Adventure: A blessing or a curse?

Chris battling another flat tire.

Dani having no luck catching a free ride. I wonder why?

Thunderstorms loom in the distance

The general store where we rode out the storm

Ryan, living up to his rule of "No Leftovers Allowed!"

Ryan, our fearless leader had to choose the word “Adventure” to grace the title of our bike trip, forever subjecting us to the ambiguous nature of that nine letter word. Well, the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure has had its share of adventures over the past three weeks. Today we left the amazing hospitality of the Rocky Ford Mennonite Church, after attending a truly inspirational Sunday morning service. Ryan took the pulpit and convincingly spoke about the vital aspect of service within the Christian faith, while Josh shared his moving personal account of conversion and his understanding of God’s calling of service within his life. Each of us felt the power of these words, and our mission was strengthened through the prayers and words of encouragement offered by the congregation.

Eventually, the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure riders hit the roads of eastern Colorado at a late 1:00p.m. amid sweltering 100 degree heat in hopes of running into the small town of Lamar 65 miles later. This is where the word “adventure” manifests it duplicitous and tricky nature. We experienced challenges in the form of Doug and Chris’s numerous flat tires, and unexpected blessings in the form of gracious hosts at Lamar’s Calvary Baptist Church. Adventure has appeared in roads that turn into gravel or interstates, and in our ability to overcome these obstacles as a team. To fight fatigue and boredom, many riders throughout the day chose to ride in groups conversing and singing, while concealing drafting as friendly small talk. While riding a 10 mile leg of our journey with Dani, Josh, and Katherine, I shared funny high school experiences, and they imparted some of their collegiate wisdom upon me. On we rode, passing mile 40 when…..KABOOM!!!

Mother Nature has a few adventures of her own up her sleeve. Looking off at the ominously dark sky, I ask myself, “Why are we biking through tornado alley in peak tornado season?” Nevertheless, on we pedal, in search of the next town in which to find shelter. It turns out that we made our hasty retreat to the town of Hasty, CO. Straightening out our backs that were crooked from miles of cross-wind riding we raided a quaint general store for food, and listened to the weather reports of locals who claimed that a tornado was touching-down just a few miles to the north. After an hour of eating and waiting we pressed on under slightly clearer skies.
Sadly, today also marked the end of Nathan’s, Chris’s, and Tony’s perfect riding streak as Nathan drove the truck, Chris felt the effects of the wind, and Tony offered to hop in the truck in what I secretly believe to be a gesture of moral support to the other two. Well, the team presses on as a unit preserving our most important goal of crossing the country together for a common cause.

The day ended on a high note, with Doug completing his first full day of riding, and Ryan, Josh and myself completing the last 20 miles in record time due to a 30+ mph tailwind. Looking at our speedometers, we were disappointed at times to be climbing a hill at 25 mph.

Adventure has its two sides, that of hardship, and that of reward. We are surely having our fill of each of these amazing elements that make up this life-changing experience.