Trois jours plus tard...

Trois jours plus tard... Je n'ai plus de courbatures... et je n'ai toujours pas trouvé les mots pour décrire comment je me suis sentie... L'enthousiasme, la fierté, le "rush" d'adrénaline... Je crois que cette expérience est unique et extra-ordinaire! Je suis passée par toutes la gamme des émotions... De la peur de ne pas être capable de finir à la fierté de réussir... et tout ce que l'on peut retrouver entre les deux! Ce que je peux dire c'est que le groupe était fantastique, j'ai rencontré des gens super et ensemble, non seulement nous avons relevé le défi de la distance(600km) mais nous en avons relevé un encore plus important... ramasser des fonds pour le cancer du sein !

Ce fut une expérience incroyable... À l'an prochain ;-)

Marie-Josée

Newspaper quotes

Dear readers,

Due to the high profile of this year's event, our story has been covered by several media outlets. Please see below the articles from their respective publishers:






http://www.standard-freeholder.com/webapp/sitepages/search/results.asp?contentID=197104&catname=Local%20News&type=search&search1=ride





http://thesuburban.com/content.jsp?sid=11292588991739192182123930976&ctid=1000001&cnid=1008933

Thank you to all media outlets who have taken an interest in our cause and journey.

Sincerely,
The ride team

Un voyage... intérieur!

Le départ de Toronto...
Qu'allait-il se passer à travers ces 600 km en vélo?
Debout ici avant le départ... j'étais fébrile, j'avais hâte que l'aventure débute. Je ne savais pas encore que les heures suivantes seraient magiques, marquantes.
Le début d'un très grand voyage... intérieur!
Nous avions préparé ce voyage chacun à notre façon. À cause de mon horaire et de ceux de mes 2 enfants... je n'ai pas pu me joindre au groupe souvent pour les entraînements d'équipe. Je passais donc des heures sur mon rouleau dans le sous-sol. Emma et Samuel ne se posaient pas trop de questions, habitués de voir leur mère rouler... courir une heure ici, une heure là! Je me suis entraîner seule la plupart du temps.
Ramasser $2,000. était pour moi un défit plus grand que l'entraînement... j'ai parlé à tous mes amis, mes parents, mes collègues... au total 39 "sponsors"... plus de $2,600. Je suis très émue de la générosité de mes amis!

Me voilà donc enfin avec la gang...
J'ai découvert réellement le pouvoir et la beauté d'un groupe! Nous étions une vraie équipe, chacun était attentif à chacun... Nous voulions le faire ensemble! Vite, nous nous sommes habitués au rythme de chacun et nous nous sommes adaptés! Pendant les derniers kilomètres du 200, nous roulions en vrai pro, une formation étroite et efficace... nous roulions vers notre étoile (lire l'hôtel) à plus de 32km/heure... c'était magique!


Nous voilà ici à l'arrivée du 200km à Cornwall.
Ici je venais de passer quelques km à côté de Georges. Sa détermination m'a inspirée... il voulait tellement terminer le trajet malgré la douleur... il le voulait pour son amie morte du cancer du sein 2 ans plus tôt. Elle s'appelait Celina. Georges m'a raconté que pendant que nous roulions dans un village, il a levé la tête quelques instants pour voir une rue toute spéciale, une rue qui portait le nom de Celina Road! Elle venait de lui dire... Lâche pas Georges! Tu es mon héro!
Et bien tu es le mien aussi... Bravo à toi!

J'ai roulé pour plusieurs raisons... parce que le cancer du sein a touché deux de mes tantes dont ma marraine Hélène pour qui j'ai une grande admiration et pour Monique! J'ai roulé pour ma mère Bernadette, ma fille Emma, mes amies et aussi pour moi! Il y a tant de cancer dans mon entourage, je viens d'Asbestos, je travaille en oncologie... Chaque jour je me trouve si chanceuse d'être en santé, le très grand luxe de la santé!

Je voudrais vous remercier tous... mes généreux commanditaires, mes enfants pour leur support et leur amour parce qu'il me laisse la chance d'être une personne à part entière en plus d'être leur maman, mes coéquipiers de route et amis pour toujours, surtout Alain et Jeff... les plus expérimentés, pour nous avoir guidé si gentiment! Merci aussi à Sarah... pour ta détermination... tu m'impressionnes chère amie! Merci enfin à Gaby pour avoir roulé à distance chacun de ces grands kilomètres, pour m'avoir fait réaliser que rien n'est impossible... Nous avons tous le potentiel de vivre à 200%!

C'était le plus beau des voyages... un voyage beaucoup plus profond que la route devant nous!
À l'année prochaine... j'espère!
Annie xxx

Ride for the Cure - A story of inspiration

It is now a full 24 hours since the end of the ride, and my legs are still heavy like lead from the 600 kms. In spite of the heaviness, I am light from the energy of completing such a long cycle. I am also feeling great from the comraderie, commitment and determination of the people on this cycle... all of whom got through the 600 kms, through heat, through long stretches of road, dealing with impulsive and dangerous drivers... and all riders exceeded their fundraising goals. This was a fantastic achievement. We have reached our $50,000 fundraising target, and are now fundraising beyond it. We encourage you to contribute to this important cause, especially if our stories can motivate you. Go to the right margin and you can find links to donate to anyone of the riders or to the team. Your donations go directly to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the CIBC Run for the Cure.
I would like to tell you about the determination of one of the riders: Philippe Carriere. Philippe is the only competitive cyclist in our group, and played an important role in helping us with cycling technique, pushing us to our limits and keeping the mood upbeat in spite of the rain, heat and long stretches of road. One would hear him whistling the theme song to the Harlem Globetrotters as he effrotlessly glided past us on his bike while the rest of us were panting like huskies on a hot summer's day, trying to keep our hard 40 km/hour pace. He is an inspiration, not only of physical endurance, but of positive attitude and supportive team spirit. On Tuesday, Philippe was riding with us in the rain back to Montreal along a potholed service road when his front tire went into a pothole filled with rain. Most potholes were an inch deep, but this one was about five inches deep. I don't think Philippe's wheel came out of the pothole. It blew and Phillipe flew over the handle bars and landed on the road. I was riding beside him and saw his backwheel go up, narrowly missing me. The other riders swerved to miss him, but not before one other cyclist crashed as well. The other cyclist is fine. Philippe -- inspite of the fall -- immediately jumped to his feet and walked around assessing the pain and damage, before he tried to get BACK ON HIS BIKE to finish the last 70 kms of the ride. He cycled another 3-4 kms before he got off his bike and climbed in the support vehicle. In spite of his injury -- broken ligaments and tissues around the shoulder which will likely leave a lifelong reminder of the ride -- he maintained composure and a sense of humour through the event. He even tried to get back on his ride, strongly wishing to finish the ride with the rest of his team mates. This was truly an inspiration to me, and something that is missed in his $2,000+ fundraising contribution to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Un sentiment d'accomplissement fantastique

L'arrivée aujourd'hui au bureau de Novartis fût un évènement que je garderai longtemps en mémoire. Tous ces employés qui nous félicitaient et qui semblaient aussi heureux que nous du devoir accompli. La fierté était au rendez-vous. J'étais fier de nous tous. Nous sommes aujourd'hui à plus de $48 000 de "ramassé", ceci est est plus que le $38 000 que l'on avait comme objectif initial. On se donne maintenant un objectif de $50 000 (pas trop tard pour nous aider). Et oui il y a toujours un objectif plus haut. Novartis sera probablement un donnateur de plus de $100 000 à la fondation pour le cancer du sein.
Hier soir on a commencé à fabuler sur un objectif potentiel du groupe Roule pour la vie de $100 000 en 2007. Rien ne nous arrêtera. Pourquoi? Car on ne sait jamais qui sera cette prochaine patiente, ma conjointe de toujours, ma mère et mes soeurs adorées et bien d'autres. Si notre folie peux un jour faire la différence, j'en ferai encore beaucoup des 600kms.
Merci au groupe Oncologie de Novartis et spécialement à Alain Dostie pour tous les aspects de cette aventure. You are the best! Merci aussi à Claudine et Marie-Josée qui on fait la différence par leur présence et support.
Enfin un merci particulier à Philippe Carrier qui malgré un blessure aujourd'hui nous a tous aidé à un moment ou l'autre de ces 600kms. Il a fait beaucoup en gardant la motivation et en nous sortant de nos zones de confort (à 40-41km/heures pendant plus de 25 kms!, deux jours de suite). Merci Phil.

On se reparle l'année prochaine car on a déjà commencé à se préparer!

Jean-Charles

The arrival today at Novartis was an event I will remember for ever. All these Novartis employees congratuling us and sharing the same proud. I was feeling that we had fulfilled our objective and more. We have raised as of today more than $48 000. This is much better than the initial $38 000 set at the beginning! Our new objective for the coming days is to reach $50 000 (not too late to help!). There is always higher objective. Novartis will become very soon a donator over $100 000. Lat night at our last dinner we have talked about our goal of raising on our own $100 000 for 2007! Nothing will stop us. Why? Beacuse we don't know who will be that next patient, my dear spouse, my wounderfull mother and/or sisters or friends. If Ride for Cure could make the difference I'm ready to ride a lot of 600kms.
Thnaks to the Oncology group and especially to Alain Dostie for the great adventure. Your the best. Thanks to Claudine and Marie-Josée, you have made the difference by your help and support.
A special thanks to Philippe Carrier, who had an accident today, for his presence along the ride. You helped most of us at one point during the adventure. You pushed us to go outside our confort zone (average of 40-41 km/hrs for 20-25 kms two days in a row!). Thanks Phil.
We will be there next year for sure. We have already started to work on it!

Jean-Charles

No Dampening Our Spirits: The Final Leg

Last night in Cornwall was simply incredible. The team was on a bit of a high from having traveled 200 km on our bikes. What a dedicated bunch. The trip from Kingston to Cornwall was really just 180 km. Everyone chose to turn around and do 10 kms into the wind and return the additional 10 kms so that they could claim that double metric century as an accomplishment. The ultimate accomplishment hoever is the completion of the ride!

The day started out wet as we ran into our first bad weather. Luckily the wind was still at our backs. Although the day was wet, it did not dampen our spirits. We all simply donned our foul weather gear and pressed on. The ride went very well until we reached the rough roads of Quebec. On one particularly deep pothole, one of our most talented riders went down hard. While he wanted to continue, it soon became obvious that he would not be able to finish. I feel very sorry for him, because his spirit and talent was an inpiration for me and helped to make me a better rider. His abilities and willingness to lead our pack made this ride a great deal easier than expected. I know he will be riding with us again.

After the incident we had to regroup our spirit and ride on. We managed to do this in time for the arrival in Dorval. Seeing the last day riders for the first time was a huge boost. Their energy and jubilation in seeing us arriving in Pointe Clair was a great taste of what was yet to come.

I had the priveledge of leading the pack through much of Pointe Clair and Dorval. When looking back on the group, now much larger than before, I realized how much support this ride has. I am quite certain that most riders will be back for next year and there will likely be more on the full ride.

The arrival at the office was full of surprizes. The number of people out this year had grown from last year. Their enthusiasm was a huge rush for all of us. As I rode up toward the office, I knew I would find my wife Diana and two girls Ashley and Nicole waiting for me. What didn't expect was the look of sheer excitement and pleasure on the faces of my family. I went to them directly and gave each of them a big kiss and a hug. I then turned to see the mass of people and my Training Team standing out in the group. I thank each of them for being there, it made the arrival very special.

Finally, I need to thank an incredible group of people who made this event possible and made it much more pleasurable than I could have imagined when I started my training for this ride. Henry, Ian, Jeff, Alain, Jean-Charles, Andre, Philippe, Manon, Sarah, George, Jason, Les, Francois, Marie-Josee, Thorsten, and Annie. And of course, I also want to thank two people who dedicated as much time and effort as the riders, in fact they made the whole ride easier and brightened our days with their support and enthusiasm: Claudine and Marie-Josee!

What a great team!!!

See you all next year!!!

Steve

Two-day update

Dear blog readers,

Sorry for not getting a chance to post yesterday (I've already heard a few comments from my sponsors about that). As a reward, please find enclosed a two-day update (with pictures!).

Ride summary for Cobourg to Kingston (Day 2)...

Equipment failure & dollar bill trick
Two thirds of the way to Kingston, I had a flat tire. While changing it, I noticed that the inner tube blew because of a tear in the OUTSIDE tire wall. Not knowing what to do (and without the support vehicle to get a spare tire) Phillipe was able to suggest an ingenious solution—by folding a $5 bill and placing it inside the tire, you could stop the tire from blowing up again—thanks Phillipe!

There were a number of flat tires that day, thankfully, we all brought spare tubes!

Dinner (& second dinner)
Dinner in Kingston was a blast, the highlight was presenting our signed picture from last year and taking an even larger group picture this year. (see below) Sadly a few of us had burned enough calories that day to decide to back out for a "second dinner" of spicy chicken wings... ugh!

Weather: Remarkably, we have yet to have bad day in the saddle—calm winds and sun helped the team post an average speed of the quicker group over 33km/hr for the entire 155km journey and we also had a stretch of 20km of road that we covered at 40km/hr—it was one of my fastest group rides ever.


Ride summary: Kingston to Cornwall

Weather:
Once again the weather cooperated and we had a phenomenal day riding—the faster team benefited from a slight tail wind and posted an average speed of 33.6km/hr for the entire 200km!!

Everyone still riding!
I am amazed that everyone who signed up for the challenge has completed each leg of the journey. Three notable mentions include Steve Lytle—who has come so far this year and is now a VERY strong rider; secondly is George Shahbazian, who previously owned only a mountain bike at the beginning of the year and has made an outstanding effort each day to complete the challenge. Thirdly is Jason Jacobs, who has completed more of the journey this year than last year and has overcome knee pain to even ride with the faster team.

Dinner:
Dinner was a special event, with a selection of pictures presented as a slide show and stories about each team member. Already, lots of discussion focused on 2007 and how to grow this ride even further…

Blog stats: I am happy to report the following stats for the blog:
VISITS: 836 total
Average Visit Length 5:45
PAGE VIEWS 2,240 total

Fundraising: Currently, our fundraising stands at $48,000—we are almost at our goal!!!

Thank you all for visiting as this story unfolded--it is once again a lifetime achievement for many of us.

Sincerely,
Henry








Claudine, Jeff and me.





Group picture at Chez Piggy's









Sarah, Jeff and me.





Arrival in Cornwall, happ and tired!

To Cornwall: 200 kms later!

Wow,

The entire team did something amazing today. 200km on a bike from Kingston to Cornwall. The spirit and drive of each team member required to ensure that we can all make this kind of acheivement is hard to explain. All inspired by the desire to end a disease that touches so many people.

Today was an incredible ride. Reaching speeds of 45 km/h and sustaining speeds of 40 km/h for 15 minute intervals.

Our dinner tonight gave me some insight into why each individual was here. The most touching story came from George who shared with us the story of his very close friend who died way to early from Breast Cancer. I can't begin to understand his pain due to her loss. I can only use his story to inspire my desire to ensure that this won't happen to any of my family or friends.

We are all looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully we will inspire others to be involved with the Ride for the Cure next year!

A post from Jeff: Reasons to ride!

Everyone rides for different reasons. Some ride for the challenge, some ride for the laughs, some ride for something personal. What drove me to ride 200km today was support, personal achievement, and most importantly donating my sweat to a cause. 200km... ouch. Sorry, I should say "200km...what was I thinking!"

I made the journey yet again. The team was riding like a well oiled machine- all individuals road for their own reasons. George, the gent below, has good reasons to ride. I am showing the 'victory sign' but that is for him. George- you have the spirit- you have pushed your body beyond what you thought was possible- for good reasons.

Team- congrats- 200km is a very big goal achived. Look forward to another stage tomorrow!

Toujours plus loin!

Les gens qui me connaissent on souvent passé ce commentaire, qu'est ce qui t'arretera? Il y a toujours un defi, un but à atteindre, toujours plus loin. Ce que les gens ne realisent pas c'est que je le fais souvent pour moi ou les gens qui m'entourent. Ce voyage et encore plus aujourd'hui, je l'ai fait pour ces patientes qui souffrent. Nous en avons rencontré plusieurs et de voir leurs yeux quand elles me parlent de la souffrance qu'elles ont eu me donne le goût d'aller plus loin...car ces femmes vont toujours plus loin.

A post from Francois

My first 200 km ever. This would not have been possible without a great team effort. First thank you to all my sponsors who donated for breast cancer reseach, and second from my great cycling team who was doing a fantastic job at keeping the pack together and making sure we all achieved that incredible milestone in cycling.

Thanks and here's the proof

Francois

Day of 200km!

Petit stop avant le lunch... un petit lunch seulement à 120km... j'ai le droit à un "enlève" noeud dans le milieu du dos de Marie-Josée... sur la photo, on voit les 3 seules filles de la troupe qui complèteront les 600km... C'est incroyable ce que l'on peut faire en équipe! Nous avons vécu aujourd'hui une journée parfaite... ENSEMBLE nous avons réussi à faire 200km en une seule journée... un vent chaud, un soleil parfait... une journée qui restera toujours là avec moi!
Merci la gang... Annie

Hello to Beautiful B.C.

When I woke up today I was scared of the ride today. A ride from Kingston to Cornwall, that took around 7 hours, with a distance of 200KM. Indeed, this daunting day got me up at 3AM, with so many thoughts racing in my head about my preparedness, that I did not get back to sleep.

Still the day went very well. The Ontario countryside and the towns along the St. Lawrence River are beautiful. Truly, I will remember this event, and the ride today. The team did very well, with all riders safely completing the ride. We also rode very fast. Even with 6 flat tires, and a couple of other mechanical difficulties, our group rode at almost 34KM per hour, over the 200 KM. My legs and bottom are a little sore, but the ride was worth it!

Tomorrow is the last stage from Cornwall Ontario, to Montreal Quebec. Followed by a flight home, and the very exciting part of seeing my family in BC.

I am proud to be a part of this event, and importantly raising money for breast cancer research.

Bye for now,
Les Brown

Riding from Kingston to Cornwall

What can I say about a perfect day? We had ideal riding weather. No rain, a wind at our back and lots of very enthusiastic riders. This day has always been the one that scared me the most. Not just the fact that it is a 200 Km day, but that it followed a 160 Km day. One of the best parts of today was that every rider completed their ride. The teams pulled together and supported each other on every step of the way. At no time did we every drop a rider. To me this is very similar to the patients and families for who we are riding for… the families and patients stick together as a team and pull together when it counts. I know may of us have never had to face the pain that these patients face, but we hope that what we are doing can make a significant contribution to ending Breast cancer once and for all.

Ian

Troisieme journée

Bonjour !

Quelle belle journée !!! 185 km... La plus longue du trajet ! Le soleil était de la partie et le vent soufflait dans la bonne direction... L'énergie du groupe était incroyable !!! Tellement incroyable que nous avons décidé de faire les quelques km qui manquaient pour atteidre le 200 oui oui 200 ! Comme l'opportunité d'atteidre cette distance ne se présente que rarement... on s'est dit pourquoi pas !!! Vous trouvez que 7h30 assis dans un avion c'est long... Imaginez sur une selle de vélo !!! Pédalez debout semble tout a coup intéressant ! J'ai bien hate de vous voir en personne afin de vous raconter toute cette superbe randonnée de vélo !!!

Marie-Josée

Hello to B.C. --Ride for Cure

Hi Friends and Family (can’t wait to see you – miss you lots)

An incredible day of riding today. 160 KM from Cobourg to Kingston. I felt great today, with no too sore body (thanks to Chamois butter!). I am ager for the third stage tomorrow, with a ride that will take us 200Km to Cornwall. Longest stage of our 4 day event. I am thankful for our friends at Velocity cycles and Peninsula cycles, who helped me train and be prepared. I felt great, even at the end of the ride, where I attacked a hill at the end… I felt really ALIVE! A wonderful day!

Thanks again and for everyone for your support and encouragement! I feel great about the ride and am really enjoyment, so much so, that sometimes I lose sight of the goal to prevent breast cancer, and help women and their families who are effected by breast cancer.

I look forward to another update tomorrow…

Cheers,
Les Brown

Cobourg to Kingston: Personal History!

What a day! I rode my first official century today (100 miles) and all along the way I saw things that I grew up with. The day started out with a photo for the Cobourg Star. No, it wasn't Layton Dodge, but I did find out that he is still around. He had a cancer scare a few years ago but he has battled well.

As I went through town I thought of people that I had spent many years with in Cobourg. Sharon, John, Barb, Gerrard, Andy, Gord, Cathy and many more. It was great to see Brett Maynard and Sean O'Grady at the Oasis. Also, Gord Plue whom I worked at Fort Henry with. Brett and Sean both said to say hi to Mom and Dad. They both are doing very well.

The ride to Kingston was fantastic. 160 km of fast roads and talented riders. All doing something that is amazing for Breast Cancer research. Up to now, we have raised about $47000.00. We are all very proud to be here. The team is amazing. It really showed today as some of us had mechanical issues and everyone was quick to jump in and help. Teamwork like this will help us find a cure for Breast Cancer and other cancers as well.

One final note, my little girl Ashley turned three yesterday. She is so happy to have her new Polly Pockets. It is her, my wife Diana and my oldest Nicole who I am riding for. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! In a way I regret not being there for Ashley's birthday, but the cause is really worth it in the end. She and Nicole are more precious to me than any birthday. Whatever I can do to keep them healthy is well worth it.

Will post more later!

Steve.

A post to the BC People!!

Hi everyone back home in beautiful BC.

Great day for a ride yesterday. Today is another day for a 165KM ride. It is a little foggy today, but should clear up for our ride. I am looking forward to the ride, but for me I am thinking of 2 more days after today, then I can get home and see my family!

The whole team made it through, with no issue. Hope it continues.

Thanks again for everyone who supported Breast Cancer Research. I will give an update after my next ride!

Les Brown

From the beginning…till the end

Saturday September 16th, 2006

Bonjour,

It has been a hard week, on Wednesday a young women who loved pink tragically lost her life in a senseless tragedy. Her life end the life of her loved ones will never be the same. My daughter asked me why he did it. Why Dawson? The media is currently full of speculations: it is the gun, the videogame, the bullying in high school, mental illness…

We will never know exactly what was the tipping point that lead this young man to shoot and kill her and himself. I do not know exactly why and to be honest it does not really matter. What is important is what we can do to prevent such tragedy to happen again, their is only one way and it is not more gun control or added security in school. The only way is to take care of each other, to hug and listen to our children’s, to help the one who needs it, to live fully from the beginning…till the end.

The Ride for the Cure is all about helping each other, we have already raise more than $42,000 to help women suffering from breast cancer. Without people helping each other when we ride less than half the people would be able to finish, without caring for each other the ride would not be possible.

I would like to specifically thank the following individuals without who the Ride for the Cure could not of happen: Ian Johnson, Henri Anderson, Jeff Martens, Marie-Anne Paquette, Claudine Boisvert, Marie-Josee Bisson, John Dorsey, Rajiv DeSilva, Shelley Brown, Jeff Marchand, my fellow riders and most importantly everybody who is donating to find a cure to breast cancer.

Alain

First post from Alain

Sunday September 17th, 2006

Wow, what a spectacular start to the second annual Ride for the Cure! What made the ride so memorable last year were the breast cancer survivor we met along the way, yesterday before the ride even started when we are having breakfast Maude from Columbus Ohio came by my table and give me a long and heartfelt hug, she proceeded to tell me her courageous battle with cancer, how she decided to fight this dreadful disease and keep on living and traveling, she was so proud of her daughter walking to find a cure for breast cancer for her. She was so thankful it brought joy to my heart. Once again we had lunch at Gail’s farm, another breast cancer survivor whose smile and joy for living is so contagious. It was also great to see Paul Simpson bring his son Joshua to encourage us, somehow I think one day Joshua will ride with us. The evening dinner at Oasis was excellent, the food was great, the service among the best we ever had and the owners Don, Carol & Todd were wonderful host who on top of hosting us will donate $700 for the fight for breast Cancer.

Tomorrow is another day,
Alain

A post from Jean-Charles

Une premiere journee incroyable. Un bon rythme le matin en quittant Toronto et un train de 10 cyclistes roulant en moyenne plus de 30 km/heure en après midi. Le groupe est fantastique, il y a un atmosphere tres “Zen” car tous nous avons deja reussi notre objectif pour les patientes et le velo est comme la recompense. Ceci ne veut pas dire que nous ne pouvons pas continuer a trouver ds nouveaux donnateurs. Ce matin je suis fatigue mais plus en forme qu’hier matin. Nous avons rencontre quelques patients et ces rencontres donnent l’energie pour aller jusqau’au but.

Jean-Charles

Toronto --> Cobourg Recap

Today started much like last year with a lot of nervous energy and anticipation. We ate well the previous evening, but I think a few people had trouble falling asleep not knowing exactly what faced them this morning. I am happy to report that today ended much like last year as well, with a lot of great memories, even more laughs and more determination and confidence to tackle tomorrow. Here is a quick recap...

Morning preparations: I am happy to report that the team left in the morning without incident. We were even able to collect about $30 for our cause by sharing our story with the hotel guests at breakfast.

Weather: As predicted, today turned out to be a perfect day for riding. Mostly overcast, low 20's with abit of a tail wind and no rain.

Team structure: As decided previously, faster and "less fast" groups were decided, with only a short interval between groups. The faster team eventualy overtook the first team, but were hampered by continual stop lights, which we wisely respected. Once the faster team broke into more open road, I was surprised to see us carry speeds over 40km/hr, but I think there was a bit of extra testosterone to burn off.

Gayle: For the second time, we were able to eat our lunch on the front lawn of a gracious farming family. Gayle immediately recognized our team shirts, then promptly hopped into her SUV and drove through her orchard picking apples for us while we waited for the Subs to arrive. Here is our team picture with her:

Arrival (2:45PM): Team 1 arrived shortly before 3 pm with a respectable 32km/hr average over the 125km. Not to be outdone, team 2 arrived with everyone in line shortly after 3pm and smiles on everyones faces.

After a quick run to the local laundry services and several BEvERageS, we headed out to a fantastic dinner at "The Oaisis." The proprietors were expecting us and have graciously donated $700 towards our cause. Before then, we had presented Carol with a plaque from last year's team to decorate her walls...

Above: Carol, Claudine and Henry

Above: Team arrival in Cobourg

Regards,
Henry

Endlich Unterwegs

Heute ging es endlich los! Nach Monaten der Vorbereitung mit vielen Plattfuessen und einigen Pfunden weniger Gewicht sind wir heute bei angenehmen Temperaturen auf unseren Fundraising trip gestartet. NUR 120 km bis Cobourg standen auf dem Programm, aber der Zweck der Reise wurden uns eindruecklinch schon zum Fruehstueck vor Augen gefuehrt. Kaum hatten wir uns hingesetzt wurden wir gefragt was wir denn so machen und Minuten spaeter fand man sich Arm in Arm mit Brustkrebs survivor wieder. Bewegend und ein wenig Stolz waren die Gefuehle.

Unterwegs hatten wir viel Spass, viel Anstrengung und immer wieder Frauen die uns spontan beklatschen, hupten oder mit uns reden wollten. Schoen.

Jetzt geht es ins Bett. Bis bald.
Thorsten

1st Day Behind Us

Wow what a day! I have the distinct pleasure of seeing the ride for the second time, and I continue to be amazed at what individuals can accomplish with the right frame of mind. I have enjoyed seeing team members enter the day with anxiousness and expectation. These individuals who doubted themselves, solved their concerns and finished 125km triumphant. They should be very proud! For those of you who ride bike, you understand that there are moments when you feel you just can't make it, you question if that next hill is possible. You are forced to simplify your thinking, you begin to focus on pushing one foot over another, hoping you don't stop and fall over. One pedal at a time you crest the top to enjoy the descent. It isn't impossible, you have the power and energy inside- you just don't always know it's there.

Isn't that life?

I am lucky to witness our success team! I look forward to working to 165km tomorrow!

Maud, nice meeting you this morning. As a breast cancer survivor- you have faced a very long and steep ascent and reached the crest with style. I wish you long and fulfilling journey.

Jeff Martens

Reflections on 3000+ Calories Burned – 135 KM at 30+ Km/hour From Ian

Well we are now in Cobourg and have now competed day one of our ride. One of the best parts of this ride is that we have discovered that as a group, we function very well together despite the fact that we are living on top of each other 24/7!

Today was Ideal. No accidents or major sores (YET)! We are enjoying our ride and have had several opportunities to meet with people along the way to tell them about our ride. Everyone has been very excited and supportive of the ride. Once again we stopped of a “Gail’s house”. She offered us a great place to eat lunch, fresh apples from the trees, and lots of encouragement!! Once again this was a highlight of our day just as it was in 2005. Thank you Gail.

The ride today was an amazing. The team split up into 2 groups to accommodate all the new riders for 2006. To see almost 20 rider on the road was a very moving experience and I would like to thank everyone who supported this ride and for all the new riders who have made a very significant commitment to doing the ride. Today we completed 135Km of 600Km and I look foreword to tomorrows 160+ Km ride. Although I have done this before I know the challenge it will be on everyone, however, no one on the ride has forgotten what this ride is about. It is about one think only; that is to combat and defeat Breast Cancer. So let’s make this dream a reality!

To everyone who has e-mailed me with works of encouragement. Thank you.

Ian

Premier jour <>

Nous sommes partis de Toronto tôt ce matin, nous les 19 Novartians: 17 cyclistes + 2 anges gardiens dans les voitures de sécurité. Premier point de vue - la Tour du CN, ou la photo d'équipe était d'usage.

La première journée de notre périple cycliste c'est bien déroulé avec un temps nuageux et frais: juste ce qu'il fallait !!! Les ''Budies'' étaient super, la coopération était au rendez-vous dès le départ avec quelques problèmes techniques (crevaisons, chaînes déraillées,.. ) mais rien hors de notre porté et habilités !

Nous avons été acceuillis pour le dîner sur la fermette d'une survivante du cancer du sein (Gail) qui nous acceuille depuis la deuxième année. Notre mandat l'avait touché l'an dernier et elle nous a reçue a bras ouvert encore cette année.

Nous avons traversé des villages très charmants (Port Hope) et avons eu un bon temps en équipe défilant à la file indienne et recevant des encouragements des passants et conducteurs.

La suite demain..... Stay tune !!!!

Manon :)

Home in Cobourg Again!

Hi Everyone,

We had a great ride today from Toronto to Cobourg! It started out a little slow with a couple mechanical problems in the morning but the energy was high and everyone was enthusiastic.

Two groups set out so that we could manage the difference in skill level. Our group set a great pace and once we were out of Toronto we were able to average about 34 km/h.

It is great to be in Cobourg with a great group of people all working toward a great cause. We are out to Oasis for dinner tonight. And then into bed for a good night sleep for the 150+ kms to Kingston. Also a very nostalgic ride for me.

There are many people waiting to get on the computer to post so I will post more tomorrow. So far so good!

Steve.

Departure day

The long wait finally came to an end today as a nervous and excited team gathered in front of our rented UHaul van at our company head offices at lunch time. We carefully packed each other’s bikes in the van along with a bag of fresh clothes and spandex and sealed up the truck. Here are a few highlights from our departure day:

Morning: Truck pick-up and Blog down
Spent a bit of extra time waiting to get approval to drive our UHaul off the lot this morning (paperwork) and got to the office to learn the Blog was down. If you had trouble trying to visit for a good portion of the day, we do apologize, but their services were down for a good number of their users…we are glad it’s back up.


2PM: Photo shoot for local media
I am happy to report that the communications team and a couple of outside consultants managed to secure coverage of our journey in the Cobourg times (due to a local connection with Steve) and also several Montreal papers, who came to shoot the team loading the van and posing in our team outfits.

8PM: Arrival at the hotel
After pushing the UHaul’s upper limits for most of the journey, we were able to arrive in downtown Toronto in time for a late dinner at the “Hot House Café” and connect with two more members of the team. I must admit it was quite something to sit down at the table and stare down its length and recall how small the group was last year.

We were surprised by a guest appearance from Jeff MacKenzie, an accomplished extreme athlete and previous captain of Canada’s EcoChallenge team. Jeff shared a few words of wisdom and remarked how each member of the team inevitably encounters moments of weakness, and that they should know to rely on their teammates for strength.

A word about our fundraising…
I am ecstatic to share that we have passed $45,000 in funds raised for this year, which is an incredible accomplishment for the team. Not only are we the current Canadian leaders for online funds raised, but 4 of the 5 top online fundraisers in Montreal are from our team.

Tomorrow:
We will be cycling to Cobourg, likely as two teams. We are aiming for an 8:30AM start and will head by the CN Tower for a group shot first before heading East out of the city. We will be separating into two groups based on speed and rider confidence, with the slower group leaving first. We expect to meet up for lunch and see how everyone’s comfort level is then.

The weather so far looks ideal with low to mid 20’s, partly cloudy and a slight side wind. We will update you with a few pictures and a highlight or two from Day one Saturday evening.

Best,
Henry

Excited!

I am very excited to participate in the Ride for the Cure!

I can't wait. I want to thank all of my supporters and sponsors.

This will be an event to remember!

Have a good ride!!

Energy high as we prepare for ride

It is great to see the energy behind this event so far. To date, 4 of the top 5 fundraisers for the Montreal edition of the Run for the Cure are riders from this team!! We have closed in on our initial fundraising goal of $40,000, and have raised it to $50,000. We are starting some media relations with media in Montreal, Cornwall, Kingston and Cobourg -- all stops along our journey. We already have some interest with local media in Montreal. I was lucky to be part of last year's ride/fundraising effort, and the feeling of being cheered on by strangers from balconies and the street was amazing! You realize very quickly just how many people are affected by breast cancer, and the sense of community that exists around the disease. I am proud to be part of this grassroots employee effort, and encourage anyone who can contribute -- however small -- to donate to the team by going in the right margin of this site. This will bring you to a personal page on the CIBC Run for the Cure site, and your funds will go directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Please wish us luck as we make final preparations for this ride. The attached picture is from last year's ride, the arrival at our head office. It was a real celebration to finish this inaugural event!
Jason

Weather forecast for the ride

Looks like mostly sun and a few clouds for now with cooler-than-normal temperatures towards the end of the ride (September 18th, 19th).

2006 fundraising surpasses $34,000

Dear reader,

I am happy to report that through the hard efforts of our crew and the generosity of hundreds of donors, the Novartis Ride for the Cure team has so far raised over....

.

$34,000 for breast cancer research!!!

Thank you to all who have donated and we will continue to reach higher for this cause.

Sincerely,
The ride team

Well, it is one week to go until the ride. I am extremely excited and anxious to get going. The team is working hard to get the last logistical details covered. Also, everyone is working hard to achieve their fundraising targets. You can see the excitement in all the team members faces. This is going to make this week a long one. It is like trying to sleep through the night at Christmas time as a little kid.

Now for the weather. We are trying to will the weather to be good and so far the weathernetwork is agreeing with us. We need all your help wishing for good weather.

That's all for now! Till next time...

Steve.