Now that the sand has settled, It's time to add reflections about the ride

Sam Lombardo has written the following reflection on what his week of riding meant to him. I hope you enjoy it. For anyone else on the trip so inclined, put your closing thoughts into print and we will post them on the blog!

November 2010
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Lisa and my children cannot thank you enough, nor can I, for your prayers regarding my bike Ride across Texas and for your financial support. The Lord delivered more than we could have hoped or imagined. Let me explain. But before I do, here’s a brief bottom line recap for my “Type A” friends:

The Numbers: Cycled + Walked + Crawled + Rolled = Total
Sam Lombardo: 207.3 19.6 22.1 1.0 300
Dan Fishwick: 263 0 0 0 263
563 miles
Together We Make All the Difference

Most know the verse “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.” When you combine going into this bike trip a bit undertrained, coupled with consistent headwinds, temperatures in the mid 90’s, hills, hills, more hills, and 80% of the time pedaling in solitude because well, let’s just say the others were a little faster than me, “Be still and know that I am God” became a familiar reality. When you empty yourself of all thought and energy and have a still environment (in the middle of absolutely no where) HIS voice becomes evidently clear.

As I repeatedly sat on the side of the road, humbled and convicted, thankful and joyful, broken and restored, clearly this week was one of my life’ s most intimate moments with my Lord. This spiritual high-water mark caused me to be mostly quiet with the “Guardian Angel Team” I was blessed to have.

Michael Novak was divinely picked by God to be my roommate. Not only was he a joy to be with, he looked out for me and did whatever he could to assist this novice cyclist in getting my miles in. We also had some real strong fellowship that made it clear that God was speaking to the both of us on how we can be more Christ-like when we return home. He was also very wise, you know, the kind of man that has been around the block… on a bike. He probably does not even remember the answer he gave me when, after three days of riding, I asked him a rather personal question; “ Michael when does a cyclist know when it is time to use Butt Crème?” His answer, “When one asks the question.”

Charles Breer, Peter Conway’s cousin from Minnesota, was the ringer in the group. He cycled up the Vanderpool Cut, the steepest hill in the state of Texas, like it wasn’t there. I chose to ride up the Vanderpool Cut in the van - I wanted to see my family again this side of heaven. So, I am sitting on top of this mountain and Dan (one of the team members) breaks out his fiddle and begins to make my day. I think that based on the size of the hill we just rode up, I would have at least an hour to rest. The next thing I know maybe 15 minutes goes by and here comes Charles. He pedals over to me and says, “It sure is nice up here.” Not even a little out of breath.

Yes, Charles is a tremendous athlete, but that is not what I will remember most about him. What I will remember most is his compassion. He stayed back several times and let me draft behind him, which does two things - it makes it easier both physically and mentally. His compassion is a lifestyle. He volunteers in his hometown and is someone you just want to be around. He is one of the most Christ-like servant leaders I have ever met. And to top it off, you would think that a man who cycles over 12,000 miles in one year without ever being out of breath would have at least a hint of arrogance about him. Charles does not.

One of the persons we purposed to meet along the way was speaker, author and sports psychologist David Cook. We stayed a night in Utopia, Texas and the following morning played golf at the Links of Utopia. We were the only ones on the course except for 300 wild boar hiding in the bushes waiting for us to finish. Robert, the superintendent, was up at 3 a.m. literally shooting wild Boar off the golf course. That morning we were living in a dream. What made our time special with David is that he had been in Ohio just three weeks prior. It was a one day golf outing at Sand Ridge Country Club in Chardon called the Johnny Cup Invitational. He came to encourage all the “Johnnies” who have gone through the study guide from his book Golf’s Sacred Journey. David has made repeated trips to Northeast Ohio over the last couple of years and we are so grateful for him.

David gave our team the privilege of seeing two finished scenes from the major motion picture that will be released this coming May/June. The name of the movie is “Links of Utopia” with Robert Duvall playing the role of the mentor “Johnny” from David’s book Golf’s Sacred Journey. As we golfed the Links of Utopia with hickory sticks and the face on putter, Dave shared his view from behind the scenes as they shot the movie in Utopia, Texas. The people in Utopia were genuine, warm and left you no choice but to relax, take your shoes off and stay awhile.

One of my other most amazing blessings was the van ride to the Houston airport from Navasota. We left shortly after dinner. Michael and I sat in the back as Carl Tippit drove with Charles Breer sitting next to him. What makes this ride amazing is the spirit in which Carl Tippit drove us to the Houston airport. He and Charles talked, laughed and then bid us a hearty goodbye. Here is what was amazing about it. Carl put in his miles for the day, drove Dan Fishwick to his drop off location, came back to the hotel, took a quick shower, had a quick dinner, then back to the hotel. He then drives 70+ miles one way in crazy Houston traffic to the airport to drop us off. To put in all the miles for the day then joyfully serve late into the evening really ministered to me, which made for a very hearty goodbye. Carl, you are a strong Shepherd and a hard worker. I know one of the reasons this trip moved so smoothly is because you and Peter put your heart and soul into making it safe and as worry-free as possible.

Dan Fishwick, who was the van driver for this segment of the trip, is a retired school teacher. He loves to cycle and play the fiddle. Dan was the perfect fit for the team. As the van driver he was always there ready to bail me out when I could not pedal another stroke. He taught me how to fix a flat and repair other bike issues. His role was to take the van ahead and pick a place for lunch. Needless to say I was always the last one to ride up for lunch and he would have lunch all laid out for us along with a spirit of hospitality. There were times I had no appetite whatsoever and he encouraged me to eat. Dan challenged me to pedal as much as I could and whenever I was done, he volunteered to cycle the remaining miles. He modeled servant-hood throughout the week and in his spare time( ha, ha) he stumbled upon the Quebe Sisters. They are three sisters ages 24, 22, and 20 who all play the fiddle and sing. One of our biggest nights out was to hear them at the Swiss Alp. This old hall is the place where the town comes out and, you guessed it, does the Texas two-step.

Most of you who know Peter, know that he is a true historian at heart. If it wasn’t for Peter stopping for every historical marker every fifty feet, I probably would still be lost out in Texas somewhere. He also is an animal lover. When you see Peter, ask him about his encounter with a very special Donkey that was standing just off the side of the road. Peter is amazing. He seems to have this supernatural ability to read from an animal’s facial expression what they are thinking. As you know, he is a very humble man, so you will probably have to drag his experience with the Donkey out of him.

And the person I blame for all the above and more is Peter Conway. One of the nights we watched a rough draft cut of a new documentary on his dad Bill. What stood out most about the documentary was not the amazing business success that Bill had. What stood out most was he always had his eye on making the people around him better along the way. The next day on my bike ride, Peter and I were enjoying some tail wind and some downhill cycling and I took that moment to thank him for not only inviting me to go on this trip, but for also following in his father’s footsteps in making people better along the way. Peter, it was a joy journeying with you mostly because you really love bringing people together in such a way that it brings out the best in all of us.

In closing, this trip will serve me the rest of my life, for it will remind me that together the body of Christ makes all the difference.

Serving Him, Sam Lombardo

TransAM Week 7 Pictures are posted

Check out the week seven pictures! Here is the link:
http://transam2010.blogspot.com/

TEAM PICTURES - CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE SLIDE SHOW

Carl, Larry, Peter & Liz planning Cross Country Ride

Hi All! Welcome to our Blogsite, which will chronicle our bicycle ride across the country to support Fill This House, a local Cleveland charity we will post about later.

Who are we? Carl & Liz Tippit, Larry Schulz, Peter Conway, and perhaps YOU, as a guest rider (see below)

Right now we are planning our route. We will be riding the "Southern Tier" Route developed by Adventure Cycling Association. Starting in San Diego On Monday October 4, 2010, we will arrive seven weeks later in Jacksonville Florida. Along the way we will traverse California Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

How long is the Southern Tier ride? About 3100 miles, or 450 miles per week.

We would not/could not do this without the support of Liz Tippit, who will be driving "Vanna White", our Roadtrek RV and supporting us with comfort, aid, and inspirational speeches as needed.

Want to join us? We are looking for a "guest rider" every week. We are currently breaking down the ride into seven six day stages starting on a Monday and ending on a Saturday. Guests can join us on our Sunday "days of rest" and ride with us the following week.

Stay tuned for more information as we plan the ride and then embark!