Mike's Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Mike's Ride for Make-A-Wish

2011-07-31T17:58:00.003-05:00

Hi there!

If you have just stumbled across this blog, then let me welcome you. This site tells of an adventure I took June 1-30 of 2011, when I rode 2752 miles in 28 days to raise funds to allow Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska to grant wishes for four children with life threatening medical conditions. At the time of this post, my total is $28,235! Lots of generous people! There is no time limit on donations being made to Make-A-Wish on behalf of "Mike's Bike Ride".

If you enjoy cycling, I think you'll enjoy my blog about this incredible journey. The posts below are from my daily updates when I did the ride in June. You'll have to go to the archives to read all of them. I also have several pages you can explore. I urge you to check out my Home - story behind the ride page. I have also included a page on the children for which I did the ride as well as information on the counties, towns and route I took in reaching all 93 county seats of the state of Nebraska.

In one of the side bar links you can see all the countries from which people have viewed this blog. As of this post the number stands at 46 countries on 6 continents. Pretty amazing! There is also a page of what I call "Spin Home Wisdom" stories which I wrote. I have several more to write, but I offer these to you for your enjoyment.

Thank you for stopping by. Enjoy your time here and pass this link on to someone you know.

Mike Reiners
Grand Island, NE, USA

July 4, 2011

2011-07-04T11:22:00.001-05:00

My final report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

I'd like to enter one last update. If you know me, then you know I'm kindof a statistic nerd. So, I wanted to keep track of certain things which I would now like to share with you.

Time/distance/speed stats:

191 hours and 42 minutes - total riding time in 28 days

6 hours and 51 minutes - riding time each day

2752 total miles (just a shade under 100 miles per day - I didn't get 3000 miles, but I'm ok with that.)

14.4 mph average for entire ride

As a total aside, I typically ride at 80 revs per minute. So, let's use an overall average of 60 revs per minute to allow for time spent coasting (no revs). A total of 11502 minutes of riding time X 60 revs per minute means I did about 690,120 revs for the entire trip! Almost 700,000 turns of the pedals! All I can say is that knees are amazing things. Mine did not get sore or stiff at any point during the ride. Wow!

Body stats:

I was very curious what effects this ride would have on my body. So, we took measurements before and afterward. Here are the results.

BEFORE AFTER

Weight 191 lbs 182 lbs

% body fat 25.3% 19.8%

diameter of:

calf 16 in 16 in (hmm...)

thigh 25.5 in 24.5 in (nice definition!)

butt 42 in 41 in (pants sure fit better)

waist 36 in 35.5 in (a slight improvement)

stomach 38.5 in 35.5 in (belt not working nearly as hard now!)

chest 39.75 in 40.5 in (wow! One DOES use arms when cycling)

Map stats:

Since 1991, I have kept track of all the roads I've ridden on in Nebraska. Here is a picture of my map on the wall in our resource room. LOTS of memories connected to it! New roads are pretty hard to come by without going on a long drive to some other part of the state. This ride filled in another 1200 miles of roads on my map. I still have MANY more miles to go... Anyway, I wanted to share a picture of it with you.

All the roads I've cycled on since 1991. I added about 1200 miles of new roads through this ride for MAW. (-:)

$ raised for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska stats:

The amount currently showing on my total raised is $24,810. I know of another $1,200 or so in the mail, bringing the total to just over $26,000. So, I'm raising money to partially fund the wish of my fourth child, Damon.

There is no time limit to when donations can be made. If you come across this site and are moved to give to help MAW make the wish of these children with life-threatening medical conditions come true, I would be deeply grateful for your generosity.

Thank you!

Thank you to all of you who supported and encouraged me in so many different ways on this ride. To my wife, Char, who gave me her blessing to do this ride and who didn't (and still doesn't!) think I'm crazy, to my sag drivers (many of them from Peace Lutheran Church) who gave their time, $ and energy to help me, to my host homes who showed me such hospitality, to the MAW folks who encouraged and assisted me along the way, to the media folks who helped publicize the ride, to those from all over the state who gave so generously, to the friends and others who came out to see me off and welcome me back, and to so many other folks: thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was the one pedaling for the entire month, but it took dozens of people helping me to make this ride a success! And I am grateful to each and every one of you!

This ride was a great way to serve others in the Name of Jesus Christ, and to show them the love that He so clearly shows to us, ultimately by giving up His life on the Cross to pay for our sins. This ride was also an opportunity to be loved and supported by so many others with unselfish Christ-like love! For me, this receiving from Christ, giving to others and receiving from others is "life at its very best"!!!

Thank you again!

Mike Reiners

Grand Island, NE

July 1, 2011

2011-07-01T20:54:00.001-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 7:30 am in Lincoln and finished at 6:00 pm in Grand Island!
Covered 99 miles, 12.8 mph ave speed, 30.5 - max speed

Riding time - 7 hrs, 43 minutes

Wind - out of the SSW, so hindered a bit all day long.

"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - -1.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Sydney, Megan and Kevin

(I am writing on July 1) Yesterday was absolutely amazing! I think I felt every emotion in the book at some point. It started out with one of the neatest experiences of the entire trip, making a dream wish come true for my niece, Sydney. On June 30, my sag drivers were Megan (my daughter), Kevin (my brother) and his daughter, Sydney (who is going to be an 8th grader this fall).

radio station on 3800 Cornhusker Hwy

I stayed overnight with Kevin and his wife, Irene, on Wednesday night. So, that evening we were planning things out for the next day. I mentioned that I had an interview at the KFRX (106.3) radio station at 7:00 am with some guy named Matt on his morning show. Sydney's eyes opened wide and she said, "YOU are going to meet Matt Mc-KAY?" I said, "I guess. Have you heard of him?" All she could do was nod her head up and down with this star-struck look on her face. That's when I learned that Sydney just happened to be one of Matt's most devoted fans in the city of Lincoln. I also learned that Matt just happened to be a rather good looking young man according to most of the young women in the city of Lincoln. I said, "Well, do you want to come along to the interview?" More speechless head nodding. So, all three of my sag drivers came into the production room where Matt and his sidekick, Lindsey, do the morning show. It was really cool to see them at work, and they were super friendly! The interview went well and then we took some pictures afterward.

Sydney, Matt, Lindsey, Mike, Missy and Peyton

The two gals on the right are Missy Davis-Schmidt and her daughter, Peyton. Missy is the director of the Make-A-Wish office in Lincoln. Missy was also part of the interview with Matt and Lindsey. It was nice to meet them.

As a side note, I figure that with this picture I earned at least 5000 "favorite uncle" points in less then 30 minutes with Sydney. (-:) I was delighted to be able to create this experience for Sydney. Kevin and Megan thought it was pretty cool as well.

Well, I took off out of town from there while my drivers switched vehicles, snapped a pic of the Lancaster county courthouse, bought some groceries and then caught up with me just west of Seward. While in Seward I had the chance to visit briefly with Joel Endorf, a friend from a prior congregation. It was great to see you Joel!

When my drivers caught up with me west of Seward, I stopped for resupply. While we were doing I got to meet another guy out for a bike ride.

Mike and Steve

His name was Steve DeBoer. He lives in Denver and was on his way to Omaha to see his mom. We thought it was pretty cool of him to stop and say hi. He also said he wanted to make a donation to MAW. Neat! (-:)

And just for the record, if any of you think I spent a lot of money on my bike, well Steve spent even MORE on his!

Harry and Mike

It was a long, tough, hot ride to York! My friend Harry Eckerson met me a few miles east of town and rode with me all the way to Aurora, where he lives. That was SOOOO very helpful! By the time we reached Hampton it was starting to get seriously hot. It really takes it out of a person to ride in this kind of heat!

starting to sizzle!!

what's left of a center pivot...

There had been a tornado in the Hampton area about 10 days earlier. There was not too much evidence left, but this bit was pretty dramatic, a center pivot crumpled up just east of town. Wow!!

Harry, Wenda, Mike and Phoebe

Kevin, Harry and Mike

When we reached Aurora, we went to Espressions, a coffee/ice cream shop on the town square. It was a MUCH needed and very refreshing break!! Expressions is owned by Harry and Wenda Eckerson. Phoebe, their daughter, works with them. While there I was greeted by Tony and Linda Hoegh, Mike Peard, Doug and Loree Moss, Karen Wall, Don and Norma Troester and Tim Troester. Wow!! It was so nice to see all of you! Thank you for taking the time to stop in. I also met up with my friend Kevin McReynolds. He is the pastor in Central City and at Aurora. He and his wife, Amy, were my very first host family, waaaaaaaaaay back on June 1. Kevin rode with me all the way to GI. It was very nice to have someone to visit and ride with. Partway there, we were also met by Brian Cook.

Jewelie Cook, Doug Wilson, Brian Cook and Mike

I was SOOO thankful for all the folks who were waiting for me at the courthouse, sweating in the sun and the 105 degree heat!!! Thank you my friends! Many of you were there when I left 30 days ago and your presence meant more to me than I can ever explain. I'm just going to put some random pictures in now. I may put some names down, but those of you who are from here in GI will know many of the folks.

Thank you again SO much to each and everyone of you!!!!!

The crowd at the courthouse

Sydney and Megan joining them

Mike trying frantically to think of something profound and moving to say!

Cory Schutte, who helped me BIG time on June 25!!

Kevin McReynolds

Lorry Dinkelman, Megan, Linda Reiser and Char, my wife.

Vanessa, Emily and Cory Schutte talking with Mike


Mike and Char, Diane Meier (one of the 4 Biker Babes), Brennen Probasco	,

My niece, Jenna. It was HOT when I arrived at the courthouse (crowd in the background)!!!

Thank-yous for today:

Too many to name, but especially EVERYONE who came out to welcome me home regardless of the heat and nasty sun blasting on you all.

Thank you for your friendship!

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

Jesus’ wish for us to serve others as He has served us – John 13:1-7; Matthew 20:20-28

Quote of the Day:
"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring." - Desmond Tutu

“Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live.” - Mark Twain

Closing thoughts for the day:

I'm going to do one more update, statistics and such, either tomorrow or the next day. After that I'll just leave this blog out there in blog-land as part of history. I hope that anyone who finds it will be uplifted and inspired in some way or another to consider the gifts and experience with which God has blessed them, and then ask themselves how they can use these to serve/benefit others. That's where the "sweet spot" is in life as far as I'm concerned. It looks like I'll end up raising close to $25,000 for MAW. I am excited for the blessings that will bring into the lives of the children (and their families) whose wishes will be granted through generosity of so many caring people!

In addition to being a possible source of inspiration, this blog is, in my opinion at least, a record of an incredible adventure, as well as a tribute to so many who helped me along the way. It is an example of taking the steps to make a dream (thought up in March 2010) into a reality! It was not easy, but it was certainly worth it!! I cannot take all the credit though as I certainly did not do it alone. I may've been the one pedaling the bike, but dozens and dozens of people gave me the help, encouragement and support I needed to complete this journey (host homes, sag drivers, MAW people and many, many others!). Thank you again for everything!

I'll return with stats in the next day or two...

Forecast for the next day:

Who cares??? Woo Hoo!!!

June 29, 2011

2011-06-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 7:30 am in Nebraska City and finished at 5:30 pm in Lincoln.

Covered 99 miles, 14.6 mph ave speed, 33.9 - max speed

Riding time - 6 hrs, 44 minutes

Wind - out of the SE, so helped us the first half of the day and kind of hurt us the last half.

"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +1.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Cool sign!!

Megan, Mike, Damon and Steve

Today was another super day, although it was very hot and tough towards the end. It was a nice morning when we left Nebraska City. We had a 10-15 mph SE wind which pushed us all the way up to Omaha! Sweet! I say WE because there were two guys who rode with me all day: Damon Wagner and Steve Barr. These two guys are my heros!!!! They let me sit in their slipstream ALL day, especially from Omaha to Lincoln when the SE wind hit us from the side. I used to change diapers for my sag driver when she was a little bitty kid. Megan Reiners (my daughter) drove her car for us all day. It has a REALLY awesome, cool sign on top that she and her friend, Fed, made! Thank you!!!!

When we arrived in Plattsmouth we went downtown to take a picture of the REALLY cool courthouse. Check it out on the county history page. Just to the east of downtown is flooding that was mind-boggling to look at! Normally in these pictures, one would not see any water. The river was not visible from that spot under normal circumswtances! Wow!!

more flooding

still more flooding

flooding just east of downtown Plattsmouth

Just north of Plattsmouth was about 5 miles of nasty construction, etc in part to flooding. The water was right up to the road in the first picture. The other picture is of several houses completely surrounded by water. And they probably will be for several more weeks.

flooding almost up to the road

water surrounding these houses

Rather than risk our lives riding these five brutal, nasty miles we got a ride from Greg, a friend of Damon's. Keep in mind that the traffic on Hwy 75 is crazy busy. About 90% of the people on that Hwy would normally be on I-29. So, they are upset to be on Hwy 75 in the first place. Riding those 5 miles on a narrow Hwy filled with angry, in-a-hurry people would'be been suicidal! So, it was really nice to ride in the pickup!!

Thanks Greg!!!

Going into and through Omaha was QUITE an experience! It took over 2 hours but was a pretty cool experience. We went into downtown and then out of town on S 24th St, a really cool Latino part of the city. This was a VERY different experience than riding through Mullen or Benkelman or Harrison! Here are pictures.

South 24th St

Cool!!

finally, we can see downtown!!

Neat downtown boulevard

cool looking pottery store on S 24th

doesn't look like much, but that's the blow out.

We had quite a time with flats today! Steve had not had a flat tire in over 3000 miles. He had two of them today. The second one was a staple, like from a stapler you would use on paper! It doesn't take much. Damon had a flat and I had my back tire blow out. Four flats in one day! My blow out was not a surprise. I noticed I could see the fiber threads in sevearl places where the rubber was worn away. I was trying to decide whether to put on a new tire tonight or try to make it through the ride tomorrow. Well, the decision was made for me in one sharp pop! That means I wore out two back tires on this trip. Usually I get 2500 miles out of a back tire. For some reason it took two tires to get 2700 miles. Hmmm... Suckers are not cheap either!

sign at my host home!

It was a long, HOT ride from Omaha to Gretna and then to Lincoln on Hwy 6. Went by three signs as we came into Lincoln. They said 90, 94 and 95 degrees. Tomorrow's going to be even hotter! Here's the sign waiting for me at my brother and sister-in-laws house. (-:)

After a quick shower, we went to a fun/fundraiser down at Mama's Dream Bakery and Deli on 19th and "Q". Cool place!! Here are some of the folks who were there.

Kiley and her daughter

Kiley Thiele, from MAW office in Omaha

Suzanne Cain, co-organizer of this event

Denise Schrader and Mama Pat DeBaere (co-owners with one other lady of Mama's Dream Bakery and Deli)

other folks who were there including Paul Seibert

Thank-yous for today:

Thank you also to my host home folks, Kevin and Irene Reiners, my brother and sister-in-law. I really appreciate your hospitality! Kevin, and his daughter Sydney (my niece), are also going to sag for me tomorrow with my daughter Megan.

Irene and Kevin

A little goodie Irene bought for me.
Of course I shared it with everyone!

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

For us to share the Gospel news about Jesus with others – Matthew 28:16-20

Quote of the Day:

To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks. - Scott Martin

Closing thoughts for the day:

Well, it's hard to believe that tomorrow is my last day of riding. It's been an unbelievable experience in so many ways, people, scenery, experiences, etc. I'm very glad I did it. I'm also glad I'm almost done doing it! I just want to be home with Char again, working at Peace and going about normal, everyday life.  One more day though.

I start out tomorrow with an interveiw on KFRX (106.3) with Matt McKay (Matt in the Morning) at 7:00 am. There are some folks who are going to ride with me along the way. Plus there are folks who will be waiting in Hampton and Aurora, etc. Then they'll be a few folks at the courthouse when I reach GI at 6:00 pm. Don't know what all is going to happen, but I look forward to celebrating the conclusion of this journey with my friends and family.

I have been honored to ride for several MAW children and their families. As I shared with the folks at the event tonight, I truly do strive to live by the motto, "Give more than I receive and never receive without giving thanks". That's what Jesus did for us, gave His life for us on the Cross to pay for our sins. That is unconditional love and in a very real way, this is what people have been giving to me this entire month (host families, sag drivers, event organizers, etc)!  And that's what I have had the honor of doing for others as well, showing them the love that Jesus shows to us.  It's that taking what we've been given and using it to bless others, and then having it come back and bless us that is one of the more rewarding experiences in life. Well, I'm too tired to make a whole lot of sense, so I'll ponder this tomorrow and perhaps write some additional stuff in a day or two. Thanks for listening. Blessings to all of you!! Mike

Forecast for the next day:

Mostly sunny, south wind up to 20+ mph, and temp up to 102 (feels like 106) degrees. Yowza!!

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 30 - Lincoln to Seward to Tamora to Utica to Waco to York to Bradshaw to

Hampton to Aurora to Grand Island (and HOME!)

June 28, 2011

2011-06-28T22:36:00.001-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 6:45 am in Tecumseh and finished at 4:15 pm in Nebraska City.

Covered 115 miles, 14.1 mph ave speed, 33.7 - max speed

Riding time - 8 hrs, 5 minutes

Wind - pretty much a non-factor today.

"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +0.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

hill after hill after hill after hill after...

Today was spectacular! Virtually no wind, upper 70's, sunny, wow! The only "con" was all the hills. Now, I enjoy hills, but 18,000 of them in one day is a bit much for even me. As I was going down then up then down then up, I tried to remember why I disliked the area around GI being so flat. Hmm.... If God grabbed the north edge of our state, and pulled until eastern of Nebraska was flat, I bet we'd cover up about half of South Dakota! It DOES make for some beautiful country though.

Another thing I really noticed today was all the lightening bugs! Have you seen how many there are in the evenings? Wow! Well, they don't go to bed and sleep all day. They're still around, and for some reason, they enjoy landing on sweaty cyclists! Every time I would stop, two or three would land on me. Even when I was riding, they would stick to me and mooch a lift. They don't hurt. They just kind of tickle and annoy the heck out of you. It's like, "Stop touching me!! Go away! Don't land on me!!" At one stop, I ate a banana. As I lifted the last bite to my mouth, there was a lightening bug, just standing on my banana looking at me. ARGG! I explained to him that for future reference this was not a good idea. "If I had ingested you it would not have been a pleasant experience for either one of us!" I hope I got through to him. After I sent him on his way and finished my banana bite, it occurred to me I made the assumption that lightening bug feet don't have any deadly germs on them. All I can say is so far so good....

that would be cool to see

Pawnee City, home town of Larry the Cable Guy!

As I neared Pawnee City, I saw this sign. There must be some Mennonites living in the area. It would be cool to see a horse and buggy going down the highway. Then as I entered Pawnee City, I HAD to take this pic! PC's most recent claim to fame is being the birthplace of Dan Whitney, aka Larry the Cable Guy.

Doug, Shirley, Tom and Mike

Prior to today, I had not seen any other cyclists on the road. Today I saw eight of them! I passed two ladies (they were going pretty slow) and met two guys going the opposite direction on Hwy 75. There was NO stopping and visiting as Hwy 75 is CRAZY busy with traffic. Most of the traffic is what would be on Interstate 29 if it were not under water. I met the other four cyclists on Hwy 8, along a very nice, calm stretch of road between Pawnee City and Falls City. They were from Lawrence, KS, doing a self-supported ride up into SE Nebraska and then back home. They were really enjoying the nice road, beautiful scenery and gorgeous day. They were Doug and Shirley Hitt, Tom Mersmann and Mike Yoder. Thanks for visiting with me! I hope the rest of your trip goes well.

Todd and Mike

Susan, Zach, Todd and Blair

Just north of Auburn, I was joined by Todd Benton, a friend who used to live in GI, but now lives in Nebraska City. In fact, they are my host family tonight. He rode the last 18 or so miles with me and it was a TON of fun to have someone to visit with! I stayed with him, his wife Susan, and children Blair and Zach, in Nebraska City.

A gift bag/care package waiting for me in my room!
Thank you Susan. (-:)

Thank-yous for today:

Other thank yous today are once again to Doug and Carolyn Wetzel who sagged for me today and yesterday. Their care was humbling, especially when I mentioned yesterday that I was hungry for a turkey sandwich, figuring on one from Subway at the next big town. Well, Doug promptly gave me HIS turkey sandwich that he had brought for his own lunch! And then today, he gave me their last two pieces of pizza! THAT is going WAY above and beyond the call of duty for a sag driver!!!!!! Thank you my friends.

Thank you also to Megan Reiners, my daughter, who is going to sag for me the final two days of my ride. It will be SOOO cool to have you as part of my ride adventure. I also appreciate one of her friends, Damon Wagner and one of his friends (both of whom I will meet for the first time tomorrow morning) who are taking vacation from work and riding with me tomorrow. They will guide me safely and efficiently through the maze known as Omaha all the way to Lincoln. I DEEEEEEEPLY appreciate this! It's gonna be a great day.

PS - Hey, if you get a chance to watch "The Adjustment Bureau", a movie starring Matt Damon, it's worth watching. In a fascinating way it deals with the big topic of Free Will, and the question of who is really in control of our lives, God or we ourselves. Pretty thought-provoking. Check it out sometime.

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

For you to have life in His Name – John 20:30-31

Quote of the Day:

“The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need, can hit hard.” - Sloan Wilson

Closing thoughts for the day:

Hard to believe this adventure is almost over. I DO hope that enough donations come in to fully fund Izzie's wish, or perhaps even a fourth child's wish. But, I will be grateful for whatEVER comes in. There is a fun/fundraiser event tomorrow night in Lincoln which I really look forward to. I appreciate Suzanne Cain, Paul Siebert and others for organizing it. Talk with you tomorrow!

Forecast for the next day:

VERY nice! Sunny, mid-80's, with a SSE wind which will either help us or be a non-factor from the side. Couldn't ask for much better. (-:)

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 29 - Nebraska City to Union to Murray to Plattsmouth to Omaha to Papillion to
Gretna to Ashland to Greenwood to Waverly to Lincoln

June 27, 2011

2011-06-27T20:04:00.002-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 7:15 am in Fairbury and finished at 3:00 pm in Tecumseh.

Covered 97 miles, 14.2 mph ave speed, 29.7 - max speed

Riding time - 6 hrs, 51 minutes

Wind - Hurt at the beginning of the day, helped a lot in the middle and hit from the side for the last 32 miles.

"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +1.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

looking into the Swan Creek valley from the turn to Tobias

Today was great!! I had a bit of a headwind going north out of Fairbury, but it wasn't bad. Then later that same north wind really helped me! Before turning east on Hwy 41, I went past the turns to Daykin, Western and Tobias. I was a pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School just outside of Tobias from 1992 - 1999. LOTS of good friends in the area. I hope you are all doing well. (-:)

Wilber - Czech Capital USA

Arriving in Wilber is a little like going back in time. They claim to be the Czech Capital of the USA. As you drive down mainstreet you hear polka music being played over loudspeakers. It's different, that's for sure.

Well, the rest of the day took me through Beatrice, and then east to Tecumseh. I enjoyed riding today, which I did not really enjoy the last two. It was a good day.

Thank-yous for today:

Doug and Carolyn

Thank yous are in order for my sag drivers today and tomorrow, Doug and Carolyn Wetzel, friends from Grand Island. They are a LOT of fun! I really appreciate your help.

Marsha and John Diener

roast beef, potatoes and carrots!!!!

Thank you also to my host family in Tecumseh, Pastor John
and Marsha Diener. John is from Michigan and has the Michigan fight song as his ring tone (you'd enjoy visiting with him Jason!). In spite of this challenging trait, I still enjoyed his company.

Marsha is originally from Kenesaw. Her maiden name was Kimle. She fixed a scrumptious supper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When she lifted the lid off the skillet (with a dramatic flair that would've made a French chef proud) I nearly fainted! I was instantly transported back to my childhood, to Sundays and my Mom making roast beef, potatoes, carrots and gravy. I received to important phone calls while we ate. The first was from Kiley at MAW in Omaha. When it vibrated, I looked at it, said "Naww!" and kept chewing. The second phone call was from Char, my wife. I looked at it, said "Naww!" and kept chewing. I stopped at three helpings because I didn't want to make a pig of myself. Thank you Marsha!! Ice cream is to follow as we watch the movie "Adjustment Bureau" with Matt Damon.

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To make eternal life possible – Luke 24:1-18

Quote of the Day:
“The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine.” - John Howard

“When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn’t work that way. So I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.” - John Howard

Closing thoughts for the day:

Lots of hills and a few more miles tomorrow. Warmer temps. Hmmm.... I think it will go well though. Staying with good friends tomorrow night, Todd and Susan Benton, who live west of Nebraska City. They used to live in GI and worship at Peace. I look forward to seeing them again!!

Forecast for the next day:

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 28 - Tecumseh to Pawnee City to Salem to Falls City toward Verdon to Hwy 67

(north) to Hwy 136 to Auburn to Julian to Nebraska City

June 26, 2011

2011-06-26T22:17:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 8:00 am in Hastings and finished at 3:30 pm in Hebron.

Covered 66 miles, 13.6 mph ave speed, 25.6 - max speed

Riding time - 4 hrs, 52 minutes

Wind - Hurt at the beginning of the day, helped when I rode 28 miles of the route "backwards", and then hurt a bit the rest of the day.
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - -1.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Well folks, I think my body is getting tired. This is the second day in a row that I literally pushed to the very last mile I could do before dropping. When you keep panting even though you're not riding hard, when everything hurts after 2 revolutions and you have to coast for another rest, when the thought of the last 21 miles from Hebron to Fairbury makes you feel sick to your stomach, it's probably time to quit early for the day.

I can understand it yesterday. It was very hot and I covered 130 miles. But today was not hot and yet after 66 miles I was absolutely, completely cooked. Hmmm... I told Char that very seldom have I ever ridden so long that I absolutely have reached the last mile I can do, but that has happened two days in a row. The only two days in this entire month as a matter of fact. So, I don't know what to expect tomorrow. But, all I can do it get up, get on, get going and see what happens.

Things started downhill from the moment I left Hastings (even though it's level around there!). I headed east into a 25 mph ESE wind and for the first 18 miles I averaged 10.4 mph. That's about as exciting as getting a tooth pulled. Then my knight in a brown Chevy pickup showed up (Emil) and he drove me to Geneva so I could ride the 28 miles back to Clay Center and then up to Hwy 6 with the wind. Much more enjoyable! By the time I reached Hwy 6 though the wind was down to about 10 mph out of the SE. So, when I rode from Geneva south to Hebron, the wind from the SE wasn't nearly as bad. Plus, the traffic going by helped break a lot of it, but still my strength just faded away and was gone by Hebron. So, Emil picked me up, stuffed me in the truck and took me to Fairbury.

Gloria, Mike and Bill

There were several bright spots though. When I reached Hwy 6, Bill and Gloria Schlauchter (friends from GI) were visiting with Emil and waiting for me. They had three pieces of meat lovers pizza and two cinnamon breadsticks from Valentinos!! Now, if THAT doesn't revive the flagging spirits of a tired cyclist NOTHING will! (-:) Man, oh man did they taste delicious! Thank you for thinking of me!!

Mike and Kevin

Also, as I neared the end of the day another friend from GI stopped by to say hi, Kevin Wiersig. He was just out for a road trip and wanted to see how I was doing. I was five miles from Hebron, so I was frank with him and said, "Not very good". (The smile on my face was very forced.) But, it was really cool that he took the time to drive out to say hi. It gave me some much needed encouragement!! Thank you Kevin.

Chuck and Brenda

My host family is awesome! Chuck and Brenda Schmidt have been friends for over 20 years. Chuck is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Fairbury. Brenda is a teacher and also works part time at church. They are a delightful, very interesting couple to visit with. Supper was delicious and I am right at home in their home. Great feeling! Thank you for your hospitality.

bike, pickup, Emil and Kevin

And finally, thank you Emil (Stichka) for sagging me the last two days. You have the dubious distinction of seeing me at my nadir!! The two "worst" days of the ride for me and you lived through them with me. Thank you for your support and your patience as I labored slowly down the road! Slowly cresting a rise and seeing your 1994 Chevy sitting beside the road always filled me with hope! (-:)

I deeply appreciate your help and your friendship.

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To grant forgiveness by paying for our sins on the Cross – Luke 23:44-49

Quote of the Day:

“Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. Most important of all, we know that if at any point between the beginning and the end of his journey he stops moving and does not get off the bicycle he will fall off it. That is a metaphor for the journey through life of any living thing, and I think of any society of living things.” - William Golding

Closing thoughts for the day:

Another couple of friends are sagging for me the next two days, Doug and Carolyn Wetzel. Doug was my sag driver about 6 years ago when I wanted to see how far I could ride in a 24 hour period. He drove me out to western NE, drove 24 hours straight while I rode, then drove me home from Arnold where I ended up. I was impressed!!! So, he's an old pro who won't need any training. (-:)

I'm hoping that a good night's sleep tonight will refill my tank to be able to cover all 90 miles tomorrow. However things go though, I have God's promise of a new day filled with His blessings to me so that I can be a blessing to others. And when it's all said and done, that's all I need to know. Talk with you tomorrow from Tecumseh.

Forecast for the next day:

A straight north wind up to 15 mph (weird!). I'll go north first while it's a big calmer so that will help. Temps won't be too bad.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 27 - Fairbury to Western to Wilber to Clatonia to Beatrice to Filley to Orchard

to Tecumseh

June 25, 2011

2011-06-26T01:07:00.002-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 5:15 am in Kearney and finished at 5:30 pm in Clay Center.

Covered 130 miles, 13.8 mph ave speed, 30.4 - max speed

Riding time - 9 hrs, 21 minutes

Wind - Hurt at the beginning of the day and never really helped at all.
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - -1.5.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Today started with lots of bangs, flashes and dripping water. I was going to leave at 4:00 am, but there was thunder, lightening and rain going on outside. What to do? Well, let's pour another bowl of Cheerios and think about it. After some more thinking, the box of Cheerios was empty. Now what? Let's nap on the couch for 30 minutes and see if it lets up. After 15 minutes, my phone rings and it's Emil Stichka, my sag driver, calling from the front driveway! Really?? You drove from GI and got here at 5:00 am??

Cory and Mike

Well, now there was no choice but to start. Fortunately, the worst of it was past and things went ok. It's just hard to start in the dark when it's raining, thundering and lightening! Emil brought along my secret weapon for the day: Cory "Quick start and keep it going" Schutte! This friend and riding buddy from GI gave up his Saturday for the sole purpose of coming out and pulling for me (riding in front to reduce wind resistance for me) for over 50 miles! To have someone care enough about me to do that is quite humbling. He spent his energy to help me save mine, and I am deeply grateful, especially since the wind REALLY hurt us on the run south to Franklin. It was out of the SE at 15-25 mph. Ouch! Once we turned east it died down and wasn't so bad. Thank you Cory!!!

Cory pulling for Mike


A beautiful sight!! Cory between me and the wind!

Some friends met us along the way. Don and Lewellyn Peterson, from Smith Center, KS, met us in Franklin. I had the privilege of performing their wedding ceremony earlier this year.

Rick, Kay and Jared

Then just west of Red Cloud, who should show up but Rick and Kay Rathje and their son Jared! They "were just out for a drive" to see if they could find me. (-:) They live not too far north of there, SW of Hastings and are members at Peace Lutheran Church in GI, where I am a pastor.

The run east and then north to Nelson, and then further north to Clay Center was tough. It grew very hot and humid. The wind was a little bit against me, and it just sapped my strength. I shudder to think what would've become of me without the help that Cory gave me earlier in the day! To make a long day short, I struggled into Clay Center and called it a day. I do not think I could've gone one single mile further!!! So, tomorrow, I will ride from Hastings back to Clay Center and then east to Geneva. We went ahead and took a picture of the courthouse in Hastings. There were some really neat courthouses today. I hope you take a look at them and the county histories on that page of my blog.

Josh getting ready to lead worship the next morning.

My host for tonight was Josh Davis, one of the pastor's at Faith Lutheran Church. Josh is from Michigan originally and has served at FLC for 10 months. He graduated from the seminary in St. Louis. He was a VERY gracious and helpful host. He and I are in total agreement that mint chip ice cream and Oreo cookies are meant to be eaten together!
We had a nice visit during supper, then I laid down at 7:45 for a "brief nap" before updating my blog. I woke up at 10:45!! Wow was I tired!! So, this update is really late tonight. Sorry to keep you waiting.

Thank-yous for today:

To Cory, and Emil (I'll get a picture of him tomorrow), and the Petersons and the Rathjes and Josh!

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To grant eternal life in Heaven – Luke 23:32-43

Quote of the Day:

“If we all, mountain bikers, cyclists, multinational companies, Jo Public, respected the land like old civilizations we wouldn’t get so many punctures (flat tires). They are earth’s revenge.” - Jo Burt

Closing thoughts for the day:
Very long day! Glad tomorrow is more reasonable (only 97 miles!).

Forecast for the next day:

Argg! My gas tank is empty and I was hoping for a bit of help from the wind, but not going to happen. From the SE (which just happens to be the direction I'm going all day long), temps in the upper 70's to low 80's and high humidity. Ah well, a long, slow grind it out day...

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 26 - Hastings to Clay Center to Geneva to Strang to Bruning to Belvidere to

Hebron to Gilead to Gladstone to Fairbury

June 24, 2011

2011-06-24T19:50:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 7:00 am in Arapahoe and finished at 4:00 pm in Kearney.

Covered 97 miles, 14.4 mph ave speed, 28.5 - max speed

Riding time - 6 hrs, 43 minutes

Wind - Helped at the end of the day which is ideal
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +0.5.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

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GREAT NEWS! Based on donations I know are "coming in" but not yet recorded, I have surpassed the $15,000 mark! Thank you for your generosity. This means that I am now riding for my third Make-A-Wish child. So, I'd like to give you information on her.

Izabella is a darling 4 year old girl who has Medullablastoma. Izie wishes to see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Cinderella at Disney World. She wants to get her own blue (her favorite color) princess dress and tiara just like Cinderella. Izie lives with her parents and siblings in Central NE.

Please help me make it possible for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska to grant Izie's wish!
Thank you.
Mike

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About today:

Doug and JoAnn

Well, the countryside wasn't particularly pretty today, but the
people I met certainly were friendly. It started out not too
long after I left Arapahoe when I was flagged down by
JoAnn Becker and Doug Garey. We had a very nice visit.

Then about 2 miles down the road, I came across this sign.
To think that someone took the time to make a sign for the
sole purpose of encouraging you is really humbling.
Thank you!!

There was also a group of folks waiting for me in Beaver City. They are Lee Krewson, Karen Flanagen, Alice Hinkle and JoAnn Becker.

Karen, Lee, Alice and JoAnn

From there it was just hard pedaling east to Alma. Had a headwind that gradually turned to come out of the SE. So, when I turned north to go to Holdrege it was a LOT more fun!! Just east of Alma, I met a group of cyclists who rode out from Kearney to ride back to town with me. That was really cool!! We stopped by the NTV station on the way by and I did a quick interview. It was on the news tonight. Char saw it. Perhaps a few of you did as well. Here are the friends who rode out to ride back with me.

They are from l to r: Doug Peterson, Tim Norwood, Nancy Norwood, Ben Anderson, Hannah Stone, Paul Talbert, and myself. Thank you SOOOO much!! It was nice to have you along.

When I arrived in Kearney, there were some more folks waiting to greet us. I didn't get your names, but I thank you for coming out and waiting.

One other cool thing also happened. On behalf of the Mayor of Kearney, Mayor Stanley Clouse, Tim Norwood awarded me a Key to the City of Kearney. I was both surprised and honored by this gift. It also made me wonder, "Ok, what does this mean?" So, I googled it and here's the best answer I could find.

What does getting a key to the city mean?

I live in California and the pilot of the plane that went down in the Hudson river was given a key to the city of Danville. I was wondering what that meant.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Of course, the person receiving the key is always free to enter the city at will, but this is a ceremonial gesture of welcome and appreciation to someone. It's a symbolic gift from the city's administration. An ornamental key is presented to esteemed visitors, residents, or others the city wishes to honour. Evoking medieval walled cities whose gates were guarded during the day and locked at night, the key symbolises the freedom of the recipient to enter and leave the city at will as a trusted friend of city residents.

My Key to the City of Kearney!

Thank-yous for today:

Thank you to my sister and brother-in-law, Jackie and Don Liess, for letting me stay with them tonight! But, then when you're family, what are you going to say, huh? (-:)

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To let Peter know he was forgiven and accepted – John 21:15-19

Quote of the Day:
“Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again, so is a bicycle repair kit.” - Lord Charles Beresford

Closing thoughts for the day:

My ankles are very tender tonight. I think going through the gravel yesterday irritated them. I didn't want to clip in so I basically put my toes on the pedals, which increased the torque on my ankles. Cranking up the hills on the gravel really made my calves burn. So, my nephew, Adam Liess, is going to tape both of my ankles to help me get through tomorrow. That will help keep them stable when I'm pedaling tomorrow, reducing the strain and therefore the pain. This will be good because tomorrow is a very long day. I am going to leave quite early and just keep cranking. I'll let you know how it goes. Blessings!!!

Forecast for the next day:

Low 80's for the high. Partly cloudy with chance of some thunderstorms. Wind out of the E at first, gradually shifting to the SE. But nothing more than 12 mph or so for the max. Not a big factor.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 25 - Kearney to Minden to Macon to Franklin to Riverton to Inavale to Red Cloud

to Nelson to Lawrence to Pauline to Hastings

June 23, 2011

2011-06-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 5:45 am in McCook and finished at 4:30 pm in Arapahoe.

Covered 128 miles, 14.0 mph ave speed, 35.8 - max speed

Riding time - 9 hrs, 8 minutes

Wind - really wasn't any today. Kind of odd...
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +0.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

beautiful morning!!!

north of McCook

It was absolutely beautiful today, no wind at all. Once I left McCook, anytime I would stop I could hear pheasants crowing all around me, cattle, just all the morning sounds from every direction. It was so peaceful!

WW II hangers on the horizon

What do Alliance, Ainsworth, Scottsbluff, McCook, Kearney, Grand Island, Harvard, Bruning, Fairmont, Lincoln and Scribner all have in common? They were all the sites of Army Air Bases in WW II.

See the following links for some great WW II history! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_World_War_II_army_airfields http://www.nebraskaaircrash.com/aaf.html

http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0800/stories/0801_0108.html

One of several corn and wheat fields shredded by hail a few days ago. Sad sight!

Nebraska state Highway 18 is 39 miles long from Curtis to highway 283. The west 15 miles or so is gravel! There are only two state highways that are gravel and this is one of them. So, I had to ride on gravel for about 1 1/2 hours of my ride today. Having navigated the longest gravel highway in Nebraska is a dubious distinction for someone on a road bike with 700X23 size tires!

What!?!? This is a highway??

Yup! There's the Hwy 18 sign.

Mike kissing the pavement!
I was VERY glad to see it again!!

After this it was just doing to work to go north to Lexington and then back south to Arapahoe.

Lexington in the distance from the top of the
hill on the south side of town.

The Chapel by Lake Johnson

Kerry Scott and Mike

We had two unexpected meetings today. The first was Kerry Scott. He works for the Nebraska Department of Roads (with my brother Rick) and was a classmate/friend with another brother, Greg. He also joined Rick, me and another guy in cycling around Lake McConaughy many years ago. He was just out checking Hwy 18, saw us, knew it was me and what I was doing, so stopped to visit. Cool! Thank you for your donation Kerry!

Mark Bales and mike

The other visitor was Mark Bales from Grand Island. He "installs and maintains" pacemakers and was working out in this part of the state. He knew about where we would be and was able to find us. He had a gift bag for me: 2 Gatorades and a bottle of water! Greatly appreciated!!! Thanks Mark.

Thank-yous for today:

Emily, Mike and Mary

First of all, thank yous go to Mary Shirkey and Emily Lashley for organizing the wonderful pancake feed last night in McCook! Thank you to the Boy Scouts and their leaders who made the pancakes, served them and then cleaned up. And finally thank you to all the generous people who came and ate. The total raised for MAW was $1862!!!!! Super night!

Thanks also go to my support driver today, Jennifer Blake from the Grand Island area, and to my host home person, Janice Breinig (Jennifer's mother). Thank you for your help!

Jennifer, Janice and Rico

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To warn Peter goes unheeded – Matthew 26:69-75

Quote of the Day:

“Cycling to work is an important issue for business – the more who do it, the more our communities will support it. Healthy and green, cycling is worthy of the support of every business in the land.” - Sir Digby Jones

Closing thoughts for the day:

Very long day today. Thankfully tomorrow will not be so far. Plus, Nancy Norwood, from Kearney, is getting a group together to meet me in Axtell and ride with me into Kearney. That will be a LOT of fun! Riding in a group is a blast. Looking forward to meeting whomever can make it. (-:) See you all tomorrow night.

Forecast for the next day:

Wind out of the SE around 15 mph, chance of thunderstorms, sometimes sunny, other times cloudy, mid to upper 70s for the high. Decent day.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 24 - Arapahoe to Beaver City to Stamford to Orleans to Alma to Holdrege to

Funk to Axtell to Kearney

June 22, 2011

2011-06-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Sorry for confusion that may've been caused by the update from yesterday that posted automatically last night at 10pm. I forgot that it would to that. Since it was a rest day today, I did not update anything last night. Plus, we don't have internet out at the farm where my host family (my Mom and Dad!) live.

So, here's my report from June 21, posted on my rest day, June 22 (from the McDonalds in McCook which has free wi-fi. Pretty cool!)

Started at 6:00 am in Benkelman and finished at 12:00 noon in McCook.

Covered 73 miles, 18.6 mph ave speed, 46.1 - max speed

Riding time - 3 hrs, 53 minutes

Wind - out of the NW between 30-35 mph, gusts over 50 mph!!
"Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +3.5.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About yesterday:

I had a very nice run from Benkelman to Trenton. I love it when there is a shoulder and it's even SMOOTH!! I know why "joints" in the road are necessary, but they sure beat up someone on a bicycle (bump-bump...bump-bump....bump-bump...ouch!). If you've ever ridden a bicycle through them you know what I mean.

looking back west toward Stratton

looking south at the west end of Swanson Resevoir

The wind today was crazy strong. It mostly helped, but even then as a bit of a cross wind it really knocked me around. Wow! You really had to be careful going down big hills. It was hard to even stand up when I stopped. I'm not kidding you. Between the wind resistance of my body and the bike there were gusts that almost put me over. Ridiculous! I was supposed to ride from Trenton 24 miles north up to Hayes Center. Here's reality folks. It would've been grinding it out at about 6-8 mph, taking 4 hours or more when you count in rests. Just not possible. So, I rode with my sag driver up to Hayes Center and then cycled back to Hwy 6 and then east to McCook. I lost those miles, but sometimes that's life out on a bike in the wind.

flat grass from the wind!

there are some HUGE canyons south of Hayes Center!

It was a pretty quick trip to McCook, and after lunch at the venerable Mac's Drive In, it was time to head out to my host home, the farm I grew up on and on which my parents and one of my brother's still live and farm. Char, my wife, also drove out there from Grand Island (bringing our dog, Toby, a Yorkshire Terrier) so there were all kinds of folks/critters I was eager to see again! I forgot to get a picture of them so will have to add them after tomorrow's ride to Arapahoe.

I will also be adding pictures from a Pancake Feed that is planned as a fun/fundraiser tonight for MAW. I look forward to meeting the two ladies primarily responsible for organizing it, Emily Lashley and Mary Shirkey. I'll make sure to get a picture of them with me tonight for you. I'm really looking forward to it and deeply appreciate their work to plan it. Thank you!!

I'm hoping that with donations already in the mail and the ones from the Pancake Feed tonight, we can push the amount up to there I'll be riding for my third MAW child, IZZA. More information and a picture to come on Izza. Thank you for your continued generosity and support!

Thank-yous for today:

Thank you to my sag drivers today: They are my soon-to-be nephew Christian Amack, my niece Jane Reiners, and my soon-go-be sister-in-law, Friday Amack. And thank you Dad for letting us use your pickup. THAT is a sweet ride!!!!!!

Christian, Jane and Friday

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To warn Peter that he would deny Jesus – John 13:31-38

For His followers to stay connected to Him and produce the fruit of good deeds

by loving others – John 15:1-17

Quote of the Day:

“As a social revolutionizer, the bicycle has never had an equal. It has put the human race on wheels, and thus changed completely many of the most ordinary processes and methods of social life. It is the great leveler, for not till all Americans got on bicycles was the great American principle that every man is just as good as any other man fully realized. All are on equal terms, all are happier than ever before.” - New York Evening Post

Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever. - Lance ArmstrongIf you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on. - Lance Armstrong

I now only have good days and great days. - Lance Armstrong (Cancer survivor and seven times winner of the Tour de France.)

“I relax by taking my bicycle apart and putting it back together again.” - Lance Armstrong

Closing thoughts for the day:

It is so very nice to have a rest day and such a wonderful host family (-:)! There are some long days ahead, but I am way past the halfway point and that really helps. There are a group of cyclists (being organized by Nancy Norwood) that are going to meet me at Axtell and ride with me into Kearney on Friday. I look forward to that.

Then there are two gentlemen from Omaha (Damon Wagner and a friend of his) who are going to ride with me from Nebraska City to Omaha to Lincoln on June 29. They will be guiding me through the maze of streets, paths and byways known as Omaha (and suburbs)! They will also be riding in front of me to reduce wind resistance, which has the overall effect of making a very happy guy.

Forecast for the next day:

Sweet!! Sunny, NW wind 10-15 mph, mid 80's, as good as it gets!!

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 23 - McCook to Maywood, to Curtis to Stockville to Elwood to Lexington to Elwood to Arapahoe

June 20, 2011

2011-06-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska

Started at 7:00 am in Ogallala and finished at 12:00 noon in Benkelman.

Covered 88 miles, 19.8 mph ave speed, 40.8 - max speed

Riding time - 4 hrs, 27 minutes

Wind - out of the NNW between 25-30 mph!! "Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +4.5.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Today has been a marvelous day, which may come as a surprise with all the heavy rain and tornado activity going on in Nebraska as I type. I rode from Ogallala to Benkelman today, and north of Benkelman they had 2 1/2 inches of rain this afternoon alone. Here is town they've had over an inch. And through it all, I've been dry and safe as a bug in a rug!

That's because I left at 7 am and arrived here (88 miles later) a few minutes before noon! Having a 25-30 mph tailwind tends to help one ride along quite smartly. And I am soooooooo thankful to be in here and not out there! I did put my rain gear on 20 miles north of Benkelman, but never really got any significant rain on me, for which I am thankful as the temps were in the 50's today. A warm rain is one thing, but a driving rain on a very cold day is NOT pleasant.

Let me back up and share the highlight of my day. About 10 miles south of Ogallala, a pickup passed me and pulled off to the side of the road ahead of me. "What's this" I asked myself. I could not believe it when Don Moeller stepped out of his black "Moebile" truck with a big grin on his face! He is a member from Peace in Grand Island and said, "he was just out checking on me". Well, I was so deeply moved by this unexpected show of kindness that I totally forgot to snap a pic of him for my blog!! We visited a few minutes before he took off again.

As I reflected on this surprise, I had to ask myself WHY would Moe drive almost 200 miles west just to make sure I was safe and sound? I mean THAT is an incredible act of friendship! Then it occurred to me. I'm 99% certain of the reason behind this show of kindness: Connie! You see, his wife, Connie, is one of the 4 (self-proclaimed) Biker Babes who guarded me from danger for the last three days of my ride. And when she thought about me riding today without a support vehicle, she must've been so filled with concern that she sent Moe over here to check on me! Wow! This kind of care and compassion MORE than makes up for the scarf incident of two days ago! She is truly looking out for me even after returning home to GI last night.

Now, Moe (who works for Hogemeyer Seeds) DID say something about having an appointment with a customer who lived a few miles from where we met, but that is JUST what I would expect from Moe. He is a very practical guy and if he's going to drive 400 miles round trip to check on my welfare, then it makes perfect sense that he might as well check on a couple of customers while he's out in this area. That's what I like about Moe, he's always thinking. Thank you Moe and thank you Connie!!

branch caught on the top of the courthouse in Grant!

Well, the ride part of the day was just cranking, enjoying the tailwind and hoping the rain held off until I arrived in Benkelman. Here is a pic of the top of the county courthouse in Grant. I suspect they had some wind recently as it looks like a branch hanging from the eagles neck on the top of the roof!

There was water everywhere in Imperial, along with evidence of VERY strong winds last night! There were branches and leaves everywhere around the town. Here are a couple of pics of the mess on the lawn at the courthouse.

mess left from previous night's storm

leaves knocked down by the wind

VBS ain't happening in the tent tonight!

I suspect that VBS in the tent did NOT happen tonight as this church had planned...

looking south into the valley coming into Imperial

This is what it looked like all day. Once again, thank you Lord for protecting me from the nasty weather all over the state today!!

Thank-yous for today:

Thank you first of all to Mr. Blake Edwards for transporting my luggage/gear from Ogallala to Benkelman! Thank you sir.

Dallas and Kelly Watkins

Second, my thanks also goes to Dallas and Kelly Watkins, my host home folks in Benkelman. I have had a luxurious day at their home: a shower, hamburgers for lunch, a wonderful two hour nap and then a fast computer to update my blog. I could not ask for anymore! It's been neat to visit with them. Dallas was 4 years ahead of me at Republican Valley HS and Kelly was one year ahead (I believe). She is also my cousin. Her maiden name was Reiners. And she told me that she is a big-time quilter who learned to sew from my mom, Wendy, when she was the 4-H leader for Kelly (and others)! How cool is that? Supper was delicious too. Thank you Dallas and Kelly!!

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To comfort His followers and point them to the only Source of eternal life – John 14:1-14

Funny quotes for today:

“Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. The airplane simply carries a man on its back like an obedient Pegasus; it gives him no wings of his own.” - Louis J. Helle

Closing thoughts for the day:

ONE MORE DAY, then a much anticipated rest day at my parent's farm. Char is coming out there as well, and there are some wonderful folks in McCook who have organized a Pancake Feed Wednesday night as a fun/fundraiser for Make-A-Wish. I would like to encourage all of you, if you have not made a donation to MAW to consider doing so. It's a great organization, and I truly hope to fund wishes for several more children as a result of this ride. Just give it some thought, ok, perhaps a penny a mile for the rest of the ride. That would be about $10. Or a nickel, etc. Thanks for considering my invitation. If you are in the McCook area, I look forward to seeing you at the pancake feed. (-:)

Forecast for the next day:

mid 70's, wind out of the NW 30-35 mph. It's gonna be breezy. I'm going NE, North and East, so it will be a bit of a headwind, a bit of a cross wind and a bit of a tail wind at different times. I'm planning on an early start as it's about 100 miles, plus I lose an hour reentering Central Time Zone.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 21 - Benkelman to Max to Stratton to Trenton to Palisade to Hays Center to

Culbertson to McCook to Indianola

June 19, 2011

2011-06-19T23:59:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 5:45 am and finished at 2:45 pm.

Covered 74 miles, 15.0 mph ave speed, 39.0 - max speed

Riding time - 4 hrs, 55 minutes

Wind - out of the NE, but very minor. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +0.5.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today: First of all, it's my son, Greg's, 25th birthday today. Happy Birthday Greg!!! Hope you had a great day. I love you!!

Well folks, I starting to realize that it's one thing to sit at the kitchen table in the middle of winter and plan out how far each day is going to be, and it's another thing to get out in June and ride them! The reality of time and weather are shredding some of my plans, and that bugs me. I only got in 74 miles today instead of 135 (yeah, yeah, I know. My eyes were bigger than my legs.) But, it's the best I could do considering weather and the time I had. When your host family is fixing a wonderful supper and your sag drivers (who have been away from home and deprived of their spouses for 3 entire days) need to head back to GI, you've got to call it a day a bit early. Ah well.

It started out very interesting. When I left Kimball, it looked REALLY icky, lightening, dark blue clouds, etc. When Pastor Mars shook my hand, looked me in the eye and said, "The Lord go with you", I know he was dead serious! (-:)

Between Kimball and Sidney I had to stop and take shelter twice from lightening. Here are some pics. It was threatening to rain from the moment I left.

The "bad thing" that was stalking me! I had lightening on both sides and behind me. Certainly helps one ride a bit faster...

My first shelter, dry but still creepy with lightening and thunder popping all around.

I sat under there for probably 20 minutes and then rode out into the rain (after lightening eased).

For a brief time, this was on the horizon. Faster Mike, faster!!

Then it was replaced with this.
It's hard to keep riding when you know it's going to be wet and nasty ahead!

My second place of refuge when it was lightening/thundering again was under the front of a 5th wheel horse trailer.

Looking out from my snug little spot under the trailer.

Two horses who wished they had a dry place to stand!

Well, I finally made it to Sidney, where I met my sag drivers.

Later on it turned out to be a very nice, even hot and humid day. Here are some pictures from Hwy 26 on the south side of Lake McConaughy. That is a really pretty stretch of highway!

the south side of Big Mac

a little further down the road

We stopped in Ash Hollow.

Where the wagons came down Windlass Hill.

The "dip" in the middle is where the wagons were lowered down Windlass Hill.

lunch break

My report is a bit sparse tonight. I'm really tired, even with my "power nap" that made me late for supper. Thanks for understanding.

Thank-yous for today:

First of all to Sally Harris of Sidney for picking up my stuff in Kimball and taking it to Sidney for my support drivers.

Also to my four support drivers for their THIRD day of putting up with me!!

I am very grateful that you were there for me today.

And finally to Terry and Gwen Johnson for allowing me to stay with them in Ogallala, for fixing a wonderful supper, AND for being so patient when they had to wake me up from my nap for supper! I told them I'd be up at 6 pm, and it was 6:15 when Mr. Johnson finally roused me from the depths of sleep (My phone alarm had tried to do that for 20 minutes!). It's not very often that I'm late for supper...(-:) It was fun to visit with Terry's mother Ruth Johnson as well.

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To give a friend hope and her brother life – John 11:1-44

Quote of the Day:

“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.” - H.G. Wells

I came out for exercise, gentle exercise, and to notice the scenery and to botanise. And no sooner do I get on that accursed machine than off I go hammer and tongs; I never look to right or left, never notice a flower, never see a view - get hot, juicy, red - like a grilled chop. Get me on that machine and I have to go. I go scorching along the road, and cursing aloud at myself for doing it. - H.G. Wells, The Wheels of Chance

Forecast for the next day:

I'm probably going to get wet, but I will have a tailwind out of the NNW between 25-30 mph. Sweet!!!

Route/Towns for the next day:

Ogallala south to Benkelman via Grant and Imperial.

June 18, 2011

2011-06-18T22:55:00.001-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 8:00 am and finished at 2:45 pm.

Covered 65 miles, 14.4 mph ave speed, can't figure out how to get max speed off my new odometer. I'll have to look at my "owners sheet" again. It's amazing in that it has the same instructions in 11 other languages besides English.

Riding time - 4 hrs, 28 minutes

Feet of elevation climbed - sadly, my new odometer doesn't track this

Wind - out of the SW, but very minor. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale - +0.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

I fulfilled a long held wish (well, for at least the last two weeks) and slept in until I couldn't sleep anymore. It was glorious! It also resulted in a late start, and late starts have NOT been good to me on this trip. When I went to make sure my tires were at 110 psi of pressure, I popped a valve off my floor pump. Well, I suspect the next town I'm going through that would have a bike shop with a floor pump for sale is Kearney, so we had to problem solve that one. My support ladies (Connie, Diane, Donna and Lorry) went to Scottbluff National Monument (took pictures for me) and then to the bike shop after it opened (to buy a floor pump) before taking off to catch up with me in Bridgeport. Here are some pics from the top of the Bluff. I have not yet been up there...)-:), but they assured me that it was a spetacular view AND that they were all bringing their spouses back here to see it. The Bluff is 800 feet above the North Platte River at its base!

Scotts Bluff National Monument from Gering

the entrance

from up on top

notice the trail to the top

more of the Bluff

the Bluff

Chimney Rock!

Between Scottsbluff and Bridgeport, we passed what is easily the most familiar landmark in NE, Chimney Rock. It's not as tall as it was 150 years ago, but is still a fascinating landmark!

We met up in Bridgeport for a quick lunch. I headed south on Hwy 88, which loops past Courthouse and Jail Rocks as it turns west and goes for over 30 miles to Hwy 71 between Kimball and Scottsbluff. They are two really neat rock formations!

Courthouse and Jail Rocks, south of Bridgeport

Courthouse and Jail Rocks,
two very famous landmarks in NE history!

As I pedaled west on Hwy 88, the day got really interesting. I could see very dark clouds moving in, lightening, thunder rumbling off to the SW, which means I'm very likely going to get wet, which is why I'm glad I have a support vehicle. Wait! Where IS my support vehicle?? I try to call them. No answer, so I leave a message, "Are you gals going to be out here pretty soon? It's starting to look kind of icky." Well, 20 minutes later, it was past icky. (Naturally, all of my rain gear was in the support vehicle!) I can see the rain moving toward me. This time Diane does answer my phone call. "Man is it good to hear your voice! Where are you ladies at? Just leaving Bridgeport? Good. Hurry!" Five minutes after that lightening is flashing all around me and the thunder is doing that high-pitched crackle/kaBOOM stuff! So, by now, I've laid my bike in the ditch, moved away from it and am laying on the ground watching east for my knightettes in shining armor. My last phone call was simply, "Ahhhh, Diane, it's ok if you speed a little." Well, they screeched to a stop, gravel flying all over the place, just as the first rain drops started to pelt down. And low and behold, I had to put the bike on the rack all by myself! Every other time I put the bike on the rack, they all piled out to assist me (as good sag drivers ought to do), but noooooooooo, not this time. Hmmm....

Well, to make their long story short, apparently they were in a shop in Bridgeport trying to solicit donations for Make-A-Wish. They even claimed they got one. I still haven't seen any cash or a check yet though. Plus, Connie was wearing a brand new scarf. Probably just a coincidence. Anyway, no one died which was the main thing for me. (-:) We drove for a few miles until the rain quit. Then I rode for another 15 miles until we ran into more bad weather. There were little maurading storms roaming all over, and it didn't look like it was going to stop. So, right or wrong I called it a day once I reached Hwy 71.

These four wonderful ladies were so moved by my terrifying near death experience that when they found out I was riding unsupported tomorrow (Sally Harris was going to transport my gear from Kimball to Ogallala) that they decided to stay with me one more day! I am very serious when I say that I really appreciate that because weather tomorrow does not look very nice. I'm going to get a much earlier start than today, AND I will have all my rain gear with me this time!

One fascinating thing I learned during my stay in Kimball, is that there are around 200 ICBM missle silos in this tri-state area! Ken took me out to see two of them just a few miles south of here. They don't look like much, a fenced in area with a big concrete slab and poles with cameras, satelites dish, etc. But, I guess if you go goofing around next to one, you will be surrounded by and answering questions from some very serious chaps with M-16 rifles within just a few minutes. He also said that there is a couple who lives outside Kimball and their home is one of these abandoned missle silos. They are willing to give tours of their home. That would be interesting!

Kimball "Missile Center USA" is the center of the largest complex of Intercontinental Ballistics Missiles in the world. Two hundred Minuteman III ICBM's are harbored in silos in the immediate Tri-State area of Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming.

ICBM missle silo

Thank-yous for today:

I am deeply grateful for my host family tonight, Pastor Ken Mars, his wife Vickie and their four delightful children! Thank you for making me feel so welcome!

Abigal, Nathaniel, Lydia, Ken, Vickie and Timothy Mars

Thanks also goes to Donna, Diane, Lorry and Connie, who failed miserably to convince me that the lady at the bike shop just gave them a $40 floor pump and therefore I don't owe them anything for it. Thank you also for supper tonight. It was a joy to spend the time with you. I am already grateful for your company tomorrow as well.

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

For us to follow Jesus as the Good Shepherd – John 10:1-18

Quote of the Day:

"When you're cruising at 20 mph, a unique (and satisfying) sound is produced by a grasshopper flying into your front wheel spokes." - Common Knowledge

"To escape the snarling dog chasing your group ride, simply ride a little faster than the slowest person in the group." - Common Sense

“It is nearly impossible to fart while sitting firmly on a bicycle seat.” - Common Challenge

Closing thoughts for the day:

First - Late starts MUST be avoided! Second - I am deeply grateful for Jesus' love, for all the folks who love and encourage me, and for the chance to do this ride for as many Make-A-Wish children as I can! Time to get a good night's sleep so I can hit the road early. Talk with you tomorrow. (-:)

Forecast for the next day:

Gloomy...

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 19 - Kimball to Dix to Potter to Brownson to Sidney to Colton to Sunol to

Lodgepole to Chappel to Oshkosh to Lewellen to Ogallala

June 17. 2011

2011-06-17T23:26:00.001-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 5:15 am and finished at 3:15 pm.

Covered 126 miles, don't know ave speed or max speed

Riding time - don't know for sure.

Feet of elevation climbed - don't know

Wind - out of the WNW. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale, today was a +1.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

I left very early today hoping to get to Harrison (50 miles west of Chadron) before the wind got really strong. Didn't work. I was cycling for 2 hours before my sag drivers caught up to me. By then I could only go about 10 mph. So, I had them drive me to Harrison and I biked back at about 30 mph!!

passed a cool butte!

looking ahead to Crow Butte

buttes on north side of Crawford

my finger pointing to where the sender broke off

Well, on the way back, I crossed some of those carved out grooves at the edge of the roads to buzz people if they wonder out over them. The second time I "bumped" over them, I lost my sender unit from my fork!! I was going about 30-35 mph and heard a tiny "click". Unfortunately it broke off my fork. Remember, this is one of the things for which I bought a new battery just yesterday!! So, my sending unit, and it's new battery are laying in a ditch about 5 miles east of Harrison. )-:) Now my computer read zero as it could no longer receive information! This was especially sad because about 8 miles west of Fort Robinson there is a hill that drops (going east) from 4600 ft of elevation to 3900 ft of elevation in about 4.5 miles! WOW! With a downhill like that and a 30 mph tailwind, I KNOW I topped 50 mph! No way to prove it though. Ah well. Here is a picture down into that valley looking east from a scenic overlook:

pictures NEVER do the scene justice!

Looking east into a valley that's 700 ft down to the floor.

On the way through Fort Robinson, I snapped these two pics. Fort Rob is a SUPER cool place to visit!

Fort Robinson

About 3 miles west of Fort Rob

Well, at this we drove back to Harrison, and then I started a 56 miles stretch on HWY 29 from Harrison to Mitchell (a sign in Harrison warned that there were no services for 56 miles). This was some VERY open country!

click it bigger and look at highway on horizon over 20 miles away...

Lots of empty countryside!!

Just for you Char! They were beautiful.

Into the Niobrara River valley and
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

The road that never ended!!

FINALLY, the Platte River valley on the horizon!!
Almost to Mitchell, NE.

Scotts Bluff National Monument

Thank-yous for today:

First, many thanks to my Biker Babes! They are (from l. to r.), Donna Carlson, Diane Meier, Lorry Dinkelman and
Connie Moeller, all from Grand Island. They are my support team today and tomorrow.
Thank you ladies, and COOL shirts!

Next thanks goes to my host family tonight, Lonnie and Janet Miller. And not only for a place to stay but for treating all of us to Mexican food at Ole's restaurant! That was very kind of you. Janet and Elaine Steinbeck's (in GI) are sisters.

Lonnie and Janet Miller

Sonnys Bike Shop

And finally, a HUGE thanks goes to J.R. Brester of Sonnys Bike Shop! He took in my bike very late this afternoon and put on a new computer as well as cleaned/lubed my chain and adjusted things so my shifting would be more smooth. (He only charged me for parts, no labor!) Your generosity and kindness are deeply appreciated!!

J.R. Brester

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

For us to recognize our own sin and be willing to forgive others – John 8:1-11

Quote of the Day:
“Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle.” - Helen Keller

Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self—reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. - Susan B. Anthony

When I go biking, I repeat a mantra of the day's sensations: bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, blue jay's call, ice melting and so on. This helps me transcend the traffic, ignore the clamorings of work, leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on nature instead. I still must abide by the rules of the road, of biking, of gravity. But I am mentally far away from civilization. The world is breaking someone else's heart. - Diane Ackerman

Closing thoughts for the day:

I'm tired and need to go to bed! That's all the thoughts I have at the moment...
Forecast for the next day:

Pleasant temps, WSW and SW wind. So, it will hurt me more than help me. We'll see how strong it actually ends up being.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 18 - Gering to Melbeta to McGrew to Bridgeport to Harrisburg to Kimball

June 16, 2011

2011-06-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 6:30 am and finished at 1:00 pm.

Covered 82 miles, ave speed of 14.9 mph (estimate). Max speed - 29.0

Riding time - don't know for sure, I didn't stop very much though, so I'd say probably 5 hours and 15 minutes.

Feet of elevation climbed - 1700' (estimate).

Wind - out of the S, then the W. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale, today was a 0.0.
NOTE: the batteries on my odometer started failing today, so I don't have exact figures (arggg!). I stopped at the Radio Shack here in Chadron and they put a new one in both my sender and my receiver. Pics of two very helpful folks further down! (-:)

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Today started out with a very moving, deeply spiritual experience, a stop at Carhenge, a place that evokes reverent behavior and hushed whispers. It is NOT to be confused with the cheap mockup somewhere in England! While walking among this hallowed area, one can almost hear Druid priests chanting...well..., whatever Druid priests chant. It is truly hallowed ground.

Ok, seriously, you can NOT stop at this place without busting out laughing! It is American humor at its absolute best. To think that some group would take the time to create a site like this is hilarious. Thank you to whomever collaborated to make this place happen! It was a great way to start my day. (-:)

You can see this historical site for yourself about 3 miles north of Alliance on Hwy 87.

north of Alliance on Hwy 87

I headed north on Hwy 87 up to Hay Springs. It's all fairly flat farm ground with a LOT of wheat. It doesn't make for a real exciting picture, but hey, I snapped it so you just as well see it.

Bordeaux Trading Post

Museum of the Fur Trade

Tim stopped in at the Museum of the Fur Trade about 3 miles east of Chadron. He said it was a really neat place. You can enlarge the marker and read more about the fur trade and James Bordeaux.

The Blaine Hotel, a cool building in Chadron.

Check out the link below about the horse race from Chadron to Chicago in June of 1893.

http://www.thefencepost.com/article/20100306/NEWS/100309931

And finally, here are two folks who were real life-savers to me! As I mentioned earlier, the batteries in my odometer and the part on the front fork that sends information to the odometer were slowly dying today. So, I stopped in the Petersen Drug Store/Radio Shack in hopes that they would have these specialized little batteries. Well, they did and their customer service was outstanding! Thank you again for your help!!

Amee Diers and Travis Hencey

Thank-yous for today:

Thank yous also go to my sag driver and friend from GI, Tim Wegenast!

Tim Wegenast, from Grand Island

Thank you Father Tim Stoner (of St. Patrick Catholic Church here in Chadron). He was very gracious to put me up at his house this evening. AND he is from Grand Island originally! Another small world thing. (-:)

Father Tim Stoner

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

For the ability to love even our enemies – Luke 6:27-36

Quote of the Day:

“Newspapers are unable, seemingly to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization.” - George Bernard Shaw

Forecast for the next day:

Winds start out from the NNW and NW (10 mph at 5 am, 25 mph by 9 am) starting early and getting VERY strong as the day goes on. I'm going to leave very early. Once I reach Harrison and turn south I'll have a decent tailwind from the WNW (low 30's with gusts over 50 mph), which will help as it's gonna be a long day...

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 17 - Chadron to Crawford to Fort Robinson to Harrison to Mitchell to Scottsbluff

to Gering

June 15, 2011

2011-06-15T20:05:00.000-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 9:30 am and finished at 3:00 pm.

Covered 62 miles, ave speed of 13.0 mph. Max speed - 23.6 (that says it all!)

Riding time - 4 hours and 44 minutes.

Feet of elevation climbed - 1929'.

Wind - out of the WSW. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale, today was a -2.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Today went ok. Thankfully it was short because the wind was not very helpful. It was not a killer, but just a constant drain on my energy. I'm heading west and it's out of the W and SW from 10-20 mph. My average/max speeds tell the whole story. It was pretty countryside though.

some beautiful birds on a pond

hills with cows and a windmill

Captures it all - water, cattle, hills, grass and railroad tracks!

Looking east at the sandhills which end abruptly about 8 miles east of Alliance
Country side flattens out and farmground starts just like that. Kindof cool.

One thing you will see a LOT of along HWY 2 are coal trains, full ones going east and empty ones going west back out to Wyoming to be filled up again. I saw at least 12 today. Locomotives are SOOO cool, the way they just throb with power! One cannot help but ride a little faster when a train is passing you. And I always wave at the engineers. All but one today honked his horn to return the greeting. I know, a 52 year old guy probably ought not enjoy that so much, but I still think it's cool. (-:) The following two pics are from the overpass on the east side of Alliance. These trains were sitting still waiting the green light to go I guess. It was a new perspective to look down into/onto the top of the cars filled with coal. THAT is a lot of coal!

from the overpass going into Alliance.
I had never looked down into cars just sitting there.

These two were really long!!

Thank-yous for today:

Today, they go to my new sag driver (for today and tomorrow), Tim Wegenast, a friend from Peace Lutheran Church in Grand Island. Alliaa-nce is his hometown (basically) and where he took lessons to earn his pilot's license. We're staying at his sisters house, so thanks also goes out to Greg and Lisa Carter. They are not home at the moment and still entrusted the house!

I want to thank Mark from the Alliance Newspaper for coming out and interviewing me this afternoon.

AND I want to thank Kiley Thiele (from the MAW office in Omaha) for her on-going support during this ride. She is always very upbeat and encouraging which is so helpful, especially that first week when I was wondering if I was going to simply die somewhere along the road! She called again today just to check and see how I was doing. She is also sending me information on the third child I'm going to be riding for. All I know at this point is that this child is a little girl. I'm very excited to learn more about her. When I receive the information, I'll post it.

And finally, thank you for your continued prayers, your generosity, and your interest in my journey and blog about it. It makes it more exciting to do the updates when I know someone is reading (and enjoying) them! (-:) Please keep telling others about my blog, this ride and especially about the work of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska! Thanks

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

Healing for a friend – Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 5:17-26

Quote of the Day:

“The secret to mountain biking is pretty simple. The slower you go the more likely it is you’ll crash.” - Julie Furtado

“When you ride hard on a mountain bike, sometimes you fall, otherwise you’re not riding hard.” - Former President George W. Bush

I'm gonna show you a hill that would choke a mule. - Former President George W. Bush (On his mountain bike, moments before losing his front-wheel traction and flying over his bars down a steep drop-off.)

New Spin Home Wisdom story: Part two on dogs: "Caution - Cujo Wannabe Ahead!" It's one of my favorites!!

NOW I have to write more SHW stories. Today's is the last one I wrote before the ride. I'll work on that tonight and see if I can come up with a couple more. I hope you like reading them because I sure like writing them! (-:)

Forecast for the next day:

NNE wind at 9 mph with gusts up to 19. (I'm heading north, north east and then north west). There is also a 41% (not 40% but 41%!) chance of thundershowers. I think I'll keep Tim close by tomorrow....

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 16 - Alliance to Hay Springs to Rushville to Hays Springs to Chadron

June 14, 2011

2011-06-14T22:42:00.003-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 6:30 am and finished at 4:00 pm.

Covered 110 miles, ave speed of 15.0 mph. Max speed - 49.6 mph (SWEET!)

Riding time - 7 hours and 15 minutes.

Feet of elevation climbed - 4760'.

Wind - out of the SSE. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale, today was a +1.5.

I had really no wind for first 40 miles, then went into a 25mph wind for 20 miles (averaged 10 mph, ugh!), then my sag driver drove me to the end point so I could ride back with the wind for the final 50 miles. That was SO much fun!!!

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

FROM YESTERDAY - Kirk and I went to eat at the Rustic Tavern after I posted last night. While there we learned that the owners are Gary and Rhonda Reiser. Gary is a cousin to our own Ron Reiser! We had a nice time visiting with them, especially Rhonda. She said that she hadn't seen "cousin Ronnie" for a long time. (-:) One of those cool small world kind of connections.

ok, about today:

When you see a tower, you know there will be a hill there!

Today was another awesome day! Mullen is in Mountain Time Zone, so the day brightened up much earlier. I started the day riding south on Hwy 97. Folks, you HAVE to drive this road sometime! It is beautiful! Lots of pictures to show you.

The excitement really started when Kirk noticed the road/sign to the VERY elite private golf course south of Mullen. The entrance is about one mile north of the Dismal River. He was VERY impressed by the course and the hospitality of the folks he visited with there. They were very glad to let him poke around and take pictures. So, I'll try to get captions correct if I add any.

entrance to Sand Hills Golf Club

private cabins along the Dismal River

paved path out to the course

part of the course as seen from porch of club house

the porch of the clubhouse, overlooking the course about as far as he could see Kirk said.

There are no trees on this course, which makes it similar to the hallowed courses in Scotland. Often professional players will come to the course to practice for playing in Scotland.

Donna, Mary Jane and Lauren

These three ladies were very friendly and helpful to "the tourist" as they called Kirk. Notice Kirk in the window of the door taking the picture. (-:)

While Kirk was checking out the golf course, I "discovered" the Dismal River valley. Man was it beautiful! Here are some pics.

looking across Dismal River valley from north

looking from the south

The river sounded like a stream out in Colorado. Really neat!

Dismal River looking west

Dismal looking east

finally open!

Well, once we headed west at Tryon, we had to cross a part of highway that had been closed for several days due to high ground water. They were adding crushed rock onto the asphalt. While still officially closed, we were able to drive across it.

In Arthur, we found the Pilgrim Holiness Church, also known as the Baled Hay Church. It is the

oldest known church made of straw bales in the U.S.

The Pilgrim Holiness Church

hay bales covered with stucco

      It was built in 1928 and used for
      about 40 years. It is listed in the
      National Register of Historic
      Places.

About the last really cool thing of the ride was going down a HUGE hill about 18 miles north of Arthur! It climbed up over a big ridge and heading down the south side I hit 49.6 mph (just coasting!). It went around the bend so I couldn't see how big it was starting down. If I had known, I would of popped into my big ring on the front, done some cranking and easily made it into the low 50's!! We stopped at the top and yelled down to a guy from Utah who was climbing up the side of this hill. You can clearly see that it's pretty steep on that side.

Joe from Utah climbing the hill south of Hyannis

Thank-yous for today:

Thank you again to Kirk Shuck for sagging me the last two days! You did a great job of helping and encouraging me. Thank you my friend! Another friend, Tim Wegenest, will be sagging me the next couple of days. See you tomorrow!

Thanks also go to my host family, Andy and Johanna Safarik here in Hyannis. Great supper tonight!!

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

For relief from worry – Luke 12:22-34

Quote of the Day:
"Since the bicycle makes little demand on material or energy resources, contributes little to pollution, makes a positive contribution to health and causes little death or injury, it can be regarded as the most benevolent of machines." - Stuart S. Wilson (Oxford University)

New Spin Home Wisdom story: Part one of a two part story on dogs: "Caution - Cujo Wannabe Ahead!"

Closing thoughts for the day:

Tomorrow is only about 60 miles. I look at it as a "half rest day". Should be there by noonish and have a relaxing, restful rest of the day. Talk with you tomorrow! Sorry for the lateness of this post. I always try for before 10 pm. It's only 9:41 pm here...

Forecast for the next day:

Relatively mild wind out of the SW. I'm heading west, so into it from the angle, but still shouldn't be bad.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 15 is very simple: Hyannis to Alliance!

June 13, 2011

2011-06-13T18:25:00.001-05:00

Today's report from my Ride

Started at 6:00 am and finished at 2:30 pm.

Covered 104 miles, ave speed of 14.8 mph. Max speed - 30.7 mph

Riding time - 7 hours and 2 minutes.

Feet of elevation climbed - 2381'.

Wind - out of the SSE. On the "Hurt/Help" Wind scale, today was a +1.0.

The "Hurt/Help" Wind Scale is my way of saying "this is how much the wind hurt/helped me over the course of the day". It can Hurt me up to a -5, or help me up to a +5.

About today:

Today was AWESOME!! I'd have to say, it was the best day of the ride so far! However, I definitely did not know that starting out. When I left my host home at 6am it was misting quite heavily. (FYI - You know it's misting when water is dripping off the front of your helmet. It's raining if it's dripping off your helmet and the end of your nose. It's raining hard if it's squishing out of your shoes. And you know it's pouring when your attitude shifts from "This rain is a nuisance" to "Hey, this is kind of fun. I can not get any wetter, so I'm just gonna have a good time!!")

Anyway, I started from Lake Maloney, south of North Platte. I didn't even get to NP before I had a flat tire from a "sticky rock". It's much easier to get have a puncture when it's raining as tiny shards of rock stick to the tire because it's wet. If they hit point first, sometimes they "work through the tire" (being driven in a bit further each time the tire goes around) until they puncture the tube. Then you're sitting in the ditch putting on a new tube. That's where I found myself just 6 miles after I started, quite "damp" from the heavy mist, sitting on wet grass, surrounded by a swarm of little phlebotomist wannabes, putting a new tube in my back tire. This was NOT a good way to start a long day. But, then it occurred to me, "Hey! This is probably the worst thing that's going to happen to me today. That means you've got the "rotten thing of the day" out of the way before it's even 7am!" And that is indeed what happened!!!

The day really turned around at the 30 mile mark. I had an average of 12.6 mph and was still pretty wet from the mist earlier. But just south of Stapleton is where my sag driver caught up with me, Kirk Shuck. And the rest of the day was fantastic! He always had a smile and a word of encouragement for me. Thanks Kirk!!!!

Just look at that smiling face of encouragement!!!!

Here's a pic of me when he arrived.

Mike and Bike covered in a coat of glorious grime!

Well, after Kirk arrived, the wind seemed to actually help me a bit, the mist went away, and I just felt strong, and I mean STRONG for the rest of the day! Over the next 74 miles, I rode fast enough to raise the 12.6 mph (for the first 30) up to 14.8 mph for the entire 104 miles! Wow! My hands did not really hurt. My "undercarriage" was not as tender. My ankles didn't really bother me (beyond being stiff for a bit when I got off the bike). Ten miles east of Mullen we "gained" an hour by entering Mountain Time Zone, and then when I thought, "This can NOT get any better!", the sun came out about 6 miles east of Mullen!! Now, it's a sunny, hot Sandhills afternoon and I feel great! Marvelous day!

the Dismal River

Here are some other pics from the day. The Dismal River valley area is beautiful!!!! There is a scenic loop (about a mile perhaps) which crosses over the Dismal just east of the main bridge. It's part of old Hwy 83. That's where we took this picture, looking east. Take this loop! It leaves Hwy 83 before the bridge and then rejoins Hwy 83 on the other side of the bridge. Neat!

The Dismal River area

The Dismal River valley

When we arrived at Mullen, we were met by Gerri Peterson. This friendly young lady is the owner of the Hooker County Tribune. She interviewed me and snapped a couple of pics. Kirk took this picture while she was also taking one for the paper.

Glidden Sandhills Motel

It's by the sign for the Glidden Sandhills Motel here in Mullen. Owner, Patty Glidden, gave Kirk and me two rooms for free as her way of supporting Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska. Then she gave us $20 to help pay for our supper tonight! Thank you for your generosity!! If ANY of you ever have a chance to stay overnight in Mullen, please check in at the Glidden Sandhills Motel. They are great folks!!!! They also have canoe rentals besides the motel if you want some outdoor adventure on your trip. Check out their Facebook page and an information page on them listed below.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandhills-Motel-Glidden-Canoe-Rental/103342909701882
http://sandhills-motel.mullen.nebraska-hotels.tel/

Bible verses dealing with Jesus and “wishes”. A WISH…

To thank Jesus for His forgiveness – Luke 7:36-50

Quote of the Day:

I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle it's not going to be satisfying. - Greg LeMond

New Spin Home Wisdom story: “Don’t just ride into the wind. Tear the wind apart!" Tomorrow and Wednesday are the long awaited Spin Home Wisdom on dogs entitled, "Caution - Cujo Wannabe Ahead!"

Closing thoughts for the day:

I have put the original route in below for tomorrow. We were told that the road between Tryon going west to Arthur was closed due to flooding. Not really flooding so much as high ground water that's over the highway. Wow! So, I'm going to bike south to Tryon and if the road is open, I'll head west to Arthur. If it's still closed, we'll drive back to Mullen, then I'll bike west to Hyannis, and then south to Arthur. It'll all work out.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Please keep telling others about this journey. As more and more people know, I believe the donations will continue to rise. They've been a little slow starting, but bottom line is I'll be happy with whatever amount we end up with. Having said that, I WOULD like to top $100,000 though...(-:).

Forecast for the next day:

30% chance of rain. Wind out of the NW at 13 mph. In the 80's for the high.

Route/Towns for the next day:

June 14 - Mullen to Tryon (maybe) to Arthur to Hyannis