Hoto Cleans Up: June 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Rest in Peace, Blue

Always remember you and your gentle ways.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Day 2 - 2010 BC Ride to Conquer Cancer

Ok. In our orientation they told us they had eliminated all
unnecessary hills.

They were full of shit.

This elevation profile shows that the latter half of the second day was nothing but hills. Nothing insurmountable, but steep and unforgiving at the end of a long, cold and challenging day.

The hills just kept coming.

If you are reading this and considering the 2011 BC Ride To Conquer
Cancer, be warned.

Day 1 - BC 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer

From Surrey to Mount Vernon. One long hill today. Sun and breezes kept us warm and dry at least.

What the f*ck are we doing here

Brothers: eating our dinner on the grass at the camp in Mount Vernon, WA. 130km behind us and 120 to go.

Tean Vino Velo at the Finish Line

Perhaps not so fresh, definitely not clean, but having fulfilled our promise. Johnny and Wendy are looking fresh and clean because they got in about 2 hours before the rest of us, having smoked through the 2nd day course full of hills. The two of them are totally inspiring.

This is Hoto, Johnny, Wendy, Shell, Andy, Don, Diane, Leah and Cathy, with the finish line behind us to the left, and gray cloudy skies letting up from the rain temporarily. As you will see from my later posts, this day was capped with a never-ending set of hills to climb. We made it. Shell and I did it on our mountain bikes. Our friends were so supportive. Johnny and Wendy gave us great advice for training and inspired us with their speed. Andy managed to pace himself so that he could ride beside absolutely everyone during the ride. Don and Diane, Leah and Cathy traded positions as they rode with the fast riders and then at their own pace. We did it. We are pretty happy that we got through it. We learned a lot about ourselves.

At least, I did.

Team Vino Velo at the Start Line

Relatively Clean and Full of Promise. Wendy, Johnny, Andy, Leah, Cathy, Diane, Don, Shell and Hoto.

Finish line Garmin

It will be a while before I see this again on my Garmin.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Birch Bay

Day 1 of the ride to Conquer Cancer 2010 - Birch Bay

Our friends Larry and Kellie were camping at Birch Bay in Washington State right on the route. They were hoping to see us, but doubtful.

Shell and I rolled by and happened to both see their toddler E at the same time. So we stopped. Larry snapped these pics of us at the beach while we chatted.

Day 1 - at 48km
Birch Bay, WA

Ride to the Hotel

Andy's wife Nina drove us to the Fairmont Olympic in downtown Seattle.

Here I am with Diane and Shell, making the inside of Nina's nice new mini van ve-e-ry dirty.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Done

Hoto, Johnny, Wendy, Shelley, Don and Diane. Day 2 at the finish line. Diane's brother Mark, his wife Audra and their boys all drove down with a truck and trailer to pick up our bikes and bring them back to Canada for us while we stayed in Seattle for some recovery time. Mark snapped the upper picture of me while I was taking the lower picture with my phone.

Pretty cool.

Some good friends here, let me tell you.

120km today for a total of 250km. $25,000 raised.

A personal best.

Measles

At the last pit stop. Saddle sore and dirty but almost through. The second part of the second day has been nothing but hills.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Part of Team VinoVelo at start of 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer

Hoto, Shell, Cathy, Diane, Leah and Andy.

Start Line for Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010

7am at the start line at Guildford Town Centre in Surrey BC.

The 2010 Ride to Conquer cancer is intents

800 tents set up for us. We brought our own sleeping bags and, in our case, thermarests.

But a small army of volunteers is working hard to feed and house a small army of riders.

Lines, lines, lines

A lot of tired and sweaty people. Unfortunately the massage appointments were already booked out.

We arrived at 4:50pm after almost 10 hours on the road. 134km at about 18.9km/h moving average.

Very sore but happy and safe.

My friend Todd arrived on his unicycle (36" wheel) looooong before us.

Burlington WA pitstop at 112km

Hoto, Cathy, Don, Shelley, Diane with 22km to go in day 1.

Lake Padden lunch break on Ride to Conquer Cancer

Lunch on Day 1

We are 1/3 of the way through at the lunch stop in Lake Padden. We are a bit tired and stiff but still no rain, and safely up one of the largest hills we face on the ride. So far no injuries or wipeouts but there's still lots of time. ;)

Johnny and wendy are far ahead. We Are only luckily in front of Don Diane Andy and Cathy since we blasted through the border with our Nexus passes.

More later.

87km at 1:33pm on Day One
lake padden park, WA

Start line at 6:49 am

The 5:15am shuttle from Hotel to Start line

Not a soul on the Ride to Conquer Cancer bus. Evidently we are the
only fools who opted for the first one.

Of course it is only 2 blocks...

Friday, June 18, 2010

It works

Exercise and a good diet actually helped me lose weight. WTF: why hasn't anyone TOLD me this before. I thought I needed cheap diet pills and weird late-night-TV exercise equipment that takes only minutes per day to get toned and sexy.

Turns out all you need to do is sacrifice the majority of your free time to do something really difficult, and stop eating all the foods you love.

It couldn't be easier!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Training Rides to-date

OK here are my total training distances since I started trying. This excludes my gym time on the stationary bike, but really that was only about ten or twelve times. Also excludes three rides where my garmin was either forgotten, or I didn't turn it on. Still, it doesn't seem like enough does it.

2009-10-13 21km
2009-10-17 19km
2009-11-01 51km
2009-12-19 30km
2009-12-24 16km
2009-12-26 29km
2009-12-28 19km
2010-01-17 51km
2010-01-23 19km
2010-01-24 60km
2010-02-27 16km
2010-03-06 33km
2010-03-07 20km
2010-03-13 18km
2010-03-20 26km
2010-03-21 15km
2010-03-26 21km
2010-03-27 20km
2010-03-30 41km
2010-04-02 16km
2010-04-03 81km
2010-04-04 30km
2010-04-06 16km
2010-04-17 48km
2010-04-18 53km
2010-04-24 25km
2010-05-08 93km
2010-05-15 21km
2010-05-17 14km
2010-05-29 64km
2010-05-30 27km
2010-06-05 60km
2010-06-06 65km
2010-06-07 27km
2010-06-10 30km
2010-06-15 15km

About 1,140 km.

Wifey's colleague is doing that distance next weekend.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

After rototilling, raking and levelling the terrace

Prior to levelling the terrace

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Civilized

Was staying in Cool Springs Tennessee which is a shiny new suburb of
Franklin outside Nashville - all rolling greenery and slick business
parks mixed in with nice new housing - and they have a door to door
bus service.

Give them 30 minutes notice and they will pick you up at your door,
take you anywhere you want to go within 20 miles and come get you when
you are done.

Get this: $5 roundtrip.

Shopping, doctor, dentist, friend's house.

But everyone has a car.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

That toddling town

In Chicago waiting for flight to Nashville. Here in OH it is 13C and rainy which feels like home. Only home today was 13C and sunny. So I drove to the airport with the top down and enjoyed the spring morning sunshine.

Last week and this week have been and will be full of life. I managed a latin gig on Saturday night with four amazing musucians from Guatemala and Cuba who withstood my fumbling cascaras and politely overlooked my playing of 2|3 son claves when I should have been playing 3|2 rhumba claves. (Look it up. Butchery). No excuse other than lack of preparation due to distraction from work and ride preparation.

Speaking of which, wifey has been doing incredible things on her bike, with a butt-numbing 100km ride on Saturday, followed by another 70 on Sunday. She is inspiring to me.

Unfortunately my training has been fitful at best. Between setup/ soundcheck at the Mexican wedding gig on Saturday, and the gig itself, I managed a meagre 73km. On Sunday, I unfortunately slept in (2am to bed the night before after teardown) and dragged my pathetic self on a 62k ride. Monday after work and before prepping for this trip, I did a quick 27k.

Trying to tell myself that I have been doing extra hills to compensate (like a couple of trips up the 4km Cambie hill from SW Marine drive to QE Park), but the reality is that nothing matches long distances and hours in the saddle. It's less training and more enduring.

I look forward to riding my bike for pleasure again. This week I have one more day of training before I am off to AB to spend some time with the parental units. Then four short evenings to train next week.

No more long rides. I will have to pedal on the inspiration of Wifey, and our friends who are joining us on the ride to conquer cancer.