Day two St. John's Arizona to Grant New Mexico.

Day two, on our way to Albuquerque, our leg started in St. John's, Arizona and wet to Grant ,New Mexico. The previous day was body draining. Three of us including myself were overcome by heat sickness for a portion of the ride. Even Ray who road well and seemed to handle the heat OK was feeling unusually fatigued by the previous days effort. Because of the strain of the previous day needing rest to recover from heat exhaustion and having to meet an event deadline in Albuquerque at 5:00 PM we split the days ride with team 4 they did the first half of the leg and we did the second half. We road through saguaro cactus forests, deserts and ended at the Continental Divide in New Mexico.  It was funny we had come to the end point for the days ride, loaded up the bikes and off we went just to find the sign indicating we had come to the Continental Divide a 1/4 of a mile beyond where we had stopped.  Never shy about a photo opportunity we tried to ham it up a little and look like we had exhausted ourselves getting there, but as you can see we need to take some acting lessons...

 

What a blessing it was to join everyone in Albuquerque.  We met at the Orphan Exchange Thrift Store (https://www.facebook.com/OrphansExchangeThriftStore). Amazingly, the owner and his family support over 700 orphans world wide from that one store.  He has recently partnered with Christ's Hope International and began supporting a Care Point in Africa.  Team 3, the all girl team road the last leg to the thrift store that day.  the day before Alicia (standing, on the team right, in the picture below) had crashed and suffered some severe bruising and what she would find out a few days later at least one cracked rib.  We would ride with them the next day, in what turned out to be one of the best rides of the ten days.  See tomorrows post for an update.

Day one Desert hot springs to some spot on the road 107 miles later

This was one hot day!  We began our leg, a little late which was an indcation of the day to come.  We were paired with team #one.  Tim Paton, Bob Findley, Garheard P. and Jason Zimmerman.  At the 4 mile point we started the first climb of  4 modest climbs. My rear tire flayed at about mile thirty, a quick change and off we went. Idealistic about the rest of the day, afterall, in a group of eight if somthing else was going to happen, it was someone else's turn. On the next decent, I found myself riding in the SAG car for the next 30 miles. Although, I had already consumed over a galon of water, the 118 degree temps won the moment. Both my hamstrings completly locked up with cramps to the point of falling of my bike, not able to get out of my pedals.

It took all of the thirty miles, following the remaining riders Ray Melberg, Chris Taylor and Lee Weigand at 20 mph one and a half hours to recover enough to finish the ride. We had two others fall out from heat issues and Ray and I were able to bring in the last 28. Thanks for your prayers but we have the same tomorrow.

Ride for Hope prologue

It is the tridition, when on a cross country bicycle ride to dip the rear wheel in the departing ocean, in our case the Pacific Ocean.  We did this at  Dana point this afternoon in a comissioning ceremony. Jos, the International director for Christ's hope reminded us that we were not doing this ride for us. We are doing this in for the Lord Jesus Christ who sat children on his lap. We are riding for children LOVED by God and forgoten by men. I will not be indifferent, I will do somthing!

T minus 2 days

On my way to Dana Point to start Ride for Hope. I'm Excited and anxious to begin.  Im in a our SAG vehicle driving from Sacremento with Laura Leeming Kristen & Lee Wiegand and Jos the International director of Christ's Hope International. I started this journey excited to ride my bicycle across the US but with each passing day I become more motivated for the cause of the lost children this ride will serve. If you can, please consider supporting, even $5 will help. www.rideforhopectc.org/riders/john-Leeming.

Ride for Hope Kick off Century and training ride.

Tomorrow morning Saturday the 8th of June I'll be participating in the Ride for Hope Kick off Century.  We will be riding 100 miles form Sacramento to Ripon CA.  This would be a great time to help support Ride for Hope Coast to Coast, would you consider supporting this training ride on a per mile basis.  I would love to know that each mile I ride will be helping to provide the basic food, shelter, medical support and education for orphaned children in Africa.  A few cents a mile will go a long way to helping an orphaned child have a home and family to live with. send me an email (jeleeming@gmail.com) letting me know how much you would like to contribute per mile.  I'll post my total mileage after the ride and then go to www.rideforhopectc.org/riders/john-leeming  and donate the total.  A donation of $5, $10 or more would be greatly appreciated.

I am 9 days away from the start of my 10 day journey across the United States.  I am getting very excited and can't wait to start.  The cycling will be a challenge but meeting people along the rout and letting them know about the crisis in Africa and encouraging others to get involved is exciting as well. Thanks for your consideration of this challenge.

Cycle and Grind

This Saturday I'm doing a promotional training ride.  Our friends the Prinz family operate Light House coffee, 9725 Pyramid Way, Sparks, NV 89441, and serve some great coffee drinks and baked goods.  They've graciously allowed me to set up outside their store front door with my trainer to ride for six hours.  That is about the time it will take to ride around 100 miles. I plan on using the time to meet  people and share about the ride and hopefully have some opportunities to provide some information about the desperate need in Africa.

To put a face on my motivation, this week Ride for Hope sent me a photo of one of the children we are riding for.  His name is Eliakim Odhiambo Odago, form Kenya.  He is one of approximately 15 million children affected in some way by AIDS and HIV.  With out assistance they are at great risk. They are left on there own with no access to food, shelter, education or medical care.  Christ's hope provides these benefits for a child for about $550/year.

So from now until I complete the ride in Florida, I ride for Eliakim!

The link below is to our local TV station that covered the fundraiser event.  My sincerest thank to Chelsea Wilhite and my daughter Emily for their hard work in getting this done.

KOLO TV's segment from my Coffee and Grind fund raiser

The fundraising went great this weekend we raised around $1,000, was encouraged by many of our friends and supporters and also met some new and compasionate individules who gave to the effort.

Thank you all so very much.

May I share a provoking, and vital video of why I must do this ride.  I know that there are many needs that go unmet in the United States, and millions of people that need our help here and throughout the world. We all are motivated for different reasons to assist when and where we can. I feel blessed to be able to use my recreational passion, bicycling, to do something to help a people that are desperate and afraid, alone and rejected.   Would you please consider standing with me to provide resources for Christ's Hope to give care and compassion to those who have nothing.

On a related note, by coincidence, today I am completing my income tax return, and to date I have raised "1040" of the $7,000. which reminds me Chris'ts Hope, the ministry, Ride For Hope CTC is raising funds for, is a 501(c)(3) charity and donations are tax deductible.  If you have done or are completing your tax return, and find you could use a tax deductible charitable contribution for next year, a donation to Christs Hope is an excellent choice. Click this link to help me raise support for Christ's Hope Ride for Hope rider John Leeming

First long ride of the year

 

If you have just a moment or find it hard to get through a rambling ride description please check out the video at the bottom of the blog entry. I don't want to forget why I am training for this ride.  Please consider giving to the effort, Ride for hope Coast to Coast is trying to raise at least $250,000 to support children orphaned by Aids in Africa!

 

This morning was my first 100 mile ride of the year and the first time I logged 200 miles in a week, since last September.  It was a great day, a little cold but clear skies and a fresh cover of snow on the peaks.  I started out riding into Verdi, NV stopped here to take a picture.  Apparently, I also dropped my credit card from my pocket at that same moment.  Fortunately, a kind rider that lived in Verdi found it and called my wife and it was recovered with out incident.  The greater problem was that it was my source of sustenance and hydration on a long ride.  I feel quite accomplished to have completed 100 mile ride with just a banana and one goo packet. 

 

Heading into Verdi looking West toward Crystal Peak

My ride took me from Verdi to North West Reno,  where I began riding South toward Washoe Lake.

At the 25 mile mark Slide Mountain & Mount Rose in background.
 

50 miles and Heading home Slide Mt. just right of the tree.
 

 The best part of the ride is when the Reno Cycling and Fitness Riders joined me for the rest of my ride to support my ride and fund raising effort. 

Reno Cycling Club Joined me @ 70 miles this was taken @ mile 75.

 

 

 

 



First Century ride of the season

This morning I'm riding my first century ride (100 miles) in training for Ride for Hope Coast to Coast.  I fill in the results later.  But would you consider sponsoring me per mile today.  It would be great motivation knowing that each mile I ride today will be bringing Hope to children that need basic care and compassion.

Click to Stand up for the Fatherless 

Training ride 2/26/13

My training ride this afternoon was the first one in a week. Healing up from the blood clot, meetings at work and cold windy weather on Saturday made the excuses easy.  Today I start in earnest so for lunch a beautiful 40 mile ride around Washoe Lake.  One of the reasons I like riding in North Western Nevada is because it straddles the eastern slope of the Sierra.  In a short distance you can ride in the forested mountains, farmland step and open desert.  Here is an example taken from Franktown Lane looking North toward Reno.  An interesting side bar, if your familiar with professional bike racing, this is where Greg Lemond lived as a kid and started his riding career .

Check out Christ's Hope Video

Here is a video of the Care and Compassion ministry of Christ's Hope.  Listen to the alarming effects of HIV and AID's.

Christ's Hope Care and Compassion video

Good News

Received some good news this week.  My training has been hampered lately due to a blood clot in a varicose vein.  These types of clots are not as serious as DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) because they are close to the surface of the skin.  The last few weeks my doctor wanted me to ride, but not induce too much stress. So I have been riding at a nice easy pace and not exerting myself on climbs.  This week the doctor re-scanned the veins and found that damaged vein should heal without surgery.  I now have the OK to train without restriction.

Photo from Christ' Hope International web page

A word about the cause;  it is estimated that there are about 30 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Half of whom are orphaned as a result of AIDS.  By comparison, the US has approximately 500,000 orphans without a permanent family home.  To give you an idea of the size of the problem Los Angeles County CA has approximately 8 million people. In Sub-Saharan Africa the children orphaned by the AIDS crisis will fill two county's the size of LA.   According to some statistics in third world countries 60% of female enslaved in   sex trafficking are orphans.  Christ Hope International is attempting to stem the tidal wave of destruction caused by the AIDS epidemic in Africa, one child at a time.

I am excited with the progress of the donations.  Thanks to all who have supported the effort so far.  I would particularly like to thank my classmates from Clark High School.  They are rallying around me and this cause. I can not tell you how encouraging your efforts have been.  We will continue to strive to reach the goal.

First response

I received my first donation today Doug thank you for kicking things off. I was pleasantly surprised to see two of my high school class mates from 38 years ago endorsing my participation and helping gather steam as I try to raise the funds required.  Libby and Doug posted the ride on our high school class reunion facebook page, you guys are awesome thank you. 

A little information about the ride might be helpful.  All the details are or will be updated on the official web page www.rideforhopectc.org but here is a summary version.  We kick off the ride on June 17, 2013, leaving Dana Point, CA where we will dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean.  There will be 6 to 10 teams of 4 rider, each team will complete a segment of each days ride.  Each team will have a support (SAG) vehicle getting the team to their designated start area and then after the team complete their segment for the day they will pick them up and drive to the next days starting point.  Approximate every two days the ride has an event in one of the larger metropolitan areas along the route.  Day one will be the kickoff event in the LA area.  Will be in Albuquerque NM, in the evening of day two,  then on to Dallas, Atlanta, Tallahassee and Daytona Beach FL.  when we reach the Atlantic Ocean we'll dip our tires in the ocean signifying the end of the ride...

 

Raising Support of AIDS orphans in Sub Saharan Afarica

I have joined a group of riders raising support for Christ Hope International.  From June 17 to the 26, we will be riding across the United States from California to Florida in ten days, raising financial support and awareness of the growing number of children orphaned and left abandoned as a result of the AIDS HIV epidemic.

Christs Hope International's mission is "Working towards an AIDS-free world" They are working to stem the tide of abandoned and lost orphans in sub Saharan Africa.  Providing shelter, nourishment and education.

I am trying to raise more that $7,000 in support for the ministry.  Would you please consider joining me financially.  In the "Important web site links" in the right margin and at the bottom of the page are links to Ride for Hope Cost to Cost and Christ's Hope International Web sites. There you can find out more about the mission of Christ's Hope International.  There is a link to the donations web site as well it will take you directly to my support page. 

Here you can keep tabs on the progress to the goal and later I'll post ride photos, journal posts and more.

Please keep me, the other Ride for Hope CTC members and Christ's Hope in your prayers.

Thanks for your support