Gull Lake to Chaplin (142km)

Gull Lake to Chaplin (142km) trip stats

https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=156966407&r


We headed towards Chaplin today and the ride was good. The weather cooperated and the scenery was like nothing else I have seen yet. There are sloughs, waterfowl, and shorebirds everywhere and there is always something to look at.

We stayed arrived in Chaplin and stopped at the Chaplin Nature Center to see what it was all about. We had noticed it looks like there is salt everywhere and their welcoming sign talks about salt....turns out Chaplin is home to one of the most Saline bodies of water in the world and an incredible amount of birds come to Chaplin. We had a tour of the nature center and the guide mentioned they have a type of pelican that has its young there, but they fly 60 miles each day to a different body of water to catch fish that they bring back to feed their young....that is one ambitious bird doing what it has to do!

I forget how rare these albino coyotes are but they are extremely rare!

We saw the real thing, but this model helped describe how the mine and saline body of water actually thrive off each other...it was pretty nice to think this mine wasn't destroying the world.

We asked for directions to the campground and Bev from Gull Lake had called  Geri Ball in Chaplin to organize our stay for the night and she was able to get the city to allow us to camp for free.

This campground was strange because it is right in a town park, but we enjoyed our stay and met a very interesting man named "Presty". Presty was pulling a huge Airstream trailer with an F450 truck and he noticed I was working on my bike. He mentioned that he was a mechanic for the movie industry in Vancouver and had some stuff that would help me remove the grease....I was pretty skeptical at first because I only have one bike and I have had lots of people who think they know how to help....BUT, Presty was awesome...he cleaned my bike up, donated to our ride, and offered to have us join him for a movie. Presty gave us tons of craft dinner, a space heater, and a folding pylon for Elyse to put behind her when she stops on the road. We even woke up to boiled eggs from Presty for the ride...He entertained us with some incredible stories and made out night!

Medicine Hat to Gull Lake (121km)

Here are the trip stats for today.

https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=156966351&r

Today was the worst day of the ride. We were crossing from Alberta into Saskatchewan and looking forward to the strong prevailing west winds.....BUT...NOPE...huge east winds upwards of 25km/hour just killed my desire to ride. I was absolutely exhausted before I even started this ride and from Medicine Hat, AB to Gull Lake, SK is around 160km. I was so rattled about strong east winds on the longest day I have, but I kept on givin'er. It was also raining all day but that doesn't bother me.

I saw this video called, "Sh*t Cyclist Say" several months ago and I never really thought it was that funny until now....endurance activities are such a mental game and it is incredible how many things affect how efficiently I am able to ride my bike.... nutrition, sleep, and wind are the most important things to me....I'm still trying to find my groove because I am having a ton of trouble right now with keeping solids and liquids down and I am pooched, but I have to keep cycling. 


Here is the video about cycling if anyone wants to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMCkuqL9IcM

I also had to make a modification to my bike today....my hands are bruised and feel like the bones are going to fracture of something haha, so I wanted to soften the grips up and the only thing I could use were socks and tape!

Basically I wake up every morning hoping to find a west wind, because your day becomes sooooo much harder the minute you have wind blowing in your face. So, needless to say today was a huge mental and physical struggle, but I realized something important....my mind is stronger than my body and my stubbornness would put me in the hospital before giving up, but that kind of stubbornness is pure stupidity. 


Because I have planned my ride to be able to stay with people who have Parkinson's, I have a set date and time I need to arrive somewhere each day....unfortunately, I can't control the weather and I am just going to have to accept that there are going to be a few days throughout these 72 days where I am not going to be able to cycle the entire distance.


 Thankfully, I have a wonderful support system driving a support vehicle near me...she is my commonsense and starts piping up when she can see I am pushing myself beyond safe limits. Today was the first day I had to make the wise decision and call 121km, against a strong east wind, a day...I was wobbling like mad and having to stop just as much as I was cycling....I probably could have made it to Gull Lake, but I most likely would have done some damage to my body that one day's rest would not heal.

Posting individuals pictures is not practical, so providing a link to all the pictures Elyse is taking will not only allow you to see more pictures, but make my life a little easier. Here is the link for the pictures from Med. Hat to Gull Lake, SK http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245768725526393.36244.162105320559401&type=3

We drove the remainder of the km's to Gull Lake and checked into the Lazy Dee Motel for two nights (compliments of the town!!!! Thank you). Next, Elyse and I drove around the town to look for somewhere to eat and decided to eat at the Horse Shoe Corner Diner....We sat down beside two other cyclists who also said the wind was killer....they bikes 50 km's and called it quits....I was starving so I ordered two meals and the waitress laughed at me....I have ordered two meals at plenty of restaurants before because one sometimes doesn't fill me up. I found out I am using around 500-550 calories/ hour and some days cycling for several hours....I soon found out why the waitress was laughing. The Horse Shoe Corner Diner is not a normal diner...they have the biggest portions I have ever seen, and prices that can't be beat....it actually doesn't make any sense to me, but I was happy that we ate there!

I sort of stick out like a sore thumb in these little towns, because I am not a familiar face and I always wearing the brightest/dirtiest clothing. In today's case that worked to my advantage, because Peggy lives in Gull Lake and had heard about us coming to town. She asked if we had anywhere to stay and then apologized for not offering her home because she was scared we may be two sketchy transient travelers. I completely understand where she is coming from because today I have passed one of the meanest looking people for the third time....I don't know how the guy gets picked up, because I always make sure to cycle as far away from him as possible....his stare and snarl is terrifying to say the least. 

Peggy brought Elyse and I a case of water and some money from her and a few seniors she knows!!! We also got an invite to her backyard potluck for the following night and the local minister Bev. bought us groceries for the day. We have some money and I am not the kind of person who is good at accepting handouts like this, but they ensured us this is what they wanted to help us with...so I want to thank them for taking care of us and showing us a good time in Gull Lake!

Taber to Medicine Hat (113km)

Well, I finally have the training files under control again! Here is the link: 

https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/user/calendar/item/analyze.ftl?id=156966314&r

Today's ride was HOT! I had trouble last night staying hydrated and then woke up without an appetite....forced myself to eat food all day because I knew I needed it for energy; however, I started throwing up and having a terrible time towards the last 25km's. Eventually I filled my hydra-pack with Gatorade powder and literally drank it continuously for the last two hours....it was a painful trek but I got it done! 

Cool fact: Medicine Hat receives 2 512 hours of sunlight per year, making it the sunniest spot in Canada!

We arrived in Medicine Hat and called my mom to find out if we had anywhere to stay...we found out we were staying at the Comfort Inn, and when we arrived we were welcomed by these great folks!!!! Can't explain how great it is to meet people who have Parkinson's and hear their stories! I apologize for being so sweaty!!! 

 I also want to thank Stacey Lee for writing this article to share with Medicine Hat!!! http://www.medicinehatnews.com/local-news/ontario-native-biking-across-canada-for-parkinsons-07122012.html

Granum to Taber (112km)

Today started off a bit rough when Elyse heard something go flying off the van. I chalked it up as loose dirt spinning off from the tires, but I actually left her keys on the roof and they ended up being shattered by the trucks behind us. I thought I had learned my lesson when I left my cellphone on the roof in North Vanvouver...unfortunately, my cellphone made it and the keys did not.

The ride itself was fairly decent until we got into Lethbridge, where I had to be very keen of what was happening around me. There were no bike lanes going through town and lots of merging lanes, but I kept a close eye on the cars zooming around me and managed to meet up with Caroline Zentner from the Lethbridge Herald. Elyse locked the keys in the car, so we had lots of time to speak with Caroline while we waited for CAA to come. 

Thanks for meeting with us Caroline!!

http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/local-news/coast-to-coast-for-parkinsons-71312.html

We met with Caroline at 1 and had to be in Taber (50km's away) at 3 to meet with Greg Price (who was absolutely fantastic-he wrote an article leading up to our arrival and a follow up article, as well as contacting other media sources around his area!) So, I hustled and made it work and then checked into the Heritage Inn  in Taber. Thank you for the complimentary stay Heritage Inn!!!!http://www.heritageinn.net/Home?session_location_start=9

When I entered Taber, I saw a sign saying there was a rodeo in town tonight, so Elyse and I checked it out....it was probably more entertaining than the Calgary Stampede, because the Bull Fighters were just bananas. The one bull fighter had a shattered sternum and the other one was standing on barrels and jumping over the bull etc. Crazy how close they got to those massive animals.

The sun was hot again today, so I asked Elyse if we could call it a day and head back to the hotel room to get ready for Medicine Hat tomorrow.  

Here is a link to a whack-load of photos Elyse took from Calgary to Taber.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245760545527211.36242.162105320559401&type=3

Calgary to Granum (150km's) W/ special appearance from Josh Bressett

This morning I was joined by Josh Bresett, whom I played a lot of hockey with growing up. Josh grew up in Forest Ontario and goes by the nickname “Beast”. I was happy to have him cycle with me! He is working in Lloydminster, SK and made the trek down to visit his friend in Calgary and do a few clicks with me. It has been over four years since we saw each other, so we had lots of catching up to do!

We traveled down hwy 2 and Beast was getting a little sore. He cycled 100km but wasn't sure if he would make it to Granum, so Elyse switched spots with him and finished the remainder of the ride. Elyse has been wanting to cycle so badly because she is getting very bored waiting for me, so it was great to be able to give Josh a break and Elyse some exercise. 

We stopped outside a variety store in Claresholm AB, and Rob from Claresholm Local Press happened to see the van and stopped by to interview us! He knew a lot of people in Claresholm and surrounding area who had Parkinson's and we were pumped that he helped us out!

Josh grabbed 2 large Slushies for the road, and Elyse and I were off on two wheels. The weather was awesome and made for pleasant trip to the smallest town in Alberta. Granum, AB. 

We stayed at the Grandview Recreation Park in Granum and searched the park for some trees to shade us from the sun!

Canmore to Calgary (104 km)

So, I have allowed my blog to fall way behind, and I am currently updating my experience from Brandon MB. 

Unfortunately I lost ton of trip logs for a few days because I didn’t realize my watch only saves a few days of training files and then automatically deletes them…the gps situation is giving me nightmares and it is something I wish I was able to play with prior to the ride, so I would have all the bugs out. I enjoy being able to share the trip statistics with everyone, and I like the idea of being able to look back on the files one day. I didn’t realize my watch was deleting files until we got to Taber, so I apologize to those people that enjoy seeing how slow I am cycling and how high my heart rate flies when I am exhausted!

Anyways, my legs were just screaming today and every pedal stroke was a struggle. The sun decided to come out today and just drill me with heat, but that was okay because I will take heat over headwinds anytime!

I made it to Calgary and met up with a buddy to check out the Stampede. If you don’t know anything about the Calgary Stampede, Calgary residents are CRAZY about their cowboys. It is the centennial year of the Stampede and it is a pretty busy place….it was something to see the crazy cowboys riding the bulls, but the coolest part of the rodeo was by far the hula-hoop act. I am having trouble uploading the video but I will try to get it up for viewing ASAP.

After the stampede I met up with a huge gang from the Parkinson’s Alberta Society at the Holiday Inn we stayed at in Calgary. It was awesome to see everyone supporting Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope!

This link has a few pictures (Alberta style) compliments of Laurine Fillo's awesome photography skills!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245767538859845.36243.162105320559401&type=3

We had tickets to see the Grandstand Show at the Stampede that night, and Mr. & Mrs. Fillo invited Elyse and I to a neighbourhood BBQ at David’s father’s house to fill up on a home cooked meal before we toured down to that event.

Laurine is one of the youngest people I have met with PD, but it was refreshing to hear her optimism and positive outlook. Today we felt some negative vibes from people who said Parkinson’s Cycle of Hope isn’t really that important, and I should have never came through Calgary during the Stampede, but Laurine and David are super chill individuals and they shared some words to inspire me to stay positive and know  this bike ride is going to touch people in ways I will probably never even realize. I can’t let the naysayers bring me down and we quickly turned towards discussing the ways to improve living with Parkinson’s.

Laurine doesn’t have any tremors, but her body stiffens up on her quite a bit. One way Laurine manages her symptoms is working with music therapy. She has always been an active women, who loved to run, so every day she throws her iPod  on and walks to music that helps break the gait and allows her to walk more efficiently! I have read a lot about how gait affects some people who have PD, but Laurine was the first person to be living proof of the positive effects of using music therapy! Maybe give it a try!!!!

We enjoyed our time spent with the Fillo’s that Elyse and I decided to stick around a little later and just head back to the hotel instead of going to see the Grandstand Show. A couple individuals at the BBQ donated money towards our goal, and the Fillo family treated us like their children. I feel like Elyse or I could call Laurine or David and they would do anything they could to help us out. I don’t think they know how much we appreciate what they have done for us!

I was excited to head to the hotel and have a Epsom salt bath, because my legs were feeling pretty bad and my buddy told me it helps him after rugby games. I gave it a try and it seemed to help….if not actually, mentally!

Lake Louise to Canmore (83km)

Unfortunately I didn't upload the trip logs from today to the computer in time and the GPS File was deleted.

Today’s ride was nice because I keep hearing about the heatwave back home and I know it is heading my way, but today was 4C in the morning and slowly warmed up. I am finally getting past the big climbs but the scenery is still beautiful. We took highway 1A so we could tour through Banff National Park and it was a pretty, pretty ride.

We didn’t have anyone to stay with today, which we are always bummed about; however, we were given a complimentary stay at the Grand Rockies Resort. This place is beautiful, but even better it allowed us to get some laundry done. Check out the Grand Rockies if you are ever in Canmore…you won’t be disappointed!!! http://www.granderockies.com/

We met up with Dave Wifield from Rocky Mountain Outlook, and he interviewed Elyse and I to write an article for awareness…you can view the article at http://www.rmoutlook.com/article/20120712/RMO0801/307129991/-1/rmo0801/cyclist-crossing-country-for-parkinsons

Next, we toured around Canmore for a bit to see what it had to offer, but we spent the majority of the night just getting ready for the ride tomorrow.