Paul Anderson’s Cycling Challenge

After a full 100 miles, we pulled onto the Paul Anderson Youth Home Campus tonight a little after six. We were greeted by friends and loved ones and all of the PAYH family! We came cruising in behind a police escort.

It was an amazing journey! We couldn’t have done it without the help of so many people… not the least of which is all of you who have so faithfully followed us online!

Thanks so much! Stay posted for a follow-up video next week!

We arrived at Chatham County YMCA around four yesterday afternoon and got showers. Then we split off into five groups and spoke to five different church groups in the area. Afterward, Doc and Deanna Cossio took all of us out to eat at Chedder’s.

It was late when we made it back to the Y… They were gracious enough to allow us to crash in their gym overnight. The AC was kicking and there was 0% chance of rain inside the building! We stretched out our sleeping bags and slept on the gym floor… heaven!

We were up early this morning. Once again, we split into groups… Drew and Mark went to speak at a local Rotary Sunrise meeting, Kyle, Sam and the boys went to Chic-fil-A for breakfast, and Eric went to Monkey Love Coffee Shop to upload videos and blog updates (he had an AMAZING Latte, complete with steamy milk!!! Delicious - if you are ever in Pooler, check it out!).

In other news… yesterday we met up with Tina, Edwin’s mom, for a little while as well as Jack and Janet, Christian’s uncle and aunt, who went to church with us and even ate with us afterward. And of course, Hoyt and Ruby are back and will be traveling back home with us today.

So today is the day… heading home. It’s been an amazing trip. We only have 100 miles to go: a full century on our last day! As Sam says, “Tally Ho!” Vidalia, here we come!

Last night, we had hamburgers with a men’s group at Millen Baptist Church… we were hungry and they fed us well (they even had fresh pastries!). Right now we are eating breakfast with Sardis Baptist Church (a big THANKS to Susan for setting this up for us).

After breakfast, we’ll get back on the road and head to Pooler. We have five speaking engagements at four churches in the Savannah area tonight, so we had a pretty big day ahead of us.

Keep checking out the videos, and don’t forget our podcasts of the devotions the boys and volunteers have shared throughout the trip.

It is Day 5, and we are back on the road…

Last night Larry and Mary Hunt Murray fed us, gave us a dry place to sleep (WITH BEDS!) and even set us up to speak to a group of people from Lincolnton United Methodist and Assembly of God churches. We had a great time!

Larry and Mary Hunt: as always, your hospitality is unrivaled! The chicken and fixings, as well as the coffee and cheese toast, were delicious - and the view was spectacular!

We’ve been on the road since 9 a.m. with overcast skies - but NO RAIN!

We have had a bit of trouble with our tracker the last couple of days. We apologize (especially to Janet!) for this and hope the issue is resolved.

We really appreciate all of your comments! It is really encouraging to hear your words and to know you are following along with us!

Keep it up!

Last night around 9 P.M., it started to rain. It is still raining (it is currently 1:05 P.M.).

I will sum up our slumber in one word: WET. Several boys (Sean, Edwin, Jonathon and Christian) ended up moving from the pool area (which before bedtime was the insides of their tents) to the van between 2:30 and 3:00 A.M. Everyone seemed to be soaked by sunrise. Everyone.

Sleeping bags were carried, literally dripping, to the picnic area and draped over tables while the tents themselves were dumped upside down and hung from the rafters. At one point, Kyle was trying to blow dry a sleeping bag with a mattress pump.

Midmorning, while the rain was still steadily falling, the boss of the day, Tripp, made the call: no biking today. So we loaded up our tents and equipment and headed for Lincolnton to find a laundramat where our sleeping bags can be dried.

We will be staying with Larry and Mary Hunt Murray this afternoon and tonight - and we thank them in advance for their hospitality (it is always amazing!).

For those of you keeping up with mileage… we will still make our 500 mile goal even with today’s set back. And we’ll be back in the saddles tomorrow!

We broke camp a little before eight this morning and drove to a nearby baseball stadium where it would be safer to start biking. It was VERY foggy, so we had to wait 45 minutes until most of the fog dissipated. Safety first!

But it was a beautiful day today! Blue skies and cool - although without overcast clouds, the sun can get pretty warm.

The road today was curvy and hilly, but the view was marvelous. Jeff and Judy Thompson joined us today and we still have Hoyt and Ruby. Michelyn scouts out the road ahead and places orange safety cones so the riders know where to turn, Sam and the road crew go on ahead to find suitable rest areas, while the Thompsons and the Henleys sag behind the riders to make sure all of them have what they need.

Up until mid afternoon, traffic was heavy and the sun was bright, but things were great! It was after then that everything got interesting…

First, we started biking up a mountain. Then Jonathon’s tire blew out and we struggled to get it fixed (Michelyn had to drive to the top where the trailer was stuck because it couldn’t turn around in order to get the supplies needed). Meanwhile, Hoyt and Ruby’s car battery died and we had to figure out a way to jump them off. On top of that, the riders started getting spaced out a bit, which is common going up steep hills, and Christian missed the turn to Amicalola Park. He thought maybe there was another turn since he didn’t see the trailer parked nearby (of course, there was nowhere for the trailer to park at the entrance, or anywhere really for a good little drive inside the park) so he continued, expecting to see another entrance. 15 miles later, he was surprised to find a honking car pull off the road right behind him - a strange car, with Drew at the wheel and Eric in the passenger’s seat (the car belongs to Michelyn’s mom). At that very moment, Drew was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher explaining our lost young man’s predicament when we happened upon him!

But now everyone is collected and snuggled comfortable inside their sleeping bags and tents. Just another day on the Paul Anderson Cycling Challenge.

It’s been a cool, overcast day. Gentle breezes have been blowing. A great to ride, actually… if only we could keep from getting lost.

That’s right. It seems to be a yearly tradition for members of our group to get lost on the first day. (Before you pass judgement, know this: the directions are challenging between Chic-fil-A and Rockmart.) This year, Kyle and Christian maintained the course while Drew and the others got a little lost. Sean was lost and found and lost and found several times (fearing that he had missed a turn, he would often turn around and backtrack, practically doubling his mileage). The Drew and Patrick found a great downhill ride with beautiful scenery and cheering elementary school children. (That was most likely due to the van and trailer - a double-wamy combo that’ll really know your socks off! It’s breathtaking to see!) Following that, the lost riders were back on course (except Sean, of course, who has a talent for getting lost).

Unfortunately, in the sag’s responsibility (that is, those of us in vehicles who try and keep all of the bikers in view and on target) to collect the lost riders, an orange cone marking a turn wasn’t place… Therefore, Kyle and Christian missed a turn and thus became lost. Sean was in another state by this time (well, it seemed that way - we are pretty certain it was a different time zone). But with cunning and zest, Kyle and Christian regained the road and were still the first to reach our lunch destination.

Once we were all together again, the bikers took the Silver Comet Trail to Rockmart, while the rest of us scoped out dollar stores and wifi.

Tonight, we ate at Truett’s Grill, a specialty Chic-fil-A restaurant, and then made our way to Bubba and Cindy Cathy’s house. After a little basketball, some delicious cookies baked by Cindy, and a devotion by Bubba, we are now off to bed. We have an early morning tomorrow.

We’ll get up around six and travel to Chic-fil-A headquarters. We’ll plan to be on the road from there by 8:30 a.m.

Then., it’s off to Rome!

We are just a breath away from our kick-off in Atlanta. We are getting packed up: fuel, equipment, clothes, maps… and of course bikes.

This year’s ride will be packed with visits with friends, old and new. If we are going to be coming through your hometown, come out and see us!

A week from this Thursday, we will load up and head to Atlanta. Bright and early the following morning, the bikes will hit the road!

As has become the tradition with the ride, we’ll kick it off from Chic-fil-A headquarters. We are posting interviews with the riders this week and will post an interview with the staff later on as well.

Training seems to be paying off as all of our boys (including those not riding in this year’s bike ride) competed in a sprint triathlon over the weekend. Most of our riders did the biking part of a relay team, with other boys doing the running and swimming parts. (Two of the relay teams placed first and third, and one young man doing the entire triathlon came in third place in his age division… good job, guys!)

We are getting geared up and ready to go! Remember to tell all your friends, family and co-workers to check out the free bike give-away and come back often for pictures, videos and blogging updates.

See you on the road!

We made it home today around five o’clock. We arrived at the cheers of friends and family back at the Paul Anderson Youth Home Campus.

The trip was a success and a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who followed us online, especially those of you who made comments on the site.

The day started out at Athens “Y” Camp where we awoke to a cool crisp morning and steam coming off the lake.  The hills coming out of the gorge warmed us all up and while we started with a good pace, we were sidelined by tire troubles…again.  This year’s trip has seen far too many flat tires which has bamboozled most of the staff.  Thankfully, Drew is a master handyman and was able to rectify the problem by making some tedious but very precise adjustments (he switched out the bike).  While this slowed us a bit, we were able to arrive in Toccoa at the Paul Anderson Park at 10am to a rest stop orchestrated by Edward and Paula Schaefer along with Rebecca Binette and Quality Foods.  The food and drinks were fantastic along with the bike that Edward and Paula generously gave away.  

Leaving Toccoa, we headed to Royston, making good time and stopped for a lunch break along the side of the road.  We then launched the final part of our assault…Elberton and Richard B. Russell State Park.  The trip to Elberton was uneventful as we finally had the wind at our backs and on coming into Elberton, everything seemed right on schedule.  This should have been the first sign that things were about to go wrong.  A brief wrong turn send us off track by 3 miles, nothing major but when we finally arrived on the correct road, we began a seemingly endless journey to the park.  The road was under construction, windy, and hilly.  10 miles out of Elberton, we arrived at the Park and than had to proceed another 2 miles to the campsite.  We were all glad to be off the bikes.  Kevin, Michael’s father cooked us a spectacular chicken dinner and then we relaxed by the lake and watched the stars.  2 more days and and 180 miles to go!

We made it to Tallulah Falls. AND YES, TODAY WAS TOUGH. But some of us felt (but only some of us) that Ft. Mountain prepared us mentally for the challenge of today.

Tomorrow we head south for Toccoa. Only three days to go…

…and we’re feeling good!

If the trip up Ft. Mountain was straight up, then todays ride has been striaght up and down (thank God for the down!).

Drew’s comment (The One, not The Other One) was: “I was drafting off a caterpillar!” He has had a fairly interesting day including a bee sting and a dog bite (just a nibble… must be an acquired taste because he didn’t take much).

By far the most challenging day, according to the elevation maps - which is under high debate among the riders - DAY FOUR has given us breathtaking views and lots of sunshine. We’ve had a couple of blow outs today (no one was hurt) and even began the day without the tracker up and running (sorry about that - we did remedy that as soon as we found out!).

Currently, we are resting in Clayton and are about ten miles out from Tallulah Falls and Athens Y-camp, where we will rest for the night with the rest of the boys and the staff from the youth home.

Patty, Kevin and Quinton have done a great job keeping us going in the right direction, and Sam keeps truckin’ away hauling the gigantic “Paul Anderson Cycling Challenge” trailer, which, by the way has been turning quite a few heads! (So, if your watching online and happen to see our trailer, give us a honk!!!)

We’ll have more videos and pics up tonight.

The ride into Vogel State Park was pretty tough. We didn’t know just how difficult it would be. But we made it. At the camp, we showered and shared a meal with Jeff and Judy (Nate’s parents who have been with us a few days and have been a huge help) and Kevin (Michael’s dad, who will be our sag for a few days now that Michelyn has to leave us - whom we will miss terribly!!!).

Afterward, we piled into the van and headed over to Dahlonega, Georgia where we had coffee and dessert with Mary and Quinton, Michelyn’s parents, as well as many of their friends. Now, we are going back to Vogel to sleep in tents on the ground. Roughing it! (Bikes then tents…)

We want to give a GREAT BIG thank you to Michelyn who has braved traffic and more than one inconsiderate driver to keep track of all of us, put out the bright orange cones so we didn’t miss our turn, and bring us water and encouragement. We’ll miss seeing that Navigator!

Tomorrow, we keep trucking! Leave us a comment on our blog or our videos and let us know what you think of our trip so far. And tell everyone you know: it’s not too late to sign up for the free bike!

After yesterday’s difficult climb up the mountain, we were really excited to skip down-hill all the way down the other side of the mountain into Elijay. Imagine our surprise and dismay when, as it turns out, the way down into Elijay involves quite a many uphill climbs. It was far from the straight down, easy-breezy trip we expected it to be (we thought it’d take about 20 minutes and it actually took almost an hour).

But we’re at it again. One thing you may not know is that we have daily podcasts available of our morning devotions. Check them out as well.

Today we climbed a mountain. A literal mountain. In fact, it is the second most difficult rated bike climb in the state of Georgia, the top rated climb being more challenging than anything in the Tour de France!

Once at the top, we camped at Ft. Mountain State Park. Brig and Daniel Hart, friends of the home and fellow bikers from last year’s Cycling Challenge, joined us and cooked up some steak and chicken, baked potatoes, and salad. Delicious! (Especially after the day we had on the mountain!)

We did have quite a bit of technical difficulty… our XD card in our video capture camera somehow got corrupted. We’ll try and salvage those files when we can get to the proper equipment. Our boss for the day - Drew, the Other One - had some great footage. So we owe him a great big “I’m Sorry That Your Video Files Got Corrupted.” But you’ll see more of him on the rest of the ride.

We also had several parents and friends join us or help us out. Nate’s parents and relatives cooked up a terrific lunch for us. Edwin’s family joined us as well later in the day and helped us up the mountain. We’ve had the honor of having PAYH Trustee Dr. Cosio and his wife, Deanna, with us. They’ll be with us until tomorrow. Doc has been riding right along with us and Deanna has been a huge help to Michelyn and Sam, our support in the “automobiles.”

Thanks to everyone who has helped us out!

Be sure to check out our photo stream of pics and daily updated videos.

We left the home around 2:30 today after we gathered with the other boys and staff and prayed together. Then we drove toward Atlanta, ate dinner at one of S. Truett Cathy’s “hobby” restaurants, Upscale Pizza (Our waiter was Stephen. He did a great job.), and then went to Bubba’s house for a devotion, a little basketball, and finally bed.

We get to Chic-fil-A headquarters early in the morning and then hit the road. We have around a 90 mile haul to get to Berry College in Rome.

Tomorrow… we ride. Stay tuned.

The trip to Homerville last weekend was a rude awakening!

The trip there was 100 miles. We hadn’t been in the saddle that long up until then. Most of us were sore and exhausted afterward (as the video blog will attest). The ride was a good precursor to the actual bike ride that is coming up real soon… it gave us a good idea what riding long distances is going to be like. Only in north Georgia, we also have mountains to look forward to!

Though the ride to Homerville was challenging, the people there were great and we had an awesome time! We want to give a BIG thank you to Nass and Elaine and all the folks there that made us feel at home.

On the road today heading for Homerville, Georgia! It’s about 100 miles to get there. We stay over tonight, spend some time with Nass and Elaine Hendley (Matthew’s parents), visit some churches in the morning, and head home tomorrow afternoon. We set out this morning around 7:00 am. This should be a good little ride to warm us up for the main ride coming soon… even though this one will be flat.

Train, Train & Train some more…

Training continues. Our mileage continues to increase to 30 or 40 miles per ride. We ran into a good bit of rain on Labor Day and a few of us had a bit of a virus, but on we go.

Plans are to make a 100 mile trip to Homerville this weekend, if the weather permits.

We also have all our boys’ interviews posted in the video section and will be posting a couple of training blogs per week until the ride. Continue to check back for videos and other content… and help spread the word!

We have five weeks before we set out on this year’s Cycling Challenge. Training is now well under way! Our boys and staff are getting ready to make this year’s ride one to remember, so stay tuned…

Check out our first of many videos here!

Home again!!! We pulled onto the campus of the Paul Anderson Youth Home around 5:00. The day was long… but it was overcast and cool. There was a little rain but the imminent storm we kept hearing about seemed to move aside. We missed it the entire 100 mile trip! That’s God.

We began early, our earliest morning in fact. We were joined in Warner Robins by some friends, including PAYH Board member John Dewberry. We hit the road heading for Vidalia. The roads were wet and messy, but the wind wasn’t too bad. The first half of the day we made exceptional time. We stopped off in Dublin at Chic-fil-A (thanks Truett Cathy for inventing the chicken sandwich!) and were soon off again. The closer we got to Vidalia the more humid and warm it became. Still, when we rode up to the campus behind our police escort (see the Rider’s Block with Nathan) both sides of the street were lined with friends and family.

After saying hello, wet and saddle sore, we showered. Then we ate a feast! It’s great to be home… but the journey was amazing!

Thanks to all of you who have followed us here on the web! Our daily blog, video and podcast entries were for you. It means alot to us that you have been with us on the trip. For all who have sponsored riders or given in some way, you are awesome! Thanks so much. To the various people and churches who helped us along the way or invited us in to rest or share about our mission, we were blessed and encouraged by your enthusiasm and hospitality. Bubba: you gave us a ride on the boat and took us to Narnia. But the real blessing was you and your family. Thanks. To the parents who met us along the way, we were glad to share these moments with you. To all the parents, your sons have made us proud! We give a special thanks to Max, whose pictures say alot more than our words. Thanks for being that “other” car (the one that didn’t get lost) that gave our boys direction and support. And we give a special thanks to Brig. Your “Brig-mobile” was a welcome sight to our eyes at the end of every day. Your spirit encouraged us and your food made us full! The big screen TV was nice, too.

And we give the biggest “thank you” we have to Mack. You are a great man.

And once again we would like to thank our sponsors: Sagetracker, MonaVie and the Dewberry Foundation.

Check back in the next several days for follow-up blogs and fun stuff.

From all of us - Nathan, Daniel G., Jayson, Daniel H., Zack, Thomas, Drew, Matthew, Truett, Eric & Gregory - to all of you…
Thank you. See you next year…

We were all up before light packing up our gear in the van and trailer for the last time. (Blogger’s note: the van now smells like a wet laundry basket…PS…we get to spend all day riding in that wet laundry basket!)

Nathan P. is our fearless leader for the day. We also have some serious riding competition today. John Dewberry, from the Dewberry Foundation (also a PAYH Trustee) along with several friends of his, are riding along with us back to Vidalia. It’s going to be a “century ride” as they call it in biking terms- one hundred miles, but the LAST one hundred miles of this year’s Paul Anderson Cycling Challenge. The weather may or may not cooperate. This is one of the times we’d like the forecast to be wrong. At the moment though, it overcast and dry and all the riders are riding strong.

The ride today turned out to be shorter than we anticipated and the weather could have been worse. It was misty with periodic light rain. (Compared with the hot sun and strong winds of yesterday, the cooler weather and overcast sky were an answer to prayer!) As we arrived in Warner Robins, the traffic increased to the point that safety became a concern and so we loaded up the bikes and riders for the last few miles to the motel. From there we rode over to Shirley Hills Baptist Church where several news networks along with Nathan P.’s family and church members awaited our arrival. Just as we were finishing up with interviews, the weather turned dark and it poured. The timing couldn’t have been more providential.

We had a one hour turn around at the motel before we drove back to the church for the evening service. Drew spoke about cultural trends and challenged parents to be involved with their kids, know what they are doing. And toward the youth, Drew also challenged them to think through choices and how quickly a choice can change one’s direction. There was over-all good response and interaction with a number of people. We ended the day having dinner at an Italian restaurant which Thomas had chosen. The combination of a long wet day topped off with full stomachs and comfortable beds set the stage for a good night’s sleep.

Rise… but the Shine part is questionable! Thomas S. is our appointed leader for the day and he will have his work cut out for him just keeping everyone’s morale up. We have a 75 mile day ahead of us before we arrive in Warner Robins, GA. We have a schedule to keep because we are speaking at Shirley Hills Baptist Church tonight. The questions running through our minds are: Is the weather going to hold? Is there going to be a head-wind to slow us down? Are we going to make it there on time? There is a silver lining in all of this and that is we’re staying in a hotel for the night and we get real beds. We are riders with a cause!

It was a little chilly last night with heavy dew. We all slept hard, figuratively and literally given the long day and lack of soft mattresses. But, what do you except, this is what camping out is all about. Zach T is our leader for the day and had everyone organized and ready to go in record time. Be sure to listen to the daily devotional Pod casts.

We have another long 90 mile day as we head to Cordele, GA., but once again, the weather is gorgeous and as Zach prayed, “Lord, please keep the wind from blowing in our faces.”

Yes, it was beautiful, but the only word mumbled consistently by everyone throughout the day was, “brutal.” The day was a test of endurance and rider’s faces reflected that challenge. It was a day that separated men from boys. No one gave up in spite of the 15-20 mph head-winds. Zach struggled with how God didn’t answer his prayer the way he and everyone else would have liked. But, there was a lot to be thankful for: it was cool, there was cloud cover and everyone arrived safely.

Unfortunately, we were running out of time and needed to be off the roads before dusk. By the time we got to Smithville, GA we had to call it a day. Here’s a question for you. What do you do when you arrive in a small town and have to unload everything in the trailer to make room for all the bikes and still make room for all the equipment? You unload everything at an abandoned gas station right in the center of town and draw in curious locals who decide to take a walk and see what is going on. One elderly gentleman with his mini-van and old dog stopped and asked if we needed any help. (He owns a little antique shop in town). He remembered Paul Anderson and was glad to assist in any way possible. He was kind enough to load up several bikes and riders and caravan with us to the State Park saving us from making a separate trip.

We set up camp in the dark, ate whatever we had available and tried to get some sleep. It just wasn’t fair. The wind died down completely and the tents turned into saunas. It was hot and humid with light rain off and on through out the night. The word “brutal” pretty much sums it up.

It was a little chilly last night with heavy dew. We all slept hard, figuratively and literally given the long day and lack of soft mattresses. But, what do you except, this is what camping out is all about. Zack T. is our leader for the day and had everyone organized and ready to go in record time. Be sure to listen to the daily devotional Pod casts and check out the videos from yesterday.

We have another long 90 mile day as we head to Cordele, GA., but once again, the weather is gorgeous and as Zack prayed, “Lord, please keep the wind from blowing in our faces.”

Alabama… thanks for everything. Georgia… ready or not, here we come!

We wanted to “connect” with you, but we were wireless for the day. We rode through beautiful country; winding roads, garden-like pastures, forests and quaint little towns with “Mom and Pop” stores and restaurants. We stopped for lunch at the “Hill Top Grill,” a little hole-in-the-wall diner along Hwy. 82. Some of the featured items on the menu included BBQ sandwiches, fried okra, catfish nuggets, and grilled or fried chicken. We needed all the fortification we could get given the fact that yesterday was the longest ride so far topping out at 88 miles.

Once we arrived at Lake Point State Park in Eufaula, AL we officially reached our half way point. We’re riding strong and the group is in good spirits! On a side note…we were excited about the opportunity to take a dip in the lake, but had second thoughts when we read the sign “Swim at your own risk, alligators present.” Okay, so perhaps showers are a good choice instead.

We celebrated our half-way milestone with grilled steaks, baked potatoes and veggies, salad and fresh fruit topped off with ice-cream. Brig, Daniel H’s father who has been driving along with us, picked out some prime camp-sites close to the lake and had this hearty supper waiting for the group when they arrived. Thank you Brig!

After our second night of camping, we woke up once again to a beautiful day. We started the morning with bagels and granola, loaded up our water bottles, packed a couple of snacks in our pockets, and hit the road. Before we made it a mile we had to stop and replace Nathan’s tire. After that had been taken care of, our pedals were moving. The first leg of the day can be summed up in one word: HILLY. Legs were burning as we trucked along up and down some of the fiercest hills we’ve encountered so far.

We stopped off in Tuskegee, Alabama and visited the Tuskegee Airmen Museum, celebrating the first Black Americans who flew and fought for the United States of America. After watching a video about the airmen, we started once again. If the word for the day had been “hilly,” it quickly changed to “FLAT.” We entered an area called the Plains of Alabama. Basically we biked for miles through flat, arid country in a little town called Shorter that spanned fifteen miles. That’s a lot on a bike!

We stopped off at a truck stop near the interstate for lunch, having PB&J’s and chips. The sun had been hot already, the sky a rich blue without even a hint of cloud. After a short rest we began our last leg of the day, heading straight for Montgomery. With a little delay, we reached our destination and were thrilled to see a sign that read “Drury Inn.” After two nights of sleeping in tents we were excited to see real beds! Without having time to eat, we showered and headed to Frazer United Methodist Church. We watched their youth ministry and choir as they performed music and skits. Afterward, Drew shared with the congregation what Paul Anderson Ministries is all about. He showed a video of PAYH graduate Brad McClain’s testimony and shared a moving message about the responsibility of parents (and society) to be good stewards of our young people.

After the service we spent a fair amount of time talking and interacting with friends, visitors and members of the congregation around our two display tables. We were able to hand out copies of our new booklet, “Dangerous Trends Impacting Your Child.” After church, we were in serious need of food. It had been a long day and so we ended up at Outback Steakhouse joined by a former student and his parents who ended up picking up the tab for all of us. Thanks!

We were up early this morning, having breakfast by 6:30. Daniel H. is the “boss” for the day.

The podcasts have been posted. Keep checking back for updates.

Still beautiful weather! We set out this morning headed to Tuskegee. Right after getting on the road we had to repair a couple of tubes. Then we were off again! Be sure to go to the photos/video page and check out the videos and pictures posted there from the last few days. We are working on uploading podcasts of the daily devotions as well. Check back for those.

Thanks for checking in!

P.S. Shannon… your husband left you a message in the video blog “Rider’s Block: Day 2 with Jayson G..” Check it out!

After leaving Pine Mountain State Park in Georgia, we set out for Alabama. The morning was brisk with cools winds. We made our best time so far because of the wind on our backs. The terrain was pretty hilly but the views were incredible.

We stopped for lunch just a few miles from the Georgia/Alabama line. Little did we know the Lanette Baptist Church had prepared lunch for us. Due to a mix up in communication, we had sandwiches at Sub-way instead. But the great folks at Lanette F.B.C. were diligent. They went on-line and checked out our current GPS location. Through that, they found us at the Subway and gave us directions to the church. Members of the church had spent the morning painting a house they plan to use as a literacy center. When we didn’t show up, they got to eat our lunch! So in the end, it was a win-win situation. We left with the left-overs!

Across the state line in Alabama, the wind turned against us. We also had a two-mile up-hill stretch that will be one of the hardest on the trip. But we trekked along toward Auburn and the traffic got worse. In Opelika, the going was slow. We continued through the center of the Auburn University Campus, made our way into a residential area and got lost, and got lost again. After a little deliberation (see “Love-Bacon” video) and asking some friendly locals for directions, we eventually made it to the Chewalca State Park just outside of Auburn.

After showering and setting up camp, caravanning with Zack, Daniel H. and Thomas’s families we went back into town for dinner. Jayson was “the boss” for the day, handling all the duties that go along with the job. The Mellow Mushroom was his choice! Afterwards, we ended the day with coffee and ice cream. The weather couldn’t have been better. Spirits have been high. There have been a few mechanical issues but nothing major and no accidents! (see All in all, it was a great day!

With breakfast at Callaway Gardens overlooking the valley, we started the day in cool, windy weather. After riding half the day, we had lunch in West Point, Georgia, but we had lunch in the wrong place. Thanks to our GPS tracker, First Baptist Church of Lanette, Alabama (where we should have eaten lunch) found us and packed up for us the lunch we should have eaten with them! A great group of people, we were glad to spend a few minutes with them before getting back on the road.

Check back later for pictures and video from the Georgia/Alabama state line with Lanette FBC. You may even see a little GA/AUBURN rivalry!

We were all up at 6:00 AM this morning after spending the night at Bubba
and Cindy Cathy’s home outside of Atlanta. The hospitality and accommodation were 5 stars. As we were leaving the house, Bubba and Cindy presented us with a check in honor of a close friend who recently passed away and went “Home to Glory.”

After a short drive to Chick-fil-A Corporate headquarters, we were given a hearty breakfast, with “second mile” service and a rousing send off with a prayer and a Chick-fil-A cheer.

The first leg of the journey took us 24 miles and around mile 20 our first exciting event occurred. Picture this: heavy traffic, no shoulder, and nine riders going up over a hill. All 9 riders were tight on each other’s wheels, when two tires scrubbed and two riders went down. It could have been messy, but God had His hands on the situation and we were soon back on the rode.

Next stop was Toyota of Newnan, GA. We were met by Jim and Zuline Pulliem and their friends from Central Baptist Church. They coordinated with the dealership a lunch and a great time of fellowship. Around 12:30 PM, we headed out for the longest leg of the day heading toward Pine Mountain and Roosevelt State Park. Max Thompson was super in keeping us together, making sure we did not loose each other on turns and taking over 600 pictures. We finally finished the day after completing 77 miles.

Daniel G. was our leader for the day and had set high expectations for the rest to follow and including coordinating supper with Brig Hart, who treated us out for dinner. Around the evening table, we all summarized the day with the following one liners.

“That’s not a law in Alabama.” (we found out the hard way that bicycles need to come to a complete stop during a funeral procession)
“What’s it like to not being able to keep up with a 37 year old man?”
“Great day, great weather.”
“One close call”
“A very eventful day.”
“On the verge of starvation until the point of death.”
“I now know why I had to wear tight padded shorts.”
“Zack Thompson hit an possum and smelled like one for at least half a mile.”
“A great weather day, breeze from the side not the front.”
“Can I get a wi-fi?
“Are you alright Drew?”

Each day a different rider will be featured. We will profile a young man, giving you excerpts from his devotional and his thoughts and observations on the day. Check back frequently for blogs, videos, podcasts and photos!

Starting on Friday, the “Rider’s Block” order will be:

• Day 1: Daniel G. (Friday, September 28)
• Day 2: Jayson G. (Saturday, September 29)
• Day 4: Daniel H. (Monday, October 1)
• Day 5: Zack T. (Tuesday, October 2)
• Day 6: Thomas S. (Wednesday, October 3)
• Day 7: Nathan P. (Thursday, October 4)

Just training…with three weeks until we leave on our bike ride, our seven riders are preparing to meet the challenge of the 500 mile route by…pedaling. As we finish our training, come back often and see updates from the team.