 mph. No HRM data.

Mental Training

I will typically walk for a 1/4 to half mile and then start running. I like to build as I progress so I'll usually start around an 8 minute/mil pace and then bump the pace up by a half minute after each 1/2 to a full mile. So after doing this for 4 miles, including a brief time at full speed, I stopped running for a recovery walk. I then start back up again but usually go straight to 6 min/mi and a short time at 5 then recover again and repeat--those are my intervals on the treadmill. 

But today was different after that initial work up and recovery. As I was running hard and planning on pushing a little harder for a very short time before recovering, I had the thought of "NO: don't go out in a flash of light, slow down and persevere--No stopping!" I wasn't sure when to stop; I like to have goals of "two more minutes" or "another 1/4 mile", but this thought was "just keep going". I was thinking of the upcoming ride and the perseverance that will be required for it. So, rather than stopping when I was ready to rest, I bumped the pace down and kept going, then bumped it down some more and kept going...no stopping; not sure when to stop.

To my mind came the story where Elisha told the king to strike the ground with the arrows and he only struck the ground 3 times. Elisha was angry with him for not striking the ground five or six times (2 Kings 13:14-25). What did that story have to do with me? And why right now? As I glanced down I saw the calories on the treadmill turn to 667..hmmm, did I just cross the line where when my physical work is having Spiritual implications? Did I just strike the ground once and God is seeing how many times I will strike it for those in the DRC? 

It's a very difficult thought to wrestle with. So I continued to wrestle with it while I continued to press on, backing down the pace if I needed to, so I could keep going. Praying for those in theDRC; praying for the other riders; praying for myself that this would be about God's strength because I want to stop. Passing 777.7 calories and asking for a stopping point but still feeling like I need to keep going. More praying.

At the one hour mark, I felt peace about stopping the running and starting the recovery walking. I felt like I honored what God was speaking to me: that this ride (and my life too) is not a short flash of bright light, but it is about a call for perseverance and self sacrifice; for us the riders, those that give, those that support, and those in the DRC that risk the great physical cost of all that they are and have physically. This upcoming ride is much bigger than just a cool challenging bike ride. It's my belief that what we and others are doing here physically is an answer to a spiritual call. As a rider I expect this ride to be more than I am able to do on my own (in my own strength). So to is the physical and spiritual training for it.

It is a great honor to be in relationship with the Living God!

Those arrow strikes by king Jehoash had meaning and consequence that he didn't appreciate-so too does more in our lives than we imagine. Pray that we all would be more sensitive to the work of Gods Spirit.

[Don't forget to leave your thoughts for the rest of us to read. Photos: two shots out of the plane window today and some sleep (that looks like glass) removed from my eye during the flight.]

The Parabale of 600 Miles

Each cyclist must have at least three things to ride 600 miles: 1) training, 2) equipment, and 3) perseverance. We will need the physical training to make sure we are capable of riding 100 miles a day, six days in a row. We will need the proper bikes, or we will become exhausted and never finish. And we will need the bull-headed endurance to finish the course.

Since the beginning of planning for this ride, I have been struck by the similarities between this and what a translator needs to do his work. It's a gigantic metaphor. In coming blog entries, I will show the correlations. Stay tuned.

Over the Hill

Last week I rode a couple of afternoons with Rollie - 18 and 34. Things seemed to be about "normal", so Saturday I signed on to the "Morrow Mountain Massacre". It's a 60mi. near Charlotte, with lots of hills. I was feeling good, rode out with the fast crew for a few miles, when it hit me that all was not well with the digestive tract. The first rest stop at 19 mi. found me hugging the toilet. It was drag from there on. I sagged after 30. Sunday, I woke up feeling terrible. Hit the Excedrin and off to church. I drug myself to the 2:00 PM 20 miler, but when I got on the bike, I was fine - go figure. Today, I feel fine, better watch out ?
Deut 33:26

In Michigan, spring time temps can be unpredictable; 60F one day and 30F the next. So it pays to be prepared.

Cold weather riding is not my most favorite but when it must be done, then cold weather gear is in order. A balaclava is essential to keep cold air out of the lungs and layered clothing is the other desirable part of one's outfit. My current regiment includes 3 layers on my torso and 2 layers on my extremities, plus neoprene insulated covers over one's biking shoes. Stopping for coffee or hot chocolate along the way isn't a bad idea either. Ride on!

Sit Bones...?

As a relative newbie to the world of Cycling, I had never consciously thought of my 'sit bones' before. But today, I went to my local bike shop (LBS) and had my sit bones measured.

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I bought my first road bike this past fall. Since then I've been enjoying it very much, but I have yet to feel comfortable on longer rides. I think I have my bike pretty well fitted to me at this point, but the seat (saddle) is still uncomfortable. I know this because I end up subconsciously squirming every couple of minutes, besides the occasional numbness that will sometimes occur. As I've been considering a different saddle, I've discovered how important it is to have a saddle that is the proper width. My bike came with a very nice high end saddle that many people speak highly of, so I didn't think it was a saddle problem-until recently. 

Now back to the 'sit bones'. What I learned today is that I am in-between a narrow (130) and medium (143) in the distance between my sit bones. (I was surprised a little as I'm 6' and over 180 lbs-I figured I'd be a large, but it's a genetic thing; not based on my weight or dimensions.) The saddle on my bike is a narrow. That's why I'm having so much discomfort on long rides. It's very nice to learn this and as I consider what saddle to buy in my size I have a good deal of hope that I will enjoy my longer rides much more in the near future. 

So now you too know that you have sit bones AND that they are important when it comes to a proper fit and more comfortable ride on those long days on the bike.

New Roads Traveled

I've been using the trainer 5 days a week and currently, the weekends are the only time I have to get any extended riding in. That will probably change as I gear up, or mile up, in April. This past weekend I did a quick lookup for rides over 50 miles in Waxhaw, NC. I found the route and quickly printed out some road names and directional turns I needed to make. A couple times I found my self stopping to check that I hadn't missed a road. Lessons on this ride were God provides the direction we need when we ask Him. Believe it or not, I had to turn on Tom Green RD. When I came up to it, there were two roads with the same name (Both left turns about 100 yards apart). I stopped and was going to head down a road where I would know it would end up, and then I prayed. Lord, you know which road I need to head down. Then I saw a marker spray painted on the road from a previous tour group. Thank you Jesus! I also realized after the ride that it is much harder riding alone. I had ridden 44 miles with a friend 2 weeks earlier and the legs weren't as sore. This time, the jabbing pain lasted about an hour after the ride. Just as Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, it's neat to know others are praying for us and for this "Going the Distance" ride.

How do you ride in this stuff?

Up until this year, I had never ridden in below-freezing temperatures. I usually waited until the first of May to start riding. In Michigan, road biking is, at best, only a 6-month sport. With the JAARS to Orlando trip being only 60 days away, I've decided that I'd better get on my SEVEN (brand name of bike) and start doing some serious miles. So last Sunday I mounted my fi'zi:k Arione saddle and started down the road. Snow banks were clearly visible on the sides of the road as well as in parking lots, creeks were still frozen over, but it was sunny and 24°F. I decided to go for a short 20-miler but by the time I had 5 miles in, I decided that since I was going to have to turn around yet and pedal back INTO the wind, that maybe only a couple more miles would be in order. By the time I got home I had been on the coldest ride of my life. I was wearing 3 layers on top, 2 layers on my legs, 2 sets of gloves, booties over my shoes, and 2 head coverings. And oh yes, sunglasses to boot! The wind chill factor was 0°F and with me traveling about 14 mph, probably colder than that. My fingers were balled up in my hands inside my gloves and my feet were frozen (I may actually have suffered a bit of frost bite). I never shifted gears once. I couldn't. When I got home, I hit the hot tub and just sat there for about 30 minutes trying to thaw out. I have a good cycling buddy who says, "There is no such thing as a bad ride, only bad clothing." I finally understand and believe.
I hit the cycle shop today and stocked up on cold weather gear. I should be better prepared the next time. Stay tuned. 60 days, huh?

Back in the Saddle

I'm not going to tell you how many miles I rode today. Let's just say that if this was the first day of the ride, we'd still have 100 to go. It was almost not worth changing my clothes for.

But it was worth it. I just wanted to get back in the saddle today, after a month of being away. The temperatures here in Texas are over 80 degrees, just about perfect for a soul that loves the warmth. I took the chance to take it easy, adjust my aerobars some, and to enjoy the weather.

Out Like a Scout...

We’re just wrapping up day four of our five day route scouting trip…what a blast! It’s been a huge amount of work. This is the first day I’ve been even interested in thinking about blogging. When was the last time you drove 600 miles at an average speed of 33 mph? And we’re doing it twice—up and back!

Monday morning Gordon and I left Orlando in our rental car for Waxhaw, NC, driving the route in reverse. I had already done a virtual 400 ft “flyover” the whole distance via Google Earth (amazing what you can do with the internet) but we needed to get an intimate feel for the road, the lay of the land, mileage to turns and rest stops (SAG stops in cycle-speak) for our detailed maps and cue sheets. In addition to all this we were trying to make our appointments at our over-night host churches. We knew face to face meetings with these gracious folks a couple months in advance would go a long way in making the whole event a great success.

Wednesday was spent in Waxhaw at the JAARS Center (Wycliffe’s support arm of missionary aviators, mechanics, radio and computer techie-types) meeting several staff assisting us in promoting and supporting the ride. JAARS is providing SAG (support and gear) equipment—van and trailer and hopefully the volunteer driver to go with it. We might have picked up a couple more cyclists too!

Wednesday morning was also a scramble to come up with a contingency route through the heart of downtown Jacksonville, FL. Our initial plans to bypass and cruise the scenic Atlantic coast up to Fernandina Beach crashed and burned when we discovered that the Highway 1A Mayport Ferry across the St. John’s River had been closed since February 2nd. Looks like Highway 1 from Callahan straight through to St. Augustine will be a good option. We’ll be investigating the need to get a “parade license” to “take the lane” through the nation’s 12th largest city—gotta love the adventure!

Today was a productive day—first half of our second pass. Patterson Baptist Church is putting us up again—thanks Pastor James (and Alvin and Ruth and Diane)! Pray us through Jacksonville tomorrow!

We’re pumped about actually getting to cycle the incredible country we’ve been driving. We’re pumped about the response and hospitality of the churches long the way. We’re finding favor in all we’re doing. It’s fresh, it’s new, it’s fun. I think it’s God.

pictures. 1) hills to the horizon! 2) Gordon storyin' with Jon and Pastor Mike. 3) South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia. 4) Scouts on a new route--intense!