Fellowship United Methodist Church

I have gained a new appreciation for reflection.  Reflecting on where I am in life and ministry, the great things that I have the opportunity to be a part of as well as the struggles of life. 

I have had some time to reflect on my first Bicycle Ride Across Georgia now that it ended 10 days ago.  It was a phenominal event and I will most likely become a yearly BRAGger.

Today we rode a loop out of Athens and returned to Athens.  Along the way I gained a new appreciaiton for perseverance. 

Today I rode with just my friend Mark.  I am a pretty tough minded and strong willed guy but I have to be honest and say that Mark is the reason I finished today.  He is a bike riding machine and he immediately took the lead today because he knows I am feeling a little tired.  I stayed on his wheel, drafting behind him for the first 25 miles of today's ride, still riding faster than I ever could have done on my own.  We started out saying that today would be a recovery ride, one that would loosen up tired muscles and purge the built up latic acid.  Well, that pace may have been a recovery for Mark, but it was about a 85% effort for me.

Today we rode from Mt Airy to Athens, home of the Georgia Bulldogs (not a favorite place for an Auburn fan), for a total of 65 miles. I rode again with Mark and Daniel and a couple of other guys.  We did a blistering pace (for me) for the first 30 miles until I dropped off the back during a steep hill climb.