• Happy Birthday


    Someone special to me shares his birthday with the KING–>

     

    MY DAD!

    So, I just had to shout out to my super dad today. He’s one of my biggest cheerleaders. Such a fantastic role model, inspiration, and unconditional supporter!

     

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!

  • Running the Race


    Charlie, me, and Dad at the start

    As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I showed up in Sedona on Friday night and surprised my dad by announcing I was running the half marathon the next day.

    I’ll never forget that memory as long as I live. The look of utter surprise was priceless.

    Dad, me, and Charlie at mile 1.5

    Dad’s been running marathons since the early 80s. I, as a kid, would color little signs and post them in our car window as we travelled around to his races.

    No wonder I have the exercise bug, huh?

    LOL

    Anyway, I heard this might be his last, or one of his last marathons, so I wanted to surprise him by running part of it with him.

    Me around mile 8

    So, I trained for my second ever half marathon.

    Yikes.

    Now, after my first, I pretty much swore them off because–well–they hurt!

    But, I just had to go do this one. My dad and beautiful Sedona were worth it.

    Me and Charlie at the finish

    And yeah. This one hurt too. But I’d never be sorry for the fun memory I got to make with my hubby and my dad–two of the most important men in my life.

    So, Dad, thank you. You’ve taught me what it means to set a goal and work hard for it. I’ve been able to apply that to all areas of my life, not just exercise.

    And Charlie, my sweet hubby who ran most of the race with me on Saturday, thank you for your constant and unconditional support.

    Me and Dad at the finish of his race

  • GOD CARES ABOUT BIKES?


    wowOkay, so, it’s kinda mucky out there right now, isn’t it? Economy, swine flu, you name it. But, let’s take a few minutes and think about something that’s inspired us! Tell me your story.

    Here’s mine.

    So, you all know about my dad. He did a 3,000 mile road bike to raise money for Young Life.

    Well, with less than a couple hundred miles left on his ride, his bike broke. Something about a gear shifter lever. You can tell I’m not a technician, can’t you?

    Well, this broken shifter meant that he was stuck in ONE gear. And that’s just not good when you’re navigating hills, battling headwinds, etc.

    Well, after a day of pedaling with just one gear, he decided he’d stop in a bike store to ask if they can manually put it in an easier gear.

    The man said, “Sure, I’ll take a look at it.”

    “I know you can’t fix it, two bike shops already told me it’s not fixable, but if you can get it in an easier gear for me, that’d be great,” my dad said.

    “Sure, let me take a look.” The guy took the bike back.

    Now, a couple hours earlier, My dad had talked to his pastor on the phone to give him an update of the ride so far, so they could share it with the congregation back home in AZ. When he heard about the bike problems, he said he’d have them pray for him.

    A few minutes later, the technician came out with my dad’s bike, “Well, fixed her up for ya.”

    “You fixed it? Or just got it into an easier gear for me?”

    “No, I fixed it.”

    Turns out he was able to band-aid fix the gear shifter. So, for the last 119 miles, my dad had all his gears. He said it was a good thing, because he had a head wind the entire 119 miles on that last day!

    The power of prayer, even when it’s just about a bike ride. Amazing.

    ~~~

    Your Turn

    ~~~

  • 3,100 mile bike ride update


    dads-bike-picture2My dad is almost five hundred miles into his journey across America. Can you believe it? He’s raised over $20,000.00 so far! It’s amazing.

    He rode through Phoenix on Sunday, so Charlie and I met up with him and biked about 47 miles with him.

    It was such a blast even though we had a 20 mph headwind at times.

    In case you haven’t read his story, you can see both parts by clicking links below:

    Part One

    Part Two

    For the most part, things are going well. Some predicted aches and pains from riding a road bike over 100 miles per day. He is having a little unexpected foot pain, but my sweet hubby, who’s a physical therapist, took good care of him when he stopped through Phoenix.

    So, keep my dad, Don, in your prayers. He has a long way to go until he gets to Florida.

    He’s such an inspiration.

    ***

    I’m curious — who inspires you? I’d love to hear your stories.

    ***

  • 3,100 MILE BIKE RIDE, PART 2


    Here's the car...they're driving to California to start the adventure.
    Here's the car...they're driving to California to start the adventure.

    My dad, Don, is on his way…he actually started the 3,100 mile bike ride across the country on Wednesday the 18th, earlier than expected. So far, so good. I’ll post some updates on the side bar as they come in.

    For part 2 of my spotlight on his efforts, I thought I’d ask him a couple questions.

    If you missed part one, CLICK HERE.

    Dad’s answers:

    LYNN: How’d you get involved in Young Life?

    DAD: One day at church I was introduced to a man who first mentioned Young Life (YL) to me. I had never heard of it. So I listened primarily because I had worked with the youth group in our former church and still had an interest in the spiritual welfare of this age group.

    This man turned out to be the Committee Chairman of Verde Valley Young Life. A few weeks later he asked if I would be interested in attending a banquet to learn more about this youth ministry.

    Sometime after this banquet I attended an informal gathering of other YL Committee members where I learned about the role of the Advisory Committee. Subsequent visits to YL weekly club meetings, meeting the YL pastor, and other information gained from searching the website convinced me this was an effective ministry that was valuable to the youth in the Verde Valley.

    When I heard that the ministry was in a dire financial position, I thought my previous financial and administrative experience could be of value in “righting the ship.”

    I became a committee member primarily to establish financial and administrative focus and discipline within the Verde Valley YL committee, that I thought was seriously lacking. The more I got involved, the more I understood the mission and vision of YL, and it has become a passion with me to do whatever I can to assure the sustainability and stability of this valuable ministry.

    🙂

    LYNN: What made you think to bike 3,100 miles? That’s a ton!!

    DAD: I like to bike and I do a lot of it. I also look forward to physical events that I feel will challenge me. For several years a bike ride across America has been a vague someday-I-would-like-to-do-this-idea.

    When it became apparent that Verde Valley YL was facing severe financial difficulty, I thought of all those other fund raising events we hear of: Run for Luekemia, Run to beat Breast Cancer, etc., etc.

    I thought, why not actually do this “someday, maybe” bike ride as a fundraiser. I thought if people heard about this senior gentleman doing something this bizarre, they might decide it was worth a few bucks to support him.

    So…….the ride became a reality. And the distance had to be great enough to grab people’s attention. And it makes good press: Coast to Coast, transcontinental, Ride Across America.

    🙂

    LYNN: How did you get into the extreme sports? Running marathons, climbing mountains, riding 3,100 miles?

    DAD: I don’t view any of this stuff as extreme sports. But I do like to keep upping the ante.

    If 26 mile runs get to be blasie, then run 50 miles.

    When backpacking gets routine, find tougher, more challenging routes, maybe with a few mountain peaks thrown in.

    If you can bike 100 miles in one day, why not string a bunch of these 100-mile days together.

    Life must continue to offer challenges to renew the spirit, motivate performance, and kindle new dreams. The accomplishment of extreme challenges builds confidence and self esteem.

    Most of the stuff I do requires prolonged periods of being alone, which to me is refreshing and energizing. After such long, arduous events, I invariably feel more alive and invigorated.

    🙂

    Wow. That’s really all I can say. And yes, I’m a writer…usually we have lots to say, right?

    Dad, may God bless you and keep you on this mighty adventure! Stay tuned for updates if you’re interested. If you want to financially support the cause, drop me an email, I’ll get you hooked up: sheriboeyink {at} cox {dot} net.

    CHECK OUT THE BLOG my dad set up for this: http://coasttocoastforkids.blogspot.com/