Two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-one miles.

That's how far Rick Collins traveled on his bicycle. If you ask him how he did it, he's likely to cite the Lord, love handles and a lifelong ambition as the driving forces.Collins, the pastor of Palmerton's Blue Mountain Community Church, finally achieved his long-held goal of biking across the country June 13 in Jacksonville, Florida. This feat is made even more impressive when considering that Collins finished his tour early his original completion date was July 1, making him 18 days ahead of schedule."When you love to ride, you begin to challenge yourself," Collins said. "You push yourself to handle longer and longer distances physically, emotionally and mentally."Although he embarked on his sojourn May 18 in San Diego, California, Collins's journey began much earlier, when he was a seminarian living in the Golden State. As a young man, Collins and his wife Nancy planned to return home to the East Coast via bicycle, going as far as purchasing the necessary equipment and riding 50 miles daily as part of a stringent training regimen.The couple's plans, however, were put on hold when Nancy discovered she was pregnant. Having been so close to carrying out his mission, Collins harbored dreams of picking up where he left off for many years."For a dedicated biker, riding cross-country is an ultimate goal, like finishing a marathon is for a runner," he said. "I've always been curious to see how much my body and mind can endure."After decades of putting the challenge off, Collins received an unlikely catalyst: back pain. When his doctor told him that the pain was caused by his being overweight, Collins immediately made a pledge to be "as fit at 58 as (he) was at 28." One of the facets of his new exercise routine included biking, but Collins found that he could only bike 10 miles before succumbing to back pain."I was afraid I'd have to give up biking for good," he said. "That simply wasn't acceptable to me."Using the Internet, Collins stumbled upon a bike manufacturer that offered a bike designed for cyclists with chronic back pain. With his new set of wheels, Collins found he could last 20 and later 30 miles, and quickly shed 60 pounds. At that point, it was obvious what his next move should be.Through the magazine Adventure Cyclist, Collins discovered a kindred spirit in Steve Jeschien, a cycling enthusiast from San Jose. Jeschien had placed a classified ad in the magazine asking for a partner to join him in riding the Southern Tier, one of the many cross-country routes designated by the publication."He seemed to have the same goal I did," Collins said, "namely, to ride across the country as quickly as possible."After extensive planning, Collins flew to San Diego, the Southern Tier's starting point, and together he and Jeschien set out to tackle this awesome feat. The duo followed the trail to New Mexico, later branching off on their own path through the panhandle of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Florida.According to Collins, the original strategy was to average 80 miles a day and spend nights camped out on the side of the road. These well-laid plans were quickly altered, however, as Collins and Jeschien upped the ante to 100 miles a day. The weather also played a major factor in these alterations, as the temperature along the route routinely topped out at 100 degrees."The heat worked for us," Collins said. "If we stayed still, we would swelter, so it actually motivated us to keep moving."Plus, the heat is always preferable to rain."After five days of sleeping outside, the pair decided that camping would be unbearable, and resigned to spending their nights in local motels. But don't misinterpret this as a sign of weakness the conditions that Collins and Jeschien faced during their waking hours warranted a good night's rest on a comfortable mattress.The pair would ride for hours without stopping, with the sun constantly beating down on their backs. Because of the battering heat, water was essential, and each rider carried a CamelBak, a specialized backpack that holds and dispenses water.Even more important was sustenance, and the riders packed away a surprising amount of food."We ate between 5,000 and 6,000 calories a day," Collins said. "At convenience stores or gas stations we'd load up on Snickers and protein bars to make sure we kept our energy levels up."Although the trip was wholly uneventful, Collins recounted a few instances when he called upon God for help and guidance."The traffic in Louisiana was horrendous, and we had to cross a four-mile bayou on a bridge with no shoulder," he said. "I found myself reciting the 23rd Psalm ('Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no evil ...') pretty frequently at that point."Now that he's safely returned to Carbon County, Collins looks back on his journey with wonder and amazement."To have the whole thing go so quickly and so smoothly was very impressive," he said. "It's truly remarkable that God kept us safe the entire way."Although he's looking forward to some rest and relaxation, Collins's cycling adventures are far from over. He's currently planning a ride up Colorado's Pikes Peak in late August. And of course, there's always Adventure Cyclist's 21 other routes to consider.For more information on Collins and Jeschien's journey, visit "Rick's Road Bike Adventure across the Country" on Facebook.