There were two components to packing: First, all the bike gear, including the bike. The bike was packed by the bike shop, after a tune up. The rest of the gear was pretty obvious. But the second component of packing was less clear, namely the camping gear. Yes, there were the obvious stuff: tent, sleeping bag, mattress etc, but in terms of clothes that was more open ended. Because we were limited in weight, I went very conservative. I figured that I could always buy clothes, if I needed them. By Wednesday morning, I was basicly packed.
But I didn't travel out until Friday morning. I got up at 2:45 am, after a restless sleep. It was a 6 am departure, going to Chicago (a two hour flight), then a transfer to Orange County Airport (a four hour flight.) I landed just past noon local time (3pm EST). Thankfully, my luggage came with me. I took a taxi to VanGuard University, which was a short ride away. I quickly unpacked the bike and put it back together, with the help of a few others--though mainly on my own. I was very happy to see that it was back together.
After dinner, which was at 5pm, four of us decided to do a short ride to the beach. The beach was great, though not the traffic to get there. On the way back, I got a flat, as a piece of wire punctured both tire and tube. With the help of the other three riders, who were all more experienced than I was, the tube was soon changed. I'm not sure what it means that I get a flat just 12 kms into being here, but there are benefits of being part of group.
It's now past 9pm here (midnight EST). After a long day of travel and poor sleep last night, I am heading to bed. We are staying in dorms at Vanguard University, for three nights. It's nice that we don't have to start in tents.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Training Done
On June 15 I finished training. Whether it was enough to be able to have a good ride, only time will tell. But here are some final observations on the training:
1. Total distances: I did 1087 kms inside training followed by 2014 kms of outdoor training, for a total of 3101 kms. That's about half the distance of the Sea to Sea ride.
2. I did two rides to Maitland and back, which are my longest rides, at about 120 kms. The next highest was a 90 km ride, plus 6 in the 70 km range.
3. I tended to do three rides per week, less than the chart, but with more mileage than the chart, so that the weekly total was around what the chart wanted, with the overall mileage more than expected.
4. Gatineau Park was my real training Center. While I did my blocks around here, it was the 45km loop up and down hills in Gatineau that was my real test. The park is a jewel in our backyard.
5. While the bike trails in the city of Ottawa and Gatineau are not designed for high speed, they were wonderful to ride on and see the city from a very different perspective. In fact, it was hard to believe that I was actually in the city.
6. The weather: I was a fair weather rider. Why ride in rain (which we had plenty of) when I could work on rainy days and ride on sunny days? So I had little practice in the rain. Nor much in the heat. And heat will be the great challenge in the first week of the ride.
Am I ready? As ready as I'll ever be. Besides it is too late now to any more training. Now it is time to do the real thing.
1. Total distances: I did 1087 kms inside training followed by 2014 kms of outdoor training, for a total of 3101 kms. That's about half the distance of the Sea to Sea ride.
2. I did two rides to Maitland and back, which are my longest rides, at about 120 kms. The next highest was a 90 km ride, plus 6 in the 70 km range.
3. I tended to do three rides per week, less than the chart, but with more mileage than the chart, so that the weekly total was around what the chart wanted, with the overall mileage more than expected.
4. Gatineau Park was my real training Center. While I did my blocks around here, it was the 45km loop up and down hills in Gatineau that was my real test. The park is a jewel in our backyard.
5. While the bike trails in the city of Ottawa and Gatineau are not designed for high speed, they were wonderful to ride on and see the city from a very different perspective. In fact, it was hard to believe that I was actually in the city.
6. The weather: I was a fair weather rider. Why ride in rain (which we had plenty of) when I could work on rainy days and ride on sunny days? So I had little practice in the rain. Nor much in the heat. And heat will be the great challenge in the first week of the ride.
Am I ready? As ready as I'll ever be. Besides it is too late now to any more training. Now it is time to do the real thing.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Trials and Tribulations of Training
How's that title for alliteration?
Actually, the training has been good so far, in the face of the challenges I face. There were two challenges that I faced at the beginning:
1. The weather. The first couple of weeks, it has been cold and windy, with a little bit of snow thrown in. Not the best for cycling.
2. Time. While I can do a couple of good days of biking, I find it a challenge to do some biking the rest of the week, as work fills up my days.
Despite these dual challenges, I am on track with the training chart that is posted on the Sea to Sea website. At this point, I am fairly confident that I could do 50/60 kilometres every day.
These are now the challenges I face:
1. Getting to the next level of distance, as I need to do an average of 120 kms every day. To reach this distance, I need to do one long distance ride each week. That requires making time on my day off to do that.
2. Hills. It really is flat around here. I need to take my bike to Gatineau for some serious hill climbing.
3. Heat. I have attempted to brave the cold, but it is heat that will be the challenge in the first week or two of the tour. We will be just south of Death Valley, as we go from LA to Phoenix . I expect temperatures to be in the high 30's. How do I prepare for that?
4. Mechanical. I have yet to change my tire. I need to learn how to deal with flats, as well as basic bike maintenance.
In addition, I have to book my flight to LA and figure out how I am going to get back from NYC, plus try to promote the cause beyond our church community.
That's it for now.
Actually, the training has been good so far, in the face of the challenges I face. There were two challenges that I faced at the beginning:
1. The weather. The first couple of weeks, it has been cold and windy, with a little bit of snow thrown in. Not the best for cycling.
2. Time. While I can do a couple of good days of biking, I find it a challenge to do some biking the rest of the week, as work fills up my days.
Despite these dual challenges, I am on track with the training chart that is posted on the Sea to Sea website. At this point, I am fairly confident that I could do 50/60 kilometres every day.
These are now the challenges I face:
1. Getting to the next level of distance, as I need to do an average of 120 kms every day. To reach this distance, I need to do one long distance ride each week. That requires making time on my day off to do that.
2. Hills. It really is flat around here. I need to take my bike to Gatineau for some serious hill climbing.
3. Heat. I have attempted to brave the cold, but it is heat that will be the challenge in the first week or two of the tour. We will be just south of Death Valley, as we go from LA to Phoenix . I expect temperatures to be in the high 30's. How do I prepare for that?
4. Mechanical. I have yet to change my tire. I need to learn how to deal with flats, as well as basic bike maintenance.
In addition, I have to book my flight to LA and figure out how I am going to get back from NYC, plus try to promote the cause beyond our church community.
That's it for now.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
The Shift to Outdoors
On Thursday, March 28, I got all the gear I needed to start biking outside. After completely over 1000 kms inside, I was eager to get outside. On Friday, I biked to Winchester Springs and back, which was 16 km, while today I did 44 km going to Grantly road and Limmerick Road. What a different experience it was than biking inside. It felt like I was starting from scratch. Here are a number of differences:
1. Getting off the bike. I am clipped in, which means that when I break and stop, I have to de-clip or I would fall over. Inside, the bike is held in place, but I now I have to think about how to get off.
2. Going straight. Since the bike is light, it is affected by the wind. So especially on Friday, with the strong north wind, I had to make sure I didn't wobble over the road. Again inside, you're secure.
3. Hand placement. Inside your hands are free and it's easy to take a drink of water or use the remote, but on the road, the hands need to be firmly in place.
4. The elements. Inside, it is nice and warm, with no wind, while outside even if there is no wind, you create your own wind, as well as windchill. Friday was cold, and even today my hands felt it.
5. Traffic. It's not something you think about inside, but outside, it is a concern, especially since the bike is not designed to go on the gravel shoulder, but needs to remain on the pavement.
6. The scenery. Inside, I could watch TV, but outside the scenery changes as long as you don't keep looking down at the pavement.
7. People. Inside it's just me. I suppose that outside it can mainly me, but on Sat I stopped at five different homes.
8. Bumps. Inside the ride is as smooth as can be, while outside you feel every bump (especially that last section on County Road 7 today).
As a result, of these differences I am definitely feeling it after doing the 44 kms. I am sore, stiff and tired. I need to work on warm up and warm down exercises. But it was good to be outside, rather than inside. It's a good think I have 11 weeks to train. I'll need it.
1. Getting off the bike. I am clipped in, which means that when I break and stop, I have to de-clip or I would fall over. Inside, the bike is held in place, but I now I have to think about how to get off.
2. Going straight. Since the bike is light, it is affected by the wind. So especially on Friday, with the strong north wind, I had to make sure I didn't wobble over the road. Again inside, you're secure.
3. Hand placement. Inside your hands are free and it's easy to take a drink of water or use the remote, but on the road, the hands need to be firmly in place.
4. The elements. Inside, it is nice and warm, with no wind, while outside even if there is no wind, you create your own wind, as well as windchill. Friday was cold, and even today my hands felt it.
5. Traffic. It's not something you think about inside, but outside, it is a concern, especially since the bike is not designed to go on the gravel shoulder, but needs to remain on the pavement.
6. The scenery. Inside, I could watch TV, but outside the scenery changes as long as you don't keep looking down at the pavement.
7. People. Inside it's just me. I suppose that outside it can mainly me, but on Sat I stopped at five different homes.
8. Bumps. Inside the ride is as smooth as can be, while outside you feel every bump (especially that last section on County Road 7 today).
As a result, of these differences I am definitely feeling it after doing the 44 kms. I am sore, stiff and tired. I need to work on warm up and warm down exercises. But it was good to be outside, rather than inside. It's a good think I have 11 weeks to train. I'll need it.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Preparing for the Trip
Now that I am back from vacation to Costa Rica, it's time to get serious about preparing for the Sea to Sea bike trip. The goal before vacation was to buy a bike. That was accomplished, with help from others. Brent brought me to three bike shops, where I learned the lingo about bikes, while Tim recommended a bike shop that he deals with. As a result, I purchased my Trek Madone 3.1, with 105 components and a carbon frame (see the lingo I had to learn). I even managed to get a 111km on the bike (inside on the trainer), before I left.
While I wasn't on a bike during my vacation, it was still a time of preparation. I got lots of exercise (at least two hours of walking each day). And the hike up the road each day to the hotel (a 20 minute uphill workout) was definitely challenging. The four hour horse back riding also made me appreciate my biking shorts.
But now that I am back, the real preparations begin. This involves a variety of aspects. First, there is the physical challenge of getting prepared to ride over six thousand kms. My aim to get in shape is two fold. For the next ten weeks, I will ride inside on the trainer and try to do 1000 kms. After that I will follow the outdoor schedule provided by Sea to Sea. This ten week training chart has daily and weekly goals, slowly increasing the workout. By the time this is done, I will have done another 1700 kms. Of course, I'll have to find some real hills to practice on. Hopefully, this will get me physically ready.
The second challenge is to be able to handle the mechanical aspects of biking, from changing a tire, to fixing minor problems. As an email sent to riders yesterday reminded me, this is an important part of a successful trip. But for those who know me, I have very little mechanical skills. As a result, this too will be a big learning curve. But I shall learn to change a tire!
The third challenge is to raise the necessary funds. It's an aspect that is necessary, but won't be my favourite part of the trip. A collection is being arranged for the Williamsburg CRC and I will soon be sending out letters to other churches. I am grateful for those who have already donated to the cause. Thank you very much. An easy way to donate is via the Sea to Sea website and look for my name (John Noordhof).
In all of this, I wish to thank everyone for their support, as together we cycle to end poverty.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The Cause: Cycling to end Poverty
"Cycling to end poverty". That's the reason behind this bike trip--to raise awareness and money to overcome poverty in our country and around the world.
In my mind, raising awareness is just as important as raising money. After all, there are easier ways to raise money. Our church has regular collections for World Renew, the local Food Bank, and other causes. Our church also has a field for the Canadian Food Grains Bank. For example, on Dec 23 the church's collection for the Dundas Foodbank was $896, the Christmas Eve collection for the House of Lazarus was $333, while the Christmas Day collection for World Renew was an amazing $3233. In three days, our medium-sized church raised over $4000 for organizations that deal with poverty related issues. And so, there are easier ways to raise money than biking over 6000 kilometers.
Just as important as raising money is raising awareness about the issue about poverty. This will not simply be a one-time collection for a special cause. Because of the nature of the trip, the training and the promotion for it, it will be brought to the congregation's attention for a good portion of a year. It will lead me to reflect upon the causes and solutions about poverty, from a Biblical perspective. As a pastor, I can use my preaching to highlight this cause. For example on Dec 30, I preached on the Slaughter of the Innocents (Matthew 2:18), relating the text to the shootings in Newtown. But I reminded everyone that every day, every hour, at least 20 children die of hunger related causes. The slaughter of the innocents continues! And so, for me, raising awareness about the issues connected to poverty is just as important as raising money.
Yes, I do have to raise $10,000. I also have to train to be able to bike over 6000 kilometers. I'm not sure which will be the more difficult challenge. Time will tell. My prayer is for the Lord to bless both challenges, as well as the overall goal of bringing shalom to our brokenness world.
In my mind, raising awareness is just as important as raising money. After all, there are easier ways to raise money. Our church has regular collections for World Renew, the local Food Bank, and other causes. Our church also has a field for the Canadian Food Grains Bank. For example, on Dec 23 the church's collection for the Dundas Foodbank was $896, the Christmas Eve collection for the House of Lazarus was $333, while the Christmas Day collection for World Renew was an amazing $3233. In three days, our medium-sized church raised over $4000 for organizations that deal with poverty related issues. And so, there are easier ways to raise money than biking over 6000 kilometers.
Just as important as raising money is raising awareness about the issue about poverty. This will not simply be a one-time collection for a special cause. Because of the nature of the trip, the training and the promotion for it, it will be brought to the congregation's attention for a good portion of a year. It will lead me to reflect upon the causes and solutions about poverty, from a Biblical perspective. As a pastor, I can use my preaching to highlight this cause. For example on Dec 30, I preached on the Slaughter of the Innocents (Matthew 2:18), relating the text to the shootings in Newtown. But I reminded everyone that every day, every hour, at least 20 children die of hunger related causes. The slaughter of the innocents continues! And so, for me, raising awareness about the issues connected to poverty is just as important as raising money.
Yes, I do have to raise $10,000. I also have to train to be able to bike over 6000 kilometers. I'm not sure which will be the more difficult challenge. Time will tell. My prayer is for the Lord to bless both challenges, as well as the overall goal of bringing shalom to our brokenness world.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
What got me to sign up?
On Wednesday (Dec 12) I officially registered to become a participant on the Sea to Sea bike tour. (To see what that is all about check out the website: www.seatosea.org). The night before Council allowed me the time off so that I can do the whole thing--all 6250 kilometers! It's exciting, as well as overwhelming. Can I really do this? I'm sure that during the period of training, as well as the actual bike ride, I will ask that question over and over again. Can I really do this? Only with God's help.
In this posting, I'd like to begin to answer the question: What got me to sign up? After all, I'm not very athletic. I don't run. I don't play hockey. I don't even bike much--in fact, the lock on my present bike is rusted so much the key won't work in it. So how can I think about biking 6250 kilometers?
Well, it began with this thought: We have had someone connected to our church in the previous two bike tours, so I'd thought it would be good if someone from our church would go this time as well. In a congregational prayer, I asked God: Who are you raising up in this church to go this time? As I pondered who it might be, I thought that maybe it could be me.
In addition, the idea of taking a month off from work had already been posed to Council. As the congregation knows, I do like to travel. Perhaps I could take my new trailer on the road. But then the Sea to Sea came to mind. If I was granted some extra time, should I not use it for a worthy cause, like "cycling to end poverty"? In my extensive travels, I have seen the reality of poverty, from Haiti to Zambia. So here was a trip with a purpose: To help in one small way to overcome poverty.
And so I am signed up. Do I know what I am getting myself into? Not really. It is a leap of faith. While each day I know that I depend upon the Lord, undertaking this project will make that dependence very obvious. I look to him to guide me through.
ps. I also need your support. Please pray for all the participants in the tour. It is a fundraiser. I have to raise $10,000 for the cause. If you would like to support me, the easiest way is online. Go to the website mentioned above; go to the Donate button; click and find my name (John Noordhof). Other means of donating will be detailed in the weeks and months ahead. Thank you for your interest in this cause.
In this posting, I'd like to begin to answer the question: What got me to sign up? After all, I'm not very athletic. I don't run. I don't play hockey. I don't even bike much--in fact, the lock on my present bike is rusted so much the key won't work in it. So how can I think about biking 6250 kilometers?
Well, it began with this thought: We have had someone connected to our church in the previous two bike tours, so I'd thought it would be good if someone from our church would go this time as well. In a congregational prayer, I asked God: Who are you raising up in this church to go this time? As I pondered who it might be, I thought that maybe it could be me.
In addition, the idea of taking a month off from work had already been posed to Council. As the congregation knows, I do like to travel. Perhaps I could take my new trailer on the road. But then the Sea to Sea came to mind. If I was granted some extra time, should I not use it for a worthy cause, like "cycling to end poverty"? In my extensive travels, I have seen the reality of poverty, from Haiti to Zambia. So here was a trip with a purpose: To help in one small way to overcome poverty.
And so I am signed up. Do I know what I am getting myself into? Not really. It is a leap of faith. While each day I know that I depend upon the Lord, undertaking this project will make that dependence very obvious. I look to him to guide me through.
ps. I also need your support. Please pray for all the participants in the tour. It is a fundraiser. I have to raise $10,000 for the cause. If you would like to support me, the easiest way is online. Go to the website mentioned above; go to the Donate button; click and find my name (John Noordhof). Other means of donating will be detailed in the weeks and months ahead. Thank you for your interest in this cause.
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