Reflections from Kara...

Today I had the honor of joining the Race for Congo team for 1% of the ride. I met up with the team in Polo, ILL and a short while later, Joe finished his leg and Mike and I raced off south on HWY 52 for his first 26 mile leg of the day. I came away from my time with the team with some realizations...

• One of my favorite places to be, in all the world, is on a bike next to my husband.
• While the send off video and the pictures may make this ride seem like lots of fun, the truth is, it comes down to hour after slow hour of inching across this great country on whatever roads come their way, whatever hills, whatever traffic and whatever weather.
• Though friends and family are at home reading the blogs and looking at the pictures; on the road it's just you, your God and your thoughts. That can feel lonely.
• Now that the chase vehicle is resting during the day (they need sleep too!!!) it can feel vulnerable riding on a county road with no shoulder and lots of big trucks rumbling past.
• Remembering the 'why' takes constant mental discipline.
• 3 hours, or 11 hours is not a very long time for recovery when you are biking as hard as you can.

So now I sit in my comfortable home, I've showered and eaten and tonight I'll sleep in my cozy bed...all night. But the guys and the crew are still out there, slowly inching their way across the country. Something inside me wants for the country to cease all activity and become aware that they are doing this. I want the cars to pull way over and give them space, I want the state troopers to let them ride where they want to, I want people to line the streets and yell encouragement to them as they go. If it was their husband/brother/father/son they would...wouldn't they?

And I guess if the girls, gramma's, women, pregnant ladies, babies (and yes, even boys and men) who were being raped or killed like they are right this moment in Eastern Congo were our daughters, sisters, moms, grammas, babies, or it was happening to our neighbor, we too would want to scream out for the world to cease all activity and notice us...wouldn't we?

May we live our lives remembering and be a voice for the voiceless.

Kara