The Last Two Days of McBRAAM

I flew to Atlanta last Wednesday to be reunited with my cycling husband!  Twenty six days apart is the longest we have ever gone in our marriage.  To say that I missed him would be a gross understatement, but I'm so glad that Les, Lance, and Pops had this amazing trip of a lifetime together!

It was dinner time by the time I made it to Perry, Georgia.  I made a quick stop at the hotel then met them at Rusty's in the middle of their dinner.  I spent Thursday and Friday playing SAG - Support and Gear - with Mr. SAGMan.  Here's a sampling of how the days played out:

6:00-6:30 a.m. - Up and at 'em! (this hurt, because it was 3:00 a.m. California time.) 
Breakfast time at the hotel.  Les and Lance fueled up with oatmeal, waffles, eggs, coffee, juice, milk, yogurt and fruit.  SAGMan headed to the ice machine to fill the ice chest that had accompanied them on the journey.  Water bottles were filled and the van was reloaded.

7:00 a.m - Final pre-ride check-in.
Short devotion and prayer led by SAGMan.  This was an important part of each day.  It lasted about five minutes, but each day the three of them focused on thanks for safety so far and continued safety for that day.

7:30 a.m. - Roll out!
Les and Lance would start riding.  SAGMan would drive 15-20 miles down the road to a predetermined location.  I followed in my rental car on Thursday and led the way on Friday.  We would ride and wait, ride and wait.  Surprisingly, we really didn't wait that long.  We all have Life360 on our phones - Les' phone was in the SAGWagon, Lance had his phone in his jersey and I had mine with me.  I had watched their progress from afar for 26 stages and it was cool to see them so close.  Les and Lance would get more water for their water bottles, eat a snack, take off jackets, tell us our next stop, and roll out again.

2:00 - Final check-in
When the guys had about 15 miles of riding left they would have one final check-in with Pops.  At that point Pops would head to the chosen hotel for the night (typically Days Inn or something similar.)  He would get checked in and bring in the bags they would all need for the evening/next day.

3:00-4:00 p.m. - Roll in
As soon as the guys got to the hotel they would do three things:  start re-fueling, shower, and upload their data.

5:30 p.m. - Dinner
Les was very consistent with what he ate most nights - chicken, pasta, pizza.  They stayed away from fried foods and heavy meat.  They needed a good balance of protein to recover and carbs to fuel the next day.

7:30 p.m. - Nightly Prep
Bikes were checked, tires pumped, water bottles cleaned.  Les would write his nightly blog.  Bedtime snack.

9:30-10:00 p.m. - Lights Out

They did this for 28 days.  Some days the miles were longer than others, but they rode every single day for 28 days.  Remarkably, they didn't have any mechanical issues and they didn't get rained on a single time!

Friday afternoon was so exciting.  Les and I had plans to stay on Tybee Island for a couple of nights while Lance and Pops were going to drive back to Cookeville, Tennessee.  I checked in to the Admiral's Inn, then Pops and I wandered around waiting for the triumphant entry.  I'll write a separate post about Tybee Island - it's a cool place!

Right about 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 27th, Les and Lance made their final left turn from Butler Avenue on to 16th Street.  They rode the Strand Avenue traffic circle where Pops and I had a small group waiting.  (I attracted a bit of attention standing on a bench, hollering, with two phones in my hand - one for pictures and one for video!)

Les took his shoes and socks off and walked right on to the beach and into the ocean carrying his bike!  It was such a cool moment - I am SO glad I was there!  So much happiness with these three.

After several more minutes of savoring the accomplishment we headed to the hotel.  Lance took a quick shower and Les unloaded his things from the van.  We borrowed one of Pops' suitcases to bring home with us - Les had put some supplies in the rental van in boxes and we needed a way to get things home.

The final moments before Lance and Pops drove away were so sweet.  We stood by the van and gave thanks to God for such an amazing journey.  I listened as these three men shared final words after 28 days of constant contact.  It's pretty cool when you love your family as much as these three do.

Remarkable

Les and Lance have now pedaled their way into their eighth of nine states!  They crossed the Mississippi/Alabama border this morning and are nearing the 2300 mile mark.  They have had an amazing trip and if all continues as planned they will reach Savannah, Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean this Friday!!

But let me tell you about someone else who is remarkable - my neighbor, Joe.  I introduced him on this blog over eight years ago.  He is one of many smiling faces I see on a regular basis when I'm out running or riding my bike.  Joe is an avid hiker and always has a smile for me.

About a month ago Les and I saw Joe while we were on a bike ride.  It was just a quick, "Good morning!" but I told Les, "Joe didn't seem himself."  Les wondered how I could tell in such a short greeting, but I just knew.

Fast forward to this morning while I was out for a run.  I saw Joe up ahead and determined to catch him.  I slowed to a walked when I caught him.  Our conversation started off like this:

Me:  How are you, Joe?
Joe:  I'm great!
Me:  You didn't seem yourself when I saw you a few weeks ago, are you okay?
Joe:  Well, I had my toes cut off...

To make a long story short, due to poor circulation, Joe's feet were not getting adequate blood supply.  In June he had the toes of his right foot removed and in July had the same procedure done on his left foot.  He is now walking on stumps.  He said he was in a lot of pain prior to the surgery but has had none since.  The main thing that has changed is the length of his stride, but his sunny outlook hasn't changed a bit.

I asked Joe if he had been able to resume hiking.  "I wanted to hike a certain mountain on my 80th birthday and I did just that on Wednesday!"  I am so in awe of this man!  80 years young, walking three miles, 5 days a week and in his words, "working at the Senior center to help those less fortunate," the other two days!

Joe reached his turn around point and we said goodbye for the day.  I finished my run with a huge smile on my face!  What an inspiration!

Sooner Flashback

Les and Lance pedaled in to Oklahoma last Thursday.  When we were talking on the phone that night Les said something like, "I was gonna use Sooner in my post title, but I don't really know what that is."  Instantly I was back in fifth grade...

My teacher at Del Mar Elementary school in the fifth grade was Miss Shambley.  She was a good teacher, fair and funny, but her favorite subject was history.  She loved teaching American history!  We probably spent more than the normal amount of time studying this subject, but she really made it fun.

Each student in our class was required to choose a state to do a report on.  We had to choose the state and then tell why we had chosen to study it before we were given approval to move forward on that state.  My Mom's mom, Grandma Luella, was born in Oklahoma, so that is the state I chose to study.

As soon as Les said, "I don't know what a Sooner is..."  I had all the answers!  I immediately started telling him about the land rush that occurred.  Two million acres of prime Oklahoma land were opened up to settlers in 1889.  Settlers could claim up to 160 acres and as long as they lived on the land they could claim it as theirs.  (Side note: I'm not advocating the way this land was stolen from American Indians, just reporting on history.)

High noon on April 22, 1889, was when the area was opened for settlement.  There were people who entered the land early and hid until the legal time - they were then able to settle on choice land before others got there.  Those people were called Sooners, because there was a "sooner clause" in the land act, stating that anyone entering early would not be able to claim any land.  This was cause for much litigation through the years.

So if you ever wondered why I spend time blogging about the historical significance of places we've visited around the world - it's all because of my fifth grade teacher.  Of course my studying would have been much easier today with the internet!

Did you have a teacher that made you love (or hate) a certain subject in school?

McBRAAM Week 2... Meanwhile on the Home Front

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

 Les and Lance continue to make their way across the country.  They will finish today's ride in Oklahoma!  This will be the fifth state and they should cross the 1400 mile mark, which will put them approximately half way.  They've had a few tough days this week with a lot of wind but I can tell they are having the time of their lives!  If you're not reading their blog, you are missing out!  Go HERE.

It's not all just pedaling and eating.  There's a lot of laundry going on!

Meanwhile, on the home front...

We had Santa Ana winds on Monday that knocked one of our trees down.  We knew it wasn't healthy and needed to come down, the wind just gave it a little help.  I have a tree removal company coming today and they'll be taking a second tree down as well.  The years of California drought were tough on our trees.

I noticed on Tuesday that the water coming out of the faucet wasn't as hot as usual.  I couldn't get any hot water yesterday.  I wasn't sure what to do, so Google to the rescue!  "How to Re-light a Water Heater Pilot Light..."  A few posts later, I found a very helpful video that showed the exact same dials that are on our water heater.  Five minutes later the pilot light was back on and I got a hot shower yesterday afternoon!

Les gave me this mug when we were dating!  It's been getting a lot of use while he's been gone.

The David Abbott family is going to be in church with us for the next couple of weeks while Pastor and Sister White are in the Philippines.  Last night Bro. Abbott said most people don't say "I love you" very much.  I kinda had to chuckle, because if he could see the texts between Les and I, he would know we are not most people!   I am so glad he is having a great time, but I am really missing him.  I guess these little blips on the home front are keeping me a little busier to help the time pass more quickly.  Looking forward to being reunited soon!

Timeless

Les' dad arrived last night.  In his luggage is this Bible:

Bill received it after joining the Navy in 1951 when he was 18 years old.  Nearly 66 years later it is as enduring as ever.  Tucked in that Bible is a note from Grandpa McElhaney written in 1952 telling his youngest son to live right and honor the Lord, and that his dad would be praying for him.

Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."  It is timeless!

Celebrate Good Times

I'm using today's title but not the writing prompt.  This week is the kickoff of a long anticipated event - McBRAAM ~ The McElhaney Brothers' Bicycle Ride Across America.

These two brothers, Lance and Les, will be riding their bicycles across the United States of America!  It has been on their bucket list for years and it is finally going to happen.  Les' dad, Bill, affectionately known as Pops, will be driving the support vehicle.  The route looks something like this:

They will leave Southern California on Saturday, September 30th and plan to be in Savannah, Georgia by Saturday, October 28th.  The two most common questions I have received:

1.  Are They Crazy??
Well, yes, a little.  Or maybe a lot.  However, this goal is not out of reach.  Les and Lance are both strong riders.  They will not be racing.  Pops will have water, fuel and tools in the van if (when) somethings goes wrong.  All three of them are very intelligent (it's actually kinda scary how smart they are) and they have spent months planning, researching, thinking, and planning some more.

2.  Are You Going With Them?
No.  Originally they had considered renting an RV and Les told me I was welcome to go along for part of the trip.  My response, "I'm not living in a rolling locker room for a month!"  This is a boys' only trip.  I am happy that they are doing this but I am happy to stay home.  I've got a to-do list that is growing and I hope to actually get it all done.  I will be flying to Atlanta during the final week to meet up with them and be in Savannah for the grand finale!

I'll be posting updates here from my perspective from time to time, but if you're interested they plan to blog daily at their own blog ~ McBRAAM.  Let the good times roll!