Final: 785 miles, $3,450 raised for kids to go to Young Life Camp and not a single bear.

It was just over a month ago when I was biking across Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The purpose was to raise money for kids from the Dale House Project and from the greater Holland area to go to Young Life camp. I had never done anything like this before. Most days were well over 100 miles and at night I spent time with families I had never met before. The month before had been full of training and fundraising.

The second day of the trip pretty much summed up what the whole experience was like. The first day had plenty of setbacks and turned out to be 164 miles. The second day consisted of a headwind of 15-18 mhp for most of the 100 miles. Headwinds frustrate me more than hills or heat or rain. A good strong headwind feels like pressing equally on the break and gas pedals in a car. Maximum effort with minimal results. That day my legs hurt, I powered through, I yelled going up hills with the wind blowing strong in my face. I pushed as hard as I could only to see the speed on my computer dropping consistently. I dropped my wallet and had to back track. Finally I started praying for the wind to just ease up a bit.

Every time I finished a prayer the wind seemed to pick up, almost mocking me, and putting more resistance on every pedal. Finally that day I snapped. I was sick of the wind, sick of praying and biked harder than I think I ever had. I’m sure my jaw was clenched as I pushed and pushed as if to defy the wind. To overcome everything.

This is what I mean everything was like. Instead of making life easier by giving me what I wanted it was kind of like God may have just been saying. “Stop it. Stop asking for things to be easy. Stop being a wimp”

I felt that in the last leg of the day tuesday. When God seemed to maybe say “You think you’re in shape, you think you know how to push yourself, you think you know strength in weakness but Travis, you don’t know how I’ve made you. You don’t know how amazingly well I made you. You don’t know really what you can do but I can show you and teach you through testing. Maybe if you stopped asking for it to be so easy all the time you might even see”

After everything shook out and the trip was done I didn’t feel much sense of accomplishment but more so wonder of what I might be able to do. The trip was very hard at times but I know I could have tacked on another 20 or 40 miles onto most days. The trip could have been 1,000 miles and it still would have happened. And after the next trip I’m sure I’ll still have the same sense of curiosity.

But for now I can say it is good. Roughly $3,450 was raised. Around $2,500 will go to the DHP and $1,000 will stay here in holland to send kids to camp.

Thanks everyone for all the support, encouragement, and help. And no James Sa, there was not a single bear fight/attack/sighting/non-confrontational gathering.

121 miles

Yesterday I went for my first long ride. I’ve been training up in mileage biking or running and least once or twice a day.

The past 2 weeks I’ve spent a little over 26 hours on my bike for a total of 400 something miles. Yesterday was my longest day. I woke up at 5am to get on my bike. The sky was still really dark but I threw on my sunglasses to keep the gnats out and started on my way. At that point it was a comfortable 64 degrees and stayed so for a long time. By the time the sun was rising I had made my way through Saugatuck and to my favorite stretch of road right above the shore over looking Lake Michigan. The water was reflecting the sun perfectly off the small waves letting the whole lake glow gold.

5 hours later I had made my way south of South Haven, turned around and was back at that point of my ride overlooking the lake. Now the clock on my bike read 93 degrees but I felt surprisingly good. I hit a wall around 50 miles but was well over that at this point and kept up a good pace all the way back to Holland. I’ve never ridden or ran for a cause other than to figure out what I can do. I’ve had things on my mind, friends and stuff that keep me going, but it’s different now knowing that this effort could help change a kids life.

When I got back to Holland I had only gone 90 miles so I biked to the north side towards the beach and returned home to put in 101 miles by noon. Then I went to a couple open houses of Young Life guys and a couple guys I coached. Seeing them, knowing them from when I was a freshman until now, hearing from their parents about how glad they are involved reminded me why I became a Young Life leader in the first place. To help kids through high school, have fun and set them up for the rest of their life.

It’s so much in my desire for kids to have that I would do most anything. Especially the kids who don’t fit in, don’t have the families of the kids I visited yesterday, and haven’t known how good this world can be. With that on my mind I went home and ran three miles, got in a little workout in and then headed out for another 20 miles on my bike.

The good news is I’m feeling great today and feel like I could head out for another 120.

In more important/exciting news I’m looking for business and family sponsors for the trip! If you, your family, or business would like to sponsor please shoot me an email (travis.rieth@gmail.com) and we’ll talk!

Thanks!

7 Days. 800 miles. One cause.

One of my favorite things in the world is taking kids to Young Life camp. The first time I went was four years ago at Timberwolf. I’ve gone back there a couple times, to Castaway and Frontier Ranch. Knowing how awesome camp is and the good it can do in kids lives makes we want to go to great extremes to get kids there.

So when I learned a couple months ago The Dale House (where I worked last year) needed some help sending their kids to Young Life camp this year I had to do something. I took the kids last year and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to see the kids that went have so many first experiences, step outside their comfort zone, but most importantly got to see how accepted and loved they felt by getting to go to camp. Most of the kids grow up in abusive and neglectful environments. Watching them go to a camp where they are treated like royalty, get to know so many new friends, and are truly loved for who they are was one of the most amazing representations of how God loves people that I’ve ever seen. I know for a fact it changed those kids lives.

Coming back to Michigan I started being a Young Life leader again and know there is a monetary need here in Holland to send kids to camp as well. When I heard the DHP needed help too I knew I just had to do something. I really wanted every kid who wants to go to camp to be able to go and saw a need.

To give online click here or call 616-392-6555 to make a donation. Thank you so much for joining with me on this. I’ll keep you updated on how the fundraising is going.