Diabetic Adventurer

Kimberley, Life 101

Chris F — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 01:17:00 +0000

As it happened, I was unable to bike back to Kimberley. For important logistical reasons I ended up shipping the biking gear to Kimberley and myself to Calgary where I retrieved essentials such as my computer, wallet and undies. I was only there for 30 hrs ad then bussed back to Kimberley. I should have frequent rider points with Greyhound!!

I'm now starting the epic and scary process of getting my life together: BC license, insurance, health coverage, Teaching Certificate, intros to local schools and starting to look at houses here.

I've started running again, but it has been very painful. Especially after the big hills of the last trip, my legs are very unused to the relative pounding of running trails. Cardio feels good though and I am confident I'll be in shape to do an ultra-marathon in Sept. I should also get in some great climbing in the next two months, both rock and alpine, starting with some rock in Penticton over the long weekend.

I've already started to doing some basic planning for a next major undertaking, but I'll keep it to myself for now.

Have a great summer. This page will see a few updates over the summer and
then will hopefully be completely revamped in the fall.

Trip 1: Entry 4 - Glenboro, MB

Chris F — Thu, 18 May 2006 15:35:00 +0000

After my last post, I was able to continue on to just 10kms short of the manitoba border. A 305 km day. Yesterday was not so great, with gusty side/head winds in the afternoon, shoulderless highways, my second flat and more butt pain.

At the turn off (from the Trans-Canada) for Carberry, I decided to stop fighting the winds and took a right south on hwy 5 towards a park area. My thinking is/was that I might even look at the option of taking hwy 11 south of Lake of the Woods rather than 17, which is all I've ever taken. This would add miles, but I would get to see some new land. It would also mean cutting through the US for about 60kms, but I have my birthcertificate and driver's license, so this is feasible. I was also sick of being on the trans-canada with so much traffic coming so close in already gusty conditions.

However, as I limped my last few kms, even with a tailwind, I realized my butt really needs more time without me on it. This morning I slept in (glorious) and rode the last few kms to this hamlet (40kms south of TC). The timing with the long weekend isn't great, but I may stay somewhere close to here for a few days and let this stuff clear up. I'll worry about how to recover from this in terms of a June 3rd wedding I need to attend later. I see some Greyhound time in my future.

While this is extremely frustrating (my legs and their recovery are excellent), there is still plenty of time for this to all work out. If I can get past the butt issues, then I'm quite confident the rest of me can meet the challenge.

I'll let you know how things go.

Not to be

Chris F — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 01:47:00 +0000

I have decided not to pursue the record ride this summer.

There is not one single factor that has brought this about but rather the contribution of many small and not so small ones. Significantly, with time, I have come to realize that the Diabetic Awareness component meant a lot more to me than chasing after a number for its own sake. Given the rushed
nature of my attempts to work on this, I feel that it would be better to 'cut my losses' and move on to other pressing personal matters in the short term, and rebuild this project around another attempt or another noteworthy activity down the road.

Many thanks to Bow Cycle and especially Chris George for his work on this site. Thanks to all of those who have provided support and encouragement and to those that have followed this bit of misadventure. Another special thanks to the great folks of Glenboro, MB as well.

Again I would like to publicly acknowledge Erik Straarup for his amazing ride in 1999 and wish him all the best on his next trip, around Australia. The Race Across America is in the news again, but what he accomplished, though less publicized, is at least as impressive if not more so.

I have no regrets for having put into this what I have up to now. It has been quite humbling at times, but has also provided some valuable lessons and neat experiences. For what it is worth, not withstanding saddle sore issues, I finished this last training trip feeling very confident in my physical ability to have a serious shot at it.

I do hope to keep this page active and continue to build it into an interesting and valuable resource. This is not the end of big undertakings by any stretch. Among other projects on the list, skiing to and climbing Mt. Logan (Canada's highest peak) next spring is a real possibility. I am not writing off the idea of trying to break this record at a future time either.

In the near term I may bike part of the way back to Kimberley, BC (at a more casual pace), testing the new tent I have from Black Diamond (only 2.5 lbs!). I have a LOT in my personal life to sort out, but I am also very keen to get back into long distance trail running and climbing.

Thanks again to everyone.

Vancouver: Time to Think

Chris F — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:22:00 +0000

The last three days provided some very tough riding conditions, harder than anything I would get on the record route, actually. Steep long climbs and descents. After Grand Forks I climbed most of the way to the pass for a 220km, 9:15 day.

Left in rain the next morning and made my way across rolling terrain to the
major descent to Osoyoos, where I passed an RV! The rain stopped, but in the next valley over I had headwinds winding up towards Keremeos. Very scenic and I had the occasion to talk with several other bikers. One man from Sault. Ste Marie had retired Friday and started biking from Vancouver on Monday, doing his first ever tour and heading all the way to the East Coast. Cool.

The bizzarro prize went to an older French speaking dude with a wild billy-goat beard who was headed east to Osoyoos with a monstrous load on a home made trailer. There were bags hanging off everything and he didn't even have proper water bottles. The whole thing had to way over 100lbs. It had taken him 14 days to cover the approx. 350kms from Vancouver.

I made it to Princeton in a long day, maybe about 9hrs and 210kms. My bike computer crapped out on me due to moisture. I splurged on a pay site and enjoyed a long, hot shower. I took my time in the morning, realizing I would not make it all the way to Vancouver, especially with strong westerlies forecast. The ride up to Manning Provincial Park was cold and tough, with rough narrow roads in places. I had to throw out my new rear tire that morning due to a large crack/hole in it that produced 2 flats the day before. Luckily I had brought an extra folding one along.

I had hoped to maybe bumb a ride with Bruce and Christine from Hope to Vancouver, but crossed wires had me off by a day on their schedule. The timing and luck worked out well: I arrived just in time to catch a cheap Greyhound and was able to toss my bike in without taking it apart or using a box. I didn't feel there would be any value in riding along the busy and windy trans-Canada. This trip has served its purpose and I got to go out for Greek food with my cousin and her hubby this way!

My butt sores are still there and can be quite uncomfortable at times, but maybe I am just getting better at tuning them out. As for a decision?? I promised myself not to make one until I was off the road for a bit, for perspective. There were several times in the last few days where my mind was already on the bus back to Calgary, though. I realize now that I will need more than 2 days off in any event.

The good news is that I physically feel quite good. I never made the 10hr day, but I think the conditions more than made up for that. Also, I should probably mention more frequently that my diabetic numbers (glucose) have been good and that my disease is in NO WAY playing a role in my indecision as to how to proceed. As is often the case, it is more of a minor logistical irritant than a major issue.

I'll let you know what I've decided when I can figure it out.

Grand Forks: big-ass hills

Chris F — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:21:00 +0000

I had a casual start out of Kimberley. Friends, beers, and huge meat meal were great. I decided I would have an 'easy' day to prepare for today, which I was hoping would be a 10hr one. Yesterday the weather was mostly agreeable and I made it 25kms past Creston (168kms) by 3:30 (Pacific, now). So I got lots of rest.

Woke at 4:30 and was riding by 5:30. I was pretty motivated to start the day and the skies looked OK. The climb over the Salmo-Creston Pass was grueling. From where I camped it was 1:25 of continuous climbing. The pat back was sweet, if a little scary: I hit 74kms/hr.

After Salmo came the next big pass, before Castlegar. Another grinder, but headwinds ment the ride down was slower. Out of Castlegar, it started raining, then pouring, then got colder as lightening crackled all about. After more than an hour of heavy rain I lucked upon a shelter at the 3B junction (Nancy Green park), where I hung out for a while, ate and contemplated life.

It eventually slowed almost to a drizzle and I headed out again for another 20 minutes of climbing. This pass also had some incredibly steep sections and I was flying, with lots of dirty water getting thrown up at me. At one point, a truck descending slowly had a line of traffic behind it and I had to wait my turn to fly by him at 60kms/hr. A unique experience.

For the animal people, I saw a bear in Kootenay, a moose today and more deer than I could count, many of them in twister-like poses at the side of the road.

My butt sores are not stopping me, but they can be pretty uncomfortable towards the end of the day. More importantly, as you can imagine, I have a ton of time to think during the day. Today was particularly dark. Not trying to be a drama queen, but simply being honest in saying that I am having really serious problems feeling motivated for this project these days. Frankly, negative thoughts have dogged me since Moose Jaw. The pysical issues have played into this for sure, but getting this done is at least 50% mental, if not more. (Erik, I have SO MUCH respect for what you have done!! and thanks for your comment. I started out using nothing and then the problems started.)

There are two aspects to this project: breaking the record (mostly for myself) and raising awareness about diabetes. As for the latter, my efforts have been totally rushed, amatuerish and no where near effective to this point. It would takes many months of planning, negotiations, etc. to get it done properly and I had less than one, effectively.

So that leaves the former. I would need to be in perfect physical shape and highly motivated to have any chance at this incredibly difficult stupid human trick. It just feels like I'm not there. At the shelter today, and the hour and a half leading up to it I had myself convinced I would throw in the towel. Many of you have said what I'm doing is "nuts" or "crazy". Maybe I'm just too slow and prideful to see that. In Sat. Globe the Airies horoscope said something to the effect that you have something heavy on your mind and are not willing to let it go due to pride. I don't put any value in these...usually.

I'm just over 8hrs of riding into the day (4:15pm). I hope to get a bit furhter, but another pass lumes and I don't want to spend the night too high for reason of being cold. 10hrs on the prairies would be a piece of cake compared to this, so I'm not that worried.

I need to think more and may consult with some friends. Sorry for the crappy outlook.

Kimberley: Good, Bad and Ugly

Chris F — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 01:12:00 +0000

The Good: The forecast was mostly off and the ride wasn't too bad. Got to Canmore in good time and stopped to see about changing my large chain ring. The first two bike shops didn't have anything. At the third, the owner took a lot of time to talk it over with me and put the bike on the stand so we could go through the gearing. He convinced me to give it more time and get used to it. It is a big change from what I had and I was concerned about chain torque when it is out of alignment too much. Basically my flat terrain cruising speed range of 27-31 kms/hr falls between the two, so it feels like I would have to do a lot of bothersome shifting back and forth. 'Felt' better today. But still might need to deal with it in Calgary.

In Canmore I met a tourer heading east who is a fellow retired (Brit) C-130 Hercules Navigator. We chatted for quite a while and I passed on some route opinions. He is giving himself three months for Vancouver to St. John's.

Camped 55 kms NE of Radium in Kootenay National Park after just over 200kms of riding. There was actually a fair bit of sunshine and the winds were decent. Today was almost 190kms, with some good tailwinds at times, and again some sunny stretches.

Today had a good chat with a New Jersey couple who are riding from Montana to Alaska. I'm a little jealous of their pace and ammenities. Very nice folks.

The Bad: It did rain this morning and I had to break camp in a drizzle. Not the end of the world, but I did get damp riding. Just before Radium there is a big pass and a steep descent. I had a shell on, but 15 minutes of speeds over 45kms/hr and cool temps made me VERY cold. In Radium I went into the Husky, had four coffees over 45 minutes and was still shivering! Fortunately it got a bit sunny after this and I had good tailwinds to help warm up too.

The Ugly: Despite very little riding for over a week, two new pairs of shorts, using anti-bacterial wipes mid and end-day and gooping on Vaseline and Lanoline, I have started to redevelop at least one sore. This is exceptionally disappointing, to say the least. I will press on to Vancouver, but if I can't deal with this over the next four days then 27 days is a lost cause.

One last challenge I will need to try is doing at least one 10+ hr day in the next few. I could well need to do many on the record attempt and my longest ride so far was only 9:15. Again, if one of these days takes too much out of me, it would be hard to contemplate stringing a lot of them together. Barring saddle sore problems, I think this will be OK, though.

Leaving Calgary

Chris F — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 01:07:00 +0000

Apparently I'm not quite due for that turn of good luck, yet. My head is still congested. I saw a doctor yesterday and he did not believe it was a bacterial infection; in fact he said I might as well continue my biking. I took the rest of yesterday off, but today spent 2.5 hours training fully loaded and more than another hour riding around to do errands.

The new gearing needs some getting used to . It is better for going up hills and has better top end speed, but in the middle of those, around my 30km/hr cruising speed, it is not ideal. Bow Cycle didn't have any chain rings on hand that would reduce the number of teeth on the big one, so I will go with it and if need be change it in Vancouver or back here in Calgary after the mountains.

It is too early to tell if the new bib shorts ($170!!!) are any better than what I had. I also bought a pair of regular shorts as well. We shall see...

I intend to leave tomorrow morning despite a depressingly wet and cold forecast for the next four days. The show must go on. If things go well I'll spend tomorrow night not too far into Kootenay National Park (BC). The next day I should arrive at my friends Bruce and Christine's place in Kimberley (hot tub, yah) and then I hope to finish the trip to Vancouver along hwy #3 in four more days.

So, if all goes well, a start date for the big ride will still likely be June 18.

A big thanks to my Aunt Janice who has been my latest couch surfing victim and has spoiled me yet again.

I'll update from Kimberley. Cheers

Calgary: refit and recovery

Chris F — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:44:00 +0000

Got in OK yesterday afternoon and even managed to escape a WestJet bicycle fee. The bike is in the shop and will have the drive train replaced and a general tune-up done today. I'll also be buying new supplies, such as tubes and more important items such as two new pairs of shorts. It looks as though I might have a Black Diamond proto-type solo tent to use for the record ride out of Vancouver. I'm told it is very light.

Very frustratingly, I'm still dealing with a sinus/head cold. I had hoped to do a local test ride tomorrow and then start riding to Vancouver Friday, but I think I really need to be sure I'm over this before I start more big days, so my departure date is up in the air.

Despite the many set backs, I am looking forward to this last training ride and then setting out from Vancouver a day or two later. Again, I have to believe my luck is due for a good turn.

You'll soon be able to follow the progress with a map system on this site. I'll continue the updates on the training ride and my goal is to have daily updates on the record ride. Many of these may be done as transcribed phone messages since the pace may make it more difficult to take the time to find libraries, etc. Again, many thanks to Chris George and the team at Base Corp for their work on the site.

Stay tuned.

Trip 1: Entry 12 - Trenton: Hometown

Chris F — Tue, 30 May 2006 15:44:00 +0000

I was up at 4:30 (after a pretty restless night) and on the road by shortly after 5am, having consumed half a pumpkin pie for breakfast. It certainly provided more than enough carbs as I was still running an overly high glucose number after 2:20 of hard riding. Nothing a few units in the leg couldn't handle.

Good thing I had the early start: by the time I reached Stirling, 25 kms north of here, the heat and humidity was ridiculous. I glided into my hometown (born here, then grade 6 to the end of high school) and wound through the tall-treed streets I used to have two paper routes on and up the final hill that we used to toboggan near. It sure used to seem a lot bigger. I'm glad I rode from Sudbury and fit in a great visit with Ed (whose kidney issues put some perspective on my recent complaints and my freedom with diabetes). I've wanted to do the ride from here to Kingston, through scenic Prince Edward County on highway 33, for a long time and will go either tomorrow or Thursday.

Today's ride was only 125kms, with virtually no wind and an average speed of at least 30kms/hr, which is the kind of value I had hoped for. At points, the roads were some of the worst of the trip, with bone jarring frost cracks, but also some nice sections.

My throat was feeling better, but that may have been because I'd passed into the have-a-cold part of the program. It seems low grade at this point and I can taste the beer I'm having OK, so it is not a serious concern! The poison ivy appears to finally be on the way out (slowest ever healing on these drugs) and my butt has been pretty low maintenance lately (though not 'healed'), which is great.

As I said earlier, I'll come up with something a little more conclusive for this first part of the overall project/journey. One thing I'm pretty surprised about is that it seems I've lost no weight. Perhaps the access to food was much better than I had counted on and/or I'm not actually burning nearly as many calories as I would have thought. I feel like I'm pushing pretty hard most of the time I'm on the bike. Oh well. I certainly have some longer days ahead of me.

Trip 1: Entry 13 - Kingston; thoughts

Chris F — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 19:41:00 +0000

Got here this morning at 10:30, with my bike in a car. My cold entrenched and I didn't want to push my luck before the wedding. Seems in keeping with the rest of the trip. My bike computer showed 2,730 kms to Trenton, though I'm sure it reads a percent or two on the high side.

I can't say that things went as well as I had hoped on this training trip, but I can honestly say that that is a good thing. I never thought this undertaking would be a piece of cake, but these setbacks will put me in a more realistic state of mind for the record attempt. On a bright note, my legs seemed to hold up well to the rigors of daily abuse. Towards the end it appeared as though the saddle sores became more manageable and were somewhat healing despite less than ideal conditions for this.

I know that the record ride will be a more serious event and that my stubborn streak will kick in to propel me through some of the harder days. The past three weeks have been humbling and I have little doubt now that the record attempt will be the hardest thing I've ever done. I have to believe that my luck must turn where winds are concerned. Further research has shown that the trend is for lighter winds in July from somewhat more favourable quadrants in some regions I'll pass through. But you never know what you'll get until the time.

The bike preformed well and I'm loooking forward to having an even lighter equipment set for the big one and more favourable gearing for the big hills of British Columbia and northern Ontario. Warmer conditions will allow me to take less clothing and in turn I will need to make hydration a constant priority. I will endeavour to camp with showers at least every second night and to take steps to reduce the chances of baterial problems. I will take two new pairs of riding shorts.

At this time I anticipate doing a bit more training/testing before setting out by riding from Calgary to Vancouver. What's an extra 1,200 kms at this point? For now a start date from there to St. John's will likely fall around the 18th of June.

This web page will be further enhanced for the coming trip. A scalable map will be included that will plot my progress. With the hectic pace and long days, I may need to rely more on phoned in updates, but will try to have
something in every day. Leading up to the start I hope that some media will start to be involved. Please spread the word to anyone who might have an interest in this!

Thanks to all the well wishers. I never feel completely alone on the road and will channel your postive thoughts into each pedal stroke in the coming rides.

Trip 1: Entry 11 - Bancroft, ON

Chris F — Mon, 29 May 2006 19:15:00 +0000

This will just be a short one (dial up!!) Made it to my friend, Ed's, in Bancroft by 10am Sunday. The ride across from Parry Sound was all quite nice. Lots of lakes. The weather here has gotten incredibly hot and muggy;
as a westerner, I'm just not used to it. We had an early start this morning to get him up to Barry's Bay for dialysis.

The one bumber now is that I am fighting something. My throat has been sore for the last 2.5 days and I sense it was the bus ride that might have given it to me. I don't want to really dig a hole for my 'vacation' component while down here for the wedding, so may not end up biking right to Kingston. Still, in the time I did bike I've covered 2,600kms and have certainly had a chance to firgure some things out.

I'll a write a more conclusive piece about lesons learned, etc. from a high-speed machine in a day or two. If I feel up to it, I'll ride the approx. 130 kms to my parents house in Trenton tomorrow. From there it is a very pleasant 100kms to Kingston.

Trip 1: Entry 10 - Cottage Country sunshine

Chris F — Sat, 27 May 2006 16:57:00 +0000

Hey folks,

sorry if I sounded like a big suck the last couple of entries and thanks to those who are trying to cheer me up. Things are genrally a lot better.

From Atikokan I got to Thunder Bay, 200kms, in decent time. Yes, there were headwinds again, though not as strong, and the roads were decent and the sun was pleasant. You could really feel the cooling effects of the "big lake they call Gichigumee" (sp?) as you appoached. Had a quick conversation with a local biker, both of us in the aerobars into the wind on a wide stretch of shoulder, just before town. Nice moment.

Timing was tight there, just enough to let me wolf down a Subway sub (craving fulfilled), grab a Globe and Mail and get my bike torn down for the Greyhound folks. The bus was packed and I ended up in one of the less leg-roomy seats, but at least next to a nice person, Mellisa. The ride was long and I didn't get much sleep except from roughly 2-5 am, but did manage to sleep through someone passing out (mediacal, not booze) and being taken off the bus for an ambulance. It was quite the gong show and only needed some chickens to be a latin american experience. By the end, there were 3 people without seats. The bus driver was actualy pretty funny in dealing with the problems and making various announcements: "The next movie will be "Sweet Dreams II", so close your eyes and enjoy."

The bus didn't get in to Sudbury until 10am. It was noon by the time I had repacked, gotten some food and left town. Highway 69 had a mix of conditions from good shoulder to no-shoulder-reach-out-and-touch-transports. I also got what amounts to the only real rain of the trip, but it was not too cool and kind of felt good. With no fenders, you stay wet from the spray well after the rain stops. I went120kms south and stayed at a marina where the owner let me use his own shower and even cooked me some potato on the barbie. Nice guy. Bad black flies and mosquitos.

Today is likely the best of the trip: sunny skies, good roads, neutral winds and amazing cottage-country scenery. (For some of you westerners, cottages are a way of life out here and are NOT culturally the same as 'cabins' out there. The area I'm wandering through is one of the most exclusive areas, with cottage-mansions owned by the elite and stars.) I've been taking my time, stopping for an hour and a half at a Timmy's, with a Globe, after 1.5 hours. I'm now in Port Carling and will continue east through Bracebridge and towards Carnarvon. Tomorrow by noon I'll be at my buddy's, (Ed), place in Bancroft and will spend a full day at least.

As for my butt?? Well, again there remain issues, but I may be getting better at managing them. I found out that the meds I'm taking for my poison ivy (still a problem) could be affecting the healing of my sores. Also, as a diabtic, they may be slower to heal as well. Also, the meds are affecting my blood glucose (raising it), so all this is less than ideal. I certainly feel like the big trip can only go smoother. Eveyone is surprised to hear how much easterly winds I've had, so hopefully by late June this will have reversed somewhat and there will be fewer bugs!

Sorry not to have more photos. I'll be able to upload some more when I get to Trenton or Kingston in a few days. Better get back after it. Take it
easy.

Trip 1: Entry 9 - Atikokan afternoon

Chris F — Wed, 24 May 2006 20:54:00 +0000

Howdy,

Ended up biking just shy of 200kms yesterday, spending the night beside a cottage-country church. The mosquitos, and especially now black flies, are savage. I did enter shield country not far out of Fort Frances and the rocks, trees and lakes are a nice change of scenery, though lots of rolling hills are also part of the recipe. I didn't come across any campgrounds, so another salty, crusty night.

This morning I started before 6am into my 5th (riding) day in a row of headwinds. So far I think of around 10 days of riding I've had only two good tailwind days. I'm feeling quite exhausted, still sore (yesterday set my backside back) , the poison ivy has spread a lot, the bugs allow no peace and the road has been rough at times (which exasperates the butt). What I guess I'm saying is I can't claim to be having a lot of fun at the moment.

Today there were no services open along the 110kms it took to get here, so with a muggy day I was very dehydrated on arrival. Getting to a doc and then getting the prescription filled (for the poison ivy) has taken a bit of time and I managed to swing a free campsite with shower for the night, so I'm going to make this a half day.

I'm really torn about how to proceed. I need to use other transport at some point anyways, so I'm thinking I will do the 190kms to Thunder Bay tomorrow and then try to catch an overnight bus either tomorrow night or the next day. If I feel OK, I may go to Sudbury and then finish the last 3 big days from there, with a stop in Bancroft to visit a friend.

With so much against me right now, I feel like I may be grinding myself down more than is necessary. Or maybe I'm being a big wimp; it's so hard to tell, especially on your own. I do think I can regroup in Calgary with different shorts, a completely healed butt and a fresh outlook. Perhaps the winds and bugs will be less of an issue in a month?? I do think more nights at pay camp sites would be helpful, so I will need to research more to know what the options are.

I have new found respect for Erik, the guy who's record it is I want to beat. Also for myself, in terms of the trip in '95. I guess age has crept up on me. My legs generally seem good (just some cramping in the evenings) and I have managed over 1,900kms in 14 days, 5.5 of which were basically spent not riding. Even with headwinds I've managed at least 24kms/hr, which is respectable.

So, I'm not throwing in the towel yet by a stretch, but may need to look at more options for the Vancouver-St. John's trip.

Trip 1: Entry 8 - Fort Frances

Chris F — Tue, 23 May 2006 20:29:00 +0000

Hey everyone,

Made it out of Glenboro Sunday morning, somewhat reluctant to leave my adoptive family (thanks Kevin, Laurie, Paige, Mac and Syd) and the comforts of that fantastic small community. Kevin and Laurie even escorted me on bikes to the first turn off, 32kms along.

The themes for the last three days have been head/sidewinds and butt care. The winds have been very discouraging and have held me to sub 26kms/hr average speeds. I was hoping to average more like 30 overall. I've forced myself to ramp up the hours again, starting with just over 6 on Sunday and today it will likely be in the 8hr range.

The butt situation, so far, seems to have reached a steady state where it is quite uncomfortable in the latter part of the day, but is not a show stopper. My 'good' shorts are starting to fall apart and will need to be replaced in Thunder Bay. I feel there is still uncertainty about this issue and it is frustrating.

For the most part the lay of the land has been very flat since Glenboro, especially yesterday and today. I assumed I would be in Canadian Shield country coming into Fort Frances, but it hasn't quite shown up yet. Definitely more trees now, which help some with the wind. The heat today has been stifling and it is very hard to keep up the hydration. Supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. The 17 hours (including one night's camp) in Minnesota was somewhat stereotypical. I heard a gunshot near where I was camped last night and then today rode by a young man with no top on carrying a large wooden cross the opposite way on the highway and got a "God bless you" as I rolled by. To each their own, but I can't imagine that in Canada.

I'd better get going again. Haven't had a proper shower since Sat., so may splurge on a pay-site if one materializes in a couple of hours. Covered in salt again. Oh, and I don't think the meds took care of the poison ivy, so may need to deal with that tomorrow or the next day. Just hoping I'm getting all the bad karma now so that the big trip will go smoother. Still not sure how I'll deal with the lost days in terms of getting to Kingston on time for the wedding.

Trip 1: Entry 7 - Sores and more

Chris F — Sat, 20 May 2006 20:31:00 +0000

Got some time on my hands here in Glenboro, so thought I would fill in some areas of info:

OK, a few of you have made it clear that you'd like less butt talk, which I can appreciate. BELIEVE ME, I wish the topic had never come up. (After absolutely no problems during more than 10,000 kms in '95, I used to brag that I had a butt of steel. It seems to have turned to butter.) However, my guess is that some of you may not know exactly what saddle sores are.

More cushioning is not the solution! Unlike bed sores, where that helps, saddle sores are more typically a combination of pressure, friction and some bacterial build-up due to the sweaty activity. Boils can appear that are very sensative and if they get too roughed up and infected, then things can become very serious, all the way up to surgery. Shorts selection, saddle fit/firmness and riding techniques are all important. I hope to use some new lessons to minimize the chance of another set of problems, but may have to face buying more shorts and yet another saddle.

I've also been pretty vague on the gear I'm using. The bike is actually a cyclecross one, which is a bizarre sport that combines what looks like a road bike with racing on dirt and lifting the bike over obtacles and up steep inclines. What makes it well suited for what I'm trying to do is that it is faster than a touring bike with its lighter weight and more road oriented gearing, yet tougher than a road bike. There are also the bolt eyelets ('braze-ons') for the rack near the rear wheel axel which most road bikes don't have. I am using skinny 23mm tires pumped to over 100 psi.

The aerobars attached to the handlebars allow a very low wind profile and are mostly used heading into headwinds. Their use can add 2-3 kms/hr speed and offer a change in riding position for comfort, but they make steering more sensative so are poor in gusty conditions and also require a much more heads down stance which makes them most enjoyable on wide, paved shoulders where you can see well ahead every few moments and can then tuck back down again. They do not make for good scenery watching. Most of the times I ride with my hands wrapped around the brake 'hoods'.

I've tried to keep the rest of my gear light, but have already learned I can be much lighter next ride. My tent is very strong, but heavy at just over 5 lbs. I am hoping to use a Black Diamond prototype solo tent next trip which will weigh less than 3 lbs, I believe. The stove I have, a JetsBoil (not available in Canada), is very small and efficient, but is not good for actually cooking in, so I mostly add the hot water to noodles or oatmeal in a 4-cup measuring cup. I am normally able to eat fruit and veggies each day. I also have multi-vitamins and a Calcium-Magnesium supplement. You loose a lot of bone mass doing all this non weight bearing exercise.

I'm also trying to get lots of protein and fat through nuts, tuna, sardines and meats. Again, under such endurance conditions, your body will burn all 3 sources and simply eating sugary things all day would not be sufficient (or healthy). You need the protein for recovery as well.

Clothing wise I am fairly lean as well: a synthetic insulation jacket for warmth, a tuque, thin long underwear, trail running shorts, cotton boxers, cotton t-shirt, a pair of nylon pants, 1 pair long socks and two short for riding, super light foam saddles, two pairs bike shorts, a long sleve riding jersey, a short sleve synthetic shirt, a super-light weight rain shell, a bandana and a small travel towel. I am hoping to ditch the jacket, boxers and maybe long underwear for the next trip.

It is Sat. afternoon and I have had a relaxing day here. No Globe and Mail, though :( Things have healed up considerably and I will set out again tomorrow morning, heading south a bit, and then east on hwy 23. I am pretty anxious about this. If the sores come back to the point of being a problem again, despite all the new preventative meassures, then I'll be in a bit more of a quandary.

However, I'm quite optomisitc and may try to force myself to start back in with shortish days and take more time to heal/clean up. I'll try to get another update done in a day or two. Hope you are enjoying the long weekend.

ciao

Trip 1: Entry 6 - Glenboro Media

Chris F — Fri, 19 May 2006 21:07:00 +0000

While visiting the doctor yesterday, we chatted a bit and he thought the local paper might be interested in my 'story'. So, at the presentation for the class this morning a freelance reporter was present. I wasn't going to worry about the media too much on this first trip, but will certainly take any attention the cause can get. The kids were very attentive and a pleasure to speak to.

I am now armed with literally close to 3 pounds of various creams, etc. to try. Things seem to be clearing up fairly well, but I may stay over until Sunday to be certain. (I've been invited to stay with the school principal's family, which is really great.) Some online research seems to indacate that plain old vaseline is a very recommended lubricant for bike shorts, so I may go with that and then use some of these others in the evenings. It may also help to try and get the biking for the day done sooner, so that there is more time in the evening to wash up and let some
healing occur.

When it rains it pours: also discovered this afternoon that I have poison
ivy, which I have a bad history with. Once again the doc saw me very quickly and prescribed pills and creams. Basically I have become a pharmacy on two wheels.

I'm trying not to let the delays get to me. The start date from Vancouver is quite flexible, ultimately, so I have room to maneuvre. I still intend to go the southern route through Fort Frances to Thunder Bay. Going through/around Winnipeg is a bit of effort anyways and I've seen it before.

Trip 1: Entry 5 - Glenboro, MB 15:45 (CDT)

Chris F — Thu, 18 May 2006 20:58:00 +0000

Just another quick update since internet is free and easy. People here are incredibly friendly. I am camped at the fair grounds at the edge of the small town. There is a decent size groccery store, a pharmacy and I have a doctor's appointment for 16:15. The librarian will let me borrow some stuff to read and then drop it of in the post office mail drop since they don't have one at the library. Since I have some time to kill I dropped by the K-12 school and offered to show slides (I brought a USB memory key) from South America. The prinicpal is a biker too and has set up a presentation for a gr. 7 social studies class tomorrow morning. He even offered me the use of their shower and to do my laundry!!

Despite my fast pace, I should say that I still have some great moments where I interact with locals. Over one coffee in nowhere Saskatchewan, the store clerk told me about her father's bad diabetic lows and how she had to keep the car keys from him. Yesterday in Brandon a tattooed, BMX riding hard-life young guy chatted with me for a bit outside the Super Store. Many people have honked and waved too. All good stuff.

Better head to the Doc's for a little show and tell. Hopefully I can get some high powered drugs to clear this up pronto.

Trip 1: Entry 3 - Whitewood, SK

Chris F — Tue, 16 May 2006 21:45:00 +0000

Udderly Incredible!! No spelling mistake.

I woke at 4:05 to beat the forecast heat. First thing I did was strip my bottoms, grab a hand mirror and had a look at my aft end. What a hell of a way to start the day. Things looked a bit better and felt quite a bit better, though I was far from 'healed'. I slapped on a bunch of 'Chamois' cream and even tried using a Dr. Scholls foot callus 'donut' protector around the worst offender.

Packed things up and went to the Tim Horton's across from the (pay) campground to take the edge off. Off towards Regina into a slight headwind. Can't say that things felt so great and 2.5hrs later, by the time I reached the east end of the city, I was well past the point of having much hope. I walked into a mall bath room and had another look. Definitely redder.

I figured my dwindling supplies of the biker specific cream were not cutting it, so I went big with a cream I had stumbled across the previous day.

"Utterly Smooth"
This is very similar to Bag Balm that some of you may be familiar with. The product is actually intended to sooth cow udders. Well, I get on the bike and start riding with this stuff slopped on and instantly things seem bearable. A few minutes later I exchange my defective radio and then head out of town on fresh tailwinds. Life is good!

I've now ridden for 7:25 today for almost 250kms. I haven't taken another look, but things still seem pretty decent. Maybe there is just an anesthetic in this stuff and I am destroying my ass!? I don't think I'm out of the woods yet and will have to continue to pamper it, but hopefully the combo of the cream and the new saddle will see me through.

A barn burner today: upper 20s. I arrived at this library completely coated in salt and was shocked (after looking in a mirror) that people hadn't looked at me more strangely. I have managed to stay well hydrated. So long as I feel good, I think I'll continue for more tailwind kms, though I need to take the time later to clean up very well. I should make it close to the border. Hopefully I haven't blown it by going out of the gates too hard, but such is my nature. Time will tell.

Need to go find some ice cream...

ciao

Trip 1: First Entry - Swift Current, SK

Chris F — Sat, 13 May 2006 20:50:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

It is Saturday afternoon, about ten to three Alberta time, I'm in Swift Current, SK.

So far the trip has been a little bit of everthing. The first day I left Calgary late - around 3:30, and that put me right into rush hour, but once I was clear it wasn't too bad. About 20 mins after Strathmore however, my rear rack suddenly gave out - the bracket that holds the upper part to the frame gave way and the whole load swing backwards onto the tire!

Fortunately I looked on the side of the road a little bit and found some string and have lashed the frame and the rack together - and it seems to be holding quite well. Other than being exceptionally dehydrated (must work on that) Yesterday was a fairly good day - I put in over 8 hrs and made over 240kms. I was in Brooks for a little while looking for some medical supplies I forgot, but I'm all set up now.

There was a bit of lightning and rain last night on the way out of Medicine Hat and I spent the night just on the inside of the Alberta border. Today has been much nicer, mostly suunny, pretty good tail winds. I've already gone around 190kms and after a little bit of break here I imagine I'll ride another 2 or 3 hrs... we'll see how that goes... mostly things have been good and my blood glucose #'s have been really good...

Trip 1: Entry 2 - Moose Jaw, SK

Chris F — Mon, 15 May 2006 16:08:00 +0000

About 720kms so far.

Belated Happy Mother's Day. I left Swift Current with a nagging feeling my butt was getting sore. By that evening it was obvious problems had developed and on Sunday the 120kms to Moose Jaw were quite uncomfortable. I have decided it is best to hang out here a couple of days, apply various ointments and buy a different saddle. Hopefully this will work. History repeats itself: I was held up here in 1995 (on my cross-Canada ride) due to a bout with giardia. I left here very strong and hope the same will be true this time.

Otherwise, I have felt great. The weather has been very sunny and so far I've had 2 days of headwinds and two of mostly tailwinds. The longest day on the saddle was 8:15 and that got me 245kms. Other than my butt problems, I feel like I could average 30kms/hr for at least 8 hrs a day. There is still lots of time to get past this hiccup and build to longer days towards the end. Unseasonably warm weather will be good training.

It is only as you near Moose Jaw that the prairie becomes much flatter. On a bike you feel every little hill to that point. The grass is green and many birds can be seen and heard as you ride. The roads were excellent in Alberta, but have deteriorated somewhat in Saskatchewan. It is the trips into towns that are the greatest concern in terms of flats and sharp pot holes that could wreck the wheels. I had one flat on the open highway Sat. morning. The mosquitoes are out and vicious, so this precludes long breaks on the road.

I usually stop at a gas station first thing for coffee and other needs. I have started a habit of a mid-day meal of the 'double cheeseburger value meal', with extra salt on the fries. Oddly I haven't felt overly hungry and suspect I'm loosing some of the pre-trip extra weight.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to leave early tomorrow morning.

Route

Chris F — Thu, 11 May 2006 07:43:00 +0000

Later, a map will show updates of my position during the record attempt.

Vancouver Kamploops Lake Louise Calgary Winnipeg Thunder Bay Sault Ste. Marie Ottawa Quebec Moncton Sydney Port aux Basque St. John's

approx. 7,100kms

To do this in 25 days will require riding 284 kms/day.

Preparation and Timelines

Chris F — Thu, 11 May 2006 07:45:00 +0000

Jan 10 - April 5: 2,800km bicycling and hiking trip in Patagonia; decision made to pursue record ride

April 10 - Present: seeking support/sponsorship, web URL purchased, training and gear selection ongoing

May 10 - June 6: 3,600km training ride from Calgary to Kingston, ON to attend a wedding; final gear testing

June 6 - June 9: return to Calgary so that Bow Cycle can refit bike for record attempt

approx. June 10: depart Vancouver

approx. July 6: arrive St. John's (7,100 kms later)

So Long and Thanks

Chris F — Thu, 11 May 2006 20:26:00 +0000

We'll I'm a little behind my own schedule, but at least I'll be leaving Calgary this afternoon and hitting the open road at last. As usual it has been a mad dash to get last minute errands done. I have a new digital point-and-shoot and will need to take the manual with me since I've had no time to play with it. Also bought a slick little Sony AM/FM radio for some stimulous. I am definitely going heavier this trip than I will for the record attempt. Luxuries include extra batteries, a pair of tights for the cold mornings, a 460 page book and an extra fuel canister. I am also hoping to have a much lighter tent for next time. I'm excited to see how I do, how the gear works out and to simply slip silently through big sky country.

Many thanks to some of the folks who have recently helped me out in getting ready for this. Steffi and Travis as training parnters, medical advisors, and for selling me the bike I'm using. To Bruce and Christine and Rob and Tracy for putting up with me in your homes and letting me spread my stuff all over the place. Thanks to John and the crew at Bow Cycle for getting me all set for trip #1. A special thanks to Chris, Jared and the others at BaseCorp for designing and running this web page and for your support.

See you on the road.