Miller Family Bike Ride

2007-06-16T10:47:00.001-05:00

5 days till we leave

2007-06-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

Ready to see AMERICA by BICYCLE

For daily updates go to that you can go: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tourdemiller

Our home page will be:

http://mikenbern.tripod.com/

This will serve as a hub to find all our pages (maps, itinerary, journal, how to email us )

We we are now over $18,500 in funds raised --- just $6,500 short of our goal. If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"
Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.Mail them to:

Lance Armstrong Foundation
PO Box 1150
Austin, TX 78716-1150

Our departure is at hand - the days have counted down and we are nearly ready to leave for Oregon. We look forward with anticipation to the people we will meet, the things we will see, the challenges we will face, the growth in mental toughness, the conditioning, the friends we will share a meal with along the way. It is hard to believe -- but it is here.

I trust you will follow us on the daily journal site (above) and please leave us some comments in the guestbook there http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/guestbook/?o=1gci&doc_id=2509&v=1S The folks I have talked to that have done this say that is a big encouragement. So write there early & often.

this is a pic of my new frame

We will be glad to be back on our road bikes ....we have been riding the Mountain bikes since the others shipped earlier this week

Thanks for your prayers, support, well wishes and interest in our trip

I look forward to hearing from you while on the road
THANKS
Mike Bernice Michael & Derek

11 days and counting

2007-06-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

This will be the second to last post on this blog after that you can go to:http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tourdemiller for the daily journal and http://mikenbern.tripod.com for our home page

they are easier to edit and upload pics than this site.

We we are now over $17,400 in funds raised --- just $7,600 short of our goal. If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"

Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.Mail them to:

Lance Armstrong Foundation

PO Box 1150

Austin, TX 78716-1150

I finally got my new frame and got it all put together. We took a 42 mile shakedown ride this morning before church. It rode very nicely. This afternoon we will pack the bikes into boxes and UPS will pick them up tomorrow for their trip to Astoria. We will follow them out west on June 14th .

here are a few pictures we took this week on our rides.

Thanks for checking in and be sure to hit the links at the top and bookmark them in your favorites

16 days till departure --- Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-28T14:22:00.000-05:00

We spent the weekend in St. Augustine FL camping. I had to ride my old bike because my other one was in the shop having the components put on the new frame. It felt weird to be riding "old faithful" she has over 22,000 miles on her. The frame geometry is different than the new carbon fiber one I have been riding for the last year.

Michael was able to come over and spend two out of the four days with us. It was nice to have all 4 of us together. We did not do long rides instead we got in just over 40 miles each day. We will have plenty of long rides again soon enough. Getting back earlier let us enjoy the BIG surf that was caused by the high pressure system just off the coast.

Derek spotted the castle to the right along A1A north of Villano Beach. In keeping with the mindset of seeing the country and that every ride is not a race; we pulled in the side street to look at the castle.

It was Sunday morning and Derek saw the plaque to the left. Many of our friends and clients have told me they would pray for us on this journey and we want to share God's love with those we meet along the way. I thought it was neat to be reminded of Jesus in this fashion.

Our fund raising is took a nice jump this week as over $1,000 came in. We are now closing in on $17,000 raised.

If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"

Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.Mail them to:

Lance Armstrong Foundation

PO Box 1150

Austin, TX 78716-1150

25 days till departure --- great week of riding

2007-05-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

We had good weather with no smoke and lots of nice rides. We had normal rides Mon and Wed before work . Friday we rode with "Bikin' Bob" from the Villages(pictured to the right in Red). He is 71 and has rode cross country 3 times. We shared some good conversation and got some pointers from the cross country veteran.

Saturday hit the road to horse country with Derek, and John and Don. It was nice to be out with 5 of us. The horse to the right was born a few weeks back and like Derek is growing up quickly.

We are under 4 weeks now. Bikes will be shipped on June 4th to assure they are in Astoria when we get there.

If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

32 days till departure.... Smokey in Florida

2007-05-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

Our fires have now burned over 330,000 acres in Georgia and Florida. We are thankful that the fires for the most part are over 40 miles away but the smoke is here. It has encroached on our training; which is minor in the big picture. We are praying for safety for those nearer the fire and strength for those fighting the fires.
We had to move our Friday morning ride into the back room and onto the trainer. A stationary device spawned in Hell. If you have ever had to spend time on one you know what I mean and if not I can not explain it here.

Our training overall is going well. We have have ridden over 6,000 miles in the last 12 months. That does not count any off road riding which I did 2 days a week from Oct to Feb. I would say that we are ready and in the next 30 days we will just continue to log some miles and saddle time.

Derek is pictured here with his new bicycle. It is a Specialized Allez. I might add it is a double XL frame to accommodate his nearly 6'5" body.

We are now up to $15,686 raised so far.

If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

39 days till Departure and over $15,000 raised

2007-05-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

Do not forget to click on the Itinerary link to the left to look at my other website
This was a few days off with no riding. Bernice and I went to San Diego for and Ameriprise Circle of Success conference. We stayed down in the Marina area of the city.. the pic to the left is out of our room on the 22nd floor.

We met our friend Darrell and his fiancee Ronni. They took us to LaJolla for an evening of great food, views and excellent conversation. He gave us some good pointers on the upcoming trip as he rode cross country last summer.

This was our last few days off the bikes as we will now put the final push in our training. We have been asked will we be ready and the answer is training wise we could leave tomorrow. We have base mileage of 6,000 miles in the last year and some specialized riding (hills and intervals)as well.
For exercise in San Diego we kayaked in LaJolla on Thursday in some big surf in the Pacific (sorry no pics --- BIG WAVES and my camera do not mix) Then Friday we went to the SanDiego Zoo for a behind the scenes tour.
Friday night we had a party at the Miramar Air Station. This site was the Navy Top Gun school and is now an air station for the Marines. We got to see F18's, F16's, Hornets and several types of helicopters. The highlight though was talking to the pilots and being able to shake their hands and tell them we appreciate their service to our country. It was a very moving time with them.

We then had dinner and had a front row space to hear the band Smash Mouth. I was 2 feet from lead singer Steven Harwell as he sang Walking on the Sun , All Star and others. Very cool to have a concert in a small venue like that.

We crossed 2 milestones this week. We are under 40 days till we leave and over $15,000 raised. We had multiple people promise their donation would be on the way soon. Only $10,000 to go to hit our goal.

If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

Since you stopped by leave a comment and let us know. Feel free to ask questions if you have them.

46 Days till Departure

2007-04-29T08:44:00.000-05:00

Be sure to check out the NEW site in our links to the left . It has our daily itinerary and other information

We rode 279 miles this week with over 7,055 feet of climbing. It seems we seek out the hilly routes hoping that that combined with our spring winds will do the job in preparing us for the mountains that lay ahead.

We had over $1,000 come in this week for our fundraising which pushes us north of $14,500 so far. The weather has been delightful to ride in of late. Short sleeve or sleeveless jersey's.

Bernice & I will be heading to San Diego for a conference from Wed to Sat this week so our mileage will be off a bit but we will get some exercise there as we will be kayaking in the Pacific at LaJolla and walking a good bit at the San Diego Zoo. We are hoping to meet up with our good friend Darrell (pictured right) for dinner Wed. He helped pull us across the deserts of Nevada last summer

If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.
Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

If you have a question ask......if not leave a comment and let us know you stopped by. We had 3 comments last week you guys are catching on. (grin)

53 days till departure -- What a ride

2007-04-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

Tour of Springtime Rural Vistas a 200 mile ride over 2 days. We went from Quincy,FL to Albany, GA and back. It ended up 208 miles -8 bonus miles I guess. We did over 5400 feet on climbing over the 2 days. The rides went very well and we (Bernice, Derek & I ) felt great --- so I guess all the training is paying off.

I did have a little problem - at mile 22 my rear derailleur (shifter) cable broke and we were unable fix it. This meant I only had 3 functional gears instead of 30. It made it interesting but not unbearable.
There were 375 people in the event and we were able to meet some really nice folks.

This week we crested the $13,500 mark in our fund raising.
If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

If you have a question ask it if not leave a comment and let us know you stopped by.

60 days till departure ... great week of riding

2007-04-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

This week we crested the $13,000 mark in our fund raising.

If you have not had a chance to donate yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

This week included a few shorter rides and then an 84 mile ride on Friday and a 52 mile ride on Saturday. We had some very windy conditions; which are good for improving our stamina. We passed some old Florida Cracker houses like the one above. I got the chance to pet the baby horse pictured here it was only 6 days old. I saw the lady and asked her how old it was she told me and said if you want pet it go on in the paddock. I was over that fence in a flash.

Next weekend we will ride a 200 mile ride called Tour of Rural Scenic Vistas (TOSRV). It will go from near Tallahassee, FL to Albany, GA (100mi) and then back the next day. Derek will get to ride with us; unfortunately it is too close to finals for Michael to ride it with us. There will be 365 of us riding.

Thanks for reading .... Please leave a comment so we know you visited.

68 days till departure .... Happy Easter

2007-04-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe the days are now numbered in the 60's. We made our final payment this week and purchased trip insurance so things are coming together. I have some ask about the route. To the right is the overall map. You can see the states we will cross. In Wisconsin we take a ferry across Lake Michigan then cross into southern Ontario. We come back into the United States from Canada at Niagara Falls.

This week we had an excellent riding week with a nice 72 mile ride into the horse country north of Ocala. There we can find some hills (we covered 1985 feet of elevation on that ride) and some canopied low traffic roads.
Derek had Friday off from school so he was able to join us. It is a nice time to ride in the horse farms because this is the time of year when the baby horses are abundant. It is fun to watch them learn to run on their new legs.
We have what we call the invisible hills this time of year here in Florida. It is the wind which is sustained most days at 15mph. When you ride into the wind it simulates climbing and aids in conditioning. I can tell we are making progress in that arena because it does not seem like a ride unless we go over 50 miles and 70 to 80 feels perfect and a century (100 mile) ride leaves us pleasantly tired not exhausted.

On today's 48 mile ride we stopped briefly at the traveling Vietnam War Memorial. It was a sobering site to see the flags, the Marine guard, and the 58,000 names of men and women killed during that war. Thanks to all those who have and are serving our Country.

Our fund raising is now up to $12,926 and rising. THANKS to all who have given so far. If you have not had a chance yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left -- "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer"

Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

Since you stopped by .... Please leave a comment. Just click on the comment button below this post. Trying to get you in the habit as they will be a source of encouragement this summer

74 days till Departure.... Spring break

2007-04-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

This past week was Spring Break for Derek. We were invited by some good friends of ours to share their time share condo with them in Eden, Utah (just outside of Ogden). We flew out Saturday(3/24) and back yesterday (3/31).We did some hiking along the Ogden river on our off day.

We had 2 days of spring skiing when we first arrived then as shown in the picture to the right winter came back and we had 2 great days of Utah powder skiing. That was at Powder Mountain and the last day we hit Snowbasin. We had a great time and logged 121,959 feet of vertical in 5 days of skiing. That is 22.9 miles straight down or 255.7 miles altogether. So though we were not riding our bicycles-- we were not loafing. I think it was good cross training. We even skied in the aspens a good bit looking for the untracked powder which was easy to find. Derek made nice improvement in his technique this trip.
This week it will be back to work and cycling as we prepare for the final 74 days till we leave.

Our fund raising is now up to $12,876 and rising. THANKS to all who have given so far. If you have not had a chance yet -- Be sure to click the link on the top left --"Help the Miller's Fight Cancer" Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150
Since you stopped by .... Please leave a comment. Just click on the comment button below this post. Trying to get you in the habit as they will be a source of encouragement this summer.

82 days .... early update

2007-03-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

First off we are making progress in the fund raising efforts. We crossed another milestone $12,000.
I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all those who have donated. I know there are some checks that have been mailed but have not shown on the tally board. Be sure to click the link on the top left --"Help the Miller's Fight Cancer" and track our progress. You can donate there as well. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 1150Austin, TX 78716-1150

Today we took a nice ride around Lake Weir and down to the Villages. It was a nice 59 mile ride. This update comes a little early because tomorrow am we fly to Salt Lake City for Derek's Spring break. We will be skiing with friends for a week. A nice bit of cross training. It is always nice to see other parts of the country and the things that God has created.

To the right is a picture that shows the variety of the Spring weather here in Central FL. It was taken last Saturday morning when the temps were in the 40's --- brrrrr.
Also pictured is a new friend of ours - Jon. He is a long time rider with a nice stable of Italian bicycles. A good rider and a pleasant addition to our Saturday rides.
I know I say it often ....BUT ... if you are here... leave a comment. I am trying to get you in the habit so this summer we will draw strength from our friends.

87 Days and counting

2007-03-18T14:31:00.000-05:00

This week was a good one with short rides in the beginning and a nice longer somewhat hilly(for FL) ride on Saturday. It is good to have Derek riding regular now that basketball is over. We had a cool (temps in the 40's) ride up into horse country covering 60 miles and over 1700 feet of climbing. We had strong headwinds(12 -18mph) for the first 30 miles and still averaged 16.5 mph.

We enjoy the varying terrain we have to train in. Even the temps and wind are things that will make us ready to face the varied conditions of crossing the continent.

It looks like our local paper wants to do an online video journal as well. They are planning to provide us with video camera and "air card" to provide wireless Internet. That will be a complement to this site.

We are at $11,396 raised for the Lance Armstrong Foundation as of today. If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so.Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below

95 Days...Planning & Perspective

2007-03-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

This week Bern & I logged over 260 miles. We did some small rides early in the week then a 100, 75 and 60 as the week progressed. Between them we covered North East and South of Ocala. We are often asked how you prepare for a trip like ours and the answer is "Saddle Time" or is other words "Time on the Bike" We do long rides and shorter rides with "intervals" mixed in.

I find it amusing how things can be put in perspective. We are excited about our 3600+ mile ride this summer and we had a visitor spend the night on Wednesday who has ridden 166,214 miles and crossed the country 14 times east to west and numerous north to south treks. We are on a list to provide hospitality to cross country cyclist and Hans Myors stayed with us one night this week.

We enjoyed the riding and the gorgeous spring weather this week. Sharing the road with the bikers of Bike Week;we had the rumble of Harley’s accompanying us all week. They were a friendly lot and shared the road well. I guess that leather and lycra mix well.

I am also asked if Michael is riding. He sent me proof that he is at least dressing up in bicycle clothing now & then. Notice the SEC Champion Gator with his helmet in place. Mike is riding with Cayce between going to Class (3.64 gpa), working at Sonny's, and working as a Teaching Assistant for Business Law

We are now at $11,396 raised for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

If you have not made your donation yet ....this is a great time to do so.Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below. I am trying to get folks in the habit of comments because I have heard from others it is a BIG encouragement while on the road

Rainy days & the Trainer 102 days till departure

2007-03-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

This week was a tricky one weather wise. Warm with good rides on Monday and Wednesday. Then the rain started Thursday and continued until today (Sunday) That meant the trainer was put to use. The trainer is a device that you put your bike on and use it as a stationary bike. It is a device that is despised by most cyclist; because an hour on the trainer is like a death march. Even with music and a fan it is hard work.

Our Saturday rides are growing to the right is Chuck our newest edition. Our ride this coming Saturday could have as many as 8 in it. This makes for some good conversation and new friends.

We are at $11,296 raised for the Lance Armstrong Foundation as of today. If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so. Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below

West coast friends and familiar faces -- 109 days till departure

2007-02-25T17:41:00.000-05:00

We had a great week of cycling this week. Monday and Wednesday were in the woods after work... nice rides.

Then on Friday a west coast friend, Darrell (above) (who rode with us last year on our San Francisco to Salt Lake City ride) came to Ocala for a ride. We got in a great 60 mile ride through the horse farms north of town. It was great to show him our favorite roads and enjoy talking with him. Also gathered some good tips about cross country riding as he rode all the way across last summer(2006).

Then on Saturday we had our good friend Dr. Don (as Derek calls him) with us. Don rides most Saturdays in the winter and the Wed & Sat the rest of the year with us. He is getting in better and better shape as he is with us as we increase our mileage towards our departure date. We enjoy his company and insights and will miss riding with him while gone this summer on the road. Derek is finally done with HS Basketball and was able to join our longer rides this week. He fared very well on the Saturday ride of 46 miles (to the Villages then around Lake Wier) Ahhh....the benefits of being 16.

Michael is in the last semester of his Junior year at the University of Florida. He is balancing classwork, teaching assistant responsibilities, a job, a girl friend( Hi.. Cayce!!) and trying to train. The good news is he was on Deans list last Semester and he still has about 100 days left to train. He is getting a taste of what adult life is like when you have to balance many tasks. He will do fine I am sure.

We are at $11,096 raised for the Lance Armstrong Foundation as of today. If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so.Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below

Cool Weather and 116 days till we leave

2007-02-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

The weather this week turned cool here is Florida with 3 freezing nights in a row and temps in the mid 20's at night. It was however a good week of cycling with woods rides on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday and road rides of 32 & 52 miles on Friday and Saturday. It was long sleeves and leg warmers do to the temps and the wind (13-18mph) but the sun warmed it up to the 50's in the afternoon.

We made a short stop at Silver Springs for this weeks pictures and spotted a gator in the water nearby. A northerner here on vacation commented, "He's Fake"...it was comical as in fact the Gator was VERY real.
We secured our plane tickets to Portland this week and for the return from New Hampshire. Derek has made plans to spend a week with Grandpa (my dad) immediately after the trip. Dad will pick him up in New Hampshire and then Derek will fly back a week later from New York.

If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so. Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150. Thanks for your support

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below.

Winter Cross Training

2007-02-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

Well it was some winter cross training this past week. Had a nice bike ride on Monday after work in the woods. Then on Wednesday Bernice & I headed to New York to see our Dad's (89 and 82 years old respectively) and to do some winter cross training.

The weather was winter-like. In New York that means highs around 12-15 and Snowy. As you can see from the pictures we were dressed warm and it was snowy.

Bernice did some snowshoeing and shopping with my Sister and an old friend. I skied for 3 days and logged 87,883 feet of vertical.

We, thanks to your help are making progress in our fund raising efforts to your generosity. We crossed the $11,000 mark this week.

We are down to 123 days till departure-- wow time is flying and time for departure will be here soon.

If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so.Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below

February already.... 130 days till departure

2007-02-04T15:44:00.000-05:00

Last June we pedaled over the summit of Mount Rose (near Lake Tahoe) and I was excited (hence the picture to the right.

This week we passed a milestone in our fundraising efforts. We passed the $10,000 mark in our fund raising efforts. We stand today at $10,880. Now the website does not reflect checks as quick as online donations but is should show there soon.

We had a good week of riding and I
started using a Garmin 305HR to record our training rides. It will keep track of elevation,distance, route, speed,weather, heart rate,and even weather.
We had some nice rides and we were very fortunate to miss the devastation of the tornadoes that passed just a few miles south of us killing 20 people.

We are now only 130 days from departure and as the picture above shows we are ready to get on the road. We made our reservations for Astoria this week and have been scouting airfares... it won't be long.

If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so.Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Since you stopped by.... write a comment or ask a question....let us know you stopped by.... just click the comment below

Back in the saddle

2007-01-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh it felt good this week to get back in the saddle. Some skiing, rain, basketball and golf detracted from normal training recently; but our base mileage is good and sometimes cross training a bit can be healthy. Had a very nice ride yesterday on the road, 47 miles and delightful cool Florida weather. This coming week looks like a normal training week.
On Friday Derek went to the Winter Dance with his girlfriend Jenna(see pic to the right). I guess it went OK as I saw her the next day and it did not appear she had any broken toes.

Our fundraising is going well we are now over $10,800 raised. We will be in touch with the Lance Armstrong foundation as to how to raise the goal to a higher number ( I am sure they will help with that request)

It is only 137 days till we leave.

Since you visited here--- take time to jot a short (or long) comment to tell me you stopped by. Feel free to ask questions about cycling or the trip.

If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so.
Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Brrrrrr..... time in NY

2007-01-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

Well the picture to the right is what my rental car looked like at 6:45am this past Saturday AM as I was leaving my Dad's house for my 3rd day of skiing at Gore Mountain. After brushing the snow, then scraping the windows in 3 degree weather I remembered well why I moved to Florida 20 years ago. The skiing was great and though it was cold and kind of windy I had an incredible time. I was also able to spend time with my Dad and several other family members and friends. Prior to heading to NY last week I did get in one ride in the woods; while there I got in a total of 21 hours of skiing. So I am calling that cross training.

I am back in FL now and will be back on the bike this week. It is only 144 days till we leave.

If you visit take time to jot a short (or long) comment to tell me you stopped by. Feel free to ask questions about cycling or the trip.

If you have not made your donation yet this is a great time to do so.

Click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the Miller's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Great Week of cycling

2007-01-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

We had a great week of cycling. A good off road ride on Monday and Wednesday. On Friday Bernice and I rode 52 miles on some very pretty horse farm roads north of town. Then on Friday afternoon I headed to White Springs, FL to camp for two nights at Stephen C. Foster SP. I stopped by the Suwanee Bicycle Association to pick up some maps of good road rides in the area. They provided an excellent route. The next morning I headed out for a 48 mile ride with just my shadow for company. Bernice was doing Mom Taxi duty for Derek's basketball practices. She did get in a nice 30 mile ride in Ocala while I was riding.
If you are reading this click the comment button and let me know what you think. Feel free to ask questions - I will attempt to answer them.

Also----If you want to help (and I hope you do) -- click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

A new year and Warm again

2007-01-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

We had a good week of riding with a nice 54 mile ride Friday am and a 43 mile one on Sat am. It is important to put back to back days together. Right now we are not too concerned with long miles as the ride is still 157 days away. As time gets closer we will ramp up the miles and the saddle time - for now about 130 -150 per week is fine.

We learned a lot during last years ride (June 2006) from San Francisco to Salt Lake City. We were in good shape when that ride came. So I will kind of follow that training again for this year. To the right you can see some of the endless miles we pedaled in Nevada

We had summer like weather here this week with mid 80's and humidity.

On the equipment front this week I want to feature the Shift /Brake Lever show to the right. Many people think of these as the brakes only; but in recent years they integrated the shift lever and the brakes into one lever. You pull it towards you to brake, push it to the side to shift and push the black tab on the inside near the end of the lever to shift the other direction. This is lighter and easier to use, especially while climbing.

I am encouraged as to the fund raising we passed the 8% mark this week and there are some promising prospects on the horizon.

If you are reading this click the comment button and let me know what you think. Feel free to ask questions - I will attempt to answer them.

Also----If you want to help (and I hope you do) -- click the button on the upper left titled -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

New Years Eve

2006-12-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

Well I took most of the week off from work between Christmas and New Years. This allowed for some time with family and friends and was spent doing some fishing, cycling and relaxing in general. Now I know this is not a fishing journal but that was a nice redfish.

The riding was highlighted with a nice 83 mile ride on Friday through the North end of the county. Derek rode with Bernice & I and we had a very nice pedal. We saw all kinds of animals ( horses, cows, llamas, turkeys, donkeys,rabbit, baby bulls and others).

Training now consists of mainly just getting in miles and time in the saddle. We will begin to focus more as the time gets closer. We are 164 days from departure. Time is passing quickly...it will be here before we know it.

Today's bike photos were taken by Derek. I like the composition of the one to the right with the wheel in it--- nice touch

If you are reading this click the comment button and let me know what you think. Feel free to ask questions - I will attempt to answer them

Also----If you want to help (and I hope you do) -- click the button -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation online. Or you can send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow is Christmas that means we celebrate the birth of Christ and good family time. It also means there are only 171 days till departure. Wow.... time is flying and there are still many things to do before we leave.

Tomorrow we will all be home for the day. Mike is down from UF and Bern's Mom will be here for dinner. The tree is trimmed and all is ready. We had a good day today with friends and family and a nice Candlelight service to remind us what this holiday is all about.

This past week I had to take a continuing education test in Gainesville. We went out for ice cream before the test. Bernice found the T-shirt she is wearing to the left. She said it is the way she plans to ride 3600+ miles -- "Fueled by Ice Cream"
If you are reading this click the comment button and let me know what you think. Feel free to ask questions - I will attempt to answer them

Also----If you want to help (and I hope you do) -- click the button -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation. You can also send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation PO Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Ahhhh....nice Florida Weather again

2006-12-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

Well after last weeks chilly riding weather; this week was back to incredible. We had temps with lows in the 50's and highs near 80. Great training weather. Got in several nice rides including a 43 mile one on Saturday with some intervals thrown in. This was done using a heart rate monitor. After about 25 miles and being nice and warmed up and on an appropriate stretch of road (long & straight) I pick up the speed to about 25 - 30 and hold it there till my heart rate goes north of 165 then ease off and when it hits 130 then time for another effort. This is repeated about 5 times.

The picture above is on they way up to Donner Pass this summer a rolling acent up to about 8300 feet. Interval training helps make you stronger and that makes mountian assents easier.

This weeks "gear moment" is the handelbar. To the right you can see the view I see when I look down. You can see the brake hoods and the bike computer (I will talk about the computer another week) and the rear view mirror. You will notice the bars are covered with padded tape to cushion my hands and there are a number of places to hold onto. Varying my hand position is critical to good bike health (meaning not getting stiff & sore.) The mirror lets me see what is happening behind -things like traffic of course but also other riders (allowing me to know if the current pace is comfortable for the group)

If you are reading this click the comment button and let me know what you think. Feel free to ask questions - I will attempt to answer them

Also----If you want to help and I hope you do -- click the button -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation. You can also send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong FoundationP O Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Brrrrr 38 degrees this AM

2006-12-09T17:06:00.000-05:00

We waited a little bit and it climbed into the mid 40's by about 10:00am, we donned leg and toe warmers, long fingered gloves, and a wind jacket and off we went for a 47mile ride. It was not only cold it was breezy steady winds at about 12mph, the good news was that we headed into the wind so the last 20 or so miles had a nice tail wind.

You might ask why? I would tell you things like the picture above of the Mt. Rose Summit and knowing what lies ahead this coming summer. There will be cold mornings and windy days and we will pedal; therefore we might as well learn what it is like before it counts.

This weeks equipment feature is the bicycle seat configuration. You can see the seat post serves many duties. Mine is carbon fiber with a clear Zerts insert this makes it light and it allows it to reduce road vibration. It serves as a mount for my rear flashing light used in early morning light. It holds my seat which also holds my tool kit (CO2 tube inflator, multi-tool, quick stick, extra tube).

The seat itself is very comfortable. Notice several things: wide enough to rest my pelvic bones on - no wider. Gel inserts for comfort. Cut out in the middle to avoid excess pressure on the prostate. We can ride all day in comfort.

If you want to help -- click the button -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation. You can also send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong FoundationP O Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

December means it is only 7 months away

2006-12-03T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well it seems as if time is moving forward at high speed. We will embark on our journey in just over 7 months from now. We have the dog, the lawn, and the pool issues taken care of; yet there is still much left to do.

This week we took my Dad back to the airport, we enjoyed His two week visit, and miss having Him here. The dog misses him too. She was his constant companion and liked all the attention she got from him.

Riding this week was impaired by weather and travel. I got a good ride in the woods on Monday. Wednesday it rained and I climbed on the trainer for an hour (not nearly as much fun as real riding-- but a good workout. Friday I got no ride in due to an all day meeting. Saturday it was wet and drizzling but we hit the road anyhow as the radar showed nothing scary. It ended up being a nice ride just under 50 miles.

I have been getting questions as to equipment. So I decided to feature some of the gear we use. At the left are my cycling shoes. They are very comfortable with lots adjustments as to fit. They have a very stiff sole ( mine are carbon fiber) to spread out the pressure from the pedal and this reduce foot fatigue.
If you notice on the one that is upside down there is a cleat like thing on the ball of the foot this actually locks into the pedal making it very efficient. It does release if you need it to.

If you have a question or comment please click the comment button.

We passed the 6 percent mark in fundraising. I am starting in earnest to ask people to make a contribution. This is a very good cause and one that has or will affected all of us in some way. So.... go ahead and click the button -- HELP the MILLER's FIGHT CANCER. and make a donation.

You can also send a check-made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal. Mail them to: Lance Armstrong FoundationP O Box 161150Austin, TX 78716-1150 Thanks for your support

Thanksgiving Week

2006-11-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is a good time of year as it gives us cause to reflect on the things that are important to us. For us it is our faith and our family; and it was nice to have Mike down from UF for the long weekend and my Dad here for 2 weeks. We had a total of 26 to our home for Thanksgiving. We are missing 3 regulars from our midst due to death from Cancer - One more reason we are on this mission.

Riding this week was good.
Monday in the woods by myself - good day to stretch the legs after a long ride on Sunday.
Wednesday Michael was home from college early enough to get out to Santos and play on the Red trails. These are the challenging trails that some would call scary - we call them FUN!!
Thursday- a nice 20 mile ride at Santo's; we went to land bridge and back with a neighbor "JT".
Friday and Saturday we were on the road. Bern & I on Friday did a nice 30 mile ride and then on Saturday (Bern, Michael, Dr. Don & I) went on a good 48 mile ride looping through the Ocala National Forest. The above photo of Bern & Michael was at the Moss Bluff Dam.

I should say that the days I am in the woods Bernice is riding the road - she does not like the woods for bicycling -- just camping.

THANKS to all who have donated so far to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. We are up to $600 ($100 - that was sent in by check is not shown on the tally board). That is 6% of the way to our goal of $10,000. I am encouraged and challenged to ask for more. If you have been touched by cancer or you just think it is a good cause .....Log in and make a donation. THANKS again.

November - cool weather and sunny skies

2006-11-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

This week was similar to last week and hopefully like many to come. Two rides in the woods and two on the road. It has been much cooler (lows in the high 30's and high in the low 70's.

Today was a great day of hills as we rode the Horrible 100 in Clermont. Though it is called the Horrible 100 we did the 76 mile choice. My Dad is down and he was waiting so we chose the shorter option.

It was 40 degrees when we pulled into the Waterfront Park. There were over 700 preregistered and many signing up the day of the event. This was a very hilly ride many many hills. I am talking 30 x27 gearing being used.

The ride was very enjoyable because we were able to spend time with some friends from our ride the past summer from San Francisco to Salt Lake City -- Monica and Jenny. (shown above)

It was so good to see them and ride with them again. It was just like being on the road again. Thanks for the company ladies.

On the fund raising side of things we are now at $550 - that is only 5.5% of the way to our $10,000 goal- but it is progress. If you have been touched by Cancer in any way.... I would ask you to consider making a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Click the Link to the left and help us fight Cancer. Thanks

November Ramblings

2006-11-11T22:47:00.000-05:00

This week was rather normal as far as riding goes. Two days in the woods about 1.5 hours each and then 53 miles on the road on Friday and 47 miles on Saturday.

Saturday's ride took us west of town and by some very pretty horse farms. As you can see by the photo to the left. We rode with a good friend and long time riding friend - Don. Always nice when there are several of us; it allows for more drafting.

Next weekend we are doing an organized ride in Lake County. It is called the Horrible Hundred;
though we will only be doing the 72 mile option.

We will riding with two friends we met on the ride we did this summer from San Francisco to Salt Lake City.

Some very good news is that the money is starting to come in we went from $200 to $425 this week which is still a long way from our goal of $10,000 but none the less double what we had.

To the left is a pic of Bernice and I with two good friends and supporters of our cause - Lil & Ruth. We happened to run into them as we were on our ride on Saturday.

On a side note, my Dad is coming to visit for 2 weeks for Thanksgiving. Yippee.....always fun to spend time with him.

As to the Fund raising.... you may click on the link on this site "Help the Miller's Fight Cancer" and make a donation online with a credit card (preferred) or you can send a check made payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Be sure to put Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo so it will be counted towards our goal.

Mail them to: Lance Armstrong Foundation
P O Box 161150
Austin, TX 78716-1150

November happenings

2006-11-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

Friday the wind was blowing
(15 -20 steady) and Bernice and I ventured off into the North end of the county - horse farms and rolling hills.
Headed into the wind to start... so the ride home was FAST.

I did enjoy the two rides in the woods earlier this week . I guess it is kind of like being a 12 year old catching air and sliding around the turns.

For those who think Florida is FLAT, look behind Bernice at the right. I am not sure if she is smiling because we are at the top or because she is getting a short break.

For those of you who want to make a donation to help fight Cancer click on the link to the right. It is easy, secure and tax deductible. If you would rather send a check mail it to me, payable to the Lance Armstrong Foundation with Participant ID: 150474715 in the memo. Either way let's get the donations coming.

Fall is here

2006-10-29T17:04:00.000-05:00

This shot was taken yesterday in Blue Ridge, Georgia. I was up there with Bernice visiting some friends at their cabin. Nice & Cool and very pretty foliage.

As the seasons change so does my riding. This time of year I divide my time :

2 days in the woods (mountain biking)
2 days road riding
2 days lifting weights
1 day of rest

We are beginning the process of nailing down the logistics of our trip. We have our dog care and lawn mowing nailed down. Working on travel to Astoria and other details. There is a lot to be done when you will be away from home for 60 days.

The boys are really looking forward to being back on the road

Please visit our link: Help the Miller's fight cancer on the right and make a donation.

2006-10-22T05:59:00.000-05:00

The Santa Fe Century went well. A century is a one hundred mile ride and we did an organized one yesterday.

Actually it was:

102.3 miles
it took us 5 hours and 25 minutes
we had an average speed of 18.5 mph.

And of course we got a tee shirt. I asked Derek to model it because he got his braces of this past week and has been smiling more ever since.

Derek, Michael and I did the ride as Bernice was heading to the mountains of North Georgia ( I will be heading there to join her there Wed afternoon. )

I have been asked by several what kind of bikes we will be riding on our trip next summer

Here is a picture of my bike. It has 30 gear selections, skinny tires (120 pounds of air), carbon fiber frame and fork, weighs right at 17.3 pounds.

Don't forget to go to the link on the right "help the Miller's fight cancer" and make a donation. We are trying to have all the money raised before the trip. It is a great cause, one we have all in some way been affected by, and tax deductible.

2006-10-15T14:54:00.000-05:00

This week we logged 150 miles, including a 50 mile ride yesterday - escorting a "Five Points for Life" ride from Gainesville to Ocala thru the horse farms.

This coming week the week of the 16th I expect two days of riding - a 25 mile ride Monday before work then a Century (100 miles) on Saturday. The century is the Santa Fe Ramble and I will be riding with both boys which should be fun.

The middle part of the week I will be in Chicago on business

The picture (above right) is from last fall. Bernice and I did a trip around the central part of Maine.

It is nice riding in Florida now that the weather has changed; why we even needed vests a couple of mornings.
====================
on a side note we had the first $100 donated this week .... be sure to click on the link on the right and make a donation.... we are 1% of the way there.

Miller Family Cross Country Adventure

2006-10-08T13:29:00.000-05:00

3637 Miles in 50 days

A little background as to why we want to raise money for cancer research:

My mother died from cancer when I was 14. A couple years later I was blessed to have a step-mother unfortunately 27 years later she died of cancer - in 2001.

I have two sisters who have both had cancer, one of which is still fighting her battle with the disease.

My family and I have dreamed of this ride for many years and the time is drawing near to embark on our journey. We decided to ride with purpose of raising money to assist in eliminating cancer.

If you are able I would ask you to join us in this fight. Dig deep and let's do our part to fight this disease.

Simply click on the link and make a tax deductible donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Thanks for your support.