The Biking for Babies riding team departed from the much appreciated hospitality of the family of Tom and Lisa Reiley at about 5:45a.m. committed to continuing our journey northward. We were met on the route with favorable tail winds and no hills unlike the day before so travel was generally quick and efficient with average speeds for the 103 mile day just under 20mph.

An early arrival was welcomed by Father Greg and the parishioners of Immaculate Heart and St. Francis of Assisi parish of Greenwood–barbecue and mass were both highlights of the visit!

Other highlights of the day included two flats by Jimmy (a foolish accident if I must say so myself of his much-too-fast approach of railroad tracks), 290 total miles covered for the trip, and, hmm… I think that’s about it. Please continue praying for the continued work of everyone involved in the pro-life cause!

Stay tuned for tonight’s post by Jimmy covering the details of Day 3′s journey!

Oh, and did I mention hills? Yeah, they were everywhere. Stacy seemed to be the most successful at our informal games of “King of the Mountain”. She’d just pop up those hills like it was fashionable or something (Yeah, I know, a terrible metaphor, but it’s the best I could do…)

Stacy also was able to maintain her average of one flat per day–congratulations Stacy. Thanks to “Aunt Teddy” at Holy Trinity parish in Columbia where we visited last night, we were able to find more than suitable hospitality at the home of “Aunt Teddy’s” niece and “nephew-in-law”, Tom and Lisa.

Special thanks today once again to the Great Stephen Barany who was ever faithful at the wheel, Tom, Lisa, and Elizabeth, for so graciously inviting us to their home (especially on such short notice!) and serving up such a fantastic supper, and Father Scott Thomas at St. Francis of Assisi for celebrating mass for us.

Tomorrow holds much promise… 130 miles of it, maybe a bit less… some soreness will probably start building up on top of the heat as well… Word on the street around here is that things will get very humid tomorrow as we ride towards the Mississippi Delta near Greenwood, Mississippi where (a different) St. Francis of Assisi will be hosting us.

Stay tuned for video from today’s ride tomorrow afternoon and check out the great video of today too! Click here.

We made it from Freeburg, IL to Covington, LA. The drive was long but fun. The van was not as cramped as my dad thought it would be and we had fun playing games and listening to my Ipod.

We are resting at a very nice house tonight in Covington and the family is awesome! Their hospitality is amazing we greatly appreciate them letting us stay at there house.

There is no more training, it starts tomorrow… And I am excited as is the rest of the team. We are so anxious that we are starting at 5:30 in the morning! The weather shouldn’t be that big of a problem tomorrow except for of course the heat. Lots of water and motivation from Mike will keep us going tomorrow.

We will keep you posted this week and keep on praying and supporting us!

We are less than 4 days from the start of the third annual Biking for Babies 800+ mile pro-life ride from Louisiana to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Before we set off, we want to make you aware/remind you of a few things…

1.) The set up of the ride is changing in order to accommodate the extremely high temperatures… first, the ride will begin in Covington, Louisiana in lieu of New Orleans. Covington sits on the north side of Lake Ponchatrain instead of the south side like New Orleans–making the first day’s ride about 25 miles shorter.

2.) The leg of the route from Memphis to Effingham/Teutopolis, IL will be covered over the course of 3 days instead of the original 2 increasing the overall length of the trip from 7 to now 8 days. (Once again, a change made because of the heat)

3.) Check out the videos which will be posted on the website throughout the ride in addition to daily blogs from the riders which will begin June 13.

4.) Buy a B4B t-shirt or donate if you haven’t done so and are able.

5.) Keep spreading the word to your friends and family about the ride and working to promote a Culture of Life through prayer, the Biking for Babies facebook page, and other means–remember, our goal isn’t just to raise money for Students for Life of Illinois, Living Alternatives, and A Women’s Care Center, but to increase awareness of the importance of the pro-life mission!

Several days ago I completed my own single day-double century ride (200 miles in one day) in order to make sure that I’m on my way to being fully prepared. Fellow B4B rider, Eric Johannigmeier, met me along the route and joined me for his own 100 mile ride that day. A modest tailwind, 11 snicker bars, and 64 ounces of Powerade ensured the success of my trip over the 11 hours it took me to complete the distance from Freeburg, located in southwestern Illinois, to my friend’s house in Peoria 200 miles north.

Please continue praying for the cause for which we will be riding beginning only three weeks from tomorrow beginning in New Orleans! Keep checking into our website where you can order t-shirts, donate, view videos, and read blogs from the riders.  Daily posts detailing the adventures of each day’s journey, beginning June 13, will be provided, so stay tuned for that!

We have raised almost $4,000–that’s still a long ways from the goal of $15,000 that we hope to reach for the folks at Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center, A Women’s Care Center, and Students for Life of Illinois… so, spread the word and encourage friends and family to donate!

Also… a big welcome to Kevin Biese, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison who will be joining us!

“Nothing we do to defend the human person, no matter how small, is ever unfruitful or forgotten. Our actions touch other lives and move other hearts in ways we can never fully understand in this world. Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life work.”

–Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput

I hope that you’re all having a holy Holy Week! We’re now less than two months from the ride…so exciting! I’ve been definitely more vigilant in my time spent on the roads–mostly running, but trying to get in a token bike ride or two each week. Planning on my training on the bike peaking for two big training rides…a single day double century (200 miles in one day) and a two day trip from my home in Freeburg to my friend’s place just across the street from Wrigley Field in Chicago. I think the distance is about 300 miles. Once I get those rides in I think I’ll feel confident and ready to ride!

T-shirts have been put on order. Believe me, I think they are super cool this year! So, add yourself to our email list on the right so you can be the first to know when they’re out.

Keep checking out our website for updates and videos as the ride looms nearer and keep the mothers and babies we’re riding for in your prayers!

Mike

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T-shirts will be available soon for ordering!

Unfortunately, we will be unable to formally announce the dates of this summer’s ride until April 15. Until then, keep following our posts and stay tuned for more information!

Thanks,
Mike

It’s great to be back working on getting ready for Biking for Babies 2011! Thank you once again to everyone who has helped support the pro-life cause through B4B in the past whether it has been through financial support, prayers, lodging, media contacts, etc.

We hope that, with the increased magnitude of the ride this year, that we can provide a further increase in awareness and financial aide to the pro-life movement.

This summer, four of us–Jimmy Becker, Eric Johannigmeier, Stacy Hague, and myself–will ride the entire distance from New Orleans, Louisiana to the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois in just 7 days–totaling 870 miles, or about 125 miles each day.

Proceeds will go towards the on-going pro-life efforts of Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center and Students for Life of Illinois–both located in Champaign. We will also be riding for another pregnancy resource center that is being built in Wisconsin–A Women’s Care Center.

Training on the bike commenced for myself this past weekend (compared to a usual schedule composed of  just running and lifting)–riding 180 miles from Champaign to my home in Freeburg, Illinois. It was pretty exhausting! It took me just over 10 hours and 11000 calories! Phew.

Please continue to help the pro-life cause through whatever way you can–keep the ride and the riders in your prayers as our training continues to build up for our summer ride!

Stay tuned for videos, the other riders’ training blogs, ordering t-shirt info and other important B4B information!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory with the glory to be revealed in us.”–Romans 8:18