Day 22: Last straw(s)

I didn't so much wake up this morning as I did eventually decide that I was sick of shivering inside my completely enclosed mummy bag. I had thought that a sleeping bag rated to 2 degrees would be warm enough for the month of August but I was obviously wrong.

Last night was likely only 4 or 5 degrees, but apparently the company also lied. Alas, not much I could do but wait for the sun to heat things up a bit and get on the road.

The hills just past marathon were fitting to the name and once again *drumroll please* there was a bit of a headwind. Personally, I've been quite amazed that while following a circle around lake Superior, the wind has managed to track me and blow in my face the whole way.

It was also an interesting experience to be cold all day but still manage a sunburn on my neck. That was sadly the most noteworthy part of my day on the road.

By the time I reached White River, I'd had enough and wasn't even going to try to be a tough guy again. It was already cooling off and my body ached in ways I've never experienced. I decided to swallow my pride and go to a motel. Once I had made the decision to take it easy, in true Saunderson fashion, I was sure to do it right. Say what you will, but at 6pm today, this sight was the very definition of the word heaven:

Motel room with bathtub: $62.17
Large pepperoni pizza: $13.73
Two cans lager beer: a few charming smiles at reception
Scratching an itch of 3 cravings at once: Priceless

Since it was late on a Sunday in a small town, the liquor store was closed. However, when I put on my utterly hearbroken face, the receptionist felt compelled to dig a couple out of her fridge for me. The rest is glorious history.

I'm sure you're trying to remind me that I need to get back on the road tomorrow and I still have a few days in the bush before the Soo. Unfortunately, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am right now.

Day 21: Little things

The day was horrid. I'll say it.

It was still raining when I got going, but I had already lost a day and wanted to push on. I'd only made it 15km to Schrieber and I was already contemplating stopping for the day. I was wet and chilled to the bone. I stopped for breakfast and the sun eventually came out. That was my cue to get back on the road.

The wind of course had other plans and gave me my slowest day on the road. It was the little things such as the subtle incorrectness of this sign that kept me going:

The massive hills continued to appear in front of me but I didn't mind climbing them. I went about the same speed up them as I did down, except I didn't have to deal with a blast of wind in the face.

I set camp on a rock face off the highway, just shy of Marathon. I really needed a good night sleep... shame I wouldn't get it.

Rain Day: Rossport

(expanded upon from barely decipherable notebook scribbles)

Its cold (8'C), it's pouring, and there is a massive headwind. Any one of those three ingredients and I might still consider being on the road, however add a dash of Shane and we have a perfect recipe for hypothermia. I spent the entire day keeping an eye on the weather hoping for a break to hit the road, but it never came.

If you're wondering, I found a task even more boring than watching grass grow: watching slugs crawl on a tent. I started to name them and quickly realized that I was going mad and needed to get out of the tent. I went back to Serendipity for another great meal and this time had a good long chat with the owners.

Roger took a liking to me and after enough complimenting, he even gave me the recipe to his delicious Serendipity rice:

1 large yellow onion
2 cans of Campbell beef broth
1 cup of white wine
4 cups of water
4 cups of rice

fry the diced onion in a pan with butter or oil
add the dry rice to the pan after the onion is clear
mix the liquids and bring them to a boil
add the rice onion mix to the boiling pot
place the pot in an oven at 350f for 45 minutes

enjoy!!

See, I did more than freeze my butt off in my tent all day.

Day 20: What a shot

(expanded upon from barely decipherable notebook scribbles)
Surprise surprise, I'm back on the road, it's raining, 10 degrees and there's a headwind. Fortunately the rain is periodic and the wind is slight. Generally speaking, not a bad day when compared to most of my recent ones.

Just shy of Nipigon, the icing was added to the cake when a west bound semi kicked up and golf ball sized rock which found it's way almost perfectly to my crotch. The shot couldn't have been better if the driver had tried, from a meter away, with a laser scope and some sort of genital guidance system. Fortunately, the tower defended the domes, if you catch my drift, so the extrutiating pain lasted only 5 minutes, not an hour.

A passing minivan stopped to see if I was ok. I grumbled out a yep, but when they double checked, I replied, "well, no, but i'd rather not get into it.". Once I hit Nipigon, I found a forecast which put Friday as one of the most miserable days I'd seen. A quick discussion with the voices in my head concluded that I not stop, but make it as far as I could in the event that the meteorolgist actually be right for once.

The road past Nipigon was breathtaking as you can see below:

However, the gorgeous hills were as difficult as I had been warned about. Still, I pushed on and made it roughly 185km to Rossport. It was perfect since I had heard of an amazing cafe called Serendipity. I had a great meal and managed to set my tent up just east of town before the rain began.

This trip was all fun and games before I had to start worrying about losing my ability to have kids.

Rest Day: Thunder Bay

My day with the Conliffes in Thunder Bay was a wonderfully relaxing one. Mark's help getting prepared for the road ahead and Ena's tremendous cooking made things all the better. My little bike now looks like she's ready to take on the world with an entire new set of rear spokes which are roughly twice as thick as the old ones. They may slow me down, but at least they won't break (and if they do... I may decide to give up on cycling and walk the rest of the way).

The next week is the part of the trip which I've been a bit afraid of this entire journey. It also should prove to be one of the most breathtaking, peaceful experiences I've had in a while. That said, I've always been a social person, so I could do without peaceful and have a bit of a crowd now and then. By the time I hit Toronto, I'm sure I'll be some sort of crazed bushman, starved for attention and ready to tell you all my stories about conversing with the squirrels and helping them with their war against those vile chipmunks.

But I'll save that for another, slightly more mentally unstable day.

I've heard warnings of the hills around Superior being as steep as the rockies and longer than anything I've seen yet. I completely aired out my bags, bought sealed, dry food and still plan to hang everything in a tree to avoid the bears. I had a new bottle rack installed on my bike to carry more water, considering that most of this stretch of highway only has communities every 100km.

This is the real deal; no phones, no friends, minimal stores, scarce water, and animals everywhere. It's probably for the best that I won't be able to update until I get to Sault Ste. Marie, because I know I'll have some rough days out there (and you don't need to hear me swear anymore than I have). Already tomorrow, I'll be riding into rain and headwinds according to the weather.

All I ask is no more hawks.

-====-
Cause I'll get there
When I get there
If I even get there at all

Blow wind blow, blow the other way
Blow wind blow, chase the rain again
Blow wind blow, dry the tears from my face
Blow wind blow, blow me away
-====-

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 19: Rebirth

After leaving Upsala yesterday, I continued to ride into the early evening. It was only once the rain started that I setup my tent. I spent the evening being baptized by thunder showers. The lightening struck so close that I heard the crack before I saw the flash and the rain beat like loud drums against my tent.

I awoke with the sun, feeling reborn. The last trickles of rain patted against my tent and I poked my head out the tent to see the tree tops proudly swaying east. The west wind was back: my wind. This time however, things were different. My legs were stronger. My butt was used to the cracked, unforgiving road. My mind was more focused. Above all, my soul wanted revenge. Revenge for the 4 days which I was robbed of my precious speed. Revenge for the mangled shoulders and closely passing trailers. Revenge for the blistering sun and soaking rain. Revenge for my poor Gladys, who was falling apart, piece by piece. I needed to remind myself, and the road, what I was capable of.

And oh, did I have my revenge.

I spent the majority of the morning doing this:

Or as I like to call it, kicking ass and not wasting time taking names. I pushed until my legs felt like mush and just when I didn't think I could keep up my pace, I forced my legs to push some more. I had been worried that, now missing 2 spokes, my rear wheel was not long for the world, so between yesterday and today, I was determined to make good time and arrive in a bike shop in Thunder Bay before I was forced to give up on her and stick out my thumb.

By the time I reached HWY 102 turnoff, still 35km out of TB, a third spoke snapped and my rear wheel had become so deformed that it was rubbing on my brakes. No amount of tinkering with the other spokes would true the wheel sufficiently and I didn't have the patience to start playing around with the brake cables. So, I forged ahead relatively unphased by the slowing effect of the rubbing brakes. Just like the wind, it was an unseen hinderance which I was completely aware of but could do little about, so I was quite used to the experience.

My speed suffered in this stretch of highway, however the final road into Thunder Bay was a glorious coast downhill. I set out to the closest bike shop I could find and am having them re-thread the entire rear wheel with spokes used in mountain racing. If these don't hold up, nothing will.

My friend Alex, whom I studied engineering with at Mcgill and subsequently bumped into randomly in Oxford, linked me up with her aunt and uncle, Ena and Mark. I'll be staying with them for the next day while my body recovers an prepares for the massive hills around lake superior.

If you though I was determined last night, just look at me on a good day.

Day 18: A lot can happen in a day

I stumbled across a gas station with wifi and decided to give a quick update. Unfortunately it's not great news. When I sat down to write this, I knew I wasn't going to be able to spin it. I had some rough days in the prairies but at the end of it all, could always crack a little joke and make things sound like they weren't that bad. I was ready to try shining a bit of light on today when I realized something; you're not reading this as a motivational piece or a feel good story, you're here for the truth, good or bad.

The truth is the road has been hell since hitting Ontario ( westerners, insert your jokes here). I've had some incredible people to stay with (thanks again Ron, Claire, Roger, Darleen, Don and Linda) however my nights have only allowed me enough to recover and take a beating the next day.

The truth is that I wasn't ready for the hills, but I've adapted. I wasn't ready for 1 foot wide shoulders and idiot drivers, but I know how to stay safe. I wasn't ready to have my bike fall to pieces, but I've still been riding for more than 100km with 2 spokes missing. I never thought I would see winds worse than in the prairies, but I was blown over onto the gravel twice today and I still nearly cry when I do 15km/h down a hill. The truth is that there is a lot going wrong.

I thought about quitting nearly every hour I was on the road today. I actually threw my bike down once and had to walk away into the bush I was so frustrated. It was not pretty on the road today, and being alone didn't help my mind push forward either. But I didn't quit. Why?

Too many people were counting on this. It was one thing when it was a cute idea thrown around a pub in April, but now, this had become something more. My family, friends, and everyone I had met or contacted in some way was what reminded me that I couldn't give up. Beyond that I knew I couldn't let myself down. If I admitted defeat to this, I would never forgive myself.

So bring on your wind. Tear my bike to shreds. Rain until I'm swimming. Shine sun on me until I'm red.

Do your worst. I'm not slowing down anytime soon.

Day 17: Friend and a Foe

In the same way that a person can feel completely betrayed by a good friend who once treated them so well, only to turn their back when truly needed, I feel as though the wind and I are going to need to work on our relationship. While some days, it can be such a marvelous thing to push me along at breakneck speeds and jet me across the prairies, other days, it can turn mean and like a tamed animal, suddenly catching a sniff of it's natural instincts, tear its once friend apart.

Now that I'm done being all poetic and deep, I'll put it in the terms I'd really like to use; the wind both sucks and blows. While I thought that I'd be sheltered from the wind upon hitting the trees of the shield, I was wrong about two things:

1) There are no trees anymore... logging here was pretty severe
2) There is no shelter... anywhere... ever. Not from the wind

I had a great breakfast with Nordlunds and tried to get on the road at a decent hour, not because I had a big day ahead of me (so I thought) but because I had another great home which was welcoming me in Ignace. I knew something was horribly wrong though once I turned down my first big hill and found myself only traveling 15km/h. A nice, big SE wind blew right in my face for the whole day and likely shaved a good 5-10km/h off of my speed, nearly every way I turned (since I was traveling predominantly SE).

Otherwise, the day was perfect, proving yet again that I'll search for anything to complain about even when things are great. The sun was shining and the scenery was breathtaking.

I grumbled through the day, taking a few more breaks than usual and uttering a LOT more curses than usual and found my way to Ignace and the McIntosh residence. Unfortunately, Linda is currently in Winnipeg checking up on family, however Don welcomed me and was quick to turn my mood around.

Don is a retired engineer, so it took us about 10 minutes to be as thick as thieves. We've had a great afternoon of discussing everything under the sun and for me personally, he's been a joy to bounce some ideas off and talk shop with. So far, we've had burgers for an appetizer around 4, dessert around 6, and we're about to sit down for dinner at close to 9. This fits my schedule perfectly because at the end of the day, it means I get to eat a lot.

Tomorrow, I'll start my trek towards Thunder Bay and have a few nights in the bush. I've got a day off to look forward to in TB, however am becoming more and more afraid of the 'hills' (read: mountains) everyone keeps talking about around lake Superior.

Mother nature is, as expected,welcoming me with open arms, and a nice big thunder storm tomorrow. Shaun... did I mention that I'm VERY glad we went for the 2 piece rain tent and the warmer sleeping bag?

Talk to you in a few days.
www.prairiepedal.com

Day 16: Pain in dem der hills

After all the hassles I'd been having with the rear wheel, Ron was kind enough to take me into Kenora this morning and I got a brand new tire, spokes, and tube. It was a costly little venture, however the ride today was great, and well worth it. Due to the little excursion in the morning, I got started rather late and was on the road just after 11.

Claire dropped us off at the highway and Ron rode with me for a bit as I traveled further east. The ride continued to be breathtaking, with little lakes around every corner. There was unfortunately one catch.

I never in my life thought that after cycling half way across the country, I might say that I felt out of shape, however today kicked my butt. While the prairies were a great warm up, I think I may have had it a little to easy (and this is still considering all the rain, headwinds, and cold). Today was a perfect, sunny day, however at the end of it, my legs have never felt so tired. The winding roads, while beautiful, were an agonizing push every kilometer of the way with constant hills.

However, things started to flatten out a bit closer to Dryden and I'm now sitting comfortably in the good company of the Nordlunds. A few loose connections put me in touch with them, and I just got to experience yet another evening of an amazing home cooked meal. I got to enjoy corn yet again, and had some of the most delicious wild rice I've ever tasted (which is strange, since I've never even liked it before this).

I know what you're thinking; this has got to be the most pampered tour in history. I even have another bed tomorrow night, and a place to stay once I hit Thunder Bay. I assure you that I will make up for all of my decadance once I get on the road around lake Superior. Looking closely at the map, cell service and warm beds are going to be the least of my worries. Towns are spaced far enough that water could even be a problem, and I'm going to have to carry enough food for 4 or 5 days, to weigh down my bike even more (making more fun for that rear wheel).

In short, this entire trip has kind of been a build up towards the long haul around the Superior. I've had fewer and fewer days off, less people I know along the trip, and as I learned today, I'm heading towards terrain which is going to chew me up and spit me out.

For 7 days straight.

Day 15: Never a dull moment

Today (too-de-ay); a strange conglomeration of events, both beautiful, annoying, delicious, maddening, frightening and itchy.

My biggest concern starting this whole daily blog business was that things would get boring by day 3, however now I'm running into the opposite problem of having too much to talk about. So much happened today that it feels like it was two days (though it could wind up being 2... we'll get to that).

Regarding yesterday, I apoligize about being grumpy. Something about flats, winds, rain, crappy roads, the realization that I had no more friends/family to look forward to until the end, and being close enough to semis to lick the paint off their trailers was enough make me not that excited to write. I promise I'm better now though, and won't be grumpy for at least 3 seconds.

...

So just when I think I've left behind the worst of the roads in Manitoba, my welcoming to Ontario was somewhat sullied by this all too farmiliar image:
I know what you're thinking; do bikers do anything other than complain? The answer is yes, most are quite reasonable people, however I am a big whiney suck. The other question you're probably asking yourself is, 'what would it take you to be happy with the day'.

My requirements for a good day are simple:
- 20 degrees, low humidity
- Partially cloudy with little breaks of sun
- Wide, smooth paved ashphalt shoulders
- 80km/h tailwinds to push me along without pedaling

That isn't too much to ask, right?

The reality is the day was actually great. The construction which I hit at the border was almost done and I only had about 5km with no shoulder, before riding about 15km of some of the most smooth ashphalt of my life. From there to Kenora, I was welcomed to the beauty, awe, and rolling hills of northern Ontario. I quickly learned that the prairies are a walk in the park compared to the constant up down of the shield, but also that I am in love with trees, rock walls, and waterfalls.

As you can guess by my frumpiness (I love that word) from yesterday, I continued to have problems with my bike (so much for the tune up). A new day, sadly, did not remedy the situation. I made my way east of Kenora and was en route to meet Ron Noseworthy; a very distant, multiple times removed, double-in-law, so obscure that it becomes laughable, relative. Coming down a hill less than a kilometer away from where Ron was to meet me, I heard the harmonious sound of my back tire losing air faster than a leaking spacecraft. Fortunately, Ron had driven up the road to look for me and we were able to load the bike up.

The afternoon was incredible, save one small issue (but we'll get to that... just be patient). Ron and his wife Claire live in a positively gorgeous home direcly on the Lake of the Woods. After cleaning up, the three of us hopped in the boat for the roughly 20 minute ride into Kenora. It was breathtakingly scenic, and I was so calm and happy for being on a lake. We eventually made our way home and had a perfect (and I mean steak, mushrooms and corn on the cob, perfect) dinner.

Ok Shane, then what's wrong?

Well, what's wrong is that in the past 3 days on the road, I've had 4 flats and 5 spokes break. In short, my wheel is what's wrong. I replaced another tube tonight just before dinner, only to hear it explode in the shop as we sat down to eat. I have no idea why my rear wheel has started acting up, but for the first time on this trip, I'm going to be delayed. I've given up on my own skills and will be heading into the local bike shop tomorrow morning. This rear wheel has given me enough grief and at this point, I'm willing to throw money at the problem to get an entirely new wheel if I must so long as the spokes hold strong and the tubes stop popping like soap bubbles.

Ideally, I'll get things done in the shop quickly and be on the road to Dryden only a couple of hours behind schedule. I may however have to admit defeat to the elements, not make Dryden tomorrow, and aim to make up time in the coming days. Time will tell... quite literally.

The last thing I need to tell you today is MORE bad news (thankfully for you, not me this time). East of Kenora marks a very distinct black out zone for cellular service which does not pick up again until Sault Ste. Marie, with the exception of a small area around Thunder Bay. In short, what I'm saying is that you might not be hearing from me for a while. I promise that I'll be jotting down lots of notes, and whenever I get near a computer, I'll bring you up to speed, however I feel it's only fair to warn you that I could be operating under radio silence until early September. Still, keep an eye on the site for random posts, and I'll do my best to keep you up to date.

And don't worry... it's not you... in fact it's not me either... it's... the phone company?

http://www.prairiepedal.com/

Day 14: At least it's done

Regarding today, I'm choosing to invoke that old rule about not having anything nice to say and ergo, keeping my trap shut about this joy of a Thursday. I did however have my good friends from Kamp Photography in the morning though, so I'll let you enjoy the pictures from before the day went to hell in some form of arm based carrying device.

The Big Tune-Up

I just picked up Gladys, the bike which set sail 1000 ships, from Alter Ego Sports. They were kind enough to do a basic check up on my little mechanical baby for free and hopefully have me running smooth for the remaining 2000km. (Dear, sweet, merciful crap it sounds like a long way when you say it out loud)

I spent the day around the Peg and finally got to enjoy a nice dinner with family friends, the Betkers. I'm now waiting impatiently for Jake & Jess to return and amuse me before I pass out for the evening. I did notice rather interesting news in the weather today as a tornado warning was just issued for the Winnipeg area. I could be making incredibly good time tomorrow, I'm just not sure in what direction.

Given that I'm almost at the half way point of this journey, I thought I'd take a minute and recap (ok, the half way point is closer to the MB-ON border, but I actually have a laptop in front of me right now and would rather this than trying to type on my puny little iPhone screen). I'm nearly 3 weeks in and I feel fantastic. My body has been holding up quite well, and I've lost AT MOST 5lbs (I have been eating more than a black hole). My ankle has been giving me some trouble, however when it chooses to act up, I simply give it a time out and tell it to go sit in the corner. You just need to be stern these days otherwise who knows how these kids will grow up.

Mentally, I'm doing good, however very few people would call me normal to begin with. As I mentioned previously, I think the only reason I'm able to do this trip is because I'm already crazy. I have however noticed some slight changes in my way of life, as well as a great many bits of wisdom which I have acquired:

- My '5 second rule' has become a '5 minute rule'

- I find walking to be painfully inefficient and awkward

- One beer can now give me a slight buzz, particularly if chugged directly after dismounting

- Strangers are the best friends you have yet to meet

- I no longer think in days of the week, merely locations

- I no longer think in time of day, merely distance traveled

- I laugh uncontrollably whenever I see 'Prevent Dutch Elm Disease' signs because the first time I saw one, I read it as 'Prevent Dutch Oven Disease'

- I have developed an unfounded fear of bears, entirely due to my dreams

- I have developed a founded fear of hawks, entirely due to my reality

- I will openly talk about my bum within 5 minutes of meeting a complete stranger

- I am aware that the yellow liquid in pop bottles in the ditch is not, in fact, ginger ale

- Spontaneously breaking out into song is not only acceptable, but at times required

- I have managed to fit 9 meals into a day: breakfast, leakfast, brunch, blunch, lunch, linner dunch, dinner, and bedtime snack.

- Jacob recently discover a 10th, lunchfast, which is quickly becoming my favorite meal of the day

- Wearing bike shorts can create a phenomenon for men which I like to call 'mamel toe'

- 90% of my road diet is consumed in bar format; the remaining 10% is nuts, juices and insects

- I can setup a tent faster than most people can make a bed

- I have developed an inexplicable love and fascination for truck drivers, though I have never spoken to one for more than 30 seconds on this trip

- I talk to my bike... a lot

It's the people I've met on this trip who have been the inspiration for getting out on the road day after day. Every time I am in contact with someone on the road, it pushes me forward and reminds me why I'm doing this. Each little note, smile, wave, email, phone call and honk, uplifts me just enough to keep me going another 5km... 10km... 100km... 1000km.

When I'm alone, I've had to develop mantras and sayings which help me get through rough days. Some days when I feel like I'm as low as I can get, it only takes one little sentence to make me start laughing and completely turn my day around. Some of them don't even make sense to me, others are inside jokes that I'll never be able to explain to another living soul. There is however one which I seem to gravitate towards more often than not, which I read on a website just before leaving on this trip:

If I wanted to get there faster, I wouldn't be riding a bike.

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 13: THATS IT!! Back to Winnipeg.

As expected, it rained a bit last night and it was 6 degrees overnight. Way to go, yesterday.

HOWEVER, with a new sunrise came a new day, and a damned good one at that. After very apprehensively slinking out of my sleeping bag (I must have looked like such a wuss), I packed up and got on the road. I was determined to make it a good day, and driven to get to Winnipeg in good time to enjoy some time with friends.

My good buddy Jacob showed up around 8 to tail me on the road. Jake is a professional photographer, but go figure, he didn't bring is camera. It was great to catch up with him, but we didn't stop for too long, since we knew the longer we spent out there, the less time we'd have to kick back and relax. That's when things started to get scary. It might have been some macho male thing, but apparently I felt the need to impress Jake. Without even really realizing it, I was keeping a good pace... ok, a very good pace.

By the time we reached Headingly, I looked down to check my average speed and almost fell off my bike (which would have been the second time today) when I saw that my average was at 30.40km/hr. I had done over 100km from MacGregor and managed to maintain a speed that got us there in just under 3 hours. There had been a slight wind, however it was a north wind, which would have simply blown across me.

Go, go, gadget legs.

Headingly was directly on the West edge of Winnipeg, however Jake quickly crushed my spirits when he told me it was still another 29.7km to his place (stupid urban sprawl). Unfortunately, we turned south to take the perimeter and the wind picked up, directly in my face. By the time we turned back east to cut into the city, it was too late. My beautiful average had been lost and I ended up at a measley 29.54km/hr average. Granted, it crushed my previous averages, most of which included a good tail wind, but I was just mad that I didn't beat 30.

Jake's wife Jess and my friends Brad and Asten (whom I grew up with) all showed up at Jake & Jess' place and we spent a good while catching up, reminiscing, and introducing ourselves to Asten's gorgeous new daughter, Camryn. It was great to see everybody and though Asten and the little one had to head home, Jake, Jess, Brad, his wife Marie and myself will be going out for a nice big meal tonight. Most people would likely feel like a bit of a 5th wheel... but I'm used to being single.

I have tomorrow off, which I couldn't really justify since I just had the weekend off in Souris. HOWEVER, while my body is all caught up, Gladys, my trusty steed needs some attention too. I dropped her off at Alter Ego Sports, who have been kind enough to offer a free tune up and basic repair on anything busted. I'll pick her up tomorrow and get ready to head off towards Ontario on Thursday.

And now... back to our regularly scheduled steak dinner.

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 12: One for the records

I'm noticing a trend between trying to cycle away from family and getting completely owned by the world. There appears to be a strong gravitational-malevolent (more commonly known as gravilevolent) pull surrounding my bloodline. When I left Jana in Calgary, I had 2 flats in an hour and it was so hot that my eyeballs began to poach in my tears. Upon leaving Brie in Lethbridge, it poured rain for the day in 11C temperatures and I had to sleep on a concrete floor under a cookhouse to avoid hypothermia. Today, trying to leave behind my parents and extended family, I'm lucky to have made it out alive. I love you all, but I need to run away before something really bad happens!!

I'd like to congratulate today on claiming the proud title of worst road day. I realize that I still have a few weeks to go, however it's going to take a curious bear, or an angry biker gang to top this one. Today was not the coldest day, but my fingers are still thawing. It was not the worst headwind, but Hwy 250 was a sharp, N wind, welcome back to the road. It was not the most rain I'd seen, but my clothing will still be wet well into tomorrow. The roads weren't as bad as Swift Current, but I'll be sitting funny for a few days. No, today only broke the record for most bike maintenance, however was able to claim the award for it's all around game.

Today showed me that it could play an agressive offense, but still a conservative defense. Today was a smart, crafty day with a head for the game. Today was a selfless team player, but also not afraid to drive one home on it's own. It had a natural talent that just can't be taught. Today showed huge potential for the future and will go down in history as one of the greats of the game.

Unfortunately, I was the opponent.

I had my parents driving behind me today which is likely the only thing that stopped me from throwing a hissy fit on the side of the road like a 2 year old who just lost their favorite toy. My parents insisted on coming since the stretch of highway I rode today is among the most dangerous in Canada. There were no paved shoulders most of the way and I was forced to ride in the lane of our country's biggest highway. I love my little keystone, but we have no money and we need new roads.

The weather was a balmy 12 degrees with the odd break of sun, just to get your hopes up, followed by the more frequent downpour. I had the wind at my back which allowed me to still make decent time, however periodically, it would flip direction just to confuse and annoy me.

I started off the day right with breakfast and a flat tire. I was convinced my parents had done it on purpose to get me to stay longer, however my conspiracy theory broke when a couple of hours later, my patched tube popped again in a different location. My second repair job of the day turned into a third when the valve ripped off as I was pumping up the newly patched tire. Fists whiter than a Winnipeg winter, I grabbed a new tube and begrudgingly got back to work.

The slap to the face came when I stopped in Brandon to do an interview with the local TV station. After the question period, they wanted some stock footage of me riding and naturally, on the last take we had to do, I managed to find a massive mud puddle and take a swan dive off the side of my bike. I walked into Tim Hortons like a swamp monster and spent a good while, and a good deal of tissue cleaning myself.

Still, I had a big day and made it all the way to MacGregor with a smile on my face. I said good bye to mom and dad and started thinking about the road ahead. I'm sure it'll rain cats, dogs and small herds of bison on my tent tonight but all I'll do is laugh and remember a classic quote:

Even the worst day on the road is still better than the best day in the office.

Rest Days: The Farm

It was weekends like this that serve as a constant reminder as to why I'm glad I grew up in a small town. I decided to take the weekend off to enjoy with friends and family, however a lot has happened in the past couple of days, so I needed to write something out before I get back on the road tomorrow morning.

When I arrived at the farm on Thursday afternoon, my modus operandi immediately became to sit back and do as little as possible. In the same way that I only ever get sick when I stop working like a maniac and take a vacation, I didn't feel just how hard I'd been on my legs until I finally got off the bike and took a day off. Still, it was foolish for me to think that I'd come home and have a 'day off'. I had nearly half a day of emails, thank yous, and updates to do and of course mom & dad had a laundry list of little tasks which were best suited for the youngest Saunderson.

I told my mom that it could be nice to have a little meal with some family while I was home. In a moment of exhaustion on the phone one day, when asked who we should invite to dinner I panted out, "I dunno, everyone." My parents were never ones for hyperbole, and so Saturday night, we had enough family members together to constitute a reunion. This had my grandmother, father, mother and I, running around like mad on Saturday trying to prepare dinner for almost 30 people. Of course, given the forcast of rain, dad and I setup the entire shop with tables, chairs, a bar, and place settings, only for it to turn sunny 30 minutes before everyones' arrival and have us haul it all out to the back yard.

It was fantastic to see everyone, including some of my little cousins whom had about doubled in size since I last saw them (I now understand how easy it is to start feeling old).

This morning, my cousin Chris, my aunt Cheryl, and a handful of others organized a local get together to support the ride. I cycled from my farm to a nearby strawberry farm and met about 20 friends and family from the area who all biked from Hicks' farm into Victoria park in Souris. We even had police escort for the ~5km ride to the park. The highlight of the ride was seeing my little cousin, Keagan, riding his bike, still with training wheels, the whole way... and only complaining a couple times :-) Once we arrived at the park, there was a great turnout for a BBQ and some entertainment. I got a chance to see a throng of people from Souris, many of whom I hadn't seen since 2000, and my aunt even convinced me to get up on stage and play a couple songs.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and a great way to end my stop in Souris. Between the BBQ today, and other donations which had been collected by one of our local financial planners, Kirkup Agencies, our little community of Souris was able to raise close to $5000. I was blown away by the amazing support of this town and reminded of the strong community which I was lucky enough to grow up in.

You may have noticed on our donation website that we've broken the $10,000 mark as well! In fact, coupled with the money raised in Souris, pledges from corporate sponsors, and mail-in donations, we are now well over $20,000!!! To everyone who has been generous enough to donate, thank you so much. We still have a good way to go, so if you are still hoping to find a way to help out, please encourage friends and coworkers to check out the website, and learn more about this campaign. If you have yet to contribute and are hoping to, please use the web link in the top right hand corner or mail your donations to:

Prairie Pedal - Myeloma Canada
P.O. Box 326
Kirkland, QC H9H 0A4

One last thing I wanted to share today was regarding multiple myeloma and farming. A lot of people ask about what causes myeloma, and while little is still known as to the exact sources, studies are starting to make some links. Living on a farm his whole life, many people questioned whether some element of the lifestyle could have affected my father at all, and could be a source of danger for other farmers. My dad recently stumbled across a study done in the US which showed just that. Many pesticides have been found to increase the risk of multiple myeloma, including a Bravo 500, a fungicide he used when much younger which contains chlorothalonil: a chemical found to greatly increase chances of developing myeloma.

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=1901

http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/25/6386

You'll be hard pressed to ever have any of these companies take responsibility for their products, however this is still valuable information for many farmers who have been exposed to a plethora of chemicals throughout their lives.

On that note, I think we're relatively up to date and ready to hit the road with a vengeance. I'm glad everyone is enjoying reading about this adventure as much as I'm enjoying doing it. I might have a cellular black-out through some of northern Ontario, but otherwise, I'll try to keep things entertaining, and hope to have as many random stories come out of the woodwork.

http://www.prairiepedal.com

Day 11: No place like home

Of course, unlike Dorothy... I didn't have the option of simply banging my heels together 3 times. We last left you after spending a wonderful evening with Joanne and Genvieve at the Towler residence in Virden. This morning, Bev was still sleeping after working an exhausting late shift and Garth had to drive into Winnipeg. Fortunately, I might as well be their son, so I was left to man the house. I made breakfast and got the girls on the road, and then had the luxury of sitting around for a while. It was fantastic to travel with a couple of kindred spirits, and I hope they have a safe ride all the way home to New Brunswick.

Bev and I spent the morning catching up, and I did a small interview with the local Virden paper. Around 1:30, I decided that I should eventually get on the road, and head back to my little slice of heaven. If you're thinking for even a second that this was going to be a fairy-tale story, think again.

The wonderful tail-winds which had pushed me so far the previous two days had switched directions and I spent one of the most grueling days on the road yet. Although it was a mere 65km to the farm, I still felt worse after this day than I did after the 200km day with a wind at my back. It's rather amazing how much of a difference a little wind can make. I read somewhere that a cyclist could feel as much as 50% of the effect of a wind (meaning that even a 20km/h wind could slow my speed by 10km/hr) and today was a reminder of that effect.

Still, not even brimstone from the sky was going to slow me down today. Though the wind was merciless and the roads were rough (I took some backroads to get home) I knew the prize that waited at the end of the day. Though it may seem like nothing to you, this was the most glorious sight I could have asked for:

I hadn't been home since Christmas 2007. The last time I saw my dog, she was at least 15lbs lighter. The yard has new trees in it that I don't recognize, and old trees which I planted as a child which are bigger than I ever though possible (I sound like an old parent recalling when a kid was THIS big). Most of the farm equipment is gone after my family's farm auction in April. My dad had moved a shed from the bins over to the garden, since his retirement has got him focused more on the garden than the fields. The office doesn't have the same crappy desk I used to spend hours on end sitting at. They re-tiled the bathroom. My parents were even talking about remodeling my room.

And yet it felt like nothing... not a single bit had changed. This place was, is, and always will be... home. I must admit, things might get a bit awkward after my parents sell the place and I try to sleep in my old bed... but I'm sure the new family will be understanding.

Dad and I spent the afternoon catching up over a couple cold ones and mom arrived around 7pm with my Grandma from Dauphin. I was told that we have a BBQ planned for Saturday night which will involve more family than the Italian mob, and I can't wait to see everyone again.

So here I sit and type; one-third finished, met some of the most incredible people of my life, seen the prairies in a way I've never before and completely aware that my journey has really only just begun.

I couldn't be happier to be home, but I can't wait to hit the road again.

Ok... after my butt has a few days off.

http://www.prairiepedal.com/

Day 10: Friends in flat places

Well finally, after nearly 2 weeks on the road, I met some other cyclists. Sitting down for breakfast in Whitewood I stumbled upon two wonderful New Brunswickers named Joanne and Genvieve. They had been almost as unlucky as I meeting people on the road so we decided to join forces and head east together. We had a gorgeous day with a nice tail wind and a rare thing for me, pleasant conversation.

The day of course got that much better when I saw this sign:

Don't tell mom & dad but the insanity continued and I put in around another 170km day. I'm now in Virden staying with what might as well be my second family: the Towlers. Garth and Bev have been nice enough to put the 3 of us up for the night and after a great meal, we're sitting around catching up. I'll wake up tomorrow and enjoy my morning before a brief 75km jaunt down to the farm. As always, my personality was much more condusive to working hard today to relax tomorrow. Instead of 2 days off on the farm, I'll now have 3 days to enjoy family, food, and my old town Souris.

Joanne and Genvieve were a joy to travel with but tomorrow morning they'll be moving on toward Winnipeg and the rest of their journey. I on the other hand will be biking my sore butt straight to my own bed.

Oh, and no Mom & Dad, Garth did not come out and pick me up in the middle of the night... though I must say the offer was intriguing.

Day 9: I just forgot to stop

I started out today like most other days. After getting a fantastic sleep at Benton's house (thanks again!) I got on the road. I was even a bit later than usual starting since it was only 80km to regina. Somewhere along the way things apparently got confusing. I must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

I met up with a handful of people for lunch. Mona, who is trying to start a local support group organized a fantastic welcoming committee for me consisting of a couple of other patients: Ray, sharon and her husband David. In addition Karen, a patient from small town Ontario contacted me to let me know that her daughter was traveling out west and would likely cross paths with me. As such, her daughter Alison and her friends Cheryl, Sam and Jamie managed to join us for lunch.

The meal was a fantastic opportunity for us all to talk about everyone's treatments and how their lives had been with myeloma. I hope it was useful for Alison as well who's mother was just diagnosed a year ago. Personally, every story I hear gives me more and more confidence for my father to live a much longer, relatively healthy life. I no longer see myeloma as a disease which people are dying of; it is a disease which many must live with for the rest of their life.

After lunch, I was intending on staying with my friend Kari-Lyn in Regina. Unfortunately, she was out of town and not to be back until 10pm. This got me to thinking, which is always a dangerous thing. I had the wind at my back and a load of energy. I could take 4 days to get to my home town of Souris OR if I started pushing a bit harder, I could be in my own bed in 3 and have an extra day off.

You can figure out what my conclusion was but I'll put it this way: I've almost gone 200km today and I'm in Wolseley. It's nearly 7pm but I'm not quite done for the night.

I just keep forgetting to stop.

Day 8: Something I ate?

WeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Above is the sound you might have heard while standing idly on the trans-Canada somewhere between Chaplin and Moose Jaw as I soared by. As you can see from the Trip Log I had a bit of energy today. I'm not sure if it was food, the nice day, a good sleep in the tent last night, or if I'm finally just getting into the zone, but I even surprised myself when I looked down to see that I had broken my bike's old speed record (60km/h!!).

The morning flew by, mostly because I was pedling like a madman and didn't focus on much else. I arrived into Moose Jaw around noon and was put in touch with Benton; a friend of Nathan's. I had a fantastic afternoon helping Benton and his friends haul their camper up to a nearby lake and setup. We got to enjoy some time under the hot sun and eventually, Benton and I drove back into Moose Jaw.

We made dinner and had a great conversation about traveling, and all the amazing places to see in the world. I thought I had some pretty incredible stories from my days of jetsetting, but Benton had suggestions of places to go to that I hadn't even thought existed.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Regina, where I'm hoping to meet with some members of the local support group. I don't think they realized how close I was to the city (I've been pedaling hard!) so I hope we have a chance to meet up! I was also contacted by the daughter of a patient in Ontario who is driving through and hoping to meet up on the road.

All I can say is that every person who sends me an email, honks on the trans-Canada or happens to meet me along the way makes my day that much better, so please, keep it coming!! The road is a beautiful thing and made that much better by the people you encounter along the journey.

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 7: So much salt

It seems that this is to be a trip of extremes. When times are bad, they're gonna really suck. However, when things are looking up, the world is my oyster. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and there was only a slight head wind, which was a change from the usual (seriously, I was under the impression that the wind blew east in this country). In fact, today went so well that I could have been found attempting to sing four part harmony to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsoedy. Boy did the truck drivers get a show today.

I traveled from Swift Current this morning to Chaplin: home of North Americas second largest salt lake. Chaplin however had much more to offer me other than simply salt. Upon arriving into this booming metropolis, i quickly learned that I would be privy to both a pool and an ice cream hut.
*insert appropriate dance here*

After spending the afternoon in the pool and treating myself to yet another skor blizzard, I took a seat near the local nature museum to write and reflect. I hadn't been there 5 minutes when suddenly Clint, a good friend of my brother in law, walked up and plunked down beside me. Initially I didn't even recognize him, partially because i hadn't seen him in ages and also partially because I was still in shock that someone I knew had coincidentally bumped into me on the road. He, his wife and their two kids were heading from Calgary out to visit family and friends in Winnipeg.

So, after a big greasy dinner, I write to you before setting up camp and dreaming of the gaping open mouth of a moose. Thanks again to Nathan and Michelle for putting me up in Swifty!! A warm bed and farmiliar faces always beats a cold tent and this guy Leonard, who I'm convinced is stalking me (kidding!).

Rest Day: Swift Current

Brie and Morgan lined me up to stay with Morgan's brother, Nathan, his wife and 3 kids while in Swift Current. I know that I will likely have much larger trials to overcome, but after the days since Lethbridge, I was in dire need of a break.

I took today to do the ususal; bike maintenance, catch up on emails, buy groceries. I also updated the Trip Log section, which gives a few interesting stats about my days on the road.

While replying to a mound of emails, I noticed one question which seemed to come up a lot was regarding how I kept myself occupied on the road. Everyone wanted to know how I wasn't going crazy while cycling, day in, day out. The key is, people, I'm already completely off my rocker (as though that's shocking news).

It is a keen observation though; 5 or more hours a day of cycling is enough to drive the average person mad. Add to that the remainder of the afternoon during which all I really have to do is setup my tent and prepare myself for the following day, and you can see how this lifestyle can become a bit isolated. I've always been a very social person, but at the same time, I'm someone who can cope with a bit of alone time.

So far, I've found the time alone quite relaxing and a perfect opportunity to sort out my thoughts, think about the future, and amuse myself with random (and likely strange from an external perspective) inside jokes.

Beyond that, music is, as always, my true savior. Given that it's almost always too dangerous on the road to be listening to an mp3 player, most days I just sing to myself. Sometimes I sing in my head, sometimes I hum a little tune under my breath, and other times, I find myself cycling down the trans-Canada, screaming Hey Jude at the top of my lungs.

Once I start getting bored of the music in my head, I just start writing more. By the time I get back to Toronto, The Noble Rogues should have enough new tunes to last us a few years. In short... Iain start hunting for a jam space, I'm going to need at least a day or two in there to get this all off my mind.

Though the road is too damned long

And the souls have all gone home

It may seem to everyone but me

That I am alone

But I'll get there

When I get there

If I even get there at all

Don't you ever go alone

Were the words my momma told

But I've seen the truth and know

You're never alone

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 6: Momma said there'd be days like this

It rained again last night... go figure. Now, when I say rain, I of course mean that the gods were fighting again and I was caught in the downpour of tears which ensued when Zeus smacked Aries so hard that he cried for at least 4 hours.

Actually, let's just stick with it rained. It continued to rain this morning. Fortunately not that hard, so when I got on the road out of Tompkins, I was feeling pretty good. Yes, everything I owned was soaked through, and yes it was still 13 degrees, but none of that mattered because today was the day I arrived in Swift Current and had a day off to look forward to.

Remind me never to show excitement and positivity on the road; apparently someone is amused by my suffering and especially loves to break my little heart when I'm on the road. Some days, a simple image can sum up your whole day. I happened to find that image today:

What matters is that I'm in Swift Current now. I'm sitting around enjoying a beer with Morgan's brother, Nathan, and I have a whole day and a half to relax and pray for good weather on Sunday. HOWEVER, I need to air a small complaint.

To the Saskatchewan Highways Department:

Never in my life had I seen such a cock-up of a construction job as when I approached the trans-Canada highway (our country's largest W-E motorway) around 30km west of Swift Current. The state of the shoulders on the road traveling east can only be described as positively abysmal.

While the freshly paved roadway looked like an absolute, smoother-than-a-baby's-bottom, joy to ride on, I was unfortunately on a bicycle and confined to the veritable minefield which was left over on the shoulder. While I would love to give you the benefit of doubt that this project was still a 'work in progress' the road looked as though it had been finished for weeks and there was not a sign of continued work to be seen.

The shoulder appears to have been the leftover dump for every bit of loose gravel, half-melted tar and leftover junk which didn't fit onto the pristine road, leaving as deep as 10cm divots in the asphalt and a ball-bearing field of assorted bits lying about. The resultant surface makes me think that an oversized roto-tiller with a blood lust for asphalt was set loose across the shoulder and told to simply "go for it". Imagine a scaled down version of the moon with pebbles strewn across it.

From one engineer to another, I'd like to extend a congratulations to my colleague who signed off on this project. Never in my life have I seen such a failure of a relatively simple, straightforward bit of roadworks, which likely cost us taxpayers nearly 10 million dollars. Next time, instead of doing a half-assed job on 30km, why not go for 25km and do the whole thing?

Sorry... I needed to get that out of my system. I have beer and food now, so I'm good.

Smile! It makes people wonder what you're up to.

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 5: One with nature

Today was the day I was looking forward to. Today was the start of the adventure. While having the sheriffs through Alberta was a huge help and a great way to start me off, part of me was always looking forward to the moment I got to set out on the open road all by myself. The last few days had been challenging too, so I was really hoping for a good day.

On paper it may not have been a great day, but I had a blast. There was a decent headwind again but I still managed 120km. While Marcy and her kids were an absolute joy the night prior, I had backtracked to stay at their home and added on almost 7km. In the end, I didn't really care though.

Nearing the end of Alberta, I had to take a break when i saw a huge herd of bison charging through the hills nearby. I had seen them before from a car and I knew they were fenced in, so it wasn't that miraculous. Still, it was nice to just sit back and watch them for a while.

Soon I was able to breathe a sigh of relief as I spotted this sign;

The only problem with this sign is that I feel it needs to read differently. If I were in charge the sign would have read "Welcome to Saskatchewan; brace yourself for the longest hill of your life." When I saw the sign for cypress hills, my heart sunk a little. When I actually saw the hill, my heart was dragging on the pavement. I kept an eye on my odometer as I hit the base of the hill and after seemingly an eternity of agonizing uphill, I hit the crest. The hill had been almost 10km of medium grade slope.

The true insult came when I found that the top of the hill practically plateaued so I didn't even get to have fun on the way down. However, to anyone cycling west near the AB-SK border, get ready for the ride of your life.

Hours later, I arrived in Tompkins and treated myself to a skor blizzard. I met a very interesting man named John who is a welder for general dynamics in London and had been riding his motorbike home from Vancouver. He of course moved substantially faster. I now sit in my tent in yet another rainy evening finding more and more obscure ways to amuse myself.

Lastly, I had one other animal encounter today which is too hilarious to go unmentioned. Just shy of the border, I felt a clunk against my helmet. I looked around ready to yell at some kid who had thrown a rock at me when I realized that it was 7 in the morning and I was on a deserted highway. I then peered over my shoulder to see the most remarkable and ridiculous thing I have ever seen an animal do. A hawk was swooping around and coming in for a second dive after failing to catch it's "prey" in the first go. I almost didn't know how to react however as it dove closer, a quick yell showed it who was boss and it went flying off.

I now have one of the greatest stories to tell when people ask me what the scratch marks are on the back of my helmet AND first hand proof that the term "hawkeye" is a complete load of crap. They must be as blind as moles to think I was breakfast.

www.prairiepedal.com

Day 4: Heads or Tails

I learned something important today. The wind can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. All you have to do is flip a coin: heads or tails. I think part of what made my long haul into Lethbridge so enjoyable was either a slight tail wind or an absence of wind altogether. Today on the other hand had me cursing by the end of the day the wind was so bad.

Amazingly, after the horrid weather of yesterday, today was otherwise quite nice. When I first woke up around 6, it was still only 9 degrees so I rolled over for another hour. By the time I got on the road around 8 it was shaping up to be a half decent day and the sun even came out around 10. Now, I'm sitting in a back yard just outside of Irvine AB and it's a calm 20 degree evening. I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful woman named Marcy who fed me and let me setup my tent in her yard: quite fortuitous considering that there are no campsites for miles in all directions. We had a great chat about this and that and now I'm starting to wind down.

Of course the road today was not such a nice story. I only traveled around 95km today but it took me nearly 5 hours. Whereas my usual average speed is around 25kph, today was down near 20kph since I was fighting a strong head wind nearly the whole way along.

But you take the good with the bad. Today was also my last day with Sheriff escort so thank you to Jeff and Shaun and the entire detachment for that matter. It was great to have the support through Alberta. The upside to losing my slow-speed car chase is that tomorrow I hit Saskatchewan!!

I'm just hoping that this continued forcast of rain ends up being wrong. I mean, meteorologists are wrong all the time anyway, right? Why can't one of those times be now?

Day 3: Will Power

I should have known better about today when I started singing songs from Disney's Aladin not 5 km out of Lethbridge.

Yeah... It was one of those days.

I recall when looking at the rain forcast with my family saying that i'd much prefer a cool rainy day to the sweltering heat. I'd like to openly admit that I was wrong and revoke that statement. I'm not sure if it was the 11 degree weather or the heavy rain that got me down the most. What I AM sure of is that the head wind trumped them both and made for a chilly ride. As encouraging as my escourts, Cory and Troy, were... This day was simply not going to be pleasant.

By the time I arrived in Bow Island and found a camping site, I was shaking like mad and suddenly realized a small risk of hypothermia since I was so wet. I quickly changed into some dry clothes and began to set my tent up when low and behold, mom & dad arrived on their way through back to the farm. A nice meal was enough to warm me up for a bit, but I've still spent the bulk of the afternoon in my sleeping bag.

I got wise around 30 minutes ago and have been emailing on my iPhone in the heated bathroom. It's a day that I would have loved to take the afternoon off and see the town (and the worlds largest pinto bean) however my personal warmth has to win out. Beans may mean a lot to me but even I have my limits.

Tomorrow I'm probably going to skip through Medicine Hat and stay a bit east. I'm also hoping for some slightly warmer weather so everyone think sunny thoughts.

Oh and if you want ridiculous, try setting up your tent under a concrete gazeebo since it's too wet and windy outside.

It's hilarious out there.

Rest Day: Lethbridge

It's funny; two days on the road and I never once thought about quitting, but the moment you sit me down with my family, good food, and a comfy bed, the next 3200km just seems so daunting. This is why I didn't let myself sleep in this morning, this is why I refused to go get a massage as per my mother's request, this is why I didn't go for that last helping of ribs; I didn't want to get too comfortable.

Ok... I was lying about the ribs.

Little Elaina was an absolute joy to be around even though I was so exhausted that I didn't have a lot of energy to play. Still, just watching her explore the world with her eyes is fascinating and it's pretty cool to start to notice elements of our family in her personality.

I had a couple of interviews today and got to do some work on the bike. I'm hoping I've dropped enough weight from the panniers to help the back tire, but the real test will be tomorrow. We just had a massive meal and I'm currently listening to a HUGE thunderstorm roll into Lethbridge. While I wouldn't mind a bit of cool, grey sky weather, I'm hoping the wind and rain will blow over through the night.

Myeloma Canada has setup a youtube page (http://www.youtube.com/myelomacanada) that I encourage you to check out. They're gradually releasing videos which we filmed during my stopover in Toronto. They feature many of the other people who are involved in this campaign from corporate sponsorship, to medical researchers to members of Myeloma Canada.

See the latest below with Dr. Donna Reece from the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

http://www.prairiepedal.com/

Day 2: The long and short of it

This day could possibly go down as the longest distance covered on my entire trip and yet for some reason, it flew by like nothing before. Just to mix things up, today we'll pick up where we left off last night.

I went to bed just as the rain started to fall and prayed that my gear selection would hold. Shaun, I have to thank you a ton for helping me pick out all the camping gear because last night was a wind storm, followed by a good ol' fashioned prairie thunder storm, and my lovely little tent held up quite well. Really, my only indicators for that are the fact that I didn't end up blown into a field somewhere and that I was still dry when I woke up, but that was good enough for me.

I was up a bit throughout the morning and eventually decided to get moving around 6am. Since I haven't had the practise, it took me about an hour to tear down, pack up and get on the road, so I didn't get going until just past 7. Even though I wasn't expecting to see my Alberta sheriffs escourt until about 8:30am somewhere on highway 2, I apparently left an impression on the guys and they decided to come all the way to Nanton to meet me. Matt and Ben were a huge help on the road today and I was particularily amazed by Ben who had barely slept in the past 24 hours yet still came out to keep an eye on me.

I don't know if it was the joking around with Matt & Ben, the desire to see family in Lethbridge, the amazing meal last night (thanks again guys!!), or my body just saying "let's do this" but I have never had stamina like this before. Through the entire 135km trek from Nanton to Lethbridge, I stopped only twice, at Claresholm and again at Fort MacLeod. The early morning jaunt was split into two 40km pushes which I chalked up to cool weather and early morning energy.

From there, I had made plans to stop in Fort MacLeod for lunch and a long break however being a holiday Sunday, nothing was open. Since the guys were good to keep going too, I choked back some more bar-shaped food and we hit the road. Matt had been bugging me about how the Monarch hill, halfway to Lethbridge, was going to kick my butt, so I figured I would split the last 55km in half and take a break aroud the hill.

This is where I began to confuse myself. I hit the hill starting to feel a bit tired and ready to take a break at the top. The hill was a severe pain, but I managed. For some reason though, when I hit the top, I had no desire to stop. I kept going, saying I would take a break eventually and without even realizing it, I was 10km out of Lethbridge. The boys in the car were in contact with my brother-in-law Morgan and apparently had a good laugh at how the heck I was still going.

In the end, the 55km felt like nothing (ok, my butt may have something to say about that) and I got to spend the whole afternoon with my parents, Brie, Morgan and little Elaina. I can now look forward to a day "off" (read: 3 interviews, bike maintenance, repacking to lighten the load) tomorrow and a big eastward push starting Tuesday morning.

Oh, and don't worry... we blew lots of stuff up last night.

http://www.prairiepedal.com/

Day 1: Words can't describe

I have absolutely no idea where to even begin with this day. Let's start at the end.

A wind storm just blew in from the north, ridding us of this unbearable 30 degree heat and nearly blowing my tent half way to lethbridge (at least I wouldn't have the extra weight).

When I say "us" i'm refering to Tim, Maggie and the entire crew I met in Nanton. They're setting up in the community park for tomorrows big fireworks display and were kind enough to invite me to join them for dinner and a few "experiments" we'll be testing tonight.

I know I should really sleep, but blowing stuff up is a favorite past time of mine.

I arrived in Nanton around 5pm, being escourted by the fine men of the Alberta sheriff's office. The guys were a huge help on a day when I really needed it.

I had two seperate flats today on my rear wheel. While I fixed them, I think the bigger problem is the weight I was carrying on the back. As such I'll be trying to lighten my load once I hit lethbridge.

I got a bit of a rough start through Calgary this morning which I'm going to blame on a shotty 8 year old bike trail map, not my keen navigation skills.

This morning however was fantastic. Carol and the entire southern Alberta support group did an amazing job of the run and it was a pleasure having the group there to see me off. I ended up walking the 5km with my parents which was much more enjoyable and likely a good idea for the rest of the day.

And when I woke up this morning, I ate. That hasn't really stopped all day.

I'm off to blow up some fireworks and then get some rest for the 130km haul to lethbridge.