A Few Reflections

It has been a week since I've returned home from the Bike Tour. I'm still feeling sad that it is over... My serious training began the beginning of March with a personal trainer and then in April/May outside on my bike. After feeling as though preparing/training for the tour consumed the better part of my life for the past 6 months, I'm feeling a bit at a loss... The biggest question is where do I go from here? As far as fitness goes, I would like to continue with my trainer, Helen. My physiotherapist has recommended doing some other sports activities in order to give my cycling muscles a bit of a break. Walking, swimming/aquabics come to mind... I am now missing the daily dose of fresh air that cycling gave me every day, so perhaps I'll begin riding to school??? Can I fit all my books/marking into my Dutch panniers???

The past week and the return to reality with school starting up again are a bit of a blur. I felt as though I was living in a fog. I felt physically exhausted for the entire week and only today am feeling like I have energy to carry on. Thankfully, I have a really great class this year. They made my first week at school quite easy. I have to admit, all I could do last week was the bare minimum. I'm glad it's over.

Yesterday I was able to get out for a shorter ride with Pete. We cycled one of our circuits from Hamilton to the Grand River and back. It felt easy and 50 km. was no longer a daunting distance! I couldn't believe how easy the hills were! I guess everything pales to the Appalachians of PA & NJ now! Maybe I should go back to Sydenham Hill in Dundas and see if I can make it up this time?!!!

Well, I'll sign off here as some schoolwork calls... Photos are still to come...

The Grand Finale!

Well, the Sea to Sea Bike Tour 2008 has officially ended. What an incredible feeling of accomplishment! What an awesome memory! It's hard to believe that it is all done. I have mixed feelings about that... sad that the fantastic sense of community is no longer... sad that cycling every day through gorgeous landscapes is over, but grateful that I do not have to cycle up such large inclines anytime soon!!

Our final day began with a buzz! We were feeling some pressure to cycle the 80 km. to our staging area by 1:00 p.m. Thankfully, Pete and I were able to get started by 7:30 a.m., so we could afford to stop for a few brief breaks. We began in light precipitation again. That was a bit stressful as it was somewhat foggy and the roads (including some steep areas) were a bit slippery. We had some tough climbs again -- though not quite as tough as the day's before. Much of our cycling was in urban, built-up areas, which were not as much fun for me. I dislike riding with a lot of traffic.

Along the way to Jersey City, Pete and I stopped for a second breakfast at a little cafe enjoyed by the locals. There we tried out the local "Taylor ham" with eggs and cheese on a bagel -- yummy! Our friends, Gayle and Rob, happened to pop in at the same venue, so we enjoyed a hearty conversation with lots of laughs over this second breakfast.

Pete and I continued the rest of the way with no major stops... Gayle and Rob took advantage of an ice cream joint along the way (and unfortunately, had to deal with a flat tire just before arriving at the staging area). We made it to our staging area before 1:00 p.m., so there was time for a snack and then the official "group photo". At around 1:30 p.m., we were instructed to line up and cycle 3-4 abreast in order to take up a lane of traffic. Police escorted our ride for about the last 20 km. Some significant highways were blocked so that we could carry on as one group. What a sight we were, filling up the road with our matching jerseys, a blue and yellow stream of bikes! It was an incredible feeling! The excitement was contagious as cars honked at us and people cheered and clapped along the route. We eventually cycled into Liberty State Park in Jersey City, situated right across from Ellis Island, the place at which immigrants were admitted to the U.S.A. for so many years. During our final stretch, Mom & Dad, Nancy, Meridan & James greeted us with blasts from horns and clapping and cheering -- fabulous! Upon reaching the boat launch, we lined up several people deep and took turns dipping tires in the Atlantic Ocean. That's when reality hit! What a celebration!

After some words were shared, we were shuttled to a school in Wyckhoff, NJ, where we could pick up our bikes (also shuttled in tractor trailers) and gear. It was a time for setting out wet tents to dry, showering and getting ready for the "final supper" and the final Celebration Rally. Nancy met Pete and me and took our gear & bikes back to the hotel while Pete and I went to the dinner for the cyclists. We enjoyed another feast, this one hosted by Cedar Hill CRC. We ate and laughed with fellow cyclists, Dave V. and Rick D. from Pete's church and riding buddies, Gayle and Rob. Following the meal was the Celebration Rally, which I really enjoyed. The singing was great, the speaker inspiring and the testimonies enlightening! We were challenged by the speaker who had studied with Dr. John Perkins from Mendenhall, Mississippi, and had helped to bring transformation to a community in Boston, to think of ways to bring transformation to our own communities from the grassroots level. Dreaming of what the community would look like in the future helped pave the way for change, one step at a time. Now our job is to listen to/find what God is doing/where He's moving in our communities and tap into His design. There is hope for every community!

With that challenge in mind, I said my farewells to newfound cycling friends and await what God has next in store for me.
As I finish writing this, I am safe and sound at home, having spent 12 hours on the train from New York City (Penn Station, Manhattan) to Aldershot, ON today. What an enjoyable way to travel. Mom & Dad came along for the train ride while Nan & Pete and kids transported all the bike gear home in their van. I spent much of the day dozing in the train, but managed to catch some pretty scenery along the way. It was a relaxing trip home, but now the real life begins... School starts in two days!

The tour has been intense... I am still sifting through my thoughts/reflections and will add more posts in the next couple of days. I also hope to post some of the photo highlights. Stay tuned...

Wow! What a Day!

I'm writing from the Sijtsema household near Sussex, NJ. They have graciously opened their home to a few of us in order to shower. Pete and I were the last two to come into camp at the school this evening, so we missed the open showers at the school. Gayle, fellow cyclist, was able to snag this shower for us. How great!

Wow! Today was quite the day!!! First of all, I'm glad it's done! We cycled 140.99 km through gorgeous countryside landscapes. The hills were killers for me! It took us 10.5 hours including all our stops. Pete also had a flat front tire. I am so proud to say that I made it through the entire day with no SAG help. Some of the mountain climbing was extremely challenging. I made it up everything but a couple of sections of our final mountain; one was to get to the monument where we could see three states meeting: NY, NJ & PA: a gorgeous vista well worth the extra detour despite coming in so late.

We were later leaving this morning from Lackawanna State Park because we were on Sweep Duty. We had to load the gear truck before leaving, but surprisingly, it was done by 8:15 a.m. Unfortunately, it began to rain just about then, so we left in some precipitation. Thankfully, it did not last very long. The day was overcast most of today and rather humid. The temperatures were pleasant for biking, though.

This evening a couple of NJ CRC churches provided an awesome meal for us at the Christian School where we're staying. The hospitality continues to amaze us all! It's started to rain just now, so we've opted to sleep in the church basement for the night. That will help us get an earlier start for our final day.

I'll finish here with a brief recap of yesterday afternoon's ride. After we left the library, we continued to take a leisurely ride to the park where we were staying. We stopped for lunch at a local diner where I had goulash! The road after that was challenging: lots of potholes and heavy, fast traffic. Our route to the park took us through pretty farmland, but the hills were a menace for the final 20 km. I had to walk up one hill where the grade was about 18%. I managed to cycle all the rest, making use of the momentum from the downhill coasts. We were able to make it into camp by 3:00 p.m. and had time to set up tents, shower and then help set up and serve dinner. With clean-up afterwards, there was no free time until after Peloton meeting was over. By then, it was dark and so off to bed most people went.

Tomorrow is a big day; not sure I'll get to blog about it until I get home on Sun. night.

Challenging Week!

Greetings from Hallstead, PA! I'm sitting in a library right now, since it has not been possible to get internet access from our camps.

All is well... my left knee injury is healing, but still needs to be covered while I ride. It still hurts somewhat with the rotation of cycling, but is not holding me back too much. What is holding me back are the hills. Yesterday was challenging, especially in Ithaca, NY. I finally gave it up and walked up the hill. All the rest, I managed!!!

I've been added to the official stat list two more times... No, I did not fall again; this time I had a flat back tire, two days in a row. Thankfully, Pete can change tires very well!

Monday's border crossing was the smoothest crossing in the U.S.A. I've ever had in my life! We crossed the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls and made quite an entrance into customs. However, we were all waved through: no stopping, no passports were even needed! Wow! It was fun checking out the falls from the American side. We spent around an hour exploring the trails and vistas from around there with Gail and Josh 2. The rest of the day was a long day... cycling into the wind and making multiple stops to readjust my seat height after having installed a new seat post. The evening was spent visiting with Mary Beth, Jim & Anna Hallahan. What fun connecting with former AFNORTH Chapel friends!

Tuesday's ride was pretty and hilly. We stopped for a rest at Lake Seneca in Geneva. What a picturesque place! The road we cycled following the lake had vineyards along it. We stayed in a state park that night, which was really pretty.

I shall sign off here. There's so much more to write, but not enough time to write. Pete is giving me the pressure to hop back on the bike. We have about 45 km more to go. Then our team is on Sweep Duty again tonight & tomorrow a.m.

A Taste of Home

One of the advantages of cycling on this tour through southwestern Ontario is having the opportunity to go home for a short stint. I did that this morning and was able to attend my home church, Maranatha CRC, in Cambridge. (I also had to go home to deal with bills that had not arrived in the mail before I left.) How wonderful to be a part of my home community again and to be able to share some of what I've been experiencing with great listening ears!!!

This afternoon a part of home came to the Celebration Rally in Niagara Falls, as well! I was happy to be able to meet up with my friend, Joyce (from Suddaby days) and her husband, Ray, from Kitchener, Tony & Roely from Blyth area, George & Cathy from Newmarket, and several members of my Maranatha family: Pat & Caroline, Cathy, Claire & Clarence, Mary & Thomas, Joan & Harry, Len & Rynie. The sense of support I feel is overwhelming! I am very blessed!

My sister, Nancy, & the kids dropped Pete and me off at the school in St. Catharines where we're staying this evening. Rather than set up the tent for one night, we've opted to join the many others who are camping indoors in various rooms. I've chosen the library since it feels the coolest. It just so happens to be next door to the computer lab, which is very convenient for working on the internet.

I shall sign off here. We have an early start planned for the morning. Our border crossing on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tomorrow night we stay in an RV camp near Byron, NY. I'll try to post an update, if I can access a computer again.

I'm Officially One of the Stats!

Last night, I had to raise my hand at our "Peloton" meeting and joined the list of cyclists who have been added to the official Sea to Sea Bike Tour 2008 stats. Why? Because I fell.

The day began very well... an easterly head wind, yet again, but it did not really bog us (I rode with Pete and Dave V. from his church) down. After stopping twice in Dorchester (one stop where I got to see my Aunt Joanne & Uncle Bill), within 30 min. from where we had camped in London, we made great speed! I was "pulling", which means the two other guys were drafting behind me, and we were cruising at about 30+ km. for the distance between London and Ingersoll. That is a first for me. The renewed strength from day to day is a huge answer to prayer! Also, I am not dealing with knee pain at present -- another answer to prayer! (Pete says I gave the pain to his knee now!) So, more prayers are needed now (for Pete!).

We stopped for refreshments in Ingersoll, worked really hard at climbing hills all the way to Woodstock, where another awesome lunch was made available to us, and then cruised on to Brantford, picking up a couple of day riders: Doug K. and Maynard W. While travelling through Brantford, we hit some serious construction. Deviating from the congested street traffic, we cycled through an adjacent parking lot before making our way through some grass to a sidewalk. That is where the law of gravity took over. I attempted to glide onto the sidewalk at a slight angle, not realizing that the sidewalk was actually not even with the top of the grass! My tire hit the edge of the sidewalk and slid out from under me. It happened so fast, I didn't have a moment to think or correct the move. Unfortunately, I scraped up my left knee and shin pretty badly (don't know why the left knee is taking the brunt of all my cycling mishaps!), but fortunately, I did not break any bones. I tried to clean myself up a bit, but cycled on to the next refreshment stop, which happened to be only about 5 min. down the road. There I was warmly welcomed by my Maranatha CRC family and doctored up.

After a rather lengthy visit and fun time of sharing, laughing and taking photos all together, we set out again and skipped the final refreshment stop on Jerseyville Rd., choosing to take the more direct route to Hamilton, where we cycled straight to Nancy & Peter's place. We later drove to Redeemer to pick up our gear and stayed for dinner and the peloton meeting where I had to be counted as one of the "FALL" stats. And that brings me full circle to the beginning of this post.

As an addendum, (since I'm writing this a day later) I was able to ride today with very little difficulty. My leg continues to sting, but the pain is manageable. I'm hoping the healing will be very fast!

First Week Done -- 50 % Accomplished!

Well, it's hard to believe, but my first week of the tour is over. I've cycled over 550 km this week! Today was the shortest ride: only 75 km. It was a leisurely ride that included MANY stops for refreshments by local CRC churches/families of cyclists. It took Pete and me almost 6 hours -- so you can understand the stops were numerous. However, the hospitality was fantastic! We really do feel like celebrities! Hopefully, the effort for us is furthered into effort to continue helping those in need.

My sister, Nancy, and the kids picked us up this afternoon in St. Catharines after we had made a couple of additional stops to check out the old-fashioned carousel and the boats in Port Dalhousie and at the local bike shop in St. Catharines to purchase an aluminum seat post for my bike and some new gloves for me. After a scrumptious dinner, the evening was spent cleaning the chain and gears on our bikes and repacking all our gear. We were required to remove it from the Gear Truck this afternoon so that it could be washed down.

It's a treat to be able to sleep in a bed once again. Not having to set up a tent is a real benefit, too! I am finding myself pretty tired by the end of the days. Some days there aren't even enough hours to update my blog! (Or, I am unable to gain access to the internet...)

Tomorrow is our Celebration Rally in Niagara Falls. We're praying it doesn't rain... more info tomorrow.

Three Days Down -- 25% Accomplished!

We've reached Ontario! This morning we crossed the border from Marine City, MI to Sombra, Ontario. What a reception on the Canadian side!! There were piles of people greeting us as we cycled through customs. All kinds of food: fruit, Tim bits, banana bread, red & white decorated cupcakes, and a variety of drinks were waiting for us! Wow! It was special for me to be welcomed by Marg & Norm (Marg & I used to teach together) who had come down from their cottage.

Cycling into the head wind this afternoon became more of a challenge, but despite it, we were able to arrive in Chatham the earliest of all three days so far: 3 p.m. This evening we were graciously welcomed by a former AFNORTH colleague, Jay, who made supper for us, allowed us to swim in his pool and whose kids have given up their rooms so that we can sleep in a bed for a night! What luxury and what fabulous hospitality! The coolest part is that his house is only a 5-minute walk from our tent city at the nearby arena.

Yesterday was one of the toughest days on this segment of the tour, largely because of the long distance. We rode 157 km. and then Pete and I continued riding so that Pete (and I by association) could actually make it to a real century (100 mi.). We celebrated our accomplishment with a stop a Dairy Queen before arriving into camp at a local high school to set up tent. Yesterday was also challenging due to a strong easterly head wind that we cycled against for most of the day. Thankfully, I could draft a bit behind Peter. That also helped my knee survive the distance. The blessing in the weather was that the temperatures dropped to 21 C, so it was much easier to deal with the head wind when the temperature was lower.

Our first day was fantastic: glorious, sunny, 26 C with a great tail wind -- the perfect riding weather! The ride was a leisurely pace for 102 km.; we were one of the last riders to enter camp; we were also on sweep duty which meant we had to serve/clean up breakfast, load the gear truck and then leave after all the other cyclists had left. We needed to gather up any cyclists that were slower so that everyone made it into camp by 7 p.m. We arrived in camp on Monday at about 5:30 p.m. after leaving in the morning at about 8:45 a.m.

All in all, it's been a great 3 days! Can't believe I'm doing this! The folks on tour are very helpful and welcoming! Great fun! Thankfully, there have been no major injuries...

Will try to update posts as much as possible. It's not always possible to squeeze in writing time when we get in so late; first things first: set up tent, shower, eat supper, peloton (big group) meeting and then small groups. Very little time for anything else. If Pete & I can refine our packing up skills, maybe we'll be able to get in earlier!!

Signing off until next time...

It's Official... I've joined the Sea to Sea Tour!

Greetings from Grand Rapids! As of today, I'm an official cycling member of the Sea to Sea Bike Tour 2008. This morning we registered and participated in an orientation session, had lunch where I've met several new cyclists to the tour as well as some veterans. This afternoon we were shuttled to a nearby ball stadium where a Celebration Rally was held. The weather was glorious: sunny, warm (but not too warm or too humid) and a cooling breeze that made the heat bearable. It was wonderful to connect with friends from Maranatha CRC (my home church) as well as see a friend from former university days.

The main speaker, Shane Claiborne, was inspirational and challenged us to really walk the talk as Christians, meaning live amongst the people as Jesus would and develop community relationships. I also got to see some ministries putting this into action by planting trees and beautifying an inner city neighbourhood, helping kids develop academic goals and learn how to maintain a bike given to them, working with local moms, and helping indigenous schools around the world.

After enjoying dinner with relatives of my brother-in-law, we joined the "Peloton" meeting and learned how such a daily meeting is conducted. (I was even interviewed by the media guy, so check out the Sea to Sea web site newsletter later this week to see if I get quoted!) Pete & I have the privilege of being on "Sweep Team" duty tomorrow, which means we have to be up by 6 a.m. to serve breakfast, clean up breakfast, load the gear truck and ride last to make sure all cyclists arrive at our destination. It promises to be a long first day (102 km)!

On that note, I need to sign off here and hit the hay. 5:30 a.m. will come awfully soon, I fear.

By the way, Peter and I appear in a photo at the rally this afternoon on Len Riemersma's blog. Check his blog out if you want to see us.

We're Off!

The bags & bikes are loaded in the van and we're about to take off for Grand Rapids.

I didn't get the other posts ready today, so if there's time tomorrow, I'll post them then.

Tomorrow afternoon will be filled with the bike safety course (4 hours long).

Stay tuned...

Left Knee Issues

Over the past couple of months I have been dealing with some pain in my left knee after most rides. It has lessened after shorter rides (40-50 km), but continues to plague me on longer ones. I finally decided to make a visit to my doctor who referred me to a sports medicine doctor, as well as a physiotherapist. To make a long story short, the knee issues are a tendonitis, which is resulting possibly from my riding position. The good news is that I will not seriously injure myself by continuing with the bike tour. The bad news is that I will need to make some adjustments to my bike for longterm comfort. That, of course, will have to wait until the Sea to Sea Bike Tour is done. In the meantime, I've been given a prescription for a heavy dose of Advil (1 pill a day while on tour), and icing the knee, along with my daily routine of stretches, will pull me through.

Today was my second treatment with the physiotherapist. Following some stretching, she hooked me up to a machine that sends electrical currents into my leg surrounding the part of the knee that hurts. After my first session last week, I could not believe the difference it made! Already this evening I can feel the benefits of today's visit. I have one more session on Friday before setting out to Grand Rapids for the tour. No doubt, I'll be ready for more such treatments upon completion of the ride!!!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

This was the final weekend to get in some long-distance rides before we head to Grand Rapids, Michigan to join the Sea to Sea Bike Tour 2008. While visiting my parents near Blyth for a family reunion on Saturday, Pete and I had hoped to make a 70+ km. ride, but heavy rains, thunder and lightning put a damper on things. After three attempts, we decided to pack it in and headed off to the reunion. Following the reunion, weather still did not co-operate, so no biking took place on Saturday.

Taking advantage of the indoor weather, we constructed a list of the necessary items we still need to get before embarking on the tour. Surprisingly, we have almost everything required! Now the task is to make sure all the supplies meet the 60 lb. limit!

Sunday's weather system was not much better than the previous day's. Rather than even attempt to ride, we decided to take the opportunity to clean our drive trains and wash the bikes. They're both looking pretty shiny now! I had forgotten that my chain is actually silver. The dirty, black look blended in so well with the overall black colour of my bike that I never realized it had once been silver! Lubricating the chain and testing it out so that all the gears were covered with lube made the cleaning definitely worthwhile. It is pleasant riding a bike that makes no sounds as one cycles.

Sydenham and Safari Road Hills

Last Sunday, July 27, Pete and I set out to experience new challenges: hills. We had cycled hilly landscapes in Huron County a few weeks prior, but this time we were off to conquer the Niagara Escarpment, namely Sydenham Hill rising out of Dundas, and the drumlins on Safari Road (which extends from Hwy. 8 near Sheffield to Hwy. 6 north of Hamilton).

We began our ride at the Dundas Driving Park, near the base of Sydenham Hill. Right away I needed to shift down into my lower gears and before I knew it, I was as low as I could go. I was barely up the hill and found it hot and hard going. Thinking about how much I still had to cycle up, I found myself succumbing to thinking I couldn't make it. I wimped out, and walked the majority of the way, feeling incredibly frustrated about giving in. Pete, on the other hand, rose to the challenge and was waiting for me at the top, having mastered the hill! It is now a goal of mine to conquer Sydenham Hill before I leave for the tour in just two weeks!

Reaching the summit of Sydenham Hill was just the beginning of our ride that day. We ended up completing a 75 km ride in all. Later in the journey we had to climb the drumlins of Safari Rd. From a distance, they were frightening! The grades looked steep and they looked higher than the hills of Huron County. Nevertheless, with momentum from descending the preceding hills, I was able to make it up all of them without walking! What a great sense of accomplishment! At the top of the final hill, I stopped for a brief rest... my heart was pounding!! The scenery was breathtaking, though! I know these hills will be nothing compared to what we have yet to experience in New York State and Pennsylvania on our tour, but they were a good challenge, nonetheless.

Training Triumphs

It's been more than a month since I lasted posted to my blog. I've been diligently training, mostly with Pete, but with a few others, too. I hope to add more posts this coming week so that you can read some of the details.

I have now surpassed 1600 km. on my bike. With my winter indoor training estimate and my mountain bike riding, I think I am within 200 km of my 2000 km goal! Wow!

I also just figured out how to take advantage of something called "lift" when cycling. With my shoes clipped in to my pedals, I have discovered how to pull up and use less energy. This discovery has helped me while riding up hills, but it has also helped me close in the gap between Pete and me! I like it!!!!

Stay tuned for more stories! I have lots to share... though not enough time in the day to record them all!!!

I am currently training for the final leg of this cross-continent tour. 1350km is a long way to ride. I have logged more than 650km in training so far, but need some more long days and some hill climb practice (at least that is what Pete says).

Pete is my brother-in-law and riding buddy. He is also part of the tour riding the same section as I am.

On August 18 we set out on two wheels on our rolling passage across the East. We depart from Grand Rapids, Michigan and after two nights we roll off the ferry back in Canada. Eventually after much celebration and fanfare we depart from our beloved homeland and cycle through a few Northeastern states to the Atlantic. We plan to dip our tires into the water and hopefully won't be tempted to toss the whole bike in behind.