Hey!
Alright, it's been over 2 weeks since this crazy idea ended. This will probably be the last post here, unless there are some more last floater donations finding my way into my hands!
Well, what can I say. It's been an experience of a lifetime. I don't think I have ever sensed Grandma Geiger so happy and full of excitement. She is not a very extroverted person, but I could sure tell she had a lot of excitement built up in her. It felt good. It made the whole trip worthwhile getting to hug her at the end. I still can't believe she slept in until 10am on Saturday morning! I am so glad I chose to do this trip on my own and not with a big group or in an event like the Ride to Conquer Cancer. It made this journey so much more personal for me and my family, and I had more than enough time to think about Grandpa and the cause during the ride.
The support from everyone, family, friends, and random people around the gym or ones I don't even know, was absolutely amazing. It's fantastic to see that doing something as elementary as riding a bicycle can pull people this close together. I'm not even talking about the monetary donations but the energy and questions that have been surrounding me and this for the last few months is outstanding.
I want to say a huge THANK YOU to EVERYONE for everything. There are WAY too many people to list so this will have to do. I could never have done this without everything you guys helped me out with. Special thanks to Leslie for driving so slow behind me and taking holiday time to do this with me (even though I told you not too!), Greg for all the advice and prep work, Auntie Bernie in Prelate for taking care of everything on that end, my cousin Becky and her husband Dave and the kids Nolan and Logan for everything they did in Medicine Hat, Aaron for the wonderful room in Brooks, Pam and Laura who took care of the newspaper ends,and to the few of you that donated HUGE to help me, Leslie and Rexy out with food and gas! Unbelievable!
So the final thoughts.... what a trip. I hope that even though this may be small step in the process to building a healthier and happier quality of life for people living or going to be living with prostate cancer, it will lead to bigger and better things. My dad was telling me that Safeway just donated $1.2 to the prostate cancer cause (makes my $3,800 seem kind of insignificant, huh?)! Even though the money was raised, I hope that this ride INSPIRES people to take a proactive approach to testing and early detection of prostate cancer. More importantly, I hope this INSPIRES people to make smarter and healthier decisions within their own life. You don't have to ride a bike for 3 days to get healthier, but start making smarter choices and choosing an active lifestyle. Bike, run, swim, canoe, rock climb, hike, walk, play Frisbee, and so much more. That is how this starts. That's how I started, that's how you can start!
So, how about next year? I have had a lot of interest about planning another ride. No Grandma, not to Prelate! I was thinking somewhere with a reward for everyone at the end .... maybe Radium Hot Springs! Nothing is even close to for sure yet, even the cause, but more than a few people have expressed interest in joining me on such a mission! Fantastic!
I hope you all have enjoyed the updates and the adventure, and I look forward to your support and encouragement (even your participation!), if something like this gets planned again! Thank you again!
Thank you Grandpa Geiger, I miss you, I know you would be proud.
Chad
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Numbers...
Hey everyone,
Here are some final numbers from the trip. Though everyone might be interested!
Distance day 1: 184 km
Distance day 2: 117 km
Distance day 3: 179 km
Total Distance: 480 km
Average Distance per day: 160 km
Time day 1: 6h 23m 53s
Time day 2: 4h 41m 35s
Time day 3: 7h 12m 37 s
Total Time: 18h 18m 5s
Average Time per day: 6h 6m 2s
Average Speed Day 1: 28.6 km/h
Average Speed Day 2: 24.9 km/h
Average Speed Day 3: 24.8 km/h
Average Speed: 26.1 km/h
Total Donations Raised (to date): $3,816.97
Total Expenses: $379.70
Total Amount Donated to Prostate Cancer Institue: $3,437.27
Number of blown tires: 0
Number of broken water bottle cages: 2
Number of 500ml water bottles drank: 60 (30 L)
Number of times I thought 'Am I crazy???' : about 50
Number of times I thought 'Am I there yet???' : about 100
Number of near death experiences: 1 (in Medicine Hat), it was only a 'kind of near death'
Number of times I have rode since finishing: 0
Number of times I would do this again: Ask me in another month!
Here are some final numbers from the trip. Though everyone might be interested!
Distance day 1: 184 km
Distance day 2: 117 km
Distance day 3: 179 km
Total Distance: 480 km
Average Distance per day: 160 km
Time day 1: 6h 23m 53s
Time day 2: 4h 41m 35s
Time day 3: 7h 12m 37 s
Total Time: 18h 18m 5s
Average Time per day: 6h 6m 2s
Average Speed Day 1: 28.6 km/h
Average Speed Day 2: 24.9 km/h
Average Speed Day 3: 24.8 km/h
Average Speed: 26.1 km/h
Total Donations Raised (to date): $3,816.97
Total Expenses: $379.70
Total Amount Donated to Prostate Cancer Institue: $3,437.27
Number of blown tires: 0
Number of broken water bottle cages: 2
Number of 500ml water bottles drank: 60 (30 L)
Number of times I thought 'Am I crazy???' : about 50
Number of times I thought 'Am I there yet???' : about 100
Number of near death experiences: 1 (in Medicine Hat), it was only a 'kind of near death'
Number of times I have rode since finishing: 0
Number of times I would do this again: Ask me in another month!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Pictures!
Wednesday July 1, 9:38 am - Time to go!
First stop, Strathmore
In between Bassano and Brooks, somewhere???
My sidekicks!
Day 2, Suffield, 40 km outside Medicine Hat
Suffield again.
These are all day three, about 130 km into the ride, just after turning east into Saskatchewan, 10 km past Burstall
The entrance to the cemetary in Prelate, Saskatchewan. Done.
These are of the our adventure to the Great Sandhills on Saturday after we got to Prelate. Leslie's first trip to the hills. Rexy's first trip too, I guess.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Finished!
I know it took a while to get the update online, but there is virtually no Internet in Prelate and Leslie's phone died with the charger at home.
After a great sleep through a thunderstorm on Thursday in Medicine Hat, we weren't in much of a mood to get out of bed. I slept through three alarms, my cousin Becky woke up and fell back asleep and Leslie was like a log all night. Needless to say there wasn't much movement until mid morning, a good hour late.
The ride started with a little jog through the Hat until we got back onto the highway. Leslie headed over to Safeway to get a few things as I started the day with a trip to Dunmore and the last leg of the journey on the Trans Canada Highway.
Uneventful is pretty much the way to explain the 100km trip North to the Burstall turn off on Highway 41. The Shuler Hills were a welcomed change from the flat between Calgary and Medicine Hat and were actually not too bad at all. Thank you Greg for telling me to at least be up to 6 minute hills on the trainer! After Shuler (about 45km from Medicine Hat) the highway flattened out a little bit and that is where the North wind of Hilda got me. I travelled slowly into the wind for another 50 km until I got the right turn heading west with a tailwind into the town of Burstall and the Saskatchewan sign.
From Burstall to Lebintal it was a quick rolley 25 km that went pretty quickly especially since Leslie was following me because there was no shoulder. From Lebintal to Leader was another 25 km into the wind but when I got there I was sooooooo close to being done. Only 11 km left in this whole trip, with a tailwind!
I downed a Red Bull and an Eatmore bar, and started. I seemed to have found this new energy as I could see the village of Prelate and eventually the cemetery with all the cars waiting for me. I actually kind of got nervous because Leslie hadn't caught up to me by the 8th km and I thought I was going to beat her there!
When I got there, all the Sisters from the Convent were there to greet me along with Grandma Geiger who got the biggest, sweatiest, smelliest hug she had ever had! We left some flowers on Grandpa's gravestone, said a short prayer, then Grandma did something I didn't even suspect!
I told my Grandma that for supper when I got there I wanted to have Leader sausage, couga (sp?), and toast with peanut butter and chokecherry jam. Well, guess what Grandma did? Out of her pocket, in the middle of the cemetery, she pulled out a piece of homemade sausage and some couga all wrapped up in saran wrap. She told me it was just enough to get me the last 0.5 mile to the house for more! How awesome is she!
After meeting everyone (including my Dad's grade 3 teacher!), my cousin Tommy and I biked into my town and my Grandma's house. I stepped off the bike, laied it against her fence, gave Grandma another giant hug, and I was DONE! Finally! I was exhausted. Day 3's ride was a total of 178.57 km in a time of 7 hours 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
The rest of the night was pretty quiet. Everyone seemed to be exhausted from the whole day and the excitement. Man did I sleep good. What a great feeling knowing that I didn't have to wake up and ride again the next day!
The morning came quick. I was tired, but more than that, STARVING. Even today, 2 days later, I'm still starving! I'm pretty dehydrated too still. My legs aren't too bad. Quads are sore when I walk, glutes and hamstrings are sore while I sit. My traps, pecs, lats, and abs are all sore as well, but not bad enough to complain about it.
Yesterday at Grandmas, it was right to work. We cut and pruned trees all morning, then in the afternoon headed out to the Great Sand Hills and did some Krazy Karpeting down the dunes. We built jumps and dips and had fun for about 2 hours out there. We had homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for supper (my choice, it's my favorite!) then we packed up and headed out to Medicine Hat again in the evening to spend some more time with my cousins. That brings me to now. I am putting off getting into the shower and we are relaxing, enjoying the hot humid sunshine and not thinking about exercise or prostate cancer at all!
I will update again soon with some pictures and some final numbers and thoughts, but until then, I'm going to go and get some more rest in!
Thank you to everyone, who has supported, helped, or encouraged me along the way! You are all awesome! I won't lie though, I'm glad it's over!
Chad
After a great sleep through a thunderstorm on Thursday in Medicine Hat, we weren't in much of a mood to get out of bed. I slept through three alarms, my cousin Becky woke up and fell back asleep and Leslie was like a log all night. Needless to say there wasn't much movement until mid morning, a good hour late.
The ride started with a little jog through the Hat until we got back onto the highway. Leslie headed over to Safeway to get a few things as I started the day with a trip to Dunmore and the last leg of the journey on the Trans Canada Highway.
Uneventful is pretty much the way to explain the 100km trip North to the Burstall turn off on Highway 41. The Shuler Hills were a welcomed change from the flat between Calgary and Medicine Hat and were actually not too bad at all. Thank you Greg for telling me to at least be up to 6 minute hills on the trainer! After Shuler (about 45km from Medicine Hat) the highway flattened out a little bit and that is where the North wind of Hilda got me. I travelled slowly into the wind for another 50 km until I got the right turn heading west with a tailwind into the town of Burstall and the Saskatchewan sign.
From Burstall to Lebintal it was a quick rolley 25 km that went pretty quickly especially since Leslie was following me because there was no shoulder. From Lebintal to Leader was another 25 km into the wind but when I got there I was sooooooo close to being done. Only 11 km left in this whole trip, with a tailwind!
I downed a Red Bull and an Eatmore bar, and started. I seemed to have found this new energy as I could see the village of Prelate and eventually the cemetery with all the cars waiting for me. I actually kind of got nervous because Leslie hadn't caught up to me by the 8th km and I thought I was going to beat her there!
When I got there, all the Sisters from the Convent were there to greet me along with Grandma Geiger who got the biggest, sweatiest, smelliest hug she had ever had! We left some flowers on Grandpa's gravestone, said a short prayer, then Grandma did something I didn't even suspect!
I told my Grandma that for supper when I got there I wanted to have Leader sausage, couga (sp?), and toast with peanut butter and chokecherry jam. Well, guess what Grandma did? Out of her pocket, in the middle of the cemetery, she pulled out a piece of homemade sausage and some couga all wrapped up in saran wrap. She told me it was just enough to get me the last 0.5 mile to the house for more! How awesome is she!
After meeting everyone (including my Dad's grade 3 teacher!), my cousin Tommy and I biked into my town and my Grandma's house. I stepped off the bike, laied it against her fence, gave Grandma another giant hug, and I was DONE! Finally! I was exhausted. Day 3's ride was a total of 178.57 km in a time of 7 hours 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
The rest of the night was pretty quiet. Everyone seemed to be exhausted from the whole day and the excitement. Man did I sleep good. What a great feeling knowing that I didn't have to wake up and ride again the next day!
The morning came quick. I was tired, but more than that, STARVING. Even today, 2 days later, I'm still starving! I'm pretty dehydrated too still. My legs aren't too bad. Quads are sore when I walk, glutes and hamstrings are sore while I sit. My traps, pecs, lats, and abs are all sore as well, but not bad enough to complain about it.
Yesterday at Grandmas, it was right to work. We cut and pruned trees all morning, then in the afternoon headed out to the Great Sand Hills and did some Krazy Karpeting down the dunes. We built jumps and dips and had fun for about 2 hours out there. We had homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for supper (my choice, it's my favorite!) then we packed up and headed out to Medicine Hat again in the evening to spend some more time with my cousins. That brings me to now. I am putting off getting into the shower and we are relaxing, enjoying the hot humid sunshine and not thinking about exercise or prostate cancer at all!
I will update again soon with some pictures and some final numbers and thoughts, but until then, I'm going to go and get some more rest in!
Thank you to everyone, who has supported, helped, or encouraged me along the way! You are all awesome! I won't lie though, I'm glad it's over!
Chad
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The gas city and safe (and sore!)
Hi everyone,
So it's the end of day 2. 117km in 4 hours and 4??? minutes I think.
The morning started off pretty well. Breakfast at Timmy Ho's, truck loaded and a cool overcast sky. The well morning didn't keep going great after that though. Not even out of Brooks it started to rain. I called Leslie for my rain jacket that was in the truck but she didn't answer as I waited under the overpass. Oh well, keep going right.
The day was scheduled as a 100km easier recovery ride, but it turned out anything but that. I battled a headwind AGAIN the entire day. 4 hours of wind. Usually in a ride you get to turn around at some point and you get a tailwind but not me. Seriously though, how can I have a east wind two days in a row, driving away from the mountains?????
Anyway, at about 65km I started to die, still feeling the effects from yesterdays little 90km time trial thing. Yes Greg, your right, it was still a bad idea. The rest of the day kind just dragged on, and on and on. By the time I got to Medicine Hat averaging about 24 km/hour, I was wiped. An easy ride to cool down to my cousin Becky's house and that was that. Aaaahhhhhhhh.
Grandma was here when I got her, but for some reason she didn't seem to happy for a big sweaty hug????? I think I heard her hold her breath as she did it to. Not long after the ENTIRE family was here having a great dinner together! It was awesome! Couldn't have been better!
Tomorrow is the tough day. About 175km but lots of hills. I'm actually kind of excited for some climbing. I was in the saddle all day, sitting down. I couldn't do much in aero because of saddle sores, so the whole ride was pretty much sitting up since there were zero hills. Also didn't really help the bike time for today.
I am not actually too sore right now either. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel good, but not terrible. My hamstrings are tight at the insertions again and I'm pretty tired but ready to get it done tomorrow.
Apparently Grandma is the most popular person in Prelate right now too. The excitement I hear from her and Auntie Bernie, gives me the motivation to get this thing done tomorrow! The reporter from the Leader Weekly will be there too to get some pictures and have a little chat after too!
Thank you all so much again for your support, and I should be finished soon!
Oh yeah, and Grandma doesn't have a computer or any Internet connections, so don't be surprised if I don't get a chance to update before Saturday evening or Sunday! For updates, call Leslie!
Chad
So it's the end of day 2. 117km in 4 hours and 4??? minutes I think.
The morning started off pretty well. Breakfast at Timmy Ho's, truck loaded and a cool overcast sky. The well morning didn't keep going great after that though. Not even out of Brooks it started to rain. I called Leslie for my rain jacket that was in the truck but she didn't answer as I waited under the overpass. Oh well, keep going right.
The day was scheduled as a 100km easier recovery ride, but it turned out anything but that. I battled a headwind AGAIN the entire day. 4 hours of wind. Usually in a ride you get to turn around at some point and you get a tailwind but not me. Seriously though, how can I have a east wind two days in a row, driving away from the mountains?????
Anyway, at about 65km I started to die, still feeling the effects from yesterdays little 90km time trial thing. Yes Greg, your right, it was still a bad idea. The rest of the day kind just dragged on, and on and on. By the time I got to Medicine Hat averaging about 24 km/hour, I was wiped. An easy ride to cool down to my cousin Becky's house and that was that. Aaaahhhhhhhh.
Grandma was here when I got her, but for some reason she didn't seem to happy for a big sweaty hug????? I think I heard her hold her breath as she did it to. Not long after the ENTIRE family was here having a great dinner together! It was awesome! Couldn't have been better!
Tomorrow is the tough day. About 175km but lots of hills. I'm actually kind of excited for some climbing. I was in the saddle all day, sitting down. I couldn't do much in aero because of saddle sores, so the whole ride was pretty much sitting up since there were zero hills. Also didn't really help the bike time for today.
I am not actually too sore right now either. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel good, but not terrible. My hamstrings are tight at the insertions again and I'm pretty tired but ready to get it done tomorrow.
Apparently Grandma is the most popular person in Prelate right now too. The excitement I hear from her and Auntie Bernie, gives me the motivation to get this thing done tomorrow! The reporter from the Leader Weekly will be there too to get some pictures and have a little chat after too!
Thank you all so much again for your support, and I should be finished soon!
Oh yeah, and Grandma doesn't have a computer or any Internet connections, so don't be surprised if I don't get a chance to update before Saturday evening or Sunday! For updates, call Leslie!
Chad
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
End of Day 1
Alright, I'm back, and full I might add.
We made it to the gym for 9am this morning. My fantastic clients and friends, Peter, Luanne and Brian were there to see me off. I got changed, unloaded the bike, said bye and we were gone.
Getting out of the city was actually easier than I though it would be. There wasn't too much traffic at all on 16th ave since it was early on a holiday. We did manage to hold up traffic as we went through the last little bit of construction before the city limits.
Right after the city limits, not even 2 minutes after Leslie pulled ahead, the first interesting thing happened. All of a sudden I heard 'thud, thud, thud' and looked back and my water bottle was rolling away behind me. Weird, my bottles never fall out, even when I go over bumps. When I got back to pick it up, it turns out that the whole cage ripped clean right off with it. The screws were still attached to my bike, but the cage wasn't. I threw the bottle in my jersey, the cage in my handlebars and I was off again.
The first place I met Leslie was at the Esso in Strathmore. 45km I believe. Oh, Greg, if your reading, I did the first 40 km in 1 hour 15 minutes comfortably. I had a quick chat with Leslie then left. She headed to Walmart to get me a new water bottle cage. We met up again at the Petro Canada just east of Glechien, then the Esso outside of Bassano.
I really had a good pace going for the first 90 km. I wanted to see how I would ride it since I have to do it in my tri next month. I wanted under 3 hours and got there in 2 hours 53 minutes. I was happy. As it turns out though, my legs were NOT happy for the next 90 km because of it. It's actually kind of funny because Greg sent me an email before I left and the first thing he wrote was to pace myself. Oops. The second thing was to have fun. I'll tell you what, my legs were not having too much fun after that first 90km though.
Anyway, the rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. Me standing, then sitting up, then down in aero and repeat. As for the weather it was pretty ideal for a day like this. I think the temperature hovered around 23 and there was only a wind later in the day, which happened to be a south east headwind too. Only I would have the luck to get a east wind riding away from Calgary, ahhhhhhhh! I don't think I burned either! Bonus!
So yeah, to finish the story, I'm tired. My hamstrings are pretty sore, but not like I remember from Penticton. All in all, day number one was good. Good weather, good numbers, good cause. Oh, and the shoulder was about the size of an entire lane all the way here, and traffic was not bad at all, except when that tractor with 16 wheels passed me carrying a whole arsenal of equipment with it. Weird.
Tomorrow I am going to leave a bit later and have an easier recovery ride. I think it is 100km (ish) to the Hat not including the navigating through the streets to get to my cousins house. We should be there by about 4 pm.
Talk to you soon!
Chad
We made it to the gym for 9am this morning. My fantastic clients and friends, Peter, Luanne and Brian were there to see me off. I got changed, unloaded the bike, said bye and we were gone.
Getting out of the city was actually easier than I though it would be. There wasn't too much traffic at all on 16th ave since it was early on a holiday. We did manage to hold up traffic as we went through the last little bit of construction before the city limits.
Right after the city limits, not even 2 minutes after Leslie pulled ahead, the first interesting thing happened. All of a sudden I heard 'thud, thud, thud' and looked back and my water bottle was rolling away behind me. Weird, my bottles never fall out, even when I go over bumps. When I got back to pick it up, it turns out that the whole cage ripped clean right off with it. The screws were still attached to my bike, but the cage wasn't. I threw the bottle in my jersey, the cage in my handlebars and I was off again.
The first place I met Leslie was at the Esso in Strathmore. 45km I believe. Oh, Greg, if your reading, I did the first 40 km in 1 hour 15 minutes comfortably. I had a quick chat with Leslie then left. She headed to Walmart to get me a new water bottle cage. We met up again at the Petro Canada just east of Glechien, then the Esso outside of Bassano.
I really had a good pace going for the first 90 km. I wanted to see how I would ride it since I have to do it in my tri next month. I wanted under 3 hours and got there in 2 hours 53 minutes. I was happy. As it turns out though, my legs were NOT happy for the next 90 km because of it. It's actually kind of funny because Greg sent me an email before I left and the first thing he wrote was to pace myself. Oops. The second thing was to have fun. I'll tell you what, my legs were not having too much fun after that first 90km though.
Anyway, the rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. Me standing, then sitting up, then down in aero and repeat. As for the weather it was pretty ideal for a day like this. I think the temperature hovered around 23 and there was only a wind later in the day, which happened to be a south east headwind too. Only I would have the luck to get a east wind riding away from Calgary, ahhhhhhhh! I don't think I burned either! Bonus!
So yeah, to finish the story, I'm tired. My hamstrings are pretty sore, but not like I remember from Penticton. All in all, day number one was good. Good weather, good numbers, good cause. Oh, and the shoulder was about the size of an entire lane all the way here, and traffic was not bad at all, except when that tractor with 16 wheels passed me carrying a whole arsenal of equipment with it. Weird.
Tomorrow I am going to leave a bit later and have an easier recovery ride. I think it is 100km (ish) to the Hat not including the navigating through the streets to get to my cousins house. We should be there by about 4 pm.
Talk to you soon!
Chad
Sunny and smelly..... Brooks!
I'm here. I'm alive. 184.01 km. 6 hours 23 minutes 53 seconds. My legs hurt.
We are going to go eat, I'll post a more detailed update when we get back! Check back later!
Chad in Brooks!
We are going to go eat, I'll post a more detailed update when we get back! Check back later!
Chad in Brooks!
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