Brrrrr!
When I first heard that there would be a “settlement freeze,” I thought “so what?” I mean, having lived in Neve Daniel for two winters, I have come to accept the fact that five months a year I will not be able to see out my windows because of the fog. I bundle up the kids and watch them disappear into the cold mist. Sometime after Pesach, spring comes back, and we all warm up again.
I’m riding my bike and am only halfway up a seven and a half kilometer climb from the Kineret. My lungs are burning. I can feel my heart thumping and my legs are on fire. The sun is scorching my skin as I make my way up this beast of a hill. It’s only the second day of the International Bike Ride for Alyn Children’s Hospital. I’m having the time of my life.
For five days, over 500 riders rode through the north of Israel gradually making our way towards the hospital in Jerusalem. Every time we thought the hardest part was over, we rounded the corner into even greater challenges. We would climb into the sun and then descend at incredible speeds over rocky footpaths. We rode on pavement, gravel, rocks, and mud. When the terrain flattened out, we shifted to the big gears and rode like the wind. When we finished for the day, we were covered in dust and sweat. At night, we would shower, eat three or four dinners, and crawl into bed. The next day we woke at 5:00 A.M., ready to do it again.
Wheel of Love
I am writing on Friday right before Shabbat. Tomorrow night I leave for Tiberia to join the Alyn Charity Bike ride. About 500 men and women will be riding bikes from the North of Israel to Jerusalem. One week with nothing to do but ride. Talk about the ultimate vacation.
As much fun as these rides are, I have to remind myself why we are doing it. After all, the fact that 500 people get a break from work, family, and e-mail is nice, but it is only really significant for those of us who are riding. Of far greater significance are the kids at the Alyn hospital who are the beneficiaries of about $3,000,000 that we will raise from this ride.
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