You signed up for the ride! How do you fundraise?

Congrats on signing up for Montreal’s Enbridge’s Ride to Conquer cancer benefiting Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital! (If you haven’t, well, do it today – here!)

I always find the biggest deterrent for most people to get involved in charity rides is fundraising. The traditional response is “I work full time, I have to train for the ride, take my kids to school, and also fundraise? It’s too much!” Well, in my opinion, I find it’s the easiest. Why? Because you can tie fundraising directly to training.

People are always interested in hearing stories of accomplishment, especially close friends, colleagues and family. You can send emails monthly, weekly or bi-weekly that showcase your training, pictures of you riding interesting places, blogging about the difficulty getting those legs to peddle hours on end and other things you are employing in your personal time to really make this ride a success. When you write those emails and blogs, you are getting people involved, and even though they aren’t necessarily riding in it, they can feel the ride with you and appreciate your sacrifice.

To be truthful, with the plethora of charities out today; also out are the standard emails of “support me in xyz run”, as you would market yourself in a job interview, you need to market yourself to your potential donor list. Most people are too humble to brag about themselves, but don’t be, what you have signed up to do, most people will never consider it. It’s a selfless, wonderful act of generosity – you should be proud!

Secondly, you can create a system where you are planning to ride up to 1000 kilometers from now until race day to get ready, and as such you want to raise $1 for every 1 kilometer. This way you can ask people to sponsor training rides, $10 = 10 kilometers of riding, $100 = 100 kilometers. I know it sounds daunting, but believe me… it’s fun and motivating (granting you have left enough time from beginning of fundraising until now). But be careful to set a limit, maybe 1000 kilometers to start and increase if you want later on.

Thirdly, which might be the most unorthodox for most people is to contact local business owners and franchises (e.g. LCBO, Sears, grocery stores, community centers etc.) in order to ask if you can “spin” (stationary cycle) in front of their stores to raise money. I find that this is only prudent if your goal is somewhere over $10,000 as it would require a lot more than your personal network to attract. However, you would be surprised how willing businesses are willing to help you and the causes you support.

Lastly, do NOT wait until the last month to fundraise, the same way you wouldn’t wait until the last month to train – start at least 6 months in advance. Start today.

Also, if you are riding in a charity event – like Enbridge’s Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital, you can tap into resources they have already prepared for you; like donation forms, flyers, training manuals and logos to use for your respective blogs.

So good luck!! And I hope you can surprise yourself with the fundraising goals I know you can achieve!

3 things to know before you do a big ride

So you are thinking of doing a big ride? Perhaps Enbridge's Ride to Conquer Cancer?

There is 3 fundamental considerations and to-dos before race day.

1. Buy a bike that fits and that you have been properly fitted for.

Whether it be mountain bikes, road bikes, cruisers, single speeds or tandems, all bikes are like shoes, they come in different sizes and different purposes. Before rushing out to purchase a bicycle, do some research on local bike mechanics and dealers near you and pop by to see what they have.

If you are looking for a road bike, think whether you want a bike for performance, a bit more stiff, where you feel the road more closely or a bike for comfort, that's a bit more suitable for endurance (long rides). My bike mechanic always articulates it as a Porsche or a Cadillac.

Now, once you have figured out a price point for your first bike (I'd suggest between $1,200 and $1,400). You will need to figure out what style of bike, performance or comfort. Once those are complete you will need to sit down with a bike shop and go through a thorough bike fitting. The bike fitting will encompass several facets; that includes seat height, bike size, types of shoes, clip ins, pedal styles, and in some shops a 2D geometry assessment to see how your joints and body would behave over long runs (not as important but nice to have).

Now, once you have your chosen style of bike, price point and fitting - make sure, and this is the most important you choose a bike that you like. A bike that you find looks cool, the higher the propensity you will ride that bike.

2. Training and guess what? more training

Depending on the length of ride you are doing, there are tons of resources available to help you plan your next big ride. Typically for a 100km ride, you would want to have 2-3 rides a week of varying intensity. There is a good one located at Avanti Plus here (http://www.avantiplus.co.nz/pluszone/title/Guide/content/100km-training.html). But I would do about 60km a week ; once a week with a 10km sprint, another with 30km and the 3rd at 20km.

Now these rides don't mean much unless you employ some recording to your rides, to apply a benchmark to improve and push yourself. My personal favourite and that of most cyclists is the application "Strava" it's a free application for iPhone, Androids and older Blackberry's (Z10 & Q10 users need to use endomondo). The application will record the route you ride and apply 'personal bests' every time you ride it, so you can know, on which segments of your ride have you performed better from previously. If you do not want to use your phone you can invest in a cyclist GPS; which is traditionally a Garmin. I personally use the Garmin 200, however, if you find that you want to get more serious in the future you will need to invest in a heart rate monitor. Just do some research on each Garmin products to see what they offer and see if that would interest you. http://www.garmin.com/en-US

3. Nutrition

This comes in two components; pre-race and race-day. The latter is more important if you aren't looking to blow apart any world records; I find that eating normally up to race day is acceptable, granted you aren't hammering back cheeseburgers and beers. On race day, it's important to remember there is only one simple law; every hour drink a bottle of water and at a very minimum, every 10 minutes have a sip of water and a bite of food, whether it be an energy bar, bagel, or other high carb/energy substance. The biggest misconception is that cycling will burn fat; true it will because your body is increasing metabolism but it doesn't burn fat on race day. If you do not put something in your mouth every 10 minutes, you will hit a wall and you will be in trouble.

The best adage I ever heard from professional athletes is this "what separates the guy who rides 70km and the guy who rides 300km is nutrition"

I hope this is a good start for those considering cycling, if you are unsure of something, the internet is littered with cycle forums and tips for all three topics above. If at all, I will try my best in the comments to answer any questions!

Why cycle big routes? Simple, they are gorgeous!

The Ottawa River ride, from Ottawa to Montebello, is one of the most beautiful, unique and enjoyable routes to cycle in all of Canada. It isn’t one of your more usual cycle paths because it’s not extremely long; however, it is definitely a must-do for all cyclists. From the Aviation Museum in Ottawa to the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, you are looking at approximately 90km of flat and gorgeous scenery.

Below are some photos that give you a quick idea on what the 90km-view would be like. One thing I would like to reiterate about this route is that it’s quite relaxing – you would be hard pressed to see more than a dozen runners and cyclists with an early morning departure. This brings me to my next point: once you arrive in Montebello, you are immersed in even more of a countryside. The paths wind and rotate through farmlands and past beautiful old buildings, with fantastic views of the Ottawa River and slight rolling hills.

The best part about this route is the fact that anyone can ride it, as it isn’t overtly difficult. If you feel like it would be too challenging, I assure you it isn’t – with the ample break stops throughout and flat cycle paths, it is a full-day leisurely ride. However, if you are more competitive and want a challenge, this is the time to push yourself to shorten your minute per kilometer average.

I enjoyed this so much, it has increased my excitement triple fold for Enbridge’s Ride to Conquer Cancer in Montreal! This 2-day epic beast is identical to this ride but even more scenic – and you end up in Montreal for a celebration party! I don’t know how you can beat that.

Below is a quick snapshot on the routes for the two days and their respective elevation:

Day 1:

 Day 2:

 

Below are some images on what to expect for the Montreal 2 day ride:

 

 

Sears Great Canadian Run

From cycling to running to scuba diving and space exportation, team possible will do anything that helps support charities that help people living with, and beyond cancer. We believe that these causes are important and almost a social responsibility for people to get involved in through their lifetime.

Every year, Team Possible unites for the 100km relay run between Ottawa and Montebello. On October 5th, 2013 we will do it again. This scenic route includes beautiful rivers, scenic farmland, small towns, and wooded pathways. Similarly like Tour For Kids; it's a 100% donation model, with all your donations going directly to the charities at hand - in this case Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) - http://www.cheofoundation.com/. Donations help the hospital provide a wide variety of pediatric programs, research, state-of the art equipment, medical and nursing education, and assistance for families in crisis.

We are looking forward to doing it; this year we have a team of 5 again; which will be as challenging as it is fun; we're each hoping to run approximately 25km!

These are some photos of Team Possible last year! Signup or donate today!

Dan, Me, Carlos

Me, Stephanie and Dan (foreground)

Dan, Rachel, Me

Stephanie, Dan, Rachel, Dave(me), Carlos
Team Possible for SGCR

Cycling; an activity for everyone!

“A friend of mine - a cameraman at MTV - lost a lot of weight from cycling, and I thought I'd try it, too, thinking whenever you look at a cyclist they all look super-skinny, so hey, why not? But then it turned into such a psychologically satisfying thing.” Carson Daly

When I first got into cycling, I had a preconceived notion that it would 1) be expensive, and 2) be dominated by aggressively sports-minded individuals. Four years later, I’ve come to realize that it’s one of the fastest growing sport; bicycles are getting cheaper, clothing is becoming cheaper,
opportunities for group cycles are becoming more prevalent and the community of casual riders has jumped exponentially. One of my favourite aspects about cycling is the type of people who get involved, especially in charity rides. There is such a positive atmosphere, with everyone getting
together under the right reasons. It is through charity rides that I have been able to learn so much about cycling, from understanding gear usage and the benefits of cadence, group riding techniques and the importance of proper tire pressure and bike maintenance. The community of cyclists is as
helpful as they are giving. You wouldn’t be hard pressed to witness more experienced cyclists giving fellow novice cyclists jerseys, leg warmers, arm warmers, jackets and other pieces of equipment to ensure everyone has a comfortable and safe ride.

The specific reason I like charity rides is that you get to ride for someone who can’t, it helps motivate you for that moment when you are peddling uphill, against a fierce headwind – in the rain, it reminds you of why you are here, and the promise you made. It also keeps you motivated prior to the
event to fundraise and get involved. It’s unfortunate that you cannot find a family or person unaffected by the devastation of cancer.

Next year I will be riding in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. I will be riding in my favourite province and cycling holiday - Montreal, Quebec. I’m looking forward to meeting all the various riders, volunteers, and families involved. It truly is a life-changing experience, and one that you will never forget and one where you will create some lasting friendships.

I know there are lots of people who want to ride, who have had that bike sitting in their garage, shed or storage place for quite some time. And to be honest, the hardest part is just signing up. The amazing event coordinators that help organize charity rides make it so easy –  they cover everything
from snacks at events, to questions regarding routes, to last-minute bicycle support, and help to create an inclusive, fun atmosphere for event attendees (including pre-event and post-event music, which is always my favourite for
getting pumped up!).

So do yourself a favour and get involved, whether you are want to cycle in one of the RTCC events, volunteer or just help fundraise! October 2nd is national Gear Up Day, an opportunity to really spread the word to coworkers, family members, friends and, heck, anyone who will listen! This is the last big push to get people to participate in a Ride to Conquer Cancer
event!

PS. On a side note, I found that even volunteering to help support one of the
charities turns out to be a lot of fun – believe me, I know!

Cycling the Cabot Trail

Most avid cyclists, and travel enthusiasts would agree that the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton is one of the most scenic routes in the world. With huge mountains, cliff faces that look onto the Atlantic Ocean and mountains that peek and tower over everything. Most cycling routes are designed to complete the 298 kilometer ride in about 3 days, with about 7-8 hours of cycling each day (including two 15 minute breaks and 1 hour lunch stop). But because there are 3 mountains with high grades to climb, throughout this ride, I would only recommend it to mid-level to high cyclists. The grade ranges from 13% to about 15% for several kilometers and although it doesn't sound like much - compounded with the typical rolling hills of the trail can be quite challenging. Let's look at the route in it's entirety and then in it's 3 day segments. In total it's 298km and 4,591 meters in elevation.

The recommended route is broken up into 3 days with the most popular segments listed below.

On day 1 (Distance: 104km, Total Elevation: 1,146 meters),

Oh, beautiful Baddeck - approximately 1 hour drive from Sydney, Nova Scotia. It's full of the nicest scenery, people and food from anywhere in Canada. There is a saying in Nova Scotia, and heck, across Canada that that the nicest people you'll meet are from Cape Breton. There was a funny joke told to me from a friend in Cape Breton, that houses were painted different colours because it wasn't unusual for people to head to the pub and upon leaving several hours later head to the wrong home, and sleep on the wrong sofa! If you can tell me name me a similar community would paint their houses differently to ensure their respective spouses returned home safely, well then you could call me a liar! Haha. On the first day, the ride isn't too bad, you do however have one rough mountain to go through - and that's Mount Smokey. The first day is crucial to set a pace for yourself, it isn't unusual for most riders to feel overtly confident and ride in a pace that they aren't used to (trust me I've been guilty of this). I would recommend going the pace you are most usual with, or even a bit less, because Mount Smokey isn't merciful at an elevation of 250 meters (roughly) in about 2.1km you'll be wishing you saved your legs for this... But the downhill is gorgeous and gives you your FIRST real birds eye view of Cape Breton, so the rest stop at the top is worth it - take your breath, shoot some photos! After that, it's mostly rolling hills until you reach your rest stop at Ingonish. Below is the Garmin recorded from a friend for Day 1 since my Garmin went haywire).

On Day 2 (Distance: 108km, Total Elevation: 1,939 meters),

Starting from Ingonish to Cheticamp it gets a whole lot more complicated, with TWO mountains to climb including North Mountain (385 meters at 6.2km) and Mackenzie Mountain (460 meters at 5.8km), you'll really need to listen to your body, drink lots of water and go a pace that you feel most comfortable with. The most challenging aspect about these mountains is the many switch backs you encounter, you won't really know (unless you have a Garmin) when the mountains actually finish. Especially with Mount Mackenzie, it feels like you keep going up and up beyond 460... and you actually do! with several rolling hills once you reach 460 you will only realize you are at the top once you are going downhill. The real benefit on day two is the views, you will get some spectacular views now as you are on the coast the whole way, you are literally on the edge of the world. This also poses an interesting dilemma, blast down the hills (which are steep and gorgeous) or  stop frequently and soak up on the views. If it's your first time, I would suggest the latter. You just cannot pass those up! Below is the Garmin recorded from team possible on Day 2 of the Cabot Trail ride.

On the last and final day, it's probably your easiest day - and most fitting since your legs have taken a beating the past 3 days. The only drawback is that it isn't as scenic as on Day 2, but it's fun since you can push your pace a bit more faster and depending on the group you are riding with you can ride in 2's since the road isn't as busy as before, so this gives you a chance to catch up on your experience with fellow riders. Below is the Garmin recorded from Team Possible for day 3 of the Cabot Trail.

 

If this interests you but you don't know if you are ready for it, don't worry, there are other scenic routes that aren't as challenging - at least in the sense in design. The Enbridge Ride To Conquer Cancer charity allows you to both raise money to help support families living with and beyond cancer as well as to challenge yourself in a group dynamic (with support vehicles, post ride celebrations, meals, and like minded people like you!). By participating in charity ride you will discover first hand that you aren't just riding for yourself, but for someone else, someone who can't. One of the most scenic routes available, that would be similar to the Cabot Trail is the ride in Alberta (http://ab14.conquercancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=ab14_aboutevent) - it's a 2 full day ride, and you will be riding through the majestic Rockies. This is definitely a must do for a Canadian cyclist.

 

Below are a few photos of Team Possible in our Cabot Trail ride, and as you can see from our faces... we are elated!

 

(Team Possible)

(Myself and captain of Team Possible and friend since infancy)

(Top of Mt. Smokey with fellow riders)

 

 

(The End, last ride, all smiles)