Surprises!

J

Special thanks to the Reiskytl family for hosting us on our rest day yesterday! We really needed it. Grandma described it best when she told us we were in an oasis. We got iced, aloed, and fed, and we took some time to reevaluate how we were structuring our days. We needed to scale back our expectations. We had been basing calculations based off of everything going right, but that’s not what was happening. Those expectations led us to three very stressful, rushed days, and difficult days.

We couldn't have done it without these guys giving us rest and the chance to recover. Fort Wayne, IN

I would never consider myself a quitter. I do not back down from challenges. Fear of regret led me to summit Half Dome and bungee jump over the Zambezi River. But these last few days made me think about quitting. They were physically and mentally agonizing. I continued to ask myself, “Why on earth am I doing this?” I hated the thought of walking away from this challenge because I wasn’t strong enough in some way, shape, or form to complete it. So I started thinking about why I was still pedaling my bike.

Our cousin Taylor gave us letters to help encourage us on. You'll see one of those is for next time we're ready to give up. Thanks Taylor! Fort Wayne, IN

Every morning when I woke up in pain, I didn’t think I could get back on my bike. But I did. I surprised myself. Every time the wind blew 20mph in my face, I didn’t think I could go another mile. But I did, and I found myself surprised. Every time Micah said we had another 15 or 20 miles before our next break, I didn’t think I’d make it. But I did. And slowly but surely miles passed by. They were painful and they were slow, but I kept on surprising myself.

So that’s why I’m still pedaling! I am honestly amazed by what my own body can do. I can’t believe that I have biked over 300 miles across 3 states. I can start a day knowing that the unexpected is coming, but I am sure to surprise myself through it anyway.

Today’s Surprise? It was a marvelous day! The temperatures were cool, the terrain was downhill, and our mileage was low. Today was the first day that I really enjoyed being outside on a bike all day. With only having to bike 56 miles, we took our time and enjoyed our day!

Today's lower milage meant we got some hammock time in over lunch. Antwerp, OH