My "Dream Ride" was a dream ride!

I can't imagine many people will get to read my final entry for the Ride Across America but for some closure and to reflect a little I thought I would go ahead and post it.

I am humbled and grateful to have been able to do something of this magnitude. My wonderful wife worked much harder than I did and I want her to know how much I appreciate her sacrifice. To my mom, you are an inspiration. Dad, thanks for supporting me and teaching me to dream. Mikey and Blake, thanks for believing in me and loving me enough to tell me the truth even when it hurts. To David Roark, thanks for chronicling our incredible journey on your impeccable blog. You truly are the consummate cyclist and a fine man on top of that (not to mention someone who can bust me up so bad I can't pedal my bike). Judd, thanks for your strong laughter and strong legs. Iain, what an encouragement you are. You live out the christian life life few I have ever seen. Kirk, thanks for putting this blog together and investing yourself in it! Jesus, thanks for giving me hope, peace, strength, forgiveness, wisdom and a great life. Without you this wouldn't have been possible.

Just like my Jesus

I wanted to tell you another incredible aspect of this ride. As you know I am one of six men out of 30 who is in a triple room. Last night was my night on the roll away bed. When it was brought to the room I pointed out that several springs were missing and that the wire that should support the bed was hanging down below the mattress. After initially telling me that the bed was "what is available" he told me he would "see what I can do". I went down to the restaurant to eat in the mean time. Daniel the hotel worker came to the table where I was sitting with my friends and hands me a key to my own room.

Today when I went up town to get a haircut and get my chops straightened in downtown Keene NH (The movie Jamangi was filmed here) I told the female barber (by the way this is the first time I have ever had a female barber and today was the first time I ever saw two women kissing intimately )about my dream and how tomorrow it will culminate with me reaching the Atlantic ocean. When I got up from the chair she told me the cut was "on the house" because she had never met anyone who had fulfilled their dream like this. I went across the street and got her a card and some candy that read, "Life is short, make it sweet." In the card I wrote the Proverb, "She who refreshes others will herself be refreshed." When I gave it to her I got a hug and good luck wish. Anyway, I share this just so you know how BLESSED I have been on this trip. These types of serendipitous blessings have happened dozes of times on this trip. "For it is by grace..." Ephesians 2:8a

The experience of a lifetime on my dream ride!

Today was another one of those days when everything was perfect. The scent in the air, the sun on my shoulder and excellent friends to ride with. We rode out of NY into Vermont and then New Hampshire. Along one long climb I stopped and dipped my body in a cold mountain stream, exhilarating! Talking about climbs we had a 2 miler, 3 miler and 10 miler. I really enjoy the mountains for many reasons. At the top you get a beautiful view, the challenge of conquering the hill and especially the screaming decent. (Jess don't read this part it will make you nervous.) Today Judd and I had a top speed of over 51 mph on one hill. When we see a truck on a cheese slice (Downhill sign) we all get excited.

Tomorrow is the last day of this wonderful adventure. 125 miles and then we will be to the Atlantic.

Thanks for reading,
Rob

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19

What a difference a day makes...

Yesterday was my dream day, today I was ready to get off the bike as soon as I got back to the hotel. A rainy 87 miles with cool temperatures makes for a tough day. We rode really hard the last 40 miles in the rain and I won the sprint into Bativia and we rocketed into a chocolate shop and then downtown to consume a large pizza between three guys.

We stopped at a bicycle museum half way here where we were able to view the progression of bikes from the kind you walked over to the high wheeled "ordinary" and then the bikes that looked more similar to what they do today. When bikes were evolving in the late 1800's it transformed culture like the computer has in our time. Bicycle's spawned many inventions including pneumatic tires, roads and even morphed into the first automobiles. There is some controversy if a Frenchman or an American "invented" the bike. Well I'm happy to tell you that patent information is pretty conclusive that the USA was first?

Only 4 more days of riding left, all of which are greater than 120 miles. The forecast is good so it looks like we will have a nice ending to an incredible trip.

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it. - Ella Williams

At This Point I Don’t Even Know Why I Bother…

Really when you think about it, between the fantastic page that Dave has (where I steal all my stuff) and the great stuff that Rob is writing- all first hand knowledge, who wants to hear my second-hand accounts? I’m what’s known as ob-so-lete.
None the less I gotta keep it up and stay in Rob’s good graces, when he gets back I have to convince him to give me free advice on a full carbon Bianchi that I’m getting ready to drop quite a few bills on.
But with that being said (sarcastically by the way, I’m really only kidding- except for the Bianchi- that’s one sweet ride) I still dig doing this, so here goes-

YO! We're in New York. Yo, who wants a pizza pie? Yo!, yeah we're wearin' tights- you gotta problem with that? Now let's go cruizin in our IROC.

How much you wanna bet that Rob somehow convinced the cashier at the winery that since this bottle of wine was 'old' that they should sell it to him at about 75% off?

Nothing funny to add to this... it's just a really great picture.

-Kirk

What a glorious day today!

I think I had one of the nicest rides I have ever experienced in my life on Saturday. We rode 137 miles from Niles, OH to Dunkirk, NY. The temperature was 68 degrees, sky azure blue, wind at our back and Lake Erie off to the north displaying many shades of blue. We had great conversation, stopped by an old light house for pictures and went to a winery to sample some of the local wines.
Last night at the restaurant a local lady came up to our group and told us we had "tight [butts]" (edited for appropriateness). She said that the guys down in the "ghetto" sit on their butts all day so they are all flat back there. Just another benefit of cycling... a nice rounded and firm behind;)

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He enables me to go on the heights." Habakuk 3:19

I meditated on this scripture for a good part of the day yesterday after Todd Vaughn sent it to me. The Lord does seem to give me physical strength when I really need it, more importantly I feel his strength to make good decisions and encourage others. I hope you are encouraged today. Check David's sight for some great pics of y-day.

Rob

Only a week more :(

I don't ever want this to end and I can't wait to go home. I'm having a wonderful time being a "professional" cyclist but as Boston approaches I get more excited to return back to Marion and be a dad, husband, PT and friend.

We have traveled through most of Ohio since I last updated. The theme that marks the last 3 days is headwinds. For you cyclist that read this you know that riding into a head wind usually provides you with a nice return home tailwind. When you go point to point you don't get that. Tomorrow is 137 miles to Dunkirk NY and it sounds like we are going to have our first tailwind in a week!!

Last night I read a letter in my journal. It was written by Libby. Nothing makes my heart jump like something from Lib other than her other siblings! She told me she was proud of me and has her self decided to reach for a dream. I prayed for her to have a dream that would be a blessing to her and that would expand God's good kingdom.

As you know of the 30 people on this trip only 6 are in 3 to a room arrangements. To tell you how simple me and my roommates are I'll share this. Today when Bob walked into the room he sees that in place of a fold up roll away 'bed' there was a true twin bed. Bob let out a big whoooo, high fived me and said, "How good can it get?"

For all of you who were scared I would look like a I had a tape worm when I was done with the ride I'll have you know that when I weighed at the gym where Matt Kinsall does personal training I had gained 10 lbs. I have been trying to keep up with David on the eating mileage and this has obviously paid off.

Tonight we are in Niles Ohio birthplace of William McKinley the 25th president of the United States. I went to his national library where I saw a bunch of busts of prominent Ohio men. I know this sounds crazy but I had two thoughts when I looked at them: 1. All of us are going to die someday. 2. Life is well spent investing our selves in others and in eternity

Yesterday when it was raining and cold the first 20 miles of the ride I sang a song that our worship leader at church wrote. "Everything that you have made reminds me of you.
In all of your creation your glory shines through.
Your promises reflected in the things you've put in place.
When I feel the rain upon my face, I think of drops of grace."

Thanks for reading and for all your support. Remember Jess is the real hero of this great adventure. Can you imagine letting me go for 4 weeks? I think I'm married to a saint. This is not to mention how difficult I am to live with. I love you Jessie, see you soon.

Some Notes For Those Who Are Just Joining Us

A few weeks ago I forced- er, suggested to my girlfriend that we watch “The Empire Strikes Back” together. Since she had never seen any of the “Star Wars” movies (yep, she’s the one that hasn’t) I had to give her some background information, and let her in on how the whole thing works.
Fast forward to the last two weeks. I’ve been bumping into a few F.O.R’s (friends of Rob’s) around town- grocery store, gym, county jail, etc. and have been telling them about the his progress as well as the blog. As a matter of fact, I’ve been giving out the blog’s web address so much that I’m considering just printing up business cards- much like Rob did at time. See, it all comes back to Rob (“never had to walk away from”).
With that being said, it occurred to me that much like my “Star Wars” explanation, it might be appropriate to point out few things to those just joining us.

*Lot’s of visitors- Over 1,600 at the time of this posting.

*Check out the links- Go to the right of the page if you want to see where the man is today, or anytime during the ride. Also, check out Dave’s page. It’s where I get all my material from (what- you didn’t think I was above plagiarizing did ya?).

*DON’T BE AFRAID TO GIVE MONEY. THAT’S CCCCAAAASSSSSHHHH MONEY!!!!!
That’s right folks. Some of you have mentioned that you didn’t know he was raising money for the M.S. Society. Well, now you do and HERE is the link (also in the links section on the right of the page).
He had a goal of $7210 and is currently at a great total of $8681!!!!. As fantastic as that is, how great would it be for him to come home to a total of $9000. Com’on folks, if you haven’t given yet, please do.

*Lastly, please leave comments. He reads them every chance he gets and cherishes every single one. As I’m sure you’re aware this is not only a physically strenuous challenge, but a mental one as well. He has clearly expressed that your words (and especially prayers) of encouragement, love and wit are the true fuel that keeps his legs pumping.

-Kirk

Worth 1,000 Words

East of the Mississippi

It's been a while since I had access to a computer. Since I last updated we have cycled across Illinois and are now solidly into Indiana and the eastern time zone.

We rode from Kirksville MO, to Quincy IL on Friday. The hills of Missouri gave way to the plains of central Illinois. We crossed the river on a ferry north of Quincy and had as nice ride into town. I met my sister and bro in law in Quincy and had a great meal. (Patrick kindly paid for my meal and I promptly sent a thank you note to Tracy in hopes that it might happen again ;)

Saturday we rode to Springfield IL fighting a gentle headwind the entire day. Head winds are so discouraging. A hill can be conquered but a head wind is relentless. The battle with the wind was worth it as my whole family met me in Springfield and spent the night. Jess, Abby, Libby, Pay, Dad and Mom were all there. The kids thought my side burns looked funny as I have grown out some chops that are even with my mouth. The girls were jealous of my tan until I pulled my sleeve up to reveal the most awesome farmer's tan they have ever seen.

Sunday was a "short" 77 mile ride from Springfield to Tuscola. Mother nature decided to make it difficult with an all day head wind gusting to 25 miles. I was especially weary of that since I knew several of my relatives were meeting us in Tuscola. When we finally rode into town my cousin J.C. his wife Tanya and son Brandon were waiting under a tree to see me ride in. The rest of the family went out to eat and missed my arrival. None the less it was so fun to see everyone and I have received frequent ribbing from my riding buddies about having a fan club across all of Illinois.

Today we got a nice pay back from the wind in the face we had in Illinois. With a tail wind we rode at up to 26 mph for large portions of the day as we rode to Lebanon IN.

Tomorrow I am going to replace my chain that was brand new prior to leaving California. Usually a chain will last 3-6 months but because of all the miles we have done this one only lasted 3 weeks. My butt is fully conditioned to the long hours in the saddle and I am fully convinced that I would not have felt a single swat I received in school if my butt were as tough then as it is now. I have had 3 crashes but they have all been at very low speeds and were more embarrassing than damaging. It's really fun to fall over at a stop sign in front of a bunch of cars. I continue to eat at a level that is similar to my high school days out of necessity. I am one who 'eats to live' so I have to be disciplined to make myself do this.

I got a letter from Hal Hamilton my pastor from Aldersgate. The letter had a line that was especially meaningful to me. "I have a suspicion that this was never really about the bike ride in God's great economy." I think he is right. More every day I realize how much I need the Lord, how his strength is what strengthens me and how blessed I am to have an incredible wife like Jess. I am also learning some things about my spiritual gifts.

For all of you desiring more entertaining commentary and excellent pictures, don't worry. David should have his computer back tomorrow. Today while I was riding on a country rode in Illinois I saw a car go up to a group of our cyclist. I thought they were having a heated exchange as the cyclist broke up from their pace line and hands were being pointed. The car then started dropping back to me and I-man and I thought they were going to have some choice words for me when all the sudden a sign pops out of the window that says "Rob Landes is my cousin". John and Mary Powers had chased us down about 25 miles outside of Tuscola to say hi to me. About 1 minute later David rides up and says, "Did you call for a photographer?" and captures the moment. He asked me if all of Illinois was out to support me.

I certainly can feel your support. Thanks for reading, thinking and praying for me.(Don't forget Jess. She is working a lot harder than me.)


To quote Scott Chamness, "Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic Toc. Times a wasting. Keep pedaling."

145 miles with (a little) strength to spare

Today we rode from St. Joesph to Kirksville Missouri. 145 miles of Missouri rolling hills. Our route was detoured out of St. Joesph due to flooding. It was a glorious day with sunshine and a beautiful blue sky. David, Judd and I rode together the entire day taking short stops at the rest stops and sharing time at the front. We had more caffine in our body than allowable by the authorities so we were all glad there were no pee tests. Lots of laughs along the way and we rode past some Amish families in horse and buggy. There was a little girl w/ curls sitting on her mamma's lap in the buggie. I immediately thought of my middle daughter Libby as she had a head full of curls at that age.

Tomorrow we ride into my home state Illinois where I will get to see my sister and her husband Patrick as well as my cousin Amy Landes. Man life is so good! I think I could do this for a living if Jess doesn't mind and I can find someone who will pay me to do it. Make sure you tell your kids, husband, wife, friend that you love them.

Livin on the bike and loving it,
Rob

Big day ahead

Yesterday's rest day was well documented on David's site so I encourage you to check it out. The only significant item not on David's blog would be an incredible time I had sharing God's good plan of abundant life and salvation with another rider. As much as I am enjoying riding my carbon fiber horse I think sharing God's love was even more exciting!

I hang and ride mostly with Ian, David and Judd. Ian is originally from Britain but now lives out east. We share the same faith and speak and encourage one another often. David is the consummate cyclist as he rides impeccably, points out dangers, drinks water even at night and pretty much controls what goes on in each group we are riding in. He also has the ability to make me laugh so hard I can't pedal for 1 minute periods. Judd is the young stud of the group. He has the ability to ride a rickshaw faster than I can pedal my race bike.

Tomorrow is 145 miles of Missouri hills. I counted at least 52 significant hills on the profile. I'm sure there are even more... I get to see Jess and the kids in only 3 days in Springfield IL and Tracy and Patrick are coming up to Quincy on Friday to share a meal...hopefully Patrick will offer to pay for it ;)

If You Have Something To Say, Chances Are Someone Has Said It Better

As Rob mentioned in his last message, there is a great post by Dave about Rob-ing. After reading it, and subsequently cleaned the coffee off my monitor from the spit-take I did from laughing hysterically, I said to myself “Boy, it’s nice to know that some things NEVER change.”
So, please do yourself a favor and click HERE to view Dave’s post and some of the funniest pictures you’ll ever see.
(also, aint it great to see that our boy is having so much fun?)
-Kirk

Dorthy can have Kansas

As most of you are already aware we brought some crazy weather into Kansas w/ us. Tornados within 30 miles of our hotel on Saturday and within 3 miles on Sunday. Sunday's ride from Great Bend to Abilene was 130 miles of which over 70 miles were in the rain. We were pulled from the road 3 x to avoid imminent danger from thunder and possible tornados. The wonderful thing about it was that I felt so alive experiencing the ride in this way. None of the riders complained, they just rode along in the rain and made the best of it when we were told to take shelter in a Farmer's home or convenience store. About 20 of us were holed up in a convenience store for an hour at one point. Some took naps, others played Suduku and we all drank something HOT!

Yesterday on the way from Abilene to Topeka the sun shined on my shoulder and I sang a David Crowder lyric to myself, "I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm Alive, I'm Alive."

Keep Dreaming friends, it is so wonderful when you get to realize them.

You might want to check David's web site tonite. He devoted an entire page to a skill I have honed over the years w/ a lot of influence from Mikey Koechner.

http://davidacrossamerica.blogspot.com

I’m Not Sure This Is What The Engineers At BMC Had In Mind

I Believe This Needs No Title…

The Title Is "Whitetail Fever" (Just In Case They Run Out Of Food And Need To Improvise)

Actually the title is “Whitetail Fever 2.” Apparently “Whitetail Fever 1” had too many unanswered questions.

Guess Who's The One Hanging On The Sign (nice to know some things never change)

...And A Haircut- Two Bits

"The Thinker"

No red slippers for me

I needed little motivation to click by cycling shoes together with my buddies and quickly ride the 87 miles into Great Bend Kansas today. We awoke to and rode in 25-35 mph winds coming out of the south. We were told that around noon more severe weather was on the way. David, Judd and I stomped the pedals and got to the hotel as quick as possible. We were ahead of the support van all day so we skipped lunch opting for some bananas and granola bars on the fly. Thank goodness the only thing we had to fight was a cross wind (we were riding to the east and the wind was from the south). Cross winds tend to move a bike around like a fat man moves a buffet.

As you may know Kansas was hit by a series of tornados. A town 40 miles away from where we stayed last night was hit by a tornado that was over 1 mile wide. Tomorrow has the threat of more severe weather. Hopefully we will get to ride tomorrow.

I have been priviledged to share my relationship with Jesus with a couple of the other riders. As I shared earlier, this ride has really made me more aware of my deep need for the Lord and so thankful for his love and hope that flows into me and hopefully flows out of me. Each night I continue to read one of the letters that you have written to me in the journal Jess created for me. This is the highlight of each night and I get so excited to open each letter. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers.

YES I DO READ THE POSTS! Leave more!

"Every one can make a difference, every man should try."
-JFK

A Few Technical Notes

There seems to be some questions about a few things so I’ll try to answer them.

• Can Rob read these messages? – Yup. But the question is, will he? I’m quite sure that he will do all he can to read everything that people are writing to him, but please bear in mind that he may not have time to respond back. He only has limited time at the computer and any other time he may have will be spent on much needed sleep and eating. However, please trust me when I tell you that ALL of you words of encouragement go strait to his heart and he appreciates them more than you'll ever know.
• How can I post without a Google account? - You can’t. That’s a security measure from Google. It makes it more difficult for spammers to post in the comment section (man, those jerks are everywhere). If you want a Google account just look below where you would post your comment and there is a link to the Accounts sign-up page. There is a few ways around that, where I could make it unnecessary, but frankly it’s not a very good idea to remove those security measures (sorry). If anyone would like to post without using an account, just e-mail me (kirkcubs@yahoo.com) and I will post it for you. Also, if anyone would like to send a message to Rob without using the comments, you can e-mail me and I’ll forward the message to him (as opposed to posting his personal e-mail address, something I’d rather not do in such a public forum). Boy, it sure is a shame that a few bad cyber-apples spoil all the fun huh? Oh, but for a price I’ll send you Rob’s S.S.#, drivers license and bank account numbers.
• Where are the rest of the posts? – There can only be so many posts per page, so scroll down and you will see a link for “older posts.” Also, there is an archive link on the right of the page. Click on either one of those if you haven’t read the older posts.
• Just who are you people anyway? – Look at the very bottom of the page. I put a Web Counter in there (strategically made to look like an odometer- cute huh?) that will tell you how many ‘hits’ this page has had. Since its inception, not that long ago, to date it has had 728 hits. What does this mean? It means a lot of people are cheering you on buddy.
  
  If anyone has any other questions, comments, suggestions or what nots - please don’t hesitate to contact me via the comments, or drop me an e-mail.
  Ride Safe-
  Kirk

ONLY 85 miles?!

When I talked to Jess last night I told her about our ride today and mentioned that it was "only 85 miles." It is almost laughable to me that this is now what I am considering a short day. The long days in the saddle caused me to control my thoughts as doubts about my ability crept in (Can I really do this? Is this more than I can do? What was I thinking? Is this really my "Dream Ride" or some kind of bad dream?) Now that we are in Kansas where you can see silos (Kansas Skyscrapers) for 20 miles away I am so glad that I renewed my mind by kicking the negative thoughts out and replaced them with faith thoughts.

Today's ride was so enjoyable with lots of laughing and gazing at the huge blue sky. My butt has toughened after riding 5-8 hours per day over the last two weeks to the point I think someone could drag me naked behind a truck on a gravel road and I would not even feel it. That may be a bit of an exaggeration but I guarantee I could win a farmers tan contest.

If you would like to see an excellent blog by another of the riders on this expedition I encourage you to look at David's link below. He takes excellent pics and tells great stories. I ride w/ him daily so I get mentioned often. http://davidacrossamerica.blogspot.com/

I found some quotes at a restaurant (that word is always hard for me to spell) that I wanted to share:
"God grants liberty only to those who love it and are always ready to guard and defend it."
-Noah Webster

"Not everything that can be counted counts, not everything that counts can be counted."
-Albert Einstein

Since He’s Probably Not Reading The Papers

He wants to know about this stuff so, bear with us here.

From YAHOO NEWS-
May 2, 2007
LONDON (AP) -- The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency reiterated his full confidence Wednesday in the French laboratory that tested Floyd Landis' samples from the Tour de France.
WADA president Dick Pound defended the Chatenay-Malabry lab, which found that Landis recorded elevated levels of testosterone -- including synthetic versions of the substance -- when he won last year's Tour.

The American rider and his defense team repeatedly have attacked the credibility of the lab, contending it has committed numerous mistakes.
"It is an accredited laboratory by WADA," Pound said during a conference call. "That means it has met some very stringent quality-control requirements in the sense of being able to detect the presence of prohibited substances in samples.
"It's one of the leading laboratories in the world and has spearheaded some of the breakthroughs in tests for EPO and so forth. We have no reason to think that the work done in that lab, and frankly in any of our other labs, is sub-par. We have confidence in what it's done."
On other issues, Pound urged China to toughen anti-doping measures before the 2008 Beijing Olympics and said WADA will consider doubling the standard doping penalty from two to four years.
Landis' camp made new accusations against the French lab on Sunday, saying it had mishandled and erased computer files involving his tests.
French Anti-Doping Agency director Pierre Bordry said that even before Landis' latest criticism the agency had asked for a separate outside review of how the lab handled the case.
Landis has an arbitration hearing May 14 in California, where he is expected to question the practices of the French lab. If doping accusations are upheld, he faces a two-year ban from competition. He also would be the first rider in the 104-year history of the Tour to be stripped of the title. He already has agreed not to compete in this year's event while the case is pending.
Landis tested positive for elevated testosterone to epitestosterone levels after he won the 17th stage in a stunning comeback that put him in line to win the Tour...

In case anyone’s wondering, this guy heading up a governing / policing organization is like the Castro heading up a commission on human rights.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- personally I think this guy’s just mad at the world, after all, if your name was Dick Pound wouldn’t you be?
Hee, hee- Dick Pound.
-Kirk

Updates (‘Bout Time Huh)

For the past week or so I’ve been meaning to posting some really great updates for everyone, but I’ve recently come down with a nasty throat infection, work’s been hectic and on top of all that… oh, wait- I keep forgetting, this is NOT about me.
Oh well, back to “Mr. Steal the Spotlight” (really, admit it, you folks would much rather hear about my flemmy throat).

So, to the updates-

First off, for a full itinerary of the ride, along with an overview of the riders, click HERE.

Along with some other great people, Rob has been riding with a fella who goes by the name of Dave- Dave Roark. Dave is a photographer for Disney, so needless to say he and his gazillion dollar camera is doing a little better than Rob and his- oh well, does it really matter what he has?
Anyhoo, in addition to a great camera and some corresponding talent, Dave must have some sort of access to one of them computer thingies. He’s got himself a pretty nifty blog and on the days we can’t keep up with our boy directly, we can all visit Dave’s page. Click HERE to check it out (trust me, it’s worth it).

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…… the pictures. Yup, all complete with the patented Kirk Maroscher, smart-alec (for lack of anther censored term) comments that vainly attempt a snicker of enjoyment from you.

So without further ado…

Rob's the one in the middle. Soon after this picture was taken he started spinning very quickly, sending the other two riders into the air in a beautiful wind ballet.

Some might find this long, straight road rather boring, but trust me; to cyclists it’s like heaven on earth (only with more chaffing).

Um, that question you were asking yourself... well, now you know.

That’s Rob on the bottom, left. Here he can be seen approaching a stoplight. Ohhh, ahhhh, a stoplight, gasp. (OK, that’s just me using sarcasm to mask my jealousy.)

Some very amazing switchbacks. All kidding aside, as someone who knows a little about this, these particular roads fill me with both wonderment and extreme terror. I couldn’t fathom riding those, but it sure would be great to do it. This, by the way, is why our buddy trained like a man obsessed (which of course he is).

Did y’all know that Rob’s breakdancing name was Slide Roc? Boy oh boy- that Jess is one lucky lady (he’s like this ALL the time).

…and one for the family, the loved ones, and all the friends.

Back wheel in the Pacific.

1000+ miles in 8 days...

We are out of the mountains as of today and will begin to ride into the plains tomorrow. I'm fighting a little tendonitis and fatigue but over all I am enjoying the journey.

As some of you may know I chose the 3 to a room option for economy purposes. It certainly is a challenge to have that many men and bikes in a hotel room. The biggest challenge though might be the nightly "concert" that 3 men put on after having eaten 2-3 x as many calories in unfamilar places. Although I know Jess won't believe it I think my roomates make my frequecy of passing gas make me look like a minor leaguer.

Lots of guys are waiting for this computer so I'll sign off. Thanks for reading and keep on dreaming. This "dream ride" is so tough and tiring but totally worth the sacrifice.

Rob

7 days and 850 miles later...

We rode into Albuquerque New Mexico today. This was the second longest day around 140 miles. The terrain is still desert and the culture in primarily American Indian. I really miss the mid-west right now!

Today I observed something worthy of comment on the road. One of our riders, Logan, was ahead of us on the interstate. He took the time to remove an alligator (blown truck tire) from the shoulder of the interstate so all of the riders behind him would not have to go out into the fast lanes of interstate traffic to avoid it. It made me think of a scripture. I think it is in proverbs. "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

I would encourage any of you reading this who complain that you don't get to eat very much or you gain weight to do this ride. We eat ALL THE TIME. I am already tired of eating but don't really have a choice but to continue. For breakfast I ate 4 eggs, a big pancake and fruit. During breaks I ate 4 granola bars, 2 bannanas, apple, fig newtons, turkey sandwhich and another sandwhich as soon as we got to town. Some of the guys wake up in the middle of the night hungry and eat some more.

I am sharing a hotel room w/ two other guys. One can imagine how crowded a room can be w/ 3 bicycles, a roll away bed and 3 grown men. So far we get along well and the only problem is the line for the toilet in the morning...hey when you eat a lot you have to...well you know the rest of the story. Last night in Winslow AZ, yes we went down to the corner but saw no girl in a flat bed Ford, the a/c was broken at the hotel. In order to get a window room we had to get a room that had only one king size bed. My Canadian roomate wasn't to thrilled about having to share a bed w/ another man but he thought that was better than sweating in a hot room all night. I didn't do any practicle joking w/ him about it because he looks like a bodybuilder and I thought he might dot my eye if I goofed around.

Well it's Sunday so I'll remind you as I remind myself each day. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Still going,
Rob

I can see for miles and miles

Today I told myself multiple times to just "shutup and ride". I thought about how boring the Interstate travel is, who tired I was, how hot and thirsty I was. Then I remembered that I am in the middle of experiencing a dream and as Kirk wrote me in a letter last night this trip is not just about arriving in Boston but savoring, as much is possible each mile.

Today we rode 127 miles and tomorrow is over 140 miles then 130 miles the next. So far we have ridden almost 700 miles in 6 days so needless to say I am totally waxed (tired).

Interstate travel requires much more attention and so we don't get to joke as much. David a triathlete from Florida keeps all of us laughing with his impersonations of Tour de France commentator Phil Ligget.

If you are praying for me I would really appreciate prayer to be able to sleep better. I love you all. RGL

Notes From The Field

The story so far…
Last night Rob spent the night in Blythe, California, he has ridden (or is it rode… I dunno- I think it’s ridden) 244 miles in two days time. So far he’s kept the rubber on the road and has had no flats, although I’m not sure how long that will last. Usually that would be a jinx, but to go 3000+ miles without a flat is a little preposterous. Besides, flats aint so bad.
He’ been riding near the front for those two days, but reported to me that today he would stay back and save his legs. Thursday and Friday he will be doing a massive climb equal to that of the grand Tours. He will be at an elevation of 11,000 feet. In addition to the climbing itself (not sure of the category, but I’d guess it’s a 4 or 5) he also has to contend with thin air and the subsequent physiological challenges that brings. Hope he brought some extra vitamin B. He also noted that he will be changing his cogs to allow for some easier gearing; after all he’s still got a looooong way to go.
The interesting thing is the westerly weather. It’s been holding steady at ninety degrees but he hasn’t really broken a sweat. Surprising actually, I’ve ridden with Rob and trust me, this guy can sweat. He carries a little hanky with him to wipe down with and he hasn’t had to break it out yet. This of course is a result of arid climate, and when he’s done for the day he’s covered in a nifty, white film (the body’s sodium I would assume).
As far as the fuel, he’s eating a small breakfast, a few power bars early into the ride, a few lunches on the bike (he noted a turkey sandwich while in the saddle took a little getting used to), followed by a big dinner and some much needed sleep.
I found his riding partners to be interesting. Despite what we probably all thought, Rob is actually one of the younger riders. He estimates that he is about the fourth youngest. Yesterday a man in his 60’s joined up with then and kept an extremely strong pace. Good news and motivation for the rest of us huh? Also there is a professional photographer riding with them so hopefully we will all soon have some good pictures. All in all he’s making some great friends and is remembering to look up from the wheel in front of him to take in the ride.
Lastly, he noted quite candidly how much he misses his family, terribly as a matter of fact. But, he knows he has their full support and hopes that his heart will heal as the ride progresses. I’d go into greater detail about that portion of our conversation, but I’d just assume to let him do the honors. He will have internet access within the next few days and is excited about posting and letting you all in on the goings on himself. Personally, I can’t wait.
Until then- stay tuned and stay safe.
-Kirk

Since He’s Probably Not Reading The Papers

Well, some of you might find this interesting.
From yahoo news-

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lance Armstrong applauds Tour de France champion Floyd Landis' decision to publicly share his mistrust of the French lab involved in his doping investigation.
"I think it's a good tactic to share that with the public," the seven-time Tour de France winner said Wednesday. "I believe in Floyd, I believe he hasn't had a fair shake. I don't trust the lab."
During the 2006 Tour, Landis tested positive for elevated testosterone to epitestosterone levels after he won the 17th stage. Landis, who has repeatedly denied doping, faces the loss of his title and a two-year ban if an arbitration panel upholds the positive test.
On Monday, the French newspaper L'Equipe reported the follow-up tests on Landis' samples found traces of synthetic testosterone.
Landis has accused the Chatenay-Malabry lab outside Paris, which conducted the follow-up tests and did the tests for the Tour, of testing irregularities.
The lab is accredited by the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency.
Armstrong, who has withstood doping allegations throughout his career, was in New York City on Wednesday to announce his partnership with the Athletes for Hope charity and to receive the Spirit of Jimmy V award. The honor is named for the late Jim Valvano, the former North Carolina State basketball coach and commentator who died of cancer.
Though retired, Armstrong's still involved with the Discovery Channel team, for which he rode for his final Tour victory in 2005.
He said American Levi Leipheimer might move into Ivan Basso's spot on the team now that the Italian Olympic Committee has reopened its doping investigation against him.
"We said that all along, if there was another issue, then we would do that," Armstrong said of the team's decision to sideline Basso during the investigation. "So we're living up to our end of the deal and our word."

It all starts tomorrow

We just had our first pre-ride meeting. Tomorrow the ride starts w/ a baptism by fire as we will ride 131 miles with plenty of climbing and probably 50 turns and even some miles on the Interstate 10. They give cross country bicycle rides temporary permission to ride on the interstates. The only other time I have ridden on the interstate was with an old friend of mine Markie Gotway when we broke the law and rode from Marion to Gorville on I-57 when they were doing construction.

I really don't feel very verbose tonight. I'm a little, o.k. a lot nervous and I REALLY miss Jess and my kids.

They asked for a quote today when we registered. Mine was from a man named Jim Elliot who was a missionary to Equador who gave his life for his cause. "He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep to gain what he can not loose."

The Ride

The Duke boys had the General Lee, Michael Knight had K.I.T., Vanilla Ice had his neon-yellow rice burner (what, you don’t remember “Cool As Ice?), and Rob has a BMC SLC 01.
While not exactly a touring bike by any means, the SLC 01 is a full carbon piece of aggressively designed race bike. I could tell you all about it, but I think I’ll let the experts do the job for me.
To find out what Rob’s gluteus will be getting very familiar with for the next month- please click HERE.

-Kirk

Goin’ Back To Cali- Part Deux

One of the points of this blog is to make things fun for you, the reader. Well, with that being said, and seeing the title of Rob’s first post, I just couldn’t help myself (snicker, snicker)-

I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali
I'm going back to Cali.. hmm, I don't think so
I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali
I'm going back to Cali..
I don't think so
Going back to Cali, stylin, profilin
Growlin, and smilin, while in the sun
The top is down, on the black Corvette
And it's fly, cause it's sittin on Dayton's
Laurents steering wheel, plushed out, gold-leaf phantom top
and three girls waiting
VRRRROOM engine's blowin, the chrome, is shining
Passing all the cars on the way
Movement of the wind, back wheels spin
Pop in a cassette and push playI'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali
I'm going back to Cali - yea y'all, I don't think so
I'm going back to Cali, Cali, CaliI'm going back to Cali..
I'm going back to Cali, shakin 'em, bakin 'em
Takin 'em to spots they never before hung??
the place, on Sunset it's a trip
Where the A.C.'s cold, and the girls still strip
The record skip, but this girl kept dancin
Prancin, grindin, grinnin, romancin
I asked her to the barn, so we could hit the hay
I wanna do this, Brutus, but I don't wanna pay
I'm going back to Cali, Cali, CaliI'm going back to Cali
- no man I don't think so
I'm going back to Cali, Cali, CaliI'm going back to Cali....
I'm going back to Cali, rising, surprising
Advising realizing, she's sizing me up
Her bikini - small; heels - tallShe said, she liked, the ocean
She showed me a beach, gave me a peach
and pulled out the suntan lotion
Now I thought that was fast, but this girl was faster
She's lookin for a real good time
I said, "Close your eyes, I got a surprise,"
and I ran away with the bottle of wine
I'm going back to Cali, Cali, CaliI'm going back to Cali..
I don't think so
I'm going back to Cali, Cali, CaliI'm going back to Cali..
I don't think so

Back to Cali

Have you ever said goodbye to your family knowing that it is going to be a long time before you see them again? Yesterday when Jess, Libby and Payton dropped me off at the airport it was almost surreal as I watched them drive away. They say "Absence makes the heart fond" but let me tell you I had instantaneous fondness in my heart. At times I take for granted the blessing my family is to me but when I know it is going to be a while before I see them again my awareness of the blessings grows very rapidly.

About the TSA and airport security: On the way up to the airport I argued w/ Jess and Libby about the screening process at the airport. I believe they should profile the individuals who are flying and only screen completely those individuals who fit a profile likely to commit an act of crime. How many times has a person from the mid-west blown up an airliner? I am not willing to quietly give up personal freedoms simply for a perception of increased security. We have created a brand new federal agency, the TSA, that by it's nature is inefficient, will exist long after it is needed and is doing a job that the local airport authority could perform.

To those who would give up some liberties, consider Ben Franklin's pre-Revolutionary War quote: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

OK so enough meddling, I flew in from STL last night arriving in California at 2 a.m. Before the flight Jess gave me one of the coolest presents I have ever received. A journal full of notes from you , my friends and family. I have a letter for each day of the ride. I have already opened one from my cycling friend Ken Norton in Springfield, MO. It was very light hearted and made me laugh w/ some inside jokes. Mary my friend at the Veterans Hospital (VA) sent a letter that I opened today and it had a Rocky quote in it! Mary can't stand Rocky quotes and only allowed me one a day when I worked w/ her at the VA. It is so good I want to share it w/ you.
"It's ain't how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep on moving forward."

I will get to experience the truth of that quote when I start on the cross country ride on Monday but for now I am going to sign off and head to the Coronado beach w/ Michael and Holly Schoenecke.

From the land of the free,
Rob

Just In Case You Were Wondering

Just a little update on the page- I recently changed the profile photo (to the right of the page) from an x-ray of someone’s chest to a picture of Rob (that of course I had to find, instead of Rob supplying one to me. Apparently he’s “busy”).
I suppose that a pic of the man himself was more fitting, but just so I can answer the question about the x-ray, well here goes-
The x-ray is that of the chest of former Tour De France winner Greg Lemond. Greg is an amazing athlete with an even more amazing story that deals with perseverance and dedication. I won’t recite the entire tale to you, but you can read all about it by clicking HERE.
I will give you this little sneak peak however, those little dots- they’re shotgun pellets.
-Kirk

In The Beginning…

If you’re on this page, then chances are the below message contains not much more than you probably already know- but it’s a good read so, carry on.
You see, most people have a dream. Some dream of riches, some dream of world peace, or some (well, me) dream of a world where it is perfectly safe and nutritious to eat ice cream sandwiches for every meal, every day.
Then there’s Rob.
Rob had a dream to ride his bike across these here United States. Yup, a challenging goal to say the least, but in true Rob fashion, one that is obtainable, and is about to be obtained.
As long as I’ve known Rob, he’s rarely if ever done anything blatantly selfish. Always the giver, he will often be seen doing something for someone else. But now, for what might just be the first time in his life, he’s doing something that HE wants to do. However, again in true Rob fashion, he’s found a way to live his dream while still doing something for someone else.
As you all know, Rob will be raising money for the Tyler Hamilton Foundation to combat Multiple Sclerosis- all the while honoring his loving mother Mary. As of this post he has raised well over $7000.

Now to the point of the blog.
As Rob travels he will be away from the ones close to him. During that time this page will be updated so his friends, family, anyone around the world actually, can track his progress and read updates from the field.
Sometimes it may be his wife Jess checking in. Sometimes it might be lil’ ol’ me re-capping a phone-in. Sometimes it might be someone completely different. Then sometimes, when we’re lucky and he has internet access, it will be the man himself letting us all in on the ride. He may speak of the logistics of what it takes to go on from day to day (food intake, mechanics), he may speak of the physical challenges(aching back, sore hamstring), he may speak of the bond between riders, how he misses his family, or his journey with God. Really, it’s HIS page and he will speak of anything he wants to. But, please keep in mind that he likes to embellish the truth, so when you tells you all about outracing a rouge, post-apocalyptic motorcycle gang to save a gaggle of baby geese- well, take it with a few grains of salt.
In the meantime, check out the links on the right of the page to learn more about the subject at hand, and- make sure to check out the 'comments' on the bottom of each post, feeling free to comment as you see fit (I think he'd get a kick out of that).
So with that I thank you for checking in and giving him all your support. For now, once more into the breach dear friends… tune in, sit tight, and enjoy the ride.

-Kirk "got dropped by Rob within 25 miles" Maroscher