Back in the Saddle again.

Submitted by Brian Benson

It's been a while since we last posted. Training was going well until two weeks ago. We even found a flat road to train on. Flat, that is, for North Vancouver. Even the flat roads over here have some hills. On a Friday night we did a short twenty km ride then I went out solo for a five and a half hour mountain bike ride Saturday. The ride was a long one with friends through the many trails of Mount Seymour. It as a great ride but I felt very  fatigued for some reason. By Sunday I had a terrible cold that lasted about ten days, which meant no riding.

During that time we had a family function in Peachland so we decided to drive the Hope Princeton Highway to get a better feel for day two of our ride. I've driven the road many times but never from the standpoint of wondering what it would be like to ride a tandem bike up those hills. Let's just say the hills on day two are running through my mind every night. It will be a tough ride. Tandems are fast on the flats and down
hills but very slow on uphill. It¹s like a semi truck. They seem to cruise effortlessly on the flats, then fly downhill. However I¹m sure each and every one of you have experienced what happens to the semi on hills. They come what seems to be a grinding halt at the first sign of a hill. That¹s what it's like riding a tandem bike. The long hills to Manning Park are going to take a lot of determination to get up.

Margaret is constantly working out, on the treadmill and keeps herself very fit. She was away this week in Ottawa at the Cystic Fibrosis AGM and on Sunday ran a ten kilometer race. Since I knew she would be keeping active I thought I needed to get back in the saddle. Wednesday was a hill climb up Mountain
Highway to Fromme Mountain (some people call this Grouse but technically it¹s Fromme) to the fifth switchback then an amazing technical downhill through the trails. Great ride until I landed face down in a pile of rocks.

My friend turned around just in time to see me six feet off the ground, then face down. Thankfully I wear full armour and a full-face helmet. If not for the armour let¹s just say I think my left arm would be in a cast right about now. I keep forgetting I'm not twenty six years old anymore.

This past Sunday I decided to do more hill climbing. Up Fromme again to the seventh switchback. About a two hour uphill climb from my house through the pouring rain. It felt great. Then came the downhill. As I was alone I decided for safety I¹d just cruise down the road. Needless to say with the rain and six degree weather it was incredibly cold on the descent. I¹m glad I got in some hill climbing this week. I just read Stan Shaw¹s blog about his hill climb up Seymour and can relate to his descent. This week, if the weather clears, we¹ll get back out on the tandem. Otherwise, I'll continue doing as much hill climbing as I can. Stan's blog reminding me how important it is to be ready for the hills. Thanks for the reminder and incentive Stan. Thanks also for reminding me the ride is only six weeks away!!?? Are you sure about that Stan?? That¹s only about forty two more sleeps!! Yikes.

- Brian


Clarification by Stan:  Actually, I think it's closer to seven weeks. So, good news! - you have about forty nine more sleeps! :-)



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