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I have received three $100 donations since I finished the RTCC. One of which I have yet to mail in. When I do I will have reached $12,755 and 108 donors! What a year! Thank you again to all of my donors for your support, it was awesome!
by Brent Jordan on Sat, Jul 03, 2010 @ 1:26 PM
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Not entirely sure what I was thinking but before the RTCC ride I got it in my head that maybe I could do the 143km Canada Day Populaire ride 10 days after the finish of the RTCC. And I did!
The Canada Day ride started and ended in Fort Langley. Unlike the RTCC the route is not marked and you have to follow the directions given without getting lost (or find someone with a GPS and follow them as I did for a portion of the ride!)
This ride turned out to be a bigger challenge than I expected. There was a pretty long climb up and over Sumas Mountain in Abbotsford at the 35-40 km mark followed by about 3 km down from the mountain and then about 60 km of flat riding out to Chilliwack and back. However, there was also a tough 10% grade on Vye road near the Sumas border followed by about 5 km of climbing near the end of Vye road leading up to and onto 272nd street.
My knees did not feel particularly good on this ride which was a surprise. I think the lesson to take away is that a 10 day rest after the 260km RTCC was too much. I think I should have gone for at least one or two easy 20 km rides in between to keep the muscles loose and the knees working well.
In the end my cycling computer registered 146 km in 6 hours 2 minutes of riding time (plus a total of 40 extra minutes spent at 3 rest stops including a great one at a dairy/ice cream store!
It is good to have done this ride and I am proud of the pin I earned. I wore my Ambassador's jersey proudly for this ride.
No big rides planned in the near future, but I will be back to riding to and from work next week!
by Brent Jordan on Sat, Jul 03, 2010 @ 1:24 PM
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On Sunday morning I met a woman in the line up for the start of Day 2 of the Ride. I would guess she was in her mid 50's. She did not fit the profile of a typical "rider". Her bike was a Supercycle from Canadian Tire with front and back suspension (definitely not a racing machine). A yellow flag on her bike marked her as a cancer survivor. She told me and those around her how it had taken her 12 hours yesterday to complete the Ride. She told us that she had to push her bike up the hills because she was not able to ride it up the hills. There were a number of good sized hills on Day 1. And in spite of this gruelling experience she was there, lined up 1/2 hour early for the start of day 2 with a smile on her face eager to get on with her Ride. Quitting was not on her mind. She made it clear she would finish if it took her the entire day. And I believed her. Day 2 was a tough day with lots of rain and it was cold. There were a lot more hills on Day 2, they were longer, they were steeper, it was nasty. I thought of her often during my Ride on Sunday and often since then. I can only imagine how hard and long her second day's ride was. I have no doubt in my mind that she finished the Ride.
by Brent Jordan on Tue, Jun 22, 2010 @ 3:10 PM
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I did it and I did better than I expected to.
Day 1 was 136 km, I rode for 5 hours 30 minutes and finished in the first couple hundred riders. I arrived in camp by 2 pm having stopped at each of the rest stops.
Day 2 was 125 km (with a 3 km bonus when the group I was riding in went off course and got lost - briefly). I rode for 4 hours 50 minutes and arrived at the finish line at 12:50. I was surprised to be doing so well on day 2 but was very pleased. I was moving along so fast on Sunday that I made it to the lunch pit stop at 10:04!
There is so much to say, so many stories to tell, stay tuned, I will update my blog several times in the week to come!
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Jun 21, 2010 @ 10:31 PM
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Just finished packing, am to keyed up to sleep. Alarm is set for 4 and will head out at 5 with kids in tow to see me to the start line. 10 hours from now we should be riding!
by Brent Jordan on Fri, Jun 18, 2010 @ 11:21 PM
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I am pleased to say that I have reached both my fundraising goal of $12,000 and my donor goal of 100 donors! While I am not raising my fundraising goal any higher I know that I have at least $300 more coming in from donors who are either mailing in their cheques or waiting until I've actually finished the Ride.
My training goals have all been reached and I am ready to go. I plan to commute to/from work by bike tomorrow and perhaps to go for a 30-50 km ride this weekend but after that I plan to stay off of my bike until the Ride in part to rest and allow my legs to recover fully and in part because of work commitments next week that will not allow for riding time.
Its almost time, I can't wait!
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Jun 09, 2010 @ 1:20 PM
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10 months ago today I signed up for the RTCC. Back then I really did not know what to expect. I signed up early because I was nervous about having to raise $2,500 and about having to ride 270 km in 2 days. I figured if I started early I'd have plenty of time to train and fundraise. Now, 10 months later I've ridden more than 5,000 km on my bikes (mountain bike and more recently my "new" road bike) and I have raised $11,850 with the help of 96 donors!
16 days from now I will either be lined up at the border crossing or already on the other side of the border on day one of the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
I can't wait!
Thank you to everyone who has supported my Ride. Your support means the world to me.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Jun 03, 2010 @ 10:53 AM
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In addition to the goal of raising as much money as I possible can for the BC Cancer Foundation (currently $11,800) I have come up with an additional goal for myself. To date I have received 95 donations/donors. Before I ride I would like to reach 100 donations/donors. With less than 3 weeks to go this is one more goal to motivate myself to continue doing all that I can for this cause. Please help me reach my goal.
by Brent Jordan on Tue, Jun 01, 2010 @ 11:07 PM
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Now that I've finished my last ride for May I find that I rode 760 km for the month of May (over 2,200 km so far in 2010).
I plan to taper down my riding between now and the Ride (in less than 3 weeks time). This week I will probably ride 145 km, next week probably another 145km, and the week before the ride no more than 40 km at the most. If all goes well, I will likely do a couple of recuperative rides between the Ride itself and the end of the month meaning that June will likely be another 750 km month.
At this point I feel well prepared for the Ride and can't wait for the it to start!
by Brent Jordan on Mon, May 31, 2010 @ 7:40 PM
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The jersey from the General Store is going back for a full refund including shipping and handling fees in both directions. It took a few tries to get someone on the phone but once I did they handled it promptly and professionally. In some ways I am really glad I ordered a yellow jersey from the General Store (I will be getting the Ambassador's jersey from the RTCC). By doing this I realised I had a fit problem and was able to sort it out with the Ride Guides in time for a solution to be in place before the Ride. Had I not ordered a second jersey from the General Store I wouldn't realise my problem until I got my Ambassador's jersey in the mail and it may have been too late to fix in time for the Ride. It was a couple of days of being upset but it will be worth it in the end if it gets sorted out in time for the Ride!
by Brent Jordan on Wed, May 26, 2010 @ 1:51 PM
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Today I completed my first ever 140 km ride. I finished it in 5:13 which was a pretty good pace I do think. Thank you to Tim and Chris my Ironman buddies who went on this ride with me today. This is the last big ride I will have time for before the actual RTCC. I will still be logging about 120-160 km a week, but won't have time on weekends for anything longer than a 3 hour ride and even then, only once between now and the ride.
I will admit, in spite of all of my training I am somewhat intimidated by the idea of riding 135 km and then getting up the next morning and doing it all over again.
Still upset about the Ride Jersey problem but am too pleased to let it spoil this accomplishment. Tomorrow I am going to spend some time on the phone with the Ride organizers and the General Store about this issue though.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, May 24, 2010 @ 8:12 PM
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I have been looking forward to putting on my RTCC jersey since I signed up back in August.
Along the way I worked very hard to earn the Ambassador's jersey which I looked forward to wearing with pride. I was so in to this that I even purchased the regular jersey online as soon as it came available figuring I would wear the regular jersey one day and the ambassador's jersey the other day on the ride.
On Friday my jersey arrived but I was out of town. Today I got to put it on for the first time. Unfortunately, the RTCC has switched jersey suppliers this year. This year's jerseys do not fit according to the size charts we were given. Instead of a comfortable fit it is a close fitting, cycling jersey. Mine does not fit me at all.
Unfortunately, I ordered the largest size which they make. Which means I will be returning the one I bought and I won't be wearing the Ambassador's jersey when it arrives.
I am upset and disappointed and words do not describe how let down I feel at the moment. This day (getting my jersey) has not turned out as I had hoped at all.
by Brent Jordan on Sun, May 23, 2010 @ 6:57 PM
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In addition to the goal of raising as much money as I possible can for the BC Cancer Foundation (currently $11,450) I have come up with an additional goal for myself. To date I have received 93 donations/donors. Before I ride I would like to reach 100 donations/donors. With less than a month to go this is one more goal to motivate myself to continue doing all that I can for this cause. Please help me reach my goal.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 9:50 AM
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The back to back rides was a worthwhile experiment that is continuing to teach me some lessons and helping me to adjust my plans for the Ride. No surprise, this morning I woke up stiffer and sorer than I did after one day of riding. What surprised me is that parts that I expected would be sore (thighs and knees) aren't but parts I would not have thought of are (my right wrist is really sore and my neck/shoulders as well).
I also learned, while riding, that while energy gels are important during long haul rides, sometimes you need to have something to chew on and eat as well (that bannana in Ferndale was heavenly!)
But what stood out the most for me was realising that I had just finished riding 166 km over 2 days but the RTCC is 270 km over 2 days!
This has been very helpful to me as I now am rethinking my training plans for the final 2 weeks before the ride. I am also thinking ahead to how I handle the return trip home and the day or two afterwards.
All in all it has been a worthwhile experience.
Next up? I am considering a 135 km ride on Victoria Day. Although it was not originally part of my plan to ride more than 100 km in my training I am now thinking it might be a good "peak" to my training given that my schedule over the weeks after the long weekend really will not accomodate another long ride, It may be that I do this final long ride and then plan to taper down with a series of shorter rides fit into what is otherwise my daily commuting time.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, May 17, 2010 @ 11:10 AM
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Today I completed my goal of back to back rides. I was aiming for something over 80 km each day. Yesterday was 92.5 today was 73.8.
My road bike has developed a serious creak in the bottom bracket over the past 2 days so its time for a trip to the bike shop for some work. I will switch back to my mountain bike for a few days while the road bike gets fixed.
I got a sense today for how my body will respond on day two which was the whole point of the back to back rides. A bit stiff, a bit sore, but generally ok. I felt like I had plenty of energy in part because I kept my heart rate a little lower today than yesterday which is worth keeping in mind during the Ride. While my butt felt surprisingly good for the first hour of riding today, it was giving me quite a bit more grief than I am used to by hour two so that is one thing I will have to keep in mind. It may be time to investigate chaffing cream. The things one has to learn when preparing for a long distance ride!
by Brent Jordan on Sun, May 16, 2010 @ 1:49 PM
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This weekend my goal was to ride back to back 80+ km rides. Today I finished the first half of that goal riding 92 km. Started at 176th & 8th Ave. Crossed border at Truck Crossing. Rode up Semiahmoo hill, around Birch Bay, through some cool back roads (some of which have been closed off and are rough, but still passable, through Ferndale and then back across the border. I am over 400 km for this month already. Thank you to Tim, Chris and Steve for joining me on today's ride.
Curious to see how tomorrow feels getting on the bike after going hard today.
by Brent Jordan on Sat, May 15, 2010 @ 5:20 PM
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The last couple of weeks have been good ones for training. I can feel myself getting stronger and faster and my endurance is increasing. The switch from my mountain bike to a road bike has been a fantastic move.
I met a fellow RTCC rider on the West Coast Express last year. We live near one another in Coquitlam and the past three weeks we have been riding home from work (downtown Vancouver to Coquitlam - 32 km) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We push each other pretty hard which is good although the pace is probably unrealistic for the Ride it is helping to build strength quickly.
This past Sunday I completed a 96.5 km ride. The weather was the nicest I recall this year. A big thank you to my wife for letting me slip out early on mother's day for this ride. A further thank you to my weekend riding partner Mike for joining me for 60 km of this ride. The company makes the ride that much easier to complete.
This week will feature my usual Tues/Thurs rides home followed by a Saturday and Sunday back to back ride. This is one of my remaining training goals before the ride. The idea is to get a sense of how it feels to get back on the bike and ride a long distance the day after having done a long distance ride. Based on how I feel this morning after yesterday's ride I can imagine I will be a bit stiff and sore. I am curious to see if the soreness works itself out or makes day 2 a misery. Either way, it is worth knowing.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 11:43 AM
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Yesterday was supposed to be my first 100 km ride of 2010. I started out early (7:10 am) with the best of intentions as I rode from my home in Coquitlam to a friend's in Pitt Meadows (17 km). Together we rode one of our usual loops through Fort Langley and Langley via the Golden Ears Bridge (40km). Back on my own heading towards home I had the intention to continue riding until I hit the 100 km mark, but as I rode over the new Coast Meridian overpass the rain started to come down hard. It was harder still by the time I made it up Shaugnessey to David Ave. Although I had a rain jacket on my pants weren't water proof. Cold and wet I made the turn for home and settled for 71 km instead.
I know that there won't be any turning back rain or shine when I start the Ride. But for now I did not want to turn my training into drudgery. Its a lot easier to get back on the bike for the next ride when the last was reasonably good.
In the meantime, I am up to 270 km on the road bike in the two weeks since I got it. I love the new bike and recognise just how much quicker and easier it is to ride than my mountain bike was. I will ride home from work twice this week and then go for another 70+ km ride on Sunday. I am still planning back to back 70+ km rides on May 15/16. I am now aiming for 100 km on May 21st. Time will tell how many of these goals I hit. But I am still trying.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, May 03, 2010 @ 10:26 AM
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With just over 7 weeks to go I find myself spending more time thinking about and planning out my training over the remaining days before the Ride. I have bumped up my "commuting" rides to include 2 rides home from work per week (32 km one way). I am averaging 150 km a week on the bike at this point.
This weekend I am aiming for a 100 km ride which will be the first of 2010. In the coming weeks I am planning a back to back 80+ km each day ride to get a sense of what it will be like to climb back on the bike the day after a good ride. I figure in May I will average somewhere between 180 - 220 km a week (which is a lot to fit in to my busy schedule but still is less than we will ride in two days on the RTCC).
I do not expect to ride back to back 100 km rides as there simply isn't enough time left and I do not want to risk injury by overdoing it.
I guess I won't know until the weekend of the Ride whether I have done enough or not, but I feel good about where I am at with 7 weeks to go and know that I can and will crank things up over the remaining weeks.
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Apr 28, 2010 @ 12:26 PM
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I am setting a new goal for the 6th time now! Everytime I think that my fundraising has slowed down to the point that perhaps it is time to leave my goal alone and just hope to reach it, someone makes a donation and reminds me to keep going. Today that person was Bill Neen. Thank you Bill, for making your donation today and giving me a reason to push out my goal yet again.
In reality though, it is every one of the 85 donors (so far) who have made a donation to the BC Cancer Foundation in support of my Ride to Conquer Cancer that keeps me going. Thank you so much to everyone of you for your support. I am overwhelmed by how much help I have received with my fundraising and because of each of you I am once again raising my goal. I am once again commiting myself to not letting up on my efforts between now and the day I Ride.
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Apr 21, 2010 @ 12:42 PM
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I did not get to go out for a ride on the new road bike on Saturday as the rain didn't let up until too late in the day. But on Sunday I did. I went on a quick 40 km ride from Pitt Meadows through Langley, along Telegraph Trail, down 208th to Fort Langley and then back over the Golden Ears Bridge. My first ride on a road bike in many, many years was a huge success. I am itching to get out again. With any luck I will be out tomorrow or the next day. I feel like a kid with a new toy!
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Apr 19, 2010 @ 10:15 AM
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I have ridden a mountain bike for the past 20 years, the past 13 years on my trusty Cannondale MTB. I have been preparing for the RTCC on my MTB but a couple of weeks ago an opportunity came up to buy a 2nd hand road bike. So today I begin an experiment by going for my first ride on a road bike in over 20 years. If all goes well, I will ride my new (to me) Cannodale Synapse road bike in the RTCC. If not, my MTB will be ready to go. I can't wait to get out today and give the new bike a try, but am hoping the rain stops first.
by Brent Jordan on Sat, Apr 17, 2010 @ 12:39 PM
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Tonight I achieved a huge, HUGE milestone. Tonight, with the help of my riding buddy, Mike, I finally made it over the $10,000 level for fundraising.
Over the past two and a half years, having Mike as a riding partner has helped me come a long, long way in terms of my riding and my health. When we first started riding together, I would feel tired and exhausted after one of our rides (back then 20-30kms). Back then a weekend ride with Mike would pretty much leave me sore and tired on the couch for the rest of the day and night. These days I ride 40-50 km with Mike on a weekend ride and feel great afterwards. These days I am riding between 4,000 and 5,000 kilometres a year. It is a direct result of these rides that I have been able to imagine taking on the 260+km challenge of the Ride to Conquer Cancer. I have come a long, long way from where I started out 2 1/2 years ago in large part because Mike has always been there to ride with.
8 months ago I signed up for the RTCC and waited and hoped that Mike would join me even though I knew for a number of reasons that it was unlikely to happen. This weekend Mike decided once and for all that he would not be joining me on the Ride. Shortly afterwards he made a donation to the BC Cancer Foundation in support of my Ride. I would have much preferred to have Mike join me on this Ride, but it is a significant consolation to receive this donation tonight.
When I started fundraising, I was nervous about raising $2,500. Eventually I raised my goal but I still never thought I'd raise $5,000 and certainly never thought I'd reach $10,000. Somewhere along the way I realized that I was doing better fundraising than I had ever hoped and did in fact set my sights on $10,000 as a goal. I really wanted to earn the Ambassador's jersey (a special jersey which is reserved for those who reach certain threshold fundraising goals). For awhile now it has been my hope to reach $10,000 and although at some point I felt I could make it, it has been hard to get here and taken quite some time to do so (8+ months of fundraising). It is more than fitting that the final donation that got me across the $10,000 threshold would come from Mike. It means a lot to me.
Thank you Mike for all of your support!
Brent
Brent
by Brent Jordan on Sun, Apr 11, 2010 @ 9:23 PM
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Its taken a little longer to get to this point this time, but I am once again raising my fundraising goal. I have now gone from $3,200 to $5,000 to $7,500 to $10,000 and now to $11,000. I am being slightly less aggressive with my new target than before only because it seems that raising donations is harder than before. I think this is in part because so many people I know have stepped up early and donated. I am pleased to note that I now have 74 donors who have made a donation in support of my Ride! What an amazing thing. I will keep at it and who knows, I may raise it again before the Ride. Hard to believe there are only 13 weeks left!
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 @ 12:31 PM
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Today, for the first time since I started fundraising back on August 3rd, I am no longer on the Top 10 list of fundraisers. I knew this day would come. I have been very proud to be on this list and to remain on it as long as I have. To be honest, I didn't think I would last on the list this long, but then again, I didn't think I would raise as much as I have. I have been as high as number 2 on the list. I have passed several people who were on the list ahead of me including several who held the number one spot at one time or another. While I know it is not a competition, I have drawn motivation to do my best with my fundraising from having been on this list and wanting to stay on this list. And I will continue to work hard on my fundraising although I doubt I will make it back on to this list. On the other hand, I am thrilled to be off this list because at least 10 people have raised in excess of $10,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation (several have raised close to $20,000!) What an amazing thing to be involved in. I will continue to do my part.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Mar 04, 2010 @ 9:56 AM
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I wrote that one of my reasons for doing the Ride was my kids and part of that reason was the hope to inspire them to their own acts of charity in the future. I think it is working.
Emma and Zachary have two homes. I have heard from their mother and step-father that they are often talking about my Ride in their other home. Recently, Emma and Zachary surprised me by each donating $20 to my Ride while at their mother's.
In our home all 4 kids are often asking me how my fundraising is going and about my plans for training. Often they ask to see my personal webpage on the RTCC to see what is new on there. Several months ago now, Zachary made a dontion to my Ride out of his saved allowance and then later, another, with his brother Bodhi joining in to donate too.
I am hopeful that my step-daughter, Fiona's father agrees to give up father's day with her for this year so that she can be there to see me finish in Seattle. It will mean the world to me to see my family there at the finish line. Even now the thought of it causes my chest to tighten and my eyes to well up.
By any measure, I believe that this is one goal that I have set for myself in the RTCC that I am achieving, on many levels and one that will remain with me for years to come.
As is probably obvious, I am one very proud father of 4 amazing kids!
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Feb 18, 2010 @ 3:04 PM
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January was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
Although the weather was mild enough to commute every day, I only managed 280 km and one weekend ride. I am hoping February is better, but I have no idea how the Olympics will impact my work and therefore my training opportunities.
On the positive side, even though it feels like my fundraising has slowed down a lot, I did manage to raise another $1,675 between December 23rd and the end of January. I am now less than $1,000 from my current goal of $10,000 and I am once again thinking of raising my goal. I am amazed and overwhelmed by how my fundraising has gone so far. When I started out my original goal of $3,200 seemed daunting. Even then I hoped to raise as much as $5,000 but never dared believe it possible. Now I am wondering how much past $10,000 I might raise given that there is still more than 4 1/2 months until the Ride.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Feb 08, 2010 @ 10:57 AM
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I am surprised and happy that our weather has so far been so mild that other than a brief break from riding over the Christmas break I am still able to ride. Yes, that is right, it is January 2010 and I am on my bike every day, commuting to and from work! While other commitments will keep me from being able to do any long rides on weekends until the end of January I am still managing about 80 km a week thanks to commuting. I am working out my training program and plan to gradually ramp up the kilometres in January through March and then hit it hard in April and May before tapering off in June. Call me crazy, but I am looking forward to the challenge.
While fundraising has been a bit harder for me lately I was pleased and surprised to receive a generous donation on December 23rd followed by two other significant donations on January 4th and 5th with the three donations totalling $850! I remain optimistic that I will reach my target of $10,000 before the Ride as I will continue to do all that I can to raise this much and more.
It is hard to believe that the Ride is less than 5 1/2 months away! I can't wait.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Jan 07, 2010 @ 12:17 PM
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Its December 1st and I am still riding! Last year my season was cut short by a cycling accident that led to a broken left arm. This year I am happy to find myself still on my bike on December 1st. How long will it last before the snow flies or the risk of black ice makes riding too dangerous? Who knows. But the thing about riding at this time of the year is you come to view each day as a gift. Each day I continue to ride means one less day to lose my conditioning to the winter break, which means a bit less work in the spring to regain my current condition before pushing further to get in shape for the Ride. Today is a beautiful sunny day and I am thankful that I live in the Lower Mainland and can say that I rode to work on December 1st!
by Brent Jordan on Tue, Dec 01, 2009 @ 11:18 AM
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Thank you to all of my supporters for helping me to get to this point! Because of the positive support I've received so far I've decided to once again raise my fundraising goal which I've now set to $10,000.00.
It was tempting to leave my goal at $7,500 and wait until I'd actually achieved that goal, but it is my belief that the best motivator is a goal that is not certain to be achieved without digging in and working extra hard. Certainly, I have found the last $1,000.00 a lot more challenging to raise than the first $1,000.00 and I know that the next $1,0000.00 will be harder still.
Regardless, I am pushing my goal farther out again (this is the fourth fundraising goal I've set for myself so far) and I am renewing my commitment to working as hard as I can to achieve this new goal and hopefully more.
by Brent Jordan on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 @ 11:37 AM
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Today I realised that it is seven months to the start of the Ride. When I realised this I was inspired to send out another round of fundraising requests.
To me, seven months does not seem that far away, especially in our busy household.
Today my wife reminded me that seven months was about the length of time between when she was first told that she had lymphoma, went through chemo and then later was told that she had gone into remission. My wife was 14 when she was diagnosed with cancer. She missed the end of grade nine and the start of grade ten while she fought cancer.
A lot can happen in seven months.
Seven months can feel like a lifetime to someone who has cancer. For some, it is.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 @ 3:07 PM
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Today I hit a milestone that I am incredibly proud of! As of today I have received donations from 50 different donors!
When I started on this journey back in August I am not sure what I expected but whatever it was, I have been amazed and overwhelmed by how much support I have received for my Ride to Conquer Cancer.
There is still much work to do both with training and fundraising, but for today I pause to reflect and say thank you to each and every one of you who have made a donation in support of my Ride.
Way to go!
by Brent Jordan on Fri, Nov 06, 2009 @ 12:56 PM
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Wow, what an awesome gift from mother nature, an absolutely gorgeous day for what may be my last long ride before winter.
All week long I was planning for it but watching the weather and having my doubts. Friday afternoon on my commute home from work in the cold, miserable, pouring rain I was already resigning myself to giving up on my planned ride for Sunday. But things improved and on Sunday morning I found myself pedalling away from the South Surrey Park and Ride, around White Rock, accross the border, around Drayton Harbour, Birch Bay, past Lake Terrell and as far South as the Silver Reef Casino before heading back north through Ferndale, the Peace Arch Crossing and back to the South Surrey Park and Ride.
Thank you to my buddy Chris Carpenter who joined me on this 102 km ride and kept me company.
As I rode I kept thinking to myself that I owe an even bigger thank you to my wife and kids who continue to support my training even though it means that I am gone for large chunks of Sundays now as my distances and time on the bike increases.
Without the support of my family and friends this journey would be a lot harder. In some ways I think it is a fitting metaphor for the fight to conquer cancer itself. Imagine how much harder it would be without the support of family and friends.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Nov 02, 2009 @ 10:02 AM
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On Tuesday I took advantage of the good weather and rode home from work. As I pulled in to my driveway at 6:05 pm in the gathering dusk I realised that thanks to daylight savings time, it was probably my last ride home from work for the year.
While I will continue to use my bike between home/trainstation/work until the snow flies, it feels like a real imposition upon my training efforts to have something artificial like a time change get in the way of my training.
My personal act of defiance this week has been to schedule a 127 km ride on Sunday even though the fall weather suggests it will be cold and probably drizzly. This too is bittersweet. I know I will eventually have to park my bike for awhile, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
I can feel winter's grasp closing in and this year more than any, I resent it!
by Brent Jordan on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 @ 4:07 PM
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Phil is a friend who I met while living in Totem Park Residence at UBC in 1989. After fnishing his Master's Degree Phil moved back to Toronto and over the years we've kept in touch off and on. Phil's dad lives in Ottawa and is currently fighting cancer for the second time. This spring, Phil became a victim of the downturn in the economy and is currently between jobs (but remains ridiculously optimistic and unphased by it all - go Phil!)
The other day Phil shocked me by making a significant donation to my Ride to Conquer Cancer and then following up his donation by sending out a personal e-mail to his friends asking them to also support my Ride. Within a day, Phil's friend George stepped up to Phil's challenge and made a donation.
Way to go Phil and George, you guys are awesome!
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Oct 28, 2009 @ 3:05 PM
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How can you tell it is fall?
- The musty smell of wet cycling clothes in your office from the morning commute.
- The joy of putting cold damp cycling clothes back on for the aftenoon commute.
- Its dark when you ride in, in the morning and dark when you get home at night.
- You start reading reviews of fenders wondering which, if any, will make a difference.
- You look at the lovely colour of fall leaves and what you see is another potential road hazard to think about.
- You start wondering how many flashing lights is enough (or too many).
- You realise that today is the 1 year anniversary of when you broke your arm falling off your bike last year.
- You decide to swap your slick road tires for your knobbies because you think it might make a difference.
- You begin to accept that there are a finite number of days left to ride this year.
- You accept that some training goals will have to wait for next year.
- You start thinking about how early you can start riding again next year and wondering how long it will take to get back to your current conditioning.
- You realise that it is less than 8 months until the Ride to Conquer Cancer!
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Oct 26, 2009 @ 10:26 AM
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Its been an interesting couple of days. On the weekend I cancelled what was to be a back to back long ride and scaled back my Sunday ride to 45 km because my right knee has been acting up again. On Tuesday morning our computer crashed taking with it my training stats for the past 3 months which is frustrating but nothing compared to the loss of years of digital photos and accounting records (fingers crossed that the computer techs at Future Shop can work a miracle). In spite of the knee I am still getting in time and distance by commuting to work. Today was particularly unpleasant. 12 minutes of heavy downpour that highlighted the weaknesses in my "weather tight" gear only to arrive at the West Coast Express station to learn that thanks to a breakdown of one of the trains I could look forward to standing in the cold rain for an hour before boarding the train and arriving to work 2 hours later than normal (I slept in too which didn't help). Today's mood has been a lot like the weather as I come to accept that whatever riding time is left before winter is going to be largely in the rain. At least the forecast looks good for my ride this Sunday. Now I just have to get through commuting the rest of this week in rain. :-(
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Oct 14, 2009 @ 1:58 PM
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Yesterday, 66 days after registering for the Ride and starting my fundraising efforts, I crossed the $5,000 threshold. When I started out, my initial fundraising goal was $3,200. I later raised it to $5,000. My goal currently sits at $7,500. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation already and helped me to cross the threshold of my former goals. As always, I remain committed to both my training and fundraising for this event. I look forward to raising my fundraising goal again and crossing the threshold of my current goal. Thank you for your support!
by Brent Jordan on Fri, Oct 09, 2009 @ 10:35 AM
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Last night I decided to tackle another challenge that I have been thinking about doing for some time now. I work in Vancouver and live in Coquitlam and try to ride home once or twice a week. Lately I have been adding new "twists" to my route like riding up and over SFU, for the extra challenge. Last night on my ride home, when I got to Port Moody, I rode up Heritage Mountain Boulevard to David Avenue (2.1 km of climbing almost exactly the same as SFU), stopped briefly to watch Zach's soccer practice, then rode along David Avenue towards home. This time, however, instead of turning for home at Pipeline I continued along David and added an additional hill in the climb up to Coast Meridian (another 1 km climb). After reaching Coast Meridian I turned around and headed for home. Adding in these extra hills only added an additional 35 minutes to my riding time and an extra 5.5 kms and was worth it for the challenge. Having said that, last night I was forced to recognise that the hours of daylight are getting shorter and shorter and it won't be long before I am going to have to choose between the chance to get a ride home in and the added risk of riding most of the way in the dark.
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Oct 07, 2009 @ 2:04 PM
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One of the things I wrote on my personal page when I first registered was that I hoped that I might set a good example for my children and inspire them to their own acts of charity in the future. Throughout the past 2 months my kids have been keenly aware of my efforts for the Ride and they are often asking me about my latest training ride or how my fundraising is going.
The other day my 8 year old son Zachary came up to me while I was on the computer updating my blog. To my surprise he was standing there with $5 in loonies and toonies that he had dug out of his piggy bank to give to me as a donation toward my Ride.
Considering that Zach's allowance is only $2 a week and that he is constantly saving up to buy the latest new toy that his heart desires, this represented a substantial gift on his part; one which I had not expected nor asked for. I doubt that Zachary realized that in that moment he gave me a gift worth more than any amount of money in the world.
Zachary, I couldn't be prouder of you son, which is why I decided to match your gift today when I sent it in to the Ride. Thank you.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Oct 01, 2009 @ 12:33 PM
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I worked hard to maintain momentum with my fundraising this month by sending out many new e-mail requests and follow ups and by making several phone calls too. Over $1,400 came in during September and I raised my fundraising target again (it is now set at $7,500). I plan to continue working hard through the fall and would like to reach the $7,500 goal before the end of this year and raise it again before the start of next year.
I had a very good month for training. Since July 3rd I have logged over 1,700 km on my bike. In the month of September I rode 718 kilometers spending more than 36 hours on the bike on 22 days out of 30 in the month. I also accomplished several training goals that I had set for myself including riding my first 100+ km ride and riding up both SFU and Heritage Mountain. I took part in the Celebration Ride on September 20th put on by the Ride to Conquer Cancer folks which was a great experience and huge motivator. I lost 7 pounds this month which was a big plus too!
For October I hope to accomplish a couple of additional goals including riding up Cypress and riding back to back days of 70-80km each day. With the rains finally arriving and the hours of daylight decreasing it will make things harder to plan and fit in. Having broken my arm on October 26th last year while cycling I am sensitive to pushing the envelope when things get slippery from either falling leaves or snow and sleet. Eventually I will have to look at indoor training to keep on track for next year.
A big thank you to Mike for continuing to come up with new, challenging and longer rides this month. And a big thank you to Chris and Tim for being my peloton on the 100 km ride. An even bigger thank you to my family and especially Tanya for putting up with my abscences while I ride. Without the support of friends and family, this would be a lot harder to do.
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Oct 01, 2009 @ 11:49 AM
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I have been planning for it and looking forward to it for some time now. Yesterday I completed my first 100+ km ride. I rode 102 km in 4 hours 6 minutes on my mountain bike accompanied by two good friends Tim & Chris.
Yesterday I faced an unexpected challenge I had not planned for. I wound up sick last week and it kept getting worse and carried over to the weekend. It was touch and go whether I would have to cancel the planned ride but in the end I decided that I won't have that option next June when the Ride is scheduled so there was no point in letting it get in my way now. We rode along 0 avenue from 176th st to approximately 12.5 km East of the Sumas Border crossing then turned around and rode back to the starting point. The weather was near perfect although the early morning temperature left my legs feeling tight and crampy for the first 1/2 hour until we warmed up and also didn't help with breathing which was already hampered from illness. Regardless, we soldiered on and am I ever glad we did. Thank you Tim & Chris, I really appreciated you coming along to support me on this ride and the fact that you rode at my mountain bike's pace the whole way instead of the speed your nimble road machines probably prefer.
I am already thinking about new goals to accomplish before fall and winter get in the way too much. I'd still like to complete back to back long rides and a small part of my brain is starting to consider whether a trip up Cypress might be in the cards this year.... stay tuned.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Sep 28, 2009 @ 3:37 PM
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On Sunday I joined approximately 200 riders in a celebration ride from Burnaby North Secondary School to Belcarra and back. The ride appears to be the first of many rides planned between now and the 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer. It was a thrill to be part of this ride, I will definitely take part in others between now and next June. This morning I decided to increase my commitment to the Ride by raising my fundraising goal from $5,000 to $7,500. I have always said I'd raise my goal again, but the timing of this is in part due to the inspiration from Sunday's ride and in part from the inspiration of the continued strong support I have received in response to my fundraising efforts. To those who have already donated, thank you, to those who are considering making a donation, please do. The sooner you make your donation, the sooner it can be put to use in the fight to Conquer Cancer.
by Brent Jordan on Tue, Sep 22, 2009 @ 3:27 PM
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I have been including a lot of hills in my longer rides lately culminating in a pretty tough (hilly) ride to Mission on Sunday. Along the way my confidence has grown as I ride steeper hills, longer hills and more hills. For the past several weeks now I have been thinking of riding up and over SFU hill as a training challenge. Yesterday, two days after the ride to Mission, I decided to tackle this challenge. And I am pleased to say, it went well. The ride up SFU was longer than any single hill I had ridden in training this year, but not steeper. The toughest part of this challenge was not the SFU hill but rather the ride up Broadway to Como Lake Road after having gone up and down SFU hill. With this training goal complete it is time to set my sights on the next big goal for this fall, a 100+ km ride.
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Sep 16, 2009 @ 10:06 AM
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Well its September 13th, the kids are back in school, the neighborhood block party has been held and I've covered 288 km on my bike already this month including a 57.5 km ride through Langley last weekend (some hills) and a 66 km (very hilly) ride to Mission through Wonnock. I am planning to cover between 600 and 700 km on the bike this month if everything stays on track. I am hoping to get a 100 km ride in either the last weekend in September or first weekend in October (I will pick the weekend with the best weather if I can).
by Brent Jordan on Sun, Sep 13, 2009 @ 5:28 PM
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So I was out for another LSD training ride today (riding for extended period of time - 2 hours - while keeping my heart rate below 130 bpm).
Part of today's ride took me out along the dykes in Port Coquitlam along the Pitt River and the Debough Slough. There are a lot of blueberry farms and tons of bear poop although I usually do not see any bears. Yesterday I did this ride but forgot to bring my bear spray. Today for some reaon I went out of my way to bring it.
Part way into my ride I met up with some people walking their dogs who told me to be careful as there was a bear just up ahead near the dyke. In spite of keeping a very close watch, I never saw the bear.
Later on I was on a stretch of dyke along the Debough Slough which usually has very few people on it, is fairly overgrown and has lots of bear poop. As I rode on alone I was ringing my bike bell like Paul Revere hoping to scare off any bears that may be lurking. But again, no bears (I guess my ringing bell worked).
At the end of the dyke I usually turn around and come back. Today I decided to ride on a private road that eventually links up with the municipal roads and takes me back to where I started on the dyke. In my head I figured that this would be safer than going back along the secluded, overgrown dyke covered in bear poop.
The first stretch was fine and I made it off the private road and onto the municipal road system. And sure enough, just up ahead of me, in the middle of the road was a freaking huge black bear! He was just standing there watching me from not 40 feet away.
I rang my bell over and over like a cyclist on the sea wall. Nothing. Eventually he got bored of me I guess as he started slowly walking away from me, along the side of the road.
Now I had a choice, ride towards him and hope he gets out of the way or go back to the overgrown dyke where I had been fortunate enough to not see a bear but did see a ton of bear poop. Did I mention that the road ahead was only one car wide, not two? In my head I could see it working out where I went back only to find a bear on the dyke effectively blocking me in either direction.
As I considered my options and loosened the bear spray in the holster attached to my bike a truck came up the road and the bear decided to climb a tree not 5 feet off the road. The driver had a chat with me and I mentioned I was deciding which direction to go given that there was a bear right in front of me. I asked the driver if he'd seen any other bears on the road as I was considering going back on the dyke and was trying to assess my odds. He asked if I'd seen any bears on the dyke I'd just ridden as typically at this time of the day there are 6 or 7 bears over in the area I'd just come from. Gulp.
Eventually the driver offered to drive his truck behind me on the road and escort me past the bear. Which worked as the bear went back up the tree. But I have to say, as I rode past him, no less than 10 feet away from me, I swear I saw him lick his lips.
It's a good thing that truck came along when it did. I think I will find a more travelled route next time I go out for an early morning training ride on my own!
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Sep 03, 2009 @ 4:37 PM
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Well August is officially at an end. Its hard to believe that the kids will be in school a week from now. Where did the summer go? It seems that for me the month of August was at least in part about the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
On August 3rd I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for the Ride after returning from a weekend ride with a friend. I sent out my first fundraising requests that day. Now it is the end of the month and I find that I've raised $2,695 already which means I've met my minimum and am officially in the Ride. I also have promises to send in donations totaling another $1,400 or so (I am hoping to see at least some of those funds come in next month). I've raised my fundraising target from $3,200 to $5,000 and I am already considering raising it again.
I've also done a fair bit of riding/training in August. I've completed two 60 km rides, a 51 km ride and one 77 km ride as well. In total I've riden 559 km this month and spent a total of 23 hours, 40 minutes on my bike. I am busy making plans for my first 100km ride this coming weekend and I have been looking ahead into the fall and planning several additional challenges including a ride up and over SFU mountain (I don't think I will be ready for Cypress or Seymour this year).
Its been a good month and a good start to this process. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my Ride already!
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 @ 10:38 PM
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As of this afternoon I have crossed the $2,500 fundraising threshold which means I am officially in the Ride to Conquer Cancer for 2010! As best I can tell I am the second person so far to have crossed the threshold and be "officially" in the Ride. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to help me get accross this threshold. To those who have told me they were planning to contribute or to those who are thinking of making a contribution, please follow through with your commitment as I plan to follow through with mine. The threshold is just that, a threshold. There is no limit to what can be raised for this cause. Cancer knows no such limitations. Last year 1701 riders raised $6.9 million. I plan to do everything I can to make next year even better still! Your donations and support are needed. Every little bit counts in the fight to Conquer Cancer. Thank you for your support.
by Brent Jordan on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 @ 4:51 PM
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Just got back from my first ride along 0 Avenue from 176 St to Sumas Border Crossing and back. 76.82 km in 3 hours 19 minutes (I am on a mountain bike, not a road bike). It felt good to take on this challenge to see how it went. I feel good but have a new appreciation for the challenge that the Ride will provide. Needless to say, there is plenty of training in my future as I work up to longer distances and times on the bike. I am thinking of trying either a 100km ride on the September long weekend or back to back rides of a lesser distance (maybe 70 km each).
by Brent Jordan on Sun, Aug 23, 2009 @ 2:42 PM
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While in Kamloops this week on a family visit my grandmother suprised me with a donation in support of my Ride. I would never have considered asking her for a donation for the Ride given her limited means. I guess my Dad told her about what I was doing because when I arrived with my kids for a visit she had an envelope waiting for me to contribute to the Ride. My grandmother has lost her husband and each of her siblings to cancer and considers herself lucky to have avoided it for nearly 88 years now. Thank you so much Grandma, you really blew me away!
by Brent Jordan on Fri, Aug 21, 2009 @ 11:31 AM
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I had some time to think this afternoon while driving home from the airport after dropping my mother off for her flight.
I've mentioned raising my goal before but have always held back on the basis of waiting to see how it goes. But the more I think about it the more I realise that based upon the amounts certain people have already told me they plan to contribute I am already past my original goal of $3,200. So why wait until the money comes in to raise my goal? I've already said that I plan to continue fundraising right up until the Ride. So why hold back?
I've raised my goal to $5,000 and I hope and plan to raise it again soon.
To those who have already said they are sending in a contribution and to those who are thinking of making a contribution, please do.
Your support is encouraging me to try even harder. Thank you!
by Brent Jordan on Sun, Aug 16, 2009 @ 9:20 PM
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Its been a good month so far.
I just got back from a 51 km ride around Birch Bay, USA with a friend. It was a great ride with lots of interesting scenery although some of the road surfaces were pretty rough. I put a new set of tires on my bike and am relatively happy with them already although at 80 psi I felt every bump in the road and then some!
At the mid point of this month I am up to 295 km for the month and 11.5 hours on my bike. I am planning an 80 km ride along 0 Ave. for next weekend to see how I fare with the extra distance and time in the saddle. I feel good about my riding effort so far this month and yet am reminded that all I've really managed is to cover just slightly more kms than the Ride itself but over 16 days instead of 2!
The response to my fundraising has slowed down some and yet I am up to $1,775 already with about another $1,500 that people have promised to donate at some point. Not bad for 2 weeks I guess! I plan to keep pushing for more donations and to send out reminders to those who haven't responded yet. I am hoping to raise my goal from $3,200 to $5,000 soon and if that goes well, who knows, there is still lots of time to fundraise.
I am off the bike now for 5 days for a family vacation which will seem odd as these days I don't get more than a day or two off the bike in an entire week.
That's it for now!
by Brent Jordan on Sun, Aug 16, 2009 @ 3:34 PM
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Nobody said this would be easy. At the end of last week and over the weekend I converted a couple of promises of support into donations, which felt good. I continue to send out requests for support and continue to receive positive responses which is encouraging.
On the weekend I went for a 60 km ride to Pitt Lake and back with a friend. Although 60 km is a lot shorter than the actual Ride, it felt like a real workout as a lot of the ride was on rough and overgrown dykes which added an element of resistance to the ride that is different than roads or hills. I was surprised at how sore I was after the ride but then later in the day went for a 6 km ride with my son at Mundy Lake park which helped loosen up the muscles that had stiffened up since this morning.
Today I commuted to work in the pouring rain and was reminded that in spite of our extended bout of good weather, not every day on the bike is in sunshine and good conditions. I am slightly off track for my goal of 500km for August, but will see what I can do to catch up. This Sunday I am planning to cross the border and perhaps ride a portion of last year's course for fun.
Until next time, thanks to all who visit my page and who have offered their support.
by Brent Jordan on Mon, Aug 10, 2009 @ 2:34 PM
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In late April of this year I talked myself out of doing the 2009 Ride in part because I was recovering from some knee problems that were making training difficult but mostly because of the intimidation of raising the minimum $2,500 in order to ride. I didn't think I could do it in time.
On Sunday I signed up for the 2010 Ride, created my personal page and started my fundraising efforts. Five days later I have raised $1,500 in donations and have commitments for another $1,500 which will come in over the next little while.
I am amazed by the response already. I am even more committed to my fundraising efforts than before. I still have 10 months to raise more for the cause and I will. I am so sorry that I let the fear of the fundraising keep me from participating in 2009. I can't wait for 2010 to arrive and to actually get out there and complete this journey!
Thank you to everyone who has responded to my fundraising requests already. Thank you in advance to everyone who comes on board in the future as I continue to do everything I can for the 2010 Ride!
I can't wait to get on my bike again tomorrow and take one more step towards this goal!
by Brent Jordan on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 5:31 PM
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Last month I managed to ride just under 500 km.
Today I went out for a 48 km ride with my weekend riding buddy Mike. A good start to August already. I am planning on putting in another 500 km this month. It not that hard when you use your bike for commuting as well as recreation.
When I got home today I was thinking a lot about next year's Ride to Conquer Cancer so I spent the day working on my personal page and sending out my first round of e-mails to family and friends. I know, I am starting way, way early but I am hoping that the idea of committing to a small amount each month might help some people to jump on board with contributions. Although my current goal is to raise $3,200 for the ride, there is no reason for me to stop fundraising if I reach that goal so I figure the sooner the start, the longer I will have to raise as much as I can for this worthy cause.
Can't wait to get on my bike again on Tuesday. Can't wait to get in to work on Tuesday to access my contact list at work and send out another round of fundraising e-mails!
by Brent Jordan on Sun, Aug 02, 2009 @ 8:24 PM
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