Underway

Monday, August 6:  67.2 miles

After week of training, planning and packing the tour finally gets underway.  I ride down the driveway and head east, but I only get as far as Calvin College for the early morning prayer-blessing send off.  

After some warm farewells on a chilly, 53 degree, August morning, 130 of us will ride 67.2 miles to Sleepy Hollow State Park.   The first 25 miles are very familiar as I have ridden to Saranac many times before.  I feel pretty strong and average nearly 16 mph for the day joining a couple of fast pace lines for segments; but this is not a pace I expect to keep.  Maybe I just needed to get some of the initial eagerness out.  

The campground is nicely wooded  and even with 150 of us with two semi-trucks taking up a large portion of the camp I am able to find a nice spot and haul my gear there and set up before the rain showers start. 

Dinner includes some fine roasted pulled pork sandwiches and fresh sweet corn – very good.  At the evening peloton (a group of bikers) meeting only 5 flats were reported and everybody made it into camp on their bikes.  Tomorrow will be longer and harder, but today was a good start. 

Tuesday, August 6: 78.5 miles

There were continuing on and off light showers during the night.  Up at 5:40, pack up and load truck and join the breakfast crowd at 6:40, make lunch, and I'm on the road around 7:10.  Ride pretty fast for the first 10 miles setting the pace line for three of us.  Then I rode at a much slower pace the rest of the day with a couple of new friends.  Riding rural country roads allows for conversations that can uncover remarkable connections and common grounds.  Some call this "dutch-bingo" but that is far too simplistic as the CRC and RCA bingo connections reach well beyond just those who have Dutch ancestry.  I ride for a stretch with a guy from the RCA in NJ and we have fun making at least half a dozen connections before engaging in a 15 mile more profitable conversation.  

The morning was cool and cloudy, moist air and wet roads, but no rain.  Most of the day was dry but the he heaviest rain hit us as we were leaving Flint.  We were thinking this could last for the remaining 30 miles but after we waited it out for awhile we only rode in it for 10-15 minutes.  

When we get to Imlay City and are riding by the Vlasic Pickle plant a worker, who has seen several other riders go past looking just like us, sees me and asks me if I am just riding around the block.  We stop to chat and explain what we’re doing and where were going (the high school) and he gave us $20 for the cause!   Later I will find out that two more donations ($200) were added to my fundraising total today.  

We stay at the Imlay City High School and while some opt to tent outside, due to the threat of thunderstorms, most of us choose floor space inside.  We have a great dinner including roasted potatoes and grilled chicken followed by ice cream from the good folks at the Imlay City CRC. 

It has been a good day, good people, good miles, and a good cause -- I am greatly blessed by a good and gracious God.