Spring Training

Spring Training has begun, I use the word "spring" lightly, today may be April 20, 2011, but we were under a winter storm watch last night.  Woke up to a slushy mess this morning.  The only riding we have done this week was 3 days ago.  Highs were in the low 40's, with a cold wind, but we rode  28 miles anyway, after all we are training for PALM  30 ( Pedal Across Lower Michigan)   a 6 day bike tour across the lower peninsula of MIchigan.  It is June 18-24, 6 days and 283 miles, with  over 700 riders. We wil be riding our 10 foot long tandem, tadpole trike.  It's called a tadpole, because it has 2 wheels in the front and one in the back.  PALM 30  is a supported tour with a SAG truck to carry the gear of the riders.  Sleeping accommodations will be a 3 person tent,  ( I don't know how to put it up yet,)  Our luxury item is a battery operated blow up bed.  We will be camping at school, where we will eat supper and breakfast.  We will be on our own for lunch.  
The tour begins in picturesque Ludington MI, home port for the Lake Michigan ferry, the Badger.  From Ludington we will ride to Hesperia, from Hesperia to Big Rapids, then onto Clare, next stops will be Bay City, and Bad Axe, ending on the shores of Lake Huron in a little town called Harbor Beach.  The ride will end with a parade.  Our longest day will be 62 miles, and the shortest will be 28 miles.  Most days average around 46 or 47 miles.  Being a former marathon runner, Tony has a training schedule made up for us, only problem is, that the weather isn't cooperating very much.  This week we are supposed to ride 60 miles, hoping to split that into 2 days if possible.
Why are we doing this ride?  We enjoy riding together and seeing God's creation up close and personal.   We see things we would miss if we were riding in a car, like a Mama beaver moving one of her kits, 2 fawns drinking from a pond, bicycles of the amish kids parked at the country school house where they are doing their lessons, horses watching us as we ride by, big red barns, and blue skies.  We also look at this tour as an opportunity to let others see Christ in our lives.  To see how we lean on him for our strength, even as we train.  I have never taken on any type of a physical challenge, and all though Tony has completed 3 marathons, and many River bank Runs,  this is a horse of a different color for both of us.  Thank you for joining us on this journey.
In addition to training we had quite a bit of gear to get together.  A 3 person tent, a borrowed blow up bed, flash light, sleeping bags, an army surplus, waterproof laundry bag, 2 water proof bags for clothing, JR Liggets bar shampoo, which will double as soap, rain gear, swim suits and towels, bags for our shower stuff, clothing,  2 water bottles, panniers for the trike, garbage bags to cover the seats at night, and to cover the panniers if it rains, a camera, and a dog carrier for our 8 lb toy poodle, Button, and other personal items.  I probably left somethings out, but I'm sure you get the drift of it all.  Whew, makes me glad we don't have to haul it all on the trike.  This will be a good way for us to try out touring.
I took an bicycle repair and maintenance class at our local bike shop.  So I know how to change a tire, fix a flat and some other basic things.  I'll try and post pictures as I post, but not taking the Mac along on PALM, so I'll have to play catch up from my written notes when we get back home.