You Can't Make This Stuff Up

I saw a news report recently about a person who wrote an article about plagiarism and, yup, plagiarized part of it!

My Next Cycling Event

So my next cycling event will be the Armed Forces Cycling Classic Challenge Ride. Click on the tab above for more information. 

I've never ridden in an event like this before, so this will be something new for me. I was a long distance runner in High School and College, so I'm used to mass start events, but on foot not on a bike! But there's only one way to get used to it, and that is to do it. So that's what I'm going to do. I'll let you know how it goes. 

The "challenge" part of the ride is to see how many laps you can complete in three hours. The more laps you complete, the higher medal you receive. It is an approx. 6.5 mile loop. You need to complete six laps for a silver medal, nine for gold. So nine laps is approx. 58.5 miles. I did my Metric Century ride last year (100 km, or 62 miles) in just under four hours, so it's unlikely I can do the full nine laps in three hours, but at least six should be doable and not too hard.

The cause this ride supports (as you can see if you click on the tab above) supports the survivors of those killed in the military. If you'd like to support them, I have a fundraising page to sponsor me and do so.

June 4th is the day! I'll post about how I did then. ;-)

Wittenberg Academy Retreat

So my wife and I attended the Wittenberg Academy Family Retreat at the end of April with my daughter Joanna at Camp Okoboji in Northwest Iowa. It was kind of a whirlwind trip - we left 6 am on Thursday and returned 11 pm Saturday night! But it was a nice time away, good to meet folks there, and my daughter enjoyed connecting with fellow students she had only known online. So we'll plan to attend next year as well. :-)

I have only one negative thing to say about it: it was COLD! And windy! Spring has been in Northern Virginia for sometime now. It had definitely NOT come to Northwest Iowa yet!

Here's the group photo they took . . .

Extra credit if you can actually find all of us in the crowd! (Hint: Joanna is not standing with my wife and I.)

A Thought on Tithing and Giving

In a reading from Morning Prayer last week, after Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, he asked the people to donate what they would need to build it - gold, silver, bronze, linen, etc. He doesn't force them or require them. He tells them "whoever is of a generous heart (Exodus 35:5)." And then we read, "everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him" brought the contributions (35:21).

You hear a lot about tithing when folks talk about offerings, and that is a thing in Scripture. But why? The tithes were for the support of the Levites who worked and cared for the Tabernacle and did not get an inheritance of land in the Promised Land. But outside of their support, like with the contributions for the Tabernacle, the offerings were voluntary and free. You could give a tithe, or you could give more, or less, or nothing!

This is also what we read in the New Testament (especially 2 Corinthians 8-9). Since Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Levitical priesthood was no longer needed (for no more sacrifices were needed!), the purpose for the tithe has also been fulfilled. Now, the contributions and offerings of God's people are voluntary and free. We give now not because we have to, but because we can. This is in the way of the Gospel, not the Law. We give in grateful thanksgiving for all God has given to us. It has this added benefit, too: that by giving, we do not hold onto our wealth too tightly so that it becomes a false god, an idol, what we think we need to live. Jesus has already promised to provide that, so we are free to give! And He will provide.

The Pastor Challenge - The Results

Yesterday, I went for my Century Ride.

Goal #1: Make the full 100 mile ride.

Goal #2: Do so in 6 hours or less.

Here's how I did:

As you can see, I met the first goal, but as you'll see, I fell a little short of the second. 

Here's how it went . . .

I found a route out on what is called the "Northern Neck" of Virginia - an area south and west of where I live. It is mostly farms and the terrain is a bit flatter. I figured that would give me the best chance of meeting my goals.

As I started out, I wasn't feeling my best. Not sick, but you know when you body is just "clicking" and you're having a good day or not. So not bad, but I knew I wasn't at my best. But this was my day to do it, so I had to just go. It was foggy, damp, and misty the first 15 or so miles, but not bad. It was overcast all day, which was nice so the sun didn't heat things up. I never rode in this area before, so my first out and back (40 miles) was getting to know the terrain. 

One thing I didn't think about when I chose this area was that flat and open would also mean more wind! The upper part of my course, the first 5-7 miles, (which I had to do twice) was very windy! A head wind from a storm coming up from the south. That made that part a little tougher. 

My first 50 miles, I was just a hair over my goal time. Here's that split:

3:03 at 50 miles. So unlikely that I would do the second half faster, but still, I thought that wasn't bad (though I did not know it at the time - I just kept trying to keep going!). 

One highlight (hint: sarcasm) at the end of my first leg of 40 miles was being chased by a couple of dogs! One was small, so I didn't worry about him too much. But the second was rather large - and I thought, Great! All I need is to get bit on the calf and ruin my ride! But fortunately, he did not catch me.

Miles 60-85 were probably the toughest for me - still a long way to go, but getting fatigued. Just had to keep going. Then, miles 85 to the end were just finishing the last leg and getting closer and closer to the finish line. My 100 mile split:

6:18. That means 3:15 for the second half. All in all, not bad. Though I didn't meet my goal of 6 hours. I gave it all I had, just couldn't quite do it. 18 minutes too much over 6 hours, though, means I missed by 3 minutes per hour. Not a lot.

A true highlight of the ride was seeing two male bald eagles sitting in a field. I wished I could have stopped and taken a picture. There were a bunch of turkey buzzards picking at something and the eagles were standing there watching them - I guess they wanted it!

So if you've been waiting to sponsor me or the Lutherans for Life team in the Walk-Run-Ride for Life to see if I would make my challenge, wait no longer! I kinda did, made the full 100, just a smidge too slow. So click on the Pastor Challenge tab above and make a donation for us! And remember, we are expecting our matching grant to be approved to double whatever you are able to give. Thanks for your support!

Update II

Another update as I prepare for my Century Ride . . .

On Wednesday I woke up early and went for a 75 mile ride. I went a bit slower than I will have to complete 100 miles in 6 hours, but intentionally so. I wanted to see how I felt and didn't want to hit a wall - that is not fun at all! I felt pretty good most of the ride and finished well. So I know I could have gone a little farther, but not 25 more miles. So will I be able to do a full 100? I don't know.

But part of the problem was that the trail I was riding on, the W&OD, has a section closed for utility work. So you get detoured off into some neighborhoods. And it is no short detour - nor a smooth one! Lots of turns and HILLS! So pretty steep ones. I was surprised at the detour on the way out and by how long it was and how much traffic I had to wait for and weave through. I wondered if I was EVER going to find the trail again! But I did, rode out to the end of the trail, turned around, and then did the detour in the reverse direction. That was a bit easier; I knew it was coming. But the hills in it were still steep and tough. So, I figure, if I can map out a route that is flatter, perhaps I will have the legs to do the full 100. In 6 hours? Not sure. First goal is to do the full 100. Second goal is the time. ;-)  I'm thinking right now that if I go down to somewhere south and east, out in King George County, I think that might have some long flat stretches and not too much traffic . . .

So, if you are reading this, please sponsor me! Or the Lutherans of Life team! Help us raise $10K for our local pregnancy center, each dollar (hopefully) to be matched, bringing our donation to $20K! That would be great! Click the tab above for the "The Pastor Challenge 2022" for more information and the link to make an online donation. Let's do this!

Update

I haven't posted in a while . . . lots going on this Lenten season . . . AND I've been trying to get my endurance up for the Pastor Challenge II. (Don't know what that is? See my previous post below, or click the Pastor Challenge tab above!)

So an update: yesterday, I did a hard workout of riding and a variety of other full body exercises for 4 hours and 40 minutes, only drinking water. I was pretty spent at the end! But that's well on my way to my 6 hours goal. And, I am hoping that if I can do that with only drinking water, then when I ride with some nutrition and sport drink, that should add to my endurance a bit. I still don't know if I can do the whole 100 miles, and I don't know if I can do that in 6 hours - that's going to be a wait and see. No practice runs when you're going that far!

The other good news is that while I needed to rest a bit yesterday afternoon after that workout, I recovered pretty well and by the evening was feeling okay. This morning back to normal. 

BUT the Lutherans for Life team still needs sponsors! We are only 1/5 of the way to our $10K goal (last I checked). We need your help. The Pregnancy Center needs your help. Please consider sponsoring me/us and help us get those matching funds that will really help the Center. Click on the "Pastor Challenge" tab above for a link to the fundraising website. Thanks!