Biking Journey

On The Road Again Biking 2015

Biking season is upon us and I have already logged a few kms in the month of May.

I have been out 15 times in the month of May

Logged 165km

Many of the rides have been on my road bike which I was not able to ride at all during 2014

I have also signed up again for the Ride For Refuge this October as a team captain and we will be riding and walking the beautiful Barrie lake shore.

Biking Season of 2014

Biking season of 2014 has gone down as a memory, in the winter of 2014 I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both arms.  I had to go on modified duties at work and many sleepless night ensued at this syndrome seemed to flair up during the night.  As biking season loomed closer I was beginning to accept the biking may not happen that summer. 

I tried many different types of treatment none seemed to be helping, then I came across a person who shared with me a treatment that they had found worked, called Active Release Therapy.  I began to research it and found a few people in Barrie that did this type of treatment, treatment began and results were slight.  I sought the Lord in prayer and continued with treatment and my bike sat idle in my office.  I also had a referral for a specialist for surgery and that appointment was getting closer and closer. I had resolved that biking was not going to be happening for the summer of 2014 and yet I held out a small hope that I would be able to ride in October in the Ride For Refuge event as I had done the previous year. 

The nights began to get better around the middle of June and I was beginning to get less and less symptoms.  I had received all the medical treatment and it was up to my body and the healing hand of the Lord.  July came and it was time to meet the specialist for a surgical consult.  She looked at the test results and did her examination and then did some more tests all the time shaking her head.  She concluded that surgery was not needed and that a healing had and was taking place, she said she had no explanation.  By the first test results I was a prime candidate for surgery, but her findings that day were the total opposite. 

She said that my file would remain open for 1 year and if during that time symptoms returned I could contact her office.  I am almost at the year mark and I am pleased to say that I was able to ride in October in the Ride for Refuge event, I did a shorter route and I used my mountain bike rather than my road bike.

Praise God for treament and His healing in my life.

Goal of 1500k Reached

September 4th the day I reached me goal of 1500k for the summer, the evening turned out to be rainy and very buggy.  I finished the journey along the Barrie Waterfront the place where it all began.  In case you haven’t been following along I will recap how I came to get to my 1500k.  March 11th 2012 was the first day that I began to log my distance, I wanted to have goal to help me work towards losing the final pounds I needed to shed.  I reach my weight loss goal on July 4 2012 and biking goal on September 4th 2012.  On paper the journey took me from Barrie to Lancaster PA. I rode alone on many of the days, but would like to thank the family and friends who did join me on some of my trips. I rode on gravel, pavement, dirt, up and down many hills and through the rain and heat and even tackled the most windy of days.  I rode in Barrie, Orillia, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Welland, Thornton, Cookstown. Algonquin Park.  Saw bunnies, frogs, many bugs and birds and even a deer.  Wore through one pair of gloves and lost 1 helmet, even had a flat tire.

Well the biking season is far from over and I am committed to doing another 200k before the bike comes into the house for the winter.  I will be training all winter to ride in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer a two day riding event that will cover 200+K.  For the rest of this season though my focus will be on the 200k, this week I will be taking my bike to the Lancaster PA area as we vacation and I plan to log a few miles or k’s as we call it.  So stay tuned for an update on how far I ride. 

Week 20

Well I am down to the final 200k of my quest of 1500k before the end of the biking season, still many good weeks ahead of biking weather. 

I am dedicating the final 200k to a friend with a serious health condition.  Here is where Facebook friends come in. If 20 people click like I'll do an extra 200k.

Making a total of 1700k for this biking season.  Show your support and either click like on facebook or reply to this post. 

Let's see what God can do.

Week 18 and 19

Week 18 and 19

Summer is moving right along hard to believe it is the beginning of August already.  Biking has been somewhat side lined this month with holidays and shift changes not to mention the heat and wind. 

None the less I am happy to report that I am now at 1175km.  I took my bike when we were on holiday at Oxtongue Lake, just outside Algonquin park.  I rode very early one morning and as I rounded the corner much to my surprise there stood a deer at the side of the road.  I am not sure who was more startled me or the deer, who soon bolted back into the woods.

I have been busy paddling preparing to compete in a Dragon Boat festival later this month. 

Looking forward to logging more miles this week as the humidity has subsided for a few days anyway.

Week 16 and 17

Week 16 and 17

Well the miles are adding up, considering I did another 5k run and we been out in the boat.  Weather has been very hot and humid so I have found the best part of the day to bike is at 6:30am. 

Oh and yes did I forget to mention that I am in a Dragon Boating event at the end of August add those practices to my week and activity is happening every day in one form or another.

Total to date 1105 (686 miles). 

I am thinking that I am going to hit my goal of 1500k before its time to put the bike away for the winter, may had to start and think of another goal. 

Any ideas are welcome.

 

Week 15

Week 15

Monday I rode to Orillia and part of the way back, 50k.

Then the heat hit for the rest of the week, with heat and humidity breaking records. Tuesday morning I was at a Dragon boat practice at 6:30am for an hour, preparing for a Dragon boat event in August that I am participating in for the first time. 

In the evening I joined two other friends from work and we ran a 5k event in Alliston.  My first time doing it running and I must admit I never knew Alliston had hills.  It was blistering hot at 7 pm and I did walk and run combination but I finished the event. 

Two more bike rides in the early morning before the heat of the day brought my total mileage of 95k for the week, with a grand total of 1003k (623 miles)

Week 14

Week 14

On paper it is my goal to ride to Lancaster PA and back, well reaching the ½ way mark of my journey means that I am on the way back this week. 

I joked with the boys after not riding at the beginning of the week that  I came upon Hershey PA and found the chocolate stores and here I stayed. 

Well joking aside it did put in 76km for a total of 908km (564 miles)

Week 13

Week 13

What an awesome week it was for biking this week,  riding around the Lake in Barrie and then to Toronto for a weekend of biking.  Saturday we took the ferry to Toronto Island and spent time riding around the quaint homes, while viewing the skyline of Toronto from the island.  The afternoon and evening took us towards Scarborough and through an amazing ride in protected land along the water front.  Sunday we got going early due to the heat that was in the forecast, off to High Park and through the park with a short stop at the Zoo.  Then we went along the Lakeshore of Toronto towards Humber Bay, and stopped to enjoy the sailboats and sights along the way.  Grand total of 130.8km (80 miles) this week now puts my total to 832km (517 miles)

Week 11 and 12

Week 11 and 12

Where has the month of May gone, between gardening and family visits this month has flown by.  Sunday was a great day for biking and I biked at the Lake in Bel Ewert with Carl, we rode one direction and plan to go back and ride the other direction.  Found many nice parks and restaurants, homes and cottages on our 29km adventure. Rode again on Tuesday and in total rode 42km for the week.  I spent a lot of time being blessed as I walked with my Aunt Kath who was visiting from California, so I was happy to put my bike on the side lines for this. 

Again another busy week as I did two 5k Run/Walk events, for the first one I rode my bike to the event and then did the 5k event and came 2nd .  Then I rode my bike back out of the event as Carl could not get close enough to pick me up. 

Grand total in bike 701.87k (435 miles) on my quest to reach 1500k before the end of summer.

Week 9 and 10

Week 9 and 10

Things got a little hectic these past two weeks, with gardening and a major re-do of the backyard.

Biking still happened and the weather has been amazing.  I have completed over 600km (360 miles)

I was even challenged by a dude at the lake one evening to a bit of a race, left him in the dust.

Week 8

Week 8

At a first glance I thought I hadn’t biked that far this week, but little amounts do add up and I did manage to get out 5 times this week. 

I biked at the lake and around where we live, I even tried out my new bike carrier for the car and drove to Orillia and biked along the lake front.  Mom joined me on this day and after lunch at the Mariposa Bakery I biked and mom read her book in the park.

I also hit another milestone this week I am 1/3 of the way to my goal of 1500,

I have now logged over 500k with 73k being a part of it this week

Week 7, A week of weather to be reckoned with

Week 7

Sunday I biked with Carl some off road, very cool but sunny.

The weather was not on my side at all on Monday and Tuesday with snow and wind and rain.

Wednesday I was able to log a cold but 18k.

On Thursday I decided to use my bike at my mode of transportation to do some errands, and yes packages and all I got wet in the rain.

Friday I dropped my car off to have the snow tires taken off and as I was driving there it was snowing.  I waited a few hours and then rode my bike back to pick up the car, much to the tire persons surprise. 

Total for the week 40.87 grand total of 435.87k (260 miles) logged.

The Journey Continues

Week 6

All in all this was a good week and the highlights of the week were as follows.  On Wednesday Carl and I took our bikes to Niagara on the Lake and though it was cool we and breezy we did manage to ride from Niagara on the Lake to the Falls and back, a total of 54k and we also had to carry our bikes up 7 flights of stairs at Queenston Heights.

Friday I did a short ride as Saturday I was in my first 5k which doesn’t add miles to my biking log but sure shows how my endurance has expanded at I did the 5k on Saturday effortlessly. 

Another 67k towards my goal, I am just short of the 400k as I begin week 7 today.

Week 5

Sunday before we had Easter dinner, Carl and I went to the Lake for a ride.  We caught the best part of the day, it was warm and sunny and we biked 13k.  

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday brought very strong winds and lots of rain, so biking did not take place and I did my fitness in the pool.

Thursday the wind was gone and the Sun came out and I was able to put in a pre-dinner ride of 20k. 

Friday was a perfect biking day and off I went with a ride of 32.87k.

On Saturday I was able to get in another 13k.

The  total biked is 79k (49 miles for the week).

My Grand total so far towards my 1500k is 328k or 204 miles.

Week 4

Sunday April 1st began a new week, and in keeping with the weather it was cold and rainy and only 0c or 32f when I ventured out.  I was persistent on this trip and logged an impressive 17k in weather that was less than favourable.

Monday came and the wind decided to join into the fun, but we did have sunshine and I logged another 12.4k and then 8.6k on Wednesday in very strong north winds. 

Friday brought the sun, wind and cold, I decided to get my ride in befor  the winds got really strong.  I logged 12.265k

Saturday the final day of this week light wind and glorious sunshine and warmer temps, I biked to the lake and along the rail bed 22.5k before meeting up with Carl.  My grand total to date is 249.1k (154.78 miles)

Week 3

Week 3

Sunday the start of a new week brought a cool and overcast morning that soon led to sunshine.  Deciding to bike at the Lake is always my favourite destination, so off I went.  Today the ice is gone from the Lake, is gone spring is here.  I biked 17k. A few days of rain and wind proved to be a deterrent for a few days but like the mail neither rain, nor wind, nor sleet, nor snow (well maybe snow) could keep me from biking.  This week I logged just over 35k and I am excited to share that two people are planning to join me in the pursuit of 1500k quest. Stay tuned over the weeks as I share how the three of us are doing.  

Week 2

This Sunday found us again in weather that is so out of character for the month of March, as the temps topped 20 Celsius (68 degrees.) Carl and I rode the neighbourhood with a final stop at the grocery store, keeping the shopping to a minimum we joked that this would save on the budget if we shopped this way all the time.

Monday evening ride with Carl and the boys and oh yes the dog, which only did 5km before he returned home with the boys.

The race against time in regards to the weather started to take place on Wednesday, as the prediction of rain and colder temperatures loomed for the end of the week.  Mid-week was a ride of 20k I rode Thornton where Carl was working at and met him for coffee and then I biked back. And the temps in this area reached 25c or about 78f. 

 Biking was suspended on Friday due to work schedule and rain. Well the week has finished out on a cloudy, windy and much colder note on Saturday but I remained dry.  Grand total for the week in 76.4 km leaving 1,360.5 km to my goal.

Goal

Goals are important in life; I work best when I have a goal to work towards.  When I started my quest towards a healthier lifestyle a year ago I had a goal in mind.  As I look back I can see many mini goals that also came into play towards the final goal.

I am 20-25 lbs from my goal and this winter I was challenged to keep active with the winter weather but I did it.  As spring approached I wanted to add biking back into my routine and so I decided to set a goal.  The goal is 1500 km and I began this quest on Sunday March 11th.  I will continue this journey until I reach my goal or the snow stops me next fall. 

To give this journey a point of reference I did the calculation and from Barrie to Lancaster Penn and back it is just over 1500km’s.  I love the country side in the Lancaster area not to mention the sheep that also graze in the fields of this area; I think that this will be my motivation on days when the biking gets tough.

Week 1 is over I biked a total of 63.1 km this leaves 1,436.9 km’s to go.  I rode this week around where I live, increasing my distance each day.  I also rode near the lake which was still frozen.  A few of my rides were in the wind, but the weather was dry each time.  A short ride on Friday night found me riding with the boys and the dog running alongside on his leash. My final ride for this week I rode from home to lake a ride of 20km with a final stop at my favourite choice of coffee establishment.

See you again next week when I post of my travels..

 

 

 

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