Where does the time go?

I've been spending a ton of time on my bike lately to prepare for my up coming rides (MS 150  and Bike Out Hunger).  The past two weekends I have spent almost 10 hours on my bike each weekend.  And that's just the time I spent on my bike - that doesn't include the time spent getting all my gear together or putting it away or napping and eating afterwards to recover.  The bottom line is that most of my free time lately has been focussed on biking.  And it has caused me to reflect on how I'm spending my time.  Sure I am spending alot of time on my bike, but I am also reaping many benefits:

• I feel better because I am exercising regularly
• I'm soaking up the Vitamin D and enjoying some great spring weather
• I've enjoyed and have almost covered the entirety of the trinity trail system 
• I am a part of something bigger then myself - the chance to commit with others to ride and raise money for great causes
• I am making progress towards my larger goal - to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 40

So, I think this has been a good use of my time and given the choice, I would do it again!  Now, I need to consider all the ways I spend my time when I'm not biking.  Am I being a good steward of the days the Lord has blessed me with?

If we would only give the same amount of reflection to what we want out of life that we give to the question of what to do with two weeks’ vacation, we would be startled at our false standards and the aimless procession of our busy days.” 

— Dorothy Canfield Fisher 

 

What a ride!

Monday evening Sandy, Lauren, and I decided to go for a ride.  It was a little windy, but other than that it was a perfect afternoon for a ride.  We rode from Lauren's house to Trinity Park.  We had to cross University, which at the time seemed like the most dangerous part of the ride.   We followed the trail north to the stockyards.  Then we backtracked a couple miles and headed west to Gateway Park.  We had gone about 15 miles and were feeling great.  The sun was still up, the river was full, the sky was perfectly blue with white accents, and we practically had the trail to ourselves.  As we headed home, we approached an area of the trail that formed a "u" with the bottom of the "u" going under a bridge.  The three of us were engaged in conversation and riding in a clump as we curved under the bridge.  We were stunned to find two men heading straight towards us.  The next few seconds was all a blur as 5 bikes tried to share a space made for 2.  Lauren had to maneuver towards the right to avoid a collision.  She didn't quite make it and hit one of the men and was flipped over her bike and onto the ground in front of me.  I swerved to avoid her.  Sandy wasn't able to avoid Lauren and went down as well.  I got off my bike and stared at Lauren and Sandy in shock and disbelief.  My moment of frozenness was broken by Sandy asking me to get the bike off of her.  So I did.

Showing off Sandy's scraped knee and my hand

Then one of the 5 homeless men who had been sitting under this particular bridge enjoying the weather and the river, jumped down and screamed emphatically "Oh my gosh!  Are you okay?  I've got a cell phone you can use" repeatedly.  Then the men who we had collided with, who seemed to have fared better than us, came to assess the damage, apologize, and help.  Lauren fell mostly in the grass and didn't have any scrapes, but bruises and swelling quickly followed.  Sandy's leg and knee were scraped and covered in blood.  One of the men rushed to get the water bottle from his bike and began squirting her leg down.  Then one of the other homeless men offered Sandy some antiseptic.  Is it "Hydrogen Peroxide?" she asked.  "Well, its just like it" he answered as he rushed off to where he had been sitting under the bridge to retrieve it.  He had a hard time finding it and Sandy decided she didn't really need it anyway.  I was shocked when I looked down and saw my hand covered with dark red blood.  I asked for some of the water to squirt my hand off and wondered aloud "Why am I bleeding - I didn't fall off my bike?"  After much discussion, I realized one of the guys' bikes or possibly Lauren's bike must have brushed me and cut my hand in the chaos.

Lauren and Sandy had the worst injuries, but they were still
willing to pose for a picture as we waited for a ride 

Amazingly there were no broken bones.  So we rode off and debated whether to ride the full distance back or cut through downtown.  Lauren's bike was making a strange noise and was difficult to ride so we stopped to reevaluate.  When we tried to spin her front tire, it went less than 1/100th of a rotation.  Her wheel was bent and therefore rubbing against her brake.  The men had turned around, saw we were stopped, and came to help.  They were able to loosen the brake and make the bike rideable.  So, we began pedaling again when Sandy called out, "I have a flat."  We decided that about 15 miles was plenty long enough for this ride and called a couple of friends to come pick us up.  Thanks Janel and Brooke!          

Biking for good!

Taking my sister, Allison, for a ride

There is something special and freeing about riding a bike.  I love the feeling of racing down a hill with the wind blowing through my hair or exploring new trails and roads.  When I was a kid I loved riding my bike around the neighborhood.  And I remember how proud I was when I was old enough to ride my bike to some stores less than 2 miles from our house.  I would ride to the grocery store to play my favorite video game,  Galaga, and then stop by Paper Chase, the local stationary store, to buy new stickers or Steve's Sundry to buy a magazine.  And because of my bike I was free to do it without having to ask my mom for a ride.

Even as an adult I have experienced the freedom that comes with riding a bike.  When I moved to Thailand one of my first priorities was to buy a bicycle from Carrefour (a European owned Wal-Mart type store).  And I can still remember how I felt riding my new bike around the city the evening I bought it - I was so free and happy.  I even learned how to strap printers and chairs to the back of my bike when needed.

Getting around Chiang Mai by bike 

There is something special about riding a bike.  And now I am going to be a part of a couple of events that allow me to help others by doing something that I enjoy so much!

On the weekend of April 30 and May 1st, I will be riding 153 miles along a route from Dr Pepper Park in Frisco to Sundance Square in Fort Worth with an overnight stay at the Texas Motor Speedway for the MS 150.   I will be participating in this ride with my friend Sandy Hennip, whose brother in law was just diagnosed with MS.  The money raised will go to the National MS Society to fund research, advocate for change, and help people with MS and their families lead powerful lives.

Then a little over a week after that, on May 8th, I will travel to Beaumont, Texas for Bike Out Hunger.  We will embark on the 9th of May for a five day and approximately 365 mile ride up the state of Texas to Texarkana.  The money raised will go to the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger to support people and organizations who are meeting hunger needs and sharing the hope of Christ at home and around the world.

So, in the course of 2 weeks I will be riding my bike over 500 miles to raise money and awareness for two great organizations that are helping to bring freedom to those who need it dearly!


If you would like to sponsor me for either of these rides, you can go to the following pages:
Click here for MS 150 and then click on the donate to Jennifer button that is just above the thermometer  
Click here for Bike Out Hunger and then click on the Sponsor Me button on the right side of the page