The Survivors' Victory Lap

For the last three years our local community has held a Relay For Life event which is a celebration of survival. It's a tribute to the lives of loved ones, and a night of fun, entertainment, friendship, and fundraising to beat cancer. The evening begins with the Survivors' Victory Lap, celebrating success in the battle against cancer. At dusk, a touching luminary lighting ceremony takes place where hundreds of candles are lit in honour or in memory of loved ones. The words HOPE and LIFE are spelled out on the bleachers. We give HOPE to those that see us walk and show them that there is LIFE after cancer.

Last Friday evening I walked the victory lap along with some friends.......

To be cheered on by family and friends swells me up with emotion. I almost compare it to the excitement that was there when the 2005 cyclists arrived in Halifax. For each of us as survivors this is almost just as much of an accomplishment. The course each one of us has travelled has not been the same or as difficult. Some are still undergoing treatment as they walk and others have just finished treatment. There are not too many out there who have not been affected by cancer in one way or another in their extended families.

This summer as the SeatoSea tours North America, we know where the starting point will be and we know where each day will finish but we will not always know the course set out for each day. It has been mapped out for us but we actually will not know exactly what we will encounter along the way until we get there. So it is in life - we know where we started in the family that God has placed us in. The future is in God's hands and the course we follow is different for each one of us. There will/could be obstacles that we have to overcome, hills to climb and valleys to go through but lets encourage one another in our journeys, cheer each other on and help those who are having a hard time. We will experience this on the ride this summer. How and when we arrive is not as important but that we do arrive is. Together we can reach the goal set out before us.

The first of June.....

The countdown continues....for those starting in Seattle, it's only 27 more sleeps and you are off.... the final month of training is starting. Those of us starting in Denver have a few more weeks but it's creeping up on us as well. Those needs/wants of equipment/clothing should all be bought by now as well. I did make a trip to MEC and spent lots and now have to return there to exchange some of the purchases. Waiting for a rainy day before making the trip to TO.

The cycle shop where I purchased my bike had an invitation for a "Ladies Night" a few weeks ago - this private function was a forum based on ladies cycling needs, apparel, basic mechanics and the quintessential...the TUBE change! I went and did I learn stuff I didn't know. She had a new product with her called "Chamois Butter" and suggested to put this butter on the chamois in our shorts as well as other places - this is probably too much information for the male readers to this blog. She also recommended "Udderly Smooth" as a product to use and I did manage to buy some in a Wegman's store across the border. It's getting harder and harder to find it where I live.

A female rep from TREK bikes was there to show and tell us how to change a tire without getting our hands dirty and it's possible - she had no grease anywhere. Now it will be interesting to see how much we remember when reality sets in on the side of the road. They also offered a complimentary pilates class specific for cyclists. Now that's a form of exercise that gets right to the "gut" so to speak - very good for before and after a ride.

Training continues...this past week I mastered "Snake Road" hill two times in a row - an accomplishment for me - met a trainer at the Y who is doing the Ironman this summer and she suggests repeat hills as a good training. Our local newspaper ran an article on a cyclist who will be taking part in the cycle across Canada for Cancer that will take place soon and will be done in 19 days. She also does Snake Road hill and she does 10 repeats in a row. I will have to increase my repeats this week. Those doing the 19 day tour will average 240 km per day - not sure if I could ever do that. I also ventured out for a 70 km ride along roads and hills that I had never taken before. Beautiful farm country that offered lots of smells, some not so pleasant. This picture shows the easy part of the ride - going downhill.


I do live in a beautiful part of the country that has lots of challenging hills - this week will have to venture out more than last week. Our area had very strong winds the last week which made for a tough ride but we did have plenty of sunshine to go with the winds. On my days with too many other commitments, I can still go to the Y in the early morning and get a spin class in and do weights so am not shirking my training. I feel sorry for those who hold down regular full time jobs and have to get their training in after hours.

May 2-4 Weekend

Well the first long weekend of the summer has arrived...for us, Canadians, that is. It's the weekend that everyone is outdoors getting gardens ready, camping, going to the cottage, etc. etc. It's the weekend that everyone hopes the weather is great but this weekend it doesn't look like it will be unless the weather man is wrong. Tomorrow and Sunday we will see lots of rain and high winds where we live. I had hoped to go out on Saturday with a fellow seatosea cyclist but it doesn't look like it will happen. I will have to go to a Spin Class at the Y first thing in the morning. Rita came again this week and we did cycle on Wednesday and Thursday and did some challenging hills in the Waterdown area. The hills are getting easier but I haven't mastered them all yet....it's coming though. Soaking in the hot tub afterwards was our just reward for all the hard work we did. I did get 150 km on my bike this week...also did a spin class earlier in the week - would like to know how many kms you ride in one of those classes - the legs never stop pedaling and you put as much tension on the wheel as you can so it is still an excellent workout.

My husband, Joe, is out with 6 other men cycling in the Finger Lakes area for 5 days. He called me last evening and said how tough it was there - they did 80 km after driving there first from the Hamilton area. There was one hill there that only 2 of the cyclists mastered. He wasn't one of them.....it's good training for 2 of the seatosea cyclists who are there with him. I missed his call tonight - he left a message saying they had a miserable, cold, rainy day today and cycled 110 km. They are staying in B&B's/motels but are carrying all their other stuff with them for the 5 days - they are doing a loop with their vehicles parked in Canandaigua.

Keep up the training, stay well, get lots of rest, stay safe, but most of all thank God that He gives us the strength to be able to do this...and He also gives us the beautiful creation that we can enjoy at this time of the year - the smells of the flowers and cut grass lets you know that spring is here and summer is coming real soon. Rita and I did complain a bit about all the black flies and mosquitos that found us as soon as we got off our bikes at the stop signs. As long as we kept going they didn't bother us..we had to keep our mouths shut or we would swallow them, which can be hard for us....

For those starting in Seattle, it's only 6 more weeks!!

Here's wishing this is what après cycling will be like. . .

It was planned, I would cycle to our son's house in Cambridge one day, sleep overnight and cycle back with my daughter-in-law the next day. Clean clothes, etc. were there already. Tuesday was the day - right after lunch I set off, thought I was dressed for the weather but was only a km from home when I decided to go back and get some warmer clothes. I set off again and headed out into only a slight wind . The weather forecast had said that the winds would be getting stronger in the late afternoon. The country roads I cycled were reasonably flat but the winds did pick up so it was hard going especially towards the end. My daughter-in-law passed me at one point and offered to give me a ride but I was determined to make it on my own - she went to pick the kids up from school and came back again just yards from their home. I managed to do the whole distance and pulled into their yard with 37.63 km on the odometre - more tired from cycling into the wind than from the distance. This trip had taken me more than 2 hours - I was chilled right through.

Before I knew it, my daughter-in-law had filled their jacuzzi tub with warm water, added bubble bath, lit some candles, poured a glass of white wine and ordered me to get into the tub. Wow, this was just what I needed - it felt so good I could have stayed there for hours but my stomach was telling me it was time for supper.

I was in bed just after the grandkids went so had a great sleep. Woke up early to a sunny but chilly day on Wednesday....we left right after the kids went off to school and Geri and I headed back to Waterdown, taking the same route from the day before. This time the wind was on our backs. We still had to dress warmly - winter gloves, headband and a few layers of clothes. We were making very good time.... but had stopped because Geri's cell phone was ringing and while I was waiting for her, my cell phone also rang. It was my daughter asking where we were and I told her we were just 10 kms from home and we would be there within half an hour. Since she lives just down the street from us she told me that coffee would be ready and she would put soup on and we could eat lunch as soon as we arrived.

Talk about being spoiled by your kids! I am very blessed. If only this could/would happen on our actual tour this summer - this would be the ultimate!

On Thursday evening I rode off into the sunset on the "Evening Bliss" trail on the ExpressoFitness Bike at the local Y. A mere 7 1/2 km ride followed by weights. It was a day of social committments and when they were over, it was drizzling outside, it was cold and it was easier to go to the Y.

Leaving the "FIFTIES" behind....

Well this week it happened, I turned 60 - others are saying that it is much easier to turn 60 now than it was before because we are turning 60 at a much younger age than they used to - 60 is young to some of you and old to others. I've learned that age is relative - you are only as old as you feel and at times that can be very real... like yesterday when I went out for a ride with 3 other SeatoSea cyclists. I won't name them, but some of you will know who they are. My brother in law, Ed, suggested a 50 km ride - just a few hours in the morning. I was game - one of the cyclists was 18 and the other in her early 20's and Ed is just a few years younger than I am. We started off from Ed's home and we were only a few kms away when my chain fell off - meanwhile the others are way ahead already.... I fixed the chain - it just so happened there was a towel lying beside the road so I could clean my hands off...caught up to the others and off we went again. I could tell very soon that this was no match for me - I just couldn't keep up so I urged them to go on and I would meet them back at my sister's home for lunch. We all arrived back within 5 minutes of each other - I had done a much shorter ride than the others but we all had a good workout. Ed admitted to me that he had a hard time keeping up with the young riders. We will all find our comfort level on the tour and those will be who we ride with.

On Thursday Rita came down/up from Dorchester and we did a 60 km ride up country from Waterdown. Now, we were very compatible - we had a good workout and we had fun - we plan to ride together from Denver to Jersey City.

The total distance cycled in 3 outdoor rides was 130 kms for the week - this along with a spin class and anther session at the Y on their newest bike/trainer was my exercise - needed that to work off the "birthday meals and cake". Good thing birthdays come but once a year.

Today I joined my 9 year old granddaughter for a 21 km ride at her pace - not a real workout until the last little bit when we found a very challenging road with some rolling hills to get the cardio up - we had fun while she tried out her new bike.

The weather in Southern Ontario has been just great for cycling - no excuse for not getting outdoors - it's supposed to change over night so we will see what the new week brings.

Now to keep up the momentum....only 9 weeks till the tour starts. Keep on cycling - keep safe out on the roads.

First Flat...

Well a week has gone by - did get out 4 times for a short ride for a total of 125 kms. An indoor spin class at the beginning of the week plus some weights was my total exercise for the week. The knee discomfort is slowly going away. This week I should up the total kms cycled - the weather is supposed to be great once again for outdoor cycling.

Last Saturday Joe and I were out for a ride up country from here - lonely country roads with some hills for a good workout when we met up with someone we knew who was out rappelling. We stopped to chat with him and all of a sudden a loud pop from my front tire and slowly the air went out of it - a real sinking feeling. Dave offered to drive us home but Joe said he would try to fix it. I had some new tubes with me but there was a cut on the tire as well. My hands stayed clean so guess who changed the tire. I watched closely but don't think I'm ready to do this on my own yet - will have to learn. Joe temporarily fixed the hole in the tire with a piece of paper but I will need to take the tire into the cycle shop to have it either repaired or replaced. We also left home on Saturday without our wallets or cell phone, not a smart thing to do in case we would have needed to call someone - must make a check list for each time we/I go out.

On Sunday lots of cyclists were out enjoying the day - we decided to join our local churches in cleaning up our neighbourhood for Earth Day - it amazing how much garbage surfaces once all the snow is melted.

Now The Serious Training Begins.......

It's time for me to get real serious about training….

It’s the middle of April and the push is on to get some serious training going…..enough of the leisure stuff – the snow is gone so we will put the skis away until next season. We did enjoy 3 days of excellent spring skiing at Mt. Tremblant during the last week of March, after we came home from Florida. We were invited to join some fellow cyclists from the 2005 ride along with one other couple who is doing the 2008 ride as well – it’s interesting how you meet up with people who do the same activities that you do. On the last run down on the third day I did twist my knee and once I arrived home, I needed to see a chiropractor to get it so that I could exercise again. This meant no doing the stairs or walking too far. Cycling isn’t hard on it but getting on and off the bike did cause some pain so he suggested to take it easy for two weeks. He promised to have it better so I could start cycling again by the end of this week. I have been doing the spin classes at the “Y” but at a relaxed level. Skiing was well worth it…..wouldn’t have missed it so will live with the pain and inconvenience. A personal trainer has set me up with some programs for both my upper body and legs so this will also help to get ready. Just over 3 months from now Joe will be bringing me out to Denver to start.

I met up with some of the local cyclists at one of their fund raising events last week and this weekend some others will be making and selling pies so I will try hard to get to that as well. It’s neat to hear what others are doing in regards to fund raising and training. Hopefully in the very near future some of us can get together to do a ride locally.

Last weekend I celebrated my upcoming, big “60” with family and friends – the actual date is not until next week so I can still say I’m 59. It was great to have some fellow cyclists there as well. My children, who sent out the invitation, suggested donations to the ride in lieu of gifts and I will admit that it was an excellent idea.

Monday was a cool day, only got up to 7 so I decided to do a spin class instead of cycling outdoors. Today Joe and I did get out after lunch and we did a 29 km tour up country from where we live. This was my first time outdoors since Florida. The knee held up so maybe tomorrow we will add a few more kilometers. By the end of this week the temperature is supposed to be up to 21 degrees so we should get some long, outdoor rides in. Today’s Hamilton Spectator had an article all about fitness and how we need to make our training plan public so others can hold us accountable – I have encouraged some family members to ask me from time to time how the training is going.

The Hamilton Spectator featured the attached photo last Friday - I thought it was priceless – after this summer’s ride, Joe and I should be able to pull our trailer with our bikes and go on vacation that way so it’s actually our summer vacation 2009. Who knows what the price of gas will be then….we usually head north to Killbear Park so it may take us a week to get there……

Enjoy the training, take it one day at a time, be safe on the roads…..