Jack's Ride

I was a little worried about this ride.  We both were. Mainly cuz I hadn't done a ride this long all year.  I don't think I did one this long last year.  And we both knew the ride was going to be hilly.

I've been riding my mountain bike a lot. So I was hoping that was going to make the difference.  And to be honest it did.  More so than the road rides.

From what I understand it has a lot to do with the nature of mountain biking and the higher heart rate you will experience from all the climbing.  Where as on the road the heart rate can be a bit lower except when you are hitting a hill or sprinting.   Most times on a mountain bike trail you really have to spin your legs.  Maintaining a high cadence.  It's the only way to get up the technical climbs or else you are walking or falling over.

My strategy was to pace myself and get into a group that I can draft off of, because it's always easier in a group than on your own.  Way easier.

900 riders.  That's the cap.
I also ran into a couple of friends from the DH Flyers cycling club I belong to.  J-M just before the ride start and Elysse that I ran into at the end while I was waiting to get a burger to eat.

They always have student youth speakers talk of their experiences before the ride start.  It's such a great cause.
How often are youth pushed and prepared to do well in school, sport and life?  But what happens if you don't do well?
Are the youth prepared for those situations?
Were we?  Probably not.  But it's so competitive today.
Everything is about being in the best schools, best leagues, best neighbourhoods.  What happens if you aren't?  Can you cope?  Can you manage?  Do you have the tools to do so?
Maybe, maybe not.  It can seem overwhelming.  And sometimes it can overwhelm.

But that's what this cause is about.  Having some place for youth to turn to for help coping with what life throws at them, before it's too late.  The youth may not have been taught these coping tools, but together we can learn from one another and be able to move forward.  It's pretty terrific.

This is a well organized event.  Everything runs like clockwork.
There are 3 stops for the 100km ride and 2 for the 50km.  Tresa told me last year she ran into the 100+km riders at the 1st pit stop,  I wasn't sure how that could be, but this years ride guess who i ran into!  As i was getting some fuel at my second pit stop (at the 56km point) I turn around and we were so surprised we ran into each other.  I was wondering how she was doing.  And she looked to be riding well.  Last year was pretty hot and it was tough.  This year she seemed stronger and more prepared.

This was the group I was riding with for most of the way.  After 75km other riders were joining and riding to the front and the original group I was with was splintered, and I found myself riding the last 1/4 on my own.  The 125km peloton had caught me with about 10+km to go, and I stayed with them for about 5km, when I just couldn't maintain their pace any longer.  I didn't even stop at the last pit stop, just cuz I wanted to be done.  But if I had, I would have ran into Tresa again.  I saw that she had stopped there on the Strava Flybys.

I was tired and hungry for some real food instead of nut bars.  Although these One of a Kind bars are pretty tasty.
I could no longer stand Cliff, Lara and whatever else there was in the health section of Loblaws.

They raised quite a bit this year.
The goal was $440K, but they hit that target pretty quickly.

It was then raised to $550K.  Blew by that.

They raised almost $700K.
I was told that this ride pretty much raises much of the money the organization needs to operate for the year.

Well done.

Glad i got a chance to ride it this year.
Happy the weather was pretty much ideal.
Overcast, little wind and much cooler temperatures compared to last year.

Thanks to everyone that sponsored us!
100% of it goes to the helping of the youth mental health cause.

Jack.org/Ride