Day 7 - The first week

The evening of Day 7 finds us in Austin, pretty much in the middle of Nevada. The 64 mile ride today consisted of some very long climbs and some very long descents, as we traverse successive "basin ranges" and the intervening valleys. The scenery continues to be glorious, the weather good, the company fine, and the trip altogether as hoped for -- with the exception of a sore butt! Tomorrow I try a new saddle. We'll see.

Yesterday I mentioned how great it was when Janet delivered some ice to the riders. I'm remiss in not giving more credit to all of our wonderful support crew, Kathy and Cindy and Janet. It is truly remarkable to be so well cared for.

Some thoughts on freedom (reason # 4, below). It is amazing and a true blessing to have the freedom to do this trip. Passing a prison outside of Carson City a couple of days ago was a stark reminder of the contrast between the different levels of freedom that people possess. However, in one way I am less than free on this trip, in that my days are prescribed. We rise at 5:30, start biking at 7:00, and spend the bulk of the day in the saddle, making our way to the next stop. It is a very specific discipline, which allows me to utilize my freedom in the way I want. I'm reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who said that discipline is essential to freedom. He said that freedom without discipline is license. If I have the freedom to do what I want, I still don't get those things done unless I have the discipline to do them. This trip is an excellent example of that.