Thursday, June 27, 2013

Week 1/Day 4

Desert Center, CA to Quartzsite, AZ = 123km
Bike Team: Zack's Angels minus Ava plus George, Amanda, and Kim Visser

We wanted to leave camp this morning at 5:00, but they didn't open the kitchen truck until 5:00. So we quickly stuffed breakfast down our throats and grabbed food for lunch on the road. We ended up leaving camp at 5:30am, and already it was scorching hot. We started off by biking on the freeway. I was feeling very tired from my previous night of sleep. We had to get off of our bikes at one point on the freeway and carry our bikes for some time because there was so much glass on the shoulder.
Poor Karyn had a major wipe out and got some bad road rash on her legs, shoulders, back and arms. She was a hard core bad ass though and got right back onto her bike.
We call out "Drink!" every 10 minutes just to remind ourselves to stay hydrated as we bike. Plus there is a "SAG Wagon" set up every 10 miles for us to cool down and refill our bottles. Quite a few cyclists were still driven to camp today though because the extreme heat was too intense. I ended up leaving my team because I was feeling too depleted. I joined Ava, her Dad, and Len Kooy so I could go at a bit slower pace. We called ourselves "Weigh More" because we felt we were "Weigh More Awesome". Then Len Kooy and I broke off and became our own team of "Puttering More" because we puttered up the climbs together at the same pace.

We crossed over Colorado River - separating the states of California to Arizona today- exciting.
As soon as we arrived to our destination of Quartzsite, AZ, we went straight to McDonalds for mcFlurries. We received sad news- that the tour would be suspended for 4 days due to the extreme heat wave Arizona has been experiencing. We were all sad, but we understand. We got dropped off in town to do some laundry and pay for showers. We had supper early and went to bed in an open community room again. We were given the option of staying at a local motel, but I didn't want to spend the money. I passed out almost instantly tonight with ear plugs in.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Week 1/Day 3

Wednesday, June 26
Coachella to Desert Center, CA = 99km
Today our bike team was Zach's Angels + George + Amanda Koopman-Deboer

We left at 6am and already it was extremely humid. We biked through nurseries of palm trees- pretty awesome!
We biked a gradual climb through the hottest temperatures and on the freeway again. We stopped at a visitor center for ice cream- stayed an hour just to cool off in the air conditioning. SO nice! Continued onto the freeway. The state of California actually had it cleaned for us before the tour began, and it had a nice wide shoulder so it was an easier bike ride.
We arrived at camp at 12:30, which had been our goal for today. Today we're staying at a golf course- and again we jumped into the pool as soon as we arrived. Ate our lunches in some shade, but it's still ridiculously hot. Set up our sleeping bags in a large community room at the golf course. Going to be cozy, but at least the room has Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
We spent the remainder of the day just chilling and relaxing, facebooking and blogging until supper at 5:00. We had a burrito buffet with banana pudding for dessert and vanilla wafers. Had our peloton meeting and then bed at 8:30. I went to sleep with my ipod on because I expected there would be some snoring. But didn't expect the snoring to be SO loud. Finally after an hour of trying to block out the noise, I moved my sleeping bag to be in front of the men's bathroom door- away from other people, but people continually used the washroom throughout the night. Poor sleep!! Tired.
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Week 1/ Day 2

Tuesday, June 25
Redlands to Coachella, CA = 126km
Bike Team: "Zack's Angels" + George Vanderkuur the Friendly Giant

We left this morning at 7am. The day started off with some BRUTAL and steep climbs. However- we were rewarded afterwards with amazing tailwinds. We were able to cost at 50-55km/hour; I've never experienced anything like it! And it's awesome- because at Kaitlyn and my commissioning service, Pastor Dave had prayed we would get to experience strong tail winds.
We had to walk over a broken fence with our bikes and onto an abandoned freeway- it was filled with kilometers of thick cracks and potholes. A true MIRACLE I did not get a flat. But unfortunately, 22 cyclists did today. The heat was absolutely extreme and our energy was fading fast. Each time we filled our water bottles with ice water- it turned hot within ten minutes. I developed heat rash all over my face and legs. At each rest stop that Sea to Sea has set up for us we are provided with coolers of ice to dump down our jerseys, put ice towels over our heads, and lots of fresh cut up fruit.

We arrived at our destination, a school, at 3pm. We jumped straight into the pool to drop the temperature of our overheated bodies.


Supper was at 6:00- lasagne, salad, garlic bread and pizza. We had a peloton meeting and set up our sleeping bags in a gym. However most ppl opted to sleep in the open field outside- without a tent, to try and get a cooler rest.


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Monday, June 24, 2013

Week 1/Day 1

Newport Beach to Redlands, CA = 112km
First off- EXCITING NEWS! Since the airport lost Karyn's bike- she quickly went out and bought a brand new one for $2,400.00. On Sunday we found out the airport finally found her bike and were shipping it directly to California PLUS paying for her new one!

Some young adults formed a little groupie - 4 girls plus Zack, so we named ourselves "Zack's Angels". The group included Zack, Karyn, Ava, Laura and myself. We were one of the last groups to leave Vanguard University (~8:15am) and it was raining. Most teams left around 7:30, but we were able to catch up to them quickly and so I'm feeling pretty confident in my pre-training of the tour. We flew through the first 20k, and eventually it stopped raining. Suddenly a biker whizzed passed us in the opposite lane shouting, "Biker injured!!" Ava sped up, since she's a doctor, and we came across 3 cyclists- one laying on the pavement. It was Mark- one of the recumbent cyclists- he had slid off the shoulder of the path and hit a fence. Ava took care of him until 9/11 came along. Found out later on that Mark had broken his foot and would not be able to complete the tour. We are praying for that family and Mark as he undergoes surgery.

We continued on with our bike ride. A church hosted all of us cyclists for a nice buffet of fruit and veggies (and coffee!). We reached our destination around 2pm. Set up our tents in a soccer field of a school and had showers. A group of us walked to CVS - I bought a lawn chairs. The store was 20 minutes away, but it felt good not to be biking haha. I don't have Wi-Fi access at the school and they have facebook blocked. For supper we had scalloped potatoes, bbq chicken, corn, broccoli salad, raw veggies and dip- delicious! We had a quick supper and went to bed early. Gotta get up at 5:45am tomorrow.

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Starting!

I was able to spend my final days before the tour relaxing in Toronto with Angela. The past month has flown by so fast and it was nice to just enjoy some quality time with a quality friend :)
 
"No matter what your age or your situation, your dreams are achievable. whether you're 5 or 105, you have a lifetime ahead of you".
 
I also got to spend time with my beautiful friend Tanisha before taking off for the tour; she gave me some thoughtful presents- including a book of quotes and inspirations. It's amazing how much strength you can receive by the love of your friends- I feel so empowered!!  
 
Everything on my flight to California went fairly smoothly- some obstacles here and there, but I eventually made it to the Vanguard University campus safe and sound and with my bike in tow! I met up with some other Canadian young adults right away and we chatted for a while before hitting up our dorm rooms for much needed rest.
 
June 22, Saturday
Had a delicious breakfast in the cafeteria and found out I was sitting beside Pastor John from the Williamsburg CRC (my Kooistra relatives church). Did some unpacking and assembled my bike with some much needed help from Bill Den Harder and Terry Barnes. I was pretty happy with the finished result.

 
Seems to be mostly Canadians here so far, which is nice. We can freely talk in km's and Celsius. When Karyn arrived from Saskatchewan, she found out her bike did not make the flight after her connection in Denver. The poor girl had to buy a new bike today!
 
 
A small group of 9 Canadians naturally formed after lunch and we decided to bike to Huntington Beach to see the pier. All together we rode a total distance of 28kms, and didn't push ourselves to go too fast. We did fairly well riding together, considering we were a variety of ages and riding abilities- and riding together for the first time. It was a blast! I got a chance to talk to Pastor Jake Kuipers for a while.
 



 
After supper we had an orientation and a bicycle safety course. Now some internet time, and bed. Looking forward to tomorrow!!


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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Commissioning Service

June 16
Our church had a commissioning service for Kaitlyn and I. It was so special to have the church come together in prayer of protection for the two of us. Our community has been so involved in the whole journey so far and we have both reached our individual goals of $10,000!! It turned out that the Van Der Velde family was also able to attend our commissioning service all the way from the Netherlands! Lisanne said her small group in Holland has even been praying for Kaitlyn and I to be able to reach our fundraising goals. We are so blessed.

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Tour Route

 
Week 1
Day 1 Monday, June 24: Newport Beach, CA to Redlands, CA 
Total distance: 108.8 km
Elevation: + 2145 / - 949 ft
Overnight location: Arrowhead Christian Academy
Total distance: 128.4 km
Elevation: + 2959 / - 4269 ft
Overnight location: Jordon Christian School
Day 3Wednesday, June 26: Coachella, CA to Desert Center, CA
Total distance: 98.1 km
Elevation: + 2121 / - 1343 ft
Overnight location: Lake Tamarisk Golf Course
Day 4Thursday, June 27: Desert Center, CA to Quartzsite, AZ
Total distance: 123.8 km
Elevation: + 1625 / - 1475 ft
Overnight location: Queartzsite City Park
Day 5 Friday, June 28: Quartzsite, AZ to Aguila, AZ.
Total distance: 106.5 km
Elevation: + 2134 / - 850 ft
Overnight location: Tom Walker Memorial Park
Day 6
Total distance: 127.5 km
Elevation: + 2492 / - 3372 ft
Overnight location: Northwest Christian School
Total Distance for Week 1 = 661.4 km
 
Week 2
Day 1Monday, July 1: Phoenix, AZ to Payson, AZ
Total distance: 147.8 km
Elevation: + 10343 / - 6679 ft
Overnight location: Rumsey Park
Elevation: + 5785 / - 4277 ft
Overnight location: Mogollo Jr. High School
Day 3Wednesday, July 3: Huber, AZ to St. John, AZ. 
Total distance: 124 km
Elevation: + 2972 / - 3719 ft
Overnight location: St. John's City Park
Total distance: 99.3 km
Elevation: + 2242 / - 1614 ft
Overnight location: Zuni High School
Day 5Friday, July 5: Zuni, NM to Rehoboth, NM. C
Total distance: 63.7 km
Elevation: + 2448 / - 2205 ft
Overnight location: Rehoboth Christian School
Total distance: 158.5 km
Elevation: + 2541 / - 4197 ft
Overnight location: Shiprock High School
 
Total Distance for Week 2 = 716.1 km
 
Week 3
Day 1Monday, July 8: Shiprock, NM to Ignacio, CO
Total distance: 129.6 km
Elevation: + 4102 / - 2585 ft
Overnight location: Skye Ute Fairgrounds and RV Park
Elevation:+ 3424 / - 2777 ft
Overnight location: Pagosa High School.
Day 3Wednesday, July 10: Pagosa Springs, CO to Del Norte, CO. 
Total distance: 96.7 km
Elevation: + 5009 / - 4215 ft
Overnight location: Del Norte High School
Total distance: 126.3 km
Elevation: + 1876 / - 2319 ft
Overnight location: Chaffee County Fairground
Total distance: 101.2 km
Elevation: + 1975 / - 4115 ft
Overnight location: The Abbey
Total distance: 79.3 km
Elevation:+ 3311 / - 2345 ft
Overnight location: Colorado Springs Christian Schools
Total Distance for Week 3 = 621.2 km
 
Week 4
Total distance: 119.6 km
Elevation: + 2192 / - 3132 ft
Overnight location: Limon High School
Total distance: 125.5 km
Elevation: + 1251 / - 2456 ft
Overnight location: Parmer Park
Total distance: 108.9 km
Elevation: + 521 / - 1544 ft
Overnight location: Fike Park
Day 4Thursday, July 18: Colby, KS to Norton, KS.
Total distance: 116.1 km
Elevation: + 1009 / - 1754 ft
Overnight location: Prairie Dog State Park
Total distance: 160.8 km
Elevation: + 3805 / - 4473 ft
Overnight location: Red Cloud State Park
Total distance: 122.1 km
Elevation: + 3074 / - 3470 ft
Overnight location: Fairbury State Park
Total Distance for Week 4 = 753.1 km
 
Week 5
Elevation: + 1848 / - 1751 ft
Overnight location: Camp Oasis Bible Camp
Day 2Tuesday, July 23: Firth, NE to Sidney, IA
Total distance: 111.9 km
Elevation: + 3528 / - 3806 ft
Overnight location: Waubonsie State Park
Day 3Wednesday, July 24: Sidney, IA to Diagonal, IA.
Total distance: 136 km
Elevation: + 3528 / - 3806 ft
Overnight location: Fogle State Park
Day 4Thursday, July 25: Diagonal, IA to Chariton, IA
Total distance: 118.9 km
Elevation: + 3357 / - 3528 ft
Overnight location: Northwest Park
Day 5Friday, July 26: Chariton, IA to Pella, IA
Total distance: 68.1 km
Elevation: + 1745 / - 1891 ft
Overnight location: Central College
Day 6Saturday, July 27: Pella, IA to Coralville, IA
Total distance: 151.3 km
Elevation:+ 4790 / - 4957 ft
Overnight location: Morrison Park
Total Distance for Week 5: 621.9 km
 
Week 6
Total distance: 152.4 km
Elevation: + 3480 / - 3522 ft
Overnight location: Unity Christian School
Elevation: + 1949 / - 1728 ft
Overnight location: Shabonna Lake State Park
Total distance: 143.9 km
Elevation: + 1574 / - 1814 ft
Overnight location: Illliana Christian High School
Elevation: + 1681 / - 1696 ft
Overnight location: Lighthouse Ministries
Elevation: + 1948 / - 1953 ft
Overnight location: Hope College
Elevation: + 986 / - 818 ft
Overnight location: Calvin College
Total Distance for Week 6 = 719.4 km
 
Week 7
Total distance: 103.8 km
Elevation: + 1513 / - 1486 ft
Overnight location: Sleepy Hollow State Park
Total distance: 122.3 km
Elevation: + 1758 / - 1716 ft
Overnight location: Imlay City High School
Total distance: 127.4 km
Elevation: + 1758 / - 1716 ft
Overnight location: Sarnia Christian School
Total distance: 111.9 km
Elevation: + 1209 / - 985 ft
Overnight location: London District Christian High School
Total distance: 116.5 km
Elevation: + 2487 / - 2244 ft
Overnight location: Woodland Christian High School
Total distance: 71.3 km
Elevation: + 1497 / - 1769 ft
Overnight location: Redeemer University
Total Distance for Week 7 = 669.5 km
 
Week 8
Elevation: + 1280 / - 1782 ft
Overnight location: Ajax Community Center
Day 2Tuesday, August 13: Ajax, ON to Trenton, ON. 
Total distance: 140.7 km
Elevation: + 1280 / - 1782 ft
Overnight location: Trenton Christian School
Total distance: 113.8 km
Elevation: + 1253 / - 1334 ft
Overnight location: Lake Ontario Park
Total distance: 83.4 km
Elevation: + 854 / - 890 ft
Overnight location: St Lawrence Park
Elevation: + 854 / - 890 ft
Overnight location: NAV Centre
Total distance: 142 km
Elevation: + 777 / - 841 ft
Overnight location: Camp Amerique
Total Miles for Week 8 = 692 km
 
Week 9
Total distance: 101.2km
Elevation: + 1334 / - 1065 ft
Overnight location: Ausable Chasm Camp Ground
Total distance: 131.3 km
Elevation: + 6661 / - 6930 ft
Overnight location: Whitehall Marina
Day 3Wednesday, August 21: Whitehall, NY to Albany, NY.
Total distance: 116.4 km
Elevation: + 1864 / - 1979 ft
Overnight location: YMCA
Total distance: 109.7 km
Elevation: + 2646 / - 2524 ft
Overnight location: Hacket Hill Park
Total distance: 93.3 km
Elevation: + 2736 / - 2792 ft
Overnight location: Congers Lake Memorial Park
Total distance: 91.9 km
Elevation: + 1817 / - 1967 ft
Overnight location: Mt. Loretta Church
Total Distance for Week 9 = 645.3 km
 
Total Distance for Sea to Sea 2013 = 6178.272 km
 
To learn more please visit www.seatosea.org
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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Sea to Sea Fundraiser

On June 1, our church (Fellowship CRC in Brighton, ON) held a fundraiser for Kaitlyn Kuipers and I. We were overwhelmed with gratitude by all of the donations that kept pouring in and all of the people willing to help us unpack, set up, and organize everything. We also had a very successful table of baked goods and a barbecue. Overall we raised $3,176.85!! Thank you so much who made this day possible.








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