Hi Running For Justice Blog Readers!

It’s been way too long since I wrote in here. I just found it was a bit too much to keep everything up but here we are a few days before the 2nd Annual Bike-a-Thon and I’m in the website fixing something so decided to write a few things!

I’ve been training for the Bike-a-Thon, 150 miles from Duluth to Elk River! Since the weather wasn’t that great in April, I didn’t get outside to train until May. I trained on my trainer downstairs and my elliptical. I know it’s really great for you but I was pretty bored with being on it longer than 1 1/2 hrs. When I’m outside I can be on my bicycle for 3-4 hrs and enjoy the weather, whether it’s cool out or in the 70’s! I’ve done several trips to Elk River and back. Once in awhile I do the Woodland Trails Park bike trail which is 4 1/2 miles one way and then head back. It’s about 45 miles if I do all that and then I do 5 miles or more around Princeton. Or I just stick around the Princeton area, where I live and do 25 or more miles. The only problem with that is there are not that many hills in my area and I really need to have some of that to do this trip because though there aren’t hills to speak of on the Munger Trail, the first day, there are LOTS of hills the 2nd day, going from Mora to Milaca, then to Princeton, and then to Elk River

I will have to say that this 2nd year of training I am way more confident on my bike, than I was last year. Last year I was unstable, and I took a pretty good fall in November when I hit my husband’s bike, in front of me. He stopped and I was way too close to him to react, so I hit his tire and went flying the opposite direction. I hit my left shoulder, (took a long time to heal)  my head and broke my helmet. I’m thankful I had one on because 2 weeks before that I didn’t own a helmet, as it seemed I was restrained too much. When my husband bought me a new bike, I got a helmet. With the accident happening, I saw it only took one mistake to bust your head and pay the consequences, so I’m now a firm believer in wearing a helmet. We also now use signals when we stop or turn.

We have 20 cyclists this year, compared to 14 last year! 7 cyclists did the 150 miles last year and want to repeat it! The majority are from our area but also 1 is from north of Duluth; one is S.W. of Elk River and some are from the Mpls area and other suburbs.

We are keeping an eye on the weather. Last year it rained the 2nd day. We are hoping for no repeats but the forecast keeps saying there’s a possibility of rain or t-storms. I hope they are wrong.

We have over 20 amazing volunteers on this trip, making meals, cleaning up, security, medical, fixing bikes and more. We even have a mom and her 6 children handing out waters as the cyclists come in to the designated stops!

We have an End of the Road Celebration if you would like to come, at 4:30 P.M on Saturday, May 19th. The flyer is on the front home page. We hope to pack out the room. We have a complimentary supper and a speaker, Tim Miller, State Rep from District 17A, Willmar area. He and his wife have been learning and speaking on sex trafficking for a few years. He has headed the charge on making some changes in politics in this area, too.There is a slight possibility that session will go over and he can’t make it. He has arranged for CeCe, founder of Terebinth Refuge to come if he can’t. He won’t know that until possibly the day of. Tim’s wife is on CeCe’s board of directors.

Oh, we are going to do videos, pics, etc of the Bike-a-Thon and hope to raise funds, that will be exclusively for a local organization that houses women who have been sex trafficked!

Ok, I need to go. I have a list of things I still need to get done. Nice chatting with you and hope to get back to this before too long!

Susie Weigel

Founder/Facilitator

Running For Justice