Countdown to Triathlon - 264 Days, 37.75 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 17 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson




I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.  My mother, daughter Laurel and her husband Danny spent the day with Bob and I.  A quiet Thanksgiving, but very nice.  Quite different  from the days when we had four little children running around the house.  As we all took time to reflect on our blessings, I remembered the above poem that I heard as a child which has always reminded me of even the small things of life which we sometimes forget to be thankful for.

I was especially touched by the journal post from a dear friend named Melanie who, with her entire family, is battling brain tumors in her thirteen year old daughter.  She included in the journal for Thanksgiving, a long list of things for which she is thankful.  That really touched my heart.  In the midst of all the hard things that they are dealing with, she was able to see beyond the negative and bring the positive to the forefront.  I am thankful for her and blessed to know her.  

When times are tough, we must remember to HANG ON!

The training has been very sparse this last week, but am getting back in the swing of it.  I have been researching how to put together a total program for all parts of the training: walking/jogging; cycling; swimming; lifting weights; stretching, etc.  I will post it so that I will be held accountable.  It is so important that I share it and my progress; otherwise it is so easy to say, I'll do it tomorrow.  And tomorrow, and tomorrow. 

The Journey - Installment Seventeen

One day I decided to go to the gun store to purchase spray to keep the dogs away. I remember the conversation with the gun store owner.  I asked for two packages of spray and then as an afterthought asked what it would take to buy a small gun to carry in my fanny pack.  I thought that I would feel safer and could ride on the canal alone if I had a gun.  The man said that I would be in possession of a concealed weapon and that it was against the law.  So I said, “What if I wore it on the outside?”  He replied, “That would be brandishing a firearm.”  I then asked him what I needed to do to get a license and he listed a long list of requirements.  I got the distinct impression that he didn’t think I was a good candidate for a gun.  I paid for my spray and went home.  

 There was one spot on the canal bank where we would cross a bridge and were confronted with a vicious, snarling dog. There was a house an outbuilding at that intersection.   Chained to the outbuilding was the scariest dog.  He lunged and snarled  every time we rode past and I cringed just to think of what he would do to us if the chain ever broke.  The spray that I had purchased came with a cover and Velcro that would wrap around our wrist for easy accessibility. Just before arriving at the "bad dog place" Don and I always unsnapped the cover of the spray to have it at the ready.   If that vicious dog weren’t enough, one day Don and I were riding home by way of a different route.  We were still in the countryside and all of a sudden three huge Rottweiler’s came charging out of a gate.  Two of the dogs came toward me and one circled behind me to attack Don.  Don got out his spray and it occurred to me that I might get it in my face if the wind was blowing just right, or just wrong, from my perspective.  I spayed at the two dogs on my left side and they just backed away.  I know I didn’t hit them in the face, but I think they got enough of a whiff that they knew they had better quit.  The spray, I was told, contained tear gas and green dye so that whoever or whatever I sprayed would have the dye on them for three days.  That same day, when we were within three miles of home, we looked to our right in the field and there was another dog.  This one was crouched, ready to spring.  As he headed toward us, Don got out his trusty spray and the last we saw, the poor thing was rolling around in the dirt trying to get the spray out of his eyes.  I think that we never had to use this method again which is a good thing because I always thought I’d probably get the spray in my face one day because of the wind.    We still hated the part of the route we took where the snarling, vicious dog was chained up.  Thank you Lord that his chain held.  I wonder if that dog is still there tormenting those who pass by.

Countdown to Triathlon - 271 Days, 38.75 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 16 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful, thankful day with your families.

Due to guests coming to stay  and then going to our daughter's and son-in-law's house to finish the painting, I won't update this blog until next Monday.

The Journey - Installment Sixteen

     When we arrived back at the dirt piles again, we had to walk down the slope to the orchard.  We were trying to follow our tracks from before.   Don commented that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.  I mentioned that I could see my tracks where I had walked my bike down the embankment earlier.   Just then Don said, “Stop! Look!”  I had been scanning the ground with my eyes, still looking for the speedometer but my eyes and my front tires had already passed it.   I had not seen it.  Just seconds before, as Don told me later, he had prayed silently, “Lord, open our eyes that we may see it.”  Instantly, he spotted it.  Thank you Don but most of all, thank you JESUS!  I told Don that if I hadn’t already been a believer, I sure would be now! We weren’t able to record our mileage that day, of course, but just the day before had recorded another milestone, 600 miles of  riding since July.  The Lord was doing such great things in my life and showing me constantly that I was indeed following his plan.

Countdown to Triathlon - 272 Days, 38.85 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 10 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.  ~Epictetus



As we rush around this week preparing for Thanksgiving with our families, let us remember to whom the Pilgrims prayed their thanks.  It was to The Lord God Almighty, not to the Indians as some elementary school books are now reporting.  They thanked the Indians, I am sure,  because the Indians had taught them how to fish, and plant corn and brought 5 deer and other food stuffs to the feast.  However, since only half the pilgrims survived the previous winter, they gave thanks that they were still alive and that they had food to eat. 


The Journey - Installment Thirteen

GOD MIRACULOUSLY FINDS WHAT I LOST

            About a week later, Don and I were again riding the canal banks.  At the beginning of the ride one day we came upon piles of dirt, which had been dumped, on “our canal bank”.  We were just barely able to just ride between the canal and the dirt piles without falling but did successfully complete our ride that day.   The next day however, when we came to that same spot on the canal bank.  With me in the lead, I had to screech to a halt and jump off the bike because more dirt had been dumped and there was no room to ride.  We dismounted the bicycles and had to push them down the embankment, about four feet, into the orchard which was quite muddy.  I was concentrating so hard on getting the bike down and trying not to step in deep mud that I didn’t hear Don yell, “Watch the branch”. Either he was late in warning me or I was slow on the uptake.   I was very happy to have on my helmet because I really bashed my head into some low-hanging branches.  When we got about half way to Hickman Road, Don asked me how fast we were traveling.  I looked and my speedometer/odometer was gone.  I was just sick about it because I really needed it for my training.   I asked the Lord to find it for me. We had to ride to Hickman Road and back to the spot where we first noticed it missing before we began to look for it.   On the way back we rode side by side so that we each could look for it on our own side of the road. The canal bank is so rough and has so many rocks and distractions that I knew it would be difficult to see it.  At one point I said out loud, “Lord, I thank you for what you are going to do in helping us find it.  I cannot afford a new one right now and I really need it to ride. Thank you in advance.”  As we continued to ride, I have to admit that inwardly I was losing faith in finding it, the closer we came to my home.   But I continued to thank the Lord that He was going to find it for us and commented to Don that perhaps I had knocked it from its holder while I was getting on the bike in the driveway at our house. 

Countdown to Triathlon - 274 Days, 39 weeks to Race Day

Gone to paint rooms for the coming new baby.  Check back on Monday.
Barb

Countdown to Triathlon - 275 Days, 39.25 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 13 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."Source Unknown

As my dear daughter Leslie pointed out in her comment yesterday, it takes 21 day to develop a habit.  With me, it might take a little longer so I must keep motivated.  Yesterday I lifted over 30 boxes of papers, some dating back to the 1970's.  I can't believe that we've kept these paper so long and that we've moved them from several houses.  Bob never wanted to get rid of all those old financial papers.  I called our accountant and he said to only save up to seven years.  I have told that to Bob over the years and finally he has agreed that we can get rid of them.  We have a mobile shredding truck coming on Monday morning so I had to go through them all to be sure we weren't throwing away anything really impiortant,  such as the deed to our house, or some such thing.  It feels great to have the throw-aways all stacked up in the garage ready to be shredded.  The drawback is that my back is out of whack and I feel like I'm 105.  That will pass though.  I think we need to throw a "going away party".  Actually, we are going to a party tonight.  Just as in this weeks's installment of The Journey, see below, we are going to his former employer's Christmas party.  He's retired now, you know. In 2001 it was called a Christmas party and held in December.  Now they've changed it to a Holiday party and hold it in November.  It was getting increasingly hard to get people to the party in December because of so many December outside activities.

     Therefore, I'll take my wrecked up back and keep on keeping on!

The Journey - Installment Fourteen

Shortly after the Riverbank Festival, I began to think that I needed to have my own bike.  My husband Bob and I received a call from our son Hollen in Hawaii, where he and his wife resided.  They had visited us in July and Hollen had commented that the bike I had borrowed was not going to stand up to my ever-increasing use.  We had recently sold our old Volkswagen bus and had told our son we’d give him the money from the sale.   On the phone that night he informed me that he and his wife Morena had decided to have me keep the five hundred dollars to put toward a bicycle.  I thanked him, but told him we wouldn’t do that.  They were expecting their first child in December and I knew that the five hundred dollars would be needed for the baby.  He informed me that they had already discussed giving me the money and that if I sent a check for the Volkswagen, they wouldn’t cash it and would order me a bike. He said that I should just accept his offer and order the bike of my choice rather than take one that he picked out.   God again provided!  So many times He uses other people to bless us.

                 We attended my husband’s company Christmas party in December of that year.  While at the party, a young woman from one of the other branches of the bank introduced me to her date.  She proceeded to explain to him about my up-coming ride.  He asked me if I owned a bike frame which allows a person to attach their bicycle to it and turn it into a stationary bike.  I replied that I did not one.   He told me that he was cleaning out his garage and would greatly appreciate it if I would accept it as a gift. It was winter and I was finding it hard to ride outside because of the cold, fog or rain so that gift added to my training.  Another gift from God, via wonderful, giving people was provided to help me along the journey without my even asking for it.

Countdown to Triathlon - 276 Days, 39.5 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 13 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

                                                                         
                                                                   THOUGHT FOR THE DAY



              When we long for life without difficulties,
              remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary
              winds and diamonds are made under  pressure.

                       Peter Marshall 

                       

I really need the above quote today as I had an especially hard day yesterday.  After dinner I could hardly get up from the chair as my knees were so stiff and my shin bones were hurting.  So, according the the quote, Peter Marshall had it right that we need to be reminded when difficulties arise that it is for our good in the long run.  Not that I think I'll turn into a diamond if I go through enough trials. Ha!


However,  I may have to back off a little on my training, but not quit entirely.  I saw a commercial tonight on television which  made me think about what I am doing in my training.  It seems that just when I need a message, the Lord sends one my way even through a television commercial.  It showed a man about my age sitting on a porch swing.  The gist of what the announcer said was that an object not in motion will continue that way unless some force causes it to move. Likewise, an object in motion will continue at the same velocity until some force causes its speed or direction to change.  In other words, it is harder to get off that porch swing and takes more effort than if you are already moving.  If I will keep exercising it will be much easier to continue than if I allow myself to stop entirely and have to make the extreme,  maximum effort to start up again.  Oh, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!


By the way, I checked this theory out on the Internet and found it to be Newton's Law of Motion.  Hooray for Newton!  So, in other words I need to realize that the difficulties are for my good and I need to keep moving!!!  I need all the encouragement I can get.




The Journey - Installment Thirteen

            It was a marvel to me that God had once again provided for me.  He provided Neva to ride with me in Riverbank.  After having ridden that ride, I know that if I had been alone, I probably would have called my husband to come and pick me up and take me home.  We rode way out in the country where we saw no people or moving cars and there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been frightened to be out there all alone in a new and strange area. Also, since I had never been in a bike ride before, I wasn't sure how to read the directions for the route.  Even Neva and I with both of our brains at work had a difficult time keeping on the trail.   Our loving and merciful God provided Neva as a rider before I even asked Him because He knew I would need someone to ride with me.   I constantly thought of the song, Great is Thy Faithfulness while I rode.   One line of the song reads, “…all I have needed Thy hand hath provided.”  God had provided everything that I had needed for that ride and in all the months to come, up to and including the actual bike ride in June of 2002.  I entered the following in my journal that day, “Now I am almost one third of the way to my century ride. The next step is to get a bike of my own.”

            As an explanation to those readers who do not know what a century ride is, it is riding 100 miles in one day.  I was told by other bike riders, that if I could ride 75 miles in a day, I could ride 100 miles on a bike ride in one day.  That certainly didn’t compute in my mind since 75 miles is a long ways from 100 miles.  However, it is a similar thing that marathon runners are told:  if they can run 18 or 19 miles at a time, they would be able to complete a marathon run of  26.2  miles.

                                                                                    

Countdown to Triathlon - 277 Days, 39.5 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 12 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Many strokes overthrow the tallest oaks."
John Lyly

I must keep this in mind, especially at the beginning of the training since it seems I do so little each day compared with what I will have to do at the end.  But I also have to keep in mind that to do more at this point could cause injury, sprain, pulled muscle, etc. which would definitely set me back.  We can apply the above quote to everything we do in life, even cleaning house when the house gets at it's messiest.

We are certainly having some beautiful days for walking Roxi.  I wonder if they make dog slickers?  I'll have to check it out.  We'll need to be bundled up soon.  I read in the local paper that one woman, older than me, has been walking daily for five years, rain or shine.  That is a great accomplishment! 

Roxi does well on her walks until she gets close to another dog.  Then she tries to jump and get after the other dog.  Maybe I'd better start watching "The Dog Whisperer" to see how to correct that situation.  He certainly makes training and correcting dogs look easy.

The Journey - Installment Twelve

GOD PROVIDES GIFTS I DIDN’T

 KNOW I NEEDED

      

     Throughout September and October, Don and I continued to ride three times a week and I would ride two more days each week, alone, continuing to try to increase my speed and distance.  The Riverbank Wine and Cheese Festival, in Riverbank, California, was scheduled for October.  Riding with Don and a young woman named Neva from our church one day, shortly before the Riverbank ride, Neva asked if I minded if she rode with me the following Sunday for the 25 mile ride. Would I mind?  I was thrilled.   I had planned on riding alone since Pastor Don’s “workday” is obviously on Sunday and naturally wouldn’t be able to be on his bike and in the pulpit at the same time.  I had never been on an organized ride before but figured that there would be other people riding and there were bound to be some riders going my speed, (slow). I had not prayed and asked for someone to ride with because I felt comfortable with riding alone and thought that probably I would meet some people on the ride.  But God knew that I would need Neva to ride with me. 

            What a glorious day that Sunday was.   My friend Terri gave me a ride to the starting point in Riverbank. Neva met us there. It was still dark when we arrived and most of the people were there for the longer distance ride.  There was a list of three pages of people signed up for our ride and when I was handed the route I noticed that it said 29 miles.  I had mentally prepared myself for 25.  When I mentioned the discrepancy to the lady sitting behind the registration table, she commented that the rides are never exactly what are advertised and after all, “It was only four more miles.”  That was easy for her to say, sitting behind a table. It was still slightly dark when we began the ride at the Riverbank High School with great expectation and feeling assured that we would see other riders.  We saw a beautiful sunrise, cows, horses, a graceful white crane standing in a field and many beautiful homes in the rural setting.  The scenery was fantastic, first along the river, then out in the country at Woodward Reservoir where we could see a spectacular view of the foothills and all the pasture land for cattle.  The ride itself was long, but I believe we could have ridden farther if it had been necessary.  We thought we were lost several times and even got off the trail to the point that we missed the rest stop and the home-made cookies they were giving out. We couldn’t believe that we saw no other riders until near the end of the trip. A man who said he couldn’t read the route directions well followed us the last few miles.  We rode a good ride and arrived home in time to attend Sunday services at our church.  Neva and her husband presented me with a rear-view mirror for my bike. All in all, the experience was a great boost to my moral; I had accomplished the first quarter of my goal - 25 miles at one time. And I had received two gifts - Neva as a companion on the ride and a rear-view mirror. That ride was another Milestone.

Countdown to Triathlon - 278 Days, 39.75 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 11 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up."

Babe Ruth



When challenges come our way, it is easy to quit and give up.  I still marvel at the fact that the Lord kept me going on my training for the bike ride.  Even now, with as little training as I am doing, it is hard to motivate myself.  But I must!
My poor body has been in disuse for so long.  Age has nothing to do with it.  Being overweight causes the body to really scream when even the slightest exercise begins.  But, I must keep on.  Remember what the inch worm said?

"Yard by yard, it's hard.  Inch by inch, it's a cinch."

I have had numerous comments on the whether or not I should use the helmet that the rat inhabited.  I threw out the gloves that it chewed.  Today I made my decision.  I decided to spray it with a mixture of half water, half Clorox then let it sit in the sun.  Tomorrow I was going to also use antiseptic wipes to clean it some more.  I went to the garage to start the process and took another look at the helmet.  The rat had chewed the very edges of the helmet which would touch my forehead and the sides of my face.  It was all jagged from his teeth.  That did it!!!  Into the garbage it went and I will use a new helmet.  But thanks anyway for all the suggestions, my son's comments,  notwithstanding.

The Journey - Installment Eleven
A HUGE MILESTONE

     A  huge milestone occurred the day that Don and I spotted cars in the distance.  Since we were still on the canal bank that twists and turns through many orchards, it meant only one thing.  Hickman Road was up ahead. We had been trying to reach that goal for many weeks and it was such a sense of accomplishment when we saw it in the distance.  We rode until our front tires touched the road, turned our bikes around and stopped.  Don took out his cell phone and called his wife Wanda and said, “Hey Babe! We just reached Hickman Road.”  Wanda burst our bubble when she began to tell Don that a plane had just flown into the World Trade Center in New York City.  The date was September 11, 2001.  We rode home wondering what horror we would find when we arrived home and turned on the news. We didn't kniow if we were at war, or just what was happening.  It was a long and scary ride home.  We joined millions of other Americans who found themselves glued to the television for many days. In fact, I don’t think I rode my bike for at least three days because I couldn’t take my eyes off the images on the television screen.             

Out of Town - Check Back Tuesday for the Most Famous Milestone of the Journey

Countdown to Triathlon - 283 Days, 40.5 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 10 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
       - Anonymous








I had my day yesterday to re-group and it feels great.  I had all my winter clothes in the spare bedroom all summer and was going to get them into storage.  Now all my summer clothes are in storage and I don't need to store the winter ones.  Now they just go back in my closet.  I can't believe that I had them heaped up in spare room all this time.  It has really been bothering me.  So now I'm even on that score.  I got a lot accomplished and caught up and now  I'm ready to get "back in the saddle again".  Gee!  That might make a good song title.  Just kidding!

I have Bible Study Fellowship thismorning but when I get home Roxi and I will take our walk and I will tough it out and get back on the bike.

I need some input here.  Sweet old Bob wants me to use my old helmet.  You know, the one the rat was in.  He
thinks I'm being silly and if I use antiseptic wipes it will be okay. 
Am I being ridiculous by not wanting to wear it?  You know we're on retirement income so he's not wanting to spend a lot of unnecessary money.  I cringe at the thought of wearing it.  What do you think?  Please comment.

Friday morning I'll be back in the pool and trying my new technique.  Just call me flipper.


The Journey - Installment Ten

MILESTONES

            By the end of August 2001 we were vacationing at the family cabin at Lake Tahoe. Bob’s cousin Marilyn from Los Angeles came to spend a few days with us and presented me with a helmet that her son had worn, chiding me not to ride without a helmet any more.  I rode every morning while we were at Lake Tahoe.  Once again, a hill that I had driven with my car for many years appeared much higher and longer on a bike.  In fact, I had never noticed that hill at all while in the car.  The first day riding at Lake Tahoe where the altitude is 6000 feet above sea level, I had to stop three times before getting to the top of the first hill.  If I would be totally honest with myself, it really isn’t a hill, more of a slope.  By the end of two weeks I was riding about fourteen or fifteen miles.  One morning I surprised a coyote, which scared me half to death as it ran across the trail right in front of me.  It caused me to swerve from the bike trail heading up toward a barbed-wire fence.  I careened off the trail out of control and almost crashed.   I remember calling out, “Help me, Lord!” and I was able to steer over pine cones and broken branches and get back on the bike trail unscathed and without falling,   It was really a hair-raising experience - not only because I was going so fast when I left the trail, but I didn't know if the coyote would bite me not.  So I thanked  God for protecting me. 

         September 3^rd was my last morning at Lake Tahoe and I decided to ask the Lord’s help and blessings on riding 25 miles.  I had never gone that far before but I prayed and said, “Come on Lord!  With your help I know I can do it!”  I rode twelve and half miles then turned around and made it back to the cabin for a milestone 25 miles.  It took a long time for the ride that day, but we did it, (the Lord and me).

           

Countdown to Triathlon - 284 Days, 40.5 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 9 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us."  

Helen Keller

Today has to be a day for catch up around the house, also to go online to do some research on how to train for this triathlon and to get my mind straight.  I'm feeling frazzled and need to re-group.  I must put down in writing what I plan to do so that I will keep myself accountable to those who read this blog.  Even if no one reads it, the plans are in writing and I feel that I have to do what I say I will.  I will begin to post this blog early in the morning because I see that many read it at that time and in the future it will be the account of what I did the day before.  I cherish comments as it is encouraging to know that someone is reading this blog.

Enjoy your day!


The Journey - Installment Nine

As Don and I continued to ride each week, we marveled at the fact that gravel trucks coming from the gravel plant by the river and cars or trucks on their normal routes would not even slow down when they passed us on country roads.  I understood that they wouldn’t slow down when we rode along side of highways, but when there was no traffic whatsoever on a country road, they would move over only slightly so as not to hit us.  But I estimated their speed at least 50 miles an hour and more.  Rocks would fly from their tires.  Many times when I was alone riding, rocks would hit my helmet.  I marvel at the fact that God protected me even from rocks.  Many times a rock would hit my helmet, but never did one hit my skin, body, or glasses.  I don’t remember thinking at the time about the protection that God put around me to keep me from flying objects, but as I look back at those times, I have to believe that God made sure I wasn’t injured.   If a rock had hit my eyes or glasses, especially when I was riding alone, it would have been disastrous since I was usually miles away from help.

            One day, Don and I rode to Denair, about four miles from the town of Hughson; about five and half miles from my house.  On the trip to Denair the wind was blowing furiously.  Naturally, we were heading into the wind. It was really tough riding.   We kept encouraging each other by stating that at least when we turned to go home we would have the wind at our backs.  In fact, we were counting on that.  However, when we rode through the small town of Denair and turned toward home, somehow the wind had turned the opposite direction and it was once again in our faces.  I still don’t know how that could occur so quickly.  Perhaps God used the wind as part of our training because I would be subject to terrible winds in my face the entire first day of the actual ride in June of the following year.

            One of the real dangers of riding alongside the well-traveled roads such as the road between Hughson and Denair  Puncture Vine or Goat Heads were prevalent along all the roads and fields and was a real menace to bike tires so it was important to keep from running over them or they would cause a flat tire.  Coming back from Denair that windy day, we kept to the shoulder of the road because there were so many trucks and cars.  When the trucks passed us, we had to concentrate to keep from being blown over into the weeds or worse yet, the wind was strong enough to actually cause us to fall.   The really dangerous part for me of having trucks pass was that after the truck passed by I started to move back over into the roadway forgetting that many trucks pulled trailers.   On that ride home from Denair, I was moving back onto the roadway after the truck passed by.  Only the grace of God kept me from being flattened by the trailer.  It was scared me half to death.   The scare from that incident cause my heart to feel like it stopped.  Unfortunately, I made the same mistake at least one other time but my Heavenly Father was looking out for this fool. 

Countdown to Triathlon - 285 Days to Race Day (See Installment 8 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The fact is that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.
Robert Cushing

I need to remember the above, especially when the pool is not as warm as I would like it to be.

I forgot my lap top when we left for Lake Tahoe and couldn't write the blog on my cell phone.  Saturday we went to Amador County then to Lake Tahoe until late last night.  Here's a picture I took from an Amador vineyard.

What a difference a week makes - No Snow to Snow

Last Week

This last Sunday

Last week along the river on the way to Lake Tahoe, the trees still hadn't turned colors.  Saturday night the weather turned very cold and snowed.  On the way home we saw that the trees had finally turned but were covered with snow.  What a beautiful sight.  But, "Mr. I don't stop when driving" wouldn't let me get any pictures.

The bike won't be ready until later today and I will have left for Bible Study in Hughson so I won't be able to start the bike riding until tomorrow.  Roxi was really happy to see us and to resume our walking. 

At the pool:  The lady who manages the pool coached swim teams for many years and said she'd help me to swim the laps and even teach me how to walk faster.  She watched me swim laps and showed me a technique that I had never known before.  I had told her that I swam one summer at Arden Hills Country Club under Sherm Chavoor who coached Olympic star, Mark Spitz.  She asked me if I remembered any of the techniques from then.  Goodness!   I was sixteen.  That was 50 years ago. Besides, he didn't spend time with the likes of me - I was definitely not Olympic material and it was such rough training that I quit at the end of the summer.  I wish my folks would have convinced me to "tough it out".  Anyway, she showed me that the strongest part of the stroke in freestyle is when your arm is in the back position.  At that point, you should "flip" your hand backward to get more propulsion.  I never knew that and so now I am practicing the technique.  It goes along with the idea of the clip less pedals on the bike - getting more distance for the same effort.

Have a great day, Everyone!

The Journey - Installment Eight

By the second week I began to have knee trouble.  We rode out to the cemetery and back bringing our mileage up to about seven miles, round trip.   I had lived in this area for 29 years and never noticed while riding in the car that there is a hill down to the cemetery.  In the car the road seems flat.  Coming back up that hill I thought my heart would explode.  I stated that day that my goal was to ride the hill without being winded. A great goal but I had no idea how long it would take to achieve it.   I was riding on Tuesday and Thursday by myself and Don had been urging me to carry identification and my cell phone when riding alone.  I began being bombarded with people urging me to wear a helmet.  I couldn’t understand what the big deal was about helmets.  Somehow I had ridden a bicycle all of my youthful days without one and had survived unscathed.

            After riding for a month, I really became concerned because my knee hurt under the knee cap most of the time I was riding.  I realized that I was still winded riding up slight hills and that I would need to train more than just with Don.  I made an appointment with my doctor and had my knee x-rayed.  I was told to take an anti-inflammatory medication but told that the x-ray really didn’t show anything particularly wrong other than normal wear and tear.  On Tuesday, August 7^Th, I met Don and Rob at the bridge crossing the irrigation canal at the entrance to the town of Hughson.  We began riding on the canal banks in order to avoid the traffic.  What a magnificent sight we had each morning as we watched the sun rise.  We even were able to see the workers who were picking the fruit in the peach orchards.  We had a most beautiful route through walnut, peach and almond orchards as we wound along the irrigation canal.  The road was rough but quite passable and we began to ride a little farther each day.  One day we would determine that the next time we rode we would ride to the next bridge; then to the next bend in the canal and so forth until our goal was to reach Hickman Road about 7 miles from my home.  We continued each time we rode to go a little farther.  On the days I didn’t ride with Don, I usually rode into Hughson and out the other side of the town keeping along well-traveled roads.  I felt that the irrigation canals were too dangerous for a lone woman to ride. 

            One morning I stopped at a friend Terri’s house and talked with her.  She presented me with an insulated water bottle for my riding.  Some times while riding alone, I would stop by a friend’s house and chat for a time.  I tried to make the experience enjoyable as possible and it also was a way of escape from the bike riding.  Of course, stopping to chat was not helping me to increase my speed and distance and was certainly not part of a rigorous training routine

287 Days to triathlon

We're up at Lake Tahoe and I forgot my lap top. Check back Tuesday. It's snowing like crazy.
Barb

Countdown to Triathlon - 288 Days to Race Day (See Installment 7 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below) 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

...Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
   The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.
       - Charles Swindoll



It's raining today and we've not had a cold snap so leaves are falling before they've turned colors.  I did took this photo yesterday but most trees are still green.  People on the east coast get the blessing of all the fall colors. I believe this is a Pistache Tree and one of the few that are giving us the brillian colors right now.

The bike's not ready yet.  It seems that when a bike sits around for eight years, the gears are'nt  quite up to par. Imagine that! They're changing the tire and fixing the brakes,  So, Monday or Tuesday I get to overcome my extreme fear of getting on the bike.  I really don't know why I am so afraid when you think of how many miles I logged training for the bike ride each day.  It definitely has to do with having both my knees replaced and gaining about 50 pounds.  My balance is not the same because of both of those elements.  I'm afraid of falling and breaking my knees, although that probably wouldn't happed because they are tittanium steel.  The surgeon did tell me that I could ski with my new knees if I didn't do the "bumps", moguls.  Fat chance I would do that anyway.  But he did say that if I fell wrong while skiing, I could shatter my leg bones.  Now that sounds like something fun, doesn't it.  So I'll skip skiing (which I never really enjoyed anyway - only skiied to be with the family) and try not to fall off the bike.  But it's scawwy as my granddaughter Madison used to say!




The Journey - Installment Seven

THE POWER BEHIND ME IS GREATER THAN THE TASK AHEAD OF ME!

            One Saturday in July 2001, I happened to stop by Don and Wanda's  home to visit with Wanda.  She was opening her mail at the kitchen counter.  As she opened an envelope from a Christian camp, a small card fell out on the counter.  It read, “The power behind me is greater than the task ahead of me.”   Wanda handed me the card and told me that the saying should be the motto for my ride.  It was necessary many times throughout my training and eventually the actual ride for me to recall this motto in order for me to keep from quitting when the going got tough.

            Wednesday, July 11, 2001,  I met Don at our corner at 6AM.  He rode the two miles from Hughson, our little community, to meet me to begin our ride for the day.   We rode 4.3 miles the first day and I felt that I had really accomplished something great.  We continued to ride every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning about 6 AM.  I began to keep a journal of the trips, where we rode, how long it took and any thing that was noteworthy.  My notation on July 13^th was, “the buns are so sore that every bump matters.”  That problem continued for about three weeks and caused agony whenever we hit bumps.  Some of the problems which we encountered were dogs that chased us and trucks and cars which did not slow down at all.  One morning, a truck drove past us so fast that it blew Don’s cap from his head and caused me to swerve off the road into some stickers.  I discovered that my hands would go to sleep during my rides and I would have to constantly shake them to help relieve the numbness.  We began to gradually increase our distance and occasionally someone from the church would accompany us such as a young man named Rob  or Don’s daughter Julie who was visiting from Los Angeles, or a wonderful, sweet young woman by the name of Neva,

NOTE

Does "The Power Behind Me" contradict what my sweet Daughter-in-law Morena said about the Lord being "before" us.  No!  In Exodus 13:21 (New International Version) the Bible reads, " By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." But in Exodus 13:19-20, it reads, "Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long."   So you see, the Lord goes in front of us and also has our backs.  What a wonderful comfort that is!!!

Countdown to Triathlon - 290 Days to Race Day (See Installment 6 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

A Thought for the Day

To get something you never had, you have to do somethng you never did.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

In other words, I have to do things I've never done before to accopmplish something I've never done (a triathlon).

It is always interesting to me how God gets my attention.  I have been carrying an index card in my Bible study binder for months which had the above words on it.  I don't know where I got the card and I've seen it many times.  Today, it fell out of the binder and I saw it through new eyes.  Is this training for the triathlon God's will?  In 2001, God actually told me to do the bike ride.  However, this endeavor is the total opposite of the bike ride.  I didn't inquire of Him about this triathlon. He didn't tell me to do it.  My sister and I just decided we would train for it and participate in the race.   I would imagine that He would think it a good idea since our bodies are  be the Temple of the Holy Spirit and I have not been treating my body as such. This training would certainly be a good thing for my body.  But I'm not God, thank God, and I don't read His mind.  Therefore, I am asking Him if I should do this triathlon.  I am now praying that if this is not His will for me, that He would slam the door shut on the opportunity.  For instance: if I broke my legs; my artificial knees popped out of my skin;  if I  got hit by a car; or the triathlon committee emailed me to say there had been a mistake and I am not really registered and there are no places left;  then I would know it isn't His will.  But until I hear otherwise, I will continue on course.  I won't use the excuse either,  that the training is too hard and say that God must not want me to do it then.  I have asked God to forgive me once again in my life, for plowing ahead and then asking.  Will I ever learn?

Don't you just hate it when you think of some really great thing to share with someone; something really inspirational, so magnificient that you just can't believe it.  Then you forget what you were going to say.  What a waste.  In fact, I told several people today to be sure and read the blog today because I had some really great thoughts to share.  You wouldn't believe how wonderful they were and now they're gone out of my mind. I'm really embarassed that I said anything about it this morning until I had committed the ideas to paper or the computer.   These ideas must not have been that great after all or I would surely be able to remember them.  They sure seemed inspirational at the time.  It reminds me of something our Bible Study Fellowship teaching leader, Pam, said this morning. She said that God knew before He even created the universe what his plans were to be and how they would be carried out.  I had to smile when I heard that because I thought, "It's a good thing I'm not God, because I would have made all those plans, then would have forgoten how I was going to carry  them out."   I don't suppose any of you reading this have experienced that phenomina.  Forgetting seems to be occurring more often these days.

rev·e·la·tion    n.

1.

a. The act of revealing or disclosing.

b. Something revealed, especially a dramatic disclosure of something

     not previously known or realized.

2. Theology A manifestation of divine will or truth.

I feel that God has revealed to me by way of Bible study, that perhaps I have been prideful.  We've been studying in Bible Study Fellowship, the Book Isaiah. We have learned that  because of Israel's and Judah's unfaithfulnes to the Lord, He was going to send the King of Assyria to discipline the twelve tribes.  Assyria came and captured Israel and came up against Judah, overtaking the outlying towns  clear up to the gates of Jerusalem.  The King of Assyria was proud and didn't consider that what he had done was due to God's intervention.  He claimed that everything that happened was because of himself, the king.  He pridefully announced that it was his strength, his wisdom, his army, etc.that accomplished the capturing of the tribes of Israel and most of Judah.   The Bible is quite clear that God hates pride and that pride goes before a fall.  There are many other verses which tell of how much God hates pride. Because of his pride and because the king tried to do things that God had not intended him to do, he and his army were destroyed.  My prayer must be that I not let pride creep into my efforts.  I must remember that whatever I do is by the grace of God.  His gives us His  grace.  We don't earn it.  It is unmerimeted or unearned favor from Him.  He gives it to us freely if we'll accept it and His Son Jesus.  It is quite easy and very human that when someone compliments us on our accomplishments that we allow ourselves to be puffed up or as they say, "to get a swelled head".  I must gurad against that at all cost.  I want this triathlon to be a blessing to me and others.  I don't know how God will use this experience or if He will.  But I must be willing to to be used by Him. 

The Journey - Installment Six


LET THE TRAINING BEGIN

            As with most good intentions, I had intended to start training on the newly acquired bicycle from my customer (the girl’s bike), immediately.  By the middle of February of that year I had sixteen months to prepare for the ride.  That seemed like a lot of time to get in shape and I knew that I would need every bit of that time. However, it seemed that there was always something that got in the way of taking the time to train.  Before I knew it, July was upon me and I had less than a year.  That was a very sobering moment when I realized that the time was dwindling away without my having made any effort at all.  I decided that I could not send out letters asking for donations until I had several months of training behind me and had lost some weight.  I was fearful people might worry that I would not complete the task at hand and they would have contributed their hard-earned money for nothing.   Since many of the people from whom I would seek donations were not Christians, the very act of contributing to a ministry unknown to them would be based on their desire to help me reach my goal and I had to demonstrate that I was doing my part.

            The first part of July 2001, my Pastor, the Reverend Don Slaven, asked me with whom I would be riding.  Since we lived out in the country, he felt it wasn’t safe for me to be riding alone.  When I replied that I would have to ridie alone because there was no one to ride with me, he said he would ride with me three or four times a week.  The only problem was that he didn't have a bicycle.  By this time, I had picked up Mike’s bike and had discovered that it was definitely too tall for me, even with the seat lowered.  I called Mike and told him about Don volunteering to ride with me and asked if Don could borrow his bike until he could buy one of his own.  Mike agreed and I gained a riding partner.  How interesting that his bike was a perfect fit for Pastor Don and I had earlier wondered why God had given me two bikes to use.  God had a good reason.  The next day I took the tires in to the bike shop to have heavy-duty tubes replaced on my customer’s bike, purchased an odometer/speedometer and water bottle to prepare to begin riding with Pastor Don the next morning.  I made a practice ride to the corner, which is one-quarter mile, and back home again.  I made that trip twice which totaled one mile – the first mile of the ride.   I wondered how I would ever ride more than two hundred miles when my legs hurt on that short distance.

            Early one morning, several days later while I was waiting at the corner for Don, I was straddling my bike with my feet on the ground, contemplating the bike ride which was now only 10-1/2 months away.  I spoke out loud to the Lord about my inability to comprehend how I could possibly complete such a long ride the following June.  The strangest thing happened.  It was like a movie being played in my head.  I could see myself on a bike.  There were no other riders in view.  This movie even had sound because I could hear my breathing, which was labored, and I could see that I was hot and perspiring.  At that moment, standing astride my bike with my feet on the ground, I was rather cool because it so early in the morning before the sun was even up above the horizon.  I had only ridden a quarter of a mile from my house and I was not hot or perspiring.  I recognized at that moment, that God had generously and graciously given me a preview of the ride to encourage me and show me that I was definitely going to be a part of the National Bike Ride for the Family.

            Having received this confirmation, I was so excited that God would take time to encourage me like that.  But as human beings, we often tend to be quite fickle and have short memories.  Some weeks later I was again discouraged by the fact that I was only riding ten to twelve miles per day.  Don had not been able to ride with me and I was having difficulty pushing myself to do what needed done.  This was the perfect opportunity to allow Satan to slip in unnoticed.  A thought even crept in and I began to ask myself if perhaps I really didn’t hear the Lord tell me to do the ride.  Maybe it was not real but just my imagination.  I quickly dispelled this notion because I knew that I never would have thought about doing this ride myself, not in a million years.  Satan would not have suggested it because all the glory was going to God . I was telling everyone all that God was doing to encourage and help me.   Satan would never wished for God to get the credit.  So the Scriptures came immediately to mind, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7) and “Get thee behind me Satan!” (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33; Luke 4:8).   I would repeat these two Scriptures many times over the coming months.