More Photos

The BC Cancer Foundation has posted photos of the Tour of Courage on Flickr. You can access them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bccancerfoundation/

Here is one of the few photos with me in it. I'm looking a little suspicious.

I haven't been on my bike since the ride on the 23rd. The weather has taken a turn for the worse and it is hard to work up the incentive to ride in the rain when there is no training goal. If we get a reasonably dry day this long weekend, I'll try to get out for a spin.

Pictures from the Tour of Courage

Here are some pictures of the Tour of Courage. The first shows Lance Armstrong giving us a talk at breakfast. The second shows Jordi and I before the start of the ride. The third shows me approaching the finish - all alone. And the fourth shows Jordi and I once I had finished.

The Big Day

Today was the big day - what I have been working toward in training, fundraising and injury rehab!

I got to the staging area a little early, checked in my bike and headed to the breakfast function. The food was great and everyone was upbeat and positive. After getting through the obligatory dignitary speeches, Lance Armstrong took to the podium and gave a very informal but good talk - mostly about cancer research, treatment and prevention and the differences between the US and Canada in those fields. Then, we headed to the staging area where there were more speeches and introductions of a bunch of people who were going to ride with us. Most notably, Lance, Axel Merckx (14 year pro cyclist and son of the great rider Eddie Merckx), Steve Bauer (Canadian cyclist who held the yellow jersey and had a 4th place overall finish in the Tour de France) and Phil Liggett (the bike race commentator for OLN).

The VIP group of riders left 5 minutes before everyone then the 90 km riders. I was in the front of the pack through the start and we caught the VIP group at the Camoson hill. Lance peeled off to catch a flight but the rest stayed with the pack. When we finished the 2nd UBC loop and turned onto SW Marine, I found myself alone and out front. I slowed down and let the others catch me as we headed out to Iona Park. I managed to stay toward the front of the pack the entire ride until we were back in Vancouver just onto SW Marine. My chain came off so the pack flew by as I fixed it. I tried but I could not catch up. I was fine while I was able to suck the wheels of a peleton but my legs had enough when I was pushing it solo. Also, my mishap happened with about 6 or 7 km left so we had already ridden more than 90 km.

Despite the chain problem, it was a great ride. The weather was nice - the wind was up in places but the pack acted as a shield. The riders were great, especially Axel Merckx with whom I was able to chat a little. Most of all, I had never ridden in a pack like that before. It was fun and a lot easier than riding solo. It gave me a new appreciation for big stage race riders when they have a mecahnical problem. Of course, they draft team cars and teammates usually drop back to help get them back in the peleton. Even so, 3 or 4 riders in a bunch do a lot more work than a big bunch.

Reaching the finish was exhilerating and a relief. Elena, Jordi, my mom, Elena's mom and our friend Olga were cheering me on. Because I was separated from the pack, they made special mention of my name and the fact that I was riding in Don's memory.

My ride data is a little off today because I walked my bike around a little after the ride and the computer was recording it as if I was riding a 5 km/h. So, my average speed was a little higher and my total distance and time were a little lower but you get the idea. It was a pretty fast day for me. I remember my total time was 3:00:31 at the finish.

Distance: 98.64 km
Time: 3:04:59
Average Speed: 32 km/h

I hope I get a chance to do this again next year. Thanks again to everyone.

Another heartwarming message

The following message came from Ali, one of Elena's clients. It is messages like these that make the training and riding worth while:

Hi Mark. It's Ali, one of Elena's clients. I lost my Mom two years ago. You are riding for so many people. I know how much Elena misses her Dad. You are an awesome hubby!! Cheers, Ali.

Last post before the ride

I ride the Tour of Courage tomorrow so this will be my last post on preparation.

On Friday, I had my last pre-ride appointment with Glenn. He took it light and gave me a hip adjustment just to make sure everything is aligned. I was going to get on my bike for half an hour but it didn't happen. I'm not too worried about missing the day since I have been more focussed on making sure I have enough energy and water stored. On that note, I have been eating a lot of high carb food and drinking a lot of water over the last couple of days. More pasta for dinner tonight.

I picked up my ride kit from the BC Cancer Foundation today. I'll be riding as number 9 and the number sqaure is red. All 90 km riders get red numbers but there is some significance to the colour. In the Tour de France, the most aggressive rider from the previous day's stage wears a red number instead of white. Number 9 also has some significance. Each team riding in the Tour de France has 9 riders at the start. Lance Armstrong's teams (US Postal Service then Discovery Channel) had numbers 1 through 9 for 6 of his 7 wins. Lance would wear number 1 as the previous year's winner. His teammates would wear numbers 2 through 9. So, I can pretend to be one of Lance's domestiques tomorrow.

I tuned my bike tonight and took it for a quick spin to make sure everything works. Everything is packed and ready to go. Tomorrow, I will arrive at UBC at around 8:30 and lock up my bike. I was able to get Jordi into the breakfast with Elena and I and that runs from about 9:00 to 9:45. Lance will be there for the breakfast with all of us who managed to raised $5000. After breakfast, Lance gives all the riders a pep talk at around 10:00 then we start to ride at 10:30.

The organizers expect the first of the riders to return around 12:30. I doubt I'll be in that group. But, if I can hook up with a few riders who are going at a good clip, I can draft with them for part of the way and save some energy. That means I can go faster. Who knows - maybe I can come in under 3 hours.

At the finish line, there will be a barbeque and entertainment for all ages. I'm sure it will be pleasant having a couple hundred stinky and sweaty cyclists hanging out with their families.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me. I have had a lot of fun, despite the pain, getting ready for this ride. I hope I get a chance to do something like this again.

Morning Ride & Last Physio

I went for an easy ride before physio this morning. I rode around the UBC loop once starting at 10th and Blanca. I followed that loop with a smaller one heading east at 16th instead of going all the way to 4th. I looked at my computer when I was done and it indicated I did the ride in just over 50 minutes at an average of just over 30 km/h. Somehow, when I got into the office to type this up, the numbers had changed:

Distance: 27.23 km
Time: 54:51
Average Speed: 29.8 km/h

My physio was fairly light as well. A little deep tissue work, especially on the vastus lateralis. I have one more chiro appointment on Friday and I plan one more easy ride before Sunday just to keep everything loose. It's almost time.

The Entire Route

I test rode the entire route today. It would appear that the organizers did not accurately measure the distance. Either that or my bike computer is not properly calibrated. My computer says I rode over 98 km today - a big difference from the anticipated 90 km. Even so, it was a good ride. The longest I have ever done, no pain, and I kept a good pace. I really tailed off on the final approach, especially from about Camoson up to Thunderbird Stadium. I was averaging about 31.4 km/h until that stretch.

For the rest of the week, I am going to do short, easy rides just to keep my legs limber. The hard training is done and it's all up to the big ride on the 23rd.

Details of today's epic journey:

Distance: 98.28 km
Time: 3:14:13
Average Speed: 30.4 km/h

A Great Day

I reached $5000 last night! Thanks to everyone who sponsored me. You have all helped me get to an amazing milestone. If you look back in this blog's posts, you will see where I started. I thought $1000 was a lot. Then the donations started coming in and I kept raising the bar. At the start, I would not have dreamed I could raise $5000 but you have all proved me wrong.

I want especially to thank the Kirschner family for their love and support. I know this means a lot to them. It means a lot to me too. I am motivated to ride my ass off on the 23rd.

I spoke to the co-ordinator of the event today. The Lance Armstrong event on Friday has been canceled but, in its place, I have the opportunity to have a more informal breakfast with Lance on Sunday morning before the ride. I like that better. I would not have had that opportunity if I did not reach my $5000 goal.

I was pretty pumped about reaching my fundraising goal so I put that energy into a morning ride today. I scouted the Richmond loop - the 3rd leg of the ride. It's dead flat and longer than I anticipated. I kept a good speed without pain. Things are looking really good on all fronts.

Here are the details of my ride:

Distance: 40.84 km
Time: 1:16:32
Average Speed: 32 km/h

Quick Test Ride

I took a little time yesterday taking the bike for a spin to see how the new pedals and shoes feel. I fine-tuned my cleat positions and I think I have them in the right alignment.

This morning, I woke up early and drove out to UBC. I rode one lap of the 1st leg of the ride route. I knew I could only fit in the 15 km lap because I had to get to physio by 7:30 so I pushed it. Part of the design was to test the shoes and pedals. Another part was to test my fitness. The third part was to become totally familiar with that part of the route.

It went really well. The stiffer shoe and wider pedal base means that I transfer more power into each pedal stroke. I don't lose any energy to the flex of the shoe (because there is no flex). I felt no pain in my leg. My Achilles' heel is my leg endurance. I have good lung capacity but my legs get fatigued. There is not much time to work on that aspect so I have to be pretty happy with the way my body is feeling. I already had a good sense of the UBC leg of the route from my weekend ride. I feel pretty confident about the twists, turns and bumps. I see no problems with the route so far. I think I am ready to tackle the long ride.

After my ride, I saw Dave. He has put me in maintenance mode so it was a pretty light visit. My exercises are going well and my hip alignment seems pretty stable.

My goal from here on in is to check out the Richmond leg of the route on Friday then do the entire route on Sunday. Next week will consist of shorter rides at an easy pace to give my body some time to work up some reserves for the 23rd. The countdown is on.

My ride today:

Distance: 15.43 km
Time: 28:38
Average Speed: 32.5 km/h

Today at Chiro & Gear Update

I was able to see Glenn today. He did the same active release and fascial work but there was almost no pain. It looks to me like the injury is all but gone. So, I am encouraged that I will be able to push it on the 90 km ride on the 23rd.

I also finally received my new shoes. I intalled the new pedals on my bike and spent a little time adjusting the cleats. I will take the bike for a little test spin tomorrow to see how the pedals feel and make any fine adjustments. Hopefully, I will be ready for a more significant ride in the next couple of days. But, I don't want to push it too hard with new gear in case I cause a new injury.

Part of the Route

I thought it would be a good idea to check out part of the route today. I didn't have time to do it all so I chose to start at Thunderbird Stadium and follow the course around UBC. Instead of doing the 2 laps as outlined in the route, I only did one hookng onto SW Marine Drive. I then followed the 2nd leg of the route out to Iona Park and back.

As I anticipated, the route is mostly flat. There are few sections of false flats but they don't effect the average speed much. One section will be a little trecherous - the leg along Camoson between W 29th Avenue and SW Marine. This is a straight and relatively steep downhill but the road is in bad shape. There are potholes, hidden dips, and deep cracks in the pavement. It is also pretty narrow, especially of there are parked cars on the sides. If there is a large group of riders at this point, we could get in each others' way - a potential hazard.

The leg out to Iona Park runs pretty much due west and it is exposed. If there is a wind, it can really slow you down. That's what it was like today - a stiff headwind all the way out. I was not able to go faster than 26km/h on that stretch. But, I was pushing 40km/h on the way back. There is also a short portion that runs north-south and it is just as exposed. If the wind is blowing, it cuts right across the riders. With a light racing bike, that can be scary. The bike gets pushed across the road.

I have yet to check out the circuit around Richmond. I am going to try to get out there this week. Then, I will put it all together for a full test run next weekend.

My ride today:

Distance: 47.45 km
Time: 1:33:53
Average Speed: 30.3 km/h

Quick Ride to and from Physio

I intended to ride to and from work today but my wife is out of town and I am a single dad this weekend. Everything takes a lot longer when there is only one parent. I ran out of time this morning so I threw my bike in my car and headed to court. I had a physio appointment over lunch so I rode to the clinic. I treated the ride there like a time trial except that I was forced to make the usual traffic stops and avoid clueless drivers who cut me off. Once I got there, Dave took a look at my position on the bike and he gave me some tips to ensure my mechanics are in line. Things are looking good as far as the injury goes. I have some new exercises to work on and some things to think about when I am on the bike. Dave instructed me to take it really easy on the ride back to the office since he didn't want his work of loosening me up be for nothing.

My ride to physio:

Distance: 7.o5 km
Time: 15:47
Average Speed: 27 km/h

And my ride back to the office:

Distance: 7.15 km
Time: 20:18
Average Speed: 21.3 km/h

Early Morning Ride

I went out for an early morning ride today. I took the same route toward Deep Cove as I did a couple of weeks ago but this time I went right into Deep Cove and I took Dollarton Hwy back instead of Mt. Seymour Parkway. My leg felt really good. I was pushing it more than I have since I got hurt and there was absolutely no pain or stiffness. I am still being very conscious of my mechanics but I am sacrificing less in efficiency. It is starting to feel more natural. On long flats, I really tucked in and rode as hard as I could. I'd have to look back but I think this is my fastest ride for the distance.

Distance: 36.64 km
Time: 1:11:23
Average Speed: 30.8 km/h

The Route

Here are the route maps. They show each successive leg of the ride.

Tour of Courage Developments

I got my route plan for the ride on the 23rd. It looks like a pretty flat course starting at UBC, around the campus twice, onto SW Marine Drive, out to Iano Island, back into Richmond to Steveston, north mostly along No. 6 Road to River Road then back to UBC. I plan to try the route in segments and at least once as a whole before the ride.

If I can figure out how to convert the .pdf maps into jpeg or gif, I will post the route maps here.

Physio Yesterday

I went to see Dave yesterday. Since I was not able to see Glenn on Friday, Dave got a little more physical with me than he has in the past. His thumbs got pretty deep into my thigh and I was not feeling too comfortable. But, he's encouraged by my 2-hour ride on Monday. I see him again on Friday and I will bring my bike in so he can see how I am set up. We are talking about mechanical changes that I can make to limit injury and still provide efficiency. When I rode on Monday, as I was focussed on keeping my hips stable, I noticed a compromise in power. So, we are going to see what I can do differently.

Back on the Bike

I felt much better today so, after three days of frustrated rest, I went out for a two-hour ride. Everything went really well. No stomach problems and no leg pain. As with my last ride, I focussed on keeping my hip stable and I was able to keep up a pretty good pace.

Although we have no idea what the route plan is for the ride on the 23rd, I have heard that it starts at Thunderbird Stadium at UBC. So I headed to the campus to get used to the terrain. I did much the same ride as the 90 km one on which I injuired my leg. The difference was that I hooked onto West 4th Ave at Alma instead of riding along the beach. I tried not to push it too much but I wanted to put in a decent average speed. I was slowed a little by a stiff headwind along the south arm of the campus road.

I have ordered new shoes from Nashbar.com and I hope they arrive tomorrow. I chose the Adidas Girano. I have not had a chance to test them out at a store so they may be totally wrong for me but they were a great deal. They are sure to be a lot stiffer than my old shoes which should add efficiency to my riding. I also picked up some real road bike pedals this weekend. I have been riding with my old mountain bike pedals made by Onza. They are no longer available, nor are replacement parts. I bought some inexpensive but very light pedals by Exustar: model E-PR70P. They are mostly plastic and they have a wider platform than SPD-style pedals so they are supposed to be a lot more comfortable since they spread the load over more of the foot. I'll put the pedals on when the shoes arrive because I can't remove my old cleats fom my old shoes. I hope the new gear will also help with my leg.

Distance: 58.41 km
Time: 2:01:24
Average Speed: 28.9 km/h

Stomach Bug

I cought some kind of stomach bug early yesterday so I had to cancel my appointment with Glenn. I'm better today but not great so I won't be riding. I'll see how the weekend goes and I hope to get on my bike for a long but leisurely ride. It's no fun being sick when I really want to get out for a ride.

A Test Ride

I managed to get out for a test ride this evening, as Dave suggested. I pushed it a little but my leg is still a touchy so I was making sure I didn't overdo it. I rode the Marine Drive route toward Horseshoe Bay and I made it past Lighthouse Park before turning around. I focussed on keeping my hips parallel to the ground and it really worked. There were moments when I got pain but they were always when I lost concentration on my hip alignment. I think it is clear that there is a mechanical adjustment that I can make to ensure I ride pain free. It is going to take some training to get used to the position to the point that I no longer have to concentrate on it.

I was trying to maintain an average speed of 30 km/h but I couldn't quite get to that pace. Nevertheless, the ride felt good. It was nice to push it again; make my lungs work. Also, I am really getting used to the BH bike. It is so unstable compared to my touring bike so it has taken some time to feel comfortable enough to take some risks. It was fun.

Distance: 33.17 km
Time: 1:07:29
Average Speed: 29.4 km/h

Physio

I saw Dave this morning. I told him about my last couple of rides noting the pain I had on Tuesday. He thinks it is possible that the pain won't go away without some mechanical corrections. He expanded the focus of the therapy to include triggering stimulation of the vastus medialis muscle (the quadricep muscle on the inside). I have some exercises that will help get that muscle firing. The point is to pull the knee cap inward to counter the tightness of the muscles on the outside of the thigh.

Dave has encouraged me to ride at a good pace on an easy route - attempting an average speed of 30 km/h. He wants me to test my leg on a hill by getting out of the saddle and focussing on keeping my hip steady. If it causes big pain like it did on Tuesday, I have an appointment with Glenn tomorrow morning to deal with it.

I don't experience any pain when I walk, climb stairs or any other time other than riding my bike on hills so there is little risk of doing any permanent damage. I am getting new pedals and shoes soon and I will bring my bike in to see Dave next week to make fine tuning adjustments.

Today's Ride

I went for an early morning ride today. I was hoping to get in an hour and a half but I left a little later than I wanted to so I cut it down to an hour. It was not an easy ride. I tried a new route heading out toward Deep Cove along Dollarton Highway. It was going well until I got to Mount Seymour Parkway. I decided to go that way back but there is a big hill leading up from Dollarton. I had to get out of the saddle putting a lot of weight on my right knee. I got quite a shock of pain which recurred a few times during the last half of the ride. I found it a little discouraging given how well the rehab is going but it is clear that I need to avoid tough hills for a while and try to stay in the saddle.

Distance: 30.70 km
Time: 1:06:36
Average Speed: 27.7 km/h

Monday Chiro

I saw Glenn again yesterday and it was more of a physio appointment than a chiro visit. No adjustments, just work to muscles and fascia. He is really happy with my progress. I told him I felt about 70% on my ride on Saturday. Normally, he expects people to get to 70% after about 6 treamtents and we only had two.

He did more active release work through the whole lateral thigh. Previously, he focussed on the area around the iliac crest and the area around the knee. On this visit, he expanded to include the area under the greater trochanter of the femur - an area that has been tender for a while. He also used a curved, rounded steel tool. He moved the tool up and down my lateral thigh over the fascia. It is supposed to break up adhesions in the fascia. It felt weird but not painful.

When I got home yesterday, I noticed that the area around my knee was bruised from the treatment. Otherwise, I feel pretty good.

Saturday Ride

I went out for another hour-long ride today. I was a little hesitant at the start but I built up to a level that was challenging but comfortable on my injury. It felt great. I'm not 100% but today's ride was exponentially better than Thursday. I avoided any pain but I was conscious of the injury. At times, I would feel a little pull on the stiff knee.

One thing that may have made a difference was that I took an ibuprophen before I rode to keep inflammation down. I think that was a minor part in the success of the ride. The major part is the level of rehab. It seems to be working very well.

My ride was the usual Marine Drive route. Compare these numbers to Thursday and you will see how much better I feel.

Distance: 30.30 km
Time: 1:04:50
Average Speed: 28 km/h

Friday at Chiro

Ow. Ow. Ow. I had another appointment with Glenn on Friday and it hurt like hell. He focussed a lot more toward the knee doing active release. It is clear that he and Dave agree on where the problem lies - weak glut. med. They also agree that my over-compensation for the weakness is manifesting itself in the junction between the vastus lateralis muscle and the IT Band. Glenn worked hard on pulling the vastus lateralis away from the IT Band. Then, he moved on to the gluts.

I now have new exercises to do which aim at strengthening my glut. med. so it can take over the job of stabilising my hip. Once the strength builds, it should take the load off the IT band and the vastus lateralis.

Finally, Glenn gave me a full adjustment of my hip alignment.

Thursday, August 23

I was able to get out for an easy ride on Thursday. I decided to test my leg on the Marine Drive route which is mostly flat but has a few short hills. My leg was far from pain free. Before, I had pain when putting hard load on my right pedal - usually going up hill - but while I was in the saddle. When I got out of the saddle, the pedal strokes were pain free. On this ride, however, I was getting a little more pain when I got out of the saddle. I think it might have something to do with my foot angle. I find it easier to pull my knee out a little when I am in the saddle. This position takes load off my IT band and puts it into the quadriceps. When I get out of the saddle, I think my knee pull inward.

Before this ride, I tried to adjust the angle of my shoe cleat but I have had them for so long, I was not able to loosen them without stripping the bolt. I have decided that I am going to invest in better pedals and shoes and start from scratch.

The details of my ride:

Distance: 26.78 km
Time: 1:03:51
Average Speed: 25.2 km/h

Physio

I went to my first physiotherapy appointment this morning. I got in touch with an old Kinesiology classmate named Dave Kwan. He works at SEVA Physiotherapy on West Broadway in Vancouver. He has always had an interest in sports-repated injuries and he is working with the Canadian Rythmic Gymnastics team.

He spent a lot of time with me assessing my posture and figuring out what is wrong. For those interested in anatomy and biomechanics, here is a summary of Dave's assessment. My gluteus medius muscle is weak. It serves to stabilize my right hip but it is not doing its job very well. As a result, when I put load on my right pedal, my iliotibial band compensates. The IT band is not meant to take that kind of load so it tightens up and pulls on the outside of my knee causing pain.

Dave got me on some exercises to build strength in my glut. med. and he did some passive massage to work out some of the tightness. It wasn't nearly as painful as Glenn's massage yesterday but it was still very uncomfortable.

The other thing Dave recommended was to see about getting new pedals that can adjust my foot angle relative to the bike. If I adjust my toe outward a little, it will pull my knee out which will rotate my hip into a better alignment. This should prevent any future injury. So, I'm going to go shopping and see what's out there.

As with Glenn, I have clearance to ride. I hope to get on my bike Thursday or Friday for an easy trip.

My 1st Big Day of Rehab

I was finally able to get in to see my doctor and get some referrals for physical rehab. This afternoon, I visited my chiropractor, Dr. Glenn Cashman. He does more than adjustments; he uses a number of techniques to rehabilitate chronic injuries. He is the team chiropractor for Memorial Cup Champions, the Vancouver Giants so he understands sports injuries. Glenn and I went to highschool together and we did our undergraduate degrees in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University at the same time. Glenn practices at Metro Pointe Chiropractic near Metrotown in Burnaby.

Today, he put me through a fair amount of pain using active release massage techniques. I have a green light to continue to ride as long as I avoid riding that hurts. At this point, that means no hills and no hard, time-trial riding.

Tomorrow, I continue the pain with my first visit to physiotherapy. I will post details when I recover. The sadists among you will enjoy reading for a few days.

Finally, a quick update of my easy ride home from work yesterday:

Distance: 8.73 km
Time: 18:39
Average Speed: 28.2 km/h

A Few Days Off

I took a few days off to rest my leg. I spent some time in the pool yesterday, mostly wading in the kids area with Jordi. I was able to get some deep stretching done last night and I decided to take the short ride into work today. No pain but I still feel the tightness. I am pretty sure if I rode for a while longer, it would start to hurt.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with my doctor to get some referrals for massage and physio. I have lined up a physio appointment for Wednesday and I am going to try to get some chiropractic work done tomorrow. At least I now have something interesting to write about - you can follow the pain and anguish of my rehab.

My ride in to work:

Distance: 9.24 km
Time: 18:38
Average Speed: 29.9 km/h

Still Nursing My Injuries

I went for an early morning ride today. Again, I took it very easy to make sure I didn't over-aggravate my IT Band. I avoided any real pain but my right hip and knee are really tight, especially when going up hill. I am planning on undergoing some intense rehab to make sure I am ready for the ride in September.

I rode for an hour, riding from home toward Horseshoe Bay for 1/2 hour then I turned around. There was a high wind blowing off the ocean onto Marine Drive which really slowed me down. Otherwise, it was a decent ride.

Distance: 29.07 km
Time: 1:02:01
Average Speed: 28.1 km/h

A Touching Message & My Ride Home Yesterday

I received a touching message from an anonymous donor yesterday. I think it speaks for itself:

"Great work doing this ride. Yes, we have all lost too many people to cancer. Perhaps while you are out there, you can spare a moment of your thoughts for our nephew, Jonathon, who passed away in 1999 at age 6 from neuroblastoma."

My ride home was relaxed and easy and there was no pain in my knee. Hopefully, I'm on the road to recovery. I'm taking today off as well. Here are the details of yesterday's ride home:

Distance: 8.74 km
Time: 18:52 km
Average Speed: 27.9 km/h

The Best Donation Comment So Far

The Tour of Courage has an elaborate, on-line fundraising system. I am able to send standard fundraising and thank you emails, keep track of my progress, identify who needs to be thanked, and so on. I just discovered that some people have sent comments along with their donations. The comments are hidden away in a cyberplace that I didn't know existed. But, now I do and I will be accessing it every time a donation is made. If I like the comment, I will seek permission to post it here.

So far, the best comment comes from April - never one to be shy of controversy. She wrote:

"I want to encourage Mark to get his blood pumping as he surges up the hills on his good, hard ride."

Easy Recovery Ride

I rode into work today at an easy pace. It turns out my knee problem on Sunday is a recurrence of an old running injury to my iliotibial band. I have been stretching, icing, and massaging it as well as taking anti-inflammatories. It felt OK today but there were still some jolts of pain. I will be taking it easy for a few days although I will get on my bike to keep my legs and lungs working a little.

Distance: 9.26 km

Time: 19:40

Average Speed: 28.2 km/h

I mentioned my "mechanics" injury to my hand in my last post. I thought it would be fun to take a picture. This is after two and a half days of healing. Look away if you are squeamish.

Long Ride and New Bike

On Thursday, I got my new bike courtesy of True North Cycling - distributors of BH bikes. They have loaned me a top of the line BH Global Concept G3 racing bike. For all of you gear heads out there, this is a carbon fibre frame with integrated seat post. The forks, wheels and many of the components are by Reynolds. The drive train is Shimano Dura Ace. It is an incredibly light and agile bike. I will be getting some pictures done soon and I will post them.

Since everyone has their own preference for pedals, I spent Saturday evening taking my pedals off my old bike and placing them on the BH. While trying to remove the right pedal, as soon as it gave way, I thrust my hand into the large, front chain ring. Three teeth of the sprocket punctured my hand, chain grease, road grime and all. Thankfully, I didn't need stitches but I got a tetanus shot for my troubles.

I have always known tetanus shots can make your arm feel like you threw a baseball too hard but it seems they can effect the whole body. Today, I took the BH for its first ride. I was targetting for 90 km and I made it, but not without a lot of pain.

My ride started out beautifully. The bike was so light that I flew up hills and my average speed was much greater than I thought it would be. It took a little getting used to the light weight and the different gear ratios but I quickly settled in. I was well on pace to average 32 km/h, which would have been far better than my initial goal at the start of training. But, with about 25 km to go, I started feeling aches and pains all over my body - not just my puntured hand and innoculated arm, which both hurt throughout the ride. My right knee got the worst of it. After a few more klicks, I was unable to put any weight on my right knee. The last 20 km was powered only by my left leg.

Despite the pain, I made it home with a record average speed for a long ride. For the first 65 km, I was thinking to myself, "Now I get it. I understand how professional racers in the Tour de France can sustain average speeds of about 40 km/h." It's all in the bike. It makes a huge difference to shed 10 lbs off the load.

When I got home, I stretched and soaked in a hot bath for a while. I take tomorrow off again so I hope to heal in time for a short ride on Tuesday. I am looking forward to getting back on the BH.

Details of my ride today:

Route: I won't go into each detail but here is a general summary. From home, over the Lions' Gate Bridge, onto the Stanley Park ring road, along Beach Ave, over the Burrard St Bridge, along Cornwall, Point Grey Rd, arund UBC, along SW Marine Dr, onto the Arthur Lang Bridge, following Russ Baker Way, right on Westminster Hwy, left on No 1 Rd until I hit a total of 45 km (I'm not sure exactly where that got me but it was not quite to Steveston). I turned around and followed the same route back.
Distance: 89.87 km
Time: 3:05:12
Average Speed: 29.1 km/h

Hill Ride

Today I was scheduled to do a 30 minute, easy ride. I have a busy day at work so I decided to ride first thing in the morning. I also decided that I need to work on my biggest weakness - climbing hills. So, I took on Capilano Road from the Hwy #1 overpass to the Grouse Mtn parking lot. I took it easy but it was a tough 6 km hill. Coming back down was fun. I broke my previous top speed maxing out at 72.6 km - no pedaling, just pure gravity.

Route: from home onto Capilano Rd to the Grouse Mtn parking lot, around the lot, down Capilano Rd, left on Montroyal Ave, right on Highland Blvd, right on Ridgewood Dr, left onto Capilano Rd and back home.
Distance: 13.56 km
Time: 33:27
Average Speed: 24.4 km/h

A Better Day

I picked up some new inner tubes yesterday and fixed up my bike. Today, I rode into work detouring for 3 laps around Stanley Park. It was mostly dry when I started out but it drizzled progressively harder as the ride went on. It made for slick roads but there was nothing too technical about my ride so I managed to stay on my bike. I made up for the disaster yesterday. I felt really good.

Distance: 40.25 km
Time: 1:24:00
Average Speed: 28.8 km/h

Of course, if I ride to work, I have to ride home. The rain stopped by the time I left work. I took the usual route straight home, taking it easy.

Distance: 8.74 km
Time: 18:51
Average Speed: 27.8 km/h

Day of Disaster

I set out today in hopes of riding for about an hour and a half. I ran over something metal and got 2 punctures in my back tire. I put in my spare tube but I broke the valve trying to pump it up. I took that one off and, finally, another rider stopped with a patch kit. I got the patch on but I broke the valve on the 1st tube. So, I ran out of tubes and no one was about to give up their spare. The bus pulled up and let me on for free since I didn't bring an money with me. I rode to Park Royal and walked home from there. I'll have to make up for it with a longer ride tomorrow morning.

Route: from home toward Horseshoe Bay as described earlier but I only made it to Cypress Park.
Distance: 14.04 km
Time: 26:45
Average Speed: 31.6 km/h

Long Weekend Ride

Yesterday was another rest day. I have managed maintain a schedule of four rides a week. The training program recommends riding five days but, with my work and family commitments, that is just not feasible. I am feeling pretty good about what I have been able to accomplish. Depending on the route of the ride on September 23, I am optimistic that I will be able to reach my goal of riding 90 km in under 3 hours.

Today was a long ride day. I targeted for 70 km and I managed to ride 69.16 km. It was exhausting by the end and I think if I had gone the extra 840 metres, I would have keeled over. Now that I have showered and tried to move some of the lactic acid out of my thighs, I feel pretty good. The details:

Route: from home over the Lions' Gate Bridge, onto the Stanley Park ring road, onto Beach Ave, over the Burrard St Bridge, onto Cornwall Ave (which turns into Point Grey Rd, dog-legging onto W 4th Ave, veering into NW Marine Dr all the way around UBC. NW Marine Dr turns into SW Marine Dr, onto W 41st Ave, left on Dunbar St (which turns into Alma St), right onto Point Grey Rd (turns into Cornwall Ave), over the Burrard St Bridge, along Burrard to Georgia St turning left and into Stanley Park where I did 2 1/2 laps of the ring road before going back over the Lions' Gate Bridge and home.
Distance: 69.16 km
Time: 2:30:37
Average Speed: 27.6 km/h

Big News

Just before leaving work today, I received an email from the Tour of Courage organizers. They have decided to allow the first 200 riders who raise $5000 two tickets to an evening talk with Lance Armstrong. This is incredible news and will really motivate me to exceed my current goal of $2000. For those who haven't donated yet but have meant to, please make your donation sooner rather than later.

I rode into work today taking the same route as on July 27 (see that date's blog post for details) except that I went two laps around Stanley Park instead of one. It was such a nice morning for a ride. About 16 degrees Celcius and sunny. The details:

Distance: 30.78 km
Time: 1:01:34
Average Speed: 30.0 km/h


And, I rode home doing my fastest ride for the distance:

Distance: 8.67 km
Time: 18:12
Average Speed: 28.6 km/h

Wednesday, August 1

Yesterday was another day off. I have been talking to the folks at True North Cycling about getting a better bike to ride. They have agreed to loan me a BH Global Concept G3 - top of the line racing bike. I am truly grateful for their support and I will be posting more details about True North and BH bikes in the near future. This is a beautiful bike so keep checking back for information.

Today, I went for a quick ride mimicking Monday's route but only going as far as the West Vancouver Community Centre. My training program indicated I should limit my ride to 30 minutes. Here are the details:

Distance: 16.1 km
Time: 33:18
Average Speed: 29.2 km/h

A New Week

I received the following message from Fran (Don's neice) and her husband Howard. Fran and Howard live south of the border but they made sure to be in Vancouver for Don's last days. As evidenced by their message, they were very touched by Don. I think I speak for Don's immediate family when I say that we were all touched by their love and support when they were here.

"We have donated and support Mark 1000% (if that were possible). His web page, words and the picture of Uncle Don absolutely brought tears to my eyes." - Fran & Howard

Thanks to Fran & Howard for their generous support.

Yesterday was a rest day for me. I was worried about training this week. I had a trial scheduled for tomorrow and, as usual, I felt a little under-prepared. I was going to need to bring home work which precludes riding to and from the office. It turns out that the trial must be adjourned so I had the evening to ride. I targeted for an hour and I hit it bang on. Going west, I was riding into a stiff headwind. I was pushing to make an average of 30 km/h but I just couldn't break through fast enough. Thankfully, what was a barrier going west provided assistance going east. Here's the log:

Route: from home to the 15th St bike route, left onto the Tatlow bike route, onto Welch St, through Park Royal and onto Marine Drive until I completed 30 minutes (which took me just past the Fisheries station). Turned around and retraced the route home.
Distance: 29.3 km
Time: 1:00:06
Average Speed: 29.3 km/h

My 1st Long Ride & Fundraising News

Last night, I broke the $1000 mark. This is the minimum required for my participation in the ride so now I am truly committed.

A quick log of my ride home last night: I rode easy after having spent the evening with a friend eating a big meal and drinking a little sangria. It was dark when I started so I kept off the road and on the bike path.

Distance: 8.7 km
Time: 21:43
Average Speed: 24.2 km/h


Today, I went for my first long ride. I did not push it too hard and I kept my fuel up by eating an energy bar along the way. But, by the time I got to the last hill, I was struggling. The hill was short but pretty steep and I was only able to take it at 8 km/h. Once on top, I cooled down on flat roads for abot 6 km. Here is the log of my ride:

Route: from home onto the W 15th St bike route, left on Tatlow bike route, right onto Welch St. Welch to Park Royal onto Marine Dr all the way into Horseshoe Bay. Turn around following the same route back but hooking onto the W 1st St bike route to MacKay St and back into my neighbourhood where I did two laps.
Distance: 50.1 km
Time 1:50:00
Average Speed: 26.9 km/h

My 1st Real Day of Training

Yesterday, I received the official Tour of Courage training program for the 90 km ride. The program expects me to ride 5 days a week, use the stepper once a week and do weight training twice a week. The rides vary from 1/2 hour, easy riding to long (80-100 km) excursions. I will have to modify my training program given my family and work committments.

Today, I started training in earnest. I am going to use this blog as my training log - I will post the basic details of my efforts each day.

Route: from home, over the Lions Gate Bridge, around the Stanley Park Ring Road once, onto Georgia St, veer onto Pender St to Beatty St
Distance: 21.3 km
Time: 43:02
Average Speed: 29.8 km

I will also be riding home but I will take the direct route and riding at an easier pace. I'll post those details tomorrow.

I've Decided to Start a Blog

If you found this blog, chances are you clicked on the link at my website devoted to the Tour of Courage: www.tourofcourage.ca/goto/markbussanich. If you happened upon it via some other path, please take the time to visit the link above and donate to my ride to fight cancer.

I thought it would be useful to create a blog to post my progress regarding fundraising and training for the Tour of Courage. Also, as people donate, I am learning about their stories. If I get permission, I will post some of those stories here since they are inspirational.

For those who don't know, I will be riding my bike, along with many others, for 90 km. The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness for cancer research and I am fundraising for the BC Cancer Foundation. This is not only my effort. Many will particiapte and we each have our personal goals.

At this early stage, I have two main goals:

1. to raise as much money as possible; and
2. to train so that I can complete the ride in under 3 hours.

I only started fundraising two days ago and the response has been tremendous. I want to thank everyone who has donated so far and I want to encourage everyone to get the word out. Have your friends visit my website and make a donation. I began with a goal of $1000, as was recommended by the Tour. But, things are going so well so I decided to raise my goal to $2000. If the response continues as positively, I will keep raising the bar.

I will post more details about training as time goes on. For now, I will be riding to and from work twice a week. The ride is only about 9 km so it is more of a sprint. I will also be doing one longer ride each weekend - starting at 40 km and getting longer as the summer progresses.

Check back often to read more.