First weeks of real training...

Mohican is a long way off, but I have started the "official" training this month. All I can say is that it is going to be a long stretch through the winter to get to where I want to be by April/May. I have laid out a schedule to serve as a guideline for training, since riding with two little ones at home and a busy work schedule often changes my plans.

Yesterday I went out for a 2 hour mountain bike ride and was reminded of how much work it'll take to ride for 9-10 hours. Although the trail I rode was very rough and technical, the effort to simply ride for those 2 hours was significant. I will definately need the long rides in my schedule if I want to have any hope of riding well in June.

On a positive note since the last update, God has really provided and I secured a great road bike to help with the training. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will post some soon. A super nice Neuvation F100 popped up on Craigslist and I was fortunate enough to buy it. So far I have put about 300 miles on it and hopefully will have 1000 on before January.

Action

In endurance events, there are times when it just comes down to putting one foot in front of the other. I'm motivated to do just that right now. I had to do a similar process to finish the Galena Marathon both times. Here I am at the start of the 2009 Galena race. The FCA-E yellow is easy to spot.

In my pursuit of moving my faith into action with the Mohican project I have decided that the only thing I can do while I wait on certain peices to fall into place is keep moving. I have to keep training and praying about how God will use me on this mission. It is not my race, I'm just lucky enough to get a go at it and whatever is provided for me to use as I continue on is a blessing.

Here is an update on the progress:

• still waiting for two families to be acknowledged through the Nampa, ID and Ashland, OH areas and for God to provide a bridge for me to raise funds for their needs


• looking for a road bike, which I will need to serve as a critical part of my training


• Mohican 100 date is still not set, so I'm concerned I'll be rushed to get back to Ohio in time


• financial cost of this project is looming, it is intimidating to think of what I will have to invest


• no word back on various side projects, including a weekly off-road time trial in Kuna or the Owyhees

"He who hears my word and puts it into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24

Dealing with Doubt

I have been stricken with feelings of doubt this week. It is hard when all the details that need to come together are still in the air. I have such a hard time with processes that take so long. I'm used to jumping into a situation at 100 miles an hour and just going, and it is hard to wait while we find a family to raise support for. Unfortunately I've also realized that in order to be fully prepared for 10 hours of mountain biking, I'll need to log some serious road miles on a bike I don't yet have... another area where doubt is creeping in. I guess this is what God wants, because I have realized that I cannot possibly do this ride without His providence in every way. I trusting him to lift up this mission and make it what he wants, I just hope I can get out of the way and let it happen.