AN OPEN LETTER TO DEB, LEE & CATHY FROM TIM & CHRISTINE VOTEL
Tim & I want to be the first to thank you for putting yourself out there in such a physical way so that many Airedale fans can have the opportunity to generously give to National Airedale Rescue. It is tough for Airedale Rescue supporters to keep giving year after year, but it is equally tough for you to ride 475 miles in eight days! I just rode my bike for a measly ten miles and thought of you the entire time. This will definitely be the adventure of a lifetime, and for such a warm & fuzzy cause. There are things you will learn to love: * Showers with fewer than ten people already in line * Tailwinds * Porta-Potties that still have toilet paper * Fresh fruit at SAG stops * The sight of your tent, even if it is pouring down rain There are also things that you will never learn to love: * Headwinds, especially on uphill portions of the road * Gravel on the shoulder of the road * Large trucks careening past you at high rates of speed We can't lie to you - it will be difficult. Your b*tt will get sore from the hours & hours (& hours) of contact time with the seat. Your hands will get sore from managing all the road vibrations. The sun may be hot and the rain may be cold, BUT the wind will definitely be annoying. None of this will matter because in your heart, you will know that every turn of the pedal equals dollars for National Airedale Rescue. I remember figuring out how much we were making for each mile and keeping a running tally in my head. On Day Four, that is the only thing that got me through the ride. (I gave up on silly songs and social conversation on Day Three.) Remember to take a bunch of plastic bowl covers. You will need them for keeping your seat dry at night and your head dry during rain showers. (Yes, this sounds ridiculous now, but just wait!) Keep training. Be safe. May all your winds be tailwinds. Christine & Tim Sheffer, whose ROLLING 4 RESCUE 2006 ADVENTURE CAN BE SEEN HERE

	CHRISTINE RIDES, TOO 5 MAY 2012 10 MILES
Christine writes: We can't go because it is the last week of school and the principal really should be there. I am training for a duathlon that happens in two weeks. My mouth wrote a check that now my b*tt has to cover! I told someone that I could do it and not finish last . . . now I have to prove I can do it. I hate to run; this is a run, bike, run event. We are going in spirit. Christine sets off for a short ten-mile ride. You may notice that she is dressed as if she is off on a year-long adventure. In reality, she is off to battle the headwinds & hills. During this ride, I spent time thinking about Deb, Lee & Cathy. Ten miles felt long to me tonight. On their first full day of riding, they will have to do five times that amount!! Christine survives her battle with the wind and relaxes comfortably in her soft chair while petting her Airedales. Deb, Lee & Cathy will battle lots of wind; it is Kansas after all! They will also battle hills; Kansas only looks flat on the map! It states right on the route website: While the terrain may be less hilly than some other states, there are still plenty of ups & downs to provide a formidable challenge for most cyclists. I sure hope they didn't read THAT!! Please consider a pledge or a flat donation to support their challenge. With their help & yours, more Airedales will find forever homes. Deb, Lee & Cathy will be away from their own Airedales so that rescue volunteers will have the funds to continue their work to rehome every Airedale in need. Now THAT is a cause worth riding for!

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JOURNAL OF PHASE TWO STARTS HERE

JOURNAL OF PHASE ONE IS HERE