Highlights from Pancake Bay to Kingston

Rather than writing about the weather and how my bike ride went, I am going to simply focus on what I feel is more important-My cycling is always up and down and I always get to where I need to go; likewise, the weather is variable but for the most part has treated me well. So, here are some of the highlights to bring everyone up to date.

The Lund family treated Elyse and I very well in Sault Ste. Marie. Brett Lund grew up with Elyse's dad and they are still great friends, so I think Elyse really enjoyed finally meeting them. 

Brett put a good word in with the Northern Ontario CTV-Sault Ste. Marie crew & we woke up to an interview from Jairus who works for CTV. I am jacked that Brett took the time to get a crew member to share our story and Jairus created a nice awareness piece. 

A very special part of this clip is when Jack shares his view of living with Parkinson's. Pleasure meeting you Jack!! 

Video: http://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=736087&playlistId=1.822257&binId=1.817361...very

Highway 17 is known as one of Canada's most treacherous highways to cycle on and it lived up to its nasty reputation. I was actually forced onto the gravel shoulders 7 times and took a real nice fall. Luckily I escaped only with minor scrapes. 

We camped in Thessalon and Massey and then caught the Chicheemaun Ferry a day early, due to winds that were up to 50km/h from my tail, so I surprised my family just south of Tobermory at my Uncle and Aunts cottages on Myles Bay. 

I went back to Tobermory the next day because a good group of family, friends, and other supporters said they would be there to cheer me on. We were also joined by a town councillor named Ray! 

I couldn't have been more excited to see my family and friends at the cottages, and I was pumped to be able to spend the weekend with them....here is a link to a few pictures of the crew! 

"THE SWITCH" HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND"

Elyse has dedicated a huge chunk of her summer to Parkinson's Cycle of Hope and it wouldn't have been possible without the dedicated support of her and her family. Elyse is heading to Portugal for a vacation with her grandma and grandpa, so one of my great buddies, Rob Clare, has stepped up to taking over the role of support driver! 

Thank you Elyse! 

From Tobermory, Rob and I headed to Owen Sound, where we were staying the night at a friend's family cottage. Rob and I are super close with the Nisbet family, so we were both looking forward to spending some time at their cottage. 

My neighbour's cousin, Carol, met me on my ride to Owen Sound and biked to city hall with me where we met Lucia from the Parkinson's Society, a dignitary from the city, and Bruce from the Owen Sound Parkinson's Support Group! 

I stopped at a local automotive shop to inquire about a much needed oil change for the van, and we were surprised by a complimentary oil change from 

Culp's Service Station Ltd. 

Thank you!!!! 

Marty and Gail cooked a fantastic fire-grilled meal that night, and we caught up on what we have missed over the summer. I also snuck back into town to meet Louise Parisotto, who had driven from Port Elgin to hook me up with some unreal Saucony shirts. Louise and her sister, Annette, are quite the athletes and I am super thankful that they are hooking me up with such great clothing.

Owen Sound to Cambridge is about 160 km's and I was expected there by three, so Rob and I woke up at 4:30am to make sure we would be there on time...The wind was on my side and I managed to get there a few hours early!

Today was a special day. Do you remember what you were doing when you were three? Well Lyncoln Peters is one special three year old who I have been looking forward to meeting for a few months now. Lyncoln's grandfather has Parkinson's disease and he has been involved in all kinds of fundraisers because he wants to help his grandpa. Here is a link to a great picture:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100323268999357&set=t.501365126&type=3&theater

Photo of Lyncoln, My dad, & I : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100323268999357&set=t.501365126&type=3&theater 

I was lucky enough to be joined by Lyncoln and his dad today as we biked to Moose Winooski's with my dad, sister, and Don (my aunts mate)! The Waterloo Police gave us a great police escort to make sure everyone was safe from the busy Tri-City traffic! 

We arrived to Moose Winooski's where fifty or so individuals were there for a Parkinson's Cycle of Hope BBQ, donated by the Kitchener Moose Winooski's!!!! Here is a link to Moose Winooski's and I can't thank Bill enough for donating this fantastic BBQ & $250!!! http://www.charcoalgroup.ca/main9.cfm#

Today's event was awesome! We had Tri-City dignitaries there, lots of Parkinson Society Workers, and people from various areas! Big thanks goes out to Shelley Ralf and Jessica Halls for organizing this event which raised some Parkinson's awareness, along with $695.76 for Parkinson's research. 

 Jennifer Robin Robles wrote an excellent awareness piece on her blog- Ingamer Sports Blog...Check it out! http://blog.ingamer.com/2012/08/cycle-of-hope-trip-of-lifetime.html

Rob and I stayed the night with Mrs. Chaplin-Leitl and her daughter, who were both very kind and hooked us up with great meals, conversation, and a good night's sleep!

Kitchener to Woodbridge

Back roads to Woodbridge treated me well, and then Rob and I met up with our hosts for the night in Bolton ON. Christina and Steve Moricz offered their home to us because Christina had previously worked for the Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario, and PD was something near and dear to their hearts. Christina actually implemented a program called PEP, which was a manual that taught professionals how to better understand and work with individuals who have Parkinson's! 

The Moricz were top notch like any of our previous hosts, and we even got to attend the Motorcycle night they run at St. Louis Bar and Grill in Bolton. The Motorcycle crew is called Hurt'N Old Guys and they were more than welcoming. They even donated to our cause!

Woodbridge to Bowmanville by far had the busiest roads I have seen, and I could do without ever having to go near that area again in my life...the drivers were AWFULLLL. I have nothing positive to say about today other than we were given a great complimentary stay at the Cedar Camp Resort, which was a very nice campground/resort, owned by extremely nice people. Here is a link to their website and I suggest you look them up...especially if you have children! http://www.cedarparkresort.ca/

Next stop, Trenton!

We met up with Robin and Jacque, who ride a tandem bicycle, and we were given a police escort by Constable Laylund (apologize if the spelling is incorrect). 

We arrived at city hall, where we were greeted by LOTS of wonderful people who cheered us on and made Parkinson's Cycle of Hope very memorable. I was also given a certificate from a member of the Trenton dignitary for Parkinson's Cycle of Hope. 

Trenton is a super nice town, and I enjoyed everything from time I entered the town to the time I left! We stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who hosted a gathering back at their home. These folks were all very kind and Mr. Brown was very knowledgeable about Parkinson's disease. He truly appeared to know the disease inside and out. 

Something worth noting was a discussion I had with someone who had Parkinson's. He said, "Parkinson's is a lifelong commitment that you don't choose. You get chosen by luck of the draw...we don't know what causes it or why it chooses you, but one thing we know for sure is that it is a progressive disease without a cure."

One thing he also mentioned was that you may as well throw all schedules out the door because everything depends on how the medication reacts with your body. 

Trenton to Kingston

We took highway 33 from Trenton to Kingston and it was a beautiful ride through vineyards and orchids along Lake Ontario. We are staying Saturday and Sunday with Elyse's friend Katherine.

While I was cycling towards Kingston, the Minielly family members were working hard in Wyoming ON. Today they held a Parkinson's Cycle of Hope BBQ in the Foodland Parking lot and their hard work raised $821!!!!! The Minielly family also donated $100 above that! Mr. & Mrs. Minielly thank you so much! I should also thank the owner of the Wyoming Foodland for surprising the Minielly family with donating all the products for the BBQ today. Unreal to see people coming together!

Here are a few photos from today: 

Actually, we only 15 days left! Can you believe this cross country ride is nearing the end. This week has been a week filled with great people, events, and memories that have helped us bring awareness to Parkinson's disease and bring us a little bit closer to our $50 000 goal. Check out the new total all you folks have helped reach: http://psc.r-esourcecenter.com/personalevent/Personal_Event.aspx?c=IXYOc3EPYEc9TVpo

Thunder Bay to Pancake Provincial Park

Thunder Bay to Nipigon...

Trip Stats: https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158070394&r

I had great tailwind to Nipigon, so I was able to bike about 30km’s past Nipigon before a nasty storm hailed down on me. We decided to call it a day since we were staying the night in Nipigon with a Rotarian names Sumiye!

Elyse and I drove back to Nipigon and got a bite to eat at Tim Hortons and then met up with Sumiye. Sumiye has many travellers stay at her home. She showed us where we would be sleeping, offered us a shower, and then we called it a night.

 Nipigon to Terrace Bay

trip stats: https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158353011&r

The next morning, I woke to strong head winds that had built their strength through the night; however, I hopped on my bike and plugged away to Terrace Bay. Today’s route was filled with hills but it was not a huge distance so I pedalled away and ended up passing two cyclist who were heading to Halifax.

 My chain is skipping in the gear I comfortably climb hills in, so I have been forced to choose another gear. I’ve been to TWO bike shops to have this issue looked at, and I now appreciate how good of a bike mechanic James from Revolution Bicycle Shop is. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT HIM ALONG!!

I arrived in Terrace Bay and was greeted by Dean, who had helped organize our accommodations for the evening…a complimentary stay donated by Linda and Frank, owners of the Imperial Inn…..here is the website: http://www.driftersimperialmotel.ca/

I wasn’t even aware this room had been donated, but I want to thank my Aunt Liz for contacting Dean and setting up this comfortable stay.

Terrace Bay to White Lake Provincial Park

trip stats: https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158353052&r

The Facebook link to our album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.250834638353135.37621.162105320559401&type=1

This morning I toyed with the idea of being on the road at sunrise to get a jump start on the wind, but I looked out the window, in hopes of a favourable wind, and was greeted with a flag that was blowing full force in a dreadful direction. Because Lake Superior had other plans for me, I checked the forecast once again and decided I was better off sleeping the morning away. The winds were supposed to diminish as the day progressed-a drop from 25km/h to 15km/h winds was enough to tuck myself back in bed and force myself to sleep.

I am trying the thing positively about having strong headwinds, but I have not been able to come up with anything. In a previous post, I stated I actually look forward to climbing hills because they generally allow me to view spectacular sights I know I would miss sitting in a vehicle. Wind just ferociously taunts me, like having to deal with a schoolyard bully; I wish I had some control over the situation, but I accept my role as the victim and prepare for the pain and punishment about to be thrown my way.

We were on the road by approximately 10am, because I procrastinated like mad today.

I met up with Troy Adams and his buddy Kevin, who were waiting for my arrival to Marathon. Troy is currently running across Canada for brain injury awareness, and we have been looking forward to crossing paths, ever since we discovered we were embarking on similar missions.

Troy is my second cousin, but I met him for the first time when I attended his fundraising event a week before he started his run. I couldn’t believe that we had never met each other, but something in the gene pool has connected us in ways too similar to imagine. I admire Troy for running across the country it was nice to spend the afternoon talking about our travels.

6pm rolled around and I still had another 60 or so km’s to cover before arriving to camp, so I said my goodbyes, grabbed my raingear out of our crammed van, and waved to the gang as I pedalled away.

 

Elyse couldn’t comment how nice it would be to have an RV, like Troy, with a bathroom and kitchen on board, but we both agreed I am still pretty spoiled for cycling with a support van. 

I arrived to White Lake Provincial Park around 8:30pm, cooked some pasta, and crawled into my sleeping bag for the night.

White Lake Provincial Park to Wawa

trip stats: https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158353054&r

Up at 6…snooze ‘till 7 & then waste even more time making pancakes….why you ask? Because pancakes seem to pack a whack load of energy and are much easier on the taste buds than powdered milk and plain Cheerios, and I was tired today and thinking the extra energy would be appreciated later.

White River is just outside White Lake Provincial Park and is home to a childhood hero-Winnie the Pooh! A Canadian soldier got an orphaned bear cub here before departing to Europe and named it Winnipeg, after his home town. During WWI the bear ended up at England’s London Zoo, where it became popular and famous in the fictional tale. Neat eh!!!

White Lake to Wawa is about 120km and I had gloomy skies, enormous headwinds, and rain accompany me for the entire way. My left knee was under an excruciating amount of pain today and I was unable to apply much pressure on it at all, so I was forced to accommodate for this little annoyance. Although my knee was a slight nuisance today, I figured it would be fine after a rest day in Wawa.

The craziest thing about today was that the ride to Wawa is a relatively simple route and with the right conditions, would be a very fast ride; however, my most dedicated roadside companion stuck with me around every corner, blowing bone-chilling gusts of wind in my face, severely lowering my average speed, and testing my lactic filled quads for all they were worth.

I know there is nothing I can do about the wind pushing against me but I can’t believe how much more difficult my daily duty becomes when I wake up to a flag like this, blowing in my face.

One lesson this wind is teaching me is that what doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you! I mean, in the long run, all this headwind nonsense will probably make me stronger BUT it also weakens my legs for the days to come….blah, blah, blah…that’s my rant for today!!!!

Putting My Thoughts On Paper

One of the hardest questions I think someone can ask is:  “What is one word that describes you”

I feel I can confidently reply: “DETERMINED”

I have been told many times about the importance of writing down my goals, but I have never fully understood how to do this in a way that worked for me. I am a perfectionist, so I find setting goals can be detrimental, because I chalk it up as a failure if I don’t reach the goal.

The aspect I have been missing is that goals are something to aspire to attain. It is about the means to an end as much as it is about the goal itself. Today it clicked; years of stressing out about not obtaining a goal could have been eliminated by added flux to each goal.

John Davidson, the guy who pushed his kid across Canada to in an incredible feat called Jesse’s Journey said something like, “ I could probably forgive myself if I didn’t succeed in running across Canada, but I probably couldn’t forgive myself if I had never set out to try.

Before I left, I skimmed through the book he wrote those words caught my eye. BUT here is what I thought: I couldn’t forgive myself for not trying to bike across Canada, but I would also consider it a fail if I didn’t successfully complete the journey how I had originally planned. I truly believed if I didn’t make it across the country, I would be a complete failure and disappointment to a lot of people.

Something very bad would have to happen to force me to quit this journey; however, I have found I’m by far my most difficult critic. I was stressing out when I couldn’t upload daily blogs to the internet, and I would be very mad at myself when my Polar Watch deleted files because I hadn’t uploaded them to the internet in time (an impossible feat, as there is often no internet).

Today I realized life is a relatively short process where we only have so much time to do what I want to do. I need to keep setting challenging goals for myself, but I need to be constantly re-evaluating these goals….Reasonable, practical, and positive goals are what I need to set my sights on. My determination is almost too strong, and I need to make sure my determination doesn’t drive me mad.

   

Uploading daily blogs is out of the question, but I will upload them when I can. When I receive angry emails from someone criticizing how I am handling this ride….I will ask them, “What are you doing?” I can’t magically create internet access so I am simply going to have to settle for a practical solution….upload them when I can!

I think I will be much happier focusing on “trying”, rather than “having”, to reach a goal. I’m simply going to set challenging goals and settle for trying to achieve them.  Be true to myself and do the best that I can do.

I spent too many years listening to psychology professors speak about genetics and statistics. I was always critical about what they were saying….yes, they are masters of what they study, but I think willpower and determination are two variables way underestimated by the professors who lectured me. If I listened to the physiotherapist, my body would be demolished by now. If I listened to my professors, my genetics would be running my show. But if I forget about all the statistical static I can’t control, and I start focusing on trying to do what I can do, I am confident I can become part of a statistic that I want to be.

Dr. Suess has it all figured out: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...

Stop listening to what others think and listen to yourself… you are the only one who can do what you are meant to do.

Wawa

Trip Stats: https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158353054&r

We are currently at the Wawa RV campground-Great campsite!! http://www.wawarv.com/

Thunderstorms and rain have been keeping us confined to our two-man tent, and we are looking forward to getting back on the road tomorrow. The rain is refreshing and the weather at night is dropping to 15 or so degrees Celsius, making for comfortable fall-like sleeping weather!

I want to thank everyone who has donated, because you have brought Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope to 75% of the way to the $50 000 goal. It is truly incredible to witness the goodwill of Canadians (and the US neighbours we have met on our trip). T.E.A.M is the heart of this cause…together we can unite to make a difference! A connected community of lots of people working against PD!!!

"Contribute to life rather than merely borrowing from it and strive to make it a better place to live." 
           -Anonymous author

I also want to thank the people who are emailing us about the ways they can help!

There is going to be a big bash at Moose Wanooskies in Kitchener, ON Tuesday August the 14^th for anyone who wants to join. I have been looking forward to this day ever since I got an email from Shelley, saying a three year old boy named Lyncoln will be there to join me on my ride. Here are the details for the event:

EVERYONE WELCOME: details for our Cycle of Hope event coming up in Kitchener on Tuesday, August 14th.

The event is taking place at Moose Winooski’s, Sportsworld Crossing, 20 Heldmann Rd Kitchener.

BBQ for all!!! 

Moose Winooski’s has generously donated the bbq for us which will begin at 3:30 pm. BBQ is free, but we are accepting donations which will be directed to Cycle of Hope. All family members, friends, etc should meet at this location.

Please Join!!!

All cyclists will meet me at the intersection of Speedsville Rd and Maple Grove Rd at 3:00 p.m. where we will get assembled to ride in. We have a police escort as this can be a busy stretch of highway at this time of day. We will be leaving this spot at 3:30 p.m. heading down Maple Grove Rd to Sportsworld. It is approximately a 15 minute ride and we need to be at Sportsworld by 4:00 pm for the formalities.

Another Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope fundraiser is in the plans at the Wyoming Foodland. The Minielly family is organizing a BBQ on the 18^th so if you can make it out that way, please do!!!! Thanks Mr. & Mrs. Minielly!!!!! I will make sure to keep you posted on the details about times etc!!!

Other than that, I always love to get encouraging emails and please keep telling people about Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope!!!

Wawa to Pancake!

Trip Stats: https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158516017&r

150kms of hills and headwind lurking around every corner. I’ve been cycling through 20km/h+ headwinds whistling directly on my face since Nipigon, but today my attitude changed.

As I push my body through energy demands, I grow with each pedal stroke. I was getting caught up with how difficult each day was, because I know I can go so much faster when the wind is behind me. Today I realized I have put my entire heart and soul into Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope because it is something I truly believe in.

The world bustles onward without me, my classmates are being hired, and someone else is earning my usual summer wage; however, Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope creates the opportunity to help someone other than myself. An intrinsic reward that can’t be beat!

The other day Troy and I were discussing the “Nay Sayers” who didn’t and still don’t believe in us. The pessimistic people in the world who want their opinions to matter; The people telling us that everyone bikes across Canada and that it isn’t a big deal, or that Terry Fox has already ran it.

I have literally put everything I own into this ride, as has Troy. Our families and friends have stepped up to the plate more than we could ask for, and people we don’t know are connecting with our goal…I don’t agree that everyone does what we are doing. We are putting bodies through the extreme because we believe in providing the possibility of a better future.

I don’t know what my limits are, but I know I am willing to reach and exceed them if you are willing to do what you can!

I’m currently uploading these blogs from a little coffee shop in Lions Head, ON, and I will be cycling to Owen Sound ON today to meet a great crew of people at the Owen Sound Farmers Market at 4. Hope to see you there!!!

PS. Don’t forget about the event Tuesday at Moose Wanooskies! I have a huge day of biking to go from Owen Sound to Moose Wanooskies in time for this event BUT I WILL BE THERE SO I HOPE YOU WILL BE!

I will upload the remainder of my days soon!

Fun Facts & FAQ's about Parkinson's Cycle of Hope!

Fun Facts and FAQ’s

Where are you cycling to?

Vancouver to Halifax

How far is that?

The route I am taking is zigzaggin’ all over the place but the total distance ends up being slightly over 7000 km’s or something…I don’t really know actually…I mean I have a bike map that tells me but I never even try to remember....take it day by day!

How long will it take you?

72 days…started June 26^th and I will be in Halifax September 3^rd

How many people are doing this?

I am the only one cycling, but Elyse is driving a support van from Van-Tobermory, ON and then one of my best buddies is driving the rest.

I also have a huge group of people dedicating countless hours to trying to find us places to stay with people who have Parkinson’s disease, and I was able to secure several great sponsors that helped make this possible. There are lots of other awesome people who have helped me in numerous ways…they know who they are.

Why did you decide to cycle across Canada?

My father has Parkinson’s, but he is very hopeful of a cure….he devoted a big chunk of his life to taking care of me, and I want to give back to him in the smallest way that I can.

If I was smart enough to devote my life to Parkinson’s research in a lab, I would do that; however, cycling is something I knew I could do, and devoting a summer to cycling for a cause so close to my heart feels like something I just have to do. I didn’t really think of a reason why…it just had to happen…the reasons came after…I wanted to raise money that would go directly to finding a cure for Parkinson’s research and I wanted to spread awareness across Canada, because I only knew Michael J Fox and Muhammad Ali had Parkinson’s and that they both were affected by tremors. Once I saw someone I loved be affected by a disease I knew virtually nothing about, I had to try to bring more attention to Parkinson’s. Over 100 000 people are affected by Parkinson’s disease in Canada and that number is expected to double by 2016...I think that is a good enough reason to do what I am doing.

So, I guess my initial inspiration was my dad, but what keeps me going is the support from others. I have heard the saying TEAM-Together Everyone Achieves More, and I would just be a kid biking across a big country if it wasn’t for the 1000’s of people backing me!

Where do you sleep?

We have been fortunate to secure places to stay with people who have Parkinson’s. We don’t have a spot secured everywhere, so we pitch a tent when we don’t.

How many Miles do you bike per day?

I am a Canadian boy, so I am cycling about 120 km’s on average per day according to my bike map. I guess that would be about 75 miles eh?

You must love cycling!

Nope, I am teaching myself how to get through it…daily struggle that gets easier as I go. Basically just learned as much as I could about riding across Canada and then threw myself in the situation!

Do you listen to music while riding?

Not really…I usually entertain myself by focusing on how to make my ride more efficient and making sure I am not going to become road kill.

Does it scare you to cycle with all the traffic?

I have been scared a few times, but the traffic has been very considerate for the most part. Rather than be scared, I tend to be cautious and do everything I can to keep me safe…bright clothing, helmet, and a mirror seem to do the trick!

What is the fastest speed you have travelled?

Almost 70kms/hour….yes, I know what you are thinking….stupid….I agree with you, but I can’t touch the brakes after climbing mountains….I have faith in myself…unfortunately I have to put a bit of faith in the hands of drivers and my bike.

How many days has it rained?

I have been pretty lucky with not having much rain, and nothing bothers me except wind…I HATE headwinds, and I have unfortunately been cycling against a ton of headwind. I would take a tornado over a headwind as long as it came from behind me and pushed me in the right direction!

On a positive note…the headwinds have made me stronger, so I am able to reach way faster speeds now!!

What was your hardest day?

Cycling 150 km’s from Revelstoke to Golden BC. It is a nasty uphill battle and I ran out of water and food for 40kms….

Another very difficult day was from Medicine Hat Alberta to Gull Lake Saskatchewan…it was 170km’s and unfortunately the prevailing winds didn’t have my back….I was sick for two days before this day and I had a hell of a time cycling against a 20+ km/hour head wind….I was on my 6^th day of cycling and only a few weeks into my ride, so my legs were just screaming!

How many days do you ride?

I cycle 6 days on and then have one day off

What is your longest day?

I have cycled 180km’s in one day, but I am sure I could have cycled much further….the thing is I don’t have the flexibility to choose to go far when I’m feeling good, and stop when I am feeling bad….because the most important part of my ride is staying with people who have Parkinson’s disease, I simply have to stick to the distance I am supposed to travel.

How can I help?

If you are able, you can donate online at www.pdcycle.com and you can always spread the word and follow along throughout the journey!
Where does the money go?
The funds raised will be attributed to the area from which the donation came from. Therefore, you will be directly supporting research in your own area to help the people around you!!!

I’m pretty sleepy so I can’t recall the other common questions, but I am more than willing to answer any curious questions through www.pdcycle.com, twitter: @CoryWelsh9, or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parkinsons-Cycle-of-Hope/162105320559401?ref=hl so send away!

Fun Facts

I have had zero flat tires….that is correct….zero….I may kick myself for saying it today, but I am pretty pumped! Maybe I will get across the entire country!!!

I have not seen a moose yet

I wanted to see a grizzly bear, but I didn’t see one.

I basically eat nothing but white bread, granola bars, protein bars, and peanut butter. I am addicted to PB so it works out pretty well…I have always enjoyed eating whole grains, but I need the quick carbs that white breads offer.

My second cousin is currently running across Canada and I didn’t hear about it until a week before he left. Check out www.troysrun.com! There must be something wrong in our gene pool!!

Thunder Bay to Nipigon

Decided we were lazy today, so we drove to Tim Hortons to pick up something to fuel me for the ride to Nipigon. I skimmed through the Chronical Journal, which covers a very large geographical area around here, and Sandi wrote a great article about our ride! Big thanks!!!!

 The ride to Nipigon was only around 100 km's, so I figured I would try to cycle a bit further because I have been hearing a lot about the hills I am going to be climbing for the next few days. I planned on starting my ride right in Tbay on HWY 11/17; however, construction signs were very clearly posted, stating, "No cycling". I considered ignoring the signs, like the kid who now has a court date because of his stupidness on the Trans Can in Quebec, but I immediately decided a smarter decision was to drive a few km's ahead and begin when allowed. The ironic thing was the area I was unable to ride was directly around the Terry Fox Memorial Site.

Anyways, the weather today couldn't have been more of a varied spectrum...I looked at the Thunder Bay weather and it was showing sun, rain, cloud, wind, and Thunderstorms....the wind was almost 30 km's from the SW at times which was VERY beneficial during my ride from Thunder Bay to Nipigon; however, I decided to keep cycling against that wind once I wrapped around lake superior....the wind was insane but it was a lot of fun to cycle through....I enjoyed having it at my tail to start and then I didn't mind cycling through the headwind for some weird reason today....probably because the weather was over 31C before the Thunderstorm came and the wind cooled me off a bit.

My heart rate was out of control today, because I was slacking in the hydration department....I can't even try to calculate how much fluid I have drank since my ride, and I am still nowhere near hydrated. I will keep hammering the fluids tonight and I should be ready to start my ride tomorrow.

Regardless, I am 30km's beyond Nipigon, and I am eager to climb the hills ahead. I actually enjoy climbing hills at this point, because I have greatly improved my cycling ability since I first started training for this ride. I understand my body, how I need to fuel it, and the limits I can push it to without any problems the next day. I don't even blink at 100+ km's now, but I can remember cringing at anything over 25 when I first started training.

Here are the trip stats for today:  https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=158070394&r


I am not positive how the service will be for the next few days, but I will try to keep you updated!