I saw you at one of the rest stops! MY GOODNESS you mush have been hot! I also had bags of ice stuffed all over my body.
This morning at work, one of my coworkers/teammates had the GALL to comment on how the weather was perfect... of course he's a machine and finished shortly after noon :P
I found the afternoon of day 2 extremely difficult, and towards the end started to feel like it would just go on forever. But, it was a fantastic feeeling to roll in to crouwds cheering, hearing my name announced over the PA, and seeing my friend there filming me with her iPhone :) Also, having the finish line next to a lake was pretty darned awesome.
It was incredible. I agree with Nora15. Day 2 was incredibly hard. Harder than I had expected or anticipated. Those hills were deadly. I was pretty sure I would make it, and was very happy that I did, but it was touch and go there for a while! I was thrilled when one of the vans was stopped by the side of the road offering water after our last pit stop and they told me I was only 12 k from the finish - I knew then for sure I was going to make it! Phew!
home safe and sound. I had the pleasure to ride with Dez and company on Saturday. Dez, I looked but never found you on Sunday morning. I met up with Serge, Norm, Pascale, Karen, Matt, Marianne, and we picked up Ken on the route. By the 2nd pit stop it was myself Pascale Serge and Norm. We rode together all the way into Quebec City. Matt kept joining us and fading out and joining us again. Now let me tell you about the two most handsome men on the whole ride, Norm and Serge. If it wasn't for those two guys I'd still be climbing those hills. Gentlemen, thank you for your instruction, support and the pushes up the hills. Pascale your willpower to get you up those hills kept me going too. I hope I can one day conquer hills with the same determination. Gil and Patrice, Darcy it was a pleasure riding with you and I hope to see you again on future rides. Sophie it was fun sharing a tent with you-nudge nudge wink wink. Diane I'd love to join you all for a post ride dinnner. Where and when and if you need any help with getting the word out to other riders let me know how I can help.
Incredible, Unbelieveable, experience of a life time,etc What a great experience, but those hills, I made them all but WOW! What team 1,836 cyclists strong, in case no one new who I was, I was the guy with the yellow and pink ribbons hanging off back of my helmet. Saw Diane a couple of times, it was great to see determination, just keep pedalling. We have done, now someone right after I had finished ,said would you do it next year, I answered right away YES, then I thought OH OH the hills, let me think about it. But i am thinking about it already, instead of registering in January, I may do it a little sooner this year once I think about it. Great job everyone who started this Defi, even if you did not finish for one reason or another, the Goal was achieved we are fighting back against the enemy CANCER.
Definitely less wet than last year, but I missed the strong tail-wind we had last year, and it certainly was hotter than last year. Diane, I don't know how I missed seeing you this year. This time my younger daughter did it with me, and that made it a different experience. I noticed one of the 2 rollerbladers of last year was with us again. I only saw him until camp. Hopefully he finished OK.
Once again, hats off to the crew . You all worked like crazy to make it a wonderful experience. Of course, kudos to ALL the riders who (literally) worked their butts off for this event.
As an observation, I somehow didn't seem to remember all those hills on the 2nd day. I'm told it's like childbirth - amnesia convinces you to do it again. I must say I particularly enjoyed the 2 downhills near the end - particularly the 30 zone. I went whizzing past the bikes & the cars doing 64 & enjoyed every second of it.
Does anyone know what the holdup was at the beginning? We went a few blocks then had to wait quite a few minutes, went another block or 2 & had to wait quite a while again. I was really anxious to get going & found the delay to be quite aggravating. I was near the front (but not close enough to find out what the cause was). I heard that the same sort of thing happened much farther back.
I'd be very pleased to find out where to find pictures & videos of the event. There were some great ones last year.
-- Edited by comsoft on Tuesday 13th of July 2010 09:21:05 AM
It was an awesome ride and I learned a lot from it!!! I'm happy that all we had to do was bike and everything else was taken care of (and the pot-o-potties were the cleanest ones I have ever seen in my life), damn that was a nice touch!!!
Congratulations to everyone, I really appreciated the supportive team spirit :)
We need to give a great thanks to all the volunteers and crew, as any event and especially one of this size it just does not work without the crew and the volunteers. The pots were wow clean, the cleaning soap, the gatorade, the water the snacks the food, thank you for making the ride a experience not just a ride.
patrice tardif how did you do on the hills, even if you walk up them you were there for the right reasons, like I had said it is better to walk up the hill and finish the ride on your bike,then ride up the hill,get hurt and not finish the race, no brainer your choice.
the more I read and the more I talk about the ride, the more I want to go again on the ride to conquer cancer, but i will take a bit of time to think about, but actually I am ready now to do the same ride.
OMG comsoft, you're sooooo right about the amnesia ... the memory of those painful hills is already fading enough to contemplate next year's ride!
Found the heat this year made the ride tougher than last year's. There were moments when I actually missed the heavy rains. And tell me this people: Who added all those hills on the second day??? I only remembered a couple of bumps from last year - amazing how the mind can play games on us.
Congratulations to everybody who participated in this adventure and a HUGE thank you to ALL the volunteer crew and staff for tending to our every need. Also thanks to all the riders who took care of each other when on the road. If someone pulled over even for just a second, everyone would ask if you were okay. What a feeling of connectedness! Finally, thanks to all those who came out and cheered us on - crossing that finish line was an awesome feeling.
YEs I agree about the hills I remember them being there, but have forgotten the feeling of trying to make it up them, but I remember the feeling when reaching the top of each hill and the total feeling of wow, I made another one and I am closer to quebec now.
It was a team effort all 1,836 who left Mtl, i am planning already, whether to ride, but also i have alrady possibly talked someone esle into doing it, that would mean i guess I am close to signing up.
Thanks again to all, the organization for the pit stops,food,medical, gatorade,water, ice, tents,etc. It takes all to pull this off and Yes it is done for another year on to 2011!!!!!!!!!!!
Im having post ride blues...oh sigh. Definitely coming back next year - this is too much fun to give up! Ride #3 here I come! What are the odds the route will change I wonder?
Me too but I'm taking a year off but I do hope the next route has less hills and not more. Woo those hills were tough. Any word from Diane about a post ride dinner. And any one want to do a post ride training ride.
I thought the ride was great, could of been worst,more hills, and more hills. I have learn to ride better and I believe do attack those hills now. The same route would be great!!!!!!!!!!! Have done a couple 30 or 40 km rides since, I am aiming for a ittle 124km very soon. maybe this week.
Its official - Im registered again!! WOOHOO! I can't find the Message board on the new site and I really hate FACEBOOK -ick. Anyone know where to find it/if it exists?
than last year. Diane, I don't know how I missed seeing you this year. This time my younger daughter did it with me, and that made it a different experience. I noticed one of the 2 rollerbladers of last year was with us again. I only saw him until camp. Hopefully he finished OK.
. You all worked like crazy to make it a wonderful experience. Of course, kudos to ALL the riders who (literally) worked their butts off for this event.