Cycling Stories

In church on Sunday, the pastor told a story of when he was in middle school and went on a five day bike ride.  I was reminded that the last time I was on a long bike ride was also in middle school and I was a little worse for wear at the end of the couple hundred miles, but it was a t-shirt I donned with pride: I earned this t-shirt.

The story continued that my now pastor, then awkward middle school student, was demoted to the slow group after the first day of riding. He was dragging the group after only a few miles.  The next day, he fainted while riding--dehydrated from choosing a soda instead of water when he was very thirsty. 

I don't remember ever hearing cycling stories from the pulpit--most of the athletic stories are about running or football or soccer.  And in a church with around 7,000+ weekly attendees, I can promise that this pastor didn't have his memory jogged (pedaled?) to remember this particular incident the same week I bought my first pair of cycling shoes.  I listened with humor and horror--was this story a premonition of future rides for me?

This weekend I was miserable on the bike, which is a bad sign of things to come.  (If you have no idea why, click here to read about my decision to bike for IJM from Seattle to Portland.)  My friend/trainer and I went 25 miles and I wasn't going to do one more mile than that.  The shortest day on my little bike seat during the Freedom Ride is 80 miles and then there isn't a break to recover the next day.  On Saturday morning the wind was strong and the temperature had dropped drastically from the gorgeous Friday weather.  I was cold and I couldn't seem to go faster.  A knot formed in the base of my neck and the strain of keeping my head looking to the road was painful.  My poor friend tried to encourage and push me on, but my bad attitude would have none of it.  I can be stubborn when I want to be.  I was also mad--of course this ride couldn't have happened before I was officially registered!!!!  That would have meant I would have had an opportunity to opt out, to quit, to accept that this challenge is too hard for me.  Of course this miserable weather made me worried that the Pacific northwest might not be the best riding conditions for me.  

However, after a day of reflection and a sermon including cycling later, I'm sure I'll feel the same with challenges that arise working with International Justice Mission (IJM) next year.  There will be days I will think the end is too far away; the task too big.  All the excitement and anticipation in that moment will feel miles away.  Indeed, it will be miles and miles away.  But that's why we don't base everything on how we feel in that moment.  At the end of the day, we have made progress.  The hard journey is worth it.  The good life is rarely the easy life. 

Ride on, friends.     

Help me keep riding. Donate $35 for my bike trip to raise awareness for International Justice Mission's to fight internationally against: modern day slavery, sex trafficking, sexual violence, police brutality, property grabbing, citizens rights abuse. Help me raise awareness for the four ways IJM partners with those working in the local justice system to help victims of violence by rescuing, restoring, restraining, and representing.

(This is separate from my fundraising directly for IJM for me to be a fellow next year.  This ride is an awareness campaign.  The funds for IJM will allow me to work with them.  More on that to come!)