given the crazy next this next week, mitch, clay and i got our last team training ride in saturday. we headed down to mt vernon in knox county to ride the kokosing gap trail. the humidity was at about 90% and the temperature at 9am was already 89…and it just got warmer. the ride was amazing. the beauty of that area made the 20 mile trip with the drive even with the heat.
there were four different large old railroad bridges and some smaller ones that we cross over as we went. things went well until we hit the 12 mile post. just as we cross a small road, a couple warned going the other way warned us that there were a number of trees down across the trail and we might have to turn around. we pushed on and sure enough there they were…obstacles. honestly we stopped and at first glance my younger colleagues and thot…guess we should turn around…but i encouraged the boys that we should try to get around it. and with closer examination it was clear others had done the same thing as there was a newly worn foot trail at the edge.
as we pedaled along, we had to dismount and walk around 6 others trees. once we cleared the remaining 2 miles into danville was a breeze. as we talked afterwards, the trees were a great metaphor for life, but even for this 500 mile bike ride were prepping for. life through obstacles in our way…but if we lean into the opportunity, we find that others have encountered and therefore afford us the opportunity to attempt the difficult and even succeed. and like life or riding a bike on those difficult days,when you think you’re almost “there” at the 85% mark obstacles may appear…and the question is…like Frodo and the Ring…not wishing it hadn’t come to him…Gandalf wisely replies.. All you have to do is to decide what to do with the time given to you. so that brings us to this Freedom Tour. We’re about ready to leave. We’re still short of our fundraising goal…about the 85%…what seems like an obstacle…but we’re pushing through. we leave in 4 days…plenty of time to get to our goal. will you be a stakeholder? visit this link to give.