Hello Team,
Here's the proofs from Jon Brunck Photography.
Amazing! Such grace!

GO SCOTT GO!!!


CLIMB ANGIE CLIMB!!!


SHRED ANGIE SHRED!!!


FLY HOLLY FLY!!!


ZOOM BRYAN ZOOM!!!


SPRINT RANDY SPRINT!!!


GET GNARLY, MR. BILL!!!


DAVID!!! YES, LIFE IS GOOD!!!


RING IT, DAVID, RING IT!!!


Amazing race, team.
Hey, wait a minute. WHERE'S ERIC??!!!

"NOW can we start?!"

Race Times

Hello Team!
We had a great race! Enjoyed the entire day, even if I didn't get to take on the raging Nooksack. Also good to see most of you at Hovander today for the Piknik! Let's do it all again next year, aye?
Here's the numbers from skitosea.com.

214 433 AMAZING GRACE

Hagen Scott, Zehnder Angie, Rooth Holly, Albert Bryan, Rooth Eric, Kaech Randy,
Masters 07:36:23.700 07:36:43.8 2 +02:07:17.1
So our final official place, of the 445 teams entered, was 214th. The first time is "Total Time", the second time is "Net Time". Don't ask.

Here's our individual lines, from the PDF files online:

Scott Hagin, XC:
321 433 AMAZING GRACE 50:25.300 +31:25.0 12:36.3
Angie Zehnder, DH:
295 433 AMAZING GRACE 37:49.800 +17:53.5 4.0
Holly Rooth, RUN:
195 433 AMAZING GRACE 55:40.800 +19:28.7 6:57.6
Bryan Albert, ROAD_BIKE:
74 433 AMAZING GRACE 1:36:07.200 +22:50.2 24.0
Bill Akers, MTN_BIKE:
123 433 AMAZING GRACE 37:55.600 +9:49.5 14.2
David Knebel, KAYAK:
307 433 AMAZING GRACE 58:25.100 +42:04.5 11:41.0

Holly averaged 6:57 per mile! Girl, you ROCK!

And, from Milliseconds Timing: Bryan Albert posted the 80th best time of all 445 cyclers! And Bill Akers smoked the Mountain Biking, at 131st place!

Welcome Bryan!

(From the email):

Hello Amazing Grace!

I'm your new Road Bike guy, Dean DeKoster's backup. He asked me months ago to be on call for him, should he have any issues that might come up to prevent him from racing. I figured all along that he'd be good to go come race day, and was pretty excited for him when he called me on Friday from Burlington, having ridden there on his bike. (He was gloating over the fact that I was at work and he was out riding on the most beautiful day of the year, enjoying a Krispe Kreme donut...) But I guess the Lord has other plans for him this weekend. Let's keep Dean and Renate in our prayers!

I know some of you already, though figure I ought to make a little introduction. I'm married to Jean Albert and have eight kids. I'm forty-two. Wow, how did that happen? I work as a software developer at Logos Bible Software. Our homeschooling family is into sports, Bible Quizzing, socializing, sports, arts and crafts, playing, sports, scouts, sports... I think that about covers it. Our oldest is Lydia, 17, who is doing Running Start and has more friends than than Jean and I put together. Our youngest is Peter, who is potty trained and is going on 3. (All our others took a lot longer, so this one here must be special.) There are a bunch of them in between, doing all sorts of interesting things.

I guess I should include a picture... But to save time I'll just give you a link to a bike ride I did last summer with my oldest boy, John, who looks so young in these pictures! You can see my beloved and trusty road bike, which is now considered vintage or retro. I guess I am, too.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Bryan.M.Albert/BryanAndJohnAssaultMountBaker

Anyway,

Bryan

PS Something to remember when the going gets tough out there: "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us... " That's supposed to be kind of a joke, but it's kind of true, too. Sure, it's a bit out of context, but we can apply this to self-inflicted suffering, can't we?

Ski to Sea -- Only nine (gulp) more days!

Hello Amazing Grace team and friends!

Are you getting psyched?

I am!

Here's some news and other items.

--Entries are closed, it appears as if there are eight other Masters division teams. Now I know, we all said we're in it for fun, fellowship and fitness, but feistiness appears when I say that their are plaques for the top three teams in each division. RAH RAH GO!

--Don't be confused, there's another team among the 400 called "Amazing Grace and Chuck" in the Rec. Mixed division.--You might poke around the Ski-to-sea website, i.e. check out the online chat forums for each section of the race: http://skitosea.netforums.us/ .

--Of course you're all invited to join the Hovander Park picnic on the following day, Memorial day, May 26. Hope to see you all there. But since we're not meeting before the race, here's a few photos of fellow teammates.

--So Dave Anderson, our kayaker, was having trouble getting the time off from work to kayak. "Help, don't think I can be there!", he says. What to do? So Team Captain (moi) starts making a few phone calls. Tried to talk by bro-in-law into it. At work the UPS driver stops in, says his team fell apart and he says he'd be able to kayak. Hm, tempting.... but I have another dude in mind who knows a thing or two about grace. Please welcome our new kayaker ....

.... Mr. Dave Knebel! Yup, in the flesh, not a cheap imitation. He has experience on the water, but not necessarily in a kayak. Welcome to the team!

--Mark Lyford calls and says
"Randy, I just don't think I can do it."
Okay bro.
Perhaps it's a God thing,
because who should become available but...

... Mr. Eric Rooth! Arms of Steel. (The picture above is not entirely accurate.) When asked if he's ever been in a canoe, he responded, "No, ha ha!" Our goal is still the same: Keep Out of the Water. (We've already been baptized, thanks.)

--Here's our intrepid snowboarder Angie Zehnder after church last Sunday:

She's working out and ready for snow.

--And I've known Dean DeKoster, street biker and aviator, for a couple decades now. Here he is with his lovely bride Renate:

If I remember right, Dean was once in a commercial for the Olympics (swimming).

--And our Mountain Biker has left this photo of himself up on the web, so I snagged it:

Founder of Envoy Theatre group, and yet another long time Hillcrester, Bill Akers has his mountain bike ready to rumble.

--In preparation for the most grueling of the Ski to Sea legs, Scott Hagen is doing intensive Nordic isometric exercizes while guiding his big rig down the road.*

--Holly Rooth has run Ski to Sea before, and IMHO is adequately prepared by running down Vista Drive in Ferndale.

So, this appears to be the final linup for Year One of 'Amazing Grace':

Scott Hagen
CC
Angie Zehnder
DH
Holly Rooth
RU
Dean De Koster
RB
Eric Rooth
CA1
Randy Kaech
CA2
Bill Akers
MB
David Knebel
KA

Let your light shine!

Grace, Randy K

*Creative fiction was my minor in college.

"If you want to see God smile, tell him your plans".

Hello Amazing Grace!
We have a new team member! And I think most of you know him!
Here's the acceptance email:

My bike is old; I might borrow or rent a decent one for the race. My body is old, it will have to do. If you still need a MT Bike Dude, I’m up for it. Thanks for the invite, sounds fun. -Bill Akers

Excellent!

So our team thus far is:
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI: (open)
SNOWBOARD: Angie Zehnder
RUNNING: Mike Black
STREET BIKING: Dean DeKoster
CANOE1: Randy Kaech
CANOE2: Mark Lyford
MOUNTAIN BIKE: Bill Akers
SEA KAYAK: Dave Anderson

So, does anybody have a lead on a cross-country skiier?
We are all over 40, so we will be in the 'Masters' division, so candidates will need to be 40 or older.
Also, we're looking for a canoe. Anyone? Anyone? Ferris?

Grace,
Randy K

Hello friends from everywhere, and Ski to Sea team folk!

Ski to Sea race day is SUNDAY, MAY 25.
Memorial Day picnic is MONDAY, MAY 26.
62 days away! WooHoo!

Here's the news.

1. The team itself may or may not meet before the race, but we'all WILL meet at Hovander Park in Ferndale for the annual big family picnic the next day on Monday, May 26, Memorial Day. Grab a neighbor and c'mon down to the park! Allow me to copy Alanna Black's most excellent invitational email verbatim from last year, and I quote:
"Hey Everybody!!
Memorial Day let's get together! Come and bring a friend, family, or anyone off the street. All are welcome to our annual Memorial Day picnic at Hovander. We will meet at Hovander around 2pm. Please bring .....
Your family....
A main dish...
Something else to share (dessert, chips, pop)
Your own table service...(plates, cups, silverware)
And any sporting equipment you think might be fun.
It has been awhile since we have all seen each other. It would be great to have us all together. Come join the fun!! See you there."

2. We have a team name: Amazing Grace.

3. Here's our team:

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI: (open)
SNOWBOARD: Angie Zehnder
RUNNING: Mike Black
STREET BIKING: Dean DeKoster
CANOE1: Randy Kaech
CANOE2: Mark Lyford
MOUNTAIN BIKE: (open)
SEA KAYAK: Dave Anderson

4. Do you have friends? Sure you do! If you know of a person who would like to join the Amazing Grace team at Cross Country Ski, or at Mountain Bike, have them contact me at 384-2792 or kaech@verizon.net. Right now we're all Hillcresters, but that's not a requirement.

5. Get all the information you need about the race, and your leg, at http://www.skitosea.com/ .

6. Entry fee is $290, divided by eight is $36.25, so please mail your $36.25 entry fee to Randy Kaech, PO Box 40, Ferndale WA 98248 to lock your slot.

Thanks,
Randy

p.s. Sheila! Invite the Farr's!