Hooray and Hallelujah!Our 100 mile bicycle ride on Thursday, 27 June 2019 went  well! God was with us! I was surprised. I was not sure if I would be able to do this ride, and I was unsure if I had the strength and conditioning to do this 100 mile ride at age 78 (I was just 78 On 1 June 2019). God certainly was with us toward the finish when it was dark, we were tired, and storms were in front of us, behind us, and be side us. I prayed to God to get us through those storms with all their lightning and thunder. Good sunny weather without storms had been predicted, but that was not how the weather turned out. For 75% of the ride when it was day light, the weather was hot and sunny.The last 25% of the ride was in the dark and it was difficult.The Lord was with us and answered my prayers.The storms moved around us and all we got was some very light sprinkles.

Charlie Herold, the father of my son in law, John, rode with me, and Charlie gave me lots of help, support, and kindness, just as I tried to give him.We met at Boston Field near the place where Pa Route 48 crosses the Youghiogheny River near McKeesport, Pa. This saved us shuttling or transferring cars. We started at 7:30 AM  with 70 degrees sunny.We should have started much earlier! For the first half of the ride for 50 miles we had to go slightly up hill, then we turned at the 50 mile point, the big scenic rock over looking the Youghiogheny River valley about 3 miles east of Baptist Camp Carmel.

We came back 50 miles of slightly down hill riding.We turned around at 2:30 pm. Charlie carried very little, while as you probably know I carry a lot.He had one large bottle of water and no rain gear.I had four bottles of drink and my good II Bean Goretex coat and lots of other stuff in the pack behind my bicycle seat. My 3 wheeled Magnum Green Speed recumbent bicycle worked very well and so did Charlie's Schwinn.My Green Speed is 3 years old and it has already covered many miles before this ride.I kept my Falco power assist unit in its lowest setting (1 ).The power assist unit maintained power for 91 miles.It is rated at a maximum of 65 miles so I am very happy with my Falco power assist unit.

God was with me because I felt pretty good physically and mentally for the entire ride. When we got near West Newton and darkness came with lots of nearby storms, we slowed down. As in my entire life, I developed deeper beliefs in God when I was able to complete something like a 100 mile bicycle in one day, and see and experience something like several serious storms move around us and just miss us. Lots of puddles developed on the trail and my wheels threw muddy water on me. When we finished I looked like a mud ball. We had a short fog scare.We hit about 100 yards of fog on the trail and we could not see anything.

We stopped at Wendy's in Connellsville and ate. During the ride I ate Gatorade gummies, little Milky Ways, and peanut crackers, and I drank Endurance Gatorade.

Again we had light trouble.A few days before our ride my very good and wise friend, Ed Spier, warned me to carry several bicycle lights.I tried.I went to REI and bought a good front bicycle light which somehow got lost in the first part of the ride. I stopped at the bike shop in Connellsville and bought another bicycle light which was hard to attach to my bicycle and was too weak for riding.Fortunately I had two small aluminum flash lights that were very bright.I steered my bicycle with one hand and shined the flash light on the trail for us in the dark for the last 15 miles. That slowed us down as we moved toward the completion of our 100 mile ride in one day. We finished at Boston and our cars at 1:30 AM Friday, 28 June 2019.I got home and very dirty me took a shower and went to sleep about 3:30 AM. The chief reason for the long and late finish was because of the 3 large fallen trees knocked down by the storms that blocked the trail. We had to lift the bicycles and ourselves in the dark over those large fallen trees in the last 7 miles between the east side of Greenock and Boston.Fortunately 2 teenage boys were out in their yards and helped us get the bicycles and ourselves over the third really big tree. In the dark we were almost hit head on by an east bound bicycler going very fast with just a tiny bicycle light. All in all, we were greatly blessed

by our loving, protective God. Thank you Lord! We love you!

How did I and do I feel after the ride? Tired and a little stiff and sore in my legs, my knees, my lower back, and my rear end. But physically and mentally very good!

Thankfully I stayed wide awake on the one hour drive home.Thanks for your prayers! Best wishes. Please continue to make America great again! God bless you all!

Roger