It's Been a Blast!
1 Sep 2024
Today marks the end of August and the GCC. I want to thank everyone for all their generous donations, support, and encouragement over the course of my challenge. It has meant the world to me that I got to take part in this event and raise money for the kids battling cancer. I can't wait until next year to do it all again! Thank you to SickKids for hosting such an amazing challenge! Unfortunately, I didn't get out for a ride today. I had plans to go in the morning but, it was raining and storming. So, instead my Mom and I planned a fun road trip down to the St. Lawrence River. Every summer we like to dip our toes in the St. Lawrence at least once! It's something we've enjoyed doing since I was a little kid. This year I decided to turn it into a celebration for me completing my very first Great Canadian Cycle Challenge where I smashed my ride goal and donation goal!! 😆 I had a really fun time down at the little beach in Iroquois. We hung out with the large family of Seagulls and watched a big ocean liner sail by. Here is a picture of the beach! See you again next year! Shout out to my awesome Mom for driving all the way there and back! 🥰
Posted 112 days ago
Off the Beaten Path
31 Aug 2024
Tonight I went for a short ride with my awesome Mom! 😊 We ventured of the road at one point onto a path I've been curious about exploring. As my Mom and I like to do we went exploring/adventuring to see where the path went. Unfortunately, we didn't go all the way to the end because the mosquitos were really bad and we got bitten up. So, we turned back and said we'd explore further another day when the mosquitos weren't as bad. My Mom and I have been adventuring together since I was a little kid! We love to go places that we haven't been before. Exploring is fun! But, it's even more fun when you are with your best friend! I happen to be very lucky and my Mom is my best friend! Here is a cute picture of my Mom enjoying our bike ride together. 🥰
Posted 113 days ago
Car Dodging is an Art
29 Aug 2024
Today I tried my best not to get runover by some very impatient drivers. I'm not sure where these people were going that they felt attempting to run me over was an option to get there faster. A note to drivers. Please move over when going past cyclists if you can. I realize that sometimes it's not safe for cars to move over if there is traffic coming the other way. But, if there is no traffic coming the other way then you are safe to move over and not drive super close to the cyclist. Cyclists are often already riding on the very edge of the road or shoulder so if you drive in our area we have nowhere to go but into the ditch. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma around cyclists "being in the way" or we "shouldn't be cycling on the road". There are MTO laws about bikes being allowed to ride on roads. Laws! Anyway please just remember to be mindful of cyclists while you are driving around out there. We do appreciate it when you move over for us. Like you we want to get home or to work safely. Also, please don't try to squeeze between us and a parked car. Just wait for us to go by if we have the right of way. If you have the right of way we'll let you go by. Such are the rules of the road. Ok this is my last PSA please do not use your phone while you're driving! Look where you are going and pay attention. You can't use your phone right now because you are already doing something else. Driving your car. Alright, now on a lighter note to road safety. Here is a bright sunny picture from my ride this morning.
Posted 115 days ago
200km!!
27 Aug 2024
Guess what? I did it! This evening I completed my ride goal of 200km!! 😆🥳 As you can tell I'm very excited! If you had told me this time last year that I would have rode 200km (actually 200km and counting) in one month I don't know if I would have believed you. This time last year I couldn't even ride a bike and now I've completed the GCC! I want to thank everyone for supporting me during my challenge with your kind donations and words of encouragement. You are all awesome! ❤ I also want to give a special thank you to my colleague and fellow GCC rider Mary McNeill! Last year she introduced me to the challenge when she told me she would be taking part in it for her fifth year. I thought it was amazing that she was enjoying riding her bike and doing for a good cause. Thanks to Mary I was inspired and spurred on to finally learn to ride a bike. All so I could take on the GCC this year just like Mary! So thank you Mary for introducing me to this challenge. I've been having a blast doing it and I can't wait to do it again next year! Also shout out to Mary who also completed her ride goal today of 150km! Go Mary! 🥳 Now if you thought this was the end of my challenge I'm sorry to tell you that you're wrong. I will still be riding and posting updates until the end of the month! I can't wait to see what my total kilometers will be at the end. Would anyone like to place bets? By the way I never mentioned that I got my GCC jersey! It's my first cycling jersey and I love it! Ruby likes it too apparently 😅
Posted 117 days ago
Found a New Path!
26 Aug 2024
What a lovely ride I had this morning! It was bright and sunny but, not too hot. I'm really enjoying riding with my seat at the proper height. No more knee soreness for me! In other news I discovered a new smooth path today! Our town has really grown in the last five years resulting in a large subdivision that was built just outside of it. Usually on my rides I see people walking or biking in and out of this pathway that connects with the original part of the town. I though it was just a short walking path that met up with the new subdivision but, I was wrong! It does meet up with the new subdivision however, it is no short path! Nay, nay! It is quite a long path in fact! I found myself saying "it's still going? Where does it end?". Everytime I thought I had reached the end there was another bend! Eventually it came out on the last street of the subdivision which I also thought was a small subdivision. Once again I was wrong. It's a large subdivision with a park in the middle! I decided to add this new find to my regular route. The path was freshly paved which made for a nice smooth ride. I was going pretty fast at one point and thought "is this how it feels to ride an ebike?" *zoom* I was going to explore further into the subdivision but I wasn't sure of the layout. You see our town's streets for the most part are laid out in a grid pattern. So, you can always be sure that if you miss a turn you can just go up to the next street and loop back around. I'll have to familiarize myself with the subdivision and go back for another tour. On that note never be afraid to go new places! People always say they'll "get lost" if they don't know where they're going. But the truth is You can never really get lost! After all you can always turn around and go back the way you came! So, get out there and explore! Find new places and feel like you're going on an adventure. Because you are and adventures are fun! You never know who you'll meet or what will happen. Be brave, be bold, have some courage and go for it! Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I rode past a fellow GCC rider today! Unfortunately, we were both going pretty fast so I didn't get a chance to stop her and ask her name. I'm hoping to run into her again before the challenge ends. Wish me luck!
Posted 118 days ago
