I am sitting in my friend Jordan and Mindy’s living room, just having woken up on Sunday morning. Last night we pedaled from Hope Arizona to Anthem, right outside Phoenix. The day started at 3:30 in the morning and ended fairly dramatically as the small group that made it in before sunrise pedaled into the church as the sun went down behind the mountains, exploding in as much heat as color. There was a group on the sidewalk as we turned the corner. Only six miles before, Jesse and Briane, Mike Barrow and I were leaning against a railing discussing the fact that we didn’t think we had the energy to bike the last few miles of our all-day journey. But somehow we made it happen. Mike brought us in on a long, last downhill (Thank God) and we had survived the first week of our epic journey. Add to that my friends Jordan and Mindy were on the corner with the small crowd, and I can’t tell you how great it was to see their faces. Or to know they would feed us and give us a bed.
We have been told the first two weeks are the hardest weeks of the tour. Week one was certainly hard. But it was doable. The adrenalin of starting the ride lasted a few days, then on about day four (110 miles) I began to realize that I was going to be riding this bike for a long, long time. Much longer than I ever realized. Essentially, I will be living on my bike. I will eat cereal, read the paper and watch television on my bike. I will get married and have children on that bike.
Some personal hi-lights:
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Riding through the streets of Los Angeles, dodging traffic, stopping at the walk of fame, the entire team together.
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Deciding not to hitch a ride and to finish day one in the mountains. Aaron Smith caught a ride up to us and finished the last climb with me. He stayed behind me and just talked as I pedaled. He talked about what a great trip it was going to be, how proud he was that I was doing the climb. And after about an hour we crested the summit and topped out at 42 miles per hour down the windy road into Palmdale.
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Convenient stores. Previously I thought convenient stores attached to gas stations were dirty and smelly and to be avoided. But I was wrong. They are beautiful shops filled with cold things and wonderful fashions including t-shirts with wolves howling at the moon. They are air conditioned and filled with friendly people and if nobody is looking you can go to the back isle and lay your hot sweaty body on their cold dirty floor, or you can crawl in under the beer in the freezer and take a nap. When I get home I am going to sell the condo and buy one of these places and live in it.
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Joshua Tree: We rode out of 29 palms an because we had a downhill I broke away from the lead group a bit. I ended up thirteen miles out and was running out of water. I hadn’t seen a sign of civilization (or a tree for that matter) for thirty miles and had run out of water. I rounded a corner and saw a truck coming toward me and waved my water bottle at the truck. The guy stopped and pulled out a cooler of ice water and filled both my bottles and my camel back. I got back on my bike and kept pedaling and made mile 50 within three hours of having left. That was a great morning. Add to that I cheated and pulled out my I-pod shuffle and listened to the Joshua Tree Album while pedaling through Joshua Tree. I prayed and asked God to not let me get caught listening to my i-pod (we aren’t allowed for safety reasons. It’s a very good rule, actually) but the van came up behind me (I didn’t hear it for some reason) and I got caught. Luckily I am still allowed to ride with the team. But I am on probation.
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Completing my first century. It was awesome.
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Completing my second century. It was kind of awesome, but I think these things are overrated now.
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The team: I can’t tell you how much I enjoy each member of the team. Nobody gets on my nerves. These are truly great people. Very laid back, fun, hard working and thoughtful. We are having terrific conversations. So good.
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Having our van fixed in Los Angeles. THANKS THANKS THANKS FOR YOUR HELP
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The Diamondback Game. Today, the Arizona Diamondbacks have given us a suite at the game against Kansas City. That is huge for us. We’ve been roughing it for a long time and this is a great treat as we wrap up week one and move into week two. I can’t wait.
Some unfortunate lowlights:
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The doping controversy: As you know, cycling and steroids have had a long, dark relationship. Our team is, unfortunately, no exception. Each day we are drug tested and on Wednesday of last week several of our team members tested positive. After a long, last sprint to the finish tuesday, the team suspected that Mindy Gunter was doping and sure enough that evening she tested positive. And last night Mike Barrow found uncommon strength at the end of the ride in order to finish first on the longest ride of the year. Mike is fifty-five and so we made him pee in a cup.
Do pray for us and the steroid controversy as it has the potential to ruin the team and negatively affect our campaign. Also, if anybody has a testing kit we could really use one. Right now we just hold the cup up to the light and smell it and swish it around like a glass of wine. Then we go with our gut.
Okay, pics from week one:
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naomi said,
June 16, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
not sure when to take you seriously…but, ok, I’ll pray for a drug-free ride. However, there’s rumor of booty butter. Maybe you should check that stuff out. Did you really just say that riding 100 miles is overrated???
Been praying for you guys daily. Your team sounds awesome. So glad I got to meet some of them.
Trina said,
June 16, 2008 @ 11:54 pm
One of your highlights reminded of my sole attempt to summit a mountain. A group of us climbed South Sister and I was the slowest among us. Instead of being left behind, my friend Eric stayed back, patiently climbing behind me. And I was overwhelmed with how such a simple act translated into feeling so loved.
Today I picked up another friend at PDX who just returned from a two-week missions trip to Uganda, so Africa has been on the brain. Your adventure has been a reminder to me that there are so many ways to love those we may never know and that we need not do it alone.
Thank you for sharing.
Kristie said,
June 17, 2008 @ 4:24 am
awesome! thanks for taking the time to let us all know how it’s going so far!
i was hoping to ride along with you guys in dallas but i have to go back to norway for work that week, so my thoughts and prayers will be with you instead!
stay strong!
Kim said,
June 17, 2008 @ 6:57 am
I’m an urban rider and love dodging traffic too. I had to give up iPod riding or my boyfriend would never forgive me. I still miss it. But it beats getting doored or not hearing a car behind me on the streets of Chicago.
Best of luck! It only gets easier.
Mike said,
June 17, 2008 @ 7:06 am
Oh my goodness, that was funny. Thanks for sharing. You are a great motivator. I have been on my bike twice in prep for the Dallas ride and I am dying. Its so bad. But you all keep me going. Know that you all remain in the Austin family daily prayers.
Wes Roberts said,
June 17, 2008 @ 7:31 am
Don-man…!
…Judy and I are bustin’ buttons proud of you and your team
…we’re keeping up with you all the way
…you inspire us olde folks!!!
…in His great love and ours,
Wes, for Judy, too
Ellie K said,
June 17, 2008 @ 10:57 am
love that U2 got to be on your ride through Joshua Tree with you. I’ve often imagined myself doing something like that…must have been a really cool feeling!(Well worth getting put on probation for). Thanks for sharing cool little moments of the experience, it makes me feel like I’m on the ride too…been feeling so inexplicably fatigued lately.
Stephie said,
June 17, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
Happy Tails…oops…I mean trails. My heart is with you but I’m glad my body is not.
Karina said,
June 17, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Praying for you all and people in Africa
Joe Kirk said,
June 17, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
“Right now we just hold the cup up to the light and smell it and swish it around like a glass of wine. Then we go with our gut.” Funniest thing I’ve heard all week.
See you in Nashville…
Joe
Tiffany Dovydaitis said,
June 17, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
Great stories. I’m currently visiting Portland from the east coast and met some of the folks at Imago Dei, who told me about your ride - I hope that all our prayers are propelling you forward in the AZ heat. What you’re doing is crazy, but it’s crazy beautiful. Keep writing. Tiffany
Jason said,
June 17, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
The Joshua Tree is kewl. Way to live dangerously!
Makeda Pennycooke said,
June 18, 2008 @ 6:52 am
Thanks for sharing the update. Once again your sense of humor never gets old for me. I will definitely be praying about a drug-free ride for the team the rest of the way.
Your highlights though sound like you guys are having a truly incredible time. And knowing that you are making such a difference has got to help with the tough spots.
You guys remain in my prayers.
natalie said,
June 18, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
gaw thats so awesome- the whole riding across country thing. I’m pretty much in love ith DM.
Julie H said,
June 20, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
Don,
If you all stay clean and drug free maybe you can have a future with Team Slipstream. Just say NO! to drugs. Do you have to do extra miles if you are on probation? Or maybe they make you lead devotions for a week until you truly repent from your disobedient heart? Take care, Julie
Jenny Cotton said,
June 20, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
Shame on you for spreading such rumors about Mindy! She would never think about steroids …she only smokes pot! But I am proud of her for biking through traffic, and in LA at that!
Praying for the team!
shauna said,
June 20, 2008 @ 11:50 pm
this is all so funny and beautiful. I wish I could be pedaling beside you all.
Can’t wait for THIS book. I’ll read every word.
PS- I think about you all randomly throughout the week, like whe I’m lying in my bed listening to NPR before work, amd I think how you’re all either laying on some crappy floor OR pedalling up a storm, and how good and bad it all is, and how you’re all doing such good and powerful work.