We did it. 220 kms over 2 days, in the hot and blazing sun, over the never-ending foothills, riding through pain in parts of our bodies that we barely knew could hurt!
Here's the complete story:
Friday night, since I had been so busy making sure that everything was hunky-dory at work for the weekend, there was some hurried packing followed by going to bed relatively early.
Saturday, the al
arm went off at 4:30 am and the sleep button was pressed a total of 4 times.
We showered and I had a coffee (very important), then got out the door shortly before 6 am. We arrived about a kilometre from Spruce Meadows and took our spot in line behind the thousands of other people trying to get into the one-lane entrance. About 45 minutes later, we had parked in the field and dr
opped off our gear (and were very thankful that Derek had dropped off our bikes the afternoon prior!)
We went to the start gate along with the thousands of other folks enjoying a surprisingly greasy/unhealthy breakfast sandwich, coffee (important!) and other breakfast fare. We were in no hurry to get out of the gate, so we let all the roadies get their head start and then picked up our bikes and got going. The first 20 kms or so were pretty slow, but once everyone found their pace and got spread out, it was surprisingly nice.
The first pit-stop was about 25 kms in, in Okotoks. Derek and I were feeling good and it was really congested, so we just kept going. The going was flat, and by the time we got to the second pit-stop in High River, I was tired and low on energy and my knees were hurting really badly. We fiddled around with different seat adjustments, and finally got in a better position where my knees felt better. We also called Derek's mom, who had been sending us email encouragements daily leading up to the ride, and High River was the last spot we thought we'd have cell coverage.
We were now 50 kms in, and got back on to ride another 30 to lunch, which was in Nanton. At lunch, everyone talked about the hills that were coming, but I don't know if anyone really realized exactly what was looming ahead of us! We left from lunch at 2 pm, and the next stretch of only 18 kms took us just under two hours! It wasn't the grade of the hills, it was more that they went on forever... Biking up a hill at 7 kms/hr when the hill is 8 kms long... You do the math. Plus, we can walk up with the bike at 5 km/hr, and did eventually resort to that as well. The last pit st
op of the day marked the end of day 1 for many, but we rested and continued on, another 17 kms to Chain Lakes Provincial Park Campground, and camp for the night.
Camp was busy, crowded, loud, and lacking good sustenance. Good thing our bodies were so rung out that the slop they called "dinner" was edible. The free beer was nice though, and we took ours down to the lake and cooled off by dipping our sore toes in the water. Our tent was one in a sea of many, a welcome sight, and we fell asleep in a haze by 8 pm! I vaguely remember waking once in the night and hearing various snores from all directions, and the next time I woke up it was 5 am.
We showered, ate breakfast, and hit the road for day 2. It felt good to get on the bikes again-- though our butts did hurt! I was having a "power hill" d
ay, so for the first 2 pit stops I went ahead (also because Derek and I were getting a little cranky with each other!) By the third pit stop (lunch in Turner Valley, km 60) Derek was a pretty tired and not sure if he would be able to finish (I knew he would!). We decided to ride on together from that point, and served as motivation to one another, as I am great on hills but I tire out really quick on the long, flat stretches, and vice versa.
It was at this point that I thought to myself: As hard as it was to get off the bike yesterday and think about getting back on and doing it all over again tomorrow, it is nothing compared to what someone with cancer, or any disease for that matter, has to face. For my cousin Trevor, at one point in his treatment, he was going in to Winnipeg regularly. A 2-1/2 hour ride, then a sit at a hospital as everyone on the "cancer bus" gets treated including himself, then another 2-1/2 hours home. That was something he didn't choose to do, something that no one would ever choose to do. And at this point, I'm thinking, "I am
choosing to do this bike ride. I had a choice to get on this bike in the first place, I have a choice in every pedal stroke to keep on going, I am doing this for Trevor and for everyone with cancer who doesn't have a choice". That was my motivation for the last and hardest part of the ride. I thought of Trevor and his family, Karrie and Jordyn and Kaylee, and his Mom and Dad, and his brothers, and I kept on putting my pedals forward, knowing that doing the ride was a choice for me, and that I am fortunate to have that choice.
The ride finished quietly: Derek and I rode across the finish line together, and we were greeted by a cheering crowd of strangers, and I don't think I would have had it any other way. It wasn't the glory of riding into an awaiting family that motivated me to finish the ride, it was my own personal goal of finishing the ride in Trevor's memory that made me want to complete all 220 kms. Trevor was a great person and should have had the choice to live, and that is why I chose to Conquer Cancer this weekend.
