Friends For Life Bike Rally

Over the past couple of years I have been trying to make up for ignoring physical activity most of my life. Things that involve creativity inevitably always capture my attention first and then I become distracted.

Last year I started running longer distances and competed in a 5K (on New Year's Eve with ice pelting my face) and 10K (in Ottawa on the hottest bloody day in May I've ever experienced there) race. Running those types of distances takes a bit of a toll on the knees, especially when you're not a conditioned athlete.

3 years ago, I learned how to ride a bike (yes at the ripe age of 28!) and now you can't get me off the thing. This is the magic I have been missing my whole life. So Betty (yes that's my bike) pretty well gets me everywhere around the city. Now everything pales by comparison: buses, subways, cars, planes, walking. In fact, it has started to make me hate the traditional car roadtrip that has been a staple of my life since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

So now this crazy Cowgirl needs to up the ante. I've been eyeballing the Friends for Life Rally for the past couple of years, but figured it might be a good idea to consistently remember to come to a full stop before putting my feet on the ground first.

Brief backgrounder: FLBR is a huge successful fundraiser for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation. Approximately 300 riders participate each summer and are required to bring in at least $2000 in donations to bike. Last year PWA raised $700,000 from this event alone! The ride essentially follows along Lake Ontario from Toronto, 600kms to Montreal. Imagine cycling about 100kms a day!(For more on the route, check out the maps on their site listed below.)

Pending a full exam of my wonky runner's knees, I plan on biking from Toronto to Montreal this summer with the FLBR folks. Even if I can't make it the full 600kms, I plan on training at least so that perhaps next summer I will be ready.

Last weekend I went out for my first ride of the season. There was still some deep snow on parts of the path, huge puddles that were fun to splash in (but not so fun when the wind blew off Lake Ontario afterwards) and plenty of ice to skid around on. Despite all that, it only increased my appetite for more. Oh beautiful biking!

I've seen some great blogs from FLBR participants and I hope to also be able to inspire people with my pictures and tales of training woes over this spring/summer. For more information on the Rally, check out:

http://bikerally.org/index.html