Day 13, Burley, ID to Blackfoot, ID, 110 miles

Another beautiful sunrise as we started the 110 mile ride to Blackfoot, Idaho. Because of a head wind and the heat it became a long day in the saddle and important to work in small pack lines to maximize effort and recover between pulls into the wind.

Since drafting can reduce your workload by 30% it is wise to group with friends of equal strength and take turns leading into the wind. I was very fortunate to ride with a group of six riders for the last 80 miles and we were all handshakes and hugs after completing the distance and reaching our hotel.

Just like Solomon explains in Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10, 12, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, (or tires) the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

These alliances and companionship lead to a great group dynamic and relationships of trust. It’s a great atmosphere to encourage people to faith. As exhaustion and fatigue became evident, and the Grand Tetons loom just ahead, it is vital to work together and encourage each other. Jesus would love riding across America with this group!

One last thing you might enjoy… they gave me a plastic bag full of ice to tape on my sore ribs the last 25 miles. It was great! As it melted it just ran down my side and down my legs and kept me cooled off! Great idea!

Day 12, Twin Falls, ID to Burley, ID, 38 miles

I got up early to eat breakfast (I’m always famished) and rode down to the Snake River Gorge to watch guys jump off the bridge from 1,000 feet up! It’s called base jumping and they jump from the bridge into a free fall and throw their parachute up over their heads until the speed and wind catch and open the chute. This is followed by a violent looking lurch of their bodies. Then there is a peaceful and controlled ride and landing (still on their feet) on the banks of the Snake River. You will be happy to know I did not attempt a jump myself although one young guy thought I was crazy for riding my bike from the Pacific Ocean to Minneapolis. That is the pot calling the kettle black, I’d say.

Since today was a short 38 mile leg we visited the Shashawnee water falls and did some site seeing so our total ended up being around 50 miles. We divided up into teams today and had a scavenger hunt during the ride. It was great fun on an easy day preparing for tomorrow’s difficult ride of 110 miles to Blackfoot, ID.

Because we arrived early to the hotel the rooms weren’t ready yet but to my great fortune the hotel clerks were Filipinos! After some introductions and extensive conversation in Tagalog they suddenly decided that my room was actually ready now! This caused both surprised looks and grimaces from my fellow riders. It was a great time to explain the Filipino tradition and culture of “kaibigan at kasama” (friends and associations). I just love the look on Filipino faces when I begin speaking to them in Tagalog and the walls come tumbling down. Josephine and Ray were Crispa fans (I played for the basketball team Crispa in the early ‘80’s in the Philippines) and we talked about basketball and then about Jesus.

Thanks for praying. I had another great day.

Love ya,
Tom

I Corinthians 9:19-23 “… I am not bound to obey anyone just because he pays my salary; yet I have freely and happily become a servant of any and all so that I can win them to Christ. When I am with the Jews I seem as one of them so that they will listen to the Gospel and I can win them to Christ. When I am with Gentiles who follow Jewish customs and ceremonies I don’t argue, even though I don’t agree, because I want to help them. When with the heathen I agree with them as much as I can, except of course that I must always do what is right as a Christian. And so, by agreeing, I can win their confidence and help them, too.”

“When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so they he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ.”

Day 11, Mountain Home, ID to Twin Falls, ID, 97 miles

We headed out of town early and watched the beautiful red sunrise over the mountains to our east. The incredible scenery everyday is a reminder of God’s imagination and creativity.

My ribs seemed to hurt less today and my legs felt strong nearly the whole 100 miles. It reminds me of when Jac Jacutin broke my ribs in Cebu years ago and we still had 25 games to finish that tour. I finished that tour by concentrating on one half-time show at a time and waiting on the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

The calls, cards, packages, and prayers seem to encourage me and I am just concentrating on one day at a time and not the whole 2500 miles. Sometimes when I am peddling alone down a quiet road I feel a joy and peace that washes away any pain or discomfort and I feel grateful and overwhelmed by God’s grace in my life. I find myself enjoying every mile, every animal, every scenic view, and soon I am finishing into town and the local Dairy Queen for my celebratory milk shake! What a wonderful experience and adventure this has become.

I finished today by riding over the Snake River and saw the river, canyon and Evel Knieval’s jump site. He had no chance! He could have sold “armadillo” tires to us all!

Day 10, Boise, ID to Mountain Home, ID, 50 miles

Hey Babe,

Happy 31st Anniversary! Your card was waiting for me at the hotel today. Glad you got the roses.

I had 3 flat tires today after buying expensive new “armadillo tires” yesterday to prevent flats! The bike shop guy in Boise saw me coming for sure.

The doctor confirmed I cracked two ribs in my crash and suggested going home and trying again next year. Hale Irwin and Dave Stockton would never let me forget it if I went home because I was “sore”!

This is probably a good time to thank Captain Dave and Hale for lecturing and encouraging me to take on this adventure for the kids. I actually miss watching Dave shoot 1 under without hitting a green and Hale shaking his head because a 50 footer had the audacity to stay out of the hole. Someone please remind Jay Haas he still owes me $5.00 on the Celtics/Lakers series and interest is compounding daily. Thank you also to my three angels, Margie Kuramoto, Peggy Gilder, and Angie Quigley for praying for me every day. Congratulations to Jeff Sluman for winning in Boston! And could it be true that Dana finished third in Boston and showed up at Friday Fellowship even when the Red Sox were playing at Fenway? Could it be the apocalypse? Go Quigley!

I have seen a dozen old classic cars for sale the past week and I leave Bruce Lietzke’s phone number with each one. Tell Gilmer Bryan Morgan II I visited the Boise State campus and they still have replays of the University of Oklahoma bowl game every Sunday in the student lounge. I have noticed that Bob Gilder and Peter Jacobsen are well known west of the Cascades but I suddenly got quizzical stares east of the Cascades when their name comes up.

I miss the guys and gals on the Champions Tour and continue to pray for everyone daily. But I have three words for the hotels in Oregon and Idaho. “The Golf Channel”.

Tomorrow we have a huge ride and climb 100 miles from Mountain Home, Idaho (once the shipping station for over one million pounds of sheep wool annually) to Twin Falls riding past the jump site of Evel Knievel’s attempt over the Snake River Canyon. (Pictures to follow).

Mike (our ride director) gave me permission to ride on a pain pill tomorrow if needed since we don’t have to pee in a cup and get tested. Seriously, I appreciate your prayers to avoid any more crashes.

Love you and still “mahirap patayin” (That means ‘Hard to Kill’ which is Tom’s Chinese name).

Psalm 34: 1-8, “I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace. I will boast of all His kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together, and exalt His name.

For I cried to Him and He answered me! He freed me from all my fears. Others too were radiant at what He did for the. Theirs was no downcast look of rejection! This poor man cried to the Lord-and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence Him.

Oh, put God to the test and see how kind He is! See for yourself the way His mercies shower down on all who trust in Him.”

Day 9, Rest Day in Boise/ a few photos from Oregon

Day 8, Ontario, OR to Boise, ID, 62 miles

It was a beautiful day with a cloudless sky above us. We all felt good today (Monday) knowing that tomorrow (Tuesday) we get our first rest day. We are ready and all my body parts say thank you!

We rode into Boise, Idaho today all together in our group wearing our matching America by Bicycle jerseys. It’s a great way to let people know who we are and it is a fun way to end our first week together. Some will be saying good bye here and there will be a few others that will join the group and ride from this point on. It has been fun to get to know many in the group. I can feel some of the relationships are really growing.

The day we rode 120 miles with two big climbs my breakfast was 6 pancakes, 6 sausages, 2 bowls of oatmeal, 2 glasses of orange juice, a banana, and a small yogurt. But I swear I was hungry by the top of the first climb!

At the first SAG stop I refilled my now empty bottles, ate strawberries, an apple, 6 Fig Newtons, 2 boxes of raisons, and then stuffed a banana, a Cliff Bar, and a box of raisins in my back pocket which I ate before the finish of the second climb. I drank 9 bottles of water and Gatorade and was still ready to eat when I reached Prineville and the finish. The result was that I lost 5 pounds this week!

It’s just like living for Christ. Without spiritual nutrition we lose our strength and ability to walk by faith. Prayer, reading God’s promises and some fellowship help me as much in my faith as food is helping me continue to ride. To ride long and strong takes fuel. To live for Christ takes spiritual refreshment.

Last night after supper I borrowed a unicycle from the local bike shop and some basketballs and performed the unicycle/juggling show for the whole group. I shared some stories and ideas of faith and everyone was very appreciative. Our group is not only riding and eating across America, we are growing as we go.

Thanks for your prayers.

Tom

Day 7, Baker City, OR to Ontario, OR, 85 miles

After getting taken out by a suddenly opened car door on Saturday afternoon I quickly thanked the Lord it wasn’t worse and spent the night icing my ribs, hip and shoulder. Since my goal is to ride every single mile from the Pacific coast to Minneapolis I was concerned the accident might cause me to miss a day or two of riding. The tour staff offered to let me ride in the support vehicle but were very understanding when I decided to try and ride.

Imagine the encouragement I felt when six riders were waiting for me when I finally came out of the hotel this morning. I was the last one out and I assumed everyone would be on the road by now. Their goal was to help me ride the 85 miles to Ontario. I have known these people for less than a week and their gesture of support and kindness lifted my spirits.

We were in a pace line taking turns all day to be more efficient. They took turns carrying my backpack to lighten my burden and even changed my flat tire. Proverbs 18:24 says, “There are friends who pretend to be friends, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

My goal has always been to be a friend and share Christ. The fruit of those dynamics was never clearer than today. We missed a turn adding miles and still made it to our hotel in Ontario by 1:00. We crossed a time line today into Mountain Time.

Thanks for praying. God is watching over me.

Tom
PS I’m gonna need more liniment!

Day 6, John Day, OR to Baker City, OR, 81 miles

Tom wasn’t able to get out his blog entry yesterday but he called this morning with a few tidbits he asked me to put together for you. He was tired and sore after two hard days in a row. The group had lots of climbing and weather changes to deal with but always with the snow covered mountains for inspiration! He said he saw a porcupine on the road. I asked him if that meant a dead or a live one and he said dead. So, why did you want it included that you saw a porcupine? Because he had never seen one before… dead or alive... and he thought it sounded interesting. (You can be the judge on that fact.)

A rain storm came up on them towards the end of the ride. He was in the head of the group so he got the head winds to deal with. The middle of the pack got the cross winds and the ones bringing up the rear group got the tail winds! The weather changes can be tricky.

When he got into town he made a run to the local Dairy Queen for some treats for several people. He was hit in the rib cage by someone opening their car door into him. He said he was not hurt too badly but when he sneezed this morning he really felt it. He says to tell you that since he is such a superior athlete he was able to stay on his bike and not get hurt any worse. (You can be the judge on that fact, too.)

So, it was a tough day but he said it started out in an interesting way. Tom has two jars of ointment that he carries in his bag. One is for sore muscles and the other is for application to parts of his body that might feel sore from chaffing if you know what I mean. Somehow in the early morning confusion he applied the wrong ointment to the wrong part of his body. So for the first 30 minutes or so he felt like he was sitting on a heated car seat! (This fact might be easier to judge….)

One of the leaders that comes from America By Bicycle writes a journal on-line. Tom thought you might enjoy some of his description of this second difficult day. Mike Munk writes, “The temperature at departure was a bit on the mild side compared to previous days in the desert. As the road rose steadily to the foot of the first climb, it was great seeing the sun rise over the mesa to our left and we started shedding the arm warmers and jackets. The sunrays glistened through the irrigation machines as they spewed their morning quota of water across the alfalfa fields...so serene...so peaceful. No wonder I like doing this sort of thing. It must be tough for the people who live around here to wake up to these scenes every morning...grassy meadows surrounded by mountains...life is good.

Today was another tough day, especially after yesterday which was billed as our toughest on paper. Many of the riders thought today was tougher, but I think it was only because of the cumulative affect of both days together plus they've been climbing for several days now. Today's ride had 3 mountain summits to cross each about 5000 feet high with each ascent at least 6 miles long. We started out below 3000 and descended below 4000 between each summit. We climbed in the neighborhood of 4600' today. I'm sure the riders hate to lose all that altitude each time they work so hard to get to a summit, but such is life. Although the effort was tough, the scenery below was breathtaking (and they already were breathing hard after the effort) which made the work to get to the summit well worth the effort. The great news was that we also had 3 screaming descents to enjoy...ahhhh, life is sweet.”

The town they started out in was John Day. I loved what Mike wrote about what he found out about John Day. Mike writes, “As you know, last night we stayed in John Day. Everywhere around here it's John Day this and John Day that. Seems like this guy's name is on just about everything around these parts! Who was this John Day anyway? I was a bit curious and when I checked it out, I discovered he was a trapper that came through this area in the 1800s. One day he was attacked by Indians and left alive but naked along the river where some Europeans found him and named the river the John Day River (sounded better than "Butt Naked River" I guess). John thought having something named after your self was pretty neat so he took it upon himself to put his name on just about everything around these parts after that incident. Now you know how to get something named after yourself...you don't have to do anything important, you just have to find someplace that isn't already named and get naked. I checked and found everything's already named around here (mostly after him) so I'll have to wait and find someplace else.”

You can go on-line and read more of Mike’s journal at www.Americabybicycle.com. Click on Ride Journals and then on Mike Munk’s Across America North 2008.

Karen, for Tom