Holy crap people! I leave in 60 hours or so!
I never thought this bloody day would arrive! It's been 5 months of training and time to show what I've built up.
If you'd like to see us arrive in Montreal:
Arrival Ceremonies
5:00pm, Friday August 3Parc Emelie Gamelin, Montreal
In the spirit of the Bike Rally, all riders will meet at the last break spot and ride into Montreal together on the bike path. For many, this is the highlight of their journey -- a long line of Bike Rally jerseys stretching as far as the eye can see.
Once we arrive at the base of old Montreal, Riders will be met by a police escort to take them through the final leg of the ride through old Montreal and up Rue Berri to Emilie Gamelin Parc.
We thank the Divers /Cité Festival for the use of Parc Emelie Gamelin during our ceremonies!
I will take notes on the road and post how it goes when I return. Thank you for all of your support for my ride and especially for PWA Foundation!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Finch - Keswick (126km) Final Training Ride
Holy crap people! 1 week to go. For those of you who've been reading this since March, can you believe it? I have finally surpassed my 2000km training mark too! Only 610kms more to go.... haha.
It's a real challenge to balance training with life's everyday challenges. I'm not exactly where I wanted to be at 1 week before the ride. I have to say though that I am starting to be in awe of the challenge that I have taken on. Even more than the physical challenge really is the mental challenge of pushing through and getting to the end.
Having said that, yesterday's ride was not only the longest but the biggest mental challenge for me. Particularly because I rode on my own for most of the 6 hours that I was out there. That's an awful long time to be on your bike and alone with your thoughts. I almost gave up around 75km and then again around 80km.
Keswick was beautiful and I wish that I could have spent longer enjoying it. It was a beautful ride for the most part as we were able to get pretty far out of the city.
I'm not sure if long distance biking will become a regular habit. One thing's for sure, this trip will provide the memory of a lifetim. In many ways, it has already changed something about my constitution or perhaps it's just brought more of something that was already there out. Either way, I'm very nervous and yet incredibly excited for what lays ahead on the open road.
Time: 5h45mins
AVG: 21km/hr
It's a real challenge to balance training with life's everyday challenges. I'm not exactly where I wanted to be at 1 week before the ride. I have to say though that I am starting to be in awe of the challenge that I have taken on. Even more than the physical challenge really is the mental challenge of pushing through and getting to the end.
Having said that, yesterday's ride was not only the longest but the biggest mental challenge for me. Particularly because I rode on my own for most of the 6 hours that I was out there. That's an awful long time to be on your bike and alone with your thoughts. I almost gave up around 75km and then again around 80km.
Keswick was beautiful and I wish that I could have spent longer enjoying it. It was a beautful ride for the most part as we were able to get pretty far out of the city.
I'm not sure if long distance biking will become a regular habit. One thing's for sure, this trip will provide the memory of a lifetim. In many ways, it has already changed something about my constitution or perhaps it's just brought more of something that was already there out. Either way, I'm very nervous and yet incredibly excited for what lays ahead on the open road.
Time: 5h45mins
AVG: 21km/hr
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Oshawa - Bowmanville (72km)
Yesterday, GO train to Oshawa.
Biked through crazy dirt Lakeshore path.
Through Darlington Prov Park.
Downtown Bowmanville = woohoo!
Greasy breakie at 5th Wheel = holy vomit batman!
Just missed train ride back.
Sleeping on ride back.
After Terra Cotta winds, today's ride felt much easier.
Biked through crazy dirt Lakeshore path.
Through Darlington Prov Park.
Downtown Bowmanville = woohoo!
Greasy breakie at 5th Wheel = holy vomit batman!
Just missed train ride back.
Sleeping on ride back.
After Terra Cotta winds, today's ride felt much easier.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Terra Cotta (105km)
I qualified. Woo-Woo! I did my 100km qualifying ride yesterday. What a day.
The ride up to Terra Cotta (2.5 hours) was filled with a really strong headwind that just would not give up. It was great riding in a little pack of 4. It kept me motivated to get through that brutal bit.
Terra Cotta's a cute town. The family whose house doubles as a country store are really great people. They went out to their garden to pick fresh chives for myself and another rider's fabulous egg-salad sandwich. Their daughter has a lot of energy to burn and we had some fun racing the backyard :-)
There was a different energy about yesterday's ride and I enjoyed stopping at the store along the way and taking a break. It was a good spot for some group bonding which I really feel has been lacking so far on the training rides and/or general outings from this experience. I think the Bike Rally would retain more riders year in and out by looking for closely at the theory of group dynamics and how it can be applied from the outset, rather than just the week of the ride itself.
The ride back was mostly fabulous! Long downhill bits. Halton Hills have these great hills where you go so far downhill you almost spring to the top of the uphill. My kind of ride!
I went home and crashed at around 7 or 8pm. I just woke up this morning. It was a hard day but I feel like I'm back into it again.
STATS:
Avg in Headwind: 17 - 18km
Avg on way back: 22 - 23km
Total Time: 4hr55mins
Highlights: Awesome riding partners, the unbelievably creamy egg-salad sandwich + the Mother Lode ice cream in Terra Cotta, downhill roads to Kipling
The ride up to Terra Cotta (2.5 hours) was filled with a really strong headwind that just would not give up. It was great riding in a little pack of 4. It kept me motivated to get through that brutal bit.
Terra Cotta's a cute town. The family whose house doubles as a country store are really great people. They went out to their garden to pick fresh chives for myself and another rider's fabulous egg-salad sandwich. Their daughter has a lot of energy to burn and we had some fun racing the backyard :-)
There was a different energy about yesterday's ride and I enjoyed stopping at the store along the way and taking a break. It was a good spot for some group bonding which I really feel has been lacking so far on the training rides and/or general outings from this experience. I think the Bike Rally would retain more riders year in and out by looking for closely at the theory of group dynamics and how it can be applied from the outset, rather than just the week of the ride itself.
The ride back was mostly fabulous! Long downhill bits. Halton Hills have these great hills where you go so far downhill you almost spring to the top of the uphill. My kind of ride!
I went home and crashed at around 7 or 8pm. I just woke up this morning. It was a hard day but I feel like I'm back into it again.
STATS:
Avg in Headwind: 17 - 18km
Avg on way back: 22 - 23km
Total Time: 4hr55mins
Highlights: Awesome riding partners, the unbelievably creamy egg-salad sandwich + the Mother Lode ice cream in Terra Cotta, downhill roads to Kipling
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