June 15, 2007

Day 15: The Team concluded today in a little town just south of Marysville, Kansas after a very humid excursion. We are beginning to feel what the Midwest is going through as the heat index topples over 100 degrees. Our next stretch of road will hopefully take us east of Stanbury, MO to a little town called Bethany. Can you say goodbye to Kansas and hello to Missouri? Take care and we will keep pedaling. Hopefully, the weather will cool down.

June 14, 2007

It is almost 11:00pm EST and I just talked to the guys. They are in Lyons, KS watching sports on TV relaxing. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the great expanse of Kansas, Lyons is just east of Great Bend, KS and about 50 miles northwest of Wichita. I'm sure you can pinpoint that location in your mind, right? They report having gone around 140 miles today, again enjoying a tailwind to help push them along the FLAT stretch of land. They all seemed to appreciate the FLATNESS of today's ride after all the hills they conquered in Arizona and Colorado.

Last night, it stormed/rained all night long. This morning, when they were ready to ride, the rain had stopped and there were just some puddles to deal with. Looks like they avoided another weather situation....our prayers must be working!

This just in from Albert (11:56pm)
Day 14: Finally done for the day and the team is exhausted. Our latest jaunt concluded in Lyons, KA. So far we are all still in good health and motivated to keep pushing on. The terrain and weather have been very kind with flat prairie lands, smooth roads, and a kind southwestern wind to push up to a 21 mph average. We actually feel for you folks in the Midwest enduring the current heatwave. The temperatures here are in the mid 80's and the thunderstorms at night have made for some cool, but humid rides.

Once again we would like to thank Monaco Coach for loaning us the Marquis Beaver. Without this castle on wheels this trip would not have been possible. Again, thank you Monaco for trusting us with one of your spacious coaches. Take care everyone and keep the faith. We are!

June 13, 2007

Day 13: We finally made it to Kansas earlier today and are pedaling at a consistent pace. Soreness is really starting to set in on all of us (nothing a little Advil and Ben Gay can't take of)! The land is very flat and the weather has been cooperating fairly well. A real cool incident happened today as we ran into another group of cyclists heading from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK! They call it the Texas 4000 for cancer research. The 4000 is for the number of miles they are travelling! Talk about having legs of steel-their excursion is mostly through the Rockies (ouch). Many of their riders are UT students and alumni but there were some that hailed as far as New York. It is good to see that other people are willing to sacrifice time away from home and families to reach a goal that benefits from their labors. My hat goes off to them because they only have a couple of support vehicles to follow them as well as no place t o sleep. I spoke with one of the members and they stated they have to visit local churches to see if they will put them up for the night. Pretty much where they lay their heads is where they will sleep. Good Luck to the Texas 4000 and we know you will make it to Alaska.

We are stopping after another 100 + mile excursion in Scott City, KA for the evening and will once again continue on in the morning. Take care and we will talk to you folks tomorrow.

June 12, 2007

Last night, the guys stayed in Monte Vista, Colorado. They haven't encountered any rain, but if you have been watching the Weather Channel, you see that they are moving into a "stormy" region for the next day or so. Hopefully the "scattered thunderstorms" will hold off until later in the day after they are done riding. They have enjoyed the overcast skies and cooler temperatures after "baking" in the California/Arizona sun for the past week. We will continue to pray for safety and good riding weather.

Road conditions seem to be deteriorating the further east they go. Out West, there were nice shoulders on the roads, but as they move east, the shoulders are either very narrow or non-existent. This poses new challenges with slow-downs due to wind (when a semi drives by) as well as safety. The team has been brainstorming and discussing possible solutions to these concerns.

Physically, the team is feeling strong - a bit homesick, but feeling strong. Today, the goal is to reach LaJunta, Colorado. Please feel free to click on COMMENTS to leave the guys a word of encouragement. It really makes a difference!

THIS JUST IN FROM ALBERT: (11:35PM)
Day 10: We concluded our latest excursion today in LaJunta, Colorado. The road has started to flatten out as we enter the prairie lands of America. This is a far cry from the 13,000 to 15,000 feet of the famous Colorado Rockies which took its toll on all of us physically. Tomorrow we should cross the Kansas state line early and Colorado will be in the books. Take care everybody and you will hear from us soon as we move closer to our goal.

June 11, 2007

Today, the guys logged about 130 miles as they trekked into southern Colorado. Although "hilly" at times, they still had a bit of a tailwind, so that helped. The monotony of ride-eat-sleep-ride-eat-sleep has settled in, and it is fair to say that the "honeymoon" is over. Now it is time for the riders to bite the bullet, press on, and really see what it means to persevere, self-motivate, and push oneself towards a goal. There are many, many people who are praying for you guys - and standing behind you 100%. Ride strong!

Happy 19th Anniversary, Gary! It's our first one to spend apart - but I'm so proud of you for taking on this challenge. You're amazing! From, your wife, the Blogmaster.

June 10, 2007

Although they haven't had good cell phone signals out in the middle of nowhere, the Coast to Coast riders have logged about 240 miles this weekend. Gary reports that on Saturday, June 9th they rode just past Mexican Waters, AZ (approx. 115-120 miles for the day). Today, they expect to make it to Durango, Colorado (another 115-120 miles). They stopped at 4-Corners and took some pictures, which will be shared on the blog as soon as they send them. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, they are making outstanding progress! Way to go, team! We continue to keep you in our prayers and have confidence that you will reach New York City "on time" (just like UPS would want it) and in great form. God speed!

This just in from Albert....(10:00pm EST)....
Days 7 & 8: Here are some pictures from Saturday and Sunday's ride which covered nearly 240 miles. We started in Tuba City, AZ and rode through the Four Corners monument, and then concluded in scenic Durango, CO. Everyone is still in good health and pedaling at a steady pace. The sun continues to cook us even with sunscreen. Some of you are probably wondering that there is no communication between towns. There are no cell phone towers and wireless internet is extremely weak. Hopefully you all will get this and a second e-mail with more pictures. Take care and you will here from us soon.

June 9, 2007

The guys are in a remote area and have no cell service at this time. We should be able to reconnect with them on Sunday.