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!