After just 11 miles, we crossed the border into Minnesota. For several members of the team, this was a cause for celebration...many call this state home or have gone to school here. I cycled with a lead pack of about 8 in the early miles. As the day went on, this "pack" shrunk down. For those of you not into cycling, it is always easier to cycle in packs, particularly on windy days, so that those in the front can block the wind. Those riders behind then "draft" the leaders. While this makes the riding more efficient, it also increases the possibility of crashes, and we have had a number of those in recent days.
We had lunch in Benson, Minnesota...the usual sandwiches by the side of the road, with fruit, chips, granola bars, etc. I am sure that I have mentioned the enormous amount of eating that we do on this trip...perhaps 7,000 calories per day! The "native" Minnesotans may not like this comment, but most of us found the Minnesota landscape to be rather dull. Plenty of cornfields and not much else! It was a tough day mentally and physically. One rider broke a spoke shortly after the Hardees breakfast, and had to ride in the van for the day, as there were no bicycle shops to be had. A couple of others also did not make it through the entire day of cycling...one was sick and the other had a cycling-related injury. One of the points that we make as we present the ride and the cause at churches is that we are "ordinary people," not professional cyclists.
So, we fought the winds and the boredom hour after hour for 85 miles until the lead group got into Willmar, Minnesota around 4 PM. The last group got in around 6:30. Our destination today was the Evangelical Free church in Willmar. This is Todd's home church (one of our team members). There to greet us were his parents, grandparents, and wife! Also, several of the church staff came, as well. Following a much-needed shower and an awesome meal, we did a Just & Hope presentation for the church folk there. Todd and his wife sang a couple of songs that were related to the modern slavery theme, we showed the video, and answered questions from the congregation. Zach was part of the "panel" to answer questions and he did a great job tonight with detailed, interesting, and sound answers. Then, after 9 PM, we got taken to two different homes so that we could sleep in real beds! (For me, this would be only the second time sleeping in a bed since June 16th!) Several of us are here at Todd's parents house, on a lake in Spicer, Minnesota. Today (Wednesday) will be a much-needed rest day. We expect to just rest and hang out by the lake, and possibly go to a concert tonight. This will be our first full rest day in ten days. The bicycles are locked in the church garage back in Willmar, and we don't even expect to see them today! We are now just about half-way through our tour. Tomorrow we shall have another 90-100 mile day into Minneapolis. There, the Venture Expeditions staff will have a "half-way" recognition for us. We should also get more rest and preparation for the second half of the tour. While we have seen lots of open spaces, small towns, and rural America for the past 3 1/2 weeks, the second half will be more urban in nature, as we go to some of the larger cities along the way between here and New York. As of today, my bicycle odometer is registering 1,697 miles. Thanks for your support and prayers. Zach's left hand is a concern, as he is having some difficulty with his grip. We do not know if it is a result of all the vibrations that are absorbed by our hands each day, or perhaps he bruised a nerve in the crash he had a few days ago. We hope this week will give him a chance to recover some.
No comments:
Post a Comment