Saturday, August 04, 2007
Day 6 - Montreal
With all the excitement of our arrival in Montreal, there wasn't much time to stop and reflect, so now on Saturday, sitting on a patio on Prince Arthur it's sunk in a bit more what we've accomplished. We've raised over $800,000 so far and raised more awareness about HIV / AIDS and those who need the support of an organization like the PWA.
The last stretch into Montreal is pretty overwhelming emotionally, I'm not sure what the proper way to prepare for it is or if there really is any way to prepare. My scrapes and bruises started to feel somewhat more symbolic of the week's struggle and the comparison to the struggle we're trying to eliminate for people with HIV / AIDS.
It was fantastic seeing Paul there as we finished the final stretch and got off our bikes. Dave was with him as was our friend Phil. The evening ended off with a celebratory party at Mado where we were all able to enjoy our accomplishments with drinks, dancing and entertainment.
Next year is the Rally's 10th year - will I be there again? Check back in the spring, but chances are pretty high...
posted by Stuart @ 7:10 PM
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Day 5 - Lancaster
We had a fast ride from Johnstown to our first break and then on to lunch. Even with the hot weather we made it to lunch with an average speed of ~31 km/h. We took a very long lunch break, stopping for a massage before heading out with the last handful of riders.
The ride to our afternoon break was a bit slower as the heat had peaked and we were on a shared bike path. A short way past the break I crashed, coming down hard on my left side. I suppose I was lucky to land with plenty of my body hitting the road, after catching my breath and cleaning with a bit of water I got back on the bike. I've got some good bits of road rash on my knee, elbow and butt and probably a bit of bruising when the swelling subsides. Kevin seemed to enjoy helping me clean my wounds with a bit of rubbing alcohol back at camp, apparently he's a bit of a sadist.
I'm looking forward to tonight. We share stories about the ride, our inspirations and memories of those who aren't with us. Apparently there's a "barn dance" tonight too. This is it, the last sleep before Montreal. This time tomorrow we'll have finished the journey and it'll feel amazing, but for now 8'm just going to enjoy this last night.
posted by Stuart @ 5:15 PM
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
It was a hot day today, not sure how hot but at morning announcements there was mention of a heat advisory. Our team was assigned to help with lunch today, so after quickly eating we helped serve the rest of the riders. It's such a reminder to me of the incredible number of people who make a week like this happen.
With lunch duty comes sweeping - staying in position as the last rider and helping others if they need asistance. Four of our team members volunteered to do that, so Kevin and I pushed on after lunch had died down a bit.
Just a few km past Lunch I had a flat - the 1st (and I hope only) of the ride. Kevin helped find some shade in which to attend to the tire and we were soon on our way.
At camp in Johnstown now we've set up our tent, rehydrated and refueled some, cooled off in the lake and showered. There's quite a lot of work yet to do once we get into camp each day, after biking over 100 km, but one we settle in and start to relax it's well worth it.
Second last night of camping: two more sleeps 'till Montreal. I'm excited!
