Interview about my bicycle trip with NBC25

Follow the link to view the interview!

http://your4state.com/fulltext?nxd_id=260222

Cardio Class

I went to my cardio class at the Y this evening for the first time in a few weeks.  It was not too painful and my knees did not swell up during or after the class.  Let's hope this is a positive trend with only two left before I head to Seattle.

28.3 Mile ride today on some steep hills!

Just two weeks before my ride gets underway.  I went for what turned out to be a midday ride today. The pace was a little slow 12.5 miles per hour, but considering the hills I had to climb and the person I was riding with it was not terribly slow.  The last hill I climbed near the Washington Monument on South Mountain at the border of Washington and Frederick counties was a killer.  It was 13.5 miles into the ride and a 14 percent grade in 85 plus degree heat.  I made it to the top.  I thought about getting off my bike, but I was moving so slow up the hill that I could not stop to unclip my bicycle shoe without falling over or rolling backwards so I just kept going up as the cars and small SUV's flew up the hill some I'm sure were driving faster than normal just to show off.  Once at the top, I waited for my riding partner who arrived at the top 5 minutes or so after me walking his bike.  We rested for a bit and then decided to head back to Hagerstown rather than continue on toward Middletown, which at that point was only a few more miles away, but several more hills.  The ride down the hill was much faster.  I was breaking all the way down and still hit 34 plus miles per hour.  I played it safe while my riding partner who had walked up the last part of the hill rode down as fast as he could, likely hitting 40 or near 40 miles per hour.

I'm typing this blog entry on my new netbook that I purchased today after the bike ride.  Target had acer aspire one netbooks on clearance. I picked up an 11.6" wide screen netbook with 250 gig hard drive and 4 gig of ram for $274.  I had seriously considered a tablet/iPad but for $274 I can buy 2 or 3 tablets/iPads and still have a lot less memory.  The netbook should work great for keeping up with my blog on the bicycle.  It's not fast or sexy, but it will get the job done and is less likely to get stolen because it is not sexy or fast.

New bicycle cam

My ride saturday afternoon. I am using my new bicycle cam.

Bicycle Road racing in downtown Hagerstown!

Photos that did not post on my last blog posting

The answer to "Why" I'm doing this ride...

My bicycle adventure is less than a month away.  I’ll be riding to eliminate poverty housing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, provide rural health care workers in Africa with bicycles and provide opportunities for youth to grow in Biddeford, Maine through The Community Bicycle Center.

My bicycle ride is from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California, 1,650 miles. It is a mission ride, a charity ride, a sabbatical ride and as well as an adventure.  The ride begins on Sunday, afternoon July 15^th from a downtown UCC church in Seattle. It will be a leisurely 36-mile ride.  We’ll finish 28 days later with a 47-mile ride into San Diego and then a build day at a Fuller Center Housing project before the members of the group head their separate ways.

Speaking of the group: there are 38 of us riding the Pacific Coast Highway.  Of the 38 riders 10 are riding segments of the 1,650 miles, meaning they are not doing the entire ride.  The rest of us will be riding the whole way.  We range in age from 20 to 70.  The 70 year old is doing the entire ride, and more.  He’s currently riding the East Coast version of the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure.  He’ll complete 1,800 miles and six days later head to Seattle, WA to start the second half of the Adventure, the West Coast Ride.  I have yet to meet Tom W, but he is already my inspiration.  There is a 21-year old cancer survivor riding the entire way. He’s been cancer free for two years.  Most of us could think of more relaxing ways to celebrate two years of being cancer free.  There’s a teacher from Alaska, a young guy from the Azores, a recent college grad from Harrisonburg, VA, a school librarian/pastor’s wife who is just shy of 60 and riding with her niece, sounds like I might be riding at the same speed as Sher, the aunt and not Sarah the niece, a number of college students and an assortment of other folks.  I’m the only pastor on the ride.  I don’t know what that says about me or my clergy colleagues, but I’m sure I’ll find out how tough my glutes are riding 1,650 miles.

Our daily ride schedule so you can follow along:

July 15 Bike day 1 Seattle, WA to Tacoma, WA              36-mile est. distance

July 16 Bike day 2 Tacoma, WA to Chehalis, WA              60-mile est. distance

July 17 Bike day 3 Chehalis, WA to Naselle, WA              89-mile est. distance

July 18 Bike day 4 Naselle, WA to Tillamook, OR              81-mile est. distance

July 19 Bike day 5 Tillamook, OR to Newport, OR              73-mile est. distance

July 20 Bike day 6 Newport, OR to North Bend, OR               97-mile est. distance

July 21 Bike day 7 North Bend, OR to Port Orford, OR               55-mile est. distance

July 22 Day Off Port Orford, OR to Port Orford, OR              No miles

July 23 Bike day 8 Port Orford, OR to Crescent City, CA             84-mile est. distance

July 24 Bike day 9 Crescent City, CA to Eureka, CA              87-mile est. distance

July 25 Day Off Eureka, CA to Eureka, CA              No miles

July 26 Bike day 10 Eureka, CA to Redway, CA              81-mile est. distance

July 27 Bike day 11 Redway, CA to Ukiah, CA              96-mile est. distance

July 28 Bike day 12 Ukiah, CA to Santa Rosa, CA              62-mile est. distance

July 29 Bike day 13 Santa Rosa, CA to San Francisco, CA              79-mile est. distance

July 30 Bike Day off San Francisco, CA to San Francisco, CA        No Miles

July 31 Bike day 14 San Francisco, CA to Santa Cruz, CA 80-mile est. distance

August 1 Bike day 15 Santa Cruz, CA to Carmel, CA 63-mile est. distance

August 2 Bike day 16 Carmel, CA to Cambria, CA            100-mile est. distance

August 3 Bike day 17 Cambria, CA to Santa Maria, CA 71-mile est. distance

August 4 Bike day 18 Santa Maria, CA to Santa Barbara, CA 83-mile est. distance

August 5 Day off Santa Barbara, CA to Santa Barbara, CA No miles

August 6 Bike day 19 Santa Barbara, CA to San Fernando, CA 96-mile est. distance

August 7 Build day San Fernando, CA to San Fernando, CA House building

August 8 Bike day 20 San Fernando, CA to Huntington Beach, CA 68-mile est. distance

August 9 Bike day 21 Huntington Beach, CA to Oceanside, CA 65-mile est. distance

August 10 Bike day 22 Oceanside, CA to San Diego, CA 47-mile est. distance

August 11 Build day San Diego, CA to San Diego, CA   Build Day

       Total Miles 1,650 est. distance

A bit about the three charities I am riding for:

The Fuller Center for Housing

Mission Statement

The Fuller Center for Housing, faith-driven and Christ-centered, promotes collaborative and innovative partnerships with individuals and organizations in an unrelenting quest to provide adequate shelter for all people in need worldwide.

Foundational Principles

We at the Fuller Center for Housing believe that:

We are part of a God movement, and movements don't just stop.

We have been called to this housing ministry; we didn't just stumble into it.

We are unashamedly Christian, and enthusiastically ecumenical.

We aren't a church but we are a servant of the Church.

We are faith driven, knowing that after we've done all we can do the Lord will help finish the job—something that requires us to stretch beyond our rational reach.

We are a grassroots ministry, recognizing that the real work happens on the ground in communities around the world through our covenant partners, so a large, overseeing bureaucracy isn’t needed.

We try to follow the teachings of the Bible and believe that it says that we shouldn't charge interest of the poor, so we don't. Government has a role in our work in helping set the stage, but that we shouldn't look to it as a means to fund the building of home.

Tour d’Afrique Ltd. Foundation

The Tour d’Afrique Foundation is an integral part of our company vision. The foundation was set up at the same time as the Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Race/Expedition to fulfill key elements of our mission:

◦                To give something back to the people and the communities of the areas that we pass through on our cycling tours.

◦                To raise consciousness about bicycles as an alternative and, in many ways, better and more beneficial means of transport.

To fulfill these objectives the company has focused on: donating bicycles to individuals and organizations in Africa.

Bicycles for an HIV/AIDS outreach program in Africa.  In a month, a community HIV/AIDS health care worker, under normal circumstances can reach somewhere between 20 and 100 people on foot, covering a total of about 5 to 9 miles.  From my own personal experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Congo rural health care workers cover regions with a radius of up to 10 miles with 10 to 50 villages within the radius.

With a bicycle, an HIV/AIDS rural health care provider can reach a minimum of 60 and up to 800 or more individuals in a month covering over 38 miles, a dramatic improvement with the simple addition of a bicycle for transportation.

Community Bicycle Center

Providing Opportunities for Youth to Grow

Mission: To empower youth through bicycles and bicycle-related experiences, with a concentrated focus on youth considered "at-risk."

The Community Bicycle Center exists to empower youth through bicycles and bicycle-related experiences, with a concentrated focus on youth considered “at-risk.” Through our research-based programs, youth are building relationships, practicing goal persistence, and developing problem-solving and organizational skills. They receive direct time and attention from caring adults, helping kids construct postive self-perceptions. Youth have the opportunity to develop life skills, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that will contribute to success in relationships, work/school and in community life. We operate year-round and often six days a week with expanded programming during the summer months to meet the needs of kids during summer vacation.

Core Values & Guiding Principles:

◦                Youth asset building through caring, intergenerational relationships

◦                Solution focused rather than problem focused program designs

◦                Bicycle repair & bicycling as a tool to develop mind, body, and spirit

◦                Collaborations and partnerships with community organizations

◦                Focus on social, vocational, recreational, physical, and civic development

The Community Bicycle Center is committed to:

◦                Welcoming all individuals in its programs and facilities

◦                Developing programs that respond to the needs of its participants and community

◦                Utilizing employment and volunteer management practices that are free of bias

◦                Maintaining a diverse and high-quality staff and volunteer corps

Maintaining a physically and emotionally safe environment that is free of acts of discrimination or harassment against any individual.     

You will be able to follow my ride on Twitter @revtimleighton, Blogspot http://revtimleighton.blogspot.com/, and on The Fuller Center’s website, http://www.fullercenter.org/bikeadventure.

One month from today...

I'll be heading to the Seattle, Washington the city where my 1,650 mile bicycle ride begins.  The journey began long before I registered for the ride.  I should have rode my bike today, but my family, mom and stepfather, are in town for a couple of days. We went to Arlington National Cemetery. I had never been there.  It was hot, but moving.  We did not walk as much as I would have liked or probably need to do, but we did walk some.  On the way home from Arlington, VA we stopped in Buckeystown/Urbana, MD for lunch at Foster's Grille.  It was excellent, so much so that I ate way too much. I enjoyed an uber thick chocolate shake with my phillycheese steak and a basket of onion rings. Good thing I'm not trying to lose weight prior to my ride, just stay in shape.  Of course, my butt needs a lot more time in the saddle!

In a little over a month, I'll be Seattle bound

I'll have a number of live riding buddies as I cruise the Pacific Coast Hwy and one non-living buddy.  Many of you know that I have the Complete works of Curious George and a number of Curious George items.  Both George and I like to ride bikes.

You can fill in the name in the blank!

Riding the roller while watching Tour of Cali along Pacific Coast Hwy

I recorded the first stage of the Amgen Tour of California.  It is a 116 mile stage much of it along the Pacific Coast Hwy.  I did not feel like riding outside today, although it would have been a nice ride outdoors, so I pulled out the bike roller filled the water bottle turned on the Tour of Cali and rode with the pros along part of the Pacific Coast Hwy outside of Santa Rosa.  Soon I will be riding this same section of the Pacific Coast Hwy when I ride with the Fuller Center in their West Coast Bicycle Adventure from Seattle to San Diego.  Looks like there will be some hills to climb and descend.

Beautiful 17.7 mile ride this morning!

I headed east this morning on Md Route 40 toward Frederick.  It was a perfect day for a ride, low 70s, low humidity and minimal wind, all due to the storm that rolled through town yesterday.  My pace was a little over 13 miles an hour and I rode just shy of 18 miles.  The best part of the ride was a little side rode Mt. Lena Road off Route 40.  After turning on to the road on I saw a grave yard next to a smallish Methodist church.  I thought about stopping to take a photo, but I decided against it.  Neither the grave yard nor the church were all that picturesque.  I continued along the road passing by homes that lined the rode on both sides, the way homes and roads used to coexist before roads became wider, divided and traffic increased in speed.  About a mile into my ride on Mt. Lena Road, I faced a winding, rolling hill. I shifted into an appropriate hill climbing gear stood up from my seat and began to hammer my pedals, the hill climbing gear was a wise decision, but not so the hammering my pedals.  The hill continued to rise in front of me and just when I thought I had reached the top of the hill it went up again.  Turns out the hill is a half mile long.  Needless to say, I was a happy cyclist when I finally reached the top.  At the top of hill Mt. Lena Road rejoined Route 40.

I decided to head back to Hagerstown so I turned left, headed West and had the pure pleasure of descending the hill I had just climbed.  My speed going up the hill was probably somewhere in the 4 to 6 mile an hour range, but going down I'm sure I hit 26 or 27 miles an hour. The 1.5 mile ride back to the intersection where Mt. Lena Road turned off from Route 40 took about 4 or 5 minutes.  A bit quicker than the ride up Mt. Lena Road.

The rest of the way home was quicker than the ride out, although the wind did pick up a bit on one open section.