Haven't occurred that way yet. The hour preceding the first 10 have been a bit daunting. Getting it all together and getting my butt in the saddle early just seems to evade me. But the last 10? Oh yeah. This is the time I spend desperately trying to avoid looking at the odometer... and failing! Pedaling away, I glance down after going about 300 feet and am shocked to find out it wasn't a mile!! Oh sometimes I can do it. Take in the scenery, say a prayer asking God for smooth pavement around the next bend... okay, I can look. Certainly it's down to 5 by now... 8.9?!!!!!! FREAK! ok.. really it was the other EF bomb, but trying to keep it clean.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
The last 10 miles...
Are the longest. I was warned about this by Navid. He actual said the first 10 and the last 10 are the hardest. The first 10
Slow mornings and long afternoons
It's been going really well. I'm very happy with how well this 56 year old body is doing!! I was worried about my knees mostly, but they're hanging in there! The challenge is much more mental than physical! Especially the last 10 miles of the day. 😱 And getting up and out in the morning. All the posts and likes on FB really make a difference and carry me through the day. I may be riding solo but I'm not doing this alone! I heard these lyrics while riding yesterday and they took on a whole new meaning for me.
"One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Random pics from the saddle
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Message from my body... and a bit of serendipity.
"HEY!! We're 56 years old! What in the #%*<€ do you think you're doing?!"
Duly noted and thanks for sharing... Now shut up and RIDE!
Blessed moment of the day: jogger comes from behind (yes, he was running faster than I was pedaling) and offers a suggestion to increase visibility from the rear. Thanks, I appreciate it! I say. He jogs on down the road. A bit later he comes back and stops me. "I'll be praying for you on your ride. For safety, strength, wisdom, and whatever else you seek when riding a couple thousand miles." I grab his hand and say thanks brother! I totally appreciate it! And he runs on down the road and I pedal on the other way... A few moments later I realize I missed the chance to get a pic!!!! DANG! I have been properly scolded by my FB/blog/social media advisor... IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN JOY! 😁
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Day 1
Is complete!! A great day, just a bit over 33 miles. Staying again in Bellingham then on to Port Townsend tomorrow. Met John and Mary DeAngelo from Kansas City today. Also on a cycling adventure, they started in Vancouver, meandered around the San Juan Islands and now on their way to SF. We crossed paths at the border and then I rode up to them at the waterfront near Bellingham. Said hello and John walked up, handed me $20 and said he'd like to contribute to our cause!! Then they asked me the details!! My first brush with amazing folks on the road!
The Journey Continues!!
The Journey Continues!!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The ride begins...
Greetings family and freinds!!
I'll be beginning the ride tomorrow Sept 22nd. A day early. We arrived in Bellingham Washington this evening and I was talking to Ken about tomorrow. Since we have all day tomorrow I thought we might drive the first day's route. WAIT!! I can RIDE! So I'm starting early and I'll have a short day. Just 25 miles or so. A good way to begin I think.
So....
What am I doing this for? This is crazy!! Well first off, it's not all that crazy. Cyclists do this ride fairly frequently and I hope to connect with a bunch along the way. It is a bit crazy for me. I haven't done anything like this before. The AidsLifeCycle ride I did last year was close and, that was an amazing challenge, but fully supported and without carrying gear. I'll be carrying all my gear for most of this ride. Anyway here's what happened. I was inspired. As most of you know Gabriella Cosner was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma last year. To walk alongside Adam, Kris, G, and Bridget while they faced this terrifying challenge was shocking, inspiring, humbling.... It was also eyeopening to become aware of the world of childhood cancer. I was with Adam, Kris and Gabriella at one of the earliest appointments they had. This was shortly after they heard the words, "Your daughter has cancer." Their world was upside down, sideways and inside out. I joined them that day just to be there... powerless to do, but able to be. I sat in the entry area of Lucille Packard's oncology unit and waited while they were in getting scans or something equally horrifying, I don't remember exactly. While sitting there waiting, the door opened and a young girl, maybe 8 or so walked in. I turned and looked at her. She was obviously a patient. As she walked in she looked up at the tv screen playing some kids movie. When she saw what was on the screen her face broke into this beautiful delighted smile. And it hit me. This was just a Wednesday for her. Part of her weekly routine. Just a few feet away my friends world was being torn apart and certainly that had been the case for this little girls family, but now? Just another day to go for treatment. It was so weird. In fact that reality became the weekly routine for the Cosners in a very short time. This I suppose is good and due in part, to the love and strength and support that surrounded them. But still... THIS SHOULD NEVER EVER BE ANY FAMILY'S ROUTINE!! I'm going on too long here but that is the birth of my outrage! And finding out that childhood cancer research and treatment is GROSSLY under funded is the fuel that was thrown on the fire of that outrage. So... I do this. I ride. I get attention for doing something a little bit outrageous. A little bit crazy. A whole lot of fun I hope. I take that attention I get and focus it on the outrageous disgusting reality of childhood cancer. Here's a quote that says it best. I read this recently on Melanie's FB page and it surprised me that these were my words.
This battle we fight is in honor of those lost, and in hope for those still fighting, and those not yet diagnosed. We demand a change. We demand that we lose no more! We allow outrage in. We blend it with our hope. Now that we have become aware, we will not stand by.
That is why I do this! Join me won't you? Let in this mix of outrage and hope and let it inspire you to act. Really. Do some reading. Team G's page is a good start. Alex's Lemonade Stand is another. Google it. And of course join me on this journey and come back often to read about my progress. We'll be posting our money raising progress too, so check it out and get inspired.
Thank you so much for the love and support you've given me!! God loves me so beautifully through YOU! From that love flows my hope.
So what'ya say?!! LETS PLAY!!
Billiam ;-D
I'll be beginning the ride tomorrow Sept 22nd. A day early. We arrived in Bellingham Washington this evening and I was talking to Ken about tomorrow. Since we have all day tomorrow I thought we might drive the first day's route. WAIT!! I can RIDE! So I'm starting early and I'll have a short day. Just 25 miles or so. A good way to begin I think.
So....
What am I doing this for? This is crazy!! Well first off, it's not all that crazy. Cyclists do this ride fairly frequently and I hope to connect with a bunch along the way. It is a bit crazy for me. I haven't done anything like this before. The AidsLifeCycle ride I did last year was close and, that was an amazing challenge, but fully supported and without carrying gear. I'll be carrying all my gear for most of this ride. Anyway here's what happened. I was inspired. As most of you know Gabriella Cosner was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma last year. To walk alongside Adam, Kris, G, and Bridget while they faced this terrifying challenge was shocking, inspiring, humbling.... It was also eyeopening to become aware of the world of childhood cancer. I was with Adam, Kris and Gabriella at one of the earliest appointments they had. This was shortly after they heard the words, "Your daughter has cancer." Their world was upside down, sideways and inside out. I joined them that day just to be there... powerless to do, but able to be. I sat in the entry area of Lucille Packard's oncology unit and waited while they were in getting scans or something equally horrifying, I don't remember exactly. While sitting there waiting, the door opened and a young girl, maybe 8 or so walked in. I turned and looked at her. She was obviously a patient. As she walked in she looked up at the tv screen playing some kids movie. When she saw what was on the screen her face broke into this beautiful delighted smile. And it hit me. This was just a Wednesday for her. Part of her weekly routine. Just a few feet away my friends world was being torn apart and certainly that had been the case for this little girls family, but now? Just another day to go for treatment. It was so weird. In fact that reality became the weekly routine for the Cosners in a very short time. This I suppose is good and due in part, to the love and strength and support that surrounded them. But still... THIS SHOULD NEVER EVER BE ANY FAMILY'S ROUTINE!! I'm going on too long here but that is the birth of my outrage! And finding out that childhood cancer research and treatment is GROSSLY under funded is the fuel that was thrown on the fire of that outrage. So... I do this. I ride. I get attention for doing something a little bit outrageous. A little bit crazy. A whole lot of fun I hope. I take that attention I get and focus it on the outrageous disgusting reality of childhood cancer. Here's a quote that says it best. I read this recently on Melanie's FB page and it surprised me that these were my words.
This battle we fight is in honor of those lost, and in hope for those still fighting, and those not yet diagnosed. We demand a change. We demand that we lose no more! We allow outrage in. We blend it with our hope. Now that we have become aware, we will not stand by.
That is why I do this! Join me won't you? Let in this mix of outrage and hope and let it inspire you to act. Really. Do some reading. Team G's page is a good start. Alex's Lemonade Stand is another. Google it. And of course join me on this journey and come back often to read about my progress. We'll be posting our money raising progress too, so check it out and get inspired.
Thank you so much for the love and support you've given me!! God loves me so beautifully through YOU! From that love flows my hope.
So what'ya say?!! LETS PLAY!!
Billiam ;-D
Another Pit Stop
Stopped in to Angle Lake Cycles in SeaTac Washington to pick up a couple of spare tubes I forgot to get earlier. They are a dealer for Catrike recumbents, and while we were there they totally took care of me! Took a look at my trike and made adjustments and dialed it all in. Awesome customer service!!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
September 14th San Francisco Fundraiser
Please join us on our 37' Trawler, the J&J
Seahorse on Pier 39 for a wonderful catered lunch,
beer/wine/refreshments and watch the America's Cup Semi Finals from the
fly bridge on our boat with Bill (Sly) who is the crazy bicyclist riding
from Canada to Mexico for the Border to
Border fund raiser. All proceeds from this event will benefit Team G,
which is a non-profit Childhood Cancer Research Foundation (all
donations are tax deductible).
Do a search on Facebook for Team G. We will raise $10,000 for this event in 1 day! We are already over $5,000 with 6 people that have RSVP'd (you do the math).
We have approximately 10 spots left for this event, so don't wait contact me!
RSVP @ jeffscharbor@mac.com
Thank You for considering this incredible event and Foundation!
Cheers,
Jeff, Jules and Ella Schwerdtfeger
Do a search on Facebook for Team G. We will raise $10,000 for this event in 1 day! We are already over $5,000 with 6 people that have RSVP'd (you do the math).
We have approximately 10 spots left for this event, so don't wait contact me!
RSVP @ jeffscharbor@mac.com
Thank You for considering this incredible event and Foundation!
Cheers,
Jeff, Jules and Ella Schwerdtfeger
Border Bound!!
Pit stop in Medford tonight and we're border bound tomorrow. Thursday we'll scope out Peace Arch State park for a good starting point pic! Thanks for all the encouragement. Feeling a bit nervous as the ride draws near.
Here's the relevant links:
To contribute:
teamgfoundation.paystand.com/border-to-border-for-childhood-cancer?ref_channel=ref_fbp
Team G Foundation:
http://teamgfoundation.org/
Sept 15th Obstacle Course and Blood Drive:
http://teamgfoundation.org/obstacle-course/
Here's the relevant links:
To contribute:
teamgfoundation.paystand.com/border-to-border-for-childhood-cancer?ref_channel=ref_fbp
Team G Foundation:
http://teamgfoundation.org/
Sept 15th Obstacle Course and Blood Drive:
http://teamgfoundation.org/obstacle-course/
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
TeamG Mobile!
The Team G Moblie has arrived!! And not a moment too soon... just 10 days till I head to the Canadian border and 15 days till the riding begins!! I'm itching to pedal!
http://teamgfoundation.paystand.com/border-to-border-for-childhood-cancer?ref_channell=ref_fbp
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