The Last Month of 2011

A lot of thoughts run through my head on my daily bike rides of 1-4 hours. Oftentimes, my mind runs over the things that I haven't gotten around to doing in a while. The most common being, of course, blogging. So this time, I have decided to write a blog post before my ride. Right now, I am sitting in spandex cycling attire on my fluffy pink bedspread. My purple room is flooded with light and the wind outside is making white-caps on the lake. It is beautiful sight but does not promise a pleasant bike ride. I hate riding in the wind.

The past month has been filled with family time, friend time, cycling, school, and traveling. My exam week this year was the best I've ever had. I had two exams on Monday and left for the beach on Tuesday with my family. There was a small part of me that felt sorry for my fellow students holed-up in cooper library. I tried my best to enjoy the sun at the beach for them.

One of the highlights of this Christmas break has been the Upstate Winter Bike League. For those of you who are not familiar with the UWBL, it is a group of appr. 100-150 cyclist who gather in downtown Greenville to suffer together during the cold winter months of December and January. The group divides into two groups to accommodate different abilities and fitness levels. Before the first UWBL, I was nervous. I knew that I wanted a challenge and had been told that I could probably keep up with the faster group (the A group). As we rolled out of the parking lot on our 70 mile ride, I cautiously positioned myself in the group in order to get as much draft as possible. As I glanced around, I could tell that many of the cyclists surrounding me were just as competitive as I am. Sure enough, towards the end of the ride, several of the cyclists took off with a speed that was difficult to match. I leaped up in my seat and tried my best to stay with them. My surroundings became completely irrelevant as I struggled to maintain a speed that I had not equaled in months. The challenge, the competition, and the sheer exhilaration of riding fast was invigorating, exhausting, and addicting. Needless to say, each UWBL has been challenging and fun as the distance and intensity gradually increases.

Three days before Christmas, Jesse had the pleasure of getting all four wisdom teeth yanked out of his mouth. Fortunately, his faithful girlfriend was there to drive him to and from the dentist, sign a few papers, and take care of him until his mom could pick him up and take him home for Christmas. He was a great sport and emerged from surgery with a goofy lop-sided smile and an appetite for a chocolate milkshake. The next morning, I drove down to Atlanta with my dad to pick my sister and brother-in-law up from the airport. My dad and I had some good conversations during our trip down to Atlanta. I am always amazed by his wisdom and knowledge about the world around him. After our trip to the airport, we had a huge lunch with Jesse, his mom (hi Minnie!), and his lovely sister Bonnie who is coming to CLEMSON next year! My brother-in-law, John Miller, claimed to be of the "northern" Miller clan, while Jesse claimed to be of the "southern" Miller clan. Regardless, there were a lot of Millers around.

Christmas day was... interesting. I woke up at 5am with a horrible stomach ache. It didn't take long for me to figure out that it was a stomach virus. As of this year, I have been sick 4 out my 20 Christmas's (20%). Statistically, this should not be possible! It's not like I get sick very often either. In fact, I can only think of a few times that I have had the stomach virus during a time other than Christmas.
My sisters brought my presents down to my room with about 20,000 shielding sprays of lysol before and after entering my room. I opened my presents via Facetime on my phone and slept for most of the day. In some ways, being sick wasn't all that bad. It forced me to slow down and be thankful for what God has given me. I can be such a selfish pig sometimes. Fortunately, I have a God who loves me and constantly reminds me of the fact that I have been saved by His grace, and His grace alone. Hallelujah!

After Christmas, I got to see Jesse and his dad before they headed off for a 4 day excursion on the Appalachian trail. I stayed here and worked on my plans for this summer. You see, I am leaving for Australia during August and have committed to racing almost every weekend during the summer. On top of that, I will be taking an online class. This will leave me enough time for a part-time job/internship. I want to do something that I am passionate about and walk away with more than a paycheck. So far, I have an idea that has the potential to be AWESOME. Right now, I am in the information-gathering process and will reveal the "project" in my next post if it is a real possibility.

Until then.

Colorado, School, and Agriculture Future of America

I know, I know. It has been a while since I have posted! A lot has happened since October 23rd.

The rest of the Colorado trip was amazing. We went to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and raced up the stairs.

I ran on some trails that surrounded the area. It reminded me of Arizona because the dirt was bright red and the rocks were massive (hence the name “red rocks”.) I love being outside and exercising in new places. Every sense-hearing, smelling, feeling, seeing, and tasting- is engaged and immersed in the new environment. You not only see, but experience the area. Anyways, the next day we went up to Boulder, Colorado.

Jesse and I wandered around downtown during the morning and then borrowed Amy and a friend’s bike to do some real exploring. After climbing a solid 17 miles, we ended up in a small town north of Boulder called “Nederland”. Say it out loud. Sounds weird right? It almost sounds like you are trying to say “Netherland” but have a speech impediment. For that reason alone, I do not think I could live there. The town gave me another reason though. As soon as I got there, I sought out a small gas station where I could fill up my water bottle. I imagine I looked pretty pathetic as I slowly opened up the door with my ice-cold fingers and walked in with stiff legs and a cherry-red face. I put on sweet smile and kindly ask the young guy at the register if I could fill my water bottle up. Now, during past experiences, the guy running the register would recognize my sorry state and jump to get water as fast as his legs could carry him. Well not this guy, no sireee. He turns to me with a sour face and goes, “uh, that’s gonna cost you 75 cents”… “oh but, I (teeth chattering) I don’t have any money”. He replies, “well too bad. We charge for water”. I meekly swallow the few grams of moisture in my mouth and proceed to ask, “well… uh… how clean is the bathroom water”. I mean hey, when you need water, you really need it. “Oh, that’s going to be 75 cents too”. My chin about hit the floor. Who charges money for 8 oz of bathroom water? Geez.

Saying goodbye to Amy was the worst part about the trip. Some friends don’t stay in touch when they move halfway across the country, but not Amy.

Besides being a great friend, she is fun, adventurous, and has a great sense of humor.







Once I got back from Colorado, I had only a few school days before I was off to Kansas City for another meeting. The trip went well and we got a lot accomplished. I could tell that everyone was a little antsy because the conference was in less than a month.

During the next couple of weeks, I spent a lot of time training and studying.
In fact, I can honestly say that I became quite boring.

The week before the AFA conference, Ispent 12 hours in class, 16 hours on the bike, and the rest of my time either sleeping or studying.
The Saturday before the conference, Jesse and I went up to Greenville for the Hincapie warehouse sale to buy some winter cycling clothing. Now I don't have an excuse for not riding in the cold.

The AFA conference will forever stand out in my memory as one of the best experiences of my college career. My teammates on the leadership team- Ana, Bryce, Wayne, Katelyn, Lance, Cary, Blake, and Amanda- have each impacted and inspired me. You can listen to professional speakers all day, but in the end, it is friendships that really make the difference. I miss these guys.

After a group opening session, all of the students were divided based on year in college. Bryce, Ana, and I were in charge of the freshman group. Basically, we took turns introducing speakers, facilitating games, conducting group meetings, and answering a boatload of questions. During orientation, we divided the group of 120 freshman into 3 groups and made them each form a line. Then we gave everyone a toothpick and gave each person at the front of the line a lifesaver. The goal was to transfer one lifesaver (with a toothpick sticking out of your mouth) from one end of the line to the other end. Whoever got the lifesaver to the end of the line quickest won. Take a moment to imagine the scenario. It was hilarious. Let me tell you, the 2011 AFA freshman were incredible. During the games, they were wild, fun, and interactive. It got quite loud more than a few times. When we had speakers come in, they were respectful, attentive, and asked good questions. At one point, one of the speakers had three students come up on stage and act as panelist while discussing their future career plans. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought these students were conference speakers themselves. The best part about our particular group of students was their genuine passion for agriculture and the future of our industry.


I learned two things about myself during this experience. First, I love public speaking. Yes, I do get nervous, but it is a positive feeling that energizes me. A few times during the conference, people came up and asked if I had taken public speaking classes.

I told them no, but when you grow up in a family of ten, you learn to appreciate any kind of audience. Not only that, but I was the middle child... so obviously it was my job to make sure that others heard me. Getting the chance to speak in front of 700 people is a privilege and an honor. Second, I love talking. Now hold on, hold on. I know what you are thinking... "Molly, it's pretty obvious that you love to talk". Yes, yes, but I love talking in the sense that I love conversation and learning about other people. During the career fair, it hit me that this was not an intimidating or strict procedure, but a chance to talk and learn about other people and their companies. Sometimes it can be so easy to fall into a negative pattern of thinking instead of appreciating the positive side of things. I know I am preaching here, but trust me. Shifting your attitude really does work.

During the entire conference, I could feel God’s presence with me. With the amount of sleep and responsibilities, I should have been exhausted. In fact, sheer exhaustion was my number one fear going into the conference. Halfway through the conference, He brought a short piece of scripture to my mind, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). God granted me the ability to pour passion and enthusiasm into everything I did… and enjoy every minute of it. He is so good.

On the way home, my connecting flight from Charlotte to Greenville got cancelled. U.S. Airways gave me a voucher for a sketchy motel nearby and put me on the next flight out in the morning. Word of advice, don’t fly U.S Airways unless you enjoy spending the night in a run-down motel with beds that are flatter than a pancake and harder than your concrete driveway. Fortunately, I made it back home the next morning ten minutes before my first class. I parked, hopped out of the car with my backpack, and ran to class looking a little… ehem... rough. After class I made sure to tell my professor about my unfortunate travels and the dedication it took to make it to his class in time. Hopefully he will remember that small piece of information when he grades my next test…

PHEW! I am running over 1,000 words here so I’m going to stop.

Adios Muchachos!

Getting high.

Last week, Jesse and I flew to Denver, Colorado to visit our dear friend Amy. We bought our plane tickets nearly a month early so by the time we actually flew out there, we were more than excited. Now, I have loved the Appalachian mountains as long as I can remember. My dad used to take me hiking and camping up there since before I could walk. The rolling, misty, mountains have always intrigued me.

One minute they are shrouded in fog, and the next minute they are bright and vibrant. However, the Rocky mountains are a completely different beast.
Their daunting peaks and sheer cliffs have challenged and attracted people from all over the world to conquer them. Along with the lure of the mountains, Denver is known for it’s health, vitality, and “granola” culture.

Friday morning, Jesse and I rode the bus into town and wandered up and down the streets of downtown Denver. One of the first things we noticed was a protest going on in Civic Center Park in front of the Capital building called “Occupy Denver”. We asked a small, shriveled old man what the protest was about and he responded, “well, it is just a bunch of kids with nothing better to do than complain about the government!”. The next question I had was, “well then why are you a part of it?”. He answered right back, “I have nothing better to do than complain about the government!”.


Downtown Denver was unlike any city I’ve ever been too. Every time you turned around there was someone riding a bike, running, or walking their dog. Parks and natural food grocery stores were as common as gas stations. People in the shops, buildings, and on the street would greet you every chance they got. In fact, I don’t think I ran into a single rude person in all of Denver.

This was rather shocking... sometimes people give me a dirty looks when I order an extra-hot-grande-café-misto-with-protein-and-sugar-free-caramel-and-vanilla-syrup from Starbucks.


One of the highlights of our trip was climbing the Red Cone Mountain. Our original intention was to climb the fourteener “Grays and Torries”. However, a native of Colorado advised us to steer clear. The crowds were thick and the pathway was paved. Lame, right? He recommended and gave us directions to a secluded 13,000ft mountain called St. Edwards. We thanked him and headed out the next morning at 8 am to begin our adventure(ignoring his advice to buy a map of the area). Real adventures don’t start with maps anyways. Three hours later… we ended up in the middle of nowhere. Literally. We did not know where we were. We spotted a dirt road and followed another car to a small clearing filled with other cars and hikers.

After asking a fellow hiker where we should go, we selected a pathway that would supposedly lead us to “Beaver Gorge?”. Who knows. The pathway took us through woods, creeks, snow, fields, and rocks before we reached the tree line and caught sight of the tip of the mountain. As I climbed, I felt an intense pressure on the center of the top of my head. My ears started ringing. I even started seeing spots at one point. Maybe running wasn’t such a good idea… it was as if the mountain was trying to discourage me from climbing it. The peak right front of me was so close I could almost touch it.

Once I got to the top, the view took over. Literally. The pressure on my head, the ringing, and the spots disappeared. The overwhelming beauty of what God has made never fails to astound me.

More to come!

Dynamite, bikes, and coloring books

The wind is blowing. You know what that means. Cold weather is right around the corner. Or if you are anything like me, it is already here. Yesterday I went on a bike ride out to Six Mile. As I was rode directly into the wind, every push of the pedal required a little extra force to battle the invisible force of nature. I silently complained to myself, “why does riding have to be so hard today? This hurts. I am tired. Maybe I need a break…”

Once I got out to Six Mile, I turned onto a road called “Belle Shoals”. By now the wind was to my back. The difference was night and day. I went from struggling with every push of the pedal, to effortlessly gliding through the beautiful countryside. To my right, the view consisted of bright green pastures and houses. To my left, rolling green farmland was framed by the breathtaking backdrop of the Appalachian mountains. The bright sun and crisp air made the colors so bold that I could practically taste them. It was simply invigorating. I drew a deep breath of air and sped up to 30 mph. As the speed picked up beneath me, I realized that it is moments like these that I feel alive and closest to my Father in heaven. Eric Liddell put it well when he said:

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure”

Heaven is going to be awesome.

After my bike ride, I met up with my dad for coffee and conversation. We talked about his work, family, my plans for next fall, and our faith. It was so nice to finally get a chance to catch up with him. Every time I go home, there is so much going on and so many family members to catch up with. It is not often that I get to have long conversations with my dad during the school year.

Before I knew it, an hour and half had passed by and I was going to be late for a “Melo-Velo” meeting. I drove over to Excel and sat down with a group of ten or so people to discuss cycling in the community. Watch out people. Big things are about to happen in Clemson.


After the meeting, I came back to my apartment to find it lit up with lights, crafts, girls, and colors. My lovely roommate Kristen Kelly hosted an RUF girls craft night. Everyone brought as many crayons, markers, thread, paper, tape, glue, and whatever else they could think of, to make crafts with. The whole place was an explosion of color. Of course, any time girls plan something fun, the boys think it is necessary to join in as well. It was not long before several guys from RUF showed up on their bicycles. One by one, they lined the bikes up on the railing outside of the apartment. I must say, it was a sight to see.

Later on in the evening, my other roommate Audrey and I left to go rent the movie Bridesmaids. It just so happens that we are both suckers for chick flicks... especially ones that are wedding-related. On our way, her car gave out. Fortunately we were not far from my apartment so I ran back, got my car, and drove to the gas station. While at the gas station, I somehow ran into about fifteen old friends. Have you ever had a dream where random friends pop up in the most unlikely places? That’s kind of how it felt. Anyways. Using my highly polished ehem persuasion skills, I managed to convince the gas attendant to let me take the convenience store’s gas can… for free. The rescue was successful and Audrey and I eventually made it back to the apartment. Later on, we found out that her car's battery had died. Oh well.


The next morning, I came down to find Disney Princess pictures posted on the walls. It was easy to distinguish the guy’s pictures from the girls. Cinderella had laser beams coming out of her eyes, was stepping in a plate of spaghetti, and there was dynamite hooked up to a bunny rabbit.

I know.

Bears or humans?

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta to watch Jesse race track. This kind of track racing consist of riding a fixed gear bike around a short 300 meter track. Some of the races can be as short as one lap, while others may be sixty laps. Race weekends are long and consist of 15 or so races. The variety in length is refreshing for the riders and viewers.

This particular race lasted for the entire weekend and hosted elite and pro riders. One of the riders was a Russian Olympian. Track racing is not easy. Each athlete has to fight for a good position, put out an enormous amount of power, and try not to crash- all while going 35 mph on a banked track. Yes, my knuckles went white a few times as I gripped the side rails and cheered the riders on. It was exhilarating.


That was not the only new experience I had during this particular trip.

During a race intermission, I took Jesse’s truck and drove to get a snack from a nearby store. Very quickly I realized that we were not on the edge, but smack dab in the middle of the ghetto of South Atlanta. After about thirty minutes of driving, I could not tell if I had gone further into the ghetto… or if I was about to come out of it. Regardless, I was about to miss Jesse’s next race and I was getting impatient.

Against my better judgment, I decided to stop at a gas station and grab a granola bar. No big deal, right? Wrong. I walked in, selected a granola bar, and walked up to the cash register. On the way, I saw piles of nasty videos titled “white, African American, and Latino”- among other items. It didn’t help that there were sketchy looking dudes meandering around the store. The environment creeped me out so much that I clumsily dropped the Jesse’s keys in between some bags of chips, located behind the cash register.

I paid and then proceeded to bolt to the truck, eager to flee to safety. As I reached the truck, my stomach sunk and my heart got caught in my throat. Where were the keys? My mind raced as I recalled everything that I had done. I ran back to the store and frantically examined every isle of the store. Next, I enlisted the cashier’s help. He looked pretty reluctant to leave his little cashier's cage that probably protected him from all the shootouts that go on there.

Long story short, I found my keys. The whole experience terrified me, and yes, I cried. I am a big baby when it comes to things like this. Maybe it is the small-town girl coming out of me. I would rather face 5 bears than 1 human. As a friend put it, “animals are rational, people are not”.

Fortunately I have a God that is bigger than bears, bigger than humans, and more powerful that anything I can imagine. After all, what could possible limit a God who created the universe?

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord".

Romans 8:38-39

Relief washed over me when I finally arrived back at the track.

God is good.

Colorado

Right now, I am sitting outside at the Clemson Starbucks sipping a hot cup of coffee while everyone rushes to work and school. One of the main advantages of sitting outside is that I get to see the occasional driver not just hit, but run over the curb. I know what your thinking, “Molly! That’s not very nice!”. Yes, yes, I know. It is unfortunate that they should accidently hit the curb. Let me tell you though, it can be hilarious. Especially if they are bouncing and bumping to the music like the last girl was. Her first reaction upon hitting the curb was to immediately scope the area to see if anyone saw. Second, music went off. Third, sheepish grin appeared.

Happens every time.

The past couple weeks of school have gone by quickly as I have been adjusting to a new schedule. I have not just been adjusting to school, but also exercising. Three weeks ago, I discovered while racing that I was very burnt out. Solution? Time off. No matter what type of athlete you are, breaks are absolutely necessary for mental and physical rejuvenation. Of course, I haven’t just been sitting on my rear this whole time. I’ve been going to fike, running hills, doing ab work, and running at Issaqueena forest with none other than Abby Gentry. Although all of these activities are good sources of exercise, I have genuinely missed cycling. Cycling is more than exercise. Cycling is a way to explore God’s creation using the gifts that he has given me. Thank goodness, my three-week sabbatical ended the yesterday. I am now ready to tackle training head-on and get ready for next season with weights (agh!), long-distance rides, and more cross training (ehem… running at Issaqueena with Abby).

School. Whoah boy. I’m just gonna go ahead and put it out there. I don’t know what I’m doing! I took my first accounting test a little bit ago and lets just say that I am NOT happy with my grade. I absolutely hate the sinking feeling that I get when I see a test grade that is not an A. Perhaps I should be studying rather than writing right now.

Life. During fall break, Jesse and I are heading out to COLORADO! Can you tell I’m excited? I talked with my friend Amy, who we will be visiting out there, yesterday.

The plan is to go camping, hiking, cycling, and possibly white water kayaking. The active and healthy lifestyle that she described out there seems ideal. Jesse and I are rather certain that we are going to want to stay out there… for good. Endless trails, challenging mountains, roaring rivers, terrifying gorges, vibrant blue skies, and fascinating wildlife.



God made this. He made all this. Let me ask you a question, is it possible for the creator of all this to be even more beautiful? Honestly, I cannot imagine anything more beautiful than the creation he breathed into being. I hold fast to the truth that he is. There will never be anything more satisfying than the day I am united with my Savior.

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple”
Psalm 27:4

Muscadine Jelly

Have you ever had Muscadine jelly? Let me tell you, it is quite an experience! The unique taste of the muscadines is brought to life by the sugar and smooth texture of the jelly. Yum!

This stuff could make a piece of bark taste delicious, (although not recommended).

Why muscadine jelly? Well, last weekend I went down to Bamburg, South Carolina to visit my boyfriend Jesse’s family for the first time. This was no typical weekend. Of course, I had a hunch that it wouldn’t be. Jesse’s dad is a watermelon researcher for Clemson and his mom is a botany expert. Both graduated from Clemson.

When I arrived, I was welcomed by a beautiful house, garden, greenhouse, pond house, treehouse, pets, and open arms. The sandy pathways, cotton fields, Cyprus trees, and green flora all created an inviting atmosphere that is not forgotten easily.

On the other side of the house, there was a small vineyard with ripe muscadines.

The muscadines were delicious and were quite addicting. Even the dog "Athena" thought so!

That was not the only surprise I was in for. It wasn't long until I found out that we were going to be making muscadine jelly.

The first step in the process was to mash the muscadines and "pop" them in order to make sure they wouldn't burst when cooking. Eventually the juicy insides were separated from the muscadine skins.

After mixing and cooking 7 cups cups of sugar and pectin with the strained muscadine juice, we carefully ladled the jelly into mason jars.

You see, this is where I have to add a disclaimer. You see, Jesse's mom is a wonderful cook. It just so happens that her son is a great cook as well. His girlfriend? Not so much. I watched and learned and jumped in to help *coughforpicturescough* every once in a while. It is not often that I am trusted in the kitchen.

The next step was to carefully lower the jars into a pot of hot water.

This picture speaks for itself of the end result!

YUM