Cochise Classic Preparations

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

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

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

"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

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.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

(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

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

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

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

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

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

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.