Reality Check

Logistically, I was planning on not leaving everything till last minute, but I left just enough to do that I my heart rate rises thinking about it. I did not realize when I signed up in January that leaving for almost 3 weeks at the end of August requires much planning. I need to prepare my girls for school before I leave which means trips to the mall and Office Depot and Target. I need to get new tires on my van so I can remove that big red REJECTED sticker on my front window from my trip to the inspection station - oh yeh, that means I need to wait in line again for another inspection too. I almost forgot to reserve a place for my dog at the kennel - yes, I am a dog sitter myself, but can't find anyone who takes dogs in their home. I will stop here because I am only at number 4 on my very long list of "things to do before I leave."

Sandy stated the next realization on our last 57 mile ride, "I think we are ready for this ride. Now we just have to keep up this level of riding for the next three weeks." I had to agree with Sandy. Even though we both take about 3-4 miles each ride to warm up, groaning up hills in those first few miles, we feel stronger even on the long rides. The hilly terrain here in Northern New Jersey has been a good training partner. We've been thrown some real hill "doozies" and have been victorious - Sandy would probably remind me that some of these victories left us wheezing for a breath and unable to speak.

Another reality is that this bike journey is not done in the safety of my own house. Several people have fallen with the result of broken bones - collare bone, rib, pelvis. I know none of these injuries were life-threatening, obviously God was was watching over the riders, but I have had my share of leg surgeries (4) for torn ligaments and bones and have spent the last few years staying away from injury prone activities. Keep praying for safety for all the riders and staff.

The last reality is that God still has a lot of work to do on my heart. I still feel sorry for myself sometimes, I still forget that any stronger muscles have all to do with God giving me time and energy to train, I still act as if the world revolves around me, I still let the day to day craziness keep me from showing love and concern to others (calling a friend I know needs encouragment, visiting elderly friends, spending time playing "name that truck" with my 2 year old son - did you other women know before you had boys that there were so many names for different trucks - to me they're all "trucks"). I pray my heart is not so hard a muscle after all this training that God has a hard time molding it to look more like His heart.