Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
What A Ride (part 2)
Back in Toronto we had dropped our camping gear off at a truck that matched the number on our wristbands which also gave us our tent assignments. The trucks were on site in Hamilton but unloaded. The tent city was about 75% up but un-numbered. So I grabbed the sandwich from my bag that I had saved earlier and finished it along with my butter tart and the remains of my bottles, and waited. I called Sal and found out she was moved over to tent city. She was wet from working in the rain and not very happy. Her day had started with just getting out of bike parking in time to see the us ride off but couldn’t find me in the crowd.
Finally the truck with our gear was ready to be unloaded. By this time the riders in camp had realized that the Crew was short of help. We formed lines behind the truck and started tossing gear to a pile at the end of the row of tents that corresponded. It was because of this that I learned that the 35 pound maximum was a guide, there was no checking. I got one hockey equipment bag and that could have had 3 sets of goalie pads in it, maybe 70 pounds. So here we were with sleeping bags and bare essentials while others had brought the kitchen sink and a bar fridge. We had actually gone to a Canadian Tire and were going to grab an air mattress and pump the day before but knew it would be far over the limit. Instead we grabbed some bug spray and a small tarp. Neither of which we needed. Now if you know Sal you know this would be her first time in a tent, she doesn’t do camping. Her first taste will probably be her last, I think it was “if we ever sleep in a tent again it will be grounds”. I missed the next part but my bet is that the next words were not ‘for coffee’.
Now that I had some clothes to get into I set up the sleeping bag and tarp, then headed to the showers. I went to lie down for a bit and about an hour later noticed the sun was coming out and I had taken her hat, fanny pack and sunglasses so she wouldn’t have to carry them around. When I got up and out of our tent ( I guessed on which tent based on another row that was numbered) I got a severe cramp from the top of my thigh through the top of my left knee. I stood doubled over with my hands on my knees and waited. The pain subsided in a few minutes but scared me. Where had that come from? Would it come back? I searched among the tents for about 45 minutes with no luck. I finally found someone with a radio and he knew the bike parking crew had been sent back as more and more riders arrived. I got Sal her stuff and some lunch and sat with her while she ate. She went back to work and I headed over to the tents they had set up for assistance. Massage was booked for 4 hours, I didn't think yoga would be much help and I didn’t want St. John’s Ambulance help. I found the self help table and grabbed some Motrin, and then grabbed another for my bar bag and one more for later.
Another great meal followed along with music and plenty of beer which I decided to skip. They had a huge tent setup with tables and chairs and the band in the center. At 7pm all riders on the route were picked up. I’m not sure how many were out there but anyone who spent that long on a bike would probably not be used to it at all and would definitely not be sitting down for supper or much else for a while. Rumors spread around the camp about the crash, the girl with one leg that was riding, the guy that got 4 flats on the first day (and only 1 on Sunday). They talked about the climbs, they complained about the climbs, they laughed about the descent into Hamilton. Riders thanked the safety guys and had supper with their families.
After Sal finished she had some supper and we headed for the tent. She was exhausted. We talked with a member of the Bauer team and agreed the camel backs were the toughest section. We noticed he had an air mattress and I told him he could leave his wallet or just about anything else in the tent but if he left the mattress it would be gone. We rested in the tent for a bit and then I headed back to the music. The Test Icicles were great, a 3 man band that played everything and very well, not trying to duplicate the covers they were doing but not changing them so as not to be recognized.
At about 10pm I headed back to the tent to sleep. Sleep was nowhere to be found. It was warm, the neighbours were noisy (and almost in the same tent), and the ground in Hamilton is unbelievably hard. There just was no comfortable position. I'm sure at some point I joined the chorus of snoring riders but it seemed like I was awake all night. When 5am came most people were grumpy about another early morning, I was happy just to get on my feet and give my back and hips a break.
We packed up our gear and dropped it at the truck and had breakfast. I loaded my bottles and grabbed Jill. Sal went to work and I checked Jill over and waited to head out. I decided not to take any more Motrin unless I needed it. I planned to take it very easily to start the trip to Niagara at least until I was confident that cramping wouldn't be a problem. The weather man was calling for thunder storms but I left the rain poncho in my bag. It was cool and overcast, perfect as far as I was concerned. We rode out of camp in another mass start at 7:13.
The route took us along the escarpment and we could look down at Hamilton below. Lots of comments about the view being more enjoyable when we were not climbing were made. Sunday would see almost no climbing. Out over the lake there was a bright spot on the horizon and I hoped that we kept going in that direction as it would be nice to see the sun at the finish.
After a few miles I felt loosened up and had no indications that my cramp would be back, I made sure I kept drinking and felt good enough to skip the first rest stop again. Before I knew it I had arrived at the lunch stop at 9:22, halfway to the finish. I ate and refilled my bottles with orange gatorade and saved a sandwich for later. I still had 4 bars with me but didn't think I would need them. I called Sal and she was at the first rest stop on a bus that was picking up loose ends, injured riders and Crew.
After lunch we went through some construction where the pavement had been scraped and the remaining surface was very rough and shook the bikes. There was lots of complaining at this point. Somewhere in here I was passed and told that my rear tire looked a bit low so I stopped and put in a few pounds. The wind picked up and every time we took a right we faced a headwind, nothing major but you knew it was there. We were stopped at the Welland Canal by a raised bridge and the organizers tried to hold the riders back to allow the buildup of car traffic go but many just ignored what they were asked.
I noticed a squeaking whenever I was pedalling. It was annoying me to the point where I asked another rider to look over the rear hub for anything suspicious. He saw nothing so I carried on. I noticed when I stood to pedal briefly that the squeak went away. Damn seat was squeaking. I tightened the screws at the last rest stop but only managed to change the noise a bit. I really can't complain, the Body Geometry seat had done its job as even after 120 miles in 2 days my butt felt fine. I had brought my Brooks leather saddle but was glad it never left the hotel, the rain on Saturday would have killed it. I thought about having no mechanical problems. I must have seen 50 bikes stopped for flats. But I pushed those thoughts out of my head as I was sure I would find some bad juju if I kept thinking about it.
As we passed the 80km sign leaving us just 20km to the falls I decide to start pushing. I stood and pedalled hard passing about 40 people as I sprinted. It felt great. Anyone who was reading my blog on May 6th will remember how I felt down about everything and was looking for my second wind. Well it came back in the last 20km of the Ride. As I got closer to the falls I could see some of the taller hotels in the distance. The sun broke through as if someone had turned on a light. Then the mist from the Canadian side could be seen. The last few miles along the river were pyloned and then we came to a bottleneck just before the end. They had a rubber mat about 2 bikes wide on a wooden framework so that we could ride over the grass. Crowds of people lined each side. Music and the voice that had launched us Saturday could be heard as we crossed under the arch of the finish line. Crossing the finish line in tears was something I had expected. I stopped and called Sal and she was back sitting in the bus at the lunch stop, she wouldn't get to Niagara for another 2 hours. It was tough for both of us. I felt good about finishing at 12:10 (about 4 ½ hours of riding time) but it just wasn't the same without her there to share it with.
I had my sandwich and emptied my bottles. I knew I wanted a picture before I turned Jill over to the transport crew so I asked a young girl with a Crew shirt if she would mind. Well the first showed me from the waist down and the second had me posing in front of 6 outhouses, at least they were orange. I went across the road and found 4 other riders and made a deal to take their picture if they would take mine. I grabbed a burger and some salad and headed for some shade.
I was lying under the shade of a tree waiting for Sal and just thinking about everything. The money raised works out to an average of just over $4900 per rider so the $6705 I finished with beat the average by $1700 and I guess that was the only race that really mattered. I was surprised that with all the bikers there, no one was talking bikes. I wore my FatCyclist.com t-shirt at camp and not one person asked about it. No one asked about the name 'Jill' on my bike. I guess they were all wrapped up with the people they came with. Many of the 'elite' cyclists were the worst at sticking to the simple rules, we were asked to say 'on your left' or just 'left' if was we passed close to another rider and to always to pass on the left. There were a few times I wanted to say 'on your right' as 4 or 5 zipped by inches away without a word. All in all it was a great experience, not the physical challenge I had imagined, but that means I just have to find something else to work toward. I didn't sign up for 2009 and unless I can find someone to ride with I don't know that I will. Coming all the way from Thunder Bay is fairly expensive no matter how you do it, having another team member would cut the costs in half and make the experience a bit better.
To wrap this up I want to say thank you to all of you. To everyone that donated I appreciate your generosity so much. To Tom for his never ending support, friendship and confidence in me that bolstered my own confidence. To Farzum for all of his advice, his patience with an overweight newbie who always had a ton of questions and for helping me find the right bike to make the ride. To Sal's dad, Ling Lee who put on a great show and helped raise a third of the donations. To my parents for their love and support, their ideas and for helping me get through some of the tough times along the way. Finally to Sal who gave up her first holiday in 3 years to make this journey. While I was doing exactly what I had been planning to do for 6 months she was working for the same cause but without any of the glory. I couldn't see her at the finish line but I could feel that she was right there with me none the less.
What's next? I haven't decided but I'm thinking a century, 100 miles in a day. Any one want to go for a little ride?
Finally the truck with our gear was ready to be unloaded. By this time the riders in camp had realized that the Crew was short of help. We formed lines behind the truck and started tossing gear to a pile at the end of the row of tents that corresponded. It was because of this that I learned that the 35 pound maximum was a guide, there was no checking. I got one hockey equipment bag and that could have had 3 sets of goalie pads in it, maybe 70 pounds. So here we were with sleeping bags and bare essentials while others had brought the kitchen sink and a bar fridge. We had actually gone to a Canadian Tire and were going to grab an air mattress and pump the day before but knew it would be far over the limit. Instead we grabbed some bug spray and a small tarp. Neither of which we needed. Now if you know Sal you know this would be her first time in a tent, she doesn’t do camping. Her first taste will probably be her last, I think it was “if we ever sleep in a tent again it will be grounds”. I missed the next part but my bet is that the next words were not ‘for coffee’.
Now that I had some clothes to get into I set up the sleeping bag and tarp, then headed to the showers. I went to lie down for a bit and about an hour later noticed the sun was coming out and I had taken her hat, fanny pack and sunglasses so she wouldn’t have to carry them around. When I got up and out of our tent ( I guessed on which tent based on another row that was numbered) I got a severe cramp from the top of my thigh through the top of my left knee. I stood doubled over with my hands on my knees and waited. The pain subsided in a few minutes but scared me. Where had that come from? Would it come back? I searched among the tents for about 45 minutes with no luck. I finally found someone with a radio and he knew the bike parking crew had been sent back as more and more riders arrived. I got Sal her stuff and some lunch and sat with her while she ate. She went back to work and I headed over to the tents they had set up for assistance. Massage was booked for 4 hours, I didn't think yoga would be much help and I didn’t want St. John’s Ambulance help. I found the self help table and grabbed some Motrin, and then grabbed another for my bar bag and one more for later.
Another great meal followed along with music and plenty of beer which I decided to skip. They had a huge tent setup with tables and chairs and the band in the center. At 7pm all riders on the route were picked up. I’m not sure how many were out there but anyone who spent that long on a bike would probably not be used to it at all and would definitely not be sitting down for supper or much else for a while. Rumors spread around the camp about the crash, the girl with one leg that was riding, the guy that got 4 flats on the first day (and only 1 on Sunday). They talked about the climbs, they complained about the climbs, they laughed about the descent into Hamilton. Riders thanked the safety guys and had supper with their families.
After Sal finished she had some supper and we headed for the tent. She was exhausted. We talked with a member of the Bauer team and agreed the camel backs were the toughest section. We noticed he had an air mattress and I told him he could leave his wallet or just about anything else in the tent but if he left the mattress it would be gone. We rested in the tent for a bit and then I headed back to the music. The Test Icicles were great, a 3 man band that played everything and very well, not trying to duplicate the covers they were doing but not changing them so as not to be recognized.
At about 10pm I headed back to the tent to sleep. Sleep was nowhere to be found. It was warm, the neighbours were noisy (and almost in the same tent), and the ground in Hamilton is unbelievably hard. There just was no comfortable position. I'm sure at some point I joined the chorus of snoring riders but it seemed like I was awake all night. When 5am came most people were grumpy about another early morning, I was happy just to get on my feet and give my back and hips a break.
We packed up our gear and dropped it at the truck and had breakfast. I loaded my bottles and grabbed Jill. Sal went to work and I checked Jill over and waited to head out. I decided not to take any more Motrin unless I needed it. I planned to take it very easily to start the trip to Niagara at least until I was confident that cramping wouldn't be a problem. The weather man was calling for thunder storms but I left the rain poncho in my bag. It was cool and overcast, perfect as far as I was concerned. We rode out of camp in another mass start at 7:13.
The route took us along the escarpment and we could look down at Hamilton below. Lots of comments about the view being more enjoyable when we were not climbing were made. Sunday would see almost no climbing. Out over the lake there was a bright spot on the horizon and I hoped that we kept going in that direction as it would be nice to see the sun at the finish.
After a few miles I felt loosened up and had no indications that my cramp would be back, I made sure I kept drinking and felt good enough to skip the first rest stop again. Before I knew it I had arrived at the lunch stop at 9:22, halfway to the finish. I ate and refilled my bottles with orange gatorade and saved a sandwich for later. I still had 4 bars with me but didn't think I would need them. I called Sal and she was at the first rest stop on a bus that was picking up loose ends, injured riders and Crew.
After lunch we went through some construction where the pavement had been scraped and the remaining surface was very rough and shook the bikes. There was lots of complaining at this point. Somewhere in here I was passed and told that my rear tire looked a bit low so I stopped and put in a few pounds. The wind picked up and every time we took a right we faced a headwind, nothing major but you knew it was there. We were stopped at the Welland Canal by a raised bridge and the organizers tried to hold the riders back to allow the buildup of car traffic go but many just ignored what they were asked.
I noticed a squeaking whenever I was pedalling. It was annoying me to the point where I asked another rider to look over the rear hub for anything suspicious. He saw nothing so I carried on. I noticed when I stood to pedal briefly that the squeak went away. Damn seat was squeaking. I tightened the screws at the last rest stop but only managed to change the noise a bit. I really can't complain, the Body Geometry seat had done its job as even after 120 miles in 2 days my butt felt fine. I had brought my Brooks leather saddle but was glad it never left the hotel, the rain on Saturday would have killed it. I thought about having no mechanical problems. I must have seen 50 bikes stopped for flats. But I pushed those thoughts out of my head as I was sure I would find some bad juju if I kept thinking about it.
As we passed the 80km sign leaving us just 20km to the falls I decide to start pushing. I stood and pedalled hard passing about 40 people as I sprinted. It felt great. Anyone who was reading my blog on May 6th will remember how I felt down about everything and was looking for my second wind. Well it came back in the last 20km of the Ride. As I got closer to the falls I could see some of the taller hotels in the distance. The sun broke through as if someone had turned on a light. Then the mist from the Canadian side could be seen. The last few miles along the river were pyloned and then we came to a bottleneck just before the end. They had a rubber mat about 2 bikes wide on a wooden framework so that we could ride over the grass. Crowds of people lined each side. Music and the voice that had launched us Saturday could be heard as we crossed under the arch of the finish line. Crossing the finish line in tears was something I had expected. I stopped and called Sal and she was back sitting in the bus at the lunch stop, she wouldn't get to Niagara for another 2 hours. It was tough for both of us. I felt good about finishing at 12:10 (about 4 ½ hours of riding time) but it just wasn't the same without her there to share it with.
I had my sandwich and emptied my bottles. I knew I wanted a picture before I turned Jill over to the transport crew so I asked a young girl with a Crew shirt if she would mind. Well the first showed me from the waist down and the second had me posing in front of 6 outhouses, at least they were orange. I went across the road and found 4 other riders and made a deal to take their picture if they would take mine. I grabbed a burger and some salad and headed for some shade.
I was lying under the shade of a tree waiting for Sal and just thinking about everything. The money raised works out to an average of just over $4900 per rider so the $6705 I finished with beat the average by $1700 and I guess that was the only race that really mattered. I was surprised that with all the bikers there, no one was talking bikes. I wore my FatCyclist.com t-shirt at camp and not one person asked about it. No one asked about the name 'Jill' on my bike. I guess they were all wrapped up with the people they came with. Many of the 'elite' cyclists were the worst at sticking to the simple rules, we were asked to say 'on your left' or just 'left' if was we passed close to another rider and to always to pass on the left. There were a few times I wanted to say 'on your right' as 4 or 5 zipped by inches away without a word. All in all it was a great experience, not the physical challenge I had imagined, but that means I just have to find something else to work toward. I didn't sign up for 2009 and unless I can find someone to ride with I don't know that I will. Coming all the way from Thunder Bay is fairly expensive no matter how you do it, having another team member would cut the costs in half and make the experience a bit better.
To wrap this up I want to say thank you to all of you. To everyone that donated I appreciate your generosity so much. To Tom for his never ending support, friendship and confidence in me that bolstered my own confidence. To Farzum for all of his advice, his patience with an overweight newbie who always had a ton of questions and for helping me find the right bike to make the ride. To Sal's dad, Ling Lee who put on a great show and helped raise a third of the donations. To my parents for their love and support, their ideas and for helping me get through some of the tough times along the way. Finally to Sal who gave up her first holiday in 3 years to make this journey. While I was doing exactly what I had been planning to do for 6 months she was working for the same cause but without any of the glory. I couldn't see her at the finish line but I could feel that she was right there with me none the less.
What's next? I haven't decided but I'm thinking a century, 100 miles in a day. Any one want to go for a little ride?
What A Ride (part 1)
After signing in for the Ride and dropping off Jill at the Direct Energy Centre, Sal and I came back to our hotel and walked over to a small restaurant for supper. It had to be Italian tonight as I wanted a good meal of pasta and that's what I got, fuel for Saturday. We packed up what we could so that we didn't have to stay up too late or get up any earlier in the morning. Each participant had a 35 pound maximum for gear which we learned later was a 'rough' guide.
We had tickets for a concert at the Danforth Music Hall to see RyanDan, identical twins whose music Sal really enjoys. I'm not crazy about them but with what she's about to put up with over the next two days I think I can make it through the night. The show was actually pretty good and unless we were in the band we could not have gotten much closer, second row seats. We got back to the hotel and finished packing our gear, jamming a double sleeping bag and pillows into two garbage bags and duct taping our tent number on the outside for easy identification, a wasted effort as it turned out. We finally got to bed just after midnight. I fell asleep almost immediately.
When the alarm on my cell phone went off at 4:45 I was sound asleep but jumped up quickly and showered. Sal followed and we were in the truck and on our way by 5:30. Sal was supposed to be on site by 6:00 to start her work as part of the 'Crew'. She was at the bike parking checking rider id bracelets against bike numbers, with that many bikes in one building it would have been fairly easy to wander away with one and this was the method for ensuring that the bike and rider were a pair. I would guess that the value of the bikes in that building was somewhere around $3 million. Many of the bikes were full carbon road bikes ($5000-$12000) while I think I only saw one or two 'department store' specials. Hybrids like Jill were very common (though I never saw another Lapierre at all), mountain bikes were the least common and most of those had put on street tires rather than the normal knobby off road type and then there were many older classic road bikes. There were a few recumbents, at least two tandems and at the finish line I saw a singlespeed Rivendell Quickbeam. I have 2 singlespeeds (Molly and Cecelia) I used for training and I have no idea how he got up the hills with no gears to work with.
In what turned out to be a very welcome trend, the first meal supplied was breakfast. All of the meals that were put out were varied (even vegetarian if need be), nutritious and plentiful. One of the great things about riding distances is that you can eat whatever you want when you are done, in fact you have to. I started drinking water at around 5:15 and kept taking regular drinks throughout the day as I have under-hydrated a few times and leg cramps are not much fun especially if you have to climb.
Sal and I had breakfast, I grabbed Jill from the rack and we said our goodbyes. She had to stay inside and work the bike park and riders were to assemble at the start line for 6:50am. As with most events, people take their own sweet time getting themselves going. I along with maybe 500 other eager riders waited at the start for probably 35 minutes before the masses got there, mind you the first bunch of us were there and waiting at sunrise.
Finally a roar of motor cycles sounded as the safety gang took off for their designated corners and O Canada was played. This group did a fantastic job of keeping us safe at uncontrolled corners throughout both days of the event. They would be there to wave us through stop signs or left turns and hold traffic when they could. Toronto police did the same but only for about the first half of day one, after that we were on our own in traffic or aided by the motor cycle club. In some places we had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to make a left. A lone cyclist would be hard pressed to pull it off but 30-40 all wearing yellow jerseys just signal and take the lane.
The opening ceremonies saw a few of the doctors, the organizers and a rider that lost her husband to cancer in October all take a turn at the podium. She had everyone choked up. They brought an unmanned bike escorted by 6 cancer survivors that were riding. The numbers we were all waiting for came and a roar went up when they announced that 2850 riders had raised 14 million dollars. I have read this over numerous times and I still get choked up remembering that. The same guy who would energetically welcome us to Niagara took the mic and rallied everyone. RIDE he screamed and the mass of yellow-clad riders crawled through the start line and headed for Lakeshore Boulevard. It was crowded, scary and exciting all at the same time especially when your eyes are still watering and the lump in your throat threatens to keep you from breathing.
The first 10 miles we were separated from traffic by pylons and police. Even at that with bikes riding 6 abreast I saw a small truck speed past the officer and cut through the oncoming mass of bikes. The pace was fast up close to the front as things thinned out quickly. The teams that came into Hamilton first averaged 20 mph or just over 3 hours to finish the 60 odd miles. They work as a team, taking turns at the front of the group and rotating to the back, riding less than a foot off the back wheel of the bike ahead. They definitely didn't enjoy the scenery. After nearly taking out a pylon I skipped the first rest stop and arrived at the halfway point in Milton for lunch at 10am, averaging somewhere around 15 mph, not that I was counting. Lunch was great and even though it consisted of a sandwich wrap and strange salad I inhaled it, saving the butter tart in my bar bag. I filled my bottles with orange Gatorade and got back on the road. The route which I never saw until Friday wasn't what I expected. I was thinking we would be on the lake most of the first day but when we turned north at about 5 miles I never saw it again until we were high over Hamilton.
The pace was faster than the organizers expected as we would find out later. You can say 'it's not a race' as much as you want but every serious biker will tell you he or she hates to be passed. I got used to the teams on the high end road bikes go roaring by without a word but if anyone on a mountain bike or hybrid, or older guy, or fatter guy or anyone riding a junker, or Lord help me a (sorry ladies) girl passed me, I wanted to chase them down. I managed to hold back or just nestled in close behind and worked on a bit of a draft. It's not a race but that's what I wanted to do. Maybe later.
The first 10 miles after lunch took us through rolling countryside, the camel backs. Up down, and up and down, again and again and again. This is where everyone started to feel their legs burn and heart and breathing rates increased. The ups were more prevalent than the downs as it turned out. We spoke to a member of Steve Bauer's team in the tent that evening and he had a gps that measures altitude. I said I thought that this stretch was worse than the long climb in Hamilton and he agreed, confirming that the gps showed we were climbing the whole time. Someone asked 'how's that butter tart tasting the second time around'?
Somewhere shortly after we came across a small wooden bridge with narrow slats running perpendicular to the road. We hit it at pretty high speed and it rattled everything. A few water bottles jumped from their holders and most of us cursed and then carried on. About an hour later we came down a short hill and everyone recognized the same type of bridge and slowed down immediately. What we didn't see was hidden behind trees to the right. It was probably the steepest small hill we would face all day and we were all slowed down but in my case not geared down. As I started to climb I tried shifting to a smaller gear with the front derailleur and the chain jumped right off, I lost all momentum and because I was clipped in to the pedals I fell over onto my left hip and shoulder in the middle of the road, embarrassed but fine. I pushed Jill to the shoulder, clicked the gears down, got the chain back on, checked her over and then continued. I was lucky that no one was on my tail. There was one accident that took out 5 or 6 bikes. One of the riders involved got driven to a bike shop and bought another bike to continue. I saw quite a few people with new bandages wrapped around their knees and elbows and Sal said there were lots of people picked up for various injuries along the way.
One of the things that kept us going were the cheering stations. The organizers had publicized several spots along the route where it would be safe to gather. Some teams had signs of encouragement held by friends and relatives, they clapped and told us to keep going. I thought it was the spontaneous small groups that came to the end of their driveways that were more inspiring. Small kids rang cowbells, cheered and just sort of stood there smiling and watching us go by. I think the research that results from the money raised will benefit them the most so it gave me a small surge of energy whenever it happened.
At about 11:30 we were high over Hamilton probably somewhere in Burlington. We had been warned about a few severe descents and this was the first. The road was paved and winding and if I had let Jill go I'm sure we would have made 45 to 50 mph. I was doing 35 with the brakes on. Fun but scary, one wrong move and your day is over at best.
As we moved through the streets of Hamilton what had been very light drizzle turned into rain. Not a downpour but steady. With your back tire throwing water at your butt and anyone in front throwing it in your path it didn't take long to become soaked. The Hamilton police did not make an appearance as by this time the group would have been stretched out for 25 miles and they would have had to tie up traffic far too long. It was lunch time and the roads were busy and brakes are a bit less effective when wet. We were stopped by traffic lights and getting cranky at the conditions.
And then THE climb started. It wasn't steep but it was long and around corners. Many riders had to stop and walk. I saw one getting back on only to see that the corner he was on revealed at least another mile of the same hill. He cursed. Although the going was slow I didn't think it was as bad as the camel back section. Once you found a gear you could push constantly you just kept going and ground it out. At the camels you were constantly shifting and speeding up and slowing down, frustrated. I can proudly say I rode Jill the entire distance, never had to push her at all.
After getting to the top we had to make a left in three lanes of traffic. These turns and the severe grades must have been unnerving for any of the less experienced riders. We continued through residential streets with occasional views through the mist and fog at the valley below us. The rain stopped and we picked up speed as we neared the end of day one. There were not too many street names on the route that I knew but Fennel Ave. was one that I remembered and that was where camp was. I had made it, at least the halfway point. I had ridden 60 miles once before so I knew I could do the distance but there was still some self doubt rattling around in my head. Then as we made the turn into the college the cheering started and people along the road congratulated us as we slid by. It was 1pm, I was feeling great but very soggy. I had expected this to take much longer. I would have been happy just to crank out an average of 10 mph. Apparently the organizers were thinking along the same lines as we found there was much to be done before camp would be ready.
We had tickets for a concert at the Danforth Music Hall to see RyanDan, identical twins whose music Sal really enjoys. I'm not crazy about them but with what she's about to put up with over the next two days I think I can make it through the night. The show was actually pretty good and unless we were in the band we could not have gotten much closer, second row seats. We got back to the hotel and finished packing our gear, jamming a double sleeping bag and pillows into two garbage bags and duct taping our tent number on the outside for easy identification, a wasted effort as it turned out. We finally got to bed just after midnight. I fell asleep almost immediately.
When the alarm on my cell phone went off at 4:45 I was sound asleep but jumped up quickly and showered. Sal followed and we were in the truck and on our way by 5:30. Sal was supposed to be on site by 6:00 to start her work as part of the 'Crew'. She was at the bike parking checking rider id bracelets against bike numbers, with that many bikes in one building it would have been fairly easy to wander away with one and this was the method for ensuring that the bike and rider were a pair. I would guess that the value of the bikes in that building was somewhere around $3 million. Many of the bikes were full carbon road bikes ($5000-$12000) while I think I only saw one or two 'department store' specials. Hybrids like Jill were very common (though I never saw another Lapierre at all), mountain bikes were the least common and most of those had put on street tires rather than the normal knobby off road type and then there were many older classic road bikes. There were a few recumbents, at least two tandems and at the finish line I saw a singlespeed Rivendell Quickbeam. I have 2 singlespeeds (Molly and Cecelia) I used for training and I have no idea how he got up the hills with no gears to work with.
In what turned out to be a very welcome trend, the first meal supplied was breakfast. All of the meals that were put out were varied (even vegetarian if need be), nutritious and plentiful. One of the great things about riding distances is that you can eat whatever you want when you are done, in fact you have to. I started drinking water at around 5:15 and kept taking regular drinks throughout the day as I have under-hydrated a few times and leg cramps are not much fun especially if you have to climb.
Sal and I had breakfast, I grabbed Jill from the rack and we said our goodbyes. She had to stay inside and work the bike park and riders were to assemble at the start line for 6:50am. As with most events, people take their own sweet time getting themselves going. I along with maybe 500 other eager riders waited at the start for probably 35 minutes before the masses got there, mind you the first bunch of us were there and waiting at sunrise.
Finally a roar of motor cycles sounded as the safety gang took off for their designated corners and O Canada was played. This group did a fantastic job of keeping us safe at uncontrolled corners throughout both days of the event. They would be there to wave us through stop signs or left turns and hold traffic when they could. Toronto police did the same but only for about the first half of day one, after that we were on our own in traffic or aided by the motor cycle club. In some places we had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to make a left. A lone cyclist would be hard pressed to pull it off but 30-40 all wearing yellow jerseys just signal and take the lane.
The opening ceremonies saw a few of the doctors, the organizers and a rider that lost her husband to cancer in October all take a turn at the podium. She had everyone choked up. They brought an unmanned bike escorted by 6 cancer survivors that were riding. The numbers we were all waiting for came and a roar went up when they announced that 2850 riders had raised 14 million dollars. I have read this over numerous times and I still get choked up remembering that. The same guy who would energetically welcome us to Niagara took the mic and rallied everyone. RIDE he screamed and the mass of yellow-clad riders crawled through the start line and headed for Lakeshore Boulevard. It was crowded, scary and exciting all at the same time especially when your eyes are still watering and the lump in your throat threatens to keep you from breathing.
The first 10 miles we were separated from traffic by pylons and police. Even at that with bikes riding 6 abreast I saw a small truck speed past the officer and cut through the oncoming mass of bikes. The pace was fast up close to the front as things thinned out quickly. The teams that came into Hamilton first averaged 20 mph or just over 3 hours to finish the 60 odd miles. They work as a team, taking turns at the front of the group and rotating to the back, riding less than a foot off the back wheel of the bike ahead. They definitely didn't enjoy the scenery. After nearly taking out a pylon I skipped the first rest stop and arrived at the halfway point in Milton for lunch at 10am, averaging somewhere around 15 mph, not that I was counting. Lunch was great and even though it consisted of a sandwich wrap and strange salad I inhaled it, saving the butter tart in my bar bag. I filled my bottles with orange Gatorade and got back on the road. The route which I never saw until Friday wasn't what I expected. I was thinking we would be on the lake most of the first day but when we turned north at about 5 miles I never saw it again until we were high over Hamilton.
The pace was faster than the organizers expected as we would find out later. You can say 'it's not a race' as much as you want but every serious biker will tell you he or she hates to be passed. I got used to the teams on the high end road bikes go roaring by without a word but if anyone on a mountain bike or hybrid, or older guy, or fatter guy or anyone riding a junker, or Lord help me a (sorry ladies) girl passed me, I wanted to chase them down. I managed to hold back or just nestled in close behind and worked on a bit of a draft. It's not a race but that's what I wanted to do. Maybe later.
The first 10 miles after lunch took us through rolling countryside, the camel backs. Up down, and up and down, again and again and again. This is where everyone started to feel their legs burn and heart and breathing rates increased. The ups were more prevalent than the downs as it turned out. We spoke to a member of Steve Bauer's team in the tent that evening and he had a gps that measures altitude. I said I thought that this stretch was worse than the long climb in Hamilton and he agreed, confirming that the gps showed we were climbing the whole time. Someone asked 'how's that butter tart tasting the second time around'?
Somewhere shortly after we came across a small wooden bridge with narrow slats running perpendicular to the road. We hit it at pretty high speed and it rattled everything. A few water bottles jumped from their holders and most of us cursed and then carried on. About an hour later we came down a short hill and everyone recognized the same type of bridge and slowed down immediately. What we didn't see was hidden behind trees to the right. It was probably the steepest small hill we would face all day and we were all slowed down but in my case not geared down. As I started to climb I tried shifting to a smaller gear with the front derailleur and the chain jumped right off, I lost all momentum and because I was clipped in to the pedals I fell over onto my left hip and shoulder in the middle of the road, embarrassed but fine. I pushed Jill to the shoulder, clicked the gears down, got the chain back on, checked her over and then continued. I was lucky that no one was on my tail. There was one accident that took out 5 or 6 bikes. One of the riders involved got driven to a bike shop and bought another bike to continue. I saw quite a few people with new bandages wrapped around their knees and elbows and Sal said there were lots of people picked up for various injuries along the way.
One of the things that kept us going were the cheering stations. The organizers had publicized several spots along the route where it would be safe to gather. Some teams had signs of encouragement held by friends and relatives, they clapped and told us to keep going. I thought it was the spontaneous small groups that came to the end of their driveways that were more inspiring. Small kids rang cowbells, cheered and just sort of stood there smiling and watching us go by. I think the research that results from the money raised will benefit them the most so it gave me a small surge of energy whenever it happened.
At about 11:30 we were high over Hamilton probably somewhere in Burlington. We had been warned about a few severe descents and this was the first. The road was paved and winding and if I had let Jill go I'm sure we would have made 45 to 50 mph. I was doing 35 with the brakes on. Fun but scary, one wrong move and your day is over at best.
As we moved through the streets of Hamilton what had been very light drizzle turned into rain. Not a downpour but steady. With your back tire throwing water at your butt and anyone in front throwing it in your path it didn't take long to become soaked. The Hamilton police did not make an appearance as by this time the group would have been stretched out for 25 miles and they would have had to tie up traffic far too long. It was lunch time and the roads were busy and brakes are a bit less effective when wet. We were stopped by traffic lights and getting cranky at the conditions.
And then THE climb started. It wasn't steep but it was long and around corners. Many riders had to stop and walk. I saw one getting back on only to see that the corner he was on revealed at least another mile of the same hill. He cursed. Although the going was slow I didn't think it was as bad as the camel back section. Once you found a gear you could push constantly you just kept going and ground it out. At the camels you were constantly shifting and speeding up and slowing down, frustrated. I can proudly say I rode Jill the entire distance, never had to push her at all.
After getting to the top we had to make a left in three lanes of traffic. These turns and the severe grades must have been unnerving for any of the less experienced riders. We continued through residential streets with occasional views through the mist and fog at the valley below us. The rain stopped and we picked up speed as we neared the end of day one. There were not too many street names on the route that I knew but Fennel Ave. was one that I remembered and that was where camp was. I had made it, at least the halfway point. I had ridden 60 miles once before so I knew I could do the distance but there was still some self doubt rattling around in my head. Then as we made the turn into the college the cheering started and people along the road congratulated us as we slid by. It was 1pm, I was feeling great but very soggy. I had expected this to take much longer. I would have been happy just to crank out an average of 10 mph. Apparently the organizers were thinking along the same lines as we found there was much to be done before camp would be ready.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Day at the Museum
We decided that for our last full day in the GTA we would walk over to the Royal Ontario Museum. It was very interesting, we spent 5 hours wandering around the exhibits and were amazed by the dinosaurs and the Darwin display. I feel smarter already. They also had a section on Shanghai China. We watched an hour long video about the destruction of old neighbourhoods for skyscrapers and the rapid expansion that forces people that have been in their homes since the '30's. Wedgewood china, ancient architecture, pottery, weapons and much more in a building that is both modern and traditional at the same time.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
June Mileage Catchup
June 11th: Molly 16 miles
June 12th: Molly 8 miles
June 13th: Molly 16 miles
June 14th: Molly 8 miles
June 20th: Jill 10 miles
June 21st: Jill 65 miles
June 22nd: Jill 65 miles
June total: 342 miles
June 12th: Molly 8 miles
June 13th: Molly 16 miles
June 14th: Molly 8 miles
June 20th: Jill 10 miles
June 21st: Jill 65 miles
June 22nd: Jill 65 miles
June total: 342 miles
What A Ride
I haven't had time to get everything off of the cameras nor the time to do a full write up but the jist is I completed the 120+ miles in great time, about 5 hours each day. Saturdays ride ended with rain and a loooooong climb into camp in Hamilton. Sunday was a breeze with cool overcast weather and sunshine at the finish line but none of the forecast thunderstorms .
The picture is from the start line where the 2850 riders left as a group. The total of donations announced at 7:30am Saturday was $14 million. I'll fill in more details as time permits but both Sal and I are pretty wiped.
Friday, June 20, 2008
And So It Begins
Jill is safely registered and waiting patiently for the early start tomorrow. Sal and I arrived at the site earlier than most and things were a bit disorganized but smoothed out quickly. Sal had a Crew meeting 90 minutes before I could sign in so I took Jill along the waterfront for a quick 10 miles, wow do they ever have great trails here.I went back and found a line of riders and their bikes forming, 45 minutes before it would even begin to move. The line ended up going all the way around the Direct Energy Centre and was still going as we left.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Another Rainy Day in TO
Same country, same province, same weather but might as well be another world. The car was in Kensington Market which is blocks of old homes turned into shops selling just about anything. We had lunch in Chinatown again, spent a whopping $10 and that included dessert for supper. We picked up supper and carried it the 2km back to the hotel.
This morning I visited a long time supplier from work and spent 45 minutes touring what's left of the plant, most of it has moved to Mexico. I've known Bob for just about 30 years and it was just good to get to see him for the hour.
Well tomorrow everything for the Ride gets started with bike check-in. Sal has to be there for 2:30 so I'm planning a long overdue ride along the lakefront while I wait to sign in. There have been several emails from the organizers adding things we should be doing and bringing, a bit inconvenient at this point but we are managing. It's a good thing we brought the laptop. 8 provinces and 16 states are represented in the ride so there should be a wide variety of cyclist and bikes. It will be good to get going even if the forecast for showers is accurate.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
First Full Day in Toronto
We headed over to Chinatown with Betty June and Gary Cooper who are just ending their stay in Toronto and staying in the same hotel. We had some fun trying to park but the GPS did its job. I discovered it has a pedestrian mode so I parked, switched and hoofed it directly to the restaurant where I had left the gang. We had Dim Sum at the Forestview and got a great meal for less than $35 for all of us. We browsed around the small shops and then went for coffee and sat out the afternoon shower at Timmy's. I zipped back to the truck, used my own navigation to over-rule the GPS and then picked everyone up and got back to the hotel after turning left onto Yonge at 3:45 from a side street. I thought the unit was punishing me for ignoring it earlier but it ended up being right on this time and we got back in no time. You really have to watch the bike traffic down here as they are zipping in and out all over. Most wearing only a smile on their heads.We walked over to the Princess Margaret after supper just for a look.
Stay tuned...
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Ready To Go
I got a big surprise when we picked up Jill at Petrie's this morning. I guess everybody was in on it because 'nobody' could find her. They just let me search around until I saw her back wheel and one of the Fat Cyclist bottles peaking around the corner near the stairs to the basement. I didn't notice until Tom and Sal started joking about my missing it. Tom had suggested putting her name on and Sal took her and had it done and then brought her back for me to pick up. Gotta love that girl, Sal I mean.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Mileage Update
Sunday June 8
Molly:11 miles (with Sally and Sherman)
Sal's first ride of the year on her 'tank' of a mountain bike and her idea not mine, she did really well and wasn't even complaining on Monday. She named her bike over an ice cappucino at the end of a 2 hour ride.
Monday June 9
Jill: 4 miles
Molly: 5 miles
Tuesday June 10
Molly: 10 miles
month to date:154 miles
Molly:11 miles (with Sally and Sherman)
Sal's first ride of the year on her 'tank' of a mountain bike and her idea not mine, she did really well and wasn't even complaining on Monday. She named her bike over an ice cappucino at the end of a 2 hour ride.
Monday June 9
Jill: 4 miles
Molly: 5 miles
Tuesday June 10
Molly: 10 miles
month to date:154 miles
Saturday, June 7, 2008
What A Day
Molly: 2 miles
Jill:30 miles
month to date:124 miles
I had planned a long ride today but there were so many washouts I wasn't sure where I could go without facing a dead end and as it turns out it was for the better. Three great things happenend on this blustery Saturday. Sal and I went out to do recycling and a few errands and decided to swing by the house and grab shorts. I grabbed my khakis which at this time last year had never gotten on, the button and button hole couldn't see each other around me, never mind button up. Today they were a sneeze from being around my ankles with a belt on. So she suggested picking up a new pair. We hit Mark's and I grabbed a few pair to try on, nothing in the 50's anymore (my last pre diet jeans were a 54 waist). I decided vainly to give the 40's a try, they were loose. I grabbed a pair of 38's and got them on, comfortably. Yes...
Then we had a short but nice visit with Susan's parent the Sinfields. Bill was always my hero on the golf course back when we used to play every Saturday. He could hit the ball a mile and some days every putt found the cup. He was always very patient with a beginner like myself. It was just great to spend a half hour with them.
Sal headed for work and I took Molly out of the truck and rode home, messed around a bit and read. I decided to take Jill out for a 20 mile ride which turned into a 30 mile ride as Mapleward was washed out between John and Oliver. I stopped in to see the Richards on 20th Sideroad for a refill of my water bottle and had a nice talk with them. They saw me go by once before and invited me to stop in if I got out that way again, they have2 sons in Northwood and started the fundraising effort there for the Ride. When I got home and got Jill tucked in I hit the shower and just before I stepped in I stepped on the scale hoping to see something less than 230 and there it was 225. I stepped off and then realized, hey thats x-100. I know it won't last. I'll probably gain back some while typing this post but it was there if even for just a minute. And it will be there again.
Jill:30 miles
month to date:124 miles
I had planned a long ride today but there were so many washouts I wasn't sure where I could go without facing a dead end and as it turns out it was for the better. Three great things happenend on this blustery Saturday. Sal and I went out to do recycling and a few errands and decided to swing by the house and grab shorts. I grabbed my khakis which at this time last year had never gotten on, the button and button hole couldn't see each other around me, never mind button up. Today they were a sneeze from being around my ankles with a belt on. So she suggested picking up a new pair. We hit Mark's and I grabbed a few pair to try on, nothing in the 50's anymore (my last pre diet jeans were a 54 waist). I decided vainly to give the 40's a try, they were loose. I grabbed a pair of 38's and got them on, comfortably. Yes...
Then we had a short but nice visit with Susan's parent the Sinfields. Bill was always my hero on the golf course back when we used to play every Saturday. He could hit the ball a mile and some days every putt found the cup. He was always very patient with a beginner like myself. It was just great to spend a half hour with them.
Sal headed for work and I took Molly out of the truck and rode home, messed around a bit and read. I decided to take Jill out for a 20 mile ride which turned into a 30 mile ride as Mapleward was washed out between John and Oliver. I stopped in to see the Richards on 20th Sideroad for a refill of my water bottle and had a nice talk with them. They saw me go by once before and invited me to stop in if I got out that way again, they have2 sons in Northwood and started the fundraising effort there for the Ride. When I got home and got Jill tucked in I hit the shower and just before I stepped in I stepped on the scale hoping to see something less than 230 and there it was 225. I stepped off and then realized, hey thats x-100. I know it won't last. I'll probably gain back some while typing this post but it was there if even for just a minute. And it will be there again.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Day 35
Input
- toast, banana and grapefruit juice
- 2 bottles water
- rice crackers and cheese
- apple
- banana chips, dried cranberries and triscuits
- soup, salad, rhubarb/strawberry crisp and coffee
- Bridget:16 miles
Day 34
Input
- fresh bread, banana and grapefruit juice
- 2 bottles water
- rice crackers and cheese
- grapes, banana chips and granola bar
- jambalya pasta, salad and iced tea
- Bridget: 22 miles
Monday, June 2, 2008
Day 33
Input
- toast, coffee and grapefruit juice
- 2 bottles water
- rice crackers and cheese
- salmon, potatoes and juice
- dried cranberries, fresh bread
- Molly:16 miles
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Molly Gets A New Look
Although I liked the sporty look Molly had she was really tough to ride all hunched over. So I moved over the bars that Cecelia had, retaped them and added an Italian seat from the discount bin at Petries. I rode her today for 3 hours plus and she is the most comfortable bike I have right now. Even as a single speed she is fun to ride and will be making the good weather commutes until its time to go to Toronto.
Day 32
Input
- omelette, muffin, hash browns and coffee
- sweet and sour meatballs, potatoes, cheddar bay buns
- 2 bottles water
- fat free ice cream w/dried cranberries
- Molly:22 miles
Day 31
Input
Molly:61
Cecelia:71
Bridget:278
Jill:224
2008 total:1774 miles
- toast and grapefruit juice
- coffee
- dim sum and coffee
- banana chips, dried blueberries, rice crackers
- nachos and water
- Molly: 12 miles
Molly:61
Cecelia:71
Bridget:278
Jill:224
2008 total:1774 miles
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