Ben Powell and I left the Holiday Inn and biked down to the starting point at Monticello High School in Charlottesville. We were in the first group to leave that morning from the starting point. And right away we were into the lovely, but tiring hills of Charlottesville. The whole day consisted of biking up one hill, down another, and then up again.

We had rest stops about every 10-12 miles. While you didn’t have to stop, it was great to be able to grab a Gatorade bar, banana, chocolate bar, cold drinks, etc. They had food that was intended to give you a quick boost of energy. The volunteers that were at the stops did a fabulous job cheering you on. They would see you coming and they would start clapping their hands, waving, hollering, and carrying on something fierce. It was encouraging to have them so supportive of us! They helped make things interesting. We also had volunteer medics, mechanics, and team supporters that were keeping the roads hot riding from stop to stop to make sure everyone was okay. The guys on the motorcycle caused some jealousy among us "bicyclers," but we got over it.

Ben and I reached Farmville (the 1/2 way point of our ride, and the end for that day) between 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Saturday. We chilled out, grabbed a bite to eat, had some work done on my bike, and then headed to my home for supper, showers, and bed!

The next morning, after some problems with waking up too early (ask Ben), we headed out once again. This time, we were some of the last ones to leave. But we made great time and managed to catch up to most of the others. We finished our ride at John Kerr Reservoir in North Carolina at 2:00 p.m. Sam and Poe Powell were there to load up our bikes and bring us back home. All in all, we had ridden between 160-165 miles. It was a hard trip at times, but I’m so glad I did it. It’s rewarding to look back over the weekend and to know that I finished up.

I’m so thankful for God’s protection through the whole trip! There was one bad accident (a guy went over his handlebars) during the ride. Through there were a lot of us, myself included, that suffered from knee and back pains, bike problems, headaches, and some other pains and ailments that I won’t mention, I’m also thankful for all the support and encouragement that I have received from so many people. To know that there were people praying for me over the time that I was riding meant a lot.

Many times during the ride, I thought of our Christian walk here on earth. The way the volunteers cheered us on, encouraged us, and made us want to keep going - that is what we as Christians are to do for our fellow believers. We need to be there for each other, just the way the volunteers needed to be there for us, helping each other to stay strong and on the right path. For if we persevere and stay faithful to our Lord, one day when we reach Heaven, we can look back and say, "The pain of life was all worth it to be able to be here with Jesus!"

Just like Ben and I had a goal to finish up in North Carolina, we Christians have (or should have) a goal to finish up in Heaven. So come on Christians, you’re doing great, you’re going to make it, energized in the Holy Spirit, and keep on keeping on! Like Ben said during our ride, "You don’t have to come in first to be a winner; you’re a winner just by finishing!"

Misty L. Yoder