Mike Smith

Day 4- Swift Current to Moose Jaw (The Lost Blog)

Realized in going back that I wrote a blog that I forgot to post.

Now the lost blog

We spent the night in Swift Current. It was another long shuttle and we got in about 1:30 which meant it was another short night’s sleep. Fortunately Mother Nature decided it was time to be nice to us again. It was a sunny day but a cool start again (about 7 degrees) with a nice breeze coming almost straight out of the west. We formed up and headed out and averaged close to 40km/hr. The temperature crept up to about 14 and the wind stayed solid. The team continued to come together. Captain Dave is trying to put people in positions where they can help or be helped and the team is becoming more efficient. Today was one of those days where we had mostly Coast to Coast stops also it was short on drama which was nice. After yesterday this was a great “recovery ride”. We just rotated up and down the line and just kept rolling the wheels.

One of our stops was in a place called Parkbeg. It is just a store on the side of the road with an old abandoned house across the street. Our support team was set up and the van had the music blasting. On came “American Pie” and the sing-along was on. We all went across the street and climbed the hill to the abandoned house for some great pictures then it was back on the road.

We continued to steam along except for a few flats. One of our sponsors is a company called Slime and they supply us with a tire tube that has a “slime” in it that fills small punctures so the tire won’t flat. Unfortunately Don Fox didn’t have a small puncture but a complete blow out which left slime all over him and the bike. Yuck!

The wind continued to help and we just kept pounding along. We stayed in the high 30’s all day. We did some two up riding for one of the few times since early in the ride. We have a friend and 2008 rider named Dan Watt. Dan is a key volunteer and does our route for us. Dan is also a strong rider who likes to mess with people by pushing the pace up little by little until people start to fall off and then act all innocent. “Where did everyone go?” I was out front pulling with Melody, the day was going extremely well and was feeling a little mischievous and said “should we Watt them”. Melody nodded yes and away we went. 39km/hr, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 then finally the call “Easy”! We backed it down to 38 and had a little laugh. Our little tribute to our very good friend.

We wheeled into Moose Jaw an hour ahead of schedule. The Sears store put on a great feed and we had a fly over from Wing 15. It was a 181km day and a much needed break (if you can call 181km a break) after yesterday. We are now off to Redvers for our overnight

Epilogue

One last blog to close the door on the 2010 Sears National Kids Cancer Ride.

All the riders have different thoughts on when to do their last riding day blog. Some want to wait and reflect. I decided to do mine while it was fresh. I’ve had a few days now to look back, try to return to my regular life and to review the blogs I posted. This was one of the reasons I decided to do an epilogue. I had mentioned introducing you to our volunteer team and could have sworn I did. I remember riding and having a blog all done in my head and ready to go then I looked back at my blogs and realized I hadn’t. I guess I was a little tired that day. So here goes:

There are four groups that make this event run. The sponsors, the core foundation team, the riders and the volunteers. Of these four the volunteers might be the most important. These people give so much and get so little of the credit. They’re up before the riders and go to bed after the riders. They look after everything for us and ask for nothing in return. We were blessed to have had an incredible group of volunteers on team 1. Here they are:

Rich Maertens- Rich was our crew chief. The crew chief oversees all the volunteers and works with the ride captain to ensure everything is working. If volunteers in general get less sleep the crew chief gets the least. Rich was fantastic. He woke us up every day with a smile and a song from his Blackberry. He encouraged us every step of the way. He was organized and more than fair and a great ambassador for the cause. Having done the job before I know how hard it is and Rich nailed it.

Matt Patriquin- Matt was a gem that fell into our laps and was Rich’s partner in the cube van. As the ride approached and our volunteer group was a little, let’s say fluid, Matt was connected to us by an ambassador family. He was a total rock star. Matt has done triathlons and knows what an event like this is about. Everyday our bikes were out waiting for us and our water bottles ready to go. He anticipated our every need and was always willing to do more. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was having dinner with Matt and some other team members on his birthday.

Tim Douglas- Don’t know where to start. Tim was one of our RV drivers and has been such an important person in my life for a long time. Having him on this journey was beyond special. I told everyone on the team how lucky we were to have Tim with us and it didn’t take long for everybody to agree and love him as much as I do. Well maybe not quite as much. If there is a bigger heart anywhere in this world I haven’t seen it yet. Tim had to take a few days off during the trip and our team was all over me saying I had to do something to keep him with us. I couldn’t make that happen but they were ok when they knew he would be with us for the finish.

Doug Snow- Doug was also an RV driver. I have known Doug for a while now. He’s part of a group of guys who get together once and while for a few wings and the odd beer. But I didn’t know him the way I do now. Doug was a machine as a driver which left Tim to do the navigating. An arrangement that was best for everyone. Doug supplied us with great tunes in the RV for our shuttles and was right there with Tim making sure the RV was stocked with the necessities. Doug also became a favourite of the riders. I hope we were able to give back even a little of what he gave to us.

Eric Edwards- Eric was a driver in the other RV. I’ve known Eric for a few years now as he was a 2008 rider and a 2009 volunteer. Eric answered a late call to help us out and you can’t really describe how important it is to have a person with you that’s been there. Eric knew what was needed and was always ready to do it. An ability to laugh no matter what helps and Eric has that. Eric is a great friend of the cause.

Lori-Anne Viloria- Lori-Anne was an RV driver, massage therapist and head cheerleader. She helped keep us on the bike by tending to our sore muscles etc and did so with a smile. She was always ready to help out. Before rides, rest stops, after rides. It didn’t matter when if someone needed her help. She often did massages while grabbing bites of dinners which more often than not were not completed. She was also on the roadside to cheer us as we came by and invented a few new dance moves along the way. One was a happy “I’ve got beer” dance that if I tried to copy would put me in permanent traction.

Lisa Ferrier- Lisa was our medical person and was in the support van. Lisa was a revelation. She was unbelievably organized and her smile was ever present. I’m sure she had some down moments but if she did I never saw them. She tended to our injuries (of which there were thankfully few) kept us organized with our stuff and made sure we had our sunscreen on. Because of the funny weather we were forever shedding and adding layers and Lisa always knew whose stuff was whose. We were so lucky to have her.

Jack O’Hoke- Jack is the father of fellow rider Paul. Jack got more than he bargained for when he signed on for this trip. I’m sure he went home to sleep for a week. He was our team’s bike mechanic. The pace of this event is to say the least hectic. Jack changed countless flats, oiled chains, drove the van and had a quip for almost every occasion. He was also the very proud dad of a pretty ok son.

Jesse East- Jesse was our content person which is not what he signed on for. We had a photographer back out kind of late and asked Jesse if he would help out. He said no problem and did a great job. Jesse has also done cycling events in the past so was another great resource who could anticipate what needed to be done and was always ready to pitch in. He is also the boyfriend of Siobhan so he had a bit of a vested interest in what was happening. They were the second cutest couple on our team just behind Tim and Doug.

This is also a chance to recognize two very special people. Bob and Terry Cox. Bob and Terry are drivers for SLH and this is their third trip across with us and we were extremely lucky to have them as our team 1 drivers. The SLH drivers give up their own time to do this event and Bob and Terry go way beyond their job description. They help out in any way they can, are always willing to do more and do so with a smile and tremendous professionalism. We couldn’t do this event without the SLH drivers and Bob and Terry are simply the best. I love you guys!

So that was our volunteer team. We also had Larry Optis and Thomas Longo for a short stretch and they did a great job too.

When you spend as much time on the bike as we did during those 15 days there’s a lot of time for reflection. I was able to think about all the people that we have been touched by over these years and all the people that made it possible for me to do this. My great family, my fantastic co-workers at Coast to Coast, all of the incredible friends who supported this. I have been taken aback a bit by the well wishes since my return, how proud people are of the accomplishment (I never really looked at it that way before) and how many people read the blog (I guess I need to thank Alice for that). While I rode I thought more than a few times about something my dad said to me a long time ago. “You don’t measure a person’s worth by money or the things they have. You measure it by the people they can call their friends”. Well I can’t imagine felling any richer than I do at this moment. In fact I think that’s Forbes magazine calling right now. There must be an opening on the cover.

Thanks to all for being part of this.

Day 15-Lower Sackville to Halifax (THIS IS IT!)

I’m sitting in my hotel room in Halifax. The ride is over and I’m about to post my last blog. Still not sure how I’m feeling and not sure if mere words will be enough but here goes.

We shuttled into Lower Sackville at about 9:30 pm after our ride to Moncton. I love this night, maybe even more than the official closing tomorrow. In LS we have found a rec centre that has a large parking lot which is off to the side. They give us the whole space which is big enough for us to park all four 53’ trailers, 6 RV’s, 6 vans, 3 cube vans and set up a BBQ/party area. All the teams are now back together and it’s our last chance to be with each other before family commitments come into play. The New York Fries guys are there with their BBQ and there are a few refreshments to be had. It’s kind of “End of the Ride Part 1”. For me it was also a chance to see my foundation teammates. It was their ability and generosity to cover my absence that made it possible for me to do this. Jeff, Steven, Jenn, Kristin, Sharon, Susan, Michael and Danny. I was caught a little off guard by how emotional they were in their happiness for me. You guys are simply the best.

When we got in team 2 was already there and we started catching up. Pretty soon team 3 rolled in and the celebration got serious. I may have enjoyed myself a little too much. I finally called it a night at 3:00 am and the NYF people that were serving the refreshments told me the next day that I was one of their best customers. We had a 6:00 am wake up so this was not going to be very pretty.

Felt better than I thought I would in the morning and joined the other riders in trying to get ready while starting to organize stuff for the end of the day. This was my last night in Chateau SLH. We’ll need to unload our gear tonight. The ride promised to be fantastic. Last year we rode directly into Halifax which was too short. I worked with our route guy, Dan Watt, to change that and he came up with a great route which took us down to the south and along the ocean past Peggy’s Cove and then back up into Halifax. We had a police escort for the whole 90km ride. We worked our way down toward the ocean. I rode with a few of my team 1 teammates who have become so special to me in the last 15 days. They’ll never know how much they added to this experience. After about 20km the ocean came into sight. It was breathtaking as we turned along the coast. As we rode we started to recount some of our best moments on the ride and laughed as we rode. We also cried a little. There were a lot of both on this trip.

We got to Peggy’s Cove around 10. I have never been there before and it is flat out beautiful. We stopped at the Swiss Air memorial and then right in town by the lighthouse. The landscape is windswept with exposed rock and boulders scattered all over the place. We took some more pictures including a team picture out by the lighthouse which should be awesome.

Once we were back on the road I discovered my earlier statement about a parade ride might have been a little premature. More beautiful countryside but also some serious rollers, we had a hard time keeping the group together. The police escort was such as bonus as we approached the city. They took us through intersections and kept us on time. We rolled into the Halifax Shopping Centre. This is kind of the unofficial end or “End of the Ride Part 2”. We have made it and there is a lot of friends and family. The rider hugs and tears are full throttle now. I look but can’t find Alice. Turns out she has gone to the hotel to check in and can’t get back in time. We grab some lunch and as I sit with a plate of food I see her coming across the parking lot. She looks pretty good to these tired eyes.

More speeches at the shopping centre and then we’re off to IWK. IWK is the local pediatric oncology hospital and is a fantastic facility with wonderful people. They are hosting an Inside Ride and we are to make an appearance. We arrive just toward the end if the event. I’ve described the event before. The music is blaring and the cyclists are spinning and now they have 40 national riders singing, dancing and urging them on. The event is in their front entrance atrium and it is a little tight. The noise is deafening. There are more speeches and Jeff asks me to talk about the difference between working for the foundation and now being a rider. I spoke about how we tend to make it about numbers. How many kids affected, survival rates, etc. When you go out on the road it’s about people. Families that are hurting, hearts that are broken, courage and hope. We go to 192 communities, many are small communities and far too many have children battling this disease and they feel alone. Does anyone really know they are there? Then SNKCR rolls through and they know. It’s about hope. It was a special moment for me.

It’s now time for our last leg together. Jeff had asked me to help lead in for the finish. Finish what I helped start out of White Rock. I thanked him but said I wanted to ride in with my teammates. I rode along side Linda, Simon, Paul and Melody. We’ve been through a lot together over the 15 days. Linda is my designated hug person every day, Simon is a cancer survivor with a great sense of humour (His father was at Halifax Shopping Centre and was so proud to see a son he thought he would lose do this. Simon introduced us but his father couldn’t get any words out. Ok, cry number 6 for the day) and Melody is one of the Magnificent 7. They’ve played a huge part in defining this experience for me. We made our way to the beach to discover that Josh Nelson was there to meet us. Like we needed another reason to cry. Champagne was sprayed and toasts were made. We received our thank-you medals and proceeded to the beach. We had all picked up rocks on the beach in White Rock. Now it was time to cast them into the Atlantic. Then it was time to dip our wheels and make it official. More pictures and it was time to head to the hotel. We climbed onto our RV for the last time. Tim made sure after cleaning the RV that he kept some necessities behind. We sat on the RV with a beer. It was quiet and we just kind of looked at each other for a few minutes. Then I said “This one time at SNKCR…” (We had a lot of time on the RV to entertain each other and at one point we made a play on the movie line “this one time at Band Camp” and it was a running gag for the rest of the trip). Now we were off and running. Finishing the way we started with smiles and laughter.

We headed to the hotel to get cleaned up and then it was off to the wrap up dinner. We went to a theatre for a catered dinner. The food was great. Jeff knows how to dial up these events. Some pictures and videos of the event and thank-you’s to all the great volunteers. Jeff hates to be singled out and a fuss made about him but has no problem doing that to other people. He asked me up on stage and thanked me for my efforts. Somebody (probably had a little too much to drink already) decided to stand to applaud so of course that means everyone else needed to (couldn’t leave the poor sap standing there all alone). People thank me for my efforts but the reality is no matter how much they think I put into this I get more back. I still come out ahead. It was another special moment to add to so many others on this trip. A small group went out to finish the night on the town. I was going to go but in the end decided that some quiet time with Alice was the way to go. She has been a rock through all of this.

As I sit and do this blog I’m listening to a song. One of our riders, Jason Morningstar, has a brother that is in a two man band called TruckStop Super Friends. They have been on the ride as volunteers working like crazy then playing at community events. They wrote a song for Jason and his now two time journey across the country called Yellow Lines. It’s about being out on the road and it has so much meaning for us. It really nails the feeling of being out there.

Well that’s it. For me this was about a five hanky blog and I’m feeling seriously dehydrated. I hope I was able to share the essence of the ride. Thanks to all of you for being there with me.

“This one time at SNKCR….”

Day 14- St. John to Moncton

We rolled into St. John about 12:00. Again the Sears people were incredible. The store manager and two assistants were there to greet us and open the store for us to use the bathrooms. When we got up at 6:30 am they were there to serve us breakfast. I think they slept at the store.

After a great send off we hit the road. We have a 173km day and my legs are feeling every one of the 197km from yesterday. As we headed out the road was a little rough and very up and down. I was grinding out every pedal stroke. Our first stop was at 53 km. We had a snack and I took some Amino fast charges. I had been drinking a lot of water. Not sure what kicked in but my legs felt much better the next stage. We had a great lunch in Sussex and we were ready to roll.

This is our last ride together as team one. Tonight we roll into Sackville and join the other teams. We all ride together tomorrow so it won’t be quite the same. We have been doing a lot of two up riding the last couple of days and Dave has put me beside Melody. We’re actually a good pairing as we ride at a similar pace and are about the same strength. As we hit the next stage we hit a nice little rolling flat section with some decent pavement. We got into a rhythm in the low 40 km’s and just turned the wheels for about 3km. It was awesome. A little later we were out front again as we hit a nice downhill.  Dave had been trying to have us keep the pace down but this was just too good. We pounded down the hill which ended with a sweeping turn to the right. We went through the corner in the low 70 km’s. Simon and Don were on our wheels but everyone else was gone. It probably wasn’t the right thing to do but it was a gas.

We came into Moncton ahead of time (again) to another great reception and fantastic meal (more chilli but it was really good). We did 173 km and climbed about 5,000 feet again.

Well, it looks like I’ve made it. Tomorrow is more of a parade ride (100km at about 28km/hr). Not sure what I’m feeling yet. Tomorrow promises to be pretty emotional.

Day 13- Riviere du Loop to Edmundston

When we got into Riviere du Loop we were greeted by the boys from New York Fries. NYF is a fantastic sponsor and Craig Burt and Peter Goodman are unbelievable supporters. Craig has an RV that he has decked out in NYF logos and this is the third year he has brought it out to join us. When we rolled in at about 11:00 pm they had the BBQ going and hot food ready. I love these guys.

We woke up to one of our nicer mornings but we knew we were looking at a hard day. It was long (180km) and it was going to be hilly. New Brunswick is as hard to ride as anywhere in Canada and it was going to test our team. As we went out we rode almost immediately into a long hard climb and it shredded our group. The good climbers would ride off and the others were left to struggle along. We had to re-group and roll again. After a couple of times doing this nerves were getting frayed. Siobhan was back on the bike giving it another go. This type of riding wasn’t any better and she was struggling. She was upset she was holding the team up. I told her I would ride off the back with her and we would just go at her pace. We dropped back and did this for 4 or 5 kilometres. A tough climb loomed in the distance and Siobhan decided that it just wasn’t working again and pulled off.

 I can’t begin to tell you how much respect I have for her. She has been a consummate teammate from day one. She works hard, supports everyone, has a great sense of humour and is as tough as they come. She wanted to do every km and it’s killing me this is happening to her.

I took off to catch up to everyone and get back with the team. We continued to struggle holding the team together. Even with our issues we stayed on time. Every year a team has a day where directions just don’t seem to work. We tend to stay on secondary roads and they can get pretty twisty. When we came out of our lunch stop we were supposed to double back but instead went out in the direction we came from. We got about 8km down the road before our support realized and turned us around. The route became a little flatter and we just kept grinding. We got to our mid-afternoon stop and we were now behind schedule for really the first time on the ride. We were expected in Edmundston at 4:45 and it was now 4:30 and we were 35km away. They were discussing shuttling us. Like Siobhan I came here to do every km. I said I wanted to ride and right away 6 or 7 other riders agreed. We told the group we  were going to go hard and wouldn’t be waiting for anyone. A couple of riders decided to call it a day but 11 of us went out. Melody and I took the lead and we pounded out. There was almost immediately a big climb and Melody didn’t have her warmed up legs going so Blake jumped in beside me and we went hard. Almost everyone took turns pulling but a few just got on wheels and came for the ride. We rarely let up and averaged 38km/hr for the next 35km. But then we ran into our next problem. We didn’t know where we were going once we hit town and one of our RV’s said follow them. They didn’t know either. We ended up out through the other end of town and about 8km past our stop. We got straightened out and headed back. As we got close to our finish for at least the fourth time in the ride we faced an ugly hill to finish the day. This sucker was at least a half kilometre long probably more like a full kilometre and was pretty much a steady 15% plus climb from start to finish. We ended up doing 197km for the day and climbed a total of 5,000 feet. I spent a lot of time pulling today and I am trashed. I’m a little concerned about tomorrow. We are now shuttling to St. John.

Day 12- Montreal to Trois Riviere

First I apologize that my day numbers were a little off. Might have been a little tired while posting. Back on track now.

It appears my wall was a short one. I woke up today feeling 100% better. We spent the night in Montreal and had a slow start to the day as we worked our way out of the city. Once outside we swung out along the St. Lawrence. The ride was spectacular. We took our mid-morning break along the river with the sun shining and a great blue heron wading about 50 metres away. As we got back on the road the ride continued to be fairly flat but we were working into a 15 to 20km head/cross wind. The one thing about a wind like that is there is no relief. Every pedal stroke is a grind. I mentioned earlier that Siobhan was struggling with her injured toe. This was killing her. The pressure was constant and unrelenting. After about 15km she had to come off her bike. It was devastating for her and for us. She has been toughing it out day after day. She was part of the 7 that rode in the cold and rain from Lake Louise. I remember standing beside her before we started that day and knowing about her foot asked her if she sure she wanted to do this and she said “I came here to ride every kilometre”. At the next stop as soon as the support van showed up a few of us made a bee line to her. The tears were flowing pretty hard.

My legs were great all day. I was able to go out and grind out my pulls. It’s just so satisfying to know you’re helping your team. This ride is turning me into a rider. Before I was just someone who rode a bike. The group I ride in is fantastic. We’re always talking and supporting each other.

We got back on our bikes and continued on because that’s what you do. The riding continued to be difficult but the team has been functioning really well. People digging deep and making really strong pulls. We managed to stay on time throughout the day. We pulled into Trois Riviere on time. The receptions we have received from the Sears stores has been outstanding. The store manager, Martin, was fantastic. He took us into the store, made sure we were fed and noticed most of us weren’t wearing the official Sugoi hat so he disappeared and showed up with enough for everyone. It was a pretty good end to another emotional roller coaster. We’re now off to Rivere du Loop.

Day 11- Pickering to Belleville

We awoke in Pickering to the nicest morning of the ride. It was sunny and about 10 degrees. As we organized ourselves I walked around a truck I ran into Richard Smith, a friend from Whitby. He had taken the time to come down and wish me luck. Another nice gesture that keeps adding to the ride.

I have mentioned a few times that there had to be a wall out there with my name on it and today I found it. Yesterday was long and emotionally draining. It was also physically taxing. When Jeff asked me to be in the front group it meant holding a slow pace which is really hard on the body. It’s much easier to stretch out the legs and roll the tires. I definitely did not feel on top of my game as we got ready to go.

We made our way along to Newcastle where we headed down towards the lake and headed for Port Hope. The ride was beautiful as we had many spectacular views of Lake Ontario. Unfortunately the road was a little sketchy with some rough pavement and quite a few holes. It also had a lot of quick short climbs which made for some tough riding. I wasn’t the only one having a rough day. The rough terrain kept breaking the group up and I joined two other riders in trying to bridge the back riders up to the front group. By the lunch break I was feeling totally burned out. It didn’t get much better as we headed to the mid afternoon break. I knew dehydration would be part of the issue and was drinking as much water as I could. We also have an amino acid product that comes in pill form so I took some of those also. We had a Ride Along rider join us at this point. Richard Pantridge had applied to be a 2010 rider but had to drop out due to personal reasons. I rode at the back with Richard and all the other stuff must have kicked in as I felt 100% better for the last 50km.

We have Damon Allen in our group and he is from Belleville. The Belleville distribution centre really goes all out for us. They did again and it was great to see the reception for Damon and how special it was for him to see his family. I had the opportunity to say a few words and it was nice to be able to share what a great ambassador Damon has been.

So my wall turned out to be a half one. I hope that was the one.

Day 10- Woodstock to Mississauga

To me this is always one of the most emotional days of the ride. So many of us are from the GTA area it brings out our largest crowds. Also, it’s when most of the riders start to realize the ride is well into the second half and the end is sneaking up. Knowing I was going to see my own family for the first time in over two weeks was pretty special.

We started the day in Woodstock. National rider and teammate Linda Kay and her husband own the Sears in Woodstock and have been supporters since year one. The stop at their store in always one of the best we have. This year was no different. We had about 80 Ride Along riders join us for a great breakfast and then a police escort out of town. Even with a Ride Along group we made great time down to Brantford. We had a relatively short stop but we also picked up some more Ride Along people plus some Ride Along marshals. They included some Coast to Coast supporters I have become friends with over the years and it really kicked in the back home feeling. From there we headed to Burlington where I knew the emotional aspect would really kick up.

Burlington is where we first met Josh Nelson and his great speech with the line “ride for me until the day I can ride with you”. With the help of Drew Molnar (a 2008 rider) that day was now upon us. Also, Don McPherson the Burlington Mapleview store manager always puts on a great stop. Josh rode in after the main group to well earned applause and then after eating stood up to give the most moving speech I have ever heard. There was not a dry eye to be found. He talked about what the ride meant to him, thanked the people who made this possible and dedicated his part of the ride to friends from when he was undergoing treatment. The sad reality being that none of them are still with us. He finished with a challenge to us to continue the battle until we defeat the disease. It was hard to get on the bike but we needed to head to Oakville.

We were now about 200 strong and our pace slowed. Jeff asked me and two other ride captains to lead the group. We rolled into Oakville where another large audience awaited us. For me it meant seeing Alice, Connor and Devon. They were a sight for sore eyes. To try and recount all I was feeling in this space just wouldn’t do justice so I won’t except to say they are everything to me. My mother was also there and I hope I’ve been able to do justice to the values that she and my father tried to instil. Our dear friends the LePages were there to join the Ride Along as well as a few others. We headed off to Sherway Gardens about 300 strong. Looking back from the front of the pack was quite a sight.

When we rolled into Sherway we were on time (somehow) and there was a large group on hand to greet us. There were quite a few friends and some kids that I have coached over the years. Over 20 people in total so it was pretty special.  After some food and speeches it was time to head to Pickering where we would bunk for the next day.

A lot of local riders opted to spend the night at home. As much as I wanted to do that I knew it would be a pain for Alice to get me there and it I felt it was important to be with the team. Matt Patriquin is one of our volunteers and he has been lights out good. It was also his birthday and he was miles from home as he is from Victoria. There was an East Side Mario’s around the corner all the remaining riders and volunteers joined me in taking Matt to dinner. It was a great finish to a great day.

Day 9- Tobermory to Collingwood

We awoke this morning to our nicest one so far. It was a little overcast but a balmy 10 degrees above zero. We have joined up with Team 2 for the day but will ride as separate groups.

All the teams have members with certain idiosyncrasies. Melody has one of the smaller bladders known to mankind. We have what we call bio breaks when riders need to…you know. Well we now call them Mels. Today Melody set a new record for the shortest ride from start to first bio break. 150 metres! As we waited to start the ride Mel said “I think I need to pee, do you think I have time, oh never mind I’ll be ok”. Not! The one thing though. Repetition breeds competence. Mel may also be the fastest bio breaker in SNKCR history.

We headed for Collingwood. We started on brand new pavement and flew along for the first 10km. Then we hit a 25 km section that had been scraped which left it bumpy and rutted. It wasn’t a lot of fun. Siobhan who is still battling her sore toe was in constant pain. The vibration was unrelenting. This is one tough cookie. She was basically in tears the last five km but coming off the bike was never a consideration. We were pretty happy to see the first rest stop. When we started back out the road went back to regular black top and also went back to making great time. We picked back up to 36km/hr and just kept rolling along. We rolled into Owen Sound ahead of schedule again. We picked back up on our 45 Buffets tour with pizza, burgers and chicken alfredo.

We headed to our next stop which was Walters Falls. We now hit some great rollers. We had three climbs of over 11 percent grades. In the morning we had dedicated the ride to an ambassador girl that we lost a couple of years ago. Her father lives not too far away and when he heard about the dedication he drove to Walters Falls to meet up with us. He again told us how what we were doing honoured her memory.

We headed for Collingwood and went through scenery as nice as we’ve seen anywhere. As we came close to Collingwood we were up on the escarpment and the view of Georgian Bay was breathtaking. We came into Collingwood on time and will shuttle to Woodstock where we will start out for our big Toronto corridor ride.

We did 187 km and it was maybe our hardest ride so far.

Day 8- Montreal River to Sault Ste Marie

When you come on board for this event you do so knowing that some things aren’t going to work out the way you want. This day was one of those days for us. Ontario is a huge province and to go all the way around Lake Huron/Georgian Bay adds almost a full day so we take the Chi Cheemaun Ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory. When we originally did the schedule we didn’t realize that the ferry schedule had moved to fall hours and last ferry was 3:50. This meant we needed to make an early start for the day and would probably have to come off the bike early and shuttle to the ferry. Then to make things worse we found out last night that there was a lot of construction which was going to make it even tighter. This morning we awoke to pouring rain. Our Crew Chief along with the ride captain had to make the choice that we would not ride and would instead just shuttle ahead to the ferry. It was devastating news for the riders. We all wanted to be where we were supposed to be which was on the road. The mood was very subdued on the RV.

But where a door closes a window opens. It was decided then that we would have time to stop in Thessalon and visit a childhood cancer survivor. Chris is 30 and a 15 year survivor. He works for Thessalon Parks and Rec and runs their arena and rec centre. He loves what he does and has a real genuine enthusiasm for his work and life. The parks and rec put together lunch for us which included a couple of great soups which were of real comfort on a cold, wet and disappointing day. They reminded us that this isn’t about being on the bike but about spreading hope.

We made our way to the ferry where the day took another unexpected turn. One of my fears about doing this ride was being out of the loop and having something go wrong operationally. Today was that day. I had booked the ferry crossing and there was an error in the booking. They did not have our three cube vans booked and the ferry was full. I know if I was on the job and not riding I would have picked up the error. Instead the three cube teams now had to make a nine hour drive around the lake. This is such an emotional event and it was devastating that an error I could have fixed was going to cost these hard working guys some well deserved sleep. My teammates were so supportive but it won’t help me sleep any better tonight. 

All the teams were together for the first time since leaving Coquitlam. It was great to see everyone and we shared stories about trip so far. It sounds like things are going very well and that the teams are working well together and enjoying the experience. We will spend the night in Tobermory.