Written by: Jennifer Wells
Today we left Page, AZ and rode to Kayenta, AZ. A typical morning with this group for me is to get up about 45 minutes before breakfast, rush around getting dressed, putting my belongings into my bag, getting bag out to the trailer to be hauled to the next town or city, do my chore if I have one (I did today), eat breakfast and put sunscreen on almost simultaneously, pump up my tires, get my Garmin ready and prepare for our morning team meeting and devotion.
After all this, I am ready to dash out and get going. Once I start to ride I tend to have that urge to keep riding with short stops until I get to the next destination. Today however and to my surprise, I had a different experience as I started to pedal away. I realized I had several mechanical issues with my bike. Oh the disappointment started to set in. Am I going to be able to ride today? The other unusual thing about today is that my husband Peter happens to be visiting me and the other cyclists for the next couple of days. As Peter inspects my bike my disappointment begins to take hold. Then I remember that things happen for a reason and to have faith in God and I begin to pray the Serenity prayer. After all, God does have a plan for us each day. So what is it going to be today? Shortly thereafter, my husband Peter announces the various solutions to all of my mechanical bike problems. After an hour and half, I am off to Kayenta, AZ. But then I hear all kinds of noises that my bike is making. Hum… maybe I won’t be riding today. So rather than going down the path of defeat, I told myself that I can take the time to assess what is causing all the different noises. So after 5 miles of being on and off the bike, I was ready to go. I said to myself “Never in a million years will I catch up to a single soul in my group.” I began to pray and enjoy the scenery around me. I took my time since I knew we had about 5000 in elevation gain/ climbing and about 4100 in descent over 100 miles. My husband was my personal support driver for the day. Every 20 miles or so, he would stop so that I could drink and eat.
With his support and prayer, I decided to keep the faith, ride a steady pace knowing that eventually, I would catch up to one of my cycling friends. At about mile 60 I saw not only the support trailer but also about 4 of my cycling friends. I was so glad to be back in the loop with them, knowing that there were cyclists in front of me and behind me, with a support trailer. The take home message of the day is don’t let negative self talk take over since it leads to negative feelings, remember that God is with you each step of the way, nurture your faith in God each day and continue to foster relationships with my Fuller Center cycling friends. Also, Peter I love you and thank you for your support today.
