Bumps and Bananas Just Don't Mix

This day can't go without being recorded. To say the least, God works in the strangest ways... Strange in a human earthly sense. Though it's all perfectly normal to Him. Clever.

It took me way longer to get on the road but I had dreams last night and I woke up praying in the middle of it all. Hallelujah. I was on the road. Before I even got there my iPod was dead. "Oh well can't use it while I'm riding on tour so I'll leave it." On my way I discovered more of my gears and how to smoothly transition better. Also feeling rather timid about shadows from trees on sunny winding roads. You can't tell where the ruts and dips are in the road until you've hit them. Everything blends, flashing while you're zooming, trusting nothing will fail on the object on which I hover over while my wrists and legs take the blunt impact. Fast down this hill with pavement flowing underneath like a rushing river. I have been finding it easier to do this than transition through seasons of this life... Anyway...

I stopped off in Forestville to fix my shoe clip and when I got to my next destination I couldn't unclip my left shoe. I was caught off guard practically in the middle of the intersection. I fell for the first time on my bike (or off my bike rather...half way at least). As I struggled to get my foot out (which it clearly wasn't budging) the car driving by pulled off to the side and a woman came running out at me. Three other individuals came running from their street corner stores. I was surrounded while I was still trying to hold onto what was left of my pride. Clearly I was embarrassed. Here I am, 25, been riding bikes since I was 3. I'm about to ride across the United States and here I am, sitting, in an intersection after falling flat on my side. "I'm fine. Really I'm OK! My shoe, it just didn't come off my clip. I'm OK. Just...Trying...To get...My foot off my clip!" People were trying to help me up. At this point the foot that was still attached to my bike was still underneath my bike and now I look like a turtle struggling to get right side up from being put on her back...

How's that for a painted picture?

Mark, the guy from the shipping store offered me water and asked me if I needed help. I pulled my shoe off at this point and walked over in my sock. ("I can walk, my body is fine... I didn't fall on my tail bone. Praise God.") I twisted my shoe off the clip and tried to fix it. Thought I had, but it didn't work and now the clip was stuck in the peddle. Marks friend, Ed, came over and they began to chat about Eds son who's a cyclist. Then they talked about how they would never want to be strapped to something like a bike. How scary it is. I explained that I've fallen harder elsewhere and that I was training. They asked me why and I told them all about my trek while I continued to struggle with my peddle. Mark walked back inside his store and came back with $10. Then Ed gave me $5. They told me to put it towards my trip.

I was overwhelmed. Suddenly I felt stubborn and awed by how God did that. How he stripped away pride, knowledge, plans. Physically stopped. While all of this was taking place Mark and Ed were talking about old days and how Mark would be "pushing daisy's"  if he hadn't quit drinking 23 years before... I told him I thought that was amazing. Because it was. Even though I didn't know him, I was proud of him.

I rode on not telling them I still had 45 miles left to ride. But I went. They gave me their blessing and I them as I made the normal climb towards Guernville. I still really wanted to make good time...Human... In order to make good time I need energy. So I thought that perhaps this was still a good time to try and sustain myself by physically feeding my body. I pulled out the banana I had been dreaming about for most of the afternoon. I began to carefully peel it while riding and I hit a bump. Slow motion, I saw the banana fall and skid behind me...

For a split second I thought about going back to get it, but instead I raised my hands, looked above me and prayed, Laughing, "God I just want to be able to glorify you on this ride. I trust you to give me what I need. Because clearly and banana and self determination will not do it... Help me".

Sure enough he provided me with a soaring tail wind to kick me past goat rock and to Coleman valley road with in 15 minutes. Stellar!... Then it became hard again. But it was an amazing kind of hard. As I read words barely moving up the hill from people who had written in chalk for those who rode in the race last weekend, I pushed, yelled, walked and enjoyed the words, "Legs shut up!" written huge beneath my feet. That and "Batman" written in blue paint. I made it up the first steep part. I walked up through farm land and got back on my bike, nearly being blown off. I only walked up one other hill. It was amazing.

 I'm alright with walking sometimes. If you don't walk you wont get anywhere. I made it to the top of the last hill and coasted 6 miles home. I am tired, but so joyful of the events and opportunities to be able to use this tent. That and to find out that Ed went to school in Hershey, PA. Small world.

MMMM 60 miles. God is so good. I can only imagine what the road will be like with others there to witness such shenanigans