The 9 to 5 Grind

…of sleeping that is. Early to bed, early to rise, before the day reaches the temperature highs. It’s the end of Day 3 here in Desert Center, CA. Quite the fitting name. Temps are hitting 110 by noon, so everyone is trying to get on the road nice and early. All in all, things aren’t too bad and the biking is going well. This is just a quick update while we have some internet tonight.

I’m thankful that my allergies have been practically nonexistent- probably because there is zero grass here. But prayers for strength and endurance are appreciated in these long, hot days!

Big Day Jitters

Well folks, this is where the rubber hits the road (ha-ha..) Monday is the big day that has been anticipated for months. And the day in which all my training (or perhaps lack thereof) will be evident. Excitement as well as apprehension have been consuming me all day. It will be nice once the first day has come and gone. For a detailed map of all our routes, even daily turn by turn directions, check out the Links tab of my blog.

This weekend we had some time to go out for a beautiful ride to the famous Huntington Beach and Pier. On Sunday, we had the tire-dipping ceremony in the Pacific Ocean. This could be considered Day 0 as we rode to the beach and touched our tires to the first of the two seas. There are some pictures up on the Sea to Sea Facebook page, which I encourage all of you to Like and reference. I am not too keen on taking tons of pictures, so for now, check out Facebook or my Grandpas blog.

Blog posts will be less frequent in the future as we leave our comfortable stay at Vanguard University with wifi all around campus. One last sleep in a bed…

I best rest up for the first day now. Your prayer are greatly appreciated for strength and safety as we begin this journey.

Tomorrow, we ride!

Arrival

After 3 days of driving, we have made it to Los Angeles! We are thankful that our car held up and that we were kept safe. It is a little disheartening to think that we will be biking back across all that distance… and more 🙂   Bikers from across the continent are beginning to pour in. We have a weekend of orientation, a tune up ride, and the tire-dipping ceremony in the Pacific Ocean. The excitement is in the air!

Enjoy the weekend!

And so it begins!

The day has finally come! We’re taking off for LA in the early morning for the start of the tour. Here’s a quick update on what has been happening lately:

1. Training – Many miles have been logged around Grand Rapids and Holland. Though I love the beauty of West Michigan, I am excited to see new routes and terrain each day. Some of my rides were spruced up by riding with a group, listening the The Chronicles of Narnia, training with my grandpa, and spotting wildlife.

2. Fundraising – The goal of $10,000 was met and exceeded, thanks be to God! It was a huge burden lifted when the final gift came in that put me over 10k. Thank you SO MUCH to all who have contributed financially. You are all so generous, and I wholeheartedly appreciate your support. I am very excited to see the good work that will be done by the partnering organizations. To date, I have raised $11,835 – bless God!

3. Tour publicity – Check out this article by the Holland Sentinel. It helped further the purpose of the tour by raising awareness.

4. Bike Gear – Thanks to Grand Rapids Bicycle Co. for all the help with my setup and gear. I’m thankful for a knowledgeable staff and quality gear to get me across the country! Here’s a picture of just the bike, to which much has been added.

Looking ahead, we have 2 and 1/2 days of driving, a weekend of orientation, and we start riding on Monday! Words cannot express my excitement that has been building up for months. I feel very blessed to be able to share this experience with my Grandpa Wiersma who will also be riding the full distance and my Grandma Wiersma who will be a SAG (support and gear) vehicle driver.

Prayer Request of the post: safe travels for all cyclists who are making their way to the start of the tour.

Stay tuned for more. I’ll close tonight, the eve of the beginning of a beautiful journey, with one of my favorite verses. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Gotta start somewhere…

Welcome everyone,

Please forgive the lack on content/design on my blog- it is a work in progress! But thank you all for checking in and reading. This will be a place where I will periodically post updates in regards to my Sea to Sea journey. Once the tour begins, hopefully I will be able to include pictures along the way.

For those of you who are unaware, this summer I will be participating in the 2013 Sea to Sea bicycle tour to fight poverty. This is a 9-week, 3,900 mile endeavor across the North American continent that is put on by three sponsoring organizations: the Reformed Church of America, World Renew, and Partners Worldwide. There are a myriad of goals, but raising awareness and funds to fight the cycle of poverty are at the heart of this tour. For more information and details check out http://www.seatosea.org.

As a full rider, I have committed to raise $10,000. Thanks to many generous donations, I am already 35% of the way to my goal! Today, I printed, stuffed and mailed 75 fundraising letters! Pray that God will bless them as they are sent out.

If you would like to make an online donation to this worthy cause, and specifically my campaign, please visit www.seatosea.kintera.org/adamwiersma.

2013 Tour Route

Posts coming soon:

– Why I am riding/Why I care about this cause

– Gear and training update

More to come,

Adam