IC3 Arizona Spoke

2012 VISTOSO CHALLENGE 48 CHARITY BIKE RIDE

2011-12-07T06:41:00.001-08:00

ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

presents

VISTOSO CHALLENGE 48 CHARITY BIKE RIDE

benefiting

INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES

January 14, 2012, 8 AM

coordinate by IC3 Tucson

To sign up download the flyer and contact Todd Huff: 907-8019

Interfaith Community Services
We share a common belief that our diverse faiths call us to serve those in need. We are enriched through the diversity of beliefs of our volunteers and recipients. Our services and volunteer opportunities are open and welcoming to all regardless of faith tradition. We remain true to our founding value of helping those in need with "Love, Cooperation and Service."

Although our roots of support and services are in the northwest area of Tucson, our programs, volunteers, and supporters now extend to most of Pima County. Our partners represent the full community - individuals, agencies, corporations, foundations, City of Tucson, Pima County, and, of course, the faith communities.

Our multiple services are often the "safety net" that help our recipients remain or become stabilized, enabling them to lead independent lives. We are providing services for thousands of people in need.

About the Charity Ride
Riders or teams of up to 6 riders will enjoy a supported fun ride, distances from 8 to 48 miles along an 8-mile loop through Rancho Vistoso beginning and ending at the Oro Valley Hospital. There will be food for participants & prizes for the largest fundraisers.

Start/Finish (A) is at the rear of the Oro Valley Hospital and begins traveling west on Tangerine Road to Rancho Vistoso Blvd. around the loop to Innovation Park Drive turning south back to the starting point.
Individual participants or team captains are responsible to deliver the donations at ride registration.

Donations are tax-deductable. For cash donations we need an address for donation receipts.

Rides & Events

2011-12-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Link to Calendar

2011 Cochise County Cycling Classic

2011-10-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Praises be to our Heavenly Father for being able to participate and support the 2011 Cochise County Cycling Classic. This year must have been one of the coldest, if not the coldest race start ever. At around 40 degrees it was very cold. The good news, the race temperatures never got over 80 degrees, which made for perfect race conditions. As a Tucsonian, not expecting these temperatures, but being warned by Jim, I had just the right clothing. It was cold for the first 30 to 40 minutes, but just before we started the climb in Bisbee, I took of my arm warms and for the rest of the race (about 3 hours) it was perfect.

We setup at the start/finish line to hand out Recoverite and other goodies from our sponsor Hammer Nutrition. Thanks Hammer Nutrition for another great race support. Patsy, Todd and Michael took turns manning the canopy. Jim participated in the 45 mile race as bike patrol and after he finished the race manned a Hammradio station for the 92 mile event. Thanks for all you hard work and volunteering to make those events possible.

Bill and Michael participated in the 92 mile event. It was a successful race. Bill came in 7th and Michael 9th, only separated by seconds to the first place. WOOOHOOO !!! Praises be to Jesus !!! As always the group separated on the climb to Mule Pass in Bisbee. Usually the groups that are forming after the hill climb in Bisbee are around 6-10 riders. This time we had a group of 14 riders. We all organized into a pace line and stay ahead of all the other groups chasing us.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen."

Jude 1:24

Night Time Charity Ride

2011-09-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Two spoke members, Todd Stuve and Todd Huff participated in a charity ride that supported Tupelo Children's Mansion, a Christian residential group home in Tupelo Mississippi serving families and children in crisis situations. Todd Stuve and his family raised almost $2,500. Praises be to our Lord and Savior Jesus for this accomplishments. This charity ride was a different kind of ride. It started at 11 PM. That's right. It was a night ride which was the culmination of the fund raising effort with a 65-mile ride from the north side of Tucson to Casa Grande, AZ. Beginning at near-midnight most of the ride was along the I-10 frontage and there was vehicular support for the riders. Other riders included youth group members from a local Tucson church group. The weather was perfect and the cool night air made for an exhilarating and totally different riding experience!

Poco's And Moms - A Witness For Christ

2011-09-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

We wanted to take the opportunity to thank the owners of a local restaurant here in Tucson, Poco's and Moms for their support of IC3 for the last 2 years. Poco's and Moms is owned by Kim (center photo) and her mother who are believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They offer some of the best New Mexico style Mexican food. They are located on the East side of town on the northwest corner of 22nd and Kolb.

A while ago we presented Kim a thank you picture and she proudly displays near table 8. She especially liked the verse we have on our banner in the photo.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

This picture and Kim's very uplifting spirit are a great witness for our Lord Jesus and his awesome love towards us. Kim says the photo is viewed by customers and has generated many comments expressing how refreshing it is to be reminded of eternal Christian truth. When Kim receives comments about the bible verse and photograph on the wall, she takes the opportunity to acknowledge that her life has been changed by her faith. She also mentioned that since incorporating Christian principals into her business, her business has been blessed immensely.

Visit Poco's and Mom, enjoy this wonderful small refreshing atmosphere. Praise, glory and honor be to the only One who can keep us from stumbling and presents us with exceeding joy. Praise be to Jesus !!!

Water (Bottle) Outreach & Goat Head Removal

2011-09-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

About 50 riders stopped at our Water (Bottle) Outreach at Houghton and Old Spanish Trail. We refilled water bottles of bicyclists passing by and handed out some Hammer gels. Temperatures got hotter as they day went on, but it wasn't too super hot. We ended around 10am when riders usually end their rides due to the rising temperatures.

All riders who stopped, liked for us being out there and asked what we were doing. We shared our IC3 mission with them, which is to unite Christian cyclists for a worldwide testimony in lifestyle, training, and sportsmanship, and to expose each cyclist to the love and peace of Jesus Christ, so he/she may want to have a relationship with Him. I told some of the riders about Mark 9:41

For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

During our outreach, Jim, one of our members, plugged some Goat Head weeds which are notorious to cause flat tires along side the bike path. These weeds look pretty when they bloom for a little while, but their seeds burst into many little thorns that many riders have experienced during their rides. So instead of fixing flat tires which can be dangerous during speedy training rides, we opted for flat tire prevention.

We all agreed and are praying to continue this outreach until El Tour de Tucson comes around. Riders are in need of water and of good fellowship as well. Praises be to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with such a ministry.

In The Clouds

2011-08-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today we rode up Mt. Lemmon. We had a pretty decent group of about 7, for a Thursday morning. Everyone rode up to various points and then turned around. But the cool thing was the clouds hovering on the mountain. The more we climbed, the more we rode in the clouds. It was a cool site as well as a cool feeling, giving the August temperatures here in Tucson. Clouds all around. That reminded me of God's word, Psalm 97:2

"Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne."

What an awesome God we serve and can ride for. What an awesome creation and a wonderful site we saw this morning. I wanted to "mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." as it is written in Isaiah 40:31. I wanted to take a picture, but had none ready. Here is a link to a picture what it looked like.

May God Bless you and open your eyes to His wonderful Creation.

Breakfast Ride July 9, 2011

2011-07-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for attending the IC3 Eastside Breakfast Ride today. You all looked great with the IC3 colors and other people definitely noticed us on the road. What a blessing it was to have such a great turnout and have new people checking out the group as well. I want to apologize for being a couple of minutes late - Michael did a great job pacing me into town on the "ride before the ride". But once on the road, we were able to travel on a few roads that we normally do not see and riders had options to go around the loop at SNPE and Pistol Hill. I went with the group that toured the loop drive at SNPE and everyone did a great job of riding. our group had about 1240ft of climbing on the way to breakfast - not a bad way to earn a pancake! Hee hee! Let us know what you thought of the Breakfast Ride and whether we should do it again sometime - I for one really looked forward to it and it did not disappoint - the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ is priceless! My family expressed a particular joy at being able to help as well. Praise to our Lord for helping us do this activity - may we always be mindful of our Lord and always joyful in His Blessing.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance."
Psalm 33:12

Happy 4th of July. We had a great Freedom ride this morning. What a blessing, we started riding at 6am with a cloud cover. It was a prayer answered because we desperately need rain here in Tucson, AZ. But most of all we need the rain of the Holy Spirit to revive this nation and bring it back to it's roots. "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." Chronicles 7:14 And it all starts with us, do we harbor sin in our lives and don't treat our neighbor right. Well today we join as a spoke together to ride together and lift up the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

May you have a blessed celebration of the freedom we have in this country. Be safe and God Bless You and God Bless America.

"Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people."
Proverbs 14:34

GDOP Tucson Cross Walk

2011-06-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

"If My people, who are called by My name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wickedways,
then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7: 14

The Global Day of Prayer Tucson (GDOP Tucson) Cross Walk was from June 2. - 11. Each day a cross was carried from a ministry to another ministry, to be finally delivered to the UfA Mall for the final event of the Global Day of Prayer.

We picked up the cross at EWOG (Eagles Wings of Grace) which is located at Pima near Swan Rd. We took turns carrying the cross shouldered, down Swan Rd to Broadway. Everyone who did not walk pushed their bike following the cross. Right before Broadway we met a cyclists named Joshua. He was shirtless and on his way to an appointment. He asked if he could join us to carry the cross. He shouldered it and carried it the fastest all the way to Broadway. We talk a little more, prayed and sent him on his way. From Broadway we went to Alvernoon, down on the bike path to 22nd and back to Columbus where we dropped off the cross at the Sober Project/Giving Tree church. We met Lesa who welcomed us when we dropped off the cross. We prayed together and rode our bikes back to EWOG. Thanks to everyone who participated and especially praises to our Heavenly Father enabling us short notice to participate in His event.

Ride For Hope in Phoenix

2011-06-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Debbie from Fellowship Of Christian Athletes and I met some of the riders from the "Ride For Hope" about 45 miles west of Phoenix and rode quite a distance with them toward the host church in Tempe. The late afternoon temperature was above 100 F. We had a great time on the ride. As we neared Tempe it was obvious the time got away from us and we needed to be at the host church by 6pm for a dinner and ministry presentation. The SAG vehicles came to the rescue. The meal was great and the presentation was way cool. Got back to Tucson near 11:30pm.

Interestingly, one of the riders ran over a metal shard which punctured the tire tread and sidewall so badly that the "o'le dollar bill liner trick" would not work. Tire and tube replaced, we continued. Their progress was updated on the KLOVE radio network. There were some honks from motorists along the way. Those drivers must have been listening on their car radio to KLOVE. The honking certainly had nothing to do with my perfect cycling form. Tuesday's route takes them toward New Mexico and cooler temperatures. Hopefully the Arizona fires won't interfere with their travel. Jim Ulmer

Other Events Besides Cycling

2011-05-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Another passion of mine involving cycling are triathlons. Praises be to our Heavenly Father for blessing me with this gift. I starting doing triathlons in 1992 in Rostock, Germany. My last triathlon was in 1996 in Germany racing for SG Fiko Rostock in the Bundesliga. It was a fun race. Soooooo, after many years of not swimming and running, but only cycling, God enabled me to again participate in 2 events this sprint.

The first one was not a triathlon, but rather a duathlon (run, bike, run). It was the US National Championship which took place in Oro Valley at Innovation Dr. The run course had one challenge towards the end of the run leg. It was up the hill of Innovation Dr. The bike course were 2 loops around Rancho Vistoso Blvd. which were light rollers which we know from the El Tour de Tucson.

I participated with a few members from FCA-E (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). It was great to show unity with our yellow jerseys. May God be glorified in all we did leading up and during the race.

The Tucson Triathlon was 3 weeks later. It was a sprint distance triathlon, 825 yards swim, 12 mile bike and a 3 mile run. The swim and the bike distances were great and felt easy. However the run was a different story. After exhausting myself on the bike, there was little left for the run. That's why I am a cyclists. Or maybe I just got to run a lot more. Well I placed 8th overall and 4th in my age group. WOW, 40-44 is a tough age group to compete in. It was fun nonetheless, all those 40 year old showing the young once how to do it :-). It was fun, even after all those years. WOOOHOOO !!!

2011 Ride of Silence

2011-05-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

2011 Tour de Mesa

2011-04-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

We headed down (or up) to Mesa to participate in the Tour de Mesa (formerly known as Tour de Phoenix). This was the first year of the same race under the new name. The name change only reflected that the majority of the race took and takes place in Mesa. I think at it's closest point it comes within 15 miles of Phoenix and does not even pass through Phoenix. So it only makes sense after so many years to change the name.

God blessed us with the ability to promote IC3 in the Greater Phoenix area at the expo which took place at the Mesa expo center. We handed out Hammer gels, Hammer Fizz, sampled some of their HEED and even handed out some Daily Devotional Bibles. Thanks to Hammer Nutrition for providing all these goodies over the years. We talked to many riders, some interested in the club, some interested in just riding with Christians and others just interested in the free Hammer goodies. It is always a pleasure to give away free things at these expos. And because this expo is small in comparison to the one at the El Tour de Tucson, you got to interact with the riders on a more personal level.

Giving away free things also reminded me of Jesus, to Him and His Father be all glory and honor, now and forever. Free things are not free, and so is our live in Christ. Jesus had to die so that we might live. It's not cheap grace, it cost the Father everything.

On race day, Todd, Harry and I participated in the race. The race starts out with almost all riders heading down University Blvd. at 27 miles/hour in a decent sized group (500 people or more ?!?). We usually take up 3 lanes escorted by police motorcycles. And at 6:15 in the morning we don't upset too many motorists that have to stop at the intersections we are racing through. We even tripped a few red light and speeding cameras. I guess they got confused with all those cyclists riding over the induction loops. All that training payed off and I was able to improve my time from 2009 and finished in under 3 hours (platinum time). Todd finished in shy of 4 hours and Harry finished right around 5 hours. We had a great time at the race, no injuries to report, even though there were a few crashes. We established new relationships with riders from Tucson, that have been part of our training rides. Racing gave it a special bond.

We are looking forward to the Tour of the Tucson Mountains (TTM) and next years Tour de Mesa.

Training Hard And Being A Witness For Christ

2011-03-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

In preparation of the 2011 spring races we rode hard and used the God provided opportunities to share. We participated in the Early Shootout which is a well known local training ride, leaving on Saturday mornings at the UfA. There are 2 Shootout groups, the Early group (the older more relaxed riders, yeah right) and the adrenaline filled youth :-) Both rides start at the UfA, go on Mission Rd to Helmet Peak, to Green Valley and back Old Nogales Highway. It's about a 60 mile loop which averages about 22-23 miles/hour (that's the Early group).

Anyhow, it is the usual crowd of riders, some you know by name, some you know by jersey and helmet :-) After some good efforts up Mission Rd and after the first sprinting point, a rider pulls up to me and said, "Hi Mike, you don't know me, but you are an inspiration.". WOW, riders that don't even know me are watching. Well, praises be to our Heavenly Father, because me being in my IC3 jersey and with references to christiancycling.com, what a witness for Christ. I hope and pray that they saw HIM in me and not me.

Along the same lines, one of our older IC3 members did his Saturday ride a little later in the day. He rode 51 miles and after about 45 miles "slugging up Rancho Vistoso" as he put it, a rider pulled up next to him and said, "keep going, I'm tired too, I'm with you brother and God is good, HE's the only way" pointing to the sky and yelling "God is GOOOD !!!". Keeping riders focused on HIM, mission fulfilled, at least that day.

And posting all those wonderful little God encounters on our ArizonaIC3-Rides Yahoo! email list, got the entire list fired up for another week, looking forward to more God encounters.

Updated POST: 2010 El Tour de Tucson

2010-11-23T08:25:00.001-08:00

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever"

Psalm 136

The 2010 El Tour de Tucson was a true blessing. Thanks to all of you who made this possible.

But let me start at the beginning. Thursday and Friday we had a booth at the expo. Blessed by our sponsor Hammer Nutrition we were able to hand out many Hammer gels and HEED packets. We talk to many cyclists, visitors and vendors, who shared in the goodness of our LORD and Savior. But we also talked to those who do not yet have a relationship with God through Jesus. We didn't necessarily confronted or convict them, but the Holy Spirit was definitely at work. The expo was as in past years impressive. Many vendors returned in support of this race. Our booth was next to Team Colleen (Cancer Sucks) who rides in support of cancer patients and survivors. It was a joy. The interesting part was that Team Colleen was also next to the IC3 booth at a race in Philadelphia. What is God trying to tell us here? We had one racer come by from the NorCal IC3 spoke which was interesting because he didn't know that we had a spoke down here in Tucson. But by the grace of God we are here and are pressing on to do his good work in the cycling community.

At the race day we had an Aid Station at mile 51, so about half way through the 109 mile distance. The weather was great, and even though it was windy on most of the ride, it was strangely calm at our station. We were truly blessed by the warms and no rain at race day. As usual the first hour none of the riders stopped, unless they really had to use the Porta Potty. We saw a few IC3 jerseys in that first hour from out-of-town riders and from local members. Way to go IC3 !!! From around 10:30 until 12 there was a constant stream of cyclists riding by and stopping at our station. Those were riders who rode either the 109, 79 or 66 miles. We gladly served them all, with either a snack, water or whatever else they need. Sunscreen, very important down here in Tucson, even in November. We even were able to repair a few mechanicals. One cassette was loose and needed to be tightened with a cassette tool (WOW). There were also a few broken spokes and we tried our best to true the wheel.

We had some local IC3 members participating, Todd and Eric rode the 79 miles. Both reported that the wind challenged them once they turned on the Vistoso loop towards the south. Ebby rode the 66 miles at 75 years young, WAY TO GO Ebby !!! Celia, Gabriel and Larry rode the 109. Congratulations to all of you. We also saw IC3 member from out of town. One gentleman stopped by our station who was an IC3 member from Michigan. He said he and his friend are the only 2 IC3 members in Michigan. WAY TO GO !!! Keep up the good work. Press on. That is exactly how the IC3 spoke in Tucson go started. 2 member for many years until Gods prayer was answered and a spoke established. Jim participated as Bike Patrol for the 66 miles. What an awesome opportunity he had and God knew exactly where he wanted him. He assisted a few riders who drank to little/ate to little and could not continue the race. Another rider crashed due to an unsafe passing of another rider. Jim accompanied that rider all the way to the finish line and they arrived after dark (around 6pm). What an awesome testimony.

These were a great couple of days and again Tucson was spotlighted in the cycling community. We pray that we were successful in planting the seeds of faith in those with whom we shared.

2010 El Tour de Tucson Expo, Race & Aid Station

2010-11-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

We are excited to be present at the 2010 El Tour de Tucson expo again. We are excited to serve the cycling community by being a witness for our Lord God, Jesus Christ as it is written in 1 Peter 3:15

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."

With meekness and fear, an example given by our LORD Jesus Christ in his life that he laid down so that we may life. Visit us at the booth 304. Talk to us. We have some goodies to give away.

2010 Tour de Safford

2010-10-31T11:32:00.001-07:00

Patsy and I went to Safford on Friday afternoon and spent the evening picking up the race packet and getting at least a little familiar with the 66 mile course. The planners had to change the course at the last minute to accommodate concerns from the police. Safford impressed us with its busy and really unexpected vigrance in the midst of a shaky economy.

This was the inaugural presentation for Tour de Safford and we were very impressed by how organized everything was. The entire event encompassed opportunities to run a half marathon, a 5K run/walk, OR a 104 mi, 66 mi or 33 mi bike ride. Also there were really cool classic and race cars on display, aircraft on display, flyovers and lots of other interesting things.

The weather was perfect with a slight wind, cool temps and all the events began like clock work, all starting and finishing at the Safford airport. I didn't get an exact count but the organizers thought that the 104 mi event had around 200 riders and in the 66 mi event we had around 50 riders. I didn't get a count on the 33 mi. The course included extended sections around the Gila River valley, through huge cotton fields and across the flowing Gila River.

PBAA offered a lot of advice and help in setting up this event and actually made it an official training ride for El Tour de Tucson. Beautiful medals and T-shirts were awarded all participants.

IC3 was represented and I wore the colors. They even had a wonderful pre-race prayer during which the person praying mentioned the importance of faith in Jesus our Lord. I finished 22nd with a time of 3:37 in the 66 mi (18.2 avg)

It was a great time and if they do it again next year I would encourage more IC3 folks to participate. It was relatively inexpensive (only $65 for any distance) compared to ETDT.

Now, lets get geared up for our El Tour de Tucson events. We are still looking for helpers at the aid station (contact Martha) and let me know if you can volunteer some time at our Tour Expo booth on Thursday and Friday before the ride.

Jesus is Lord and with Him all things are possible. Blessings,

Todd H.

2010 Cochise County Cycling Classic Support

2010-10-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

What an awesome opportunity we had to ride in and support the 2010 Cochise County Cycling Classic. Ray, Nic and I went to Douglas, AZ on a wonderful summer day to setup our IC3 canopy and hand out some delicious and nutritious Recoverite after the racers have finished their rides. Thanks be to Hammer Nutrition for their continued support in this manner.

Jim and Ken raced as Bike Partol in the 45 mile event and if that wasn't enough, afterward they headed over to man the last Ham radio station in support of this event. WOOOHOOO !!! Praises be to our Heavenly Father for such dedicated men. As the word says in James 2:18ff "But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?".

We talked to many riders after their race. The consensus was that the wind was not as bad this year as in previous years. But was it enough to set a new record? Check out the unofficial results posted.

Can We Pedal Our Way Into Heaven ?

2010-08-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

That was one of the questions Judy Bowman from WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists presented to us. The day before Mothers Day, we had a great get-together on that beautiful Saturday in May. The temps just climbed into the high 80's, the best time for a BBQ. Even though that was a blessing in itself, praises be to our Heavenly Father, we had an even greater blessing because of the visit from Judy Bowman. Judy has an incredible gift and blessing from God to spread the good news though her cycling mistry. So can we pedal our way into heaven?

Of course not! And Judy made that very clear. The Bible says:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Eph 2:8

She challenged us to share the Good News and to be a witness for Christ, as Christ instructed his disciples in Acts 1:9 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth". So what do witnesses do? Simple, they don't judge, they don't prosecute, they just tell the truth of what happened to them. Are you ready? What happened to you when Jesus got a hold of you?

Be encouraged, if Jesus if for us, who can be against us?!?

Updated Post: Mt. Lemmon Climb

2010-08-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our Mt. Lemmon Climb with members from the FCA-E Phoenix Huddle was a success. Many thanks to the organizers and support vehicles for an outstanding day on the roads of Mt. Lemmon.

Praises be to our Heavenly Father !!!

We were not the only once escaping the HEAT of Tucson and Phoenix. We saw many individual riders as well as other teams that were using Mt. Lemmon as an elevation training. That gave us and the support team plenty of opportunity to be a witness for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There were about 30 riders with all kinds of fitness and skill levels. That was more than we anticipated. But we were well prepared with 4 sag stops and 5 sag vehicles. Each sag stop had more goodies than the next. All riders had a great time and some of them were looking forward to our next training climb up Mt. Lemmon. Check out some of the picture we took.

Mt. Lemmon Climb

2010-08-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

We are looking forward to climb to the top of Mt. Lemmon on Aug. 14 with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Endurance (FCA-E).

When: Aug. 14 starting at 6:00am
Where: 9121 East Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, AZ 85749
Meeting at Le Buzz coffee shop near Safeway

I hope you can join us to this wonderful climb. It's going to be an escape from the heat. We will be enjoying riding through the pine forest. It's gonna be quite a transformation from the desert floor. If you have never done this, you should. We will have sag support along the way, so don't be intimidated and ride as far as you can.

"I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable."
Psalm 145

2010 4th of July Ride

2010-07-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July !

This was the second year for our 4th of July Ride. These early morning rides are a blessing here in Tucson, especially on the 4th of July. With almost no traffic on the road, it was a relaxing bike ride. And afterward at AJ's we had an equally great time of fellowship. It was a time to catch up on what happened so far during the summer and what is going to happen for the remaining summer month. It's a time of sharing and relaxing, encouragement and exhortation.

I hope you had a great 4th of July in 2010. We'll hope to see you at our next years ride. God speed, your IC3 Team in Tucson.

2010 Ride Of Silence

2010-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

We participated in this years Ride of Silence in Tucson, AZ. This was the first time I rode in it and it was truly amazing. For about 1 hour we rode around Tucson to Honor, to bring Awareness and to Share the Road in a silent way. The silence was truly amazing, especially with so many cyclists participating. Usually at training rides or even races there is some conversation going on at all times. But at this ride all riders were disciplined. WOW!

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
Psalm 46:10

I hope and pray that each rider truly reflected on their lives, and that God who rode with us will make Himself know to each riders and Bless Him or Her and safe them, as it is written, "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Cochise Classic Preparations

2009-09-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

A handful of our IC3 members in Tucson are getting ready to race in the Cochise County Cycling Classic. From the 4 distances (252, 157, 92 and 45 miles) most of us are racing the 92 miles event and the rest the 45 miles event. Having participated in 3 previous Cochise Classic races, it is going to be a challenging race. The goal, as always :-), is the platinum time, which is for the 92 miles 4h:30min. That time used to be 4h:15min which was a tough race considering the pack splits into small groups after Mull Pass in Bisbee. Once the downhill after the pass turns into rolling hills, the wind picks up and it's amazing how it always seems to be a head wind regardless what direction you are going.

In preparation, we did a training ride from Sierra Vista to Bisbee through Mule Pass and back to Sierra Vista in August. Robert Fleckenstein, our Certified USA Cycling Level II Coach and a USA Cycling Certified Power-Based Trainer, is leading 2 rides every week until the race. Those rides are short but furious. One comment from Robert was "Can we suffer like HE did?" And of course we are not able to suffer like our faithful Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we find strength and comfort and through whom we are able to make our petitions know to our Heavenly Father. Praise be to HIM alone !!!

Besides those rides, we have our regular scheduled East, NW and Mid-town Saturday rides. Please join us in preparation for either the Cochise Classic or even El Tour de Tucson. It's going to be here in no time.

"The LORD bless you and keep you
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace"
Numbers 6:24-26

Hydration In The Arizona Heat

2009-07-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

I read the Welcome article by Brian Frank from Hammer Nutrition, one of our National sponsors, in the Endurance News (July 2009 : Issue 64). Among many things he talks about hydration and in our Arizona heat this is especially important. Not only is physical hydration with water important, but also spiritual hydration. The following scriptures from the Gospel of John came to mind:

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:13

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37

Hammer Nutrition allowed me to pass along what Brian Frank wrote. So here it is:

"Hydration is yet another area where we tend to be swimming upstream, pun intended. While most advocate drinking freely while exercising, they make no mention of adequate hydration levels in your daily life. We, on the other hand, advocate just the opposite, not to be contrary, but because it only make sense - living in a state of constant dehydration and then trying to super hydrate in the few days leading up to an event, or just during the event, is illogical. ... For your daily life, you want to consume around 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight everyday (e.g. 160lb athlete - 80oz of water per day). Coffee and other beverages do not count. What you consume during training does also not count. ... When exercising, no matter how hot and/or humid it gets, 24-28 oz per hour is the upper limit, and in case of smaller athletes and cooler temps, the level of intake can and should be reduced from there. A strong word of caution : If you have been consuming far less than 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water, you should not suddenly and dramatically increase your water intake. This will result in premature elimination of critical minerals."

It's simple, isn't it? I think it goes very well along with an active Christian life style. Are you thirsty? Drink a glass of water. Simple.

Not only should we have adequate hydration levels in the physical. When was the last time you drank the water Jesus promised, the living one that can become like a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life? Come on brother and sister, be of good cheer, Jesus is near !!! Read His word and drink His water !!!

To get more helpful information about hydration, fueling, when and what to eat check out the Guide to Success which can be found at the Hammer Nutrition Web site.

Tour De Revs

2009-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I happened to be in Flagstaff visiting with my parents when three Lutheran Pastors came through town on a triplet bamboo road bike! They are on a 100-day bike tour titled, "Tour de Revs," and they had a stop at my parents church up here so of course I had to go check it out. As it turns out the "Three Revs" had felt lead to organize this tour for the last 7 years by the weight of scripture that talks about poverty, injustice and hunger. Throughout the Bible we are called to eradicate poverty and hunger (e.g. Old Testament Law in Deut 15 and in New Testament Church in Acts 2:37-47). The Rev's talked about how today our society produces enough food for the entire population, but due to unbalanced distribution of that food and wealth, over 80% of it goes to the ~20% of the population in developed countries. Obviously us here in the U.S. are part of the 20% that has much more than we need. I know that even through we all hear about world hunger all the time, sometimes I disconnect from how I can be a part of the solution.

The amazing thing is, through Christian churches, some of the most efficient poverty fighting charities exist. In chatting with Pastor David, one of the Tour De Revs, we were talking about the Lutheran ELCA World Hunger charity they are raising money for, and the point was raised that on charity rating sights, Christian-based charities of all denominations are always rated very well with generally >90% of donated funds going directly to those in need. We should all be encouraged and inspired by this as it is our role as the church to eliminate poverty, and what churches already do is some of the best charity work out there. However, their is still much more need to be met, much more seed to be sown, and ultimately many more to be added to the kingdom through the demonstration of God's love and character through our inspired generosity in each of our individual church communities and in IC3.

Check out the Tour De Revs if you get a chance: http://www.tourderevs.org

The Good Samaritan

2009-07-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

Hello All,

My name is Yolanda and I signed up with IC3 (Arizona) for mailings at the bike expo last year (2008) before El Tour de Tucson. I have been reading the correspondence and like a lot

Picture: Another flat repair, Todd helping Patsy

the group's dynamic, enthusiasm, faithfulness, and camaraderie, but have not felt confident enough to join your group to ride. I thought that my level of riding was too low to be with a group like yours. So I was riding (and praying!) all by my self this morning and unfortunately got a flat and was totally not prepared for that. I decided to walk as much as I could before I would call my husband to come and pick me up. As I was walking a very nice biker stopped to see if I needed help! I mentioned my problem and he said he had an extra tube and volunteered to change it for me! As we were talking he told me He is part of the IC3 (Arizona) group and that I should join the group some time to ride. I told him I was already on the mailing list, but did not think I could keep up with the group bike riding but he said that there were a lot of new people and that I should just come and be a part of it. I recognized his name from this and other emails and realized that this was not a coincidence and know exactly who sent Fernando! He was really a blessing to me this morning.

Thank you Fernando!

God willing, I will be joining the SE group next Saturday @ Harrison and Old Spanish Trail.

See you then! :)

Many Blessings,

Yolanda

--- IC3 Arizona Spoke Note ---

Indeed what a blessing. Praise Jesus !!!

Updated Post: 4th of July Celebration Ride

2009-07-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day !!!

"Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thes 1:2

(left to right: Jimmy, Patsy, Michael, Ron, Todd and Ray)

We had a great ride this morning. We missed all of you Tucson IC3'ers that could not make it. Starting at 6:00am we were blessed with a nice overcast which kept the temperatures down to the 70's. Afterward as promised we went to AJ's for a well deserved breakfast and some wonderful time of fellowship.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Come join us celebrating the early morning of the 4th of July with an early morning road ride. We are planning to meet at 6am with the anticipation to be done by 8am so that we can enjoy some time of fellowship by having breakfast at AJ's at the La Encantada Mall. Yes, AJ's is open and has a delicious selection of breakfast items.

Let's celebrate our freedom in this country and remember what sacrifice was need for us to enjoy this time of fellowship. And let us also remember that all this was inspired by the grace our Heavenly Father shows us and the sacrifice our LORD Jesus Christ gave to us so that we can be reconciled to our Heavenly Father.

Celebrate the Freedom He gave us.

When: Sat. July 4th
Where: AJ's at 6am
What are we doing? Ride for about 2 hours (or 20-36 miles) and have breakfast afterwards at AJ's

Ride Schedule Changes

2009-05-30T19:08:00.001-07:00

In the picture you see Gabe, Louie, and Derek who rode with Fernando (took picture) about 41 miles including 10 miles up Catalina Highway 5/19/09.

WOOOHOOO !!! Praises be to our Heavenly Father. We had out first Mid-town Saturday morning ride. What a blessing to be able to bring the SE and NW riders together to one ride. We rode a hilly course along the foothills.

On Tuesdays at 6:00am Derek and Fernando are going to lead a ride starting 6/2/2009. They are going to meet at the Starbucks on Broadway and Kolb. Derek had the following information about the ride: "The ride will be 30 to 35 miles with C+/B pace. One of our goals is to make it to the top of Mt Lemmon. We are working on that by going a little farther up each time. When we don't climb that mountain, we will shoot Northwest toward Vistoso or Southeast to Colossal Cave."

Just to be sure, check out our calendar for any changes or updates on ride information or for any other ride or event information.

Ride of Silence Follow Up

2009-05-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
James 5:15-17 NASU

Indeed our prayers are effective and draw people closer to our Father in heaven, and our presence at the Ride of Silence and other community events facilitates this. We had a good club turnout for the Ride of Silence yesterday and were able to hang out and talk with participants after the ride. It was great to talk with people whom the Lord is touching and changing. There were at least a couple hundred people riding in the event. The group took up a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile of roadway taking up the bike lane plus one to two traffic lanes (with sheriff escorts of course) . Besides a couple of small wrecks; the ride went smoothly along the 9 mile course.

It is exciting that our group can encourage and build the faith of others as we grow and are able to spread the influence of the love of God amongst the biking community of Tucson. The key to all this is prayer and thanksgiving for all the Lord has done for us so that we can be led by Him to touch others. So, I pray that we all would draw near to the Lord and hear from Him how we can be used this year to draw others into a relationship with Jesus.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim 2:1-4 NASU

Ride of Silence

2009-05-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted."

DATE: May 20, 2009
TIME: 5:45 pm
WHERE: Hundreds of locations world wide
(Hi Corbett Field Tucson Arizona (Ramada #31))

Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/20 kph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. We are using this as a ministry opportunity to reach those who have been insured or family and friends who mourn the loss of a loved one that never returned from their ride. Check out the Ride of Silence web site.

Honor

The purpose of this ride is to honor bicyclists who have been injured or killed on our roads.

Awareness

We are working to raise awareness that cyclists are here and have the legal right to the road.

Share the Road

We ask that everyone share the road with respect for the law and each other.

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."

Psalm 56:8 "You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?"

Updated Post: Tour of the Tucson Mountains

2009-04-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

WOOOHOOO !!! Praises be to our Heavenly Father, who provides and guides and blesses time and time again.

Well, the Tour of the Tucson Mountain came and went and we participated successfully in it. Travis, Larry and Michael participated for IC3 Tucson. Travis and Michael rode in the platinum group to a platinum finish. Larry had a Gold finish with 3:29. That was close :-) See the complete results here. In the platinum finish, places 2-67 came in seconds apart and Travis and Michael were part of it. It was a mass sprint to the finish. No crashes, so everything went orderly. It was a fun race, similar to El Tour de Phoenix, where there was a big group of riders from the start all the way to Ajo Way. The first split happened there, but over 60 riders could stay together, which is still a big group. The riders who won broke away on Sandario Rd. and even though we saw them in the distance, we never could catch them.

This was the first time ever, we raced on I-10, yes you heard right, I-10. I guess the police escort had one mishap directing the group to the frontage road. Once the frontage road was passed, there was only I-10 left. It was fun. Everyone kept cool and I don't think anything happened on I-10. Well you missed it, a once in a life time experience. Or will it be part of next years route :-) We'll see.

I hope to post some information about our help at the Aid Station.

Updated Post: Bike Fest 2009

2009-04-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

WOOOHOOO !!! Praise Jesus for this great opportunity. We did it again. We helped out during the Bike 2 Work week here in Tucson. We had some cyclists stop by on their way to work. Thanks to our sponsor Eric Post who invited us and used his office as a commuter station. We hope to make this a regular event that we want to support, LORD willing.

Thanks to Michael, Ray, Eric and Travis (in picture) and many more who made this a wonderful experience. (Travis, those scones and cookies were very yummy.)

Preparations For The Tour of the Tucson Mountains

2009-04-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

(picture taken from http://grandarizona.com)

This is another wonderful Spring ride put on by PBAA (Perimeter Bicycling Association of America). It is April 26 which unfortunately is a Sunday.

Open to all ages and abilities, the Tour offers 70 and 27-mile courses. The 70-mile event is a perimeter ride around - not over - the beautiful Tucson Mountains. Both routes begin at Marana Town Hall in Marana, AZ and are generally flat, perfect for beginning riders!

We are planning to race as well as provide support via an Aid Station (on Silverbell and Twin Peaks).

To keep on training, April 26 is just around the corner. To find out more information, please visit the Tour of the Tucson Mountains web site.

Updated Post: El Tour de Phoenix Expo and Race

2009-04-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone:

I just wanted to reflect on the events at this year's Tour de Phoenix.

Travis, Michael and I set up our IC3 booth at the Expo on Friday morning at 10am and we had a very good, and I believe, fruitful response. We were there until almost 8pm and were able to gather about 4 pages of e-mails from interested parties in Phoenix regarding forming a Spoke there. There was ample time at this relatively small Expo (compared to El Tour de Tucson) to talk with loads of enthusiastic riders. We handed out IC3 water bottles, and Hammer Nutrition came through again with goodies to give away.

Travis wasn't able to ride Saturday and left Friday afternoon to follow up on his move. Robert and Alex came by and picked up their packets as the Platinum meeting was just starting. Saturday morning turned out to be a cool morning with a bit of wind (not too much) as 1200 riders started the event.

Congrats to our leader, Michael, who finished just under 3 hours (32 place overall) and Robert who finished under 3:15 and Alex had a very strong effort at just over 3:30. I brought up the rear at just over 4 hours. Great results! The winner finished at just over 2:45...very fast!

The Lord blessed and we continue to ask for his blessings as we make ourselves available for His service.

Blessings to each of you, Todd

2009-04-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

(pictures taken from http://dot.ci.tucson.az.us/bikefest/b2wtrp.php)

As part of the city of Tucson's bike fest 2009, there is Bike 2 Work week from April 13 to April 17. It's coming up soon and we are inviting you to be part of it.

We have the opportunity to help out on Tuesday April 14. Our station is going to be at the Law Office of Eric Post, one of our local sponsors. His address is 1801 E. Broadway Blvd. (85719). You can volunteer your time or by helping out with snacks. Let us know, we would love to have you.

OR, just show up if it is part of your route to work. And if it is not, drop by anyway, just make sure you are riding your bike :-)

In HIS Grace.

El Tour de Phoenix Preparations

2009-03-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

PBAA (Perimeter Bicycling Association of America) is putting on El Tour de Phoenix on April 4 this year. Open to all ages and abilities, the Tour offers 72 and 25-mile courses, all routed throughout Mesa, Arizona, and beginning at Red Mountain Park in Mesa. Routes extend into the beautiful and rugged backdrop of the Salt River Recreation Area and Tonto National Forest. The 72-mile event is a perimeter ride around Red Mountain and the 25-mile course feeds onto the main route. Both courses feature an approximately 3-mile climb as participants begin the final leg of the event (picture taken from PBAA El Tour de Phoenix web site). We trained hard all Spring and are looking forward to our first Spring race. Join us. To find out more information, please visit the El Tour de Phoenix web site.

We are planning to participate in the Expo which will be held at the Interstake Center (830 E. 2nd Ave, Mesa AZ) from 10am to 8pm. Come join us or stop by our booth. We have goodies from our Sponsor (Hammer Nutrition) that we give away. At last years El Tour de Tucson we received a lot of interest from Christian riders from the Phoenix and Prescott area. God put it on our hearts to reach out to those riders via the expo. Pray that God will move in mighty ways.

Praises be to HIM who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. WOOOHOOO !!!

Updated Post: Resurrection Church in Boulder

2009-03-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Rev 12:10-11
"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony , and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

IC3ers,

Our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ is awesome and worthy of our praise. I wanted to write you all about my experiences this week helping to build up a church in Boulder, CO. A group of about 100 from my church a church in Albuquerque, and another from Fort Collins, CO is over here this week to help reach out to the campus (CU @ Boulder). We have a sister church that started here a few months ago. The Lord has moved mightly this week as we saw 11 people get saved and have helped Resurrection church out by meeting about 250 students interested in learning about the Bible or coming to church. We had a prayer meeting Thursday night were 8 people gave their lives to Jesus! I personally had the privilege of meeting a foreign student from Egypt, Mohamed, who had been wanting to learn how to be a Christian and prayed on the spot on Wednesday to give his life to Jesus right in the middle of the Boulder campus. I just wanted to encourage everyone in IC3 with these testimonies to always carry an expectation that the Lord wants to move through you to change the lives of those around you.

In Christ,
Travis

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo 2009

2009-03-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo came and went. We had a 4 men team under the name Christian Cycling Club. The team consisted of Travis, Joel, Wes and Michael (picture on the right: Michael & Joel). We came in 18th with 18 laps. Praise our Heavenly Father for this result as well as the wonderful time we experienced in his creation. If you are interested, here are the results in more detail.

2009's weather was great. No rain, no snow, lots of sun and fun :-)
We also had a great camp setup and thanks to Wes and Joel and his dad (see picture to the right), we had trailers as well as a great camp which gave us shelter during the night. So far God blessed us each year with a great camp. Last year we had a Fifth Wheeler with a huge amount of space. We needed it, because it was freezing cold outside.

Our team started in the following order: Michael, Travis, Joel and Wes. Travis raced the fasted lap at 1:07:20. GO Travis GO !!! :-) Except for Travis, who had some minor crashes on his second lap, there were no casualties to report. Even the "Rock" did not pose any problems.

Follow this link to see some more pictures. God Bless You and keep the rubber side down.

24 Hour Race Preparations

2009-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
A crew of us have been training for the 24 hour race on Feb 14th, and having a blast in the process. We are really praying to be able to minister to other riders at the race with extra flat repair supplies and, more importantly, in prayer. Please keep us in your prayers that we would stay safe and be a light to those around us out in the desert by Oracle.

Picture: Michael, myself and Wesley recovering from a couple laps on the course.

and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.
Philem 1:6 NASU

This is the prayer that I am echoing this year as we move forward unified by our awesome Savior: that Christ in us and our fellowship may be used effectively for His good works.

In Christ,
Travis

Certified USA Cycling Level II Coaching

2009-01-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Thank you for receiving this email. My name is Robert Fleckenstein and I am an IC3 member here in Tucson.

I have been an avid cyclist for about a decade now and during this time one of the most difficult things to process as a cyclist was all of the conflicting advice on training that well-meaning friends and the bike magazines offered which was sometimes counter-productive to making progress.

As a result, I developed a keen interest in learning more about the science of cycling and became a Certified USA Cycling Level II Coach and a USA Cycling Certified Power-Based Trainer (Not my day jobs). I specialize in power meter training and personal coaching to cyclists in the area through Get It In Gear Coaching. To verify my certification bona fides go to the USA Cycling website, under the Coaching Program.

I am first passionate about the Lord, second; my family and third; cycling and love to pass on any knowledge I have gained through this endeavor to other cycling enthusiasts.

I enjoy helping others and there is some real proven techniques out there regarding performance on a bike that others might like to know.

As a courtesy to all IC3 members I am offering my coaching services at no cost.

If you are interested here are the steps that we will follow in the process:

1) Initial Athlete interview and assessment - determine goals and training direction.
2) Indoor or Outdoor Ergometer/Power Meter fitness test conducted at a location of your choice. (1 hour).
3) Establish your individual Training Zones.
4) Write a Periodized Training Plan based upon your goals.
5) Follow-up emails, telephone consultations and testing.

Since many of us are at the end of the cycling season and will likely be taking a break for an off-season, I am also writing off-season strength training plans to follow during this time. These plans will incorporate plyometrics, core work, weight training and on-bike power drills.

I truly believe that each athlete is unique and I will not apply a cookie-cutter approach to training. We take it one step at a time. I will first consult with you about your goals to make progress in achieving your peak performance as a cyclist. Please see our website at getitingearcoaching.com for more information on our coaching approach, services and training philosophy.

Send me an email at bikecoachaz@yahoo.com and I would be glad to help you any way I can in your cycling training.

Robert

Potluck Jan. 16, 2009

2009-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

WOOOHOOO !!! It is 2009, a New Year with new mercies from our never changing Heavenly Father. During our December Monthly meeting we talked about a potluck in January of 2009. Well it was January 2009.

We had our potluck on Friday, Jan 16. Patsy and Todd graciously opened their home to host this potluck. Patsy was convinced :-) to make her famous lasagna. It was very tasty. We had great fellowship and I hope that everyone had a wonderful time.

Your brother in Christ.

Michael.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

December Monthy Meeting

2008-12-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we had our monthly meeting for December. Merry Christmas !!! WOOOHOOO !!! It is the time that we celebrate our Saviors birth. Well we talked about everyone's El Tour experience and there were some close encounter for some riders. But we all had fun, be it as a rider or volunteer. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped at the Aid Station. Thanks to Eric of getting us this wonderful spot and Martha for heading up the organization. WOOOHOOO !!!

We also talked about the ride schedule (which I messed up and which is hopefully correct by now) and that last weekend we had 7 riders that participated in the ride on the NW side at LaCanada/Naranja. You saw my email about membership renewal, so if you want to get a head start, please see the previous email.

We are planning a potluck on Friday, Jan 16. Patsy and Todd graciously opened their home to host this potluck. Patsy was convinced :-) to make her famous lasagna. So we are asking everyone to help with a side dish or desert. Please mark your calendars and RSVP so that we know how much lasagna to prepare and who brings what side dish.

Your brother in Christ.

Michael.

El Tour de Tucson Race and Aid Station

2008-11-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

WOW. Praise to our awesome Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus the Christ.

For the first time we helped out at the El Tour with an official Aid Station. We were stationed at mile 51, close to Kolb on Sunrise. Thanks to the help of members and friends we were able to help riders by giving them water, fruits, Hammer Gel and HEED. Some riders needed mechanical help and we were able to provide them with a basic service even there, fixing tires and adjusting derailleurs.
Javier and Marco after setting up the Aid Station. Shade was important for some riders who overheated during the first 51 miles. The high was 78F which was very pleasant, but riders needed to drink lots of water.

Todd riding the 80 miles is being helped by Marco. Todd came in 143 in 4:47. At least he stopped unlike our speeding Travis (picture still pending) who rode the 109 in 4:49. Way to GO Travis.

Here is another member, Patsy. She mastered the 80 miles for the first time. WOOOHOOO !!!

Finally, but not least, we have Eric. He also rode the 80, his favorite distance. He rode on his brand new bike and it served him well. Eric is a bicycle accident attorney and gives us many useful hints and insights into the bicycle laws in Arizona. There were many more members and other riders who participated in this years El Tour de Tucson.

"O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!"
Psalm 8:1

El Tour de Tucson Expo

2008-11-24T17:17:00.000-08:00

As in past years our spoke had a booth at the 26. El Tour de Tucson. Thanks to the help from our members and our sponsor Hammer Nutrition, we were able to give away Hammer Gels, Hammer's HEED and water bottles. We represented our club for 2 days and can say it was a blessing to help out. There were about 50 new people interested in our spoke. They signed up for our Yahoo! ArizonaIC3-Rides email list and I hope we can plug them in right away.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Eph. 3:20 What an awesome God we serve.

We also had a lot of interest in the club from Phoenix and Prescott Arizona. Let's start praying for those cities and see if God would want to establish another spoke in Arizona. So if anyone from Prescott or Phoenix reads this blog, check out http://www.christiancycling.com, pray about getting involved, shoot me an email at arizona@christiancycling.com, become a member (membership in 2009 is only $30 per year) and get your friends, family and members from your church involved.

It is by the Grace of God that we were able to establish the spoke in Tucson. WOOOHOOO !!!

Welcome to the IC3 Arizona Spoke Blog

2008-11-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Praises be to our Father in Heaven and to His Son Jesus the Christ.

IC3 stands for International Christian Cycling Club. There are many chapters (spokes) in the US and around the world. This is the Blog space from the Arizona spoke. Check us out at http://www.christiancycling.com.

Our Motto:

LIVE, RIDE, DIE ... LIVE