Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Assault on Mt. Mitchell: 10K and a year of calories

I rode the Assault on Mt. Mitchell for the first time today. An almost unbelievable riding experience. So much I could write about, but since it's late, for now, just a few interesting statistics.

First, I stayed with the lead group for about 63 kilometers or 39 miles, during which I averaged 41.1 kph, or 25.5 mph. Given that I've never maintained such an average even on a 10 mile time trial, it was quite a rush and a pleasant surprise. When I'd looked at the ride info beforehand and saw the ETAs of the lead group at the various rest stops along the route, based on a 25 mph average speed, I was sure I wouldn't hang in with them more than 10 miles or so. What I didn't count on was the enormous draft that is created by 100+ riders moving at that pace, and the adrenaline and excitement that came from realizing I could in fact hang in a group like that. "I guess this is what it feels like to ride a stage of the Tour de France," I thought. Only thing is that often the average speeds among top level pros in big events are 30+ for the first hour or two, with constant changes of pace, until a breakaway sticks. I can't imagine doing that and more day after day after day.


During that hour and a half, my heart rate averaged 166 bpm. Most rides of that duration that I do are around 150, and I've never had one over 160. I was thrilled that I was hanging in, but also terrified every time I looked down to see my heart rate in the 170s. "I can't last at this level; I'm gonna crack hard soon" I kept thinking. I did lose contact when the route got a little hilly, but I settled into a group that I rode with from mile 39 to mile 74.

Interestingly, just as I came off the back, I noticed Spencer Gaddy stopped to relieve himself on the side of the road. A minute later, he flew by me to the front of the group that had developed off the back of the leaders. He drove the pace with us for a minute or two, and then when the road tilted up a little more, he left us. Since the leaders were still out of sight, I thought he had a long road of hard chasing to get back to them, and I didn't envy him much. When I got back to Marion afterwards, and looked at the results page, in 1st place was Spencer Gaddy, 5:00:36. WOW. I guess his chase went well . . .

Robert, Charles, and I shared stories about the ride for a good 45 minutes afterwards. That's always one of the most enjoyable parts of these events, hearing what your friends went through. They both finished well ahead of me, and had the privilege of riding up the big climbs with the frontrunners. Robert finished 13th overall, in 5:24, and Charles 37th, in 5:37. I finished in 6:13 and change, which was better than the 6:30 I was shooting for, so I was quite pleased. Especially considering how much the first 40 miles took out of me. Anyways, as we talked numbers, the subject of calories came up, and though I didn't display it on the Garmin as I rode, I guessed I'd burned 7-8000, since I often do 5-6000 on 70-80 mile rides. When I pulled it up, I found to my surprise that I'd actually burned 10,365. While it's probably a little off due to its inability to factor in the draft I was riding in, it's probably not that far off. I've never ridden so hard in my life. It was a good day's work on the bike. Here are the other figures from Garmin connect:

Monday, May 9, 2011

Some Unexpected Twists

My father gave me some grief today at our Mother's Day get together about how I've not posted anything on my new blog, so I figured I'd better get my act together. So here's post number three tonight, the first two of which I wrote earlier last week. I also wanted to give an update on my riding experiences.

I didn't ride much last week. I fully intended to put in a huge week, but between Sunday's homecoming service inspiring an inclination to reflect, general physical lethargy that I only slowly realized and admitted, and an eagerness to study and write that I found nearly impossible to contain, I concluded I was due for a rest week, but not until it was halfway over. Probably not the best timing seeing that the Assault on Mt. Mitchell is now 7 days away, but it's not like my training has ever been particularly well-structured. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants and by the fact that I ride my bike more than I do anything, so I typically find a way to do okay in various events, so long as I'm not expecting or expected to be super-competitive. I know a little about periodization, peaking, and etc., I guess enough to make me dangerous, as they say, but I'm not sure if resting a week out and then doing a few hard days at the beginning of this week will bode well or not. No time to read The Cyclist's Training Bible, I'm too busy riding and reading the real thing :-) I was planning to get up early in the morning to ride a few hours, but now that it's 2:30 a.m., that won't be happening. Stretching out the Monday night club ride will have to do.

Anyways, I had some good rides this week, and for the mileage I rode, I covered a lot of ground in my York County riding goal. Alik and I took in some new roads southeast of town Wednesday evening, and Jenny and I did some neighborhoods near Northwestern HS, followed by a trek out highway 5 and a few subdivisions on the north side of town. I was even able to get in an hour at something approaching climbing intensity to semi-simulate Mitchell. I didn't feel too bad either, even though I'd already done 20 miles of commuting, and the Mayor's ride earlier in the day, and 45 miles with Jenny. Keeping the heartrate above 160 in neighborhoods after dark wasn't easy. Now that I think of it, it was quite a challenge and a bit of an adventure. Thankfully I only hit one bad bump, coming down twin lakes onto the bridge over the creek. Should've known that was there, I've bunny-hopped it dozens of times when I saw it in daylight. Even with my 600 lumen headlight, it didn't look as bad as it felt. No flats, though, so it's all good. But what about Jenny? Riding for only a year, she did 50 miles Saturday with sneakers. It took me much more than a year of riding and better equipment than that to get to that distance. She's a trooper; I was very impressed with her progress.

Confession time: my reckless cycling deed of the week was talking on the phone all the way home from work Friday night. I've talked on the phone while riding before, even texted (actually I sent 8 or 10 texts during Saturday's ride, come to think of it), but never done a complete ride without hanging up the phone, or in this case only hanging up while stopped at a light, so Carver could pay his pizza delivery guy. I suppose part of what motivated me to do that, or what motivates me, since I haven't stopped, is that motorists do it all the time, and don't think twice about it. Since I ride my bike as much as many people drive, I'm comfortable phoning while riding, even if drivers might think it crazy and reckless. It probably is reckless, but no moreso than what drivers do consistently. So I guess I'm hoping when people see me doing that, they won't just realize my idiocy, but theirs as well. That's probably a long shot and a vain hope, so I need to stop.

In any case, the theme of the week seemed to be unexpected changes and tests of whether I could adapt and adjust to them. Hopefully nothing more unexpected and exciting this week.

Here are the latest images of where I've ridden:





Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Justice of God, Rejoicing over bin Laden, and the Common Ground between Pacifists and Tea Partiers

In the reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of American forces, most responses have tended toward one of two extremes, neither of which do justice to the just judgment of God, in my opinion. This discussion applies particularly to Christians, but I suppose may be meaningful to others as well.

The first reaction that troubled me was the jubilant celebration highlighted by television coverage after the President's announcement Sunday night. I wasn't particularly remorseful about his death, but didn't see inspiration to take to the streets dancing either. I think of several reasons for this.
First, on a personal level, I'm not directly threatened by al qaeda terrorists as I go about my day-to-day life. I might have been a little more excited if it were announced that motorists who harass cyclists would have their licenses permanently revoked, and funds from the sale of their cars would be used to purchase bicycles from local shops, but I suppose that's a bit of a pipe dream :-) But in seriousness, I'm sure those who lost loved ones on 9/11 felt a great deal of vindication and relief at this news. The scenes of young people partying in the streets like their team had won the world title were another matter.
Second, even if bin Laden and his band of thuggish cowards were a direct threat, they are not our ultimate enemy: "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12.
Third, God does not take pleasure in the death of even the worst of men created in His image. (Ezekiel 33:11; Genesis 1:27) If God doesn't take pleasure in it, and we're growing in godliness, neither will we.
Fourth, Jesus teaches us "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." (Luke 6:27-36) Dancing for joy over the death of an enemy doesn't seem to be keeping in the spirit of love.
Fifth, but perhaps first in my consciousness, is the fact that God does not define sin nor execute His judgment in relative terms, but on the basis of His perfect law, before which none of us may open our mouths in self-defense (Romans 3:19). If we tend to think of sin and righteousness and judgment in terms of comparison to others or to how bad we could be, then we're blind to the true standard of judgment in the world, which is God's brilliant righteousness, in view of which there is none "righteous, no, not one . . ." (Romans 3:10, see also 11-18). With that in mind, I can't gloat over the just death of anyone, as wicked as they may be, because I know that by my own misdeeds I've forfeited my right to live (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23; James 1:15).
It's this last point that I want to highlight as the main problem I see with exuberant celebration (I'll call it "pure joy") over bin Laden's death: it does not acknowledge the righteous judgment of God toward us. It seems incompatible with the truths that God alone is righteous, we are all guilty before Him and deserving of judgment, and that any execution of judgment we carry out is ultimately a service to His justice, not to our desire for revenge. It acts as if bin Laden's highest crimes were against the United States, vengeance is ours, and we have repaid bin Laden for his evil, but in truth, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35), for the ultimate authority offended by murder (and indeed every sin) is no human institution, but God, whose image all of us bear (Genesis 1:27), who owns the world and everything in it (Psalm 24:1), and who "gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:25).
If vengeance and judgment are God's alone, is there any biblical warrant for our government to do what they did in taking out bin Laden? I believe there is, and this forms the connection to my criticism of the other unbalanced response, that which I'll call "pure grief", that sees no cause for rejoicing in the execution of justice against bin Laden. This one will be more complex and difficult, and is probably not something all Christians will agree on, so I think I'll leave it for another post, but until then I'll give what I think is an important connection between the stream of biblical teaching that leads to this emphasis (that we should be kind to our enemies), and the biblical teaching that provides the corrective between "pure joy" and "pure grief."
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it (Grk. "give place") to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. (Romans 12:19-13:4)
Do you hear what I hear in this passage? "Righteousness and peace kiss each other" (Psalm 85:10), or to put it in contemporary idiom, "Pat Robertson and Jim Wallis say 'Amen!' together." As it turns out, maybe hippie pacifists and flag-waving tea partiers have some common ground.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Ebenezer, striving to rest, hand grenade spirituality, and bin Laden

I'm changing to this blogger site from the wordpress site I've been using. I'm not sure I'll be able to transfer all the posts I've done there over to this, but here's what I've written there: http://aheartfullofhighways.wordpress.com/

I originally wrote this late Sunday night/early Monday morning a week ago . . .

There's so much I want to write about today, but will have to keep this brief.
Today was Ebenezer's 226th anniversary service, and Mark Tankersley of Gaston Community Church began his sermon with a brilliant quote from John Flavel (1628-1691):
“If Christians in reading the scriptures would judiciously collect and record the providences they meet with there, and (if destitute of other helps) but add those that have fallen out in their own time and experience; O what a precious treasure would these make! What an antidote would it be to their souls against the spreading atheism of these days, and satisfy them beyond what many other arguments can do, that 'The Lord he is the God; the Lord he is the God' (1 Kings 18:39)." -The Mystery of Providence, ch 13
I've been experiencing some remarkable providences the past few months, many of them in the form of insight into providences in Scripture. How much more should I be careful to do this! I was overcome with odd amounts of laziness and distraction today that hindered me from writing like I planned. Or maybe it was just the eight pounds of food I ate at the picnic on the lawn after worship coupled with an exhausting week of work and cycling. In any case, I plan to write more of these personal providences in coming weeks.
The text of the sermon was 1 Samuel 7:1-17. An amazing picture of the work of Christ on our behalf:

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.

Samuel (whose name sounds like the Hebrew for "heard of God") rep
resents Israel to God with a prayer and a sacrifice, the enemy attacks, God hears, answers, and saves, and routs the enemy. Samuel made a stone monument to commemorate God's victory, and called it Ebenezer, which is the name of the church I'm part of, which also gave its name to the road it's on, just down the street from the bike shop. In a greater way,

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence . . . And . . . he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." -Hebrews 5:7-9
As Michael Card sings, "So let us fix our eyes upon the priest whom God can hear..."

As I was thinking on the hymn "O Day of Rest and Gladness" and my ongoing struggle with perfectionism and rest, I realized something important about the symbolic importance of observing the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath. My favorite verse of the hymn is
On Thee, at the creation,
The light first had its birth;
On Thee, for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On Thee, our Lord, victorious,
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus on Thee, most glorious,
A triple light was giv’n.

The Sabbath in the old covenant commemorated the rest of God in completing His work of creation in six days, but the Sabbath in the new covenant commemorates the completion of God's work of redemption on the first day. In the old covenant, the faithful worked their way toward rest ("six days shall you labor"), while in the new covenant, we rest first, then work, showing that we trust the most important work has already been done.

Seeing as it's 4:19 A.M. as I type, I'm confronted with my own hypocrisy, and hesitate to post this, but I guess hypocrisy confessed is better than the double hypocrisy of hiding it. If you're reading this and are a praying person, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. I'm struggling to be free from this unrest in deep ways.

Update: it's now 1 am Monday, May 9. I intended to sleep tonight at 10 pm, so I could ride in the morning at 7, but what should take 10 minutes to upload to google earth takes 2 hours on this worthless computer I use, and once again I find myself up too late and restless.

"For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence." Psalm 90:7-8
How good to know that what was once a terror is now a comfort:
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
That's not as comforting as I thought it would be: it's one thing to blog in the light; it's another thing to walk there. It's easy to do hand grenade spirituality from behind a computer screen instead of going into the battle face-to-face with a hostile world. I'm struggling.

Speaking of face-to-face battles, thank God for those who've risked their lives to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice. I can't join in the gloating over the death of a human enemy the way I see going on in D.C. and probably in other places in days to come, but I can rejoice in the justice of God in bringing vengeance on an evil man who has plotted death and destruction for thousands of innocent people, if not more. That may seem contradictory, but I don't think so: one is "We defeated you because we're better than you and we're awesome" and the other is
"I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea." -Exodus 15:1
One is proud, the other is humble; one is self-righteous, the other submits to the righteousness of God. Perhaps my view is a little myopic because I've been in the 80s-100s of the Psalms so much lately, where the right of God to judge the world and punish His wicked enemies is everywhere assumed, but I think that's just highlighting what is present throughout Scripture and essential to God's Godhood. Psalm 92 perhaps speaks most clearly:

5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:

7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.

10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.