Good Morning!  So, I check in last night in Oceanside after an afternoon of meetings at LAX and Saddleback, at the Wyndham resort here.  I notice off to the side of the check in counter what appears to be a bowl of candy…hmmm.  free candy…...I’ve been training, I deserve it (I’ve done this calculus a lot lately, most especially with ice cream…at all hours).  The only problem is that it’s not free candy.  It’s a large bowl of individually wrapped orange ear plugs.  Ear plugs?  Yes, ear plugs.  As I write this from my 2nd floor bedroom, I am about 100 yards away from what must be the most active railroad track on the West Coast…......and man oh man, do the engineers (or brakemen) out here love to pull on that whistle.  So much for a making some deposits into my sleep bank! : )

It’s hard to sleep anyway because there is so much to do today.  Team pictures, inspections, group meetings to go over the rules, equipment checks, calls with Heather to coordinate continued outreach to Durham businesses (know of any who might want to join us as sponsors : )) etc.

I’m also really keen on getting familiar with the first 21 miles of the course.  I’m leading off for the team, and all support vehicles aren’t allowed to join the race route until we are well out of town…...so the pressure will be on me to make sure that I don’t get lost.  Can you imagine that?? getting lost in the first 20 miles!? wow, that would be tough to live down.

Much talk this morning about the conditions for the ride.  Day time temps in the dessert are above 110 and their are reports on advisories to not do any exercise outside….: ).  And apparently Colorado is experiencing unusually cold temps….down in the 30s at night.  How awesomely appropriate that the daily Bible reading plan that I just got on, had the following for me this morning from Isaiah 42 v.2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

The buzz around the hotel (when the train horn isn’t blowing) is contagious.  The collective energy from the teams is nothing short of awesome!!  I am so thrilled to be here…here with my great friends from Durham, here with new friends from all over the world (teams from 20 countries on 5 continents).  Thanks for checking in.  Lord willing, I’ll be back later with more

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