Challenges: " I am more determined than ever" 1500 miles into the ride, 8th state Vermont

We are 1500 miles in, the 8th state, and concluding a really hard week. If the ride is not challenging enough, Scott had a number of extra challenges this last week. Multiple flat tires, heat advisories, pouring rain, route challenges,  Garmin bike computer fail, a fall due to construction equipment pulling into the the road on a steep hill, poor cell and GPS coverage, etc., all added up to what felt like a walloping on top of the usual mileage. It was tough! But Scott is tough. Plus, he expected all these types of challenges, just not all in one week!  It made for some soul searching moments out on the bike. 

 Scott handled the heat advisories no problem. He handled the fall no problem (to quote Scott "I am a football player”.)  He changed the flat tires (until he ran out of tubes with him.)  He switched from the garmin edge to google maps bike on his phone. The rain was tougher. Pouring buckets of rain killed visibility and made the road slick. Again, these challengers are not unexpected. But it is still nerve-racking especially on the side of a narrow mountain with poor visibility. Our plan for this type of situation was for him to call for a pick up to stay safe. We value safety. However we had communication challenges. While Scott was trying to reach me I was at a dead end in state park, attempting to back the camper out of said dead end  through a heavily wooded, twisty turny,  narrow road also during that deluge with no visibility. You can imagine the stress on both of us. Scott was stressed as he was stuck in bad weather, no cell service, only to get my voice mail.  On my end, I had no cell service either, trying to back the camper on a highly technical, challenging road with no visibility, knowing that I had to get it done as Scott likely needed me. Sigh. Ultimately I got out of there (by the GRACE of GOD as I am not that skilled backing...) and I found him drenched and biking slowly and carefully along the mountain side road. He had already had one fall that week and was trying to avoid a repeat. 

We have also had some route challenges again compounded by communication challenges. We anticipated, expected route challenges too - but this time the bike "route" was a completely washed out road with boulders, creeks and a bull dozer actively redoing the road. Scott had to walk and carry his bike over and through the river. Again Scott had no cell service. My GPS tracker on him also was not moving due to poor service. The rough conditions led to two flats and running out of tubes. No cell service meant that he had to walk 8 miles before a kind soul gave him a ride to town. 

 

Scott and I  deal with challenges by re-evaluating the plan, tweaking as necessary and doubling down on our mutual determination to reach the goal and stick with the mission...plus a whole lot of prayer along the way. As always Scott is calm and thoughtful. 

 Yesterday Scott had another challenge, but the type of challenge that he thrives on, an 80 mile bike through the Green Mountains of Vermont, with 5200 in elevation gain. He had a great ride that while "challenging," with a 14 percent grade at times, was one that he expected and trained for. He ate up it up - and his strong ride boosted his confidence after a really rough week. Scott's perspective on challenges: challenges are good, they make you stronger physically and mentally. But they are tough  when you are going through them so it is important to know why you are doing something. Challenges test your belief in your "WHY." Scott's "why" is strong: to honor the life he has been given and his son Benny's life. We much appreciate all the support, messages and texts as they really help! Please keep spreading the word about the mission. www.milesformoney.org and encourage donations too!  Thank you! www.milesformoney.org