Sunday, September 26, 2010

It's Finally Getting Easier

Day 22 Cleveland, Tx. To Orange, Tx. 95 miles, 6 hrs. 13 min., avg. spd. 15.2 mph, Total Miles 1851.

Ok, don't hold your breath or anything but today was the fastest average of the entire trip. There was a total of one, yes one hill. I even had a tailwind until midmorning. There's really not a lot to tell. I broke away from my maps and made my own route, which got us into a little interesting situation, but we survived.
The boys and Ben made it home safe, which is a huge relief. Ben Logan get's a star in his crown for his service this week. Many thanks Ben.

Ed "the Geek" Sparks who is with us right now ran some interesting numbers tonight. By interesting, I mean the Huntsville, engineering, pocket protector, lanyard, PC, number crunching kind of interesting.
Ed calculated that by the number of miles, I have traveled 117,279,360 inches. Furthermore, by the circumference, of my tire size, I have made 425,556 revolutions. Just in case your interested, and I'm betting you're salivating as I speak, it would take 1,954,656 bikes, end to end to reach this far from where I started. Ed leaves tomorrow so don't expect this kind of data in the future. Way to go Ed!

Mark Thompson and Ed Sparks leave tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to a few days with Mark Chastain who is coming in tomorrow evening.

I just want to add what a blast it was to have my boys all week. Kolton, Kooper, and Kody are the best, I love you guys.

Thanks also to Mark Thompson for sharing the ride. (and to Kathy for letting him come)

By the way, has anybody heard from La Nette? She quit commenting on the blog.


Here's a few pictures.





From left to right, Mark Thompson and Ed "the Geek" Sparks.


7:00 AM Cleveland, Tx..


Flat road.


Sunrise, over Moss Hill.


Beaumont is not the greatest place I've ever been.


Nice shoulder though.


Where am I going?


Oh, Sour Lake.


Home of Texaco, who knew?


So if you're not a cowboy?


Roughest road to date.

I'm reading a book by Donald Miller that Mary Ashley Callaway gave me entitled "A Million Miles In a Thousand Years", on the first page Miller writes this.
"If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you'd seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.
But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either."

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE MEANINGFUL?

I'm closing in on the end,
Lincoln

Location:Orange, Tx.

12 comments:

  1. OK Mr. “GET OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING”, just because you say so, and to get ready for Team Cristina, I’ve done my first road work since I broke my foot, (and Let me just say… Oh that ankle swelling…Oh that headwind). But not only can I take it, I can dish it out, so here you go baldguyonabike, I’m dishing painful (quasi) poetry:

    Lincoln’s drive and his pace doth perplex us.
    Holy Cow! He’s now peddled ‘cross Texas!
    He hits the road early,
    With trusty steed Surly,
    But shouting “GET OUT AND DO” he does vex us.

    p.s. you’re welcome
    p.s.s. I think LaNette took a chill pill

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  2. Orange, TX!! You are nigh onto Louisiana!! You go man!! I know you must feel like you have been in Texas forever and will be glad to enter your 5th state! Amy said that you had decided to change your route - and not go through scenic DeRidder,LA (trust me we lived there for the 4 years before we moved to Huntsville - you won't miss anything! Although we still have wonderful friends there that I know would welcome you in their home)

    What a great quote from the book - figuring out what makes your life meaningful is such a magnificent thing - and fun to walk through the doors God opens for us when we just look and listen. I know He is opening my eyes to some new opportunities. Have fun in south Louisiana - no hills but lots of swamps. :)

    Know we are continuing to cover you in prayer. Be blessed. Glad you got to spend some time with your boys! (and have a little Huntsville engineering for part of your trip as well!!)

    p.s. LaNette is fine

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  3. Been missing me? I was 'chilling'!! Actually tried to comment while Amy was there and computer whacked out. Was going to say that, yes, we all know that Amy is amazing!!

    Anyway, just been mulling on the fact that I'm telling all manner of folks about what you are doing...and then wondering why I'm not telling them, instead, about what God is doing, has done and will continue to do!! Quite convicting! Praying for more 15 mph days, states that don't begin with the letter T, some tailwinds and more angels.

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  4. You never have the wind with you -- either it is against you or you're having a good day. ~ Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles

    Glad you had a good day!! Hope you have many more on your trek eastward!

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  5. Here's another calculation for you. Using the average of 7 calorie calculators and assuming a body weight and using the average speed you have maintained plus the total hours in the saddle: you have burned 106,853 calories. That's an average of 4857 per day!

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  6. Lincoln,
    So glad you had your family to encourage you this week. Thanks for the reminder to "Get out there and do something".
    LaNette's comment about telling people about God hit home.
    Right now in my life I can't ride a bicycle across country (nor would I want to just to be honest). However I do have the perfect opportunity to share about God when people comment about my twins out in public. Those two babies were brought into this world at 26 weeks weighing just 2 lbs. If anyone wants to see what an awesome God we have, just look at my children and hear about their journey last year.
    I have talked a little about it when someone says "oh they must be a handful" or "better you than me".
    But I am going to ramp up my discussion with perfect strangers to tell them what a powerful and wonderful God we serve.
    And your boys (who are too grown up by the way) may not full realize what is happening at this moment, but someday they will look back in awe of this journey. Just as it is my job to teach my boys that God has a purpose for them. Why else would he have kept them safe and healthy when others are not so fortunate.
    Stay safe as you continue your journey. My prayers are with you.

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  7. Bits & Pieces ---
    I agree, it's hard to build a life (or a movie) on desperately desiring a Volvo --- maybe a nice heavy duty all terrain 4X4 truck. Nice touch on the distance statistics --- if I could find my sliderule, I'd tell you how many calories you've burned. Your boys (I still can't believe you named them after the KKK) really are really the best --- did it take over 1800 miles in the sun to reach that conclusion? I will assure them it is not just a delusional Daddy conclusion and that those three apples did not fall far from their tree. Couldn't agree with you more on Beaumont. But you're finally reaching SEC territory where they really play football. Reminds me - I must get Kolton a ULCA jersey. As you rolly poley through lovely Louisiana, please eat a lot of gumbo for both of us. The central Morgan County drought of 2010 is not over yet, but I did finally received a bit of rain (1/2 inch) the last couple of days. Your rainy riding adventures with multi-layer road grime on your hairless legs, tingling fingers, and Gucci glasses were annoying to both of us --- that east wind was robbing me too. In case you're possibly considering some less tortuous adventure for the 2nd phase of your sabbatical, the bass have been tearing holes in this mud puddle we call our pond. 17+ doves on the powerline also.

    So glad & proud you've conquered the "wicked west" and are approaching the "easy east". And remember that your worst day on the road is supposed to be better than your best day at work (I use the term work very lightly since we both know you minister types only work one day a week! --- about now the missing Linc would be fairly heated and ready to tackle a 30 degree incline & a 30 mph head wind!)

    God bless & be safe, LMB (Bunny's dad)

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  8. Loved the quote from your book! Wife loved it too. Book purchase this week! I am hooked on your blog. Safe riding.

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  9. That "roughest road so far" looks a lot like the one I learned to ride a bike on.

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  10. Lincoln,

    Great to see you are about to enter LA. You should have some flat roads....but not the best roadways in the world. Is it me or have you lost about 20 lbs since you started? You look good.

    Good luck as you enter the GREAT SOUTHEAST!

    BB

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  11. We love you, we miss you and we are so proud of you! Be safe!!

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  12. So I go onto the Team Cristina page and lo and behold but whose name do I see? LINCOLN SMITH! You have got to be kidding me! You are the man!! We reached 76 today and I'm telling you, I feel so loved. God is showing His power and mercy to me through His people every day. I pray He is doing the same for you.

    Peace :)

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