May 12

No riding happening here.

Children's message time

I love the unpredictability of the Sunday morning children's message. What will the wee ones come up with this week??

I found myself particularly excited to share my journey from Sea to Sea with the children of Waterloo CRC this past Sunday.

I chose to associate the "bigness" of the tour with trying to get people's attention. Of course the sweet, polite children at WCRC all responded that if you want to get someone's attention you have to wait patiently and say excuse me. Ha!

I explained further that we have to pay attention to people who live in poverty, and who can't get attention for themselves.... So, we bike across the map!

The fantastic children at WCRC have been collecting funds in Sunday school to support the tour. Thank you, Sunday School, for paying attention!

Real Riding #3

Today wasn't really supposed to be a huge biking day.  It was supposed to be a day of rest, some gardening, some down time (a nap?)... but when the weather is hot and sunny and an opportunity presents itself, we take it! Right?

I biked back and forth to church today, for a whopping 18km.  I gave the children's message regarding the tour, which was so much fun.  More about that in another post.

When I got home from church I had a message from a friend playing ultimate frisbee in Guelph.  I decided a ride to Guelph was in order, and she agreed to bring me home afterward.  I took the county roads north of Hwy 7 (Wellington Rd 30 and Marden Road) to avoid the treacherous traffic, for a ride that totaled 36.6 km.  I rode into a nasty wind the entire time.  I averaged 24.4 km/hr and didn't love it.  I have come to realize I strongly dislike riding into the wind.

I watched J play frisbee for a bit, we went for ice cream, and then I thought, what the heck, it's a nice day and I'd like to see what it's like to ride so far in one day.  I ate a homemade granola bar and away I went.  With the wind at my back I was able to average 28 km/ hr AND I got the maximum speed over 50km, which has been a goal all week!

The total for the day was 87km.  I'd admit, I wanted OFF that bike when I arrived home.  I was completely done, and did not want to do another kilometer.  That will go away, right?  Of course.

I figure that today was the closest thing I have to an example of what daily life will be like on the road this summer, complete with peeing in the bushes.  TMI.

I'd still like to have a bigger pack on the bike besides the small saddle bag I have.  I'd love your recommendations for what to put on the front of the bike (please, don't say basket.  I really, really want a bright coloured basket, but I'm afraid of being mocked).

Real riding #2

Yesterday (Saturday) I was able to head out for another real ride. During the week the rides aren't "real"... At least not in length! I finally got around to programming and installing my little computer, so I have a better sense of what I'm doing on the road.

Distance covered: 58km
Average speed: 24km/hr
Maximum speed: 49.6km/hr
Number of Starbucks on Ira Needles Blvd: 4
Number of near accidents due to drivers who don't get it (a rant for another time...) 2
Number of flats: ZERO!!!!

Alleged number of calories burnt: over 2000, but I'm skeptical. Or I'm dreamin'!

April 25

Eternally winter.

It's messy

The things I write on this blog are going to be messy.  My narrative will not be solely about biking across North America for 9 weeks, or about poverty.  It will be about those things, but it's also going to chart a journey that I have to take this spring: a journey without one of my biggest fans, a journey of grief and loss and trust.  It's messy.

At the end of August I started tossing the idea of the Sea to Sea around and was met with much affirmation.  All was well with our family (which is usually my number 1 criteria for an adventure) and I thought it would be fun.  My mom was especially encouraging.

Late November mom started to get really sick.  On December 5 she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.  The entire time that she was sick, she pushed me to keep fundraising and training.  She insisted that no matter what the circumstances, I was getting on that plane, bike in tow, in June.  We disagreed.  As we became aware that her illness was progressing (regressing?) very fast, she insisted that I buy the bike and plane ticket.  She assured me she wouldn't be around in June so I should just make my plans.  That made me angry, and a bit relieved, because I wouldn't have to make a tough choice.  And then guilty for being relieved that she was dying so quickly.  See?  Messy.  

On February 23 she died, confirming my participation in the tour.  Mom pre-arranged her funeral, including that she wanted memorial donations to go to World Renew.  World Renew is one of the major recipients of our bike tour.  She loved Free a Family and the work of this agency.  Many people who have donated since her death did so in her honour.  I am honoured by that.  

My journey from ocean to ocean takes on new meaning this Spring.  Biking is solitary, and in some ways so is grief (and yet communal at the same time..)

Thank you for being part of this journey with me.

Real Riding

This past week we finally had weather nice enough to ride outdoors, long distances.

Last Sunday I wanted to try a longer distance.  I charted a 54km route using Mappedometer.  The route took me north and west of Waterloo, through little towns like Bamberg, Cross Hill, and Heidelberg. When I made the route I completely forgot what Sunday afternoons are like north of Waterloo.  The only people on the roads besides cyclists were Old Order Mennonites.  Of course I didn't stop to take any pictures, as they really don't like that.

Although sharing the roads with the horse and buggies was cool, the unfortunate part was that there was horse poo everywhere!

I used this longer ride in part to determine if anything on the bike needed changing and adjusting.  Fortunately I'm happy to report that after 54 km everything felt great.  I felt like I could have gone another 54!  The only thing I really would have changed was the temperature, and I'm glad we're not riding in 9 Celsius this summer!

I leave you with this gem, from the front yard of a house I passed.