What the Hunger Ride is all about.....

Thanks to so many of you who have followed along with me in my journey from Vancouver,BC to Imperial Beach,CA to raise awareness and resources for the work that Food for the Hungry is doing in Ethiopia.

My hope is that you may have been encouraged or challenged to do one or more of the following.....

1. Become more AWARE about global poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa.
2. GIVE of your resources to this crisis.
3. GO to Africa or a developing country and give of your time and energy.
4. Be TRANSFORMED and live a life that Christ calls us to live.

I wanted to post some pics of the new high school that was built last fall by way of YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
from the 2006 Hunger Ride. Thanks to YOU, hundreds of kids in Zeway have a completely different educational experience.
The pics contrast a typical school in Zeway verses the school that was built with the money raised from the Hunger Ride.

"I thank my God upon every rememberance of you, Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now"
-Phil 1:3,4

"In light of what Christ has done for me, the very most that I can give, is the very least that I could have done."
-Virgil Staples, Pastor of Senior Adults at Elmbrook Church

Day 22 (The Last Day): San Clemente to Imperial Beach

Miles on the Road: 80

Total Miles on the trip: 1747

Weather: 70's, sunny, and a fierce headwind. We had to earn many of the miles today.

Terrain: Mostly flat with a few minor hills

Songs Stuck N' My Head: "Training Montage" -from Rocky IV

Well, here's how I'll sum this thing up......
In the blog world there's this thing called "100 Things" ....which is basically where you make 100 statements about your life, or whatever it is that you're blogging about. It's pretty cool, at least I think so. Anyways, I won't bore you with 100, but here's my best shot at the Hunger Ride 50!

50 THOUGHTS ABOUT THE HUNGER RIDE......

1. It’s definitely not about the destination….it’s about the journey. And this has been one heckuva journey.
2. Like life, the journey is often more about “whom you walk (or ride) with.” I was blessed to have some incredible people with me on this trip; starting with my riding pal, Stephen Douglas....a great guy and a solid rider.
3. I will say that wearing Spandex every single day is not as uncomfortable as it looks.
4. Once you wear it enough, you forget that people in public are staring at you…and in actuality you really don’t give a rats if they are because there's a 99.9% chance you won't see them again anyways.
5. Why does the world dislike spandex? That’s all I want to know. Can somebody give me an answer?
6. Now, I really don't think spandex is all that bad. Yeah, so it’s really tight…and it makes people around you feel uncomfortable and awkward. But Let’s all embrace this together, shall we?
7. The 2007 Ride was just under 1800 miles, about half the distance of last years’ trip.
8. It is no exaggeration to affirm that a journey by bicycle is like none other; it is a thing apart; it has a tempo
and a style of its own.- James E. Starrs, The Noiseless Tenor
9. At this point, I don’t know if I will ever go on another Hunger Ride.
10. I can’t compare the 2007 HR to last year because they are so different.
11. Oregon takes the cake (again) for the best state to bike thru.
12. Hats off to the entire West Coast for being “biker friendly” states.
13. I grew my beard out this year (again) because I know how much all of the older female teachers at PDS love young men with facial hair. Here's to you, ladies. P.S. I'm laying the sarcasm on right now just like I put syrup on my pancakes. Really thick.
14. It’s not easy to be a sag Wagoner. They are invaluable people. Thank you Rand’s, Douglas’, and TEAM DENVER. I love you all, and owe you BIG TIME for carrying my stuff.
15. I’ve got to give it up for Roger and Rose Rand (my parents)…any sense of adventure that I have came from them. Heck, they met in a bar.
16. “The purpose of running (or cycling) is not to win a race, but rather to test the limits of the human heart.” –Steve Prefontaine
17. I feared going on this trip the two months before I left. But once you get riding, you forgot about how scared you were and it’s just riding.
18. I’m convinced that anyone can ride a bicycle across the country or down the coast…much like running a marathon; it’s more mental than physical.
19. When you bike, pray for a tailwind.
20. And, make sure that you are carrying a very detailed map.
21. But still know that even if you have a great map on a cross-country trip, you’re still going to get lost.
22. “I can’t believe this freakin’ road is not on the map”----the most often quoted sentence by yours truly this summer.
23. I went to the bathroom A TON of times outside...in a bush, near a tree, or under an overpass. Think if we all did this...then we’d conserve a good amount of water. Why don’t the Greenies ever suggest this???
24. Rain isn’t a bad thing when you’re biking….unless it’s 50 degrees and really windy. Then it sucks.
25. I’ve worn the cycling “bibs” instead of shorts 19 out of 22 days on this trip. That was the strategic move of the trip that paid off.
26. If I could have gotten a pair of pink cycling bibs for the trip, I would have worn them everyday. I promise. And I would have fit right in here in Cali.
27. Let me tell you what is also en vogue out here in Cali….tats, multiple piercings, colored hair, uncharitability, dozens of beach towns that look the same, and over-priced food.
28. When you bike, fuel and hydration are so crucial at all times of the day. I’ve eaten food at 3am on this trip several times.
29. I also went to the poddy almost everyday at 3 or 4 am. I hate that.
30. Do you really want me to answer the question, “How bad does your buttock hurt after biking almost 1800 miles in 22 days?” Yeah, I didn’t think so.
31. In two Hunger Ride's, I learned that it's ok to lick your fingers at lunchtime even if they are full of bike grease and dirt.
32. The scariest moment of the trip was probably riding over the Astoria Bridge in Oregon….it’s old, it’s massive, it’s creepy, there’s ZERO shoulder, and the wind was blowing 1 million-google miles per hour when we were on it.
33. The hardest day was the first 125 miler when we rode from Seaside to Morro Bay...because of all the hills and because of how hard we rode.
34. That 125 mile was also one of the more epic and rewarding experiences that I’ve had in long time.
35. Paul White, my friend and co-worker from Presbyterian Day School in Memphis,Tn, is a Hunger Ride Blogging All-Star…..there’s nobody that will ever match his feats in blog comment postings. Paul, I crown you king.
36. Chris Hill is a very close second, with Ted Debiase coming in with an honorable mention award for his late-in-the-ride heroics.
37. I’ve never received one phone number from a girl on the 2006 or 2007 Hunger Ride. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Rev. Hill.
38. I used to care about my tan lines. That day passed about 8 years ago.
39. I’ve thought about entering several science fair projects this fall (4th or 5th grade) after what I’ve smelled from sweaty jerseys and socks and the end of a days’ ride.
40. In two years of summer cycling, I can definitely distinguish between a “nice horn honk” and a “mean horn honk.”
41. I used to want to flip people off who used the “mean honk." Instead, I learned to wave and pretend that we’re really good friends.
42. Traveling with a high-schooler, you learn that you’re not as cool as you think you are.
43. Before the trip, I thought I was cool, but I soon learned that I was old. You have to remember, a high school grad knows what cool is......and you don’t.
44. The bicycle hides nothing and threatens nothing.It is what it does,its form is its function.
- Stewart Parker,
45. Three months ago, I considered not doing the 2007 Hunger Ride…..I was going to quit my job at PDS and take off to hike the Appalachian Trail. Seriously.
46. On a cross-country bicycle trip, really really good food is still just food.
47. If everybody had the spirit of volunteerism like the Sirak family from Beaverton,OR, (the family who has had TWO garage sales for the Hunger Ride) this world would be a lot better place.
48. I arrived in Imperial Beach...from Vancouver.....39 minutes and 24 seconds faster because I shaved my legs.
49. If I wanted to pump myself up while riding, I’d start singing “Daughter” by Pearl Jam. That, or Cyndi Lauper, "Girls just want to have fun." J/K.....you still reading this Heavy D?? AAA??
50. If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading, and thanks for your interest, prayers, comments, and e-mails with this years ride.

Day 21: Santa Monica,CA to San Clemente,Ca

MILES ON THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY: 85

# OF MILES RIDDEN IN THE LAST 4 DAYS: about 425

HOW I FELT TODAY: Surprisingly good. I definitely could have ridden more.

WEATHER: Gorgeous! Fantastico! 70's, sunny, and a little bit of a cross-breeze.

TERRAIN: Mostly flat with a few hills at the end as we rode into San Clemente. (You were right, A.T.)
Today we spend many many miles on a bike path/trail close to the ocean and then again on one that paralleled the Los Angeles River.

# of car doors that almost side-checked me into traffic today: only 1, fortunately.

# of times we stopped to look at the map: 12-14, maybe?

# of wrong turns: two, arguably 3.

The thing I'm NOT going to be doing for the rest of the summer: Anything that requires me to look at a map. I'm a pathetic failure.....and I probably am at a 2nd or 3rd grade level when it comes to reading a map.

Individuals who are stellar cyclists that still might want to consider training wheels on certain occasions: Marcy Mcgovern and Andrea Thompson. (A.T. took Marcy's spot and had a nice little whipe out today. Yeeeee-Ha!)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Ha Ha Ha....you guys got like a do-it-yourself repair your bike thing going on or something. Must have been pretty crowded in there."
As Stephen and I rode the elevator of the Hampton Inn to our room on the 2nd floor, the wiseguy getting on (He was a complete California red-neck) muttered these words to us. I walked right by the guy, then looked at Stephen and said, "I'm not even going to respond to that."

QUOTE OF THE DAY #2: "Your life is in your own hands."
A passing cyclist shouted these words to us as we rode into a small crowd of people on the Marina Del Ray boardwalk-bike path.......much like the one you see in the picture....except it was full of people.

Songs stuck in my head: "Marina Del Ray" -George Straight (We rode thru Marina Del Ray this morning)
"Hammer and a Nail" -Indigo Girls

TOMMY'S TAKE ON TODAY.......
I've got to be honest and say that I'm bummed that The Ride is coming to an end. I'm genuinely sad right now. Have you even been on an awesome vacation.....and you pull into the driveway or walk into your house and you have that "letdown feeling." There's part of you that says, "Dang, does this have to be over?" .....because you've had so much fun. Well, the 2007 Hunger Ride has been nothing short of a dang good time. As Joe Dirt would say, "Dang!"
We were having a conversation a few days ago about "go-to statements." You know....statements that people make over and over again in certain situations......and you begin to recognize these people by these "go-to statements." Well, many of you know that one of my "go-to statements" is "Good times, Good times." Oddly enough, I mutter these simple words when I'm having a ton of fun......OR......when I'm NOT having fun and I'm being extremely sarcastic. Well, I'm saying these words tonight, and I mean them in the former context.

TUNE IN TOMORROW........
For my "50 Thoughts about the 2007 Hunger Ride"

THE HUNGER RIDE SAYS GOODBYE TO.......
Andrea Thompson, the remaining third left from TEAM DENVER. She rode with us for 60 miles today and then said goodbye to us in Newport Beach to help her younger sister (who lives in Newport Beach) get ready for her wedding this Sunday. Geez, I wouldn't be so mad right now if she actually had a good reason for ditching us. J/K. :) Hey A.T.--it's been a great ride. You were strong the whole trip. And when I say strong I'm talking like Hulk Hogan kind of strength.......strong like an ox.....strong like Glad garbage bags.....and you did a great job in replacing Lyle in the "Triangle of Power."

SHOUT OUTS.....
*Susan, the GM of the Hampton Inn of San Clemente. Speaking of strong......Susan came strong with a big fat donation of a suite for the Hunger Ride. We're cuddled up nicely this evening in Room 213...the room overlooking the ocean at the Hampton Inn.

Day 20: Buellton,CA to Santa Monica,CA

Miles on the California Speedway (aka Hwy 1): 125

Miles ridden in the last three days: appr. 340

Weather: High 60's, sunny, and we had a GARGANTUAN tailwind. Tommylikey.

Terrain: Mostly flat with some rolling hills throughout the ride. The last few miles thru Malibu we had a couple of larger-sized hills, but for the most part today was flat....which is definitely what you want on a 125 mile.

Song stuck in my head on the ride today: "What's up" -4 Non Blondes

# of feet that I came from getting side-checked by a car pulling out on Hwy 1: 2 or 3

# of people that have e-mailed me....asking me to post more pictures of my tan lines: 647

Smooth Move of the Day: Andrea Thompson getting stuck between the bed and the wall in her motel room.

Roadkill: A super-huge racoon, many small birds, and what looked to be a beaver.

The part of the ride that you could not pay me $1000 to do again:
The 27-mile stretch of road from Malibu to Santa Monica on Hwy 1. Four lanes of traffic going 45-55mph during rush hour(which is California means faster sometimes). We had large shoulder, but unfortunately there were a bazillion cars parked in our riding space--people who were on the beach....which meant we were constantly looking for cars pulling out and car doors opening.


Tomorrow's Ride: 89 miles to San Clemente,CA (89 miles)
Friday's Ride: San Clemente to Mexico (82 miles)

Day 19: Morro Bay to Buellton

Miles on the Road: 88

Weather: 80's and sunny

Wind: Crosswind and a Tailwind

Terrain: A few climbs, but the grading was great for a day-after-125 miler'

Songs stuck in my head: "Angels" -Amy Grant
"It's a great day to be alive." -Travis Tritt
**See the first picture and the summary below

Why I'm not finishing the last three days of the 2007 Hunger Ride....or returning to Memphis for that matter: I bought a gas station here in Buellton. Soon, Tom's Gas will be a household name around the West Coast. (see pic)

How I felt today after my bout' with dehydration last night: "Like a million bucks"

What I ate for lunch today: 3 pieces of cod and some french fries

Good advice of the day: This morning while we were finishing our breakfast at Mcdonald's (a deluxe breakfast w/ coffee and water) there was an old man in a 1970's Bell bicycle racing jacket that gave us a few shortcuts thru downtown Morro Bay. He said that he used to bike close to 12,000 miles a year. Man, That's huge.

ANGEL'S WATCHING OVER US.........
There is a song that Amy Grant used to sing called "Angels." In the song, she speaks of God's sovereign control over all the universe and the little things that happen in our lives when He watches over us on a daily basis. Today, this song came to mind after an event that happened this afternoon.
Around three o'clock or so we were riding on Hwy 246 outside of Lompoc,Ca. We had a just climbed for about 30 minutes or so and the three of us (Tom, Andrea, and Stephen) were in the middle of a three mile descend. We were spread fairly well between the three of us--at least 30 seconds or so between riders as we raced the swift turns of the downhill. These really can be so much fun. I had stopped to take a picture while Stephen had already made it to the bottom. Andrea passed me as I had stopped to take the picture. Shortly after she passed me, a Volkswagen Jetta was on her tail down the twists and turns of the canyon we were riding down. She decreased her speed, seeing this car was very intent to pass her. She allowed the car to pass.
Literally 1-2 minutes later, Andrea rounded a corner and found this car upside down. The driver, probably driving somewhere between 70-80 mph, had flipped the car and totalled it. He had gone too fast around a corner, overcorrected the vehicle, and crawled up the inbankment before it flipped over. Andrea was the first on site, and I followed moments after.
Unbeliebably, the driver walked out of the car the was totally dismantled and upside down. He was ok, but obviously very shaken. We all were stunned. I've never been so close to anything like that before. It's really in moments like this......in a matter of seconds....you go from daydreaming about the road ahead, what you're going to eat for supper, and that great cold shower after the ride.......to realizing that the only reason that you're still on the road is because of the grace of God.
Scripture that came to mind.....Col 1:15-17, Acts 12

THANKS for the many of you who are praying for this trip.

Tomorrow's Ride: 110 miles to Malibu,CA

SHOUTS OUTS.....
*Hey "Million Dollar Man" Ted Debiase---I want you in a cage match later this summer. Cincy, Knoxvegas, Memphis, you name the place. Me and You, mono y mono.

Day 18: Seaside,Ca to Morro Bay,Ca

Miles on the Road: 125 to many.

Weather: 50's to start...and then it got warmer.

Terrain: Hilly. Mini-Mountains. Yeah, it was really hilly. Possibly one of the most challenging days of climbing on the the trip.

Wind: It was light.....and actually a mix of a crosswind, headwind, and maybe even a little bit of a tailwind.

# of ounces of "Pedialite" that I drank after today's ride because of dehydration. three cups

Songs stuck in my head: "He's able" --that old p & w song from when I was growing up.
"Crazy Train" -Ozzy

# of flats for Tom on this trip: two--including one today.

Weird and Random old person funny moment of the day: We stopped to grab some grub at a grocery store, and a 65 or 70 year old lady outside told us THREE TIMES that she had just purchased the lottery ticket that was going to win her millions.

Driver Award of the Day: The guy in the 95 Miada convertable that pumped his fists as he drove by us.
Thanks, buddy. That was cool. (seriously). We knew at that moment that you were one of us.

# of times that Marcy Mcgovern has fallen on this trip: two (The second one that occurred yesterday though was a fall
when Marcy was stopped off the road next to Lyle's car. Fortunately, she was alright again. She fell, there was that moment where we were all like, "Is she alright" .....then, from the ground, we heard her high-pitched giggle, and then we followed in laughter. :)

SUMMARY OF DAY 18......
CRazy day. Absolutely insane. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Stephen and I rode more miles today than we've ever ridden in our entire lives in one day. 125 big ones over some insane hills. We had Team Denver with us for the first 60 miles or so, but then it was just Stephen and I as Lyle and Marcy started their trek back to Denver. Stephen and I rolled into Morro Bay,CA at about 7:15pm.....beaten, bruised, and battered. I haven't felt so spent the entire trip. But our spirits were not crushed. Here's the deal with the next four days.....it's going to be tough. Way tough. One of the main reasons that we were lost yesterday is because we are not riding on HWY 1 through the larger cities, but rather the side streets that we are unfamiliar with. And usually there are so many different streets to turn onto when you're going through a city. We're going to have a lot of this for the next four days.....so we definitely covet your thoughts and prayers as we make this trek.

THE HUNGER RIDE SAYS GOODBYE......
to 2/3 of Team Denver--Marcy & Lyle. They took off to this afternoon to drive back to Denver. We will miss them greatly. Lyle and Marcy--thanks for the good times. You guys rock!!1

THE HUNGERRIDE WELCOMES......
Mr William Douglas (Stephen's grandfather) and Will Douglas (Stephen's brother) to the Hunger Ride to sagwagon!!

STUD OF THE DAY AWARD:(yesterday) Lyle "Heavy D" Devries for riding 82 miles with us.......after not being on his bike in nearly two months after recovering from whiplash from a car accident. Without question, this guy is a machine. In Rocky IV we found out that the Russian is a man, and not a machine. "The Russian is cut, the Russian is cut......see, see, I told you, He's not a machine, He's a man." Well, on the 2007 Hunger Ride, we found out that Lyle Devries is not a man, but rather a machine.

Day 16 & 17: San Fran-Santa Cruz-Seaside

The Ride from San Fran to Santa Cruz on Saturday, June 16th.......

Miles on the road: 84 ( a few more than we expected because riding through downtown San Franny took a LONG LONG time.)

Weather: It started out in the 50's and it was foggy--no surprise there. It warmed up though to around 70 or so and it was sunny by the end of the day.

Wind: We had a killer tailwind, especially towards the latter part of the day.

FUNNIEST MOMENT OF THE DAY: Without question, today's "funny" was brought to us by Marcy McGovern as she wiped out on her bicycle while passing through an intersection in downtown San Francisco. Yes, yes, yes.....we did make sure that she was alright immediately after the fall occurred......but we all then fell off our bikes, busting a guy in laughter over the event. It was pretty epic. Thanks, Marcy. That was awesome.

TEAM DENVER'S THOUGHTS ON STAYING IN A "BUNGALOW?"
Well, the morning of I will say that knowing we were to be staying in a "bungalow" over in Castonoa near the Nueve Ano Reserve definitely had us prety jacked up for the ride. In fact, we even nicknamed the bungalo the "Fungalo." We were no doubt ecstatic. However, as things turned out, it's probably an understatement to say that it was a major buzz kill when we first laid our eyes upon our accommodations. We basically paid top coin to stay in a glorified tent. (see pic) But, unlike the majority of those in this country, we can now say that we stayed in a bungalo.

The ride from Santa Cruz to Seaside.......

Miles on the Road: 56

# of Hours on the Road: 8

Weather: Pleasant. High of 70 and sunny.

Wind: We actually had a fairly strong cross/headwind for awhile.

Coolest Thing we saw today: (other than the beautiful views of the coast): There was a guy on a ten-speed with a boombox on the handlebars.....and he was wearing white jeans and no shirt. Man, that rules. That was so cool. The only thing that would have been better is if he had his white jean jacket wrapped around his waist or something. I told him (as we rode by) that 1987 just called, and they want their clothes back.

Quote of the Day: "We're closed right now, but there's a gas station right over there that has really good ice cream, although they don't have 31 flavors."
-The punk high school kid that works at Baskin Robbeins in Seaside,CA. As is tradition of the 2007 Hunger Ride, we eat ice cream EVERY night. We showed up at 10:00pm (and 32 seconds) and we were too late for B. Robbins....they had already closed. The kid said "the register was closed." Fortunatly, we were blessed to have this guy's reccommendation of a gas station for some good ice cream. Maybe it's because we were slightly dillusional from the time spent on the road today, but we got a pretty good laugh of this guy's comment. Gas Station? Good ice cream? Please, please, do us all a favor and stop smoking.

THE SUMMARY OF TODAY'S RIDE........
Words I would use to describe today. Hmmmmm. Let me think....how about Tumultuous? Punishing? A Beatdown?
Slightly DisOrganized? (Who planned this Hunger Ride trip anyways???)
Long story short, we got seriously lost several times today. It wasn't pretty. Fortunately though, when you're with friends you can laugh about it. And we'll definitely be doing this for a long time. Too bad the boys from HBO were not around to film a nice documentary on "How not to read a map and do a really really good job at that." yeah, so you do the math......56 miles in just under 8 hours? That's pedestrian. That's a snail's pace. At one point today while riding on the paved bike path on the boardwalk in Seaside, we actually got passed by a 275 pound man on a mountain bike.

Well, if you take a look at how many miles we rode and how long it took us to do it, you can see that we had a pretty tough ride out on the speedway. In fact, it was downright pittiful. We had two flat tires, and we got seriously lost trying to manuver around Santa Cruz/Aptos/Capitola. It always helps to have a map......usually. Thanks to Tommy Tripmaker, we didn't for the first 15 miles. Ironically, we did worse WITH the map for the for the rest of the day.
As I said before though....it's GREAT to have my pals from Denver,Co out for the ride. It's definitely non-stop laughs and good times out here on the West Coast.

TOMORROW'S RIDE.....
We got some ground to make up.....so we're going to step it up and go for 125miles from Seaside,Ca to Morro Bay,CA.