The threefold description of the day that was present as we stepped out of the motel room was "cool, calm and clear." As beautiful as it was, it only got better. By the end of the day it was no longer "calm." There as a decent wind from the SOUTH! We had a tailwind.Our plan was to start riding by 8:00a. The riders began arriving shortly after 7:00a. Everyone was pumped and excited. The kids were running around playing so hard that they were sweating before we paused for the pre-departure prayer. We had four support vans and everyone was on radio (walkie talkie) - Beth, Linda, Marilyn and Melissa. As we rolled out of the Motel 6 in Denton, we felt like it was simply a Sunday family outing - which I guess it really was. The course was to be slightly over 40 miles. All the riders were healthy, except for a couple of sore ankles, knees and lots of sore muscles. Most of the radio chatter was the support drivers positioning themselves to be as helpful as they could. A couple of miles north of the Motel 6 our old friend, Hwy 77, showed up and joined I-35. Our day was mostly spent on the access road.
First Rest Stop was 10 miles north. To get there we had to go through Sanger, Texas. Approaching Sanger was one of the few stretches requiring us to use a road other than the access road. It turned out to be an absolutely picturesque, quiet country road with trees that formed a canopy over the road. It crossed the railroad track that the access road refused to cross. It forded the river that made to access road double back. It was a brave little road that had been there a long time and grown beautiful with its years. As it brought us into town it introduced us to "Sanger" the yellow lab. Darrell Crow was right behind me and warned, by radio, that a dog was chasing me. I looked over my right shoulder and there was "Sanger" running beside and just behind me. He wasn't barking, just running. He really wasn't even chasing - just running. So, I thought I'd see how far and fast he'd run. I accelerated my pace to over 20 mph and Sanger stayed with me. I kept going and kept trying to go faster. At one point I know I read 25 mph on my computer and Sanger was right there with me. I decided I might not outrun him, but certainly I could out last him. Eventually I did - after about a mile. By then he had dropped back and then began running with Darrell. When we took our Rest Stop break in Sanger we were joined by our new found friend. The kids loved him.
We left Sanger the town and Sanger the dog behind for an 11 mile ride to the next Rest Stop. Even with this full sized key board I don't have the words to describe the beauty and challenge of the day's second ride. It literally issued a personal challenge to me to ride it as fast as could. I am not a sprinter, but the hills and sunshine and joy of the event pushed me. Then, I saw Crow in my rearview mirror and realized he was coming after me. I told him, as he arrived at the Rest Stop a few second behind me, that I had proven, once and for all, that - given a quarter mile head start - I can arrive first.
The next Rest Stop was on the north side of Gainesville. Our SAGs guided us through in expert style. About mid-town was where I had the only flat of the day. My spares were in Melissa's van so she doubled back as I removed the punctured tube. We were back on the road in no time. This Rest Stop was the LAST! We all donned our GREAT Ride T-shirts and agreed to ride as a group to the finish. We had one major event to accomplish, however, before the finish. The Plemons and Hinojosa kids had brought their bikes so as to ride with us. We found an appropriate level stretch that lead to an appropriate hill. All the kids - Joshua Hinojosa, Caleb Hinojosa, Cal Plemons, Cameryn Plemons and Cannon Plemons - officially became GREAT Riders at the top of the hill. And, it happened to be the hill we had been looking for for nine days. It was the LAST hill [Mike].
The water was cold and the mud was deep, but we dismounted our bikes and stood in the waters of the Red River. No one was more amazed than the riders themselves. Five riders started and five riders finished. The finish line was at the bottom of a steep downhill stretch that made a hard turn to the left as it went under the Red River bridge. We came blazing down completely unable to comprehend the moment - probably because it wasn't just a moment. It was a nine day excursion across Texas. It was the GREAT Ride. It was a never to be forgotten shared memory for friends, family and strangers we met along the way. It will change the lives of some people in Sri Lanka. It has changed our lives. We have jointly, personally seen and felt the hand of God - as He reached down to scoop the fog away because we asked - as He blew a renewed spirit of joy into our discouraged hearts because we asked - as he pushed gently on our backs with His tailwind because we asked. It was a great ride in the great state of Texas provided by a great God. May He be the one, as we speak of and remember these events, who gets the glory.
Hector asked me "what next?" Hmmm.
