Countdown to Triathlon – 133 Days, 19 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 84 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

 
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY – 
“When you're on the starting line of your first century, it's not wise to sit there and think, 'I've got to ride
one hundred miles.' I remember my first one, and my thought was to get to the first rest stop. I made each 
succeeding rest stop my goal. When they're about twenty-five miles apart, you don't get intimidated by what seems
an impossible distance. All you need to do is ride twenty-five miles four times."
-- Seana Hogan

Have you ever participated in “Paying it Forward?”  One of the common ways to “Pay it Forward” is to pay for someone’s coffee or fast food meal for the person in line behind you in the drive through.  In Acts 20:35 in the Bible, it reads, (quoting Jesus), “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  So here is a fun way to participate in “Paying it Forward”. 

            1.  Tell me in the comment section that you want to participate.

            2.  Email me your postal address.  My email address is barbiejoe44@gmail.com.

            3.  When you receive your gift, enjoy it.

            4.  Then post your own “Pay it Forward” on your blog.

            5.  Send three small gift items to people on your blog who wish to participate.

            6.  I will be accepting the first three participants who comment on their desire to participate.  If you would like to participate and get this little gift from me, leave a  comment saying so and realize that you are committing to send out small gifts to  three others bloggers.  The cost of the gift is not important, it is the gift of love that is.

            
Regular comments are still welcome and valued.  No one is obligated to participate in the “Paying it Forward”, but it is fun.  If you have some fun or inspirational stories that come from your “Paying it Forward” event, please forward them to me.

 

The Journey - Installment Eighty-Four

        After leaving windy Fairfield we headed toward Napa, over some really nasty hills with the wind still blowing.  Before we reached the last four terrible, and I mean terrible hills, the minivans were pulled over beside the road.  They signaled for us to pull over – us being about five or six ladies plus Tom who was a FOTF Vice President.  The drivers of the minivans told us that we done a great job riding, but that we were still twenty miles from Napa.  In order to get dinner, have devotions and announcements and have our outfits washed, we would need to load our bikes and get a ride to the hotel in Napa.  They had previously instructed us to write our names on all of our socks and riding suits and we had been given a plastic bag for our clothes.  Each night, one of the volunteers would wash our outfits and return them so that we would have clean clothes.  The riding outfits were expensive and most people only had one set.  I did purchase two sets which was really helpful on this particular day.

            All of us were gathered at the back of one of the vans.  As each lady moved forward and helped load her bike in the bike rack, I was starting to get anxious.  I felt that I needed to finish the ride.  God had told me to accomplish this ride and I didn’t feel that I could quit yet.  I hung back as each lady loaded her bike.  I can’t remember who all was there except I do remember Lisa, Yvonne, Terri and Tom.  I think there might have been two other ladies.  When it came time for me to get my bike loaded, I told them, “God told me to do this ride and I don’t feel I can quit yet. Besides,” I added, “My husband would be very disappointed in me if I quit.”  They replied that I would be missing dinner, devotions and getting my clothes washed and FOTF does not allow us to ride in the dark.

        I replied to them, “My husband is along with his truck. If it starts to get dark he can pick me and my bike up and take me to the hotel.”  They were not happy with this development, but I was very insistent.  At that point, Terri took her bike from the bike rack and said she was going with me.  I told her that she shouldn’t do that because she’d also miss dinner, devotions and clean clothes.  She replied to me that we are team and she was going to stay with me.  Even though I felt badly that she would miss all of the above, I was relieved to have her along.   I’m not sure at this writing if I would have been so insistent on finishing the ride if Bob had not been along as my safety net.  Tom unloaded his bike from the rack, and I’m sure he was quite disappointed to have to go with us because he could have been at the hotel in just a few minutes.  Because he was a member of the FOTF staff, he must have felt that he couldn’t let two women proceed alone, even though Bob was along.  I had the feeling that on all the bike rides until now, no one had ever thrown a monkey wrench into the works before because the staff in the minivans were not happy at all with me.  Nevertheless, Terri, Tom and myself mounted our bikes for the last section; the worst and hardest section of the day. 

I'm heading for Laurel's and Danny's house to help her with the baby and cooking, cleaning, etc.  I'll be gone about a week but will still post the blog so come back on Monday.  Grandpa Bob is staying home.  Maybe he'll get our garden planted.

♥♥♥