Here is a link to more photos from the trip:
Archive for the ‘cycling’ Category
Back Home…
2010
08.07
08.07
Well, the trip went well!
We made it — 4 riders, 1 SAG wagon, 6 days, 291 miles, 12,000 plus feet of total elevation climbing, lows of 4 mph/highs of 41, 3 flats, 2 ripped tires, 2 mild spills, a bunch of laughs and one great time!
I had a great time meeting some new people as well as serving as a spiritual coordinator/pastor for the trip. I was super encouraged by these guys and the stimulating conversation around the fire Friday night.
Here is a link to the photo album and a link to a few videos (funniest are the chicken ones). I hope to add some more photos as I receive them from the guys I traveled with. My FB page has had quite a few txt updates, but talk with me about the stories if you’d like more.
Riding Across California
2010
08.01
08.01
Click for Larger Image
Well the Ride Across California trip is finally here! I leave in about an hour to ride from right near the Nevada State line to Moss Landing Beach just south of Santa Cruz. Today we make the long drive up there… yay.
I have included a photo that shows the route pretty close. The dots along the way are our projected stopping points.
I did a trip down part of the Northern Coast last year with Andrew Oller and Andy Steelman. That was quite the adventure but they both got real jobs and couldn’t get the time off– ha ha! Good for them, but bad for me.
There are a total of five of us taking the journey, sponsored by the Brigade Summer Camp experiences. I will be serving as the spiritual coordinator for the trip, so that should be a bunch of fun. We pedal all day, eat, have devotionals and conversations, take “natural” showers (hardest part of the trip for me), and then sleep until the morning when we do it all again!
Pray for me if you think about it!
** Hopefully pics and videos to come via Facebook and Youtube (StutznMotown Channel).
Been awhile…
2010
07.16
07.16
Well it has been awhile since I’ve posted here. And since that time, a lot has happened.
I took a family vacation to the classy land of San Diego where we saw Shamu and the other caged Zoo animals– lots of 
walking but lots of fun. Shortly after that I went with the fam back to East Tennessee to visit the in-laws and chill in the raging Southern humidity– ugh. It was steamy, but the fellowship & food was great (and greasy– not the fellowship).
After returning I spent most of the month reading. I was able to finish the following books; all of which I recommend: The Furious Longing of God, Patched Together, Working the Angles, & Forgotten God. Now I’m re-reading Sacred Companions, and starting Praying the Psalms. Scroll over the titles for a mini-review. Reading has definitely become a renewed passion.
In addition to reading, my writing times have been revived. I have finished the outline, intro, and a few chapter or two (almost). It’s slow going with the schedule I keep and the creative space it requires. I hope to have a pretty rough draft by the end of the year, but we’ll see.
At Big Valley, we are finishing up an in-depth look at the Book of James on Sunday nights in Catalyst. It has been a great study as well as an extremely convicting one. There is no doubt that the scripture can grip the heart like no other work of literature ever. If you get a chance, come and listen to the conclusion this weekend and go back and podcast the rest.
Of course, there has been riding too (sounds like writing, but very different– ha!). I finished the LIVESTRONG ride in in 
5:47 (which was about the same time as last year). That was shy of my 5:30 goal, but for doing the ride by myself with no shared drafting efforts I felt good about it. And without a doubt, I have watched tons of TOUR de FRANCE (bummed that it’s not quite the Tour de Lance this year though– go Schleck!). Hands down, cycling announcers Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen are the best announcers around.
And finally… the whole first week of August will be spent cycling from the border of Nevada (near Lake Tahoe) to Monterrey, CA. I will be serving with the Brigade Summer Camp ministry as a spiritual coordinator for a group of five guys; mostly high school and young adult. This is a trip where we will have SAG support so I don’t have to carry all my equipment on the bike like last year (YAY!). It’s going to be quite a bit of climbing but our longest day of 108 miles will consist of 7000′ of descent (whew!). This will be a great opportunity to be a shepherd on a road bike– combining two passions; not too shabby.
So, needless to say, life has been a whirlwind. However, in the days to come, I hope to be a bit more active in this digital realm. Come back tomorrow for a look at a fun visual experiment called Pictio Divina!
Later…
LIVESTRONG :: SAN JOSE 2010
2010
05.24
05.24
Reasons to Ride… Again!
The LiveStrong Challenge is one based out of the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s goal to raise global awareness about the fight against cancer. In addition to awareness, every cycling event raises millions of dollars for much needed cancer research.
I’m riding again on July 11, 2010. I hope you can donate to the cause and help me out!
{read more about this adventure here}
Wildflower Report
2010
04.25
04.25
Here are a few pics and “phone” videos of the day! Went pretty well… I’m sore though.
Wildflower Century
2010
04.24
04.24
Today I’m riding the Wildflower Century in San Luis Obispo, CA. And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to contain quite a few hills. A friend told me that “you’ll either being going uphill or downhill… no long flat stretches.”
It was nice to cruise through the green rolling mountains yesterday to get here. There is something majestic about the California coast, especially in the Spring and Fall. I can’t even imagine being an early explorer that stumbled on these amazing sights. I stopped in Morro Bay on the way down and had the seafood lunch (chowder, fish & chips) followed by coffee at The Coffee Cottage. You you should visit if you’re here. They have a great location and a relaxing view of the bay, ships, and big rock!
I hope to post some pictures on Facebook throughout the day… it’ll just depend on signal strength. 100 Miles of shear fun (and work) just around the corner.
The Tour Down Under
2010
01.16
01.16
With the football season nearing an end, I’m glad that the 2010 cycling season begins Monday with the Santos Tour Down Under (in Australia of course).
This year it will be interesting to see the premiere of Team RadioShack. I am really looking forward to the showdown between the infamous Spaniard, Alberto Contador, and his former team member and rival, Lance Armstrong. Lance’s number one wing man Levi Leipheimer (of Santa Rosa) ought to be fun to watch this year as well.
If you would have told me some three years ago that I would be excited about watching cycling on TV, I would have laughed. And now, I find my self anticipating the coming tours; especially the time trials. Things change I guess.
Follow yourself on VERSUS (VERSUS.com).
Some Goals for 2010
2010
01.07
01.07
So it’s about this time of year that we face the inevitable question of “What are your New Year’s Resolutions?” And while there is nothing wrong with these, I often wonder why we make them. Why January? And why do they usually revolve around the same lazy or bad habits?
I was reading an article the other day from Chris Carmichael about resolutions. He made the comment that he doesn’t like resolutions, but chooses the word goals instead. I’m not sure I understand the difference to be honest. Either way you are determining a direction to take, a journey to embark on, and energy to be channeled. In a way, we make resolutions everyday, even if it’s just to continue fulfilling the goals we made the day before.
Last year I made a few goals. And minus a few tumbles towards laziness, I kept them. The channeled energy paid off. I have had a great time learning to cook. I have been thoroughly blessed by being truly attentive to the time I actually invest in my relationship with Christ. And, I didn’t gain any weight. I lost about 22 lbs. during 2009 (actually the weight loss math would be more like -22 + 8 lbs. of holiday madness– but it’s still in the negative by 14 right?).
So, what should 2010 hold in store? The more I thought about it, 2009 felt somewhat safe or cautious when it came to goals. So I decided to get a bit ambitious this year. Here we go…
- I’m going to write a book. I’ve always wanted to write. The reason I even started this blog was to foster my love {and skill} for writing a bit. My mind has been a flood of ideas and excuses. But, I figure if I publish my intent to the world, that’s accountability. Now I’m not hoping to have it published and shelved in Barnes and Noble by this time next year. In fact, that’s not the point to me. It’s just the passion of doing it. I will most likely self publish and sell it at cost to friends and family. {However, if someone pays me to publish it I probably won’t complain}. This is a big one… but it’s on the table now. Guess I should start typing.
- I want to cycle the rest of the California coast, Santa Cruz to San Diego. Last year I road most of the Northern Coast, and now I want to head South. It was quite the adventure in 2009, and I imagine it would be the same this year as well. Read more about those adventures here.
- In light of goal 2, goal 3 is to loose about 20 more lbs. That might sound like a lot to some of you, but I can hide the ounces like no one I know. That would put me at my target weight; medically speaking. Last year I went from fat to flabby fit. This year I want to move from flabby fit to firm and fit. This is definitely a challenge to my eating/cooking style more than that of exercise. So if you see me eating too much just say, “Really Shawn? Really?”
- Learn to solve a Rubik’s Cube… but I ended up doing that before New Year’s (mark it off). Actually got my solve time down to just below 4 minutes.
- To re-enter the Journey experience (I will explain in a later post)
- And also to appear in a later post: My goal to help my family’s goals become realities too.
2010 ought to be an exciting year! And why shouldn’t it… with one life, wrapped around LIFE itself, shouldn’t it be abundant, beautiful, and adventurous? I sure hope so!
? What are some of your Goals for 2010 ?
Riding Stats
2010
01.05
01.05
Ok, so I’ve done a bit of math some math as it pertains to the amount of miles I’ve ridden on bikes since May of ’08. I was actually surprised. And this doesn’t count my prior 250 mountain bike miles, spin classes, nor my daily community rides. This is only leisure and fitness time on the bike alone. In miles, that translates to…
- 60: Trip to Knight’s Ferry on the Bolt Bike (good story)
- 3284: On my Scott Speedster S40 (Aluminum, Tiagra)
- 585: Raleigh… down the CA coast + some (Heavy & Steel)
- 2300: Trek Madone (’07 Carbon, Ultegra) since 7.7.09
that’s a GRAND TOTAL of: 6229 MILES (from 05.08 to 12.31.09)
- About: 19 Months, 328 miles a month, almost 11 miles a day
I have logged a lot, and hope to log quite a bit more this new year. As for 2010, I already have 45 hard miles up Del Puerto Canyon.
Let me know if you want to ride?