RV There Yet?

Home is where you park it!! And for ten days next summer, our home is this glorious abode on wheels.

I am so grateful to my parents who have really stepped up in their roles as "Chief Inspiration Officers" on the official moral-support crew for the BCBR. There's even talk of making up team t-shirts.

Let us know if you'd like to be on the moral-support crew, too. There'll be plenty of room around our campfires for "recovery drinks" as we RV our way around southwestern B.C. June 27-July 7.

Excitement is building. Only 291 days to go.

France 2012: BOOKED

There's always a reason to say no, but sometimes you just gotta say yes!

That's basically the reasoning behind our decision to book a "trip of a lifetime" with Trek Travel.

That's right, Dad and I are going to do a father-daughter cycling adventure for six days and five nights riding up and down the Classic Climbs of the Alps.

Every July, for Dad and I -- like most cycling fans -- France becomes Mecca and the scenery, bike-crazy culture and heroic feats-on-wheels captures our imagination. So we decided to go, ride where they ride, eat where they eat and best of all, roll how they roll!

Trek Travel is regarded as one of the leaders in bicycle tourism, providing eveyrthing you need for an amazing time, from route planning to accoms to just not having to worry about your bike. We don't even have to bring our own! They provide one! And not just any bike -- I'll be cruising around on a gorgeous Trek Madone 5.2 (the one I will likely be purchasing next anyway -- what a great chance to test-ride!). Our accommodations look beautiful (and they have "Palace" in the name, so that's a plus!), and we'll be based mostly at Lake Annecy which promises amazing culinary options, markets and even swimming post-ride.

At the end of the trip, our proverbial cycling belts will include deep notches for the Col du Marais, Col de la Forclaz, Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier and of course the famous 21 switchbacks of Alpe D'Huez. We will have enjoyed the best of French wine, cheese and pastries, guilt free.

And best of all, we will have some great memories to share of that time we went to France.

Only 343 days to go.

2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer

It rained. For once, the weather man got it right much to our chagrin. Even more annoying, apparently our route was the only wet one, as the 200K riders stayed dry all day. Anyway, I don't want to get all Eyeore on it, but the rain made a challenging weekend that much more difficult. I was going to write a long winded report, but in hopes that you might actually read on, I've decided to go with point form:

Friday:

- Mom came too, and we four (mom, dad, G and me) went to a Happiest on my Bike teammate's house for eats and greets -- amazing spread, thank you Larry!

- Late packing, got me to bed past midnight. Stayed up long enough to experience the torrential downpour that made it difficult to sleep well, envisioning a wet ride in the morning

Day 1:



- All that was left of the rain (sounded like pebbles pelted at our windows!) was the humidity; G drove me to the CNE with 4000 other cyclists. I ended up walking in so we didn't have to sit in the traffic

- Opening Ceremonies wrapped up and we slowly moved out of the CNE. Ten minutes in spot the first crash victim; ambulance was cleaning up ... sucky way to start and end the weekend. Good reminder to keep wits about us!

- Not very long before 200M riders split from 200K riders. Varying levels of experience with group riding in our posse of 6 Team Happiest riders, but managed to stay mostly together

- Rain started just before halfway, with full downpour at the 100K mark. Oh yeah, if we'd signed up for the other route, we'd be drinking beers now!!

- Near the end, dad's knee began to give him some grief ... hrmmm

- Finished the ride up the big escarpment climb, and rolled into camp where the party was in full swing

- Ryan Leech peformed, two free drinks for everyone, good eats of turkey sausage and salads with veggies

- Stats: 4,108 riders, $16.1 million dollars raised, 35.5 million calories burned, 45,000L of sweat, enough kilometres to circle the world 23 times, 1,000 volunteers. Oldest rider? 82

Day 2:

- Weatherman promised better weather, but he was wrong and we began in the rain again

- Dad's knee bothered him from the start and so the ride had a strange tension for us ... knew he could complete it, but should he? Each rest stop we talked about packing it in, and each one, he decided to go "one more". He showed the kind of determination Cancer demands and I'm so happy we finished together to show Cancer what's what. Way to go DAD!!!

- Mom, G and the Gledhills met us in Port Colborne at the cheering station!! Woo hoo!! It was so awesome to see them there, let me tell you.



- More drama: apparently a rider before us fell on the bridge over the canal in Port Colborne (one of those metal grid type surfaces) and lost her finger!!! We walked across that one.

- After the cheering section, we didn't see anymore rain, so we finished in relative peace

- Final 18km section was all along the Niagara River, on smooth flat road. Ahhhhhh.

- We made it!! Beers and burgers were our reward, but then we upped the ante back in Toronto at "My Place" (Jane and Bloor, great pub) where I had a steak dinner, and dad opted for pulled pork. Only, for some reason we were the ones who had trouble finishing while G and mom demolished their trout dinner and portabello burger.



Aftermath:

- 340km, ~13hours ride time, 10,000 calories burned

- Took yesterday off training. It was glorious. Made G a nice dinner to thank him for being such a good fan this weekend, driving all over southern Ontario, taking photos, getting up early on a Saturday and everything. Thank you Gerhard!

- Thank you mom for coming, cheering, taking photos, and all your help leading up to the ride!

- Thank you Aunt Mindy for coming out and cheering!! (... and with a sign too!!)



- Thank you Donors for making it all possible and standing up to Cancer with us

- Thank you Dad, for starting, for finishing, and for an awesome weekend (minus the farts in the tent. not cool.)

- Legs held up great, happy about that. A little knee pain (sports med on Thursday) and of course my "rib-out" is totally enraged at the moment (chiro on Monday)

- Dad's got his knee in a brace and he's icing and elevating (or else he'd better be!)

- Already signed up for 2011. Who's coming with us?



In case you didn't follow the "live updates", here they are:
Twitter

Terrible night's sleep ... but woke up to birds, not raindrops. fingers crossed. 4:50 AM Jun 12th

good news! T-storms out of the forecast!! On with the show ... 4:51 AM Jun 12th

Having breakfast. smoothie. cereal. rain. 5:22 AM Jun 12th

Dropped off my bag, now just need to find my team. Thanks G for battling the event traffic! (@ Opening Ceremonies w/ 24 others) 6:47 AM Jun 12th

Looking for team "Happiest on my Bike"! (@ Opening Ceremonies w/ 27 others) http://4sq.com/boRcoC 6:48 AM Jun 12th

Found the team! Found dad, found mom, and hear aunt mindy's going to be cheering at a zone in mississauga. Woo hoo! (@ Opening Ceremonies) 7:07 AM Jun 12th

We're ready! @ the opening ceremonies! http://tweetphoto.com/26835790 7:15 AM Jun 12th

Here we are!! The "before" shot. Gonna have a great ride! http://tweetphoto.com/26835964 7:16 AM Jun 12th

Finally on our way. Back of the pack, tailwind! (@ Opening Ceremonies w/ 41 others) http://4sq.com/boRcoC 7:41 AM Jun 12th

De-layering! Split from the 200k riders now 8:52 AM Jun 12th

Is it really that hard to pee in a hole!? C'mon! (@ Pit stop #1!) 9:26 AM Jun 12th

Parking lot is our 2nd pit stop! 70km down. Six in our pack, working on road skills. A little mist ... But will it rain? 11:01 AM Jun 12th

Lunch!! My shoes are wet (my everything's wet), it's pouring rain and we *could* be done if we'd just opted for the 200K. Doh. 1:03 PM Jun 12th

Space man, oh space man, come rescue me! Brrrrrr http://tweetphoto.com/26890249 1:27 PM Jun 12th

Approaching the hammer!! Almost done day 1. Still raining ... http://tweetphoto.com/26905433 2:54 PM Jun 12th

Just heard some thunder .... Stay back!! Stay back, thunderstorm! 2:56 PM Jun 12th

Hardly any riding between us and a wet tent. Awesome (@ Ride to conquer cancer last pit stop)

Done! Day one in the bag. Time for beers!! (@ Camp w/ 37 others) http://4sq.com/9xoyZ5

Set up camp, had a shower, and now, time to eat. And long-awaited beers, of course.

4108 riders, 16.1 million dollars, 35.5 million calories, enough kilometres to circle the world 23 times. Oldest rider? 82.

We sweat 45,000 litres of sweat, collectively.

1,000 volunteers put on this event! THANK YOU volunteers!! 400 of those also added their fundraising to the cause!

By the way, the 82 year old gentleman lost his sight in both eyes in 1990. He's run the Toronto half marathon, and now the RTCC ... Twice.

Breakfast of champions! A lot of sore people around, but we're stoked. http://tweetphoto.com/27019715

I thought I was deaf in one ear. Then I remembered to take out my ear plug.

I just got asked if I am an Olympian. Now that's some morning sunshine! *flattered*

We're off! In the rain ... Please clear off, brrrr

38.75km first break. One crash on wet pavement by barb. She's ok. Joined a triathlon and felt like the race horse scene in mary poppins.

Pit stop #2. Dad's knees are hurting him ... I have faith. C'mon dad! (@ Grand island bar- b- q) http://4sq.com/aahKYi

74.76km down!

Lunch! About 95km down. And finally, the rain seems to be on its way out. Dry roads at last. (@ Wainfleet Beach) http://4sq.com/ddb5ZM

Last pit stop! 40 more km. Saw mom, g and the gledhills cheering! Wooooo!!!

We did it!! We didn't know if we could, but gramma helped us. Celebrating now! Thanks for tuning in. Full blog soon xoxo

Post-ride steak dinner. Check. (@ My Place - a Canadian Pub) http://4sq.com/aKeaN

One more sleep!

At last, the long-awaited weekend is here. Between the training, the spaghetti dinner, and bothering everybody I knew for donations the past seven months, somehow it's all come together and it's going off tomorrow!!

I want to thank my donors and supporters once more for all their help -- thanks to you, I've raised nearly $4000, and dad's gone past $5000! It's great to think what kind of difference that will make for people fighting cancer, and researchers working for a cure.

Now all that's left to do is the ride! 200 miles is serious business; lightening is also serious business, and both are on our agenda for this weekend. Don't worry, we'll be riding with a "safety-first" mentality, but rain or shine, hell or high water, we're going to make it to Niagara Falls (by bike ;) ).

If you would like to watch our progress, I'll be sending live updates via Twitter (assuming my phone doesn't get too wet). My twitter feed can be found at www.twitter.com/kristenmlake and the feed is also available on the side-bar to the right of this post.

Finally, I also want to thank team "Happiest On My Bike" for having Dad and I join as late additions. We're looking forward to a little get together tonight, and sharing the pulls tomorrow. Already stoked for the beer tent.

Wish Dad, me and our team good luck, and good weather! We're off!

We’re riding to conquer cancer in 2010. Please support Mark and Kristen Lake

Dad emailed today to let me know he's made a flyer to spread the word about our ride. He'll have them available at local [Port Elgin area] events he's involved in. For those not in Beautiful Bruce County, here it is:

****

Mark and Kristen Lake have committed to fighting cancer by participating in The Ride to Conquer Cancer® benefiting The Campbell Family Institute at the Princess Margaret Hospital. We will join thousands of other men and women in a history-making ride from June 12-13, 2010. Mark and Kristen will cover 200 miles (320km) from Toronto to Niagara Falls in two days with a night of camping in Hamilton. Riders help support breakthrough research and the discovery of new cancer therapies at Princess Margaret Hospital.

With one in three Canadians diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, we are rallying for the cause and cycling in The Ride to Conquer Cancer because:

“We've been standing on the sidelines watching cancer attack the people we care about and feeling helpless because we cannot fix it. Now we have an opportunity to do something about it.

This 200 mile bicycle ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls June 12 to 13, 2010 offers us all an opportunity to make a real difference in helping to conquer cancer. 100% of your donation will go directly to benefit Canada’s leading comprehensive cancer research centre at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) as soon as it is received. The Campbell Family Institute at the Princess Margaret Hospital have assembled a team of world class doctors, scientists and support staff whose sole vision is to conquer cancer for those struggling right now and those yet to be diagnosed.

Kristen and I dedicate this ride to all who are courageously facing cancer now particularly my father James, my sister-in-law Nancy and cousin Vi and in remembrance of my mother-in-law Margaret, and my friends Richard and Robin. In particular this year, Kris and I are riding in remembrance of my mother, Marian Lake who passed away suddenly on November 27, 2009 two days after being diagnosed with lung cancer.”

For real impact, Mark (participant ID number 542028-9) and Kristen (participant ID number 547786-7) have set personal fundraising goals of $2500 each. To help them reach their goals, visit www.conquercancer.ca to make a donation online or call (416) 815-RIDE (7433). Mark has donation forms (paper copy) available upon request if you’d prefer to mail your support in. Visit Kristen’s blog at www.krislake.blogspot.com for updates and to download paper forms or link to the online donation site.

Riders will be supported by hundreds of Volunteers and Crew Members who will provide meals, water and snack stops, gear transport, portable restrooms, safety on the streets, comprehensive medical services and an overnight campsite complete with tents, massages, and hot showers. For more information on Conquer Cancer rides held across Canada, please go to www.conquercancer.ca or call (887)699-BIKE (2453). All you need is a bike, a helmet and a little motivation.

About Princess Margaret Hospital
Proceeds from the sold-out 2010 Ontario Ride to Conquer Cancer will benefit The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, one of the top five cancer research hospitals in the world and the largest institution in Canada exclusively devoted to cancer treatment, research and education. For more information about the Princess Margaret, please visit www.pmhf.ca. The Ride will generate all-important funds for research, which will be allocated based on the highest cancer research priorities at PMH such as tumor metabolism, cancer stem cells, cancer genomics, and molecular imaging/guided therapeutics.

MOM: You Go Girl!

Kudos to mom who's using her retirement to get fit! She's rocking the trainer (complains it's boring though ... psssshaw), stretching and even got a strength plan from a PT at the gym. On top of all that, she's test driving a bunch of classes to see which ones will fit into a regular routine. I'm so proud!! Dad's been in on the fun too, since they picked up memberships at the local gym, Fitness Corner. I hear they offer "Movie Night" spin classes there, too: spin and watch a movie with all your training buddies! Imagine all our theatres were outfitted that way. The world would sure look different.

As for my own fitness efforts, I'm happy to report that the rhythm has been found. Lots of trainer this week, and I have finally got comfortable with the idea of the "home gym". And let me tell you, there are some serious benefits to doing strength training in your living room.

Thanks to Santa's elves, Kim and Gerhard, I have a pair of dumb bells and a fitness ball. Turns out, I think that's actually all I really need. The ball came with a guide showing all kinds of exercises and the dumb bells are the right weight to get most things done properly. Maybe I'll move up next month, but for now, I'm rockin and rollin. I could get used to this!

The best thing about the home gym is not having to wait for equipment! There are no line ups! There are also no distractions, such as "gym chat", to knock me out of focus. And I got to watch TV at the same time.

However, a word of caution. On top of gifting me dumb bells, Kim also loaned me "P.S. I Love You" which I decided to watch last night since it claimed to be a romantic comedy. Ahem. Do not under any circumstances attempt to ride a trainer while watching this movie. There is nothing funny about it. I cried through the whole damn thing and when you cry with your heart rate in the 150s, guess what! You hyper-ventilate.

Super excited for Spin Class which starts this Sunday as well. But they changed the start time so that will be a challenge for the next 12 weeks: 7 o'clock Sunday morning! The TTC isn't even up at that hour. There's still space I'm told, so if you're interested in the best spin program in town, give Mike a call at RPM. Even with the painful start time, it's totally worth signing up. I don't think I'd make the progress I've made if it wasn't for RPM.

I also picked up a five-class-pass at Moksha Yoga Danforth so I'm all set in my hot yoga habit. I was there on Wednesday for the 75 minute class but I found it wasn't for me. I'm all about the full 90 minutes. It just seemed like everyone was in a rush there, and it wasn't as wholesome (for lack of a better word) an experience as I'm used to -- it was nearly impossible to focus because people were laughing and talking in the studio (what?!). So I think Monday night is the winner -- great time, great instructor and the full 90.

In other news, looks like Blue Mountain is a GO this weekend. With spin class so early in the morning, no longer will I have to rush home and out the door again. I'll have time for the nap I'll need!! Sunday Night Snow Club will officially kick off this Sunday Night! Night passes are $39. Let me know if you want a lift in the mini-van!

Oh, and just finished "Sleeping Naked is Green" by Vanessa Farquharson of the National Post. It's about a twenty-something woman who decides to make one green change to her life every day for a year. Since she chose a leap year, it ends up being 366 changes. She kept a blog at greenasathistle.com even after the challenge, but I think she's since abandoned it. Anyway, the book was entertaining, and has really got me thinking about changes I can make in my everyday life. I think what stood out the most is the constant catch-22 going green entails. For example, do you choose the organic apple from New Zealand, or the regular-pesticides-included apple from Ontario? Check it out, it's an easy read and a great place to start if you're thinking about what you can do to green your corner of the universe.

Now ... if only I'd remembered the book I was supposed to be reading for book club ...

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!!!

I guess I was a good girl this year because Santa brought me the best thing EVAR. My very own Garmin Edge 705, the most amazing cycling computer in the world. It is GPS enabled of course, but also has a HRM, cadence and speed sensor and is fully compatible with third party power meters. You can store your favourite workouts, save courses, put lap markers wherever you train for automatic lap times ... and the list goes on and on. What more could you want?!

I took it for a little "test-run" today, literally. I haven't got a bike to mount it to at the moment while away for holidays, so I just held onto it while I went for a run around St. Catharines. I thought heading to Port Dalhousie along the waterfront trail would be a good idea, but some of those sidewalks go super close to the water and by then, I was so in love with my new gadget my HR was up five beats just from the stress of imagining a poorly-timed trip, and the Garmin (which I have nicknamed "G") flying into the cold, deep water.

Well never fear, I held on tight and we made it back to Grampa's house dropping virtual breadcrumbs all the way.

I am so stoked on this thing I can't even tell you. Stay tuned for future route-postings as I slowly learn how to make it do all the wonderful things it knows how to do.

PS - Dad got a matching one, so we're all set for our training leading up to the Ride To Conquer Cancer.

Christmas morning! Mom and I inspect every single piece in the box.

Photo shoot for blogging purposes ...

Maya Papaya wishing she could come running too ... maybe next time.

Where I went!

2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer

I heard there were only 300 spots left in the 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer and since my dad already had one, I figured I'd join him!

I hope you will offer a donation towards my goal of $2500. I will be working hard to meet that target because otherwise I will not qualify to participate in the ride. So as you can see, I need your help! You can donate online from this page; you can set up a monthly contribution from now until the ride; or you can donate by personal cheque, either directly to the RTCC or I would happily forward the funds in your name. And of course, all donations over $10 are tax deductible.

Dad and I were part of a team of four back in 2008 for the inaugural ride which raised an incredible $14 million for Princess Margaret Hospital. We had a wonderful time. The event, although running for its first time, was organized to a tee. I did the 200km ride plus an additional 70km in the "Afterburn" with Steve Bauer. It still ranks as one of my favourite days in the saddle, ever.

This year I saw there was an option to be a 200km rider or a 200 mile rider. So I decided to test my mettle and sign up for the dual-century, imperial style.

While the cycling is unsurpassed (amazing scenery, and roads just for us), that's only half the RTCC story. As cancer affects more and more of us and our loved ones, it is more important than ever to work together to stop it.

I first heard of cancer when I was just a little girl, and it was hard to understand — it seemed to me that people who get sick ought to get better. But my Grandma was sick for as long as I knew her. She was the toughest woman I’ve known and I will always remember her for her grace and strength.

I dedicate this ride to all who are fighting now, particularly my grandpa, my aunt, and my cousin. I'll ride in remembrance of my grandma, and my "neighbourhood dad" Mr. Lutz.

The money raised in the Ride to Conquer Cancer will support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world.

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Congratulations Dad!

I got to have lunch with my dad yesterday while he was in town collecting his new bike from Sweet Pete's. He is the proud new owner of a Trek Madone (named after one of Lance Armstrong's favourite training climbs in the south of France). It's really lovely with a light carbon fibre frame decorated in everything Ultegra. And he got some Sidi Genius shoes to go with it. So when you see the macked-out dude pedalling his way to work, making a difference on the MS Bike Tour or training up for the 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer, you'll know that's my dad!

Congrats dad! It's a really beautiful bike. I might have to get a matching one ;)