Our Next Adventure......

Sunday, September 19th

2010-09-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

We left Anibes by 9:00 - destination Reims, France, via the shortest route which took us on roads not too suitable for our oversized van. Changed route to avoid freeways and this took us up and over the mountains. Beautiful scenery all around us but still not fast - the Alps in France are different from what we have seen in Italy and Switzerland. The biggest difference is in the houses that nestle in the mountains. Switzerland is prettier.
We stopped for coffee around 10:30, sitting among the motor bikers who were all out enjoying the great weather. We picked up baguettes, grapes and a hunk of brie cheese for lunch and were on our way again. We soon realized we would never reach our destination at the speed we were going so picked up the pace and took the freeways. It can get costly because of the hefty tolls you pay but we do need to get to our destination.
The houses in the mountains have changed from medieval type to more modern the closer we get to the big cities. It's still neat to see villages nestled among the hills - from our vantage point on the freeways, it's impossible to see roads leading to the houses. This part of France also has many apple orchards - the trees are covered with nets and harvesting has not begun yet. We see fields of dried up sunflowers waiting to be harvested. I'm sad that they are not bright yellow anymore, would have loved to see this.....
Grenoble is the biggest city we come through on the freeway. The further north we travel in France, the flatter the countryside gets - we are out of the mountains now and see much better farmland. The vineyards are plentiful again and we are told that the closer we get to Champagne this will be the case as these grapes are used to make champagne...
Before stopping tonight we see some excellent farms - some with crops already harvested, some crops waiting to be harvested and lush green fields with cows grazing. It was so flat it reminded us of the Canadian prairies.

Even though we took the freeway for half the day, we still land up at the youth hostel in Reims just before 9:00 p.m. The cafeteria was still open so we could get a meal there yet.

It's late, time for bed.....tomorrow another 450 kilometers before we get to Den Haag....the weather was absolutely beautiful all day today - beautiful sunset as well.

Saturday, September 18th

2010-09-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

We were ready to check out of the hotel this morning when the staff asked us if we were going to eat breakfast first – we didn’t realize that it was bed and breakfast so we enjoyed eating outdoors taking in the view and hearing the waves. Across from where we were, is the island of Elba which is the island that Napolean was exiled to. Ferries run back and forth regularly from the mainland to the island.
What we can’t get over is the number of castles that we have seen in Europe – probably all part of their defense program during war times. They usually sit high up on the hills and now are surrounded by complete towns. Taking photos of this won’t do justice at all because we are too far away.
Since we were so close to Pisa we decide we need to see the leaning tower – you have to see it in relation to another building to see how it leans. It was too busy to take a tour of the tower – many other tourists had the same idea today.
Driving along the Riviera we see the American influence on this area – American flags fly along with the European ones. This goes on for quite a while and all of a sudden the appearance changes and it’s not as luxurious any more…..being Saturday the joggers and cyclists are out on the roads all enjoying the good weather. The tourism book says that the Rivieras are strung with resorts and towns, many of them spoiled because of unregulated development. We didn’t notice that but then we didn’t spend much time there. Now we are out of the Tuscan Region of Italy and the scenery changes. Tuscany is quoted as being a region filled with vineyards, cypress-ringed villas and olive-cloaked hills and this is so true. The cypress trees are unique to this area.
From there we go into the mountain ranges again with the towns/castles nestled right on top and lush green trees all around us. Every now and then we get a peek of the coastline again. One area we passed through was almost like a rainforest. Lots of farming yet as well, all terraced along the side of the mountain. Olive trees are in abundance as well as vineyards….we stop for a lunch break and then decide if we are to make good time today we had probably best get back on the freeways for a while. Being on the freeways, you go through one tunnel after another – the Italians have mastered the building of tunnels. Joe says it’s almost like having tunnel vision…..
Another must place to visit today is Monte Carlo/Monaco. These places too were very busy with tourists today. We checked out the price of staying there but decided we couldn’t afford it and they had no vacancies even if we wanted to stay. This is where the rich and famous hang out…..Joe and Bernie checked out the Ferrari dealership and gloated over the cars there. They have never seen so many Ferraris out on the streets that belong to people there.
By now it’s getting to be supper time and time to find a place to stay. We had to drive for another 2 hours to find both. It was late but we did succeed. Tomorrow we will make reservations somewhere earlier so we can enjoy the evening.

Friday, September 17th

2010-09-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone is going their own way now – John D left last night already – had to catch the 10:00 train to Vienna, Dora left bright and early to catch the 7:30 shuttle to the airport. Next were Peter and Rita and Bill and Rita and Andy to catch a 10:30 flight to Amsterdam. John and Irene went over to the train station at 6:30 to book their train trip back to Holland only to find out that the ticket agents were on strike…..what to do now? Their bikes are with us now and we will take them back to Holland for them – this will make their travel so much easier in case they fly now. Karen, John K and Adrian are the only ones left behind when we leave at 9:30 – they fly out at 3:00.
We hit the road, thankful to have Adrian’s “TomTom” with us – this way we don’t have to consult maps at all. Milan is known as the fashion capital of the world – we did see this in how the people were dressed - both ends of the spectrum in regards to the rich and the poor. We were not in the most desirable area of the city in other respects – a little rough to say the least – our windows have to stay open in our rooms because of the heat and all night long there is noise. One of our group had his wallet lifted right out of a front pocket. Good thing it was the last day but still not nice. Getting out of Milan was a bit of a chore but once we got on the freeway, it was clear sailing. We left the freeway after a while so that we could go through the Tuscany region of Italy. Words or pictures will never describe the scenery that we saw. One thing was too bad, the sunflowers were all bloomed out….so sad for me as I was really hoping to see them in bloom yet. Scenes from “Under the Tuscan Sun” show sunflowers so that is why I wanted to see them. I have other sunflower shots so maybe I can transpose them over……olive groves and vineyards are in abundance.
We have picked up a book on Italy and it tells us the places to see in Tuscany so we have planned our route accordingly. We stopped for lunch in a quaint old town…….tourist season is over here so it does become difficult at times to find places to eat. The need for some Italian ice cream in the afternoon led us to places where we weren’t sure we should be. We saw 3 empty tour buses at one spot so we thought there should be something to see in this other town so we kept on driving – well we were the only vehicle on this one particular street filled with pedestrians…..we just had to keep on going even though “Betsy” told us to turn around as soon as possible. Nobody gave us dirty looks – we were all tourists……parking places are very difficult to find in these small towns so you just take your chances – we did finally find some real Italian ice cream and it was worth it.
The plan was to find a place to sleep along the coast of the Mediterranean and we did – mind you we were the only guests in this hotel – and also at supper. We decided to eat there as well and had the local fish for supper. There was a little difficulty in making ourselves understood about what kind of fish we wanted or how it was prepared so each of us got a plate of fish – head and tail still attached. I soon get rid of the head – don’t like eyes looking at me while I eat. It was delicious – served with grilled vegetables and a basket of bread. Every restaurant in Italy has a bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on it and this is how they eat the bread, dipped in this mixture.
All the windows and doors of our room were left open so we could hear the waves hitting the shore – we slept well and woke up to the sound of the crashing waves. It’s a bit overcast this morning……don’t know what the weather will do today but we had a good day yesterday.

Farewell to family.....

2010-08-29T02:58:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon we arrived in Peize at cousin Tjerkje's place. After supper we took a walk and surprised my aunt who lives in a nursing home here. She doesn't see well and we walked into her room and said hello. She knew right away who we were from our voices....she was thrilled that we had stopped by. Tuesday morning, Tjerkje and her friend, Jan went cycling with us and we stopped in at another aunt's place for coffee and then we cycled the surrounding area. Wonderful lush green farm land. The bike paths in Holland are so well laid out and make cycling easy. We stopped in Norg for "patat met" at lunch - delicous french fries with mayo for those who do not know what patat is. In the afternoon another cousin and her husband stopped by in Peize for tea so by now we have met up with all the relatives who are home. All that was left to do now in this area is check out my roots so Joe and I got up early on Wednesday morning and were on our bikes by 8:30 to make the trip to stad Groningen via Hoogkerk. Had to check out the house where I was born. It's still there, only it's a lawyer's office now. From there we went to Groningen - had to see the "Martini Tooren" and get a picture. It is so much easier to get to the "centrum" of any city by bike than car....By now it's coffee time and we do "koffie met appel tart" a la McDonalds. It tastes good no matter where you buy it. We cycle back to Peize in time to have lunch with Tjerkje and to pack up our bags and make our way back to the airport - a 2 hour drive. Along the way we make one last stop in Vries for a quick cup of tea with a cousin of Joe's. Bernie and Anna are already checked in at the IBIS where we are staying as well on Wednesday night. They are off to bed early since they have just arrived that day. We have acclimatized after spending 10 days in Holland. Thursday morning we are up early - the weather forecast was not good - rain and more rain. The forecasters were not wrong.
Let me suggest you follow the other blog that I will be posting on for most of the time. We are disappointed that WiFi is not as readily available as we had hoped. Most places charge outrageous prices for the use of it and time gets away on us as well. When we get into a motel/hotel in time for supper, it's a rush to try to get to a computer as well.
The other site is: http://cyclingeurope2010.blogspot.com -

Today it's Sunday already - most of the group left to go to church in Utrecht but there was not room in the 9 passenger van for 12 people so a few of us had to stay back so Joe, Peter and I volunteered. This gave me a chance to get caught up with the blogs.....

Trip down memory lane......

2010-08-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had our weekend with Joe's relatives - on Sunday we were together with 20 of us at Jacob & Hillie's place in Dwingeloo - the birth place of Joe. There were 10 cousins there with their spouses....lots of good food, drink, and fellowship. We spent two days cycling in this area - one with Jacob and Hillie and one day with just the 2 of us. Tomorrow morning we will do a short trip by bike along with Joe's brother and sister in law from BC - Jake and Jenny - to visit the area where Joe's father was born. Cycling is just such a way of life here - ladies at least 20 years my senior are still biking, getting their groceries, going to church, etc. Bikes are parked everywhere and the electric bike has taken over here for those who have some health issues. You see some hard core cyclists here as well - they are decked out in cycling gear and are the only ones that wear helmets. Can't imagine seniors over 80 cycling where we live in Canada. The bike paths make it very easy to go everywhere without being on the busy roads. Mind you there are still bikes on the roads as well - we made a trip yesterday to the place where Joe's mom was from and we had competition on the road(s) with the vintage cars that were going there too. It did get a bit too busy for my liking. Sometimes the bike paths are on the roads so we have to share. Couples cycle along holding hands or holding an umbrella - I haven't mastered that yet. I told Joe to please not get too close - I love him but do not need to hold his hand while cycling. We did get caught in a rain shower yesterday again - t'was time for coffee so we stopped.
We took the scenic route yesterday so we could cycle "op the groote, stille heide" - once I get my camera cord organized, I will post some pictures. The heide has just started blooming...didn't come across the shepherd with his sheep but we did see a shepherd with his flock. Jake & Jenny arrived in Dwingeloo yesterday so we made arrangements to meet for a drink last evening just for the opportunity to talk English....it's tiring to speak Dutch when it's not your first language. I guess it is our first language but because we don't do it regularly, it's not the easiest for us.

Rain gear testing....

2010-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well the "weather radar" this morning said there would be a shower at noon and for the rest the weather would be fine. We left at 11:00 on a route mapped out by cousin Jaap that would be about 60 km long - through the bush and we should be at a coffee shop (aka Tim Hortons)by noon so we should be able to stay dry. Needless to say, it took a bit to figure out the number system of all the bike routes and we were not at said coffee shop by noon so out came the rain gear - it works well and we looked like drowned rats when we stopped at a motel/hotel in Ede for a long awaited cup of coffee. Prices at Tim Hortons are cheap compared to what coffee costs here in Holland. Mind you it does come with a "free"cookie...to eat with the 3 swallows of coffee that you get....
We cycled through lots of beautiful countryside in the Bennekom area - lots to see and not enough time to see it all. We arrived back in Bennekom around 3:30 not having gone the 60 km. because we had another rain shower and had to get out the rain gear once again. I will admit that cycling in the rain is not much fun. Small towns in Holland are neat places to be in...the "vis maart" caravan shows up and parks in the middle of town and those loving fish can buy to their heart's content. Joe bought himself a "lekker bekkje" - he said it was delicious....I will try one later this week - I'm sure we will see more of this when the whole group arrives. Tomorrow we leave Bennekom to travel to the northern part of Holland - both Joe and I come from that area so we will check out our roots and visit with family there. A week tomorrow the whole group will be here...

Arrived....

2010-08-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Schiphol just after noon on Monday - good flight from Toronto - slept quite a bit on the plane so were not too tired when we got there. Luggage was all there even though we had to wait quite a while for the bikes, Joe was getting a little worried that they were not coming. We got our rental car and were on the road by 2:00 arriving in Bennekom just after 3:00. By 8:00 p.m. we could hardly keep our eyes open so we headed off to bed - hit the pillow and we were gone. By 1:00 a.m. we were both awake, read a while and fell back to sleep - Joe was up by 8:00 and I slept right through until 9:00. It's a bit overcast today - the bikes have been put together but we are not going out today. Tomorrow it promises to be better cycling weather so we will head out then.

We did a walking tour earlier today and will take a car ride in the countryside this afternoon.....the top picture is at a war cemetery in Grebbeberg where there are many Canadian soldiers buried. The picture with cows is one that Jacob took and put into a steel window case that came from the old family (deWeerd) homestead in Dwingeloo. The bottom two photos show some of the many figures that grace the downtown Bennekom area.

Last minute details......

2010-08-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

The list is getting shorter - just a few things to attend to yet before departure. Having a late night departure gives you another day to finish what needs to be done. This way I am home yet for my mother's 87th birthday - she will be in bed way before we head out of Toronto airport. There will be another blog up and running that will be more generic in terms of everyone being able to post on it so will not be as personal as this one. That will be the address that the friends and family of the "Group of 16" will leave for those who want to follow us. The address for that one is http://cyclingeurope2010.blogspot.com - we just hope that wireless access is available all over Europe....
I did get out for a short ride this morning - thought my chiropractor's appointment was for noon - it was at 10:15 instead so had to do a quick ride. Joe says he can wait until tomorrow to pack up the bikes so will do another ride yet tomorrow morning. Adrian did buy a new bike so him and Joe went out for a good ride this morning. Adrian has become stiff competition for Joe going up those hills - Joe used to be faster up those hills....

Four more sleeps.....

2010-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last minute details to get done yet….clothes to pack….bikes to box….it will all get done – there are still four days before we head to the airport to begin our adventure. Flying at 11:00 p.m. gives you a whole long, last day. Gotta get a few bike runs in yet too…Joe and Adrian cycled to Port Dover yesterday in the heat, I had to drive to be their support vehicle. It was a 66 km ride from Ancaster. Adrian even tried out a new bike….

The Countdown Is On.....

2010-08-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Twelve more sleeps and we will be heading off to Amsterdam on the brink of our European Adventure. We have planned it so we can do our visiting with our relatives before our actual "Bike Tour" begins. This way we have adjusted to the time difference and can do some cycling on the roads of Holland to get used to the type of cycling we will be doing for three weeks when the rest of the group arrives. The group of sixteen have all been involved with one or both of the SeatoSea tours and the NewZealand tour that we were part of. Everyone is from Ontario except for John who hails from Alberta. Anna will be our capable "support vehicle" driver - the other 15 are cyclists and we will take turns riding with Anna for company and to help navigate. The SAG vehicle needs to be there for us to carry our belongings from place to place. We will all make our own way to Amsterdam at different times and will meet up with each other at Schiphol the morning of August 26th for our adventure to begin.

Slow Transition Back to Reality......

2008-09-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

It's now 11 days since we stopped biking.... some of us are still blogging.....and reading each other's blogs.....life should have taken on a semblance of normality by now but for me it's not there yet. But then, what do we consider normal? For those of you who went back to school or work, normal came very quickly - those of us who are retired or didn't have a job to go back to, normal will take some time to become reality. Connecting with family and friends will take priority to spending time on the bike. This too is important - they were such a big part of my prayer support.

This past Sunday was probably the first time that most of us were able to worship with our home church family - for me that was the case and it was wonderful to be back with them. It was exciting to relate back to them the highlights of the tour. Their prayer and financial support was overwhelming for both Hilena and myself. Thank you so much members of Bethel CRC!
Pastor Jim's message was based on texts from 1 Corinthians 12 where it talks about how we are one body, with many parts in our church family.....I related this to the bike tour where we could say we were one group with many different cyclists - each of us brought something unique and special to the group - the young people mixed so well with us older ones. I was so impressed by the sincerity of the younger ones when I heard them talking to strangers about the reason for the bike tour. These are our future leaders in the church and we can be very proud of them. I miss the people who I had contact with for 5 weeks - none of us were alone in this endeavour - we were part of a very caring group of people - we looked out for each other, we encouraged each other, we cared for each other, we shared joys and struggles with each other, we cried together, we laughed together. Pictures and memories are what we now have of each other until we meet again and some of us will meet each other somewhere, sometime. Today I met Eritia at her workplace - she is missing people too - she was going to bike home after work and bike back to work tomorrow - she still loves biking.

Last week my 5 year old grandson, Nicholas, asked me to go biking with him - this was just two days after getting home from doing nothing else than biking for five weeks and I had to say to him very guiltily that I didn't have time that day - it felt awful to have to say this to him. The next day I did go biking with him - we cycled along a trail close to home - there was a corn field right beside the trail - nostalgia took over - thinking back to those corn fields in Iowa and Nebraska......only this time I did not have the need/urge to find the 3rd row on the left for my potty break - so used to seeing that sign at Walter's SAG - ladies go 3 rows to the left, men go 2 rows to the right.... I have put 40 km on my bike since coming home. My odometre reads 5600 km now - double what I had on when I started in Denver....I plan to put on lots more yet before the snow flies.

I also think back to all those little cards we handed out along the way.....will curiousity make people look us up on the web site to find out more about why we were cycling or will they be discarded? We can only pray that people want to know more about the cause and help to do something about poverty. We were confronted by poverty in some of the areas we cycled through and each of us knows of poverty in the areas we live in - it won't go away by itself - we all need to do something to improve the lives of those living with/in poverty. None of us can leave the tour saying we were not effected by what we were cycling for. Each of us has been challenged to make a difference somewhere/somehow. This too is part of reality. Joe and I have signed up with DRS to spend 3 weeks in the Lake Charles area of Lousiana in early November - this will give us a chance to live in community again with others - a little like what we did this summer. We hope to make a difference in someone's life there DV. Who knows, we may meet up with some of you other cyclists there.

Reality tells me right now that it's bed time....

Reality has begun.....

2008-09-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well it's Monday night already - we've been home now for over 24 hours and it's wonderful to be back in our own home after 2 months. John and Anne Span, missionaries with CRWM have used our home this summer since we were going to be away for 6 weeks.

We left Jersey City just before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and were home in Waterdown at 5:00 p.m. - 9 hours on the road with a few stops along the way. What took us 9 hours in a vehicle took us 7 days of cycling - we live close to Redeemer College and we left there on a Saturday and then did one more full week of cycling to Jersey City - amazing when you think of it....

Walter, one of our SAG drivers had trouble keeping Rita and myself apart so just called us "Margarita" - he promised us each a "Margarita" before the trip was over and he delivered. They were delicious - thanks so much Walter and Geri! Walter treated everyone to pieces of watermelon at his stop - one per person - he was the favoured stop.

Now thinking back to Saturday and all that happened seems so long ago already. I did cycle - went along with Teresa Hoekstra and Sharon Davis-Payton to a drop off point to avoid the many hills at the beginning of the route. We first stopped for coffee and then had a leisurely ride to the staging area and waited for the rest of the cyclists to all arrive. Excitement was building as more and more cyclists arrived and eventually everyone was there. The time had been set at 1:15 for a photo shoot of all the cyclists - took forever to get all lined up and ready for this as the last few cyclists were struggling in. It was a morning of many flats - 35 in all - the roads had lots of debris alongside them...the police were ready and waiting....Billy D's Harley was ready and so were we - it took a bit for all of us to get into position and we were off just after 1:30. At the last minute the final route was changed because the heavy rain on Friday night covered one of the underpass spots with 6 inches of water and it was not safe for us cyclists to travel through this as the road also had many potholes...wise choice.

It got even more exciting as we started at a good pace - the police cars stopped traffic as we kept on cycling - going from one intersection to the next with sirens blaring stopping the traffic at each intersection. We felt like royalty - waving to the crowds that were forming along the streets - it was so impressive to see all the jerseys up ahead as we crossed bridges and went around corners. This went on for 16 kms until we got to Liberty State Park where we travelled on a bicycle/walking path to the end. I recognized many people who had come to see friends and relatives arrive at the end of the tour. All of a sudden I saw my daughter, her husband and their 3 children - couldn't believe my eyes - what a surprise! Good thing I was riding near the end of the pack because I just stopped my bike and rushed over to hug them - overcome by emotion - never expected this at all - even Joe was not aware that they were coming. After spending a few minutes with them I continued on to the water front. By now most of the cyclists were there and it was time to get into position for some closing words and to dip our tires into the water. Joe and the rest of the support staff were all driven to the same spot and were there to meet the cyclists. After reciting the Lord's Prayer together we made our way down to the water - taking turns to do the dipping since it was so crowded. What an awesome finish to the tour - the weather once again was perfect - clear blue skies and perfect temperature.

Hilena, also from Waterdown, and I posed for a photo to submit to our local newspaper who did an article about us before the tour started. Good job Hilena - you went the whole way!

From here our bikes were loaded onto tractor trailers and transported to a church and we were herded onto school buses for a 45 minute ride to the same church. Nice clean showers awaited us here and we got ready for supper and the celebration service at another church 3 kms away. Once again we were treated to a delicious meal - 700 people in total were fed in a very short time since the evening programme was starting at 7:30 p.m. The church filled up quickly and we started off with some wonderful singing. Four cyclists were asked to share their thoughts about the trip - each one reflecting from their personal lives as to how God was with them before and during the trip.

Then it was time for good byes.....tears flowed - hugs happened - who knows when and if we would see each other again. Memories are what we live on now along with the many pictures that were taken along the way. Each of us will go from here to our own homes - some of us will get back to reality slowly, others will go back to school or work tomorrow or shortly. What will we take away from this time together - the cycling part is over - awareness of why we were doing the tour continues - where will the Lord lead us as we put into practice what we have heard from the speakers at the services we attended?

For 6 weeks I was out of touch with what was happening in the world - I lived one day at a time out of two laundry hampers that held everything I needed - the only decision I had to make each day was what cycling clothes to wear and how much depending on temperature. No blow dryer or curling iron for 6 weeks - how simple life can be lived if we let it. The tour was about people - they became a very important part of my life as we lived in community with each other. We needed each other for encouragement and support. The tour also gave me a renewed appreciation of the CRC - it was wonderful to see how the churches treated us along the way in whatever way they could to make us feel welcomed and with providing meals and snacks. Being a part of the total community on the tour was an awesome experience, the young people and the older ones mixed well - we helped each other out in many different ways - there was unity in the body.

Life becomes much more complex for each of us now - decisions need to be made - supper won't be waiting for us at 6:00 p.m. unless we have already prepared it ourselves. We won't have orange arrows on the road pointing us to the direction we need to go next - we won't have daily maps showing us where we will be camping/sleeping and the list could go on.

We won't have to "Purell" our hands before touching anything on the food tables, we won't have to stand in line anymore whether it be the food line, shower line, bathroom line and this list could go on and on. We hopefully won't be using tall corn stalks, trees, bushes for our bathroom breaks. The "porta potty" won't be just up the road aways. Speaking of the porta potty - Joe was to pull it to the end of the tour and had the hitch all fastened to our van when Ed came running back to tell him it wasn't necessary anymore as he had sold it on the spot to someone in Sussex. A relief for Ed - now it did not have to go back to Grand Rapids. At shower time on Saturday night, one of the ladies made a comment, "this is the last time that we will be doing community showers" - all modesty disappeared weeks ago. All of us are sporting different tan lines, even those who covered themselves with sun screen. We could work on getting rid of those lines but I think there is not enough summer left to get even tans anymore - snow has been flying in some parts of Alberta already so those from there will get a rude awakening upon arrival. Here in Ontario we are enjoying summer yet - I will stop to smell the roses today.

Night before the final ride......

2008-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight all the thank you's were made to those who helped make this trip possible - so many people were involved and in all different ways. Tonight's supper was hosted by the Goshen CRC and Sussex, NJ CRC - they put on the biggest and best buffet supper I've seen in a long time.

Joe was able to cycle for the last three days and he thoroughly enjoyed himself which means that I did not cycle - the hills in this part of the country were just too much for me when I could not use my granny gear - they were just too long and too steep to master using only the mid range. I do plan to cycle tomorrow.......

Today's ride was supposed to be one of the toughest on the tour according to the organizer and it was very interesting to hear the rider's comments as they came to the spot where I was at SAG - the young ones all loved the rolling hills, the older riders had mixed reactions - most people made it in but there were a few that had to be driven in. Sore knees seems to be a major problem. Many flat tires also today and a few falls - these are statistics that are recorded each day.

Speaking of weather, we have been blessed with such great weather - today there was cloud cover for most of the day which was a real blessing and it was not too hot out. It's muggy right now and there is a 30% chance of rain over night and there was a few rain drops as I walked into the school to use the computer so we will hope for a great day tomorrow. It would be such a shame if the weather isn't nice for the end of the tour.

We're up once more at 5:00 to get ready for the day....can't wait until I'm home again and can sleep in. Talking about sleep - I had better get back outdoors to our trailer to get some sleep in preparation for a very busy day tomorrow. Next post will probably be from home....

Countdown to the finish line....

2008-08-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday already - we haven't had internet connection since Sunday so this will be short and sweet. We drove for 1/2 hour to find a place in Binghamton to find a library and we have to be back for supper by 6:00 p.m. or we don't eat.

Crossing back into the USA on Monday was the simplest border crossing ever. I won't give you all the details now but it went without a hitch. We had a great day weather wise and road wise on Monday and did our 125 km very quickly - the first 30 were to the border. We stayed in a campground that night which worked very well. Tuesday morning we were up bright and early again and on the road just after 7:00 - great weather again but we did have a tail wind for a bit and the terrain became very hilly - just a taste of what's coming the rest of the week. We again did 125 km. I've been masking a knee pain for the past few days with ibuprophen and decided last evening to switch places with Joe for today which I did. I don't want to land up visiting my chiropractor for the next month to get the problem fixed and with my hand still being numb which prevents me from using all my gears with my left hand, I thought it best to take at least a day off and maybe more. Al Karsten wants to SAG on Friday using Joe's van so Joe will get to ride on Friday again and I will ride in the van with Al - that day will be the toughest of the whole tour we've been told. The scenery is beautiful here in the Finger Lakes Area.

Wednesday morning had us up early once again - Joe had to get ready to cycle and I had to be on the road early to beat the cyclists to the first stop at 30 km down the road. Joe cycled with the ladies that I usually cycle with and had a good ride with them. I enjoyed my day on SAG and had to wait until nearly noon before the last cyclist passed me before I could leave and head off to camp. Met up with Joe et al a few times during the day. At the end of the ride we were met by the friendly folks at Valley CRC for snacks and cold drinks and tonight they are doing supper for us - serving us some New York State specialties - we've seen the menu and it's looking really good.

Those that have been on tour for the whole nine weeks have mixed feelings about ending this week - some can't wait to finish and others would continue on if they could. The weight loss some people have experienced is noticeable - some up to 30 lbs. in total. We'll all have to adjust our eating habits once we stop cycling. It will be bitter sweet for some - reality will set in for each one in different ways. We will be leaving bright and early Sunday morning with 2 passengers who have to be home on Sunday for commitments so that's fine with me as well.

Hopefully we will be able to post again before the weekend but we can't promise - depends where we are camped. Till later....

End of an awesome weekend.....

2008-08-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Bright and early Saturday morning, Bryan, Geri, Trevor, Justin and Julia met us coming back from breakfast at Redeemer all pumped for the ride to St. Catharines. Bryan, Trevor and Justin were to join me along with others who were cycling for the day. The grandsons were chomping at the bit, the rest of us had to have our Timmie's before heading off. Before you knew it we were on the way - first stop was to say hi and bye to my sister, Dorothy who was waiting for me at the corner of Stone Church Rd. and Upper Ottawa. Next to come along was brother-in-law, Tony who was on the lookout to try to find me in the crowd of cyclists. He stopped for a hug and then we were off again. The next stops were out of Hamilton so now we could cycle for a ways without stopping. I must say I have never seen a view of the city that we saw yesterday - it was neat to see it from a different perspective and it was impressive - Toronto with the CN tower in the distance was visible and the haze had lifted.

Leaving the stop hosted by Fruitland CRC, I noticed that my front tire was soft so we pumped it up and I hoped we would make it to Grimsby and then I would have Joe change it for me while I visited with my mother at Evergreen Terrace. We pumped it up once more at the bottom of Woolverton Rd. and I made it. My mother was excited to meet up with my brother, Wally and myself. I hadn't seen her in five weeks and she had her 85th birthday while I was away so this was my birthday visit. Joe promptly changed both tire and tube so I was good to go again. My cousin, Ann Mary along with her husband, Randy and sister, Grace were at Evergreen to meet me as well. It was so special for me to see them - some of you readers will know her and will know why it was so special.....thank you for coming out.

The refreshment stops kept coming and they were wonderful and at every stop you knew someone so it was a chance to connect with family and acquaintances - all great experiences and I won't even try to list them all but I sure appreciated it. This way everyone got a chance to see the tour in action. We so appreciate the response from the communities. At breakfast that morning one of the cyclists made a comment that it was too bad that some of these churches couldn't have been in Utah where they would have loved to have had some of these treats and attention.

From Grimsby Joe drove to St. Catharines, parked the van and got on his bike to meet us so we could cycle in together. He met up with us and cycled the last ten km in with us. A real treat for the grandsons who did 75 km in all - for 13 year old Trevor that was easier than for Justin who is 12 but we had fun doing it. Memories are made of times like this. How many grandkids can say that they cycled with their grand parents?

Beacon High School soon became a tent city - we parked our van and trailer and stayed with DRS friends, Lawrence and Boukje DeRaaf who opened their home to us. Wonderful to sleep on a real bed and be able to do laundry, visit, etc. etc. This is so appreciated by the cyclists.....

It's now Sunday evening - we're back from the celebration service and supper, just waiting for our peleton meeting so I'll continue my ramblings.

We woke up early this morning and our hosts had gone to make breakfast for the cyclists at the high school while we stayed home and ate our breakfast there - much more relaxing for us this way. I had to reorganize my two laundry baskets which contain all the stuff we have with us on tour and there is still stuff that I have never used or needed. It's amazing how little you really need to have to make life possible on the road. It's good too to see what really is important to you or what you think you need to have.

We were back at the highschool for lunch and then we boarded a school bus to take us to Queenston Heights - the sky is getting darker and darker and we had talked to our daughter and found out that it was pouring rain in the Hamilton area. Oh well, we just had to keep the plan since there was no alternative mentioned to us. We arrived at the park and it was already raining and it kept on raining. Many guests also showed up and we were all huddled under 2 pavilions hoping that the rain would stop. This is at 2:30 and the service is to start at 4:00 - the rain would stop and then it would start up again.....by 3:45 we were told to start making our way over to the band shell area and it was just drizzling. Just after 4:00 the service started and the first song we sang was our theme song for the tour, "Do Something Beautiful" and while we were singing the refrain which goes like, "Go do something beautiful" - the sun came out - how good is our God to have heard the prayers of his people who wanted to have this service outdoors! The rain never started again and we had a wonderful service with Brian Walsh speaking to us on the Fruits of the Spirit and David Raakman as the worship leader. Our son and our daughter and their families joined us for the service - their encouragement and support has been awesome. Many of my church family also came out to greet Hilena and myself and offer encouragement. I feel so blessed but did comment to someone that I'm hoarse from talking so much to everyone today but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Tonight we sleep in a real bed again - we're up very early tomorrow to get ready for our border crossing and then one more week of cycling.

From London to Hamilton, almost home....

2008-08-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I last wrote - probably due to the fact that so many familiar faces pop up along the side of the road and I have to stop and talk - it's so great to be in this part of the tour.....it's home!

We left London high school on Friday morning and made our way back to Dorchester where Rita had to stop for a photo shoot with fellow people from Dorchester at 8:00 a.m. Clara, we did not see you outside so we did not stop - did see your sign on the pole in front of your house. My brother, Wally, joined the "Margarita Express" that day and he travelled with us all the way to Ancaster. He claims he wanted a slower ride - he could feel the effects of cycling 5 days in a row. It was good to have him draft us along the way. First stop was for coffee at the Ingersoll CRC and then it was off to the Streutker farm for lunch. This just so happens to be relatives of Joe so met up with some of his cousins there. Woodstock CRC treated us royally among the hay bales - unique setting.... I never realized how rolling the countryside was in that area. It was hill after hill - good way to work off all the calories consumed already. Next stop was Brantford - a little treacherous getting through town with all the road construction but we made it without mishap. Our first stop was hosted by Cambridge CRC where I met up with friends and two of Joe's sisters - cold water was priority here - we had seen a sign telling us it was 36 degrees so it was warming up. A few kilometers away was Brantford CRC with all their goodies on Jerseyville Road.

My daughter and 3 grandkids were waiting just up the road in Alberton and the grandkids rode with me for a 5 km ride along the quiet road till Nicholas got tired and they met up with me again at Redeemer College. Now the final stretch and we were happy to ride into Redeemer's yard with lots of spectators cheering us in - another 124 km day. I should say that most days are longer rides than what is posted in the Shifting Gears booklet - you kind of make a mental note of how many km you still have to go and it has never been exactly what we think it will be.

Lots more familiar faces here - I won't try to mention them all by name for fear of forgetting someone but it was so much appreciated.....a dear friend did give me a wonderful neck, arm, leg, hand, feet massage right after supper - it did feel so good - thank you, Meghan! She could feel the tension and told me just to relax - wonder why. It did help for my left hand which is still numb. Two sisters and a brother-in-law came to meet me after supper for a short visit.

This was the closest stop to our home but we did not go home - our own bed wasn't available so we stayed in our trailer - next best and no problem. Saturday morning another surprise awaited me, our son, sister-in-law and their 3 kids were joining me to ride for the day to St. Catharines.

More later...

Canada, here we come, en masse.....

2008-08-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well - we were all up bright and early Wednesday morning - excitement was building in camp especially among the Canadians - friendly teasing taking place right up until we boarded the ferry. It took 3 ferry loads to get all the cyclists across the river and then a few more trips to get all the vehicles across that belong to us. I was on the 2nd ferry load crossing very excited to meet up with our daughter and her 3 children. Everything seems to take longer when you are waiting.....each passport had to be checked off, etc. etc. before we were allowed to cross the bridge to where the spectators were waiting for us and there was quite a crowd. We were treated to Tim Horton's coffee and lots of baked goodies and other wonderful treats. The welcome was overwhelming from the churches in that area.

All of a sudden, I saw them holding a big poster with "Welcome to Canada, Grandma, we are soooo proud of you! and then we met up, a few tears flowed, I'll admit. It had been over 4 weeks since we had seen each other. Now we had to wait for Grandpa who was coming on another ferry. It was exciting to say the least.

Cynthia and the kids went off to camp and were going to ride out to meet up with us so they could ride in with us. Rita, Dora, Joan and myself took off for the final 60 km. of our trip that day leaving the ferry in Sombra and heading off to Chatham along country side that I had never seen before.

About 5 km from camp I met up with Cynthia and the kids and we biked into camp together, first of all stopping at the local Tim Horton's for a drink - it's been a few weeks since my last Tim Horton's stop so I was having withdrawal.....after having supper with us, they headed back to Waterdown.

Today's ride from Chatham to London took longer than we had hoped it would - even though it's very flat countryside, the winds were not in our favour and it took us until 3:30 to get in this afternoon under clear blue skies.......124 km in total. The people here in London have treated us very well - supper is here at the high school and then we are off to the Beerda's to sleep in a real bed tonight. The computer lab was open in the school so I've made use of it even before taking a shower. Those sitting beside me haven't complained of the smell so obviously it's not too bad.
Tomorrow, Hamilton, here we come - that is to Redeemer College.

Final Days in Michigan....

2008-08-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday's family time was over before you knew it and then we were off to the Celebration Service with Shane Claiborne - an awesome service where Shane used as his prime example, Mother Teresa, in his message on "Revolutionary Gentleness". We can all learn from her. Memories are made of all the time that we spent together on the weekend with family.

Monday morning we were sent off with words of encouragement from the staff at Calvin College - and then we were on our way just after 8:00 a.m. We had a tail wind that day which was wonderful. Rita and I averaged 25 kph for the ride of 110 km and were in camp nice and early. Tuesday night was a different story - it was a 153 km day with head winds and it took us a lot longer to get in. Joe was finished at his SAG stop early and biked to meet us and drafted us in the last 20 km. The weather both days was great.

Now Joe and Peter are on as official support crew - Joe brought along the trailer so now I do not have to sleep in a tent every night - this does make it so much easier to get up and ready in the mornings. Rita shares the trailer with us....leaving Peter to sleep in the tent which is his choice..either he snores too much or he is too tall to fit into the trailer.

Tuesday night we got the message that we were all to be finished breakfast by 7:00 so we could make our way into Marine City for our ferry crossing on Wednesday morning. This had everyone up very bright and early.

The Final Leg....

2008-08-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well, more than 2/3 of the trip is over - this is the place of changeover - 10 people leave the tour and 60 new ones start. It will be overwhelming for those 60 who are starting.

The last two days of cycling were the shortest so far 77 km each day and they were short days - a real treat to be in early and be able to sleep on a real bed for the last 2 nights.

Excitement built already early yesterday morning when another 130 cyclists joined us for the ride into Grand Rapids - needless to say the roads became crowded with the extra cyclists - a challenge some time when you wanted to pass them. My brother, Wally, was registered to cycle with us - he started out with Rita and myself but in the rush he got ahead of us and we saw him at all the stops. There weren't 12 stops along the way as we had been told earlier - we were thankful for that or we would never have gotten in on time. The push was on too to get to the staging area by 12:30 for the "grand entrance" on to Calvin College site. The cyclists led by Billy D on his motorcyle were first to ride in followed by our 130 guests and then the support vehicles. I'm sure there are photos showing this - we couldn't see it but we were told it was impressive. I was overwhelmed by seeing my relatives who were cheering from the sidelines. I feel so blessed to have had so many relatives who came to welcome myself and Ed to Grand Rapids...I thank God for wonderful family members.....Last evening we were all together for pizza and beer at a cousin's home as well - was great to have some time away from the big group.

Group time is also great but every now and then you need your own space and some of the cyclists from other areas chose to camp on campus instead of taking a billet for that reason. The weather was perfect for camping.

Later I hope to post some photos showing the tan lines we are all sporting. A group of guys were posing for photos yesterday and I managed to get some shots of this.

The tallest person on these shots is Marc VanOtteren who claims to be 5'19" - he hails from Ada, MI - a great bunch of young men!

Must let some others check their e-mails and be socialable....looking forward to the big celebration service this afternoon. We did as extended family all worship together at Neland Ave CRC - heard a message on "Faith Worth Keeping" - was good to have been there....

Time for reunions....

2008-08-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

The excitement is building - tomorrow we ride into Grand Rapids from Grand Haven. Today already so many visitors have come to see friends, family, etc. etc. All along the route today were strangers welcoming us in - neat to see the support along the way. Thursday morning we left Chesterton, Indiana just after 7:00 a.m. knowing that we would lose an hour during the day and we had 133 km to go so we had to keep going. We did stop in New Buffalo for a "latte" around coffee time and from there kept on pedaling all the way to South Haven. The last 40 km were with a strong head wind so we were very tired by the time we got to camp just after 5:00. Rita did have another flat tire yesterday and we had the bike turned over, the rear wheel off when a very kind young gentleman named Reuben stopped to see if we needed help - we said yes and within 10 minutes we were back on the road. What a relief for us since time was getting on and we still needed to travel a few kms. This day we traveled along the shores of Lake Michigan. Met up with a cousin, Sarah Boonstra-Boer who is heading up the welcoming committee in Grand Rapids - she has an enormous job trying to organize food, billets, camping, spa arrangements and many other treats for the cyclists.

Sarah was at camp again tonight with her whole family helping make supper which was being supplied by CRHM and I met up with her again. This morning, Joe's cousin, John Karsten was at Graafschap church to welcome me and make arrangements for coming to the CRC Conference grounds to bring us to his home for a sleepover. Just as we were leaving Graafschap Church this morning we see Joe and Peter drive in - talk about coincidence! We saw them for a few minutes and then Rita and I were off again to continue our ride. We knew they would catch up with us again soon. All the cyclists made Graafschap their first refreshment stop today - a lovely lunch was had by all before most of us went downstairs to see the museum they have put into the basement of their new building for all to see showing the history of the CRC in America. This is the oldest congregation. Very impressive display....

We did go through downtown Holland with a mission - someone told us we had to go to the peanut store and have a "peanut padded bar" which is their specialty and it went down very well - nice downtown area - too bad we didn't have more time to explore it better.

Rita and I arrived at camp just after 3:00 today - the earliest ever and we had 78.7 kms on our bikes. We could see Lake Michigan but the air temperature did not lure us in. Some did but did not last long in the water. Beautiful location for a conference ground....

Was standing by my bike just eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich when all of a sudden 4 people said, are you Margaret DeWeerd and here were 2 couples we have worked with on a DRS assignment, George and Grace Couperous from Trenton, ON and George and Annette Meyerink from Byron Centre, MI - it's a small world out there. I also have 4 siblings + spouses who arrived in GR today. My brother, Wally, is cycling with me tomorrow and possibly a few days next week and an aunt and a cousin and a neice have all come to GR as well and will be staying at the home of one of my other cousins who has moved to Texas - we all hope to get together for brunch on Sunday morning at my uncle and aunt's home - should be fun.

We have been told that an extra 130 riders will be joining the 145 riders on tour now for the ride into Grand Rapids and we will all meet about a mile out and ride onto campus en mass - should be very exciting but also a bit nerve racking.....and we've also been told that there will be 11 stops along the way at CRC churches for snacks on the route which is only 76 kms. long - we'll be rolling into camp if we eat at each of the stops...

I must get back to our hosts - was only going to be a few minutes on the computer and it's been more than a few - my load of laundry is almost dry and it's getting real close to bedtime - am tired tonight and there is one more day of cycling this week.

The Church at Street Level....

2008-08-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well this morning we left Trinity College - were sent off with a blessing by a local Chicago minister. He likened us as being the church at Street Level - thought this was a unique name for us. He shared Psalm 122 with us in regards to this. This was a morning celebration instead of an evening one.

Since it was such a busy area that we were leaving today, it was suggested that we leave in groups and stay together at least until we are out in the country a ways. Our leader was Aaron - a Trinity College student who knew the area really well and he led us out and we had Bill Wybenga as our sweep so we really moved this morning - once we had our lunch stop we told the guys to leave and we could find our own way in. Travelling on city roads in single file does not give you a lot of chance to see what's around you - you are always keeping track of the bike tire in front of you wanting to not hit it. Once the group visited the Roseland Christian Ministries Centre in Roseland, Aaron took us to a part of the city that was famous for the Chicago Fire and the area that ...........Pullman tried to set up his utopia. Can't remember all the details he told us...

From there we headed to the church in Highland, Indiana where we were fed royally for lunch. We are not lacking in the food department and it will get busier the closer we get to Grand Rapids and then into Canada.

Rita and I got into camp by 4:30 and another area CRC supplied us with all kinds of freshly baked goodies so we had to sample some of them as well. We put 99.50 kilometers on our bikes today. Tomorrow we cross the state line into Michigan - we lose an hour somewhere along the way too so it will be a long day for us - the only perk is that it won't be dark so fast tomorrow night. It's only 8:30 and it's pitch dark already - I'm sitting outdoors with my miner's lamp on trying to type this blog on Ed's laptop - forgive me any mistakes, it's a bit hard typing with the computer on my lamp etc. etc.

Rita and I reached the mid point of our part of the trip today - 2 1/2 weeks of our 5 week commitment - at this point I have put over 1500 kms on my bike.....feels really good....

One of the sag drivers keeps getting Rita and I confused so he calls us the "Margaritas" and each day promises us a margarita at his stop - to date he hasn't delivered yet - always has an excuse that it's before lunch yet and on and on he goes. We've been asked by quite a few people if we are sisters.......sometimes we tell people we are.

Well the mosquitos are getting the best of me and I do have a few things to do yet to get ready for tomorrow. We've been warned that this is coon country so will have to store some things in the gear truck if I don't want visitors in my tent over night. Good night all

Illinois today, Indiana tomorrow......

2008-08-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Trinity Christian College today - it was a ride with a lot of challenges - we were on a bike path for 60 km. but it was a little confusing at times. The route changed course here and there and there was construction so many of the cyclists did more than the listed 60 km. One cyclist added 30 km to his ride and visited Wheaton, Illinois on the way. We won't mention any names in case he does not write about it on his own blog. Rita, Dora and myself added 8 km to our trip today.

Once we got off the trail it was very busy traffic along the route - we all arrived safely so that's the main point. Construction and fresh tar and oil also played havoc with the cyclists. Supper was a rushed affair once we got in because our hosts were there to meet us who wanted billeting. Rita and I chose to do this in order to sleep on a real bed tonight and the other luxuries that come with being in a home. There is a very good chance that a thunder storm hits tonight as well so I think we made a very good choice. Randy and Nancy are our hosts tonight and will bring us back to Trinity first thing in the morning.

Yesterday's ride was wonderful - started off a bit cool first thing in the morning but warmed up very quickly. We did cycle into Illinois already yesterday along some quiet roads and saw lots of lush farmlands. The CRC in Delavan treated us to a "hot lunch" which made us very lazy and wishing for a nap but there wasn't time for that - we had some kilometers to go yet.

Tomorrow we have 2 choices of routes - some locals who were cycling with us have plans to show us where some of the first CRC churches were but had to close because of racial violence - there is quite the history lesson to be had and we have chosen to take this alternate route. Please pray for the cyclists as we get into some very heavy traffic areas.

This is it for today - I still have to shower and the laundry has to get started as well and we have to be good guests........

Mid West Hospitality

2008-08-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday afternoon - we've had the most awesome reception here in Madison. The people here have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome. I have just had a foot massage and they feel wonderful now - being clipped in makes your feet feel very tired at the end of the day.

I have had my first lesson on doing bike maintenance today as well - you stand there with your bike and pretend you know what you are doing and others will offer advice. I have some plastic gloves with me to keep my hands clean (a real women thing) but I did see a man doing the same thing so I wasn't the only one trying to keep my hands clean. Riding on wet roads does make the chain gritty and dirty. Some of the cyclists spend time every day cleaning their bikes - Joe cleaned my bike in Denver and I did oil it once since. It was long overdue to attend to my bike.

Last night I did choose to sleep indoors - the mosquitos were bad and it was dropping down to below 60 so we found some couches in the youth area and bunked down there for the night. Will repeat that again tonight so I will not have to pack up a wet tent in the morning. Only 5 more sleeps in the tent before Joe comes to Grand Rapids with the trailer - can't wait. When I spoke to him yesterday he asked if I was more excited about him coming or the trailer. Of course I told him I loved him and was looking forward to him coming.

The celebration service this morning was great - a good time of praise and worship followed by a good message and then we were fed an awesome lunch. The services have been following the fruits of the spirits in their themes. Today's was on "Faithfulness" - good to have heard.

This was the message painted on the front doors of the church welcoming us yesterday afternoon.

Others are waiting to use the church computer so I will sign off for today.....

Beautiful End To The Longest Two Weeks...

2008-08-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well the longest and the hardest two weeks are over....we woke up to rain at 4:30 a.m. today and it rained steady until 6:00 a.m. so needless to say we packed up wet tents this morning. By the time breakfast was over the rain had stopped and we could start getting ready to go on the road. What to wear today - start with rain gear or not. Rita and I took a long time deciding and didn't leave until just after 8:00 all decked out in our rain gear. After about 1 hour of cycling on wet roads we came to dry roads and stripped off the rain gear. We did have cloud cover for a while but eventually the sun came out and we had a great cycling day doing 118 km and arrived in camp at the CRC in Madison, Wisconsin. The temperature was in the high 70's - just great for cycling. Once again we are being treated royally.....all kinds of services are being offered to us. Most of us just want to veg out at camp this weekend - it's been a tough week.

My odometre reads 1150 km since Denver.....this covers 9 days of cycling out of the 12 scheduled one.....I did take yesterday off - was under the weather and slept most of the way to camp riding with the nurse in her motor home. I did wake up in time to cross the bridge crossing the Mississippi River into Wisconsin. The scenery stays the same as what we left in Iowa - lush green farms and rolling hills. The hills are getting easier to climb - must be getting stronger with all the cycling.......really does feel good doing the pedaling......sure gives you an appetite and the cooks have done up some excellent meals - they do work very hard to feed the lot of us.

Must relate a funny story of what happened last week - one of the first days after we started Rita had a flat tire so the five of us, damsels in distress, who were cycling together stopped at the side of the road and turned her bike over. Before we knew it, 4 gentlemen stopped and asked if we needed help so of course we said yes and they did all the work. Another group of cyclists cycled by and asked, "how many North Americans does it take to change a flat?" The ladies on tour have found out that if they stand by their bike and look flustered, there will be someone who comes up and offers their help.

Hopefully sometime this weekend I will find someone who will help me download some pictures - tonight I have my camera with me but no cord and the person who was sitting beside me, his cord did not work on my camera. Pictures will not do justice to what we are seeing but will give you an idea. There are lots of pictures posted.

The movie next door is over and Ed would like to make a few calls yet so I will sign off for now.

Have a great weekend....we have another worship celebration tomorrow morning...looking forward to that.

Perspective

2008-08-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we were the guests of Dordt College and we basked in luxury. Before going to bed that night I did stop by the computer room yet and read some of the blogs posted by fellow cyclists. I chose to read Bill W's blog from Monday and he brought back to reality what this trip is all about. I have written about how tough some of the rides have been, the wind from the wrong directions, etc. etc. He stopped me in my tracks and made me realize how blessed I really am. We still have choices and lots of them. Those we are hoping to help in dire circumstances do not have choices as to where to sleep, what to eat, what to wear, etc. etc. This sure helped me to focus on Wednesday when we had a tough day ahead of us. We were all up already and getting our gear back onto the gear truck when all of a sudden we had a down pour - just what we needed on a super long day. By the time we had been treated to a buffet breakfast the rain had stopped and it was just drizzling - now, do we take our rain gear or opt to just get wet - we still have choices. We had a mid week celebration service at Dordt College as well which was well attended. Representatives from CRWRC and the Micah Challenge addressed us as to what they are doing to help alleviate the cycle of poverty.

What was supposed to be a tough day turned out to be a good day - the rain brought cloud cover which kept the temperature down and it also provided us with a tail wind which made our ride even more enjoyable. Rita and I pulled into camp just after 5:30 with 186 km on our bikes and we were on the saddle for 8 1/4 hours - not bad at all. We had stressed over this first of the 3 long days and it turned out better than everyone had thought it would. Our peleton meeting started with a prayer thanking God for the added blessings of the day.

Today is Wednesday - I have supper duties tonight and breakfast duties tomorrow morning so another person who is also on the same sweep team and myself decided to take a ride with the SAG vehicle and just do the last section of the ride today - we did 66 km - this way we will be in camp in time to do whatever we need to do to help out. Today's ride was tough - the wind was not favourable at all so the other cyclists will not be getting in early - the temperature was wonderful around 75 degrees. We took four hours to do the 66 km. We also have to unload the gear truck and reload it tomorrow morning so we just needed a break before we do another long day tomorrow.

I'm heading off to camp now to start my duties......did find the local library to post this blog first though - there will be a mad rush here after supper so I did get ahead of the rest....

Who Says Iowa is Flat?

2008-08-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday afternoon already - time has flown by. Since Sunday's posting, we've had two huge slumber parties - the first one on Sunday night at the Luthern church because the folks there felt sorry for us because of the extreme heat. They kept coming and coming with offers of hospitality...such awesome people. Last night was the second one in Sioux City because there was risks of thunder storms overnight with high winds. Again we did not have to set up tents and take them down at 5:00 a.m. - what a treat. It's actually quite funny to see mattresses and sleeping bags and pillows all over gym floors. By this time we are all like family and no one gets stressed about sleeping wherever - we are all so quiet and lights out is by 10:00 p.m. and many of us are already asleep by then.

Tonight we have real beds at Dordt College, lovely clean shower facilities, bath towels, laudromat, computer lab so we are actually being spoiled rotten. Supper is at 5:30 and breakfast will be served so we are in our glory. That's all so wonderful because tomorrow is the first of 3 very long days.

Monday's ride took us from Nebraska into Iowa - the scenery has changed to lush green farmland, rolling hills, and lots more corn and soybeans. Rita and I rode together all day and did did 144.29 km. and made it to camp around 4:45. A good day with good road conditions.

Today is the shortest ride in this 3 week section - only 99.49 km. because we have a celebration service tonight at Dordt College. Whoever said that Iowa is flat hasn't riden a bicycle along their roads - it was a ribbon of highway with one hill after another. The worst one of the day was right in Sioux City yet - we had to make a left hand turn and it was straight up a hill - both Rita and I walked that one, we weren't expecting this so soon. That was the only on we walked today. Once we got out of the city into the country we just kept going up and down - a very good riding day today.

We had cloud cover for most of the ride as well which was a real treat - we worked up a sweat with each uphill so we did sweat today in case you think it was a joy ride. About 75 km. into the ride today, the folks at Ireton CRC welcomed us with strawberry banana slushies and root beer floats and a chance to sit down for a while - what a treat before the home stretch.

I'm going to stop for now, it's Joe's birthday today and I want to make a call to family before supper while my laundry is drying (still multi -tasked even on tour) to wish him well and talk to some of the others who were all vacation last week. You wait in line for everything on tour so we do learn patience......standing in line isn't so bad either since you get to know those behind and in front of you. The community here is great - we are trying hard to be intergenerational - the older ones mix with the younger ones - we're all one big happy family.

My hands are feeling much better with the added foam on the handlebars so I am enjoying the rides more. The numbness hasn't gone away but is not getting worse.

Pray for all of us as we face 3 very long days......I'll probably be way too tired to do any postings on those days.

Till next time.

A Well Deserved Day of Rest...

2008-08-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday afternoon -I'm sitting inside a wonderfully air-conditioned church sanctuary, using my brother in law's laptop, sending out an update to my blog. The temperature the last two days is in the 100's with a humidex reading of over 100 so you can imagine how hot it is outdoors. We are camped at a YMCA camp right beside a Lutheran church and the people at the church have been awesome to us. We had the choice to go to two CRC churches today, both a 45 minute bus ride away in a school bus so a few of us decided we would forego that and go locally. Some went to the 8:30 service and a few more to the 11:00 one. At the later one they told us that by 1:30 they would bring in some food and drinks for us. Up to the time that we showed up at their services they did not know about us. How wonderful to be out of the heat - I have even packed up my tent and am sleeping indoors tonight. Many have followed suit. We would love to have some of the cooler weather from Ontario come this way. Apparently some cooler weather is in the forecast for next week.

I did not cycle yesterday - having done the whole day on Friday I was exhausted to say the least and I also have some problems with numbness in my hands which I attribute to the vibration of the road conditions so thought another day off would help for both reasons. Even typing is a bit of a problem for me right now. One of the other cyclists has put two layers of foam on my handle bars and today another cyclist lowered my seat a bit and gave me some hints as how to avoid the vibrations so hopefully tomorrow's ride won't aggravate the problem. This too should pass.... Yesterday was a tough day of cycling for those who did it - the winds were mostly not in their favour. Getting into camp early by vehicle gave me a chance to set up Rita and my tents under some trees. One of these days I will ask someone to help me post some pictures so you can see how close together the tents are set up. Hopefully you don't get too close to someone who snores or have to get up overnight to use the facilities or you could trip over some ropes from your neighbour's tent. Last night it did not cool off at all so it was very warm in the tent and the trains kept going all night - we've been told there are 80 trains per day that pass through this area so you can imagine how many train whistles we hear overnight. I can say that the trains haven't kept me awake.

This YMCA also has an arena attached so it looked very comical last evening to see the cyclists in their cycling clothes in rented skates playing hockey while it was so hot outdoors. Many of the young guys landed up sleeping in the arena last evening.

It's getting close to supper time and I shall post this now or I may lose it.....keep praying for us - for safety on the roads, for cooler weather and for tail winds. Tomorrow we head north east and will be in Iowa already.

Day 5 - Mission Accomplished

2008-08-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Marg just called me (sister Wilma) and asked me to post this - the internet at camp is very sporatic.

Stats for Day 5 - Friday August 1:

She rode the whole 152.8 km today.
Strong headwinds all day.
Temperature +/- 95 degrees F
Rode with Rita B.
Arrived at camp at 6 pm - just in time for supper
Angel of mercy was Bill W. - tent all set up already - Thanks Bill !

Things are going good at camp - wonderful spirit of co-operation - a blessing to be part of this tour.

Hopefully better internet connection on weekend for future up-dates.

Four Days In....

2008-07-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's July 31st, I'm sitting in the air conditioned comfort of the Public Library in Minden, Nebraska. I'll try to quickly update from Denver on since I have only 1/2 hour before the library closes.

Denver's hospitality was awesome - they treated the riders absolutely wonderful - from greeting us all, from the supper on Saturday night, the great service which we all cycled 2 miles too, lunch again, supper, etc. etc. Free haircuts, billeting, you name it, they supplied it. We met up with nephew Phil, Kim and their girls for a short visit on Sunday. I had to do orientation and they have a very busy schedule so they came out to the high school to see us.

Monday morning early I was on the road with Rita and 2 other 2005 veterens and started off to Fort Morgan. We left town along a bike path for 27 km and then got out on the Interstate. I managed to cycle 110 km before the heat became too much for me and Peter and Adrian picked me up and took me to camp. Joe cycled on Adrian's bike that day and did make it into town but he also found it a very tough day with the extreme heat. I also knew I had to be in early to start by duties on the sweep team - once every 10 days all cyclists have to help get supper on the tables for everyone. This also meant that I had duties the next morning to leave after all the cyclists and come into camp last. I did get excused from that because I had just started.

Tuesday morning was another early start to beat the heat. We were on the road before 7:00 again - today with Rita and Rita. I made the whole day and felt just so wonderful to come into camp with Joe, Adri and Peter to welcome us in. It was a 140 km day and was mostly along a rural highway with excellent paved shoulders - a lot better road than on Monday.
Adrian cycled on Tuesday - he had to celebrate his birthday with a ride. The guys decided on Monday that they would stick around for one more day which was wonderful for us - one more sleep in comfort. It did become a late night because we had to celebrate Adri's birthday and he had to say goodbye.

Wednesday morning bright and early reality set in for me - all my stuff had to go into the gear truck and we had to say goodbye. Joe and Peter promised they would set up our tents for us in McCook if they could and lo and behold we came into town and there were our tents, under a tree all set up with chocolates on our pillows, red roses from Adrian...... this did bring tears to my eyes when I saw it.

It was a tough day and we went well until km 108 when I just couldn't take the heat anymore. All of a sudden there were rolling hills and I did 3 of them before my chain came off on an uphill and I had to stop and put it back on in the over 100 degree hot sunshine. I lost my momentum and got to the top and couldn't get the energy to go further. The van was filled with others who also had to call it quits. I was exhausted to say the least.

In talking with other cyclists on Wednesday night I made up my mind that I was going to take the day off on Thursday because the weather forecast was for over 100 again and it was going to be a 153 km day. This was Friday and Saturday's ride will be doable for me. I also have some issues with numbness in my hands which makes it a little difficult to change gears and I wanted to give my hands a rest as well. I got up Thursday morning while it was still dark (we did have time change again yesterday) and started packing up my stuff. I did for a short minute wonder what I was in for but the feeling passed quickly enough again. I had a good day riding with others who weren't cycling and got into camp just after 2:00 and then I set up my tent and Rita's - this is what friends do for each other.

I'm going to sign off before I get told that the library is shutting down.....thanks to all those who are reading and leave comments. Not sure when I will be on again.....keep praying that we will be kept safe, a few serious accidents have happened that I'm sure you have read about. Pray that we will get some cooler weather - today's humidity was 90%.

Arrival in Denver

2008-07-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely on Thursday night and camped in a State Park on the edge of Denver. Friday morning we took the bikes off the trailer and Joe led Rita and I on a 40 km bike ride through the park and surroundings. The park had excellent bike paths for the serious cyclists of Denver all within very easy access to the city. This way Rita and I could acclimatize to the higher altitude - I did notice the difference and it took a bit longer to catch my breath after a climb. Mind you it wasn't as tough a ride as the cyclists had but it was good to get back on our bikes after a week away. My odometer turned over 2800 km so this was all training kilometres for the tour.

This should have me ready to start on Monday morning. Tomorrow morning we will be cycling for 2 miles to get to where the church service will be held so we get to ride a bit tomorrow.

Today Rita and I changed a tire on my bike while Peter and Joe sat in their lawnchairs and gave instructions. They watched closely and did have to get their hands dirty as well. I wore gloves so stayed clean but they weren't going to do that. It was the rear tire so was a bit more work than a front one - involved taking the chain off, etc. There was a crack in the tire so it was advised to change it before it gave me problems on the road.

We did arrive at the Chritian High School by 11:00 this morning thinking the cyclists would be arriving by noon but it was a tough ride and the first cyclists didn't get in until 2:00. It was very exciting to meet up with those we knew. The church and school community in Denver did very well in welcoming everyone to their city. It feels wonderful to be part of this whole adventure now.

The temperature here in Denver has broken records - 13 days of over 95 degrees and it is going to be dropping a bit this coming week. Should be more comfortable cycling next week. The scenery here is awesome - mountains all around us.

It's time to call it a day - it's been a long one. The school computer lab is open for us which is great - it's easier to type on regular computers than a laptop and I am taking advantage of it.

Next post will be after a day of cycling.....

Ready or not....Denver, here we come...

2008-07-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday evening, it's been a full day. Attended my local church, said goodbye to friends there and to my family who came for supper and to wish me well on my adventure. The rain yesterday and today got rid of the heat and humidity in this area of Ontario but did spoil plans for outdoor activities today.

Friday afternoon Joe and I left Waterdown to travel to Dorchester to meet up with Peter and Rita Beerda who will be travelling to Denver with us. We were up bright and early on Saturday morning to do a round trip from Dorchester to Port Burwell - a 130 km ride. We were on the road just after 8:00 a.m. and it was hot already and only got hotter as the morning progessed. We were in Port Burwell just before 11:00 with 64 km on our bikes and a few short stops along the way. Lunch was on the beach and we made it quick because we could see storm clouds forming in the distance.

For a change of scenery we took a different route home - which would give us another big hill to climb in Eden - and it wasn't the Garden of Eden. This ascent was in the heat of the day and it was steep - I did have to stop once to catch my breath before making it to the top. From reading Saturday's blogs, I shouldn't complain because the bike tour's ride was a lot more difficult and it was much hotter than what we experienced. We made one more stop in Brownsville for icecream and Gatorade before the home stretch. No sooner were we back on the road and the heavens opened and we were drenched. Mind you at first it felt really good to cool off but we soon realized this was not a quick little shower. We stopped after 15 minutes of this and Joe found a machine shed where we could get in out of the rain. Half an hour later, the rain stopped, the sky still looked ominous but we decide to start out again. No sooner were we cycling again and the next shower came upon us - and once again we looked for shelter. This time an empty cow barn became our place of refuge. It still smelled like cows had been there, little kittens were making their home in it and lots of hay was stored there as well - and we were out of the rain.

Since Peter had been smart to pack a rain coat, he suggested that he ride home from there and pick up a van and come pick us up. We were still 25 km from home at this point and we urged him on. Twenty minutes after he left, the rain stopped and the sun tried to break through the clouds. The suggestion was made that maybe we should start cycling again to warm up because by this time, we were chilled right through. We figured we would get to Ingersoll and would get a ride home from there. Peter, in his wisdom, decided to hop on the 401 and come get us that way since it would be a lot quicker. But we were cycling on the country roads and didn't meet up with him at all. We made it all the way back to Dorchester by bike with 131 kilometers on our odometers just before the next downpour hits. It felt so good to have accomplished this - my longest ride to date - just a foretaste of what is to come once I start cycling next week Monday. Lesson learned - always have rain gear with you, you just never know when you may need it.

In preparing the the ride, I have been reading and journaling from Max Lucado's book, "It's Not About Me" - a book all about God's glory. To seek God's glory is to pray, "Thicken the air with your presence; make it misty with your majesty. Part Heaven's drapes, and let your nature spill forth. God, show us God." to quote from Lucado. To this end may we have no higher goal than to see someone think more highly of our Father, our King. So evident from reading the blogs.....to God be the Glory!!

Very early on Tuesday morning we plan to leave for our 30 hour drive to Denver. By this time next week we will be part of the group that will be cycling east from Denver to Jersey City. Pray for safety for all of us as we travel whether by car or by bike. We know that God will take care of all of us....go with God.

The "Granny Ride".....

2008-07-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sleepovers at Grandma's house are always fun but they also come with doing something exciting with the grandchild. Julia, who will be 10 in October had her turn this week and what were we going to do to make it exciting. Julia lives with her brothers and parents in Branchton - this is a 35 km ride from Waterdown and her older brothers have done the trip with Grandpa so now it's her turn. Wednesday we just cycled around town, doing the lunch thing and shopping which is what little girls like to do best. Thursday morning comes and it's a great day out - blue sky, not too hot and just Julia and Grandma with their bikes ready to do a ride. We pack peanut butter sandwiches in case people along the route aren't home to have lunch with. Julia is going to take the lead so Grandma doesn't go too fast and to protect her from the vehicles that will pass us. Once we get away from the busy section we can ride side by side and can have a conversation. This will be the farthest that Julia has ever biked and we talk about this - we have done the school bikeathon together and that is only 20 kms. We talk about grandparents and that they are usually old and don't do this type of activity with their grandchildren. She knows of only one other classmate whose grandparents cycle with him and Julia is impressed with this. There are 50 years between Julia and myself - she can't wrap her mind around this age difference and tells me she is proud of the fact that her grandmother is doing 5 weeks of the seatosea bike trip. Her grandpa did 8 weeks of the 2005 tour but he can do everything in her eyes - he is so active. We make frequent stops - Julia is riding a mountain bike with only a few gears while I'm on my TREK so there is no fair comparison between the equipment and we are heading into the wind. None of the people we had hoped to stop in at were home so that was a disappointment. We used the bathroom at her aunt and uncles home and ate our sandwich there just making ourselves at home. No sooner had we arrived at her home, Julia was all set to go swimming with her dad and brothers and she was scheduled to play soccer at night. Julia was proud of herself and still had energy to burn...

I am comparing this ride for me to the stories I have read on the blogs where cyclists are relating how others have come alongside them and urged them on, riding a lot slower than they normally do just to offer moral support for the slower cyclist. It's wonderful to read of the community that has formed among the group and that many have chosen to ride "intergenerational" - a wonderful way to meet people all with a similar goal.

My workout happened on the way home - made it home in record time, a steady tailwind and knowing that we were going out for supper and I had to be ready. A great day spent with a grand-daughter. Later tonight the grandchildren who live at the house were we have been living for the last two weeks arrive home from holidays so next week grandma gets to spend time with them before heading out to Denver. How blessed I am!

I may be remiss for labelling this a "granny ride" but I am speaking only for myself. I realize there are many grandmas on tour who are excellent cyclists.

Day off...

2008-07-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Just like the official SeatoSea cyclists today, I took a day off and was downright lazy - from my horizonal perch on the back yard hammock, I observed a clear blue sky, no winds, just a wonderful day to be outdoors enjoying creation. Just like the cyclists, we too are without a home right now - since we were going to be away for more than half of the summer, we have given our home to the Span family to live in this summer. They are with CRWM and are home on furlough. We made the same arrangement in 2005 when Joe did the SeatoSea.

I've read all the blogs posted on the website so have a sense of what the last week has been like - all kinds of adventures, very, very warm weather, mountains to climb and mountains to descend. When I read of the speeds downhill, I shudder...so far I haven't reached that speed on my downhill rides and not sure that I want to. It's wonderful to read of the community that has formed on the road, how everyone is there for each other at all times helping out where needed.

Last Friday Joe and I did a 110 km ride from the town of Branchton, where our son lives with his family, to Port Burwell on Lake Erie where they were camped. It was a fairly easy ride - tail winds most of the way and not too many hills to climb. Felt good to get there after spending 5 1/2 hours on the road which included all our breaks as well as a lunch stop. They had an extra vehicle with them that we used to get back - we would have biked back if only we did not have a Saturday a.m. family wedding to attend.

Two more weeks of training before we head off to Denver to join the tour......I'm "fearfully excited" - quoting my brother-in-law, Adrian who used this comment when interviewed by his local newspaper - this describes me right now as well.

My First Century Ride

2008-06-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well by this time today (5:30 p.m. in Ontario), I'm sure most of the cyclists who left Seattle this morning should have arrived at their destination for the day - it was to be an 80 km day so we were told. The suggestion was made that the seatosea cyclists who weren't starting in Seattle should do a similar ride today. Joe and I left just after 8:30 a.m. and had an 80 km ride planned. Once we were on the way home and we had a tail wind, I suggested that we should do a 100 km ride. The route changed and we managed to clock just over 100 km - felt good arriving home just before 4:00 p.m. Mind you we made a few stops on the way - it didn't take us that long to do the 100 km. We had some wonderful scenery along the way - will post a picture later - hopefully as spectacular as the other cyclists had. But we did not dip our tires in the ocean and did not have a royal send off.....

Our plan was to have lunch in Arkell - a small town just over 40 km from home - but it was not to be, they chose to take today and tomorrow off to celebrate Canada Day so we had to do without lunch. We did sit on their porch, ate a granola bar and decided to keep going until the next town which was Freelton and there we had something to eat and drink. The temperature was just perfect for a ride today - high of 21 with thunder storms forecast for both the morning and the afternoon which did not materialize. Wearing rose coloured sun glasses is great for these conditions - they don't let you see how dark the sky really is at times.

Another added bonus to all this training is a drop in my cholesterol reading...mine had been steadily climbing the last few years and my doctor wanted me to go on meds for it. I asked him for another 6 month reprieve before taking meds and promised I would work very had at getting it down. Well last week I had blood work done and it had decreased considerably so I was very happy about that.

Training will be heavy duty for the next few weeks.....we plan to leave the 22nd of July for our drive out to Denver, we will our time getting there....enjoying the scenery along the way and checking out the roads that we will be cycling once we leave Denver.

Article in Local Paper

2008-06-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Flamborough Review
Cyclists pedal to fight poverty
By Dianne Cornish
Sports
Jun 06, 2008

Although separated by an age difference of more than 35 years, Margaret DeWeerd and Hilena Zylstra have a common passion: the two Flamborough women want to make a difference in the cycle of poverty that has gripped many parts of the world.
Their desire led them to sign up last fall for the Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour, the largest cross-continental tour ever. Beginning June 28 in Seattle, Washington and ending August 30 in Jersey City, the 6,000-kilometre (3,750-mile) ride will feature 216 riders, 111 of them, Canadian.
The ride, presented by the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), hopes to raise $1.5 million to help the world's poor. Each rider is committed to raising $10,000 for the cause.
"The funds we raise are not for the cost of the trip. There are corporate sponsors that cover those costs," explained 60-year-old DeWeerd of Waterdown. "Every penny we raise goes to the poverty initiative."
Helping erase the cycle of poverty is a big motivator for Zylstra. The 24-year-old Waterdown resident said she feels strongly about raising money for the poor "because I am so blessed." She feels fortunate that she is in a position to help. "To be able to help others is a privilege."
While acknowledging that covering an average of 110 kilometres (68 miles) a day during her nine-week cycle ride will be quite a physical challenge, Zylstra said, "My biggest fear all along is the fundraising aspect."
She has sent out letters and made telephone calls to family and friends, and members of her church family at Bethel Christian Reformed Church on Kerns Road have been "very supportive." But both she and DeWeerd are still looking for donations to meet their goal. They're confident their objective is within reach and that people and businesses will come through as they have for past ventures.
People came through in a big way when DeWeerd's husband, Joe, took part in an eight-week bike tour from Vancouver to Guelph in the summer of 2005. He and other riders raised close to $ 1 million in support of building new CRCs across Canada. Mrs. DeWeerd joined him for four weeks of the tour, not to cycle but to serve as a volunteer cook.
"I saw it was such a neat experience three years ago, I decided to try to do it," she said. "It's also a personal challenge," she said of the tour, adding that she's thankful for the support and encouragement of her husband and family.
"I also believe in the cause. I want to make people aware of poverty and what we can hopefully do to alleviate it," she added.
DeWeerd will be joining the tour about halfway through in Denver, Colo., while Zylstra has signed up for the whole trip. Both women have been training seriously since they signed up.
A hobby cyclist for the past 10 years, DeWeerd said she didn't become "a serious cyclist" until last fall. She bought a Trek road bike at Christmas and has been training rigorously ever since. Five times a week, she takes spin classes and weight training at the Flamborough YMCA. "The more training, the better shape I am in."
Zylstra has also adopted an ambitious training program. She bought a Lemonde road bike last October and cycles 15 kilometres to work most days, as well as about 100 kilometres on weekend rides through the Flamborough countryside.
She also rides the bikes at Runner's Den, takes karate two nights a week and plays squash at McMaster University once a week.
Even though she and other cyclists will be on the road for about six hours a day before reaching a 'tent city' in a farmer's field where riders will spend most nights, DeWeerd said it's important to keep everything in perspective. "It's not a race. There will be time to stop to smell the roses along the way."
DeWeerd and Zylstra will be among the 192 cyclists scheduled to spend the night of August 22 at Redeemer University College in Ancaster during a four-day portion of the tour through parts of Ontario.
To learn more about the bike ride or make a donation, contact the women at hilenazylstra@hotmail.com or jmdeweerd@cogeco.ca or see the registered cyclists listed on the tour's website at www.SeatoSea.org. Donors can also call 1-888-272-2453 or send cheques payable to Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour, P.O. Box 5070, Stn LCD1, Burlington, Ont. L7R 3Y8.
Area residents are also invited to share DeWeerd's personal thoughts about the trip by visiting her blog at http://margaretsc2c.blog-spot.com.
Funds generated from the tour will be used to support initiatives that range from trying to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa to programs that help poor farmers improve their crop yields in Central America. The primary agencies that carry out these projects are: the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the Christian Reformed World Missions, Partners Worldwide and churches and para-church organizations involved in ministry with and for the poor.

The Survivors' Victory Lap

2008-06-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

For the last three years our local community has held a Relay For Life event which is a celebration of survival. It's a tribute to the lives of loved ones, and a night of fun, entertainment, friendship, and fundraising to beat cancer. The evening begins with the Survivors' Victory Lap, celebrating success in the battle against cancer. At dusk, a touching luminary lighting ceremony takes place where hundreds of candles are lit in honour or in memory of loved ones. The words HOPE and LIFE are spelled out on the bleachers. We give HOPE to those that see us walk and show them that there is LIFE after cancer.

Last Friday evening I walked the victory lap along with some friends.......

To be cheered on by family and friends swells me up with emotion. I almost compare it to the excitement that was there when the 2005 cyclists arrived in Halifax. For each of us as survivors this is almost just as much of an accomplishment. The course each one of us has travelled has not been the same or as difficult. Some are still undergoing treatment as they walk and others have just finished treatment. There are not too many out there who have not been affected by cancer in one way or another in their extended families.

This summer as the SeatoSea tours North America, we know where the starting point will be and we know where each day will finish but we will not always know the course set out for each day. It has been mapped out for us but we actually will not know exactly what we will encounter along the way until we get there. So it is in life - we know where we started in the family that God has placed us in. The future is in God's hands and the course we follow is different for each one of us. There will/could be obstacles that we have to overcome, hills to climb and valleys to go through but lets encourage one another in our journeys, cheer each other on and help those who are having a hard time. We will experience this on the ride this summer. How and when we arrive is not as important but that we do arrive is. Together we can reach the goal set out before us.

The first of June.....

2008-06-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

The countdown continues....for those starting in Seattle, it's only 27 more sleeps and you are off.... the final month of training is starting. Those of us starting in Denver have a few more weeks but it's creeping up on us as well. Those needs/wants of equipment/clothing should all be bought by now as well. I did make a trip to MEC and spent lots and now have to return there to exchange some of the purchases. Waiting for a rainy day before making the trip to TO.

The cycle shop where I purchased my bike had an invitation for a "Ladies Night" a few weeks ago - this private function was a forum based on ladies cycling needs, apparel, basic mechanics and the quintessential...the TUBE change! I went and did I learn stuff I didn't know. She had a new product with her called "Chamois Butter" and suggested to put this butter on the chamois in our shorts as well as other places - this is probably too much information for the male readers to this blog. She also recommended "Udderly Smooth" as a product to use and I did manage to buy some in a Wegman's store across the border. It's getting harder and harder to find it where I live.

A female rep from TREK bikes was there to show and tell us how to change a tire without getting our hands dirty and it's possible - she had no grease anywhere. Now it will be interesting to see how much we remember when reality sets in on the side of the road. They also offered a complimentary pilates class specific for cyclists. Now that's a form of exercise that gets right to the "gut" so to speak - very good for before and after a ride.

Training continues...this past week I mastered "Snake Road" hill two times in a row - an accomplishment for me - met a trainer at the Y who is doing the Ironman this summer and she suggests repeat hills as a good training. Our local newspaper ran an article on a cyclist who will be taking part in the cycle across Canada for Cancer that will take place soon and will be done in 19 days. She also does Snake Road hill and she does 10 repeats in a row. I will have to increase my repeats this week. Those doing the 19 day tour will average 240 km per day - not sure if I could ever do that. I also ventured out for a 70 km ride along roads and hills that I had never taken before. Beautiful farm country that offered lots of smells, some not so pleasant. This picture shows the easy part of the ride - going downhill.

I do live in a beautiful part of the country that has lots of challenging hills - this week will have to venture out more than last week. Our area had very strong winds the last week which made for a tough ride but we did have plenty of sunshine to go with the winds. On my days with too many other commitments, I can still go to the Y in the early morning and get a spin class in and do weights so am not shirking my training. I feel sorry for those who hold down regular full time jobs and have to get their training in after hours.

May 2-4 Weekend

2008-05-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well the first long weekend of the summer has arrived...for us, Canadians, that is. It's the weekend that everyone is outdoors getting gardens ready, camping, going to the cottage, etc. etc. It's the weekend that everyone hopes the weather is great but this weekend it doesn't look like it will be unless the weather man is wrong. Tomorrow and Sunday we will see lots of rain and high winds where we live. I had hoped to go out on Saturday with a fellow seatosea cyclist but it doesn't look like it will happen. I will have to go to a Spin Class at the Y first thing in the morning. Rita came again this week and we did cycle on Wednesday and Thursday and did some challenging hills in the Waterdown area. The hills are getting easier but I haven't mastered them all yet....it's coming though. Soaking in the hot tub afterwards was our just reward for all the hard work we did. I did get 150 km on my bike this week...also did a spin class earlier in the week - would like to know how many kms you ride in one of those classes - the legs never stop pedaling and you put as much tension on the wheel as you can so it is still an excellent workout.

My husband, Joe, is out with 6 other men cycling in the Finger Lakes area for 5 days. He called me last evening and said how tough it was there - they did 80 km after driving there first from the Hamilton area. There was one hill there that only 2 of the cyclists mastered. He wasn't one of them.....it's good training for 2 of the seatosea cyclists who are there with him. I missed his call tonight - he left a message saying they had a miserable, cold, rainy day today and cycled 110 km. They are staying in B&B's/motels but are carrying all their other stuff with them for the 5 days - they are doing a loop with their vehicles parked in Canandaigua.

Keep up the training, stay well, get lots of rest, stay safe, but most of all thank God that He gives us the strength to be able to do this...and He also gives us the beautiful creation that we can enjoy at this time of the year - the smells of the flowers and cut grass lets you know that spring is here and summer is coming real soon. Rita and I did complain a bit about all the black flies and mosquitos that found us as soon as we got off our bikes at the stop signs. As long as we kept going they didn't bother us..we had to keep our mouths shut or we would swallow them, which can be hard for us....

For those starting in Seattle, it's only 6 more weeks!!

Here's wishing this is what après cycling will be like. . .

2008-05-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

It was planned, I would cycle to our son's house in Cambridge one day, sleep overnight and cycle back with my daughter-in-law the next day. Clean clothes, etc. were there already. Tuesday was the day - right after lunch I set off, thought I was dressed for the weather but was only a km from home when I decided to go back and get some warmer clothes. I set off again and headed out into only a slight wind . The weather forecast had said that the winds would be getting stronger in the late afternoon. The country roads I cycled were reasonably flat but the winds did pick up so it was hard going especially towards the end. My daughter-in-law passed me at one point and offered to give me a ride but I was determined to make it on my own - she went to pick the kids up from school and came back again just yards from their home. I managed to do the whole distance and pulled into their yard with 37.63 km on the odometre - more tired from cycling into the wind than from the distance. This trip had taken me more than 2 hours - I was chilled right through.

Before I knew it, my daughter-in-law had filled their jacuzzi tub with warm water, added bubble bath, lit some candles, poured a glass of white wine and ordered me to get into the tub. Wow, this was just what I needed - it felt so good I could have stayed there for hours but my stomach was telling me it was time for supper.

I was in bed just after the grandkids went so had a great sleep. Woke up early to a sunny but chilly day on Wednesday....we left right after the kids went off to school and Geri and I headed back to Waterdown, taking the same route from the day before. This time the wind was on our backs. We still had to dress warmly - winter gloves, headband and a few layers of clothes. We were making very good time.... but had stopped because Geri's cell phone was ringing and while I was waiting for her, my cell phone also rang. It was my daughter asking where we were and I told her we were just 10 kms from home and we would be there within half an hour. Since she lives just down the street from us she told me that coffee would be ready and she would put soup on and we could eat lunch as soon as we arrived.

Talk about being spoiled by your kids! I am very blessed. If only this could/would happen on our actual tour this summer - this would be the ultimate!

On Thursday evening I rode off into the sunset on the "Evening Bliss" trail on the ExpressoFitness Bike at the local Y. A mere 7 1/2 km ride followed by weights. It was a day of social committments and when they were over, it was drizzling outside, it was cold and it was easier to go to the Y.

Leaving the "FIFTIES" behind....

2008-04-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well this week it happened, I turned 60 - others are saying that it is much easier to turn 60 now than it was before because we are turning 60 at a much younger age than they used to - 60 is young to some of you and old to others. I've learned that age is relative - you are only as old as you feel and at times that can be very real... like yesterday when I went out for a ride with 3 other SeatoSea cyclists. I won't name them, but some of you will know who they are. My brother in law, Ed, suggested a 50 km ride - just a few hours in the morning. I was game - one of the cyclists was 18 and the other in her early 20's and Ed is just a few years younger than I am. We started off from Ed's home and we were only a few kms away when my chain fell off - meanwhile the others are way ahead already.... I fixed the chain - it just so happened there was a towel lying beside the road so I could clean my hands off...caught up to the others and off we went again. I could tell very soon that this was no match for me - I just couldn't keep up so I urged them to go on and I would meet them back at my sister's home for lunch. We all arrived back within 5 minutes of each other - I had done a much shorter ride than the others but we all had a good workout. Ed admitted to me that he had a hard time keeping up with the young riders. We will all find our comfort level on the tour and those will be who we ride with.

On Thursday Rita came down/up from Dorchester and we did a 60 km ride up country from Waterdown. Now, we were very compatible - we had a good workout and we had fun - we plan to ride together from Denver to Jersey City.

The total distance cycled in 3 outdoor rides was 130 kms for the week - this along with a spin class and anther session at the Y on their newest bike/trainer was my exercise - needed that to work off the "birthday meals and cake". Good thing birthdays come but once a year.

Today I joined my 9 year old granddaughter for a 21 km ride at her pace - not a real workout until the last little bit when we found a very challenging road with some rolling hills to get the cardio up - we had fun while she tried out her new bike.

The weather in Southern Ontario has been just great for cycling - no excuse for not getting outdoors - it's supposed to change over night so we will see what the new week brings.

Now to keep up the momentum....only 9 weeks till the tour starts. Keep on cycling - keep safe out on the roads.

First Flat...

2008-04-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Well a week has gone by - did get out 4 times for a short ride for a total of 125 kms. An indoor spin class at the beginning of the week plus some weights was my total exercise for the week. The knee discomfort is slowly going away. This week I should up the total kms cycled - the weather is supposed to be great once again for outdoor cycling.

Last Saturday Joe and I were out for a ride up country from here - lonely country roads with some hills for a good workout when we met up with someone we knew who was out rappelling. We stopped to chat with him and all of a sudden a loud pop from my front tire and slowly the air went out of it - a real sinking feeling. Dave offered to drive us home but Joe said he would try to fix it. I had some new tubes with me but there was a cut on the tire as well. My hands stayed clean so guess who changed the tire. I watched closely but don't think I'm ready to do this on my own yet - will have to learn. Joe temporarily fixed the hole in the tire with a piece of paper but I will need to take the tire into the cycle shop to have it either repaired or replaced. We also left home on Saturday without our wallets or cell phone, not a smart thing to do in case we would have needed to call someone - must make a check list for each time we/I go out.

On Sunday lots of cyclists were out enjoying the day - we decided to join our local churches in cleaning up our neighbourhood for Earth Day - it amazing how much garbage surfaces once all the snow is melted.

Now The Serious Training Begins.......

2008-04-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to get real serious about training….

It’s the middle of April and the push is on to get some serious training going…..enough of the leisure stuff – the snow is gone so we will put the skis away until next season. We did enjoy 3 days of excellent spring skiing at Mt. Tremblant during the last week of March, after we came home from Florida. We were invited to join some fellow cyclists from the 2005 ride along with one other couple who is doing the 2008 ride as well – it’s interesting how you meet up with people who do the same activities that you do. On the last run down on the third day I did twist my knee and once I arrived home, I needed to see a chiropractor to get it so that I could exercise again. This meant no doing the stairs or walking too far. Cycling isn’t hard on it but getting on and off the bike did cause some pain so he suggested to take it easy for two weeks. He promised to have it better so I could start cycling again by the end of this week. I have been doing the spin classes at the “Y” but at a relaxed level. Skiing was well worth it…..wouldn’t have missed it so will live with the pain and inconvenience. A personal trainer has set me up with some programs for both my upper body and legs so this will also help to get ready. Just over 3 months from now Joe will be bringing me out to Denver to start.

I met up with some of the local cyclists at one of their fund raising events last week and this weekend some others will be making and selling pies so I will try hard to get to that as well. It’s neat to hear what others are doing in regards to fund raising and training. Hopefully in the very near future some of us can get together to do a ride locally.

Last weekend I celebrated my upcoming, big “60” with family and friends – the actual date is not until next week so I can still say I’m 59. It was great to have some fellow cyclists there as well. My children, who sent out the invitation, suggested donations to the ride in lieu of gifts and I will admit that it was an excellent idea.

Monday was a cool day, only got up to 7 so I decided to do a spin class instead of cycling outdoors. Today Joe and I did get out after lunch and we did a 29 km tour up country from where we live. This was my first time outdoors since Florida. The knee held up so maybe tomorrow we will add a few more kilometers. By the end of this week the temperature is supposed to be up to 21 degrees so we should get some long, outdoor rides in. Today’s Hamilton Spectator had an article all about fitness and how we need to make our training plan public so others can hold us accountable – I have encouraged some family members to ask me from time to time how the training is going.

The Hamilton Spectator featured the attached photo last Friday - I thought it was priceless – after this summer’s ride, Joe and I should be able to pull our trailer with our bikes and go on vacation that way so it’s actually our summer vacation 2009. Who knows what the price of gas will be then….we usually head north to Killbear Park so it may take us a week to get there……

Enjoy the training, take it one day at a time, be safe on the roads…..

The H.E.A.R.T Experience

2008-03-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

While in Florida, we looked up acquaintances that Joe had met while on a mission trip to Haiti way back in 1988. Art and Suetta were a real inspiration then and over the years we've kep in contact mainly at Christmas time. After Haiti they went back to Florida and just recently moved to Lake Wales which was only an hour drive from where we were staying. We made phone contact and were invited to spend a weekend with them. They live on the campus of Warner Southern College where Art is employed. During a tour of the campus we were taken to the site of H.E.A.R.T (Hunger, Education And Resource Training) and this village simulates many of the aspects of life in a third world country where students learn to adapt to an environment without many of the modern conveniences to which they are accustomed. Many others come here as well before they head out to the mission field so they can get a feel for what it's like to live in third world countries. I will say it is very, very basic living here for them...laundry is done on scrub/wash boards and there is a wringer available if you want to turn it by hand, latrines, very rustic solar powered shower facilites, raised housing with nothing but screens for windows, etc. etc. There was a youth group staying there from Boca Raton the same weekend we were there.....we woke up to frost on the grass the next morning so I hope they stayed warm with no heating in the houses.......there is electricity there but it is used only for cooking meals and for running the computers in the classrooms where they have their classes. College students can earn credits by staying here for 3 months at a time.

Also on this campus was a sculpture called, "Love Essence" which showed Jesus washing Peter's feet. Very meaningful.....a wonderful campus.

Florida Spring Training......

2008-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that the Florida maps show the Spring Training Sites of all the famous baseball teams.... we didn't check any of them out but we chose our own sites/trails for spring training. The maps also show bike trails and we discovered two of them close to where we were staying that we used for our spring training. The 42 mile Suncoast Trail runs parallel to the Suncoast Freeway, not a quiet, peaceful ride but we did do 75 km on it one day - this is where we met all the cyclists who wanted to do some serious cycling without having to deal with traffic. Storm clouds rolled in on our way back and the last 3 km we did in the rain - oh well, I have to get used to that too. I hope we aren't going to have many rain days on the SeatoSea ride.

On another day we did 78 km on the 29 mile VanFleet Trail - this trail runs through swamp, forest and farmland so was a very enjoyable and peaceful ride. Everything in USA is measured in miles and my flight deck reads in kilometres so therefore the confusion between miles and kms. I was so focused on reaching my goal (had to better the 75 km day) that I did not stop to smile at the 5 foot alligator sunning itself right beside the path. Joe spotted it and called me back to see something so I did turn around and took a look....noticed the mileage mark where it was and on the way back made sure I crossed over to the opposite side of the path. It had moved closer to the edge of the swamp so was not as visible but I did see it again.

Folklore has it that when you see an alligator just laying there, it has just had a meal and the sunshine helps it to digest it's food. Comforting to think that it was not looking for another meal....so would not chase us. No camera with us this day so no picture to prove that we actually saw it. The colour camouflaged it to look just like a log......turtles were also in abundance, some even mating or so it seemed to us...lots of squirrels, salamanders and mosquitos but if you kept moving they didn't bother you.

From our trailer in Thonotosassa, we found country roads that we could take to do some serious cycling on as well. This was all rural with fresh strawberries ready for the picking as well as oranges if you could reach them.....the lower branches had all been picked clean. This was so rural there were no coffee shops, cafes, or variety stores so we had to take all refreshments and food with us. The Florida countryside is flat so it was relatively easy to cycle except the wind could be strong at times. The hills will have to be conquered now that we are back home.

On the day we were doing the Suncoast Trail, we all of a sudden had 3 dogs come out of nowhere and they started chasing us. Joe told me to just go faster and eventually they would get tired. My average that day improved greatly....I think more out of fear than anything else. They didn't give up for a long time and once they did, my heart was pounding. Joe remarked that the puppies would be getting sour milk for lunch because it was obvious that one of the dogs was nursing pups. Not sure what I would sooner have chase me - dogs or an alligator. I carefully watched all twigs lying on the paths in case one would slither away - that would have been my biggest fear...and on the last two days, I did notice them...

Team Adrian, Rita and Margaret got together one day to do the VanFleet Trail. Peter and Joe would be our personal trainers but before we knew it, Adrian had joined them and they took off ahead of Rita and myself. They were carrying the lunches and we knew that if we wanted to eat we would have to go to the end of the trail - sure enough that is where we met up with them, so we landed up doing the whole 58 miles that day which worked out to 95 km. The temperature was in the 70's so a perfect day for cycling.

These bike docks showed up along the trail as well- not sure exactly of their purpose ..they were usually beside the swamp that was covered with a layer of green scum - wouldn't want to try to walk on that water.

In the 14 days that I cycled, I have 705 kms under my butt - time on the other 7 days was spent visiting with friends and family, flea markets, beaches, pools, bingo (and not the Dutch, CRC type) euchre, reading, and being lazy - just an excellent holiday.

On Top of the World

2008-02-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

and literally it felt like that....I spent a few days skiing at Whistler last week - there's a run out there called "7th Heaven" and we wondered if this is what heaven could be like or what we would want heaven to be like. Not a cloud in the sky, perfect snow conditions and wonderful friends to share the experience with, what more could you ask for? The only problem was that thousands of others wanted to share this experience with us - it was President's Day in the US and many Canadian students had a reading break. Who says that BC doesn't have beautiful weather? We had temperatures of +17 there and came home to -17 last evening on the way home from the airport. On one of mornings the group decided we should do the "Peak to Creek" run which goes right from the peak of Whistler to the bottom - a mere 11 km. run - an excellent workout for the legs - will this get them in shape for cycling, we'll find that out next week. We took our time coming down enjoying the panoramic view all around us - what an awesome God we have who created this majestic scenery for us to enjoy. We were able to eat lunch outdoors each day - a real treat for us from Ontario who have loads of snow to deal with yet. Skiing is so much easier than cycling - no gears to change, there is only one way to go and that is down. Going up the hill is easy - you sit in a chair and don't have to work at it at all.

Now the serious training has to begin - Florida here we come.....no snow or ice on the roads and hopefully no heavy traffic either. My bike is there waiting for me, I bought a new helmet today and our clothes are packed - we are ready. We are leaving a few days later than originally planned -a friend from church was tragically killed in a work related accident late Thursday and we want to be able to support his wife at the funeral service - shows us again how fragile life is and how it can change instantly.

British Columbia is getting ready for the 2010 Olympics and has erected this beautiful Inukshuk at the top of Whistler - it's visible for miles (km) and is a excellent place to meet up with others. I picked up a piece of paper describing what the symbolism of Inukshuk is - it's an Inuit word meaning "in the image of man" and they are/were built for a variety of purposes. It can serve as a guide post in a barren landscape - a silent messenger showing the correct place. It can also symbolize the value of friendship and can remind us that we are not alone on our journey - others too have walked this path. Probably not sound theology but irregardless it's a unique monument on top of the world.

Hanging up my apron...time for serious training..

2008-02-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

We're home again from Louisiana - we had a wonderful time meeting new friends and at the same time doing what we could for a three week period to help those still in need after Hurricane Katrina. There is still so much to do in the New Orleans area but it seems that politics stands in the way of really getting the job done fast. It's been 2 1/2 years since Katrina hit and still there is such devastation that we see as we travel the freeways. Downtown New Orleans is even worse and some of our crew did go there to check out some possible future work and came back with stories that break your heart.....one elderly grandmother living in a motel room with 7 grandchildren ranging in age from baby to 9 years old just waiting to get back into her own house and I could go on and on relating stories of need. Those that we were able to help were so thankful for what we could do for them. The "green shirts" of the DRS division of CRWRC are very welcome sights in this area. Everyone seems to know of them...and we were very thankful to be able to show God's love to the people especially in Slidell where we were staying in a hall owned by the Presbyterian church there.

I had hoped to get lots of cycling in on the weekends but that did not happen. On our way down we had to make a stop in Laurel, MS and did manage a 35 km ride on the Saturday morning - it was a balmy 54 degrees with blue skies so we explored the country side there. Must say the roads were narrow and have no shoulders but it wasn't busy traffic either. Felt good before getting back into the van to continue on our way to Slidell. Our first weekend in Slidell the weather didn't cooperate so no cycling - I know we may/will have to cycle in rain during the SeatoSea but during training, I'm not too game - I'll use the excuse I don't have rain gear yet.

The following weekend we drove down to New Orleans and we did get to cycle on the bike path that is on top of the levee and runs parallel to the Mississippi. This is very safe - only used by joggers and cyclists. From our vantage point higher up we see areas of New Orleans that had not been affected by the hurricane and were actually very affluent neighbourhoods. We managed to cover 25 km in just over an hour before we had to meet up with our "SAG" wagon which was waiting for us at the River Shack. Here we needed to quench our thirst from all the hard work. Mind you we had a head wind on the way out so was looking forward to the trip back but it seemed the wind changed direction and we were heading into the wind again so naturally we needed refreshment.

While visiting New Orleans we took in the Imax production of "Hurricane on the Bayou" and watched one of the many "Mardi Gras" parades. Seeing the film did give us a better understanding of what damage there had been as a result of the hurricane and it was also sad to see and hear about the losses experienced by the people there. To us it seems that Mardi Gras is just an excuse for partying......everyone gets caught up in the excitement. I think we left just in time before the big celebration of "Fat Tuesday" this coming week. Everything is shut down in the city and it's one big party.

My responsibility during the three weeks was to feed the troops and they did get fed well, all 22 of them - meat, potatoes and vegetables followed by dessert every working day.....weekends, everyone had to fend for themself - won't say that all meals were low cal so now the challenge will be heavy duty training starting tomorrow already. Wasn't much opportunity to get exercise in during the day time as we were all busy and at night it wasn't safe to walk/jog the roads there. I think the muscles in my tongue and the muscles that you use to laugh got the most excercise the last three weeks - as you can tell, we had fun!! This small group of 22 people formed a community that I was so happy to be part of - just a foretaste of what the SeatoSea will be with so many more people to meet and fellowship with...how rich these experiences are! So for now, I'm hanging up the apron and taking up serious exercising. Joe won't be getting the same calibre of meals that we had there and I certainly don't need that - maybe it's good that Lent is coming and we can give up these extras for that. We will hit the slopes yet for some downhill skiing in the next few weeks and then we will head to Florida for some real cycling at the end of February.

Stay safe in your training on the roads....we did have a mishap in Slidell where two cyclists were out for a short ride one Sunday afternoon just before supper and they did get too close together, touching wheels, and one of the cyclists landed up with some fractured ribs when he hit the road....needless to say Adri was in much pain for several days. Adri will be in fine form once he gets to Seattle at the end of June. He's off to Florida now to heal more....it could have been so much worse.....pray for each other while we are in training, it could happen to any one of us.

2008-01-09T20:37:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2008-01-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Another year of Christmas celebrations are behind us - hopefully your celebration was a joyous one as you reflected on God's goodness to us in sending His son whose birth we could celebrate. As we enter into the New Year may we go with confidence and peace...trusting that God will bless the choices and decisions we have made. To those fellow cyclists, may you have peace knowing that the decision you made to join the ride is the right one. May you also be confident that whatever training you have started or will start soon will prepare you for the ride. The many questions and comments going back and forth between the riders, make for some interesting reading. What type of bike to buy, what pedals to use, what shoes to wear, will the high altitude in Denver be hard to get used to, what airports to fly into/out of, etc. etc? - all real concerns for those who have never done something like this before.

I have the advantage of being married to someone who has done all this already so whatever I need to know, I can ask Joe - this was particularly very helpful just before Christmas when we went out to buy some cycling shoes. We were in the bike store and took a look at the new bikes there as well and just happened to ask the clerk if they ever had used bikes for sale. He asked my height and I told him - he then responded, "I've got the perfect bike for you". He brought it in a few days later and it was a perfect fit - a TREK 2300 - almost brand new and just the right fit for me. The colour passed as well - a lovely mauve colour - now to buy the cyling clothes that match..... The previous owner upgraded and I got a real good deal on this bike. Before we left the store, we'd purchased pedals, water carrier, pouch and carrier for the back and a flight deck. For those who aren't cyclists, you may think that this pertains to an airplane that you could put on auto pilot and it would just keep on going, but it's not, if only changing gears was as simple as putting it on auto pilot. Hopefully this gadget will help me with learning the whole gear changing mechanism. I haven't mastered that part yet. I'm getting used to the clip on shoes during the spin classes at the Y - at least I can't fall off the bikes there and I get some practice unclipping them.

We are heading off to Slidell, Louisiana to do a 3 week session with CRWRC and are taking our bikes with us. Every weekend we should be able to do 2 days of cycling outdoors - this will be a change in exercise from doing the stairs and the spin classes indoors. I don't think we will find too many hills there but we could get some strong winds. Here's hoping no hurricanes come through that area in the next 3 weeks either.

I love some of the interesting tidbits of advice that have come through on the forum as well - quoting scripture that could pertain to our training..."to strengthen feeble arms and weak knees and to make level paths for our feet. Do not swerve to the right or to the left" - good advice when riding in a group. To quote from Philippians 3, the last part of verse 13 reads "forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead...press on toward the goal"- this doesn't only pertain to biking but could be used by all of us as we live our lives to do God's will.

The Aprẻs Training Routine........

2007-12-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

In my presentation yesterday, I asked our congregation to offer words of encouragement to us as cyclists, even if they told me I was crazy, I would listen to them and hope to prove them wrong at the end of next summer. Now, some did come up to me and express that view....but that's alright....

Today's training went well considering we had a dump of snow yesterday. First of all I had a stress test done this morning at my doctor's urging. He just wanted to make sure I would be able to take the stress? of the cycling. I passed that. Then after lunch today, my personal trainer, Joe, suggested we do the stairs. We drove to Chedoke Golf Course where we start the first set of stairs - because of the open grid no snow accumulates directly on the stairs so that's not a problem doing them in winter. We did them twice and then decided it wasn't wise to walk to the Dundurn stairs because of the ice on top of the snow. Drove over and did those stairs twice as well. The temperature is -2 with quite a strong wind blowing so we decide the best thing now is to have a sit in the backyard hot tub with a cold one and a plate of crackers and sardines. Sure tastes good after the strenuous exercise! This alone makes you want to keep on training.

The Training's Started

2007-11-29T13:37:00.000-08:00

It's 8 months before I join the tour - less seven months before the first cyclists arrive in Seattle for the beginning of the cross country bike tour. They will be exciting months....training, fundraising, and more training.

Sunday, December 2nd, was kick off Sunday at Bethel CRC - my home church. Too bad the weather was not in our favour - many couldn't make it through the snow so the sanctuary was less than 1/2 full - the video was shown and Hilena, a fellow cyclist and myself did our presentation to the congregation - officially our/my fundraising has started. Now to get the word out to others...

The snowfall has stopped all outdoor cycling for now - spin classes at the local "Y" three times a week and setting up my bike on a stand will have to do until we head south in January for some outdoor riding again. Living so close to the Niagara Escarpment gives me an excellent opportunity to climb the 289 steps up, come down, go up again, come down the Chedoke steps, walk for 1.5 km to the next set of steps at Dundurn Street, do the same there - only it's 326 steps here, walk back to the vehicle and go home to rest up for another round at it two days later. This has become my weekly routine and I can always count on Joe, my faithful husband, to join me each time. The snow shouldn't stop us from doing this routine.