Skripper Time

Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010: My Journey

About this time a year ago, my friend Nicole called me after a run bubbling with excitement.  She had passed by the Princes Gates at the CNE and watched the Ride to Conquer Cancer participants stream out onto the road to start their 200km journey from Toronto to Niagara.  She was so moved by the sight that she decided on the spot that she (and subsequently I) should both do the ride in 2010.

Fast forward 12 months later, and I've just completed the ride of my life.  It didn't take much convincing to get me to do it - I've had more of my fair share of run ins with cancer in my life and have watched more friends and family than I care to think about go through various battles - some have won, and some have lost.  So I embarked on a training and fund-raising mission - and was able to exceed my expectations by raising over $4000 for The Campbell Family Institute at The Princess Margaret, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world.  Thanks to all those who supported me.  In total the Ride raised over $16.1 million across Canada.  THAT'S RIGHT!

The morning of the Ride arrived - and despite Mother Nature's threatening forecast, we were able to make it to Hamilton with little to no rain.  The start of the race was quite phenomenal - looking around at the over 4000 riders assembled at the start line, it was hard to miss the little yellow flags the were attached to some of the bikes.  The flags represented people who were riding that were either cancer survivors, or were currently fighting cancer.  Extraordinarily moving.  As we poured out of the CNE and onto the Lakeshore, people cheering, bikers ringing their bells - you could really feel the power of this group of people who were intent on making a difference.

  Day one went by quickly - rest stops were flush with food, drink, mechanics, medical aid and lots of encouragement.  The people who came out to cheer us on the side of the road kept us energized us through the day.  As we wound through a neighbourhood in Mississauga, a man stood at the end of his driveway with a case of water, holding out bottles for anyone who needed one.  Another couple followed us through different race points with a vuvuzela, a tambourine and a big sign that cheering everyone on.   Small children with homemade signs - or the farmer leaning against his tractor on the rural roads clapping as we went past - it was all wonderful and motivating.  Thanks to all the cheerleaders.

Nicole's friends met us twice on the route, tears streaming down the face of one of her friends as we road past. It was the cheering that kept me motivated - but also it was seeing the yellow flags bob and weave up the road ahead of me and talking to the 70 year old man who was riding for his daughter that passed away last year from a long battle with cancer.  Everyone had a story and a reason for being there - and it was the stories that inspired me and kept me going even when the riding got tough.

Day one ended with the longest possible hill up into Hamilton, followed by dinner and a movie out with our support crew (thanks Rich and Brad!).  Day two was equally inspiring - except for the part where I thought we had only less than 20km to go and a chipper little fit 20 year old told me that we actually had 27 km to go because day two was 114 km in total.  It was a moment of pain, but luckily for me, my ability to eat took over and I consumed an extra brownie with the rationale that I needed "energy".

Arriving in Niagara Falls was exhilarating - people were cheering, crying and celebrating everyone's accomplishment.  And for those who are wondering - the Ride was made up of all types - road/mountain bikes, young/old/fit/not so fit people.  If you are thinking "wow, that's great Lara, but I could never do that" - what I can tell you is that you CAN.  And while you're doing it, you'll be thinking "this is nothing compared to the battle that people face with cancer".  And when your bum hurts after riding for 5 hours you'll think "this is nothing compared to the pain that someone fighting for their life faces everyday". 

And when you finish you'll think "wow - I just made a difference, maybe just a small one, but I'm proud, so proud...of me."  And that's pretty great too.

http://to11.conquercancer.ca/

July, I thank you.

As July came to a close, and I walked down the street in the sunshine this afternoon, I realized it's been a good month.  Despite the abysmal excuse for summer weather, good things seem to have been surrounding me and I think it's appropriate to express my thanks to the karmic universe for the following:

1. My bike:  Trek 4.5 WSD Madone, bought from United Cycle in Edmonton. Props to my brother Jeff for the connection, United Cycle for the great service and my parents for trucking it home in the Escape.
2. My job:  I like it.  The people, the project, the proximity.  All good. 
3. The dating scene:  The last week and a half has been extraordinarily good.  I'm not naming names, but you know who you are.
4. My fight with the law:  I contested a traffic ticket (The PoPo and I disagreed on my approach to a red light 4 months ago).  The officer showed up in court but forgot his glasses, couldn't read the evidence, and they dismissed it.  Yeeeeehaw!
5. My hair:  I switched hairdressers and got the best haircut of my life.  Change is good.
6. My body:  All the bike riding is working - and I'm still eating ice cream.
7. My family:  Saw my brother and my cute nephew.  Wished they lived closer.
8. My friends and their cottages:  2 cottages in July, 2 more to come in August

I'm also thankful for my favourite number, which is 8, so I'll stop there.  There are more things to be thankful for (Strongbow, The Hangover, my car still running smoothly...) but the list above is the one I'm carrying in my heart. 

August - you have a lot to live up to!

Cycling Newbie Seeks Road Bike

Last summer, I bought a bike to replace the one that the local hooligans stole from my garage when I bought my house (to be fair, I didn't lock it up, so who could blame them?  I'm an idiot).  The bike that I got, the Trek 7200 WSD is great to ride, and more importantly, PRETTY.   Pretty is important when it comes to girls bikes, and Trek has that figured out.  (Pictured here in black, mine is a lovely cream yellow, with blue flower-like thingies...so delightful!). 

I didn't ride it much last summer, but this year, I've rediscovered the joy of bike riding.  I've been riding it to work, when I visit friends and out for tours along the Leslie Street Spit, Taylor Creek Park and more.  If I wasn't so afraid someone was going to steal it, I would probably ride it even more (out for dinner in the neighbourhood, etc).  I've become such an urban cyclist that I'm even going to buy panniers to put my stuff in, so that I stop jamming everything into my basket (which results in a very unstable, wobbly ride on the Danforth to and from work).  It's really freeing - riding along, appreciating your surroundings and it's good exercise.  I love it.

Now, apparently, I've become a duathlete and need to buy a road bike in order to compete with the big boys.  I was OHSOCLOSE to buying one off a friend, but the bike shop guy told me I have long legs and a short torso (his exact words were: "gee, you have really long femurs" - maybe that is a pick up line in the bike world?) so it didn't fit.  Zut alors.  I don't know much about road bikes, but what I have learned is they are EXPENSIVE!  holy guacamole - I'm not going to become an olympic cyclist, I just want to ride in an occasional race (and yes, Nicole, apparently I also want to do the Ride to Conquer Cancer next year, but I'm NOT sleeping in a tent).  And hey, guess what?  I'm still not fully employed.  So I'm scouring Craigslist and other stuff trying to find a good used one.  If anyone knows of one - pass the info over!

And once I have my speediest of chariots, then, friends, I will become a finely tuned performance athlete, who runs like a gazelle, leaps upon her bike, speeds through a course and then dashes through her final run to break all known duathlon records previously set by half Ukrainian/quarter English, quarter Irish athletes who were born and raised in Scarborough.  And whose last name ends in -sky.  And has a dog named Gatsby.

Yeah, something like that.