Today we rode 80 miles, averaging 16.5 mph. We had a 4mph tailwind for much of the ride and made the most of it. We arrived in Glencoe, MN riding faster than our average. It was a good day.
Tonight we are staying at the home of Hank & Judy Larsen. Hank is a former teacher/track coach. He suggested I ice my feet to relieve the swelling I am having from all the peddling. I am not sure which hurts worse, the "hot feet" sensation I get toward the end of the day or the ten minutes of icing to ease the swelling in my feet. He is confident that this will help my situation and he certainly seemed to get a kick out the look on my face as I dipped my feet in the ice.
We crossed the 2000 mile threshold today with a total of 2031 miles so far. It has been the incredible challenge and opportunity we had hoped for and we are so grateful to be able to experience this together.
Good night.
Dan
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
July 16 & 17 Hanging Out in New London, Minnesota
We rode 58 miles on the 16.
Averaged 13.7 mph with a few miles of tailwind that helped us to 25mph for a little while. Obviously a short while with an average speed of half that amount.
We enjoyed an extra day of rest this week on the 17th to participate in The Sonshine Festival near New London (in Wilmar). We shared with several hundred people that stopped by our booth to learn about our ride and the minsitry of YFC. There are 20,000 in attendance and it looks like they will have beautiful weather for the event. It was blazing hot today.
Stuart & I enjoyed the hospitality of Graden & Becky West, members of Peace Lutheran Church. Their home is built on a 24 acre piece of property that used to be a cornfield (in 1979). If you visited here today you would not ever suspect it. Since they purchased it, they have planted approximately 7,000 different trees and had several "volunteers" show up on there own. They moved around a lot (16 times) and chose to return to New London upon retirement. We took a driving tour last night around half a dozen of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota and learned a lot about the history and connectedness of many of the lakes here.
Graden is an avid outdoorsman and I learned a lot about fly-fishing. Makes sense with 10,000 lakes around you. He is also a bow hunter and makes his own bows and arrows in his basement. It was fascinating to learn all the detail and the steps involved in making a wood bow.
Becky is a wonderful cook and we enjoyed two delicious dinners with them. Wednesday night we had pan-fryed Bluegill & Crappie. I had the leftovers for breakfast today. Tasted great both times.
A frivolous comment:
Becky had a grandfather who always went by the name "Captain Dan". Stuart has a fascination with nicknames for me, can't tell you why. I am certain that I have not heard the last of this one. :)
Thanks for your prayers and for all your support.
Dan
Averaged 13.7 mph with a few miles of tailwind that helped us to 25mph for a little while. Obviously a short while with an average speed of half that amount.
We enjoyed an extra day of rest this week on the 17th to participate in The Sonshine Festival near New London (in Wilmar). We shared with several hundred people that stopped by our booth to learn about our ride and the minsitry of YFC. There are 20,000 in attendance and it looks like they will have beautiful weather for the event. It was blazing hot today.
Stuart & I enjoyed the hospitality of Graden & Becky West, members of Peace Lutheran Church. Their home is built on a 24 acre piece of property that used to be a cornfield (in 1979). If you visited here today you would not ever suspect it. Since they purchased it, they have planted approximately 7,000 different trees and had several "volunteers" show up on there own. They moved around a lot (16 times) and chose to return to New London upon retirement. We took a driving tour last night around half a dozen of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota and learned a lot about the history and connectedness of many of the lakes here.
Graden is an avid outdoorsman and I learned a lot about fly-fishing. Makes sense with 10,000 lakes around you. He is also a bow hunter and makes his own bows and arrows in his basement. It was fascinating to learn all the detail and the steps involved in making a wood bow.
Becky is a wonderful cook and we enjoyed two delicious dinners with them. Wednesday night we had pan-fryed Bluegill & Crappie. I had the leftovers for breakfast today. Tasted great both times.
A frivolous comment:
Becky had a grandfather who always went by the name "Captain Dan". Stuart has a fascination with nicknames for me, can't tell you why. I am certain that I have not heard the last of this one. :)
Thanks for your prayers and for all your support.
Dan
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
July 15 The Best Bike Path
Today we rode 78 miles but I don't have a figure for average speed or ride time. What I can tell you is that we rode 37 miles on the best bike path I have encountered in recent memory. From Dalton to Alexandria we had a paved path, 12 feet wide. It was mostly flat but had only long gradual up & down grades. The best part about this path was the lack of intersections with automobile-driven roads. It was mostly driveways and tractor paths that we crossed and the visibility was so good at the crossroads that we rarely had to stop or even slow down. It was relaxing to have the whole "road" to ourselves and not have to stop every mile or two as is often the case on bike paths.
The roads today were definitely better than yesterday as well. Once in Alexandria, we visited the local bike shop, watched some coverage of The Tour de France and enjoyed two large party subs provided by George, the shop owner, who also owned the local Subway shop. It was very cool to hang there with George! He was very knowledgeable and got us on the right track with the foot problems Zack and I have been having.
We spent the night at Hampton Inn & Suites, through the generosity of a local supporter of YFC. I spent two hours in the evening with maintenance & repair issues. With Paul Luedtke, our riding mechanic, I repaired my second broken spoke in a week ( he commented that this was likely due to the amazing strength in my legs as I pedal? or maybe that was me suggesting that). Anyway, we also got the rear derailer shifting properly and have not had to mess with either of those issues since.
OH HAPPY DAY!!
As it turns out this has given me time to deal with foot pain issues for both Zack & me. His seem to be solv-able, but expensive. More on this later I am sure.
See Ya!
Dan
The roads today were definitely better than yesterday as well. Once in Alexandria, we visited the local bike shop, watched some coverage of The Tour de France and enjoyed two large party subs provided by George, the shop owner, who also owned the local Subway shop. It was very cool to hang there with George! He was very knowledgeable and got us on the right track with the foot problems Zack and I have been having.
We spent the night at Hampton Inn & Suites, through the generosity of a local supporter of YFC. I spent two hours in the evening with maintenance & repair issues. With Paul Luedtke, our riding mechanic, I repaired my second broken spoke in a week ( he commented that this was likely due to the amazing strength in my legs as I pedal? or maybe that was me suggesting that). Anyway, we also got the rear derailer shifting properly and have not had to mess with either of those issues since.
OH HAPPY DAY!!
As it turns out this has given me time to deal with foot pain issues for both Zack & me. His seem to be solv-able, but expensive. More on this later I am sure.
See Ya!
Dan
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
July 14 The Number is 5,989!
We rode 52 miles today.
I averaged 13 mph riding for 4 hours.
We encountered five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine bone-jarring cracks in the road over a 35 mile stretch of road.
Welcome to Minnesota! Actually, many of the roads we have ridden on in this state have been quited smooth and wide but it was not the best introduction to this beautiful state.
I can clearly see how it came by the name, "Land of 10,000 Lakes" because they are everywhere and they are beautiful. Parts of this state look a lot like Michigan and I see more and more of the similarities as we continue east.
Despite the bumps, we got into town by a little after noon, which is early for us. Zack and several others took advantage of the community pool next door to our host church while others slept in a quiet corner or under the shade. I took a relaxing walk into the town of Pelican Falls, learned a bit of local history and enjoyed a free full-size frozen yogurt cone at the new McDonald's Restaurant.
Our host was Art Larfeld who has made that area home his whole life. Zack, Stuart, Mike & me spent the night at Art's house on the shore of a beautiful lake out in the woods. It was quiet, cool and we all slept pretty well. Art gave us a good tour visually and verbally through the area and fed us very well. Breakfast began with at least half an inch of chopped onion in olive oil frying in a ten inch pan, then potatoes, garlic, seasonings; it was delicious!
Once again, we were blessed and grateful for the generous hospitality we received from Art and all our hosts.
Dan
I averaged 13 mph riding for 4 hours.
We encountered five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine bone-jarring cracks in the road over a 35 mile stretch of road.
Welcome to Minnesota! Actually, many of the roads we have ridden on in this state have been quited smooth and wide but it was not the best introduction to this beautiful state.
I can clearly see how it came by the name, "Land of 10,000 Lakes" because they are everywhere and they are beautiful. Parts of this state look a lot like Michigan and I see more and more of the similarities as we continue east.
Despite the bumps, we got into town by a little after noon, which is early for us. Zack and several others took advantage of the community pool next door to our host church while others slept in a quiet corner or under the shade. I took a relaxing walk into the town of Pelican Falls, learned a bit of local history and enjoyed a free full-size frozen yogurt cone at the new McDonald's Restaurant.
Our host was Art Larfeld who has made that area home his whole life. Zack, Stuart, Mike & me spent the night at Art's house on the shore of a beautiful lake out in the woods. It was quiet, cool and we all slept pretty well. Art gave us a good tour visually and verbally through the area and fed us very well. Breakfast began with at least half an inch of chopped onion in olive oil frying in a ten inch pan, then potatoes, garlic, seasonings; it was delicious!
Once again, we were blessed and grateful for the generous hospitality we received from Art and all our hosts.
Dan
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Lilacs
One day last week, not sure which, I became aware of the distinct smell of lilacs as I was riding. It was only there for about 5 minutes but what a sweet fragrance. Just one of the many blessings of experiencing things from the seat of a bicycle.
Sweet memories of summer days.
Dan
Sweet memories of summer days.
Dan
July 12 Fargo, North Dakota in the Summertime
Saturday, July 12 we rode 53 miles to Fargo and averaged 18 mph.
Our first task in this, the largest city we have ridden through to date, was to locate a bike shop and replace my five-year-old rear derailer ( and the freewheel I purchased in May, as it turned out). The guys at Paramount Sports were very helpful and after a quick phone consult with Tom the Mechanic at Kentwood Cycling back in Grand Rapids, my drivetrain was shifting smoothly and ready to ride.
Updates on this may come later this week if we have not cleared up the problem (that being very rough shifting of my rear derailer). An inventory of the bike would show that since I purchased it from Dirk Ailts sometime early in the Clinton Administration, I have replaced every part of the bike at least once. The exceptions are:
The frame
The handlebars
The brake calipers & pads
The front forks (I don't know why they are the 'front' forks, there are no 'back' forks)
The old bike does continue to perform admirably, as does the old body.
While in Fargo, we have been hosted by YFC Fargo, directed by Dennis Jensen. Dennis started with YFC in the Thumb of Michigan, the same place I did. He ministered there under the leadership of Ray Clendenan, my first Executive Director, for 4 years, a few years ahead of me. He moved back to his home area of North Dakota and had been serving the Lord through YFC here since then. He treated our team and several community guests to a chicken barbecue (he raised himself) and home made ice cream with Colorado peaches. It was great! It was fun to see him again and chat about places and people we have in common. Thanks Dennis & Staff for taking such great care of us.
On Monday morning we will ride in Minnesota for the first time, adding to the 1765 miles already completed. We have ridden through 4 states & moved on to Section 5 of the Adventure Cycling Maps provided for us.
Our first task in this, the largest city we have ridden through to date, was to locate a bike shop and replace my five-year-old rear derailer ( and the freewheel I purchased in May, as it turned out). The guys at Paramount Sports were very helpful and after a quick phone consult with Tom the Mechanic at Kentwood Cycling back in Grand Rapids, my drivetrain was shifting smoothly and ready to ride.
Updates on this may come later this week if we have not cleared up the problem (that being very rough shifting of my rear derailer). An inventory of the bike would show that since I purchased it from Dirk Ailts sometime early in the Clinton Administration, I have replaced every part of the bike at least once. The exceptions are:
The frame
The handlebars
The brake calipers & pads
The front forks (I don't know why they are the 'front' forks, there are no 'back' forks)
The old bike does continue to perform admirably, as does the old body.
While in Fargo, we have been hosted by YFC Fargo, directed by Dennis Jensen. Dennis started with YFC in the Thumb of Michigan, the same place I did. He ministered there under the leadership of Ray Clendenan, my first Executive Director, for 4 years, a few years ahead of me. He moved back to his home area of North Dakota and had been serving the Lord through YFC here since then. He treated our team and several community guests to a chicken barbecue (he raised himself) and home made ice cream with Colorado peaches. It was great! It was fun to see him again and chat about places and people we have in common. Thanks Dennis & Staff for taking such great care of us.
On Monday morning we will ride in Minnesota for the first time, adding to the 1765 miles already completed. We have ridden through 4 states & moved on to Section 5 of the Adventure Cycling Maps provided for us.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
July 11 The Shortest Day
Hey Everybody,
Today was 40 miles from Cooperstown to Page in North Dakota. It was into the wind for about half the way but I managed an average speed of 14.6 over 2 hours 45 minutes of riding time.
I rode alone today, and was refreshed by the solitude and relaxed pace of the day. A good time to pray, sing & think as I covered the miles of beautiful country scenery.
Our church host was Page United Methodist, assisted by Page Lutheran Church and I stayed in the home of Kim & Julie, along with Johnnie & Fiona Young, a lone riding couple from England (he's from Ireland, living in England).
Bob Wise, you would be interested to know that Kim (now retired) worked for BNSF Railroad for 25 years in track maintenance. Many of the towns we ride through were established by and for railroad companies. We have ridden by hundreds of miles of tracks and seen dozens of freight trains along our path thus far.
Page, ND is a town of less than 200 people. It has two churches, shares a school system with nearby Hope and also boasts a movie theater. The movie schedule is 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
We enjoyed sharing with Kim & Julie and all the people who joined us for a delicious meal that Friday night.
Bye,
Dan
Today was 40 miles from Cooperstown to Page in North Dakota. It was into the wind for about half the way but I managed an average speed of 14.6 over 2 hours 45 minutes of riding time.
I rode alone today, and was refreshed by the solitude and relaxed pace of the day. A good time to pray, sing & think as I covered the miles of beautiful country scenery.
Our church host was Page United Methodist, assisted by Page Lutheran Church and I stayed in the home of Kim & Julie, along with Johnnie & Fiona Young, a lone riding couple from England (he's from Ireland, living in England).
Bob Wise, you would be interested to know that Kim (now retired) worked for BNSF Railroad for 25 years in track maintenance. Many of the towns we ride through were established by and for railroad companies. We have ridden by hundreds of miles of tracks and seen dozens of freight trains along our path thus far.
Page, ND is a town of less than 200 people. It has two churches, shares a school system with nearby Hope and also boasts a movie theater. The movie schedule is 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
We enjoyed sharing with Kim & Julie and all the people who joined us for a delicious meal that Friday night.
Bye,
Dan
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