One week later...

I've been home a week now. I've ploughed through all my bike rally laundry, gone back to work and life is slowly returning to normal. It has been lovely to catch up with friends who weren't involved in the bike rally and do activities that I had to put off in favour of cycling (like getting a haircut). I do miss the camaraderie of the rally and am starting to itch to get back on Bryn.

On Saturday morning we went out on one of my favourite outings. I hooked up my trailer (no, it doesn't have a name) and we went down to the St. Lawrence Market. On the way, I met two women from the bike rally out for a ride to Port Credit. It was a brief reminder of last week. I'm certainly not the only one missing some good long rides.

A note on the trailer: No, there isn't a child in there. It just looks like there is, which is great because cars give me a lot of space. In fact its completely empty (no seats, or straps). I got it from a company out of Guelph called Wike.

I think I may give this blog a rest, it ended up being a good way to document the bike rally and I don't think I'll mess it up with my more mundane thoughts and experiences. I'll come back to it next year if I decide to do the rally again... next year... humm... enticing thought.

Day Six - Lancaster to MONTREAL! 102 km

August 3, 2007

The morning of day six the excitement for Montreal was palpable. I had to keep on reminding myself that I still had to ride 102 km. The day dawned hot and muggy. I was feeling sweaty at morning stretches! We had a rain scare with thunder rumbling while we packed up camp. I don't think I've ever taken down my tent so quickly. We were fortunate to be spared from rain although places we rode through looked liked they'd had a good dousing.

We began the morning by gathering in a big group all wearing our rally jerseys or crew shirts, it was an impressive sight. We were all given red ribbons to attach to our helmets, some people wrote names of friends or loved ones on their ribbons. It felt bittersweet to head out for our last day of riding. The ride was almost over, I'd done over 500 kms but the amazing rally experience was quickly coming to an end.

After a very short ride (about 20 minutes) we crossed into Quebec. The tiny sign by the side of the road was a very popular photo op. We became something of a road hazard but fortunately our lime green shirts were highly visible.


The day passed relatively uneventfully. I rode with Sharon and her friend Marc, our pace was good (for Sharon and me) but just after lunch I felt a crackling in my left quad muscle. It was fairly painful and I had to slow down but thankfully it wasn't serious. We all had to wait at the third break before riding into Montreal (we were to appear at Emilie Gamelin Parc at 5 so we had some time to kill). I was able to rest my leg and by the time we were riding into Montreal the shear excitement of the moment made me forget all about a sore muscle.

Riding into Montreal was quite fun, we followed one of the craziest bike paths I've ever been on, it twisted and turned something fierce. We were a very impressive sight, single file lime jerseys as far as the eye could see. I tried to take a photo but really, was trying not to fall off. I think the locals were quite amused by us, we rode along calling out to each other about hazards, speed ("Slowing!" "Stopping!") and pretty much anything else that crossed our paths. Getting into the park was a little bit tight but we soon sorted ourselves out and then there was a lot of sweaty hugging and congratulating each other. I felt a bit stunned that it was all over.

Day Five - Johnstown to Lancaster 108 km

August 2, 2007


My team the Gears of Joy were on breakfast and morning sweeping. This means that we were to help serve and clear up breakfast (that's not the sweeping part). Sweeping entails hanging back and following the last riders, making sure that no one has fallen by the wayside or needs help. The sweeps on bikes are followed by a member of the Road Safety crew in a van. Some people don't like sweeping because they have to ride slower than they usually would. Seeing as I'm generally on the slow side (but usually reasonably well ahead of the sweeps), I volunteered to sweep. Marco and I took the first shift to the first break. During the bike rally sweeps are designated by lovely dusters attached to the helmet. Some people managed to make them stand right up but I thought mine looked jaunty hanging off the back.


Sweeping was fine although it was nice to change off with two other team mates at the break. The downside to sweeping was that I missed out on my usual ride buddies. I rode alone for the second half of the morning which actually was quite fun. You're never truely alone on the bike rally which is reassuring but riding alone meant that I could test myself a bit and ride as fast as I felt comfortable without worrying about loosing or keeping up with someone else. As the route was quite flat I was able to motor along pretty quickly (for me) and I got to lunch just short of the main pack of riders (we were all pretty fast on day five). I managed to pick up Sharon my riding buddy after lunch which was good because the afternoon stretch was a lot more challenging. We were dealing with our second heat alert and the afternoon was simply baking. Having Sharon nearby was very encouraging we also had Dairy Queen to look forward to. I have to say, I've never had better Dairy Queen in my life! The shop was just a few kms from the campsite and really was the end of the day's ride.


To wrap up a really great day, I had my very first massage (ever!). The Wellness crew included a number of Massage Therapists. Riders and crew could get massages at lunch or in camp. Being one of the slower ones (thus arriving in camp a bit later than everyone else), I didn't usually get to the massage line until it was all full up. On day five Nicole the Massage Enforcer (she who is in charge of the massage list) decreed that those of us who hadn't yet had a massage would get priority. I still had to wait quite a long time but it was worth it.

The evening activity was a candle light gathering down on the beach. We heard from a number of people about what the ride meant for them. A couple had been living with HIV for over 15 years, one was relatively recently diagnosed. I was struck by their courage. Courage to do the ride, courage to turn personal struggle into something worthwhile and courage to stand up in front of 300 people to talk about it. Something I really loved about the ride was that it didn't matter... whether you were slim, fat, fast, slow, gay, straight, single, HIV positive, whatever... everyone was accepting and welcoming and really how often does that happen?

Day Four - Kingston to Johnstown 109 km

August 1, 2007

The weather up until day four had been hot but not horribly hot. On day four we got our first heat alert. The Road Safety crew were real champions keeping us all hydrated and reasonably happy (I particularly loved the folk who misted us with water). Riding in heat actually isn't too bad, its the stopping. I find that there's a bit of a breeze whilst riding, when you come to a stop, you get the full blast of heat. Thankfully all of our breaks had some nice shady spots.


On day four we started to pick up more bike trails. These were great trails, they either meandered through the woods or ran parallel to the highway (no, not the 401). In my mind they were proper bike trails in that they were paved (granted there were some killer bumps and potholes) and not like so called recreational trails that are all gravel.

Day four also meant that the route started to flatten out. The subject of hills is one that can be endlessly debated by bike rally riders. I think hills are pretty subjective. Often a hill looks worse from a distance and then doesn't end up being all that hard once you get to it. Others are slow and grueling to climb. I guess it all depends on how peppy you're feeling at any particular hill climbing moment. Anyway, from about day four onward I found the route easier.

Our campsite was in a campground alongside the St. Lawrence with a view of a bridge to the United States. The campground also had a tuck shop where popsicles were purchased and enjoyed. Mmmmm cold treats.

Day Three - Adophustown to Kingston 51 km

July 31, 2007

Day three, a short day! Its amazing to think that just a few months ago I certainly wasn't thinking of 51 kms as a short jaunt. But really, in the grand scheme of the bike rally, its short. Our route on day three covered some of the territory I rode in June when I was visiting Kingston, so I knew what to expect. The scenery along this part of the route is very pretty and the riding is quite easy. The whole group moved along pretty quickly and before long, some of us were pausing for a photo op.


The very best part of day three for me was not the hot shower, the clean laundry or the real bed (in an air conditioned room). It was having my very dear friends Les and Jaimie show up along the route and cheer for me. Having strangers cheer for you is encouraging, having good friends cheer, is the best.

In the evening my team (Gears of Joy) went for dinner at Frankie Pestos (very yum). Later on in the evening there was a half way party at the Queen's Grad Club. Unfortunately, I was so sleepy by the time that the party started, I really wasn't that much fun and was glad to go back to the residence to bed early.

Day Two - Port Hope to Adolphustown 124 km

July 30, 2007

Something they don't tell you before heading out on the bike rally is that morning comes very early. The morning of day two began for me at 5:30 am. I hadn't really slept well anyway but it still seemed early. Breakfast was served each morning starting at 6:15. We were expected to eat and break camp by 8am. After a few days I got more efficient at striking my tent and repacking my bins so I was able to sleep in eventually till 6 am (ooh ah!).

On the morning of day two, we were joined by Breakfast Television which was somewhat exciting (except for their truck backing up making beeping noises very early in the morning). They filmed a few short segments, interviewing some of our many interesting riders (we were all quite interesting but there was only so much time). Soon enough it was time to depart for our longest day. In order to put on a good show we were told to cycle out of the campsite in two lines. The effect was quite neat as we were all wearing our red jerseys (with the names of our major sponsors on the back).


This was our longest day. We had two breaks before lunch. Lunch wasn't until 79 km (usually lunch was around the 60 km mark). I didn't get to lunch until close to 2pm. The day was hot and I thought I was doing a great job hydrating with sports drinks and keeping my energy up by eating Clif bars... until I discovered why you shouldn't eat too many of them... enough said.

I felt pretty lousy most of the afternoon but my riding buddy Sharon was very sympathetic and I made it through to the campsite near Adolphustown. The enormous hill that was threatened right at the end of the day's ride turned out not to be all that bad (I eventually took everything my fellow riders said about hills with a grain of salt). The highlight of the day was a very scenic lunch spot under the shady trees of Henderson House B&B and a ride on the Glenora Ferry (although there was some talk of ice cream that never came to fruition).


The day ended in a really nice camp ground near Adolphustown. I had a moment of panic when Laurie reported that she couldn't find my bins but I quickly discovered that my team had kindly moved them for me to their camping area. The evening's theme was Rocky Horror Picture Show, so the evening's activity of bingo was somewhat silly. I played a couple of rounds and then crawled off to bed and slept like a log.

Day One - Toronto to Port Hope 112 km

July 29, 2007 Departure Day

Packing day was on Saturday. Basically, we all showed up to a central location and packed all the gear needed for the rally (except for the stuff for the first day of riding). I forgot to take my camera (I didn't want to pack it after all). Packing day was pretty exciting I got two snappy new jerseys, one for day one and six, the other for day two. As I left with Laurie I had the nagging feeling that I'd forgotten something. I never did discover what I'd forgotten.


Departure day dawned very early. We were told to be at Allan Gardens by 7am so being the nerd that I am, I showed up very nearly at 7 with parents in tow. The early arrival was so unnecessary, the main benefit was that we got an awesome parking spot. Ah well, better than being late I guess. The opening speeches were hard to hear and the group photo was a bit of a cat herding situation... At last we were off, with police escort and road safety blocking intersections.

The whole day was fairly urban until well after lunch. I felt pretty good throughout the day, I think the adrenaline of departure pushed me along. By the time I got to the first day's campsite I was really ready to be finished and frankly got a bit misty at the welcome we received. The people who generously donate the use of their land for our first camp site (imagine over 300 people descending on your land) had thrown a fundraising bbq and those in attendance welcomed us with signs, clapping and cheering. It was really moving.

Laurie had collected my bins from my truck and after awhile I found them. A tent city had quickly formed and it they weren't all that easy to find. I confess that I felt tired, hot and had no idea what to do first. There were so many options. At each campsite there was swimming, snacks, not so convenient showers, yoga, wellness treatments (massage) and of course setting up camp. I wasted a fair bit of time wandering around aimlessly until my fearless team leader Dawn suggested I swim. It was a brilliant suggestion, it really cooled me down.

I'm Off!

Today's the day... I'm not technically savvy enough to update this blog while I'm on the road so I'm afraid there will be some silence until I get home next week.

Thanks so much to all of you who supported me over the last few months, and especially to those who have recently sent me encouraging emails, postcards and phone calls.

To Montreal!

126 km - Finch to Keswick

"A challenging route all the way to the shores of Lake Simcoe. This ride is essential training – if you can do this one, we know you'll be able to get to Montreal. On these long rides, it's more important than ever to keep your cadence high, especially on hills, so always shift down to an easy gear to save your legs and reduce stress on your knees."

Is it possible for a ride to be uphill both ways? Today for me the answer seemed to be "yes". The good news is I did it and I'm starting to feel like I actually might make it to Montreal. The way out was lovely, quiet country roads not impossibly hilly but a number of slow and steady climbs. The weather was lovely but there was a bit of a headwind. For the past few training rides, the work has always been on the way out, getting home has been super easy. Not so today. I rode with Jessica today and we enjoyed reassuring each other that the homeward trip would be great. After all, we'd just be retracing our steps and weren't we generally heading up? Ha ha I guess we failed to notice those nice sections where we coasted down towards Lake Simcoe. So in the end, the route lived up to its description of being challenging.


In spite of being a challenging and long ride, todays training ride was lovely. The break spot was right next to the lake and there were lovely big trees to rest under. This ride I also got a taste of the wonders of the Road Safety Crew. I was riding up Leslie street and this mini-van passed with someone waving a pom-pom out the window. 'Who drives around with pom-poms in their car?' I wondered. Road Safety of course. They would park their mini-van at various spots along the route and cheer their guts out. It was great and so encouraging. Todd from Road Safety did a bbq at the break (incidentally, Todd and Lynn (of Wellness) have been real heroes at many of the training rides providing water and encouragement. I've come to love the sight of all bright yellow cars, as Todd's car is a very visible little yellow car).

Excitement for departure is building. I really need to work on sorting out what to pack this week. One exciting addition to my packing will be my team t-shirt. All riders are divided up into teams. I'm on the Gears of Joy, here's our logo .



Well this has been a long post and though I probably could prattle on a good deal longer, I've got important reading to do.

117 km - Kipling Subway to Cambellville

"This route around the area outside of Milton provides awesome views of the Niagara Escarpment and the surrounding countryside, with winding roads alongside beautiful streams. The break spot, Bruce Trail Eatery, is a popular stop for the local club cyclists."

Earlier this week I spent a few days in Haliburton with my family (including my sister's four children). Bryn came too and we had a nice ride with my father and brother-in-law. We attempted a trail but I found it too sandy and gravely for my taste. My brother-in-law and I abandoned the trail after a time and enjoyed riding along some north country roads (okay, it wasn't that far north). We got rained on but all in all it was a great little 40 km jaunt.

Upon returning to the city, my motivation for this week's training ride was extremely low. This whole journey has been amazing, I've gone further than I ever thought I could but all the same, it would be nice to have one truly slothful weekend. Throwing off the temptations of a gratuitous pyjamas day and an invite to see the new Harry Potter movie, I made my way to Kipling station on Sunday morning. I am so glad that I did. The day was perfect, sunny but not too hot. The route was interesting and as promised very scenic. My only complaint would be the killer hills. I'm still not a very strong hill climber and if I don't manage to get into the right gear I'm "pooched". I confess I walked a few hills this ride. I started out with a group of four women which was great, we encouraged each other as we went along but I think we were all looking forward to the break.


At the lunch stop I chatted with a couple who were enjoying an ice cream. They were impressed that we'd cycled all the way from Kipling station. As a bonus they told me how to sneak into the restaurant's washroom without having to buy something (helpful people are everywhere). Refreshed, our group of four set out with another woman we met at the break stop. I'm not sure what it was (Sam credits her grilled cheese sandwich and deserves snaps for overcoming the aches and pains of back-to-back training rides) but I felt really great after the break. Three of us moved off and it felt as though we flew home. I'm not sure if it was my peanut butter sandwich or having watched the Tour de France (I think lots of other cyclists were thinking Tour this Sunday, I saw a few team jerseys out there on the road) but the ride back was simply fantastic. We left the hills behind us and enjoyed the flat terrain. As I approached the 100k mark I still felt like I had gas in my tank. Amazing. All in all I was on the road for six hours (including three breaks).

Next week is the last (and longest) training ride before departure. I've heard its challenging.

102 km - Kipling Subway to Terra Cotta

"This route has breathtaking landscapes, passing through beautiful farmlands, nurseries bursting with flowers and strawberry fields. The adorable Terra Cotta Country Store serves up lunch – and yummy ice cream!"


Departure for the rally is just a few weeks away (July 29) so training is getting challenging. I found this training ride really challenging. I'm not sure what it was, it wasn't as hilly as last week's ride but there were some hills that defeated me (had to walk). Perhaps it was the heat of the day, but other days have been hot. I drank lots and was so grateful for the sweeps who watered us along the way. Maybe it was just me; anyway if someone had offered me a ride home at 70km, I would have said 'yes'. I was so glad when another rider came along and stayed with me for the last 40km. He was very encouraging and just talking to another human helped distract me from all the little aches and tiredness.

This training ride was for me a real demonstration of how incredibly nice people can be (yes, in Toronto). To start, I had a flat tire about 45 seconds into the training ride. I picked up a great ugly piece of glass in my rear wheel. It efficiently sliced right through the tire and inner tube, the tire was flat within seconds. Bah! An inauspicious beginning. For the record I can change my own tires but if someone really wants to do it for me, I'll not say 'no' (unless they clearly don't know what they're doing). At the beginning of the ride, I wasn't sure who the sweeps were, so when this guy got out of his car and started to help me with the tire, I just figured he was one of the sweeps. He wasn't. He was just some random guy who felt the need to change my tire. The sweeps (Mike and Wade of Team Big Cog) were very helpful providing a floor pump (it has a lot more oomph and a pressure gauge so that you can get the tire up to the correct pressure). As it ended up, Mike and Wade were very busy with lots of other mechanical problems and crashes. Repaired and back on the road, for me and my bike the rest of the ride was fairly uneventful although I did notice a lot more broken glass on the road.

The second impressive act of kindness really took place in Mississauga but we were very close to the Toronto border. Mike and Wade had set up to provide water in the last 10 km of the ride which was amazing because I was almost totally out. But, being one of the last riders, they didn't have a lot of supplies left. A woman overheard us divvying up the water, went to her car and pulled out bottles of water for all of us. So kind! Fully watered I was able to make the last few kilometres. Needless to say there was a lot of napping once I got home. Today I'm feeling a lot less twingy than I did last weekend so that is encouraging.

103 km - Finch to Holland Canal

"The way there is a little hilly but the Kettleby Bakery provides some respite and the Holland Marsh is as flat as the prairies. Lance Armstrong's teammate, Canadian Michael Barry, used to time trial on West Canal Bank Road and now you can ride it too."

Saturday was my first 100 km+ ride. I confess the 100 km concept was a bit scary but I knew that I could do it. The weather was absolutely perfect. It wasn't too hot and there was a cool breeze. This breeze did become a bit of a headwind in places but I'm finding that headwinds like hills are to be accepted and endured. Speaking of hills, there were a goodly number on the way out but as promised, the marsh was nice and flat. The way home wasn't too hilly either.

I was really tired on Saturday evening and felt some more muscle twinges on Sunday than I usually do. I'm not sure if the muscles were complaining at the 100 km or at the slight adjustments I made to Bryn last week. I went to Cycle Therapy and had a proper fitting which hopefully will fix a couple of little problems I've been having. Bryn is in the shop this week for a major fixing and pre-ride tuning.

Distance (according to my slightly inaccurate computer): 107 km
Av Speed: 20.2 km/h
Max Speed: 54 km/h (I don't really believe this number)
Ride Time: 5:09:45

Notes on the commute

I've finally got my bike computer to work. I think its reasonably accurate although I did have to do some math to get it set up (so take all numbers with a grain of salt).

Total distance: 27.34 km
Average Speed: 20 km/h
Max Speed: 41 km/h
Ride time: 1 hour 22 minutes (but I think the computer stops when I do [like at red lights] so it actually took a bit longer to get to work)

Not bad considering I have to ride fairly slowly through a few residential areas. It'll be interesting to see if the numbers are similar on the way home.

In other news, tomorrow is my first 100km ride. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do it, it'll just take me a really long time.

Road Trip

This week I packed up Bryn and headed for Kingston. I was attending the annual ACA conference (Association of Canadian Archivists). I ended up with Wednesday morning free so Bryn and I went for a nice little 40 km ride. No official training rides this week.

87 km - Kennedy Subway to Musselman Lake

"A rewarding ride out to Cedar Beach on the shores of beautiful Musselman Lake. The route meanders through the charming little town of Unionville on the way back to Toronto."

This week I did Sunday's training ride because I had the pleasure of spending Saturday celebrating my nephew's 6th birthday (in case you've been counting, I'm up to three nephews. I also have a niece but her birthday isn't until October).
The theme was turtles so auntie was asked to ice the cake to look like a turtle (my sister had done all the hard work of baking the cakes). It was a quick job and perhaps not my best work but my nephew and his friends were impressed (kid cake tip: anything with candy on it is impressive to small fry).



Back to the training ride: Sunday was beautiful and sunny. Heading out to Musselman Lake there was a significant headwind. I was riding along thinking that even though I was heading downhill, it was taking a great deal of effort (too much cake?). Thankfully someone came up behind me and mentioned he was finding the wind a challenge. Someone at the break compared the ride out to riding through quicksand so I didn't feel so bad about my very slow progress. By the time I got to the break I was ready to stop and have a rest.


Cedar Beach at the lake was very pleasant. There were lots of folk enjoying the sun and beach. I was assured by my fellow riders that the way back would be much easier. I left the break hoping for the best.

The way back was fantastic, it was primarily downhill and had a tailwind. It felt like I flew part of the way back. As promised Unionville was cute and charming.


Although it was quite hot, I didn't find the heat too bad (I drank lots of water and sports drink) until I got closer to Toronto. As I got back into the city it felt like the heat was coming up from the ground. By the time I got back to Kennedy subway station I was very glad to be finished but proud that I'd survive 87 km. I'm beginning to believe that I can do 100 km.

To update you on the commuting. I rode twice to work last week and it went really well.

Under the weather but over the moon

I wasn't feeling my perky best this week. As a result I decided not to do the Saturday training ride. Today (Sunday) I was feeling a lot better so I did a shorter ride (only 60 km) as a dry run to work and home again. The ride was reasonably nice and not too arduous but I need to tweak my route a tad. I did have to stop and consult my map on a few occasions but I find it so much easier to get back on track in Toronto than out on the training rides. I'm going to attempt the commute tomorrow.

On a really happy note, I've attained my fundraising goal. All thanks to you! The rally requires that riders raise a minimum of $2000. When I started this process in March, I never thought I'd get to $2000, but if you take a look at the thermometer on the right there, you'll see that your generosity has pushed my total above $2000. If you haven't donated yet and are thinking about it, don't worry, they'll still accept your money even though I've reached my goal :)

72 km - Finch Subway to Aurora

"Explore the lovely countryside in the vicinity of the charming town of Aurora. Some hills but mostly gently rolling terrain."I am quickly learning that when the route description says "gently rolling" it means hilly. I was very anxious about this ride and did find it a challenge. But I did it. By the time I was getting worried about how long the route was, I was already on my way back to the start (the benefits of riding a loop). The heat was fairly extreme but I suppose that its good to get used to riding in heat (the rally is after all July 29-August 3). I drank all of my liquids (two water bottles) and refilled both once. By the end of the ride you could have stuck me in a farmer's field and used me as a salt lick; although I doubt the animals would have enjoyed that as I was also slathered in sunscreen.

The break was in Snowball. I think our group overwhelmed the shop owner, he didn't seem too pleased when I presented him with yet another $20 for one doughnut (chocolate coconut, sorry I ate it before taking a picture but some people tell me I take far too many pictures of food). He was willing to refill my water bottle which was very nice of him.
The air quality wasn't very good for this ride. The only benefit of smog I can think of is that the haze obscures the view of more hills in the distance.

Going Clipless

I've made a change to Bryn's set-up. This week I switched my pedals to new clipless pedals. They're made up of a metal cleat screwed to the bottom of my shoes (there was actually more gum on the bottom of the other shoe...where have I been?) and a receptacle on the pedals. I used to have toe clips or cages on my pedals that I'd slide my foot into and out of. The clipless pedals work a bit differently. Like a ski binding you press your toes in first and then lean back until you hear a 'click'. To release your feet you swing your heel out. Clipless pedals are apparently more efficient than cages. They're certainly much more efficient than nothing because you can pull up on the pedals as well as push down on them. Efficiency can only be a good thing when riding an average of 100 km a day.Apparently there is a bit of a learning curve with clipless pedals. I confess that I've been afraid of them for years. If you don't release your feet (or at least one foot) quickly enough, over you go! I practiced clipping in and out in my living room with my non-clipped foot resting on a dictionary (a very large dictionary). Today I decided that while standing on a dictionary was good fun, it wasn't going to get me anywhere. I puttered around my neighbourhood stopping at all the stop signs and didn't fall over once (although I hear that the falling tends to happen when you stop concentrating on your feet). I am finding that its harder to clip into the pedal than it is to get out of it.

Buoyed by my success I ventured out onto Danforth in search of a birthday present for my nephew's fourth birthday (awww he's so cute). Unfortunately the drizzle I thought was subsiding turned into a major downpour. Back at home, I spent a good long while cleaning and lubricating Bryn.

Training ride 6 - Finch to Lake Wilcox 50 km

"A ride to the pretty little Lake Wilcox in the Richmond Hill area. Features a break at Grandma's Bakery, a popular stop for the cyclists of the infamous local "Donut Ride"."

Today was pretty well perfect for a ride. It was sunny but not too hot or windy. The route was basically a big square. We rode north up Bayview into Richmond Hill across King Street and down Dufferin. I find that Toronto is fairly predictable in terms of terrain. Generally if you're going north, you're going to be heading uphill. Richmond Hill was no different. The climb to the lake was fairly gentle but steadily upwards. Here's a photo taken from the top of a particularly long climb.

Thankfully there wasn't much climbing after this one (before the break). It wasn't too long after this hill that we arrived at Lake Wilcox and the break at Gramma's Oven Bakery. The route description said this place was popular with cyclists but I didn't realize it would be that popular. The place was hopping with spandex and the click of clipless pedal shoes. I bought a yummy poppy seed danish but saved it until the end of the ride. I nibbled my Clif bar on the way down Dufferin.

Although the route home was basically downhill, there were a few uphill sections. Thank heavens for coasting.

Next week I won't be doing the official training ride because I'll be helping out with Doors Open Toronto at the City of Toronto Archives. Frankly I'm a bit nervous from here on in. I know I can do 50 km, I've done it before but more than 50 km is new for me. The next training ride I'll do is 72 km. YIKES! I'll let you know how it goes.

Training ride 5 - Kennedy - Rouge Valley 49 km

Humble apologies for being so late with this update. It is encouraging to know how many people actually read my blog, I've heard from a number of you this week!

Here's the bike rally website`s blurb about last Saturday's ride: "This route takes you through the scenic Rouge Park by the lake, over a footbridge crossing the Rouge River and then along the valley and around the Metro Zoo."

I think this was my favourite ride so far. It didn't take too horribly long to get out of the busier part of the city. The route was quite pretty and there were good stretches without street lights or stop signs. There were more hills than I would have liked but I managed them reasonably well. I find that if I get all tense about the hill, I have a harder time but when I concentrate on keeping my feet moving and relax, I do alright. It also helps to hum a happy tune, fortunately I had the great Caribbean Medley stuck in my brain from Laurie`s recent UofT Gospel Choir concert (if you ever get a chance to see the UofT Gospel Choir in action you won`t be sorry; they`re amazing!).

The best part of this ride was that I didn`t get lost once! I was concerned because the route was quite twisty and there were a goodly numbers of turns to watch out for. I think it also helped that I had other riders in sight most of the time (although its never a good idea to follow blindly, I learned that a couple of weeks ago). This week`s photos were taken where we crossed the footbridge crossing the Rouge River.

I`ll try to do better this weekend with my update.

Cheers!

Training ride 4 - Kipling to Meadowvale - 46 km

This training ride started from Kipling subway station and covered some of the same ground as the ride to Port Credit. The most scenic part of the ride was along Old Derry Rd into Meadowvale. After crossing the Credit river we cycled into Meadowvale. It was pretty with its historic homes (or at least historic styled houses) and details like the post boxes being housed in a gazebo. Otherwise the ride was through lovely Mississauga which featured subdivisions and industrial parks... In order to keep the ride interesting I tried counting the number of garage sale signs but gave up somewhere around six. Garage sale season is definitely in full swing. The road kill season is also in full swing. The count this ride: 1 raccoon (maybe it was two), 1 skunk (smelly), 2 squirrels, 2 unidentified.

I've had some questions about how heavy Bryn is, so here's a photo of me hoisting her over my head to prove how light she is. Note that this was after finishing the ride but I did take off all the luggage (like my water bottles and rack bag).

Laurie joined me for a training ride for the first time. It was a good one to start with as the route was pretty flat and the day was beautiful. Note to self for next time...more sunscreen! Here's a photo of our post ride triumph and no we didn't coordinate our shirts on purpose.