whatchutalkinboutWillis???

holy jeepers! what?!... the RTCC online check-in is open already?! whatchutalkinboutWillis???


what seemed like a distant goal a couple of months ago is just around the corner! i got the email today telling us that we can register ourselves for the Ride starting not tomorrow, not next week... but today! since i've met my fundraising minimum that means i can do it right away. i'm nervous and exicted all at the same time!

i know that once i get that package in the mail it's going to seem all too real, you know what i'm sayin'? like that day when you got your books for your first year of university... and as you were standing in that long lineup for the cashier you thought to yourself "oh boy, what did i get myself into?". i have that same butterfly feeling in my stomach right now. i wonder if Batman had that same feeling when he received his uniform in the mail =P

should i do it now? or should i wait? *aaack!*

may newsletter sent out today

click here to check it out!

one month to go!

there's only 4 weeks of training left! OMG! crazy huh?

i've been sick for the past week with a cold and cough. weather was kinda crappy here in Calgary last week (we actually had snow) but this week we've finally got some nice weather. i'm hoping i'll be better by tomorrow or Wed to get out on a ride again.

found this pic of me as a kid

when i first started this blog i commented how i felt like a kid riding a bike again. it conjured up memories as a young child in Toronto (where i was born) and riding around the block with my bike on training wheels. since that post i dug through my boxes of photo albums and found a pic that just summarizes that feeling.

i think i was about 4 years old here. this was my first 2 wheeled bike and as you can see in my face... i couldn't be happier. i remember my mom running behind me holding on to the seat. she eventually let me go and i was scared and excited at the same time... thank goodness for training wheels! *lol*. . my parents bought my many more bikes throughout my childhood. it was a sense of freedom and adventure whenever i got on my bike. it allowed me to explore the world outside of my block. you don't think of it, but it's a big part of being a kid.

let me take this chance to thank my mom and dad for all your support, not only for this Ride, but throughout life helping mold me into the person that i am today. i may not say it enough, but i love you guys and thank you for all the sacrifices you made for me and my older sisters. they got me involved with sports at an early age. mostly with little league soccer. i think it was mostly to keep me busy and keep me outta trouble. but it's stuck with me every since. it instilled a love for activity and trying new things. to this day i'm still involved with soccer, volleyball, tennis plus numerous other sports. and now, cycling.

love that pic. doesn't it just say it all? =)

100%! WE DID IT!

wow... i am speechless.

on Thursday, May 14th i had a couple of generous donations come in that put me over the top of my minimum fundraising goal of $2500. this is a minimum amount that all Riders need to raise and if i did not reach this requirement i would not have been able to participate in the Ride. thank you everyone. as much as the physical goal of training has been and how challenging the Ride will be... the fundraising had me the most worried. like i said in my first post, this is the first time i've done something like this but i knew that with some hard work and lots of heart that i could accomplish both the physical portion and the fundraising portion. i knew that i had great friends and family that believe in me, that believe that i'll put in the work to train and complete the ride. and most of all, those same people believe in the fight against cancer.

i'll be making a video of me soon thanking everyone of you soon. as well, i have raised my fundraising personal target to $3000 for those of you still wanting to contribute. for those of you still wanting to donate the lines are all still open until the day of the Ride on June 27th. please do not let my reaching the minimum limit prevent you from donating to the cause. every little bit helps. there's still over a month to go so let's raise awareness and funds as much as we can!

thank you everyone!

"Farrah's Story" - this Friday on NBC

NBC News will air a two-hour special on actress Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer. Farrah's Story is described as an extremely personal look at how the former Charlie's Angels star is coping and being treated.

Her friend Alana Stewart shot most of the video. Companion Ryan O'Neal and former Charlie's Angels stars Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson appear. Fawcett says that she would have liked to have kept her cancer private, but realized others might benefit from learning about her experiences.

more here:
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2009/05/09/fawcett-cancer-documentary.html

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

starting point: Deerfoot Casino

so it was announced that the starting point will be Deefoot Casino. not as far south as i thought it would be as it is still a bit before you get out of the city from there. they haven't announced which roads we're taking heading out but this is my best guess. click here for map of what i think it will be.

from the casino:
- east on 114 Ave SE
- head south on 52nd St SE
- west on Marquis de Lorne Trail (22X) towards Priddis
- then south to Turner Valley & Black Diamond
- south to Longview

that's my best guess. but since they're only releasing bits at a time, i'm sure that'll change!

party for a cause

my friend Joel, who is also participating in the RTCC, and his Ride team (Change Tomorrow Today Crew) are putting on a benefit party to help raise funds and awareness for the Ride. it takes place on Thursday May 28th 6pm - 10pm at Habitat Lounge (by Hotel Arts). check out the poster below for details. there'll be prize draws, silent auction, appies and drinks... and entertainment by an eclectic group called One World Drum Company. should be good times.

come check it out! spread the word!

p.s. check out Joel's blog too! http://joelsridetoconquercancer.wordpress.com

video - announcement of the 2009 RTCC

i came across this video of the announcement of the 2009 Rides. this took place in Toronto back in the fall of 2008. i hadn't seen this before... great stuff to give you some inspiration for your training and Ride. i'm sure there will be similar speakers during our opening and closing ceremonies here in Calgary.

see the video here:

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=2981492871492374861

Some of the RTCC commemorative bikes as mentioned in the video.

training for a "century"

my last post talked about Bicycling magazine's article on charity rides. they also included a nice chart to help you train for the big event. whether it be a 50 mile (80.5 km) or a 100-mile "century" (161 km)... it's a nice guideline to follow. use the legend at the bottom of the 2nd pic to make sense of the colors.

now if only they could make Calgary weather co-operate with the plan *sigh*. it's supposed to rain and even snow again this week. it's the middle of May for fricks sake!

Century

50-miler

charity rides

picked up the latest issue of Bicycling magazine and they have an article on charity rides and how to train for them. they had a list of all the major Rides going on this year across North America... and the Ride To Conquer Cancer is on the list! check out the 'Money Raised' totals of the other rides compared to the one Toronto RTCC last year. amazing!

RTCC Ride Guide released today!

got an email from the organizers today. the RTCC Ride Guide has been released! click here to see.

lots of good info in this 6 page package. some of the main highlights i got out of it are:

• starting point is Deerfoot Casino down in the southside of Calgary, i'll need to be there at 7am on Sat June 27th.
• you can register online between June 14 and June 24.
• guests are allowed to visit the overnight camp until 9pm but they get no food.
• from the finish line, you can purchase optional transportation back to Calgary. otherwise, find yo own way back home homie!

it's ON folks!!! the Ride just around the corner! get your miles in!

2nd RTCC group ride - Rocky Ridge

last Sunday May 10th was the 2nd RTCC group training ride. this time we met up in the NW at the Rocky Ridge Co-Op parking lot. a little more people came out this time. many of them familiar faces that i had seen before (although i couldn't remember all their names). it was a nice sunny day so i made sure to have my sunscreen on.

Deanne and the same instructors were there once again along with a few more helpers to manage the larger group. we started out north, uphill towards Bearspaw where we got to see how the well-to-do live. the mansions provided some nice scenery as we got the ride started. we finally made our way to hwy 262, a long straight rural road that had many rolling hills. at about the 20km mark we did a 180 and headed back. i was in the middle of the pack. i was very impressed with the other riders at their speed and endurance. i think i can squeeze alot more power out with better pedalling technique. the return trip was alot easier as it was more downhill and the wind wasn't working against us. lots of riders on this strip which was nice to see. all different abilities too... from novices to racer types. it's a nice simple, yet challenging, loop that i would like to again sometime soon.

here's the route:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/canada/ab/calgary/897124218557264830

the loop was about 40km in total. it was a gratifying feeling coming back to the parking lot knowing that i completed a new route with my new bike. my bum was quite numb though. feels as though the saddle is cutting off some circulation to my twigs and berries. i'll have to experiment with the fore/aft of the saddle to see if that helps. if not, i may need to look into a better fitting saddle for me. all in all though, this route woulda been hella hard with my hybrid. it was quite enjoyable on my new C'Dale R5. can't wait till next time.

my new CAAD9-5 on my FJ's SportRack spare tire bike rack

took the new bike for a spin

took the new bike out last Sat May 10th for a quick (so i thought) spin around the neighborhood.

first impressions:
- ow! i'm gonna have to get used to this saddle!
- wow! this thing is fast!
- these brake-shifters are pretty cool
- using the drops can get pretty sketchy but useful when fighting the wind or on a fast descent
- pedal clips work pretty well with the shoes

i didn't have my new bike computer on yet but i was able to go down to the Beddington park area and down to Laycock Park and back. about 25km in all. i kinda lost track of time and got home later than expected. too much fun on the new bike i guess. ended up being late for a tee time (i hate rushing to a golf game! not good!). but well worth the ride.

here's the route:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/canada/ab/calgary/880124218506372844

RR... meet R5

so i bit the bullet. i bought a road bike! i thought to myself while riding the other day with a training group, "why am i wasting all this energy trying to keep up with the pack?". aside for getting in better shape and practicing better technique i knew that a big improvement in my efficiency would be in getting a full feldged road bike... so i did! now, if you know me, you know that i'm not one to rush into any big decisions. at times i annoy myself with how much i analyse some things. this was true in bike shopping as well. my research paid off the first time in getting my first bike, the Kona Dew FS hybrid. i was very happy with that decision. so i did the same if not more research online, magazines and at my local bike stores (LBS) to inform myself on what was out there.

after visiting almost every LBS in town, i came across Mountain Bike City. a small shop just west of downtown Calgary. the staff there is super friendly and it looks like a decent place to bring your bike in for servicing. they mostly specialize in mountain bikes (duh) and cyclocross bikes... mostly Konas and Cannondales. but last week i just happened to visit them on the rare occasion when they had some 2008 model road bikes. i found one that was the right size, had the right specs i wanted, color was decent, was on sale for a good price for it's value... it was calling my name! ah shit... decision time.

after a weekend of flip flopping whether i should or not... i finally said f%ck it, i need it! =)

say hello to my little friend. a 2008 Cannondale CAAD9 R5, 58cm.

Specs: click here

i should be able to take it out a couple of times this weekend as the rain is clearing up finally. can't wait!!!

90% to goal... almost there!

i don't know if it's the recent nice weather that we've (finally) received here in Calgary... but i've had some recent donations come in from some amazing friends. which puts me at over 90% to my fundraising goal! so awesome. my greatest fear was not being able to reach my fundraising goal and letting myself and everyone else down, and not being able to do my part in the battle against cancer. but now being this close... i know it will happen. this is all due to the love and generosity of all of you, my close friends and family. thank you for your support once again. this will not be the last time i thank you guys... believe me. =)

volunteer... it's good for the soul

so i've worked for TELUS for the past 8 years almost (no, i can't help you with your cell phone plan *sigh*). every year at the end of May they have a campaign called TELUS Day of Service where TELUS team members unite to give their time energy and hearts to bettering the communities in which we live and work.

there are different events that you can sign up for: planting trees, cleaning up litter, working at the Humane Society, sorting food at the Food Bank, etc. i signed up with other members on my team and we decided to participate in the pink ribbon tying activity for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. we'll be making all those little commemorative pink ribbons that they pass out at their events. this is directly related to my ride as that charity is a part of the Alberta Cancer Foundation who it planning the Ride To Conquer Cancer that i'm participating in.

feels good to give back. even if it's for a 2-hour ribbon tying, or a 2-day cycling ride... it's good to give back to your community. not only does it help others... but i believe it's just good for the soul.

this public service announcement was brought to you by the letters Q, F and the number 9. =)

Bicycle Anatomy for Beginners

so although i love my bike and i've put some TLC into it during the short time i've had it, i've noticed how slow i am compared to the road cyclists during my group rides. nothing wrong with being slow, as the RTCC is not a race, but i'm thinking why expend all the extra energy to cover the same distance. so after some thought and research... i'm thinking of getting a full blown road bike. nothing too fancy but something that i can progress with and build upon.

after doing lots of reading in magazines, online and visiting my local bike shops (LBS) here in Calgary... i have my eye on a 2008 Cannondale CAAD9 R5 which i found on sale for a good price. cross your fingers, i may pull the trigger this week. and although i'd like to keep my Kona hybrid as it's a good everyday kinda bike, i'll probably need to sell it to pay off part of the costs of the new road bike.

so if you are new to cycling like me, there is a lot of bike tech lingo that i needed to learn. looking at the specs of bikes can look alien at first. but after learning the basics and why they are needed it's all starting to make sense now. here's a basic video from youtube that goes over anatomy of a bike. this is a good starting point.