Just like yesterday

Hello everyone!

I'm guessing not too many people are still following this blog (or they're going through it reeeeally slowly), but we all thought it would be a cool idea to give people an update on what's going on in our lives one year later. Could become a fun annual tradition!

I am STILL working through my Engineering Physics degree at UBC, one more year to go and I will be done with it. Not too hard of a workload, so I am hoping to get involved with the Model UN delegation here at UBC (New York, baby!), and will be volunteering at the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Vancouver when they come. I am incredibly excited for that, it should be an amazing experience. After I am done, I hope to travel wherever the money will take me before touching down to reality and the real world! I have started saving up money this past summer, working on Co-op in Vancouver, and applying for every scholarship that will take my application. Every little bit helps. The bike doesn't get out quite as much as it did last summer, but I've still used it a fair amount and am still loving it. Getting out on the road brings back fond memories as you can imagine, and I was even able to help a friend train for the Ride to Conquer Cancer which helped keep me in shape and pay forward what I can to others trying to accomplish their own cycling goals.

As for the ride, I never imagined how much it would change me as a person, and my life in general. In the past year, I've had two speaking engagements with Muscular Dystrophy Canada, one alongside Mike here in Vancouver, which were truly amazing experiences. I was recently informed that I was selected as Muscular Dystrophy Canada's Client of the Year, and will be flying to Toronto in October to receive it at their annual awards banquet. It is an incredible honour! Mike, Pat, and I were also recognized several times by our Sigma Chi Fraternity, both at UBC and on the International level. Give and you shall receive, I guess, but we certainly never expected the accolades that have been given to us. We also put together a book from the blog and pictures we kept along the way. It is great to have such a nice-looking log of the trip, and to see how many people have enjoyed reading the stories from their own copy.

Personally, the ride has lent a great deal of perspective on what's important in life. I've found myself enjoying the little things more, and have been more RELAXED. The other four will all be happy to hear that, as they tried many, many times to loosen me up on the trip when I was so wound up in the experience, sometimes too much to truly enjoy it. I could not have asked for better people to be with and to have as friends now.

I think what is most special to me about the ride, beyond the amazing memories and the great experiences and friendships, is the impact I have seen the ride make in others. Every time someone comes up to me and tells me how amazing they thought our accomplishment was, it means a great, great deal. It's most noticeable when we're in a group talking together about the experience around friends: you can notice how carefully people listen. Even more fun was having both Brian and Jon come over to Vancouver this summer, seeing them for the first time since last August. It was an absolute blast, and I can't wait for the next time they come around and hang out with Pat, Mike, and I over here. Or maybe a houseboat or Calgary reunion? Who knows.

Beyond that, thank you to everyone who followed us and supported us along the way! It absolutely blows my mind at what were able to do just one short year ago, but it never would happened without everybody giving us a helping hand. My Mum Judy immediately comes to mind - Nin, thank you so much for everything you did, and I love you so much. You helped take the Moving Muscles Ride from a cool idea to a project of epic proportions! And my cousin Andrew deserves another mention. He took a gamble on five essentially non-cyclists, got them Specialized bikes and gear, and watched them ride it all the way to the finish line. Andrew, I will never, never, never forget it, and I hope that jersey is smiling down on you. To all of you reading, I gave Andrew my light blue jersey from the trip, which my Mum framed. It was the least I could do to thank him. There are many others to mention, but everyone's families are at the top of the list. It makes it so much easier to do something of this magnitude with support from loved ones.

One year's gone by, but the memories are lasting forever, and only growing more fond. Thanks for continuing to be a part of our journey.

Enjoy the ride,

Keith

Mike's Final Thoughts

As I'm sitting here at UBC campus, it's hard to believe that our Bike Trip has been finished for over a month. It seems like yesterday that the five of us were having a weekly video conference, but it has been about 10 months since we had our first meeting. So much has happened since I decided to do the trip; is hard to put into words. I remember Keith's reaction when I first mentioned that I was going to bike across Canada, it took him about half a second to decide that he wanted to do it too. I can honestly say that in that half second my life changed. In that instant, the trip went from being an average cross country bike ride to something extraordinary. Keith's idea to make it a fund-raising effort and the addition of Pat and Jon to the team sparked the beginning of Moving Muscles Ride 2008.

It took months of planning both the logistic and the fundraising aspects of the trip. We all shared the work and by May we were more then ready to start biking. I think the only thing that lacked in our planning stages was training but, in hindsight, no amount of training would have fully prepared us for the first few days of the trip. I always tell people that just worked ourselves into shape over the first few weeks. I remember having lunch in the back of Brian's Dad, Dave's, van and being colder, wetter and hungrier then I ever thought possible; at the same time I was extremely excited to have finally begun and didn't think about quitting for a minute. I had no idea what the next few months had in store but I knew that I was embarking on the experience of a lifetime.

For me, and I think the other guys would agree, the first few weeks were physically the most challenging of the trip. Keith, who had spent more time on a bike in the previous year then the four of us had combined, was definitely the driving factor through BC. On the second day, when the rest of us had nothing left, Keith was the one who raced ahead to catch the ferry (too bad he missed the turn). He was also the one who always wanted to go further and bike longer. By the time we got to Revelstoke, without a rest day and not having done laundry since Vancouver, we were thoroughly exhausted and filthy. We took a day off and, on the advice of a professional, we decided to change a few things - like taking more rest days and spending some time in laundromats. We were always finding out better ways to do things and adapting to situations as they happened.

The most meaningful memories that I have of the trip are of all the people we met along the way. Almost everyday my spirit was lifted by someone who heard our story and went out of their way to show us support. There were lots of simple acts like the lady outside of Revelstoke who stopped at the side of the road to write us a cheque because she saw us on the news the night before. There were also all the great people who offered us meals and a place to stay; most of these people we only knew through friends, or friends of friends. In Brandon, we stayed with the Mennies who were connected to Keith somehow, but neither Keith nor Lloyd could figure out how. Despite this, Lloyd and his family welcomed us to their home like we were family and even sent us a few emails as we continued along the trip; it was very inspiring.

This trip was probably the greatest learning experience of my life. Obviously I learned about biking and maintenance - I can change a tire in record time and can tell the PSI in my tire just by feeling it. I also learned a great deal about Canada, we saw the country from a completely unique view point. Very few people can say that they have seen, and experienced, this country from the Pacific to the Atlantic and I am proud to say that I have. I also learned a lot about the four guys I rode with. I knew each of the guys really well before the trip, but after spending essentially every day with them this summer I know them inside and out. The five of us built a bond over the summer that will last a lifetime.

Pat's final blog

I walked past Mike McDonald’s room at the UBC frat house one evening last year. Curious to see what he was so excited about I stopped and asked, “Mike, what are you all giddy about?”
“A friend from Ontario and I are going to ride bikes across Canada next summer” he replied. I laughed and walked away. The next day I was walking by Keith’s room, not remembering my conversation with Mike, I asked what they were so excited about; “Next summer we’re going to ride bikes across Canada!” Again I laughed, “You guys are crazy,” I explained, “there’s no way two average university students, Keith with little biking experience, and Mike with zero bike experience are going to ride 8000km across the second biggest country in the world.” Thinking this was another imprudent dream realized by a couple naive college students over a couple beers I knew it would soon fade to an afterthought as the semester moved into final exams. To my surprise two days later I found Mike and Keith were still talking about this epic journey on bikes. I sat down with both Mike and Keith as they explained how people do this trip every summer, how they may get bikes for cheap from Specialized, and how serious they were about this initiative. They asked if I wanted to join the team and not being one to back down from a challenge I agreed. So just like that I was a part of the team, not realizing at the time that this would be the hardest undertaking, both mentally and physically, that I have ever done and hopefully will ever do in my life.

Preparations began immediately following the Christmas break. I changed my workouts in the gym from upper body to lower body, and not owning a bicycle I was on the stationary as much as possible. I told my friends and family of the trip, most of whom had about as much faith as I had originally with Mike. When Keith came to us with the idea of putting our efforts towards a good cause and raise money for MDC we were all excited, but it was impossible at the time to realize just how much of an impact we were to have. Shortly thereafter Specialized and Bombardier gave us the good news of their sponsorships and our dream began to materialize. It wasn’t easy preparing for this ride, sending fundraising letters to friends and family, sponsorship letters to companies, the physical training, creating a website, and purchasing the necessary equipment, while being a full time undergraduate student. But as most of you who are reading this know, the five members of the Moving Muscles Team are not your average twenty-something’s.

Just days before departing from Tofino on May 13th I was sitting in a pool at a resort in Cancun Mexico on a grad trip with a group of friends drinking ‘dos cervezas con hielo’. At that time I was not aware of the fact that in a week’s time I would be in agonizing pain struggling to keep up with the other four riders as we battled our way through the mountains of BC. The first two weeks of our ride brought some of our biggest challenges; an 18% grade hill out of Tofino, a 400m climb out of Port Alberni, 35 degree heat through the Fraser Canyon, and the grueling Rogers and Kicking Horse Passes. I remember thinking at this point in the trip if someone were to miraculously be able to take away one pain from my body I would have a hard time choosing between the large blisters on both my heels, my grapefruit-sized swollen knee that shot pain through my body with every pedal, the sunburn stinging with sweat on my back, the shooting pain between my shoulders from the new posture that comes with biking, or the agonizing pain of the saddle that only a cyclist can appreciate; a true ‘trial-by-fire’ for five non-cyclists. When we arrived in Revelstoke for our first rest day I honestly didn’t know if I would carry on. I saw a doctor in Revelstoke who was also an avid cyclist; thankfully he adjusted my saddle to release some stress from my knees and back, and assured me that once we were through the mountains the swelling and pain in my knee would go down. He was the first of many people along our journey that would give me the confidence and inspiration to finish. At this point we had traversed the mountains of Vancouver Island, the Fraser Canyon, the semi-arid desert Interior Mountains, the Monashee and Selkirk Mountains. All we had left was the Rocky Mountains and it was downhill from there right?

The first milestone, for me, came just before Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains when the rivers changed direction and we began to bike with the flow of the water. We had reached the highest elevation of the trip and even though I knew it wasn’t all downhill from here (far from it), at this point a part of me felt that we could finish. That night we stayed in the beautiful Chateau Lake Louise and I knew that we had earned it.

Apart from the physical achievements that gave us the encouragement to keep pedaling were the reminders that our journey was truly going to make a difference in the lives of others. When we arrived in Calgary Brian’s father (Dave), had organized a barbeque for us and invited some friends. One of Dave’s friends had brought her young daughters who were inspired by what we were doing, and Nicole wrote an incredibly inspiring letter to us. One line of the letter reads: “It was so amazing meeting you, and I truly think meeting you was way better than meeting a celebrity. It makes you realize that normal people can make a difference”. Deb and Candisse Foster from Muscular Dystrophy Canada had also got word of us in Calgary and came that day to see us at the Barbeque. When I met Candisse (the 2007 poster child for MDC) I realized what our journey was going to mean to Canadians like her who will never get the chance to even ride a bicycle.

The Prairie Provinces were a true test of our perseverance. With the wind blowing into our faces from Calgary to Winnipeg we had no choice but to put our heads down and peddle. I’ll spare the details of the prairies as most of you have heard them and truthfully I’m trying to put that experience behind me. When people ask “what was the low point of the trip” I tell them that it was the day out of Brandon MB; riding into 40-55km headwinds in the cold and rain, averaging 11 km/hr. Reading about all the ‘great tailwinds’ in the cyclists log book at a tourist information stop on the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border didn’t help with my affection for this part of the country. There were good parts of the prairies, specifically Caronport, Regina, Brandon, and Winnipeg. We met some of the kindest people along our journey through the prairies and I will never forget them.

The prairies end abruptly east of Winnipeg. Seeing the line of forest on the horizon that was the beginning of the Canadian Shield was a welcome view, however we had no idea that the climbing we would do in Ontario would exceed that of BC. The winds changed in our favour through Ontario and this helped us immensely through Canada’s largest province. Northern Ontario proved to be physically one of the hardest stretches of the trip as we climbed up and down around the great lakes. One thing that will always stay with me is the stench of dead moose lying beside the highway; something we had the pleasure of experiencing many times in this area. It was an emotional moment when we came to halfway point in the journey of Terry Fox at his memorial. It’s an amazing feeling standing next to the statue of Terry Fox knowing that you have an exceptional connection with one of Canada’s greatest heroes. Through more grueling hills around Lake Superior and Lake Huron we finally made it into Southern Ontario. It was quite an experience having the fire department escort into London, Ont. Sirens blaring, lights flashing, blasting through red light intersections we were an important convoy entering the city. London to Hamilton to Toronto to Cottage Country to Ottawa and that was it for Ontario.

The welcome in Montreal was amazing and the support that Keith’s entire family gave us throughout the trip was truly amazing. In Montreal: we raised a few thousand dollars at the barbeque, had a couple nights out on the famous strip, were on four radio stations, signed an infamous guestbook, had lobster dinner at the club, and again were treated like royalty – no big deal. Moving on to Quebec City (the second best city in Canada next to Vancouver) where we were cheered on by a multitude of fans up the ‘Cote de la Montagne’, met Sir Paul McCartney, and sipped champagne on the Plains of Abraham. I may have embellished those last few instances; however it was interesting experience in one of Canada’s oldest cities. Riding alongside the St. Lawrence to Métis-Sur-Mer where once again the welcoming committee of Keith’s family was incredible. I’m glad I had the chance to see this small beautiful corner of Canada that I’m sure many people will not.

Across New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, and finally Newfoundland the mental toughness of the trip started to show. Staying focused for the last 10 days of the journey was much harder than I expected but my 4 good buddies helped make it one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip. Crossing the finish line in St. John's was a surreal moment and an epiphany of inspiration from the other four riders, their families, and my family.

From the rainy hills of Vancouver Island, to having lunch on the banks of a glacier fed river in the Rocky Mountains, to spending the night on a bird watching tower in the middle of the prairies, to swimming in Lake Superior, to the nightlife of downtown Montreal, to a lobster dinner in Antigonish overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, to being Screeched in on George Street in St. John’s, this bike trip was so much more than five young men raising money for a cause. I am forever thankful to my family and the families and friends of Keith, Mike, Jon, and Brian who made this trip possible. I am forever a better person for having seen my efforts making a difference in the lives of others. No matter where I end up in life I know this will remain one of my biggest accomplishments. Thank you Dad for a quote that will always be with me when I think of this journey:

“It is the strength of character that separates the doers from the dreamers… you are 7500 kms ahead of us dreamers!”

As in life, the journey was not all uphill nor was it all downhill however a rare path that offers improvement for those with the courage to go down it.

Thank you for the support that made this ride a success!
Merci de votre soutien!

Patrick Cuthbert

Brian's Final Thoughts

    Well it's been nearly a month now, since we finished our ride in St. John's. Since I have been home, I have had time to relax, sleep, and think about what the five of us did this summer.
    For about two and a half years, I had wanted to make this trek across the country on bike. I had mentioned it to my Dad, and all he said was "Go for it!". For a while, I pictured this being something only of conversation, but soon after I decided to make it happen. When Mike jumped on board, I knew it was going to happen. What I didn't know was HOW it was going to happen. With the support of all our sponsors, we were financially set, and with the support of friends, family, and everyone else, we were mentally set!
    With our initial goal of $100 000 nearly reached before we even started on our bikes, we upped our goal to $150 000, feeling confident in the support of people across Canada. Not being cyclists, non of us knew exactly what we were getting into. So we set off from Tofino in the rain with Mike's words of wisdom ringing in our ears, "It's just a bike...how hard is it to ride???".
    We experienced everything on this trip: Great friendship and comradery among the five of us, rain, sun, sleet, hail, snow, and wind, mountains, prairies, forested Northern Ontario and Quebec, muggy Southern Ontario, and the small town maritimes. The people we met across the country made us all proud to be Canadian. The number of times people opened up their wallets, offered us a place to stay, and helped us with our trip was amazing, and I thank all of you who helped us along our way!
    As of now, it still feels like it was just an amazing summer trip. But when I think of all the people we met, the number of people who told us they read the blog everyday, and looking back at the pictures we took, it comes to realization that this far-fetched, hair-brained idea actually happened!

    It was our pleasure to show our support for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Keith has given everyone a reason to hold their head high, no matter what challenges they face through life. Thanks to everyone that has given their support to help this trip become the success that it was.

What an adventure! One that the five of us will ALWAYS share.

A mari usque ad mare,

Brian

---

Getting screeched in after dipping the tires in the Atlantic

We have ridden our bikes a long, long way.

On Tuesday our journey came to an end as we arrived in St. John's,
greeted by friends and family in the harbour at Prosser's Rock in Fort
Amherst. The day started with a rough awakening. Our ferry got in to
the terminal really late and only got to bed at 4:30am after biking
nearly 10km to the hotel. We were on the road later than we had hoped,
and with 30km/hr winds in our face and rain, we knew that we had a
long 140km day in store.

The landscape between Argentia and St. John's was barren but scenic,
lakes nestled between the forest-blanketed hills that surrounded us.
The road was hilly, and in the wind we moved slowly, but the thought
that it was our last day was imprinted in our minds. It was hard to
imagine that a trip we had been on for so long was coming to an end.

Arriving into the St. John's area, we were greeted by the city's
firefighters who led us to their station in Mount Pearl. We got a warm
welcome from the firefighters who had assembled, and they led us on
the last 20km stretch into town. A few of them even brought out their
bikes to ride with us! Thanks to Craig Cox and Shelley McWilliams for
their help, as well as all the firefighters who came out with us.

It was a special feeling when we finally saw water for the first time,
indicating that we were near our end point. Our families had gathered
at the harbour, and as we came around the final corner they cheered
until we finally broke the ribbon to end the trip! After greeting the
family and friends who had come out to see us, including MDC staff and
two young boys whose lives have been affected by Muscular Dystrophy,
it was time for the trip to come full circle and dip our tires in the
Atlantic. Everyone gathered around as we made our way down the boat
landing, cameras going all around us with applause and cheers. It was
an incredibly awing moment to think about what we had achieved, and
what better way to celebrate than champagne? We popped the corks and
the bubbly went in all directions, some drunk but most of it
completely soaking our clothing, making for some interesting smells on
the car ride to the hotel.

With the trip done, it was on to celebrating it in St. John's, and
what other way to do it than an official screeching in ceremony? Erin
Townsley-Smith, a representative from the MDC office in Vancouver who
has been incredible in supporting us, and Kathy Cuthbert organised to
have Christian's Pub on George Street to give us all an appropriate
taste of Newfoundland's finest spirit, screech. One of the workers
came out dressed in fisherman's gear with an oar, and started talking
speedily in a heavy Newfoundland accent, funny and entertaining. Much
of the act was trying to teach everyone to say "'Deed I am, ye old
Cock. Long may your big jib draw," a response to "Are ye a
Newfoundlander?" and one person after another fumbled as the crowd
roared with laughter. We then got on our knees and he passed around a
shot of screech, and brought out a big frozen cod for us all to kiss
before downing the burning liquid. Officially Newfoundlanders! We even
have a certificate to prove it.

Everyone is taking off over the next few days, and I don't think we'll
forget our time here anytime soon. And now we have an entire month to
rest and relax!

*****

With the trip at an end, all of us will be writing a final blog to air
out our thoughts on the trip (and whatever else comes to mind).

The trip's been an emotional challenge. When I decided that I wanted
to accomplish the feat, I put every ounce of what I had to give into
the project. I'm driven to challenge myself, and I saw this as an
exciting way to see our beautiful country while pushing my body and
mind to achieve what relatively few people have. There were times when
I wondered whether my body would be able to handle it, but it meant a
lot to me to prove to myself that I could do it. Others have, so why
couldn't I?

A big motivating factor for me was the fact that I have Muscular
Dystrophy. There have been many times over the past several years when
I struggled mightily to cope with the realization that my body was not
going to function how I wanted it to. I completely lost interest in my
favourite sports over seeing the decline in my performance, and was
unsure as to how to deal with people's reactions to my physical
appearance and the difficulties I had with seemingly normal physical
tasks. Not only did I see this trip as a way for me to deal with my
affliction, but I wanted to be able to turn it into a positive and
help others. The knowledge that my confronting the ailment could
inspire not only others with the disease, but anyone who would learn
about the ride, was a huge motivator and only pushed me more.

It's pretty special to be able to say that we have made a real
difference in people's lives through our actions. I am so lucky to
have been able to accomplish what I have with Mike, Pat, Brian, and
Jon. Not being as physically strong as they were, they helped me by
taking most of the weight, pulling the trailers and carrying the
water, drafting for me when I needed it. Thanks to their unselfish
actions, we moved quicker, and I was able to conserve my body's
strength without pushing it over the edge. When it wasn't helping me
keep up, it was trying to slow me down when I was getting ahead of
myself, or a bit of comic relief when the times got tough. Group
dynamics are a funny thing, and we were blessed with a fantastic team
that got along relatively harmoniously all the way through.

I also need to give a big thank you to my entire family for their
support, but in particular my mother. She was an absolute force in
helping us with various aspects of the organization. I don't know how
many hours she put in, but I know from many past experiences that when
she puts her mind to something, you either have to step in line or get
the hell out of her way, because she will stop at nothing. From
getting sponsorship, to designing donor cards, having the shirts made,
organising media contacts, and who knows what else, she helped us
bring our ride from a simple affair to an event that got attention
from ocean to ocean. We are all incredibly lucky to have had her on
our side. Thanks Nin, I love you SO much.

From mooing at cows to sleeping in a birdwatching tower, swimming in
Lake Superior to swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, drinking beer across
the country to getting screeched in on George Street, we have had some
incredible experiences, and it's going to take us a long time to fully
appreciate it. We're five extremely lucky young men who got to live
the dream this summer, and despite some of the hard times we had to
push through, we're never going to have a better "job" than this ride,
and that's the bottom line.

Thanks for being a part of it with us.

Across the ferry to Newfoundland

This will be short, as it's late, and we need sleep.

We spent the entire day and part of the next on the ferry to Argentia. Way longer than expected, as we only got in after 3am. We then had to bike nearly 7km to get to our hotel to try and get some sleep before the ride to St. John's.

Our journey will end tomorrow as we ride into St. John's Harbour to cut the ribbon!

One...
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To North Sydney, our gateway to Newfoundland

After last night, we are officially done camping. No more tents, no more cooking with single burner stoves on camping pots and pans, no more setting up and taking down camp in the rain. From here on in, we'll have motel nights on both sides of the ferry before we ride into St. John's, a nice change from nearly three months of tenting it.

We saw Cape Breton's hills today, and some of its less attractive weather. The wind blew in our face and it misted all day, turning into legitimate rain just as we climbed 250m to the top of Kelly's Mountain. It was our first big climb in a long time, winding up over 7km. What goes up must come down, though, although in the rain and wind we couldn't exactly go full out.

We got into North Sydney completely drenched, so it was nice to be able to dry out in our room at the Clansman Motel just off the highway. We're close to the ferry, too, so we don't have too much work to do tomorrow before getting out the door. The ferry leaves at 7:30am, and we have to be there at least a full hour before, making for an early start. We will then have 17 hours to kill on our way to Argentia; normally the crossing is about 14 hours, but they will be working on one of the engines during the run, so it will make the trip longer. We will get in very late over on the Rock...

We can't believe we're on the ferry tomorrow. Only a few days to go.

Two...
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Surf and Turf in Antigonish before the last few days in Cape Breton

We are getting very close.

So are two English men whom we met as we left PEI on the ferry to Pictou. They work in the Alps during the winter, and one night at the bar they talked about the upcoming summer. Neither wanted to work, so the idea came up to bike across Canada. Sound familiar? They will be taking the ferry to Port-aux-Basques in the next few days, while we take the one to Argentia Monday morning, so they've got a bit further to go. Moreover, they are biking back to Halifax once they're done, because that's where their flight leaves from to go back home. We will not be choosing that option...

The wind's been in our face for the last two weeks, and why would anything change on our way to Antigonish? Fortunately it was a relatively short day at 95km, and when we got into town, we were met by my cousin Andrew and his wife Laurell and brother-in-law Shane. They were picking us up to drive us out to Arisaig, where Laurell grew up and is now staying for most of the summer with my two cousins. Her family has a great location near the shores of the Northumberland Strait, but even better was their hospitality.

When they fetched us as we came into town, my cousin Andrew picked up 15 lobsters, steak, and sausage, and that evening we all gorged ourselves up at Laurell's parents Vince and Bobbi's home. Vince is a retired lobster fisherman, and on numerous occasions has cooked 100lbs of lobster at once, in a gigantic homemade cooking pot which he heats with a huge propane torch. The food was incredible, and we got in a bit of horshoes as well - Vince and his family host a horseshoe tournament every Labour Day weekend.

We couldn't eat all the steak, so it became this morning's breakfast before they drove us back out to Antigonish so that we could get on our way. We then had to plough through more headwinds and some rain as we headed onto Cape Breton Island.

Before crossing the causeway onto the Island, we were met by firemen from one of the local volunteer fire departments. Mike's mother Polly had told them a few days earlier that we would be coming through, and gotten them to help us out. Sure enough, Ian and Lou came out to meet us, escorting us across the narrow causeway with no shoulder. They even gave us some bottled water back at their station before we continued on. Thanks guys!

We pushed on for a 105km day to Whycocomagh over the hills and into the wind, leaving us a short day to our motel in North Sydney before we catch the ferry on Monday morning to Argentia. Countdown's getting close...

Four...

Three...
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Two sleepy days on Prince Edrward Island

We are close to the end, and our bodies and minds can sense it. As we near the last few days of the trip, the exhaustion from the long trip is catching up with us. Now on Prince Edward Island with a bit of time on our hands, we decided to make the most of our time and spend as much as we could here. We decided to not take a rest day on our way from Metis to the ferry, and instead took two slow, short, and easy days across the Island.

The first day was a 60km trip to Charlottetown. It absolutely poured on us as we came into town, where we met Pat's Mum and Dad for lunch. While we were there, CBC Radio came and interviewed us, and funnily enough Pat saw Mike's family taking a horsedrawn carriage ride right past where we were eating! They were taking some time to see the city before continuing on their way around the Maritimes. We later found a hotel room, and everyone stayed around before we went out to dinner to see the sights. It's a beautiful little city, and with the trip nearing an end, it was nice to have time to enjoy it and take it in.

With only a short trip down to the ferry, we took the morning to sleep in before heading off today. We had a place to stay right near the Woodlands ferry with Darla Thompson and John Rousseau. They stayed in the Eastern Townships with my grandparents about a month ago, and they were returning the favour to us. The location was perfect for us, and they were gracious hosts at their beautiful property. They fed us well while John told us stories about his masonry business, an absolute passion for him. While we were there, we also took the opportunity to decide who was going to get what gear to take home. we had an NHL-style draft, with 10 packages up for grabs. Funnily enough, nobody really wanted to take the trailers which carry it all, but everyone went home with some good loot, and it avoids our having to divide it up in St. John's last minute! The Island has been absolutely beautiful to bike across. The rolling landscape is complete with farming fields, and views of the water. Most distinct are the potato crops, with the red earth that they are planted in.

Tomorrow, we'll take the ferry off of the Island onto Nova Scotia, our ninth province of the trip, heading towards Antigonish. And the countdown continues...

Six...

Five...

Spanning the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island

All our family is slowly making their way to St. John's.

We met up with Pat's parents in the morning for breakfast, and soon after Bob, Polly, and Mary McDonald drove by us on the road. They drove from Ontario and will tour the Maritimes before crossing to Newfoundland.

We wanted to get to PEI today, and it made for a long 135km day. The scenery along the small highway we took for the last 20km was absolutely beautiful, and we could just make out the Island across the water, a pencil-thin line on the horizon. As we moved South, the Confederation Bridge slowly came into view, and it is very impressive. It was completed in 1997, and spans 13km from NB to PEI. It is even slightly curved to force drivers to pay attention to the road. Unfortunately, no pedestrian or bicycle traffic is alowed on the bridge, so we took the shuttle which runs back and forth.

Once on the other side, we found a campground quickly, and set up before the rain hit. The McDonalds met up with us, taking us out for a seafood dinner in Summerside. Tomorrow, we'll continue to Charlottetown to have lunch with Pat's parents. One week to go!

Seven...
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A visit from Pat's parents on our way to Rexton

It's been a while since we last had to wake up and take down camp in the rain, and this morning was brutal. We got up to rainy weather, a road under construction, and wind in our faces coming out of the rest area where we made our home. It was slow enough that we only made it 25km by lunchtime in Miramichi, where we settled down at Boston Pizza to use up the last of our free individual pizzas. Delicious.

The conditions weren't showing any signs of improving weather, and we weren't too sure what lay ahead, so once we crossed the bridge we picked up food for our next two meals to carry with us. Ironically, the rain died down soon after, the sun came out, and the wind improved, so we made quick time the rest of the way to Rexton, where we found a site and set up camp.

As we got there, Pat got in touch with his parents. They arrived in Halifax a few days ago, and have been driving around the Maritimes in a Ford Mustang rental car. They came and found us at our campground, and it was nice to see them, as Pat has not seen them since the third day of the trip. They took us out to dinner at their motel, and we'll have breakfast with them tomorrow before heading out, at Eastern Canada's version of their Vancouver Starbucks: Tim Horton's. Good thing we got all that food in Miramichi, eh?

Tomorrow, we'll cross over the Confederation Bridge to camp out just on the other side. On to PEI as the count goes on.

Eight...
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Leading the parade through Bathurst on our way down the coast

A few people in Bathurst might now about the ride now.

After covering 50km to get there for lunch, we ran into a parade that was running along the main drag through town, also our route out.

We had options. There were a number of streets available to take around it to get on our way. There was also the option of just joining the parade itself and acting like we were a part of it. We went for the latter.

We bypassed the lineup of vehicles that were actually part of the parade, slowly pedaling while waving to the crowd and smiling for the cameras. Eventually we got to the front, passing a few firetrucks and a cop car or two, and were leading things along. People who were waiting for the parade in behind us saw us first, and clapped and cheered us on. It was a pretty funny experience.

The winds have been fighting us all the way South, and today was no different. Complicating things was the fact that there was essentially nothing to be found between Bathurst and Miramichi, a full 80km apart along a deserted highway. Worse, there was a repaving project on the road making riding a nuisance, and with the hour getting late, the outlook was bleak. Luckily for us, a rest area opened up, with a gas station across the road. We've set up camp and will stay the night.

The countdown continues as we continue down the coast towards the Confederation Bridge to take us across to PEI.

Nine...
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The countdown begins in New Brunswick

We're in the final countdown to St. John's, and now that we are in the Maritimes in New Brunswick, it is hitting us that we are very close to the end.

At our campsite last night and this morning, we waged a serious battle with the local blackflies. They were by far the worst we've had to date, just swarming every part of our body, worst when we were standing still trying to actually do something. They definitely won the fight, and we got out of there as quickly as possible this morning to avoid them.

There was little between Sainte-Florence and Matapedia, so we made it through in solid time. The ride was absolutely beautiful, following several of the regions rivers through the valley, surrounded by pine forest. We weren't quite ready for lunch when we arrived, so we pushed on across the border to Campbellton. It was quite a feeling to be in the Maritimes, and thankfully they had a great sign for us to get a picture with!

There's not much along the East coast of NB, and we went a long distance without seeing any grocery stores or restaurants. Worse, we had lost an hour coming into the province, so it was getting late to find something. Signs to one campsite were completely false, but regardless we didn't have any food, and after 120km of riding, all we knew about was Pizza Delight in tiny Jacquet River 10km away, which somehow came up in searches. We figured we had no choice but to go there, so we ordered 4 of their biggest pizzas for takeout, and figured we'd find somewhere to camp once we got there.

We lucked out big time. Not only was the pizza delicious, but there was a campground right next to it. It was right on a beach, and with clear skies the sunset was amazing. We took the pizza with some beers down to the water, had a swim with LOADS of jellyfish (Jon got stung), and had rock skipping, rock throwing, and caber toss competions. The caber toss was the most exciting, and everyone was able to get the first, lighter log to 12 o'clock. The second log, taller and heavier, posed a greater challenge. Contestant after contestant tried and failed, until Jon stepped up to the plate for his third attempt, throwing it up in Herculean fashion to get it to land at the 12 o'clock position. We even had a crowd, as a couple had just ridden over along the sand in their ATV. With the competition settled, we headed back up to set up camp, with two full pizzas left for tomorrow. They were huge, so we'll definitely have enough for breakfast, possibly even lunch!

With the trip nearing an end, I've decided to run the battery on our GPS locator down, and have it tracking us all the time through the day. If you click on the "current location" link on the homepage, you can see where we are throughout the day, and follow us all the way to the finish line until August 5th. It is a cool extra feature for you who follow us along.

Moreover, we sit about $11,000 short of our fundraising goal to date. Please help us out be telling anyone you haven't already about the ride to help us make it before we're done! Every little bit helps.

With that out of the way, the countdown is on to St. John's.

Ten...
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Up and down and into the wind along the Matapedia to Sainte-Florence

After getting an incredible welcome into Metis, we were treated to an equally impressive sendoff this morning.

A crowd of 100+ people had gathered for our 9am departure, and cheered us on as we wheeled our bikes onto the Beach road outside my house. Lots of cameras took pictures while I went to find my 90-year-old grandmother, who was waiting in the middle of the street with her scooter donning a helmet to lead us out, with the firetruck trailing us. Kids, parents, and grandparents alike dusted off their bikes to ride East out of town with us to the highway, before the following crowd stayed behind as we rode off.

Turning onto highway 297 after Baie-des-Sables, we ran into steep hill after steep hill as we climbed up to the Matapedia highway (also the 132). Once there, the road flattens out as it runs along the river valley, Southeast towards New Brunswick.

In Amqui, we were met by their fire chief who trailed us out of town until the far side of Lac-au-Saumon. There he switched off with one of his colleagues to take us to Sainte-Florence. We didn't know the area very well, so we were lucky that he asked us where we had planned to stay for the night. We hadn't gotten that far ahead in the plans, so he warned us that there was essentially nothing between Sainte-Florence and Matapedia, another 50km away, which would make for a long day. Thankfully, he led us to a municipal campground where we could get set up. Another big thanks to the region's firefighters, who have been very supportive of us and extremely cooperative.

Once in, it was Jon's turn to make dinner, the last meal of the competition. He went for a fettucine carbonara of his own creation, with baguette on the side. It was good, but it was now up to the judges to decide. Each person ranked the other meals 1-4, with a reverse points system to make a score. We must have saved the best for last, because Jon came out on top, followed closely by myself, then Pat, Brian, and Mike respectively. We'll have to find some kind of prize for Jon, but until then, he gets bragging rights as MMR's Iron Chef.

Tomorrow we'll cross into New Brunswick as we make our way along the coast.
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A second homecoming in Metis-sur-Mer

One of my absolute favourite places in the world is my Martin family's summer home on the St. Lawrence in Metis-sur-Mer.

It's hard to describe, but families from all over Canada and even overseas take time every year to make the pilgrimage back for a weekend, a week, or a month or two to see friends that they only see there and have known all of their lives. Life is slow, limited to golf and tennis on the country course and courts, walking along the beach, and plenty of cocktail parties and bonfires in the evenings. It's akin to Never-Never Land from Peter Pan, because nobody in Metis ever grows old, returning to a perpetual childhood state whenever they come down for their summer holidays. It is a very special place indeed.

Yesterday, we left Trois-Pistoles with more of the same brutal winds we'd seen the previous two days. At the very least it was sunny, and we rode hard throughout the morning as we enjoyed the pleasant scenery along the shores of the St. Lawrence, much more beautiful in the sunlight than under the gloom of the previous days.

We made it to Rimouski for lunch, more than halfway for the day, and were met by my cousin Ted Savage who drove out to find us. He is part of Metis' volunteer fire squad and had recruited the neighbouring fire halls to help escort us from Pointe-au-Pere (just East of Rimouski) into Metis, about 50km of our day. It was pretty cool having them for such a long time, and along the highway people turned to watch and cheer us on. Once we hit the Metis Gardens, we were to switch escorts to the Metis team, and continue into town with them for the last 10km. Friend Peter Swinkels drove Ted's Mercedes convertible for my Mum, who videotaped us the whole way in. (A girl on her way home from work at the Gardens joined us randomly, and even made fun of us because she was faster than we were.)

What was waiting for us when we arrived was a most amazing scene, something I've never seen before in my 23 years of going down there, and totally blew me away.

As we came into town, the church bells started ringing announcing our arrival onto the main road through the village; my Uncle Kerry was ringing the Presbyterian bells himself. People were on their steps clapping and cheering, and as we made our way along and came up the hill to Town Hall, a crowd of 200+ people had gathered to greet us outside, almost everyone who is down here for the summer right now. It was extremely moving for me, because I knew almost everyone, and Metis, as I said, is an incredibly special place for my family and I. To be welcomed like that was truly amazing.

My cousin Ted had set up speakers and a microphone, and did all the announcements before motioning me to the front. I said some words of appreciation to the mass who had gathered, introducing the other guys to them and thanking everyone for coming out and giving us their support. We stayed briefly for a meet and greet (Mike and Pat recruited some of the kids to bike out with us), before a final escort through the rest of town and back home for some showers and some well-deserved rest after three hard days.

Today was a day of doing absolutely nothing. The most exercise any of us got was Pat, Brian, and I going out to play a few holes of golf with my Mum in a cart before going back home for dinner. After some spaghetti and an incredible dessert (ask Brian yourself), we got down to business, breaking out the shaving cream and the moustache dye. Our legs are smooth once more, and we are all sporting dark brown moustaches; hopefully people won't be too afraid of us as we near the finish line, and will still be willing to say hello.

Tomorrow we head off towards New Brunswick, hopefully with an escort of children with their bikes. Thanks to everyone for making the welcome in what it was, particularly to my fantastic cousin Ted for his help and to the Mont-Joli and Metis firefighters for their time.
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Another tiring day to Trois-Pistoles

The wind didn't let up for us today, and was blowing harder than yesterday as we moved down the St. Lawrence.

We had to draft pretty consistently throughout the day to save as much energy as possible. Brian and I, not carrying trailers, rotated the duty of cutting the wind at the front, while the three guys with trailers rotated behind us to get a draft. We've been using the dropdown handlebars pretty frequently, as they allow us to get lower, more out of the wind. The difference is a few kilometres an hour faster, anything to move quicker.

It's a beautiful place even without any sun, riding past fields of all sorts, canola being the most striking crop with it's neon-like yellow colour. On one break, it literally looked like there were waves in the fields, an effect of the winds we encountered. When it's blowing in your face and cold, anything is entertainment.

One funny story: leaving this morning, Pat went into a pharmacy to pick up a few things. Nobody spoke a lick of English and must have wondered what he was doing in there, asking for the following items:

Vaseline, men's Nair (we "need" to shave our legs again), hand sanitizer, and moustache dye (or as Pat asked, "du produit de colorissant pour le moustache"). Absolutely ridiculous. We wonder what people think of us when they see us.

We pushed on today despite the weather, and made it another 115km to Trois-Pistoles. Unfortunately, it's gotten pretty cold, and is now raining on us. Mike upped the ante with dinner tonight, making chicken Caesar salad, complete with impressive homemade garlic bread, and extra spicy Clamato juice to drink. Drawback? Longest preparation time thus far, especially since he had to buy chicken thighs and cut them up to stay on budget. Jon will be last up, having the benefit of seeing all of us go before him before making his meal. Pressure's on.
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Fighting wind and cold to La Pocatiere

After last night's fun, we got a bit of a late start today, and didn't exactly wake up to a pleasant day. The wind was blowing hard in our faces, and it looked like it could start pouring down at any time (thankfully it didn't!).

Once again, we passed cyclist after cyclist today. We've seen more cyclists in the last few days than the entire trip combined, without question. Seeing them coming the other way was tough, because they were just flying as opposed to us, heads down, grinding out whatever we could. We still moved well, but the work was draining. You just had to get into a good frame of mind and keep on going.

Same as the North shore, we are passing through one small town after another. Towns where we could actually get groceries were hard to come by, and eventually near the end of the day we got to La Pocatiere, big for these parts (meaning it's got an IGA and a Metro). We got food, but it was getting late, dark, and cold with the fog coming off the river looking more and more like oncoming rain, so we headed off to see what we could find at the local CEGEP. We couldn't camp on the nearby grounds, but thankfully Pat noticed someone in an office for the residence, and we were able to get one of their apartments!

We're now set up here, and thankfully so. We had a kitchen and showers, got to do some laundry (which had been getting a bit fragrant...), and tonight was Brian's night on dinner! He made chicken nuggets with corn on the cob, baguette, and a "5-pack" of beer. Three down, two to go, so we'll have to see what Mike and Jon come up with before the voting takes place, and the champion crowned.
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More stories of quebec city...

Some stories keith forgot to mention yesterday, in the excitement of quebec city:

After we had been relaxing by the river, trying to figure out a place to stay, we split up for a bit. Jon, pat and I biked west along the water for a ways, in search for a bike shop, while keith and mike biked to the chateau frontenac to find a bank. Jon, pat and I were to meet mike and keith infront of le chateau after we were finished shopping. If anyone is from quebec city, or know the area, you are well aware of the winding, steep street of cote de la montagne. Naturally, we had to try to bike up it, with our panniers, trailers, and the hundreds of tourists wandering the streets. Our best guess is that it is a 20 % grade, or higher, our steepest yet. About halfway up, a lady on the side of the road yelled something at us, and started clapping her hands! Soon after everyone on the side of the street had stopped shopping, and was cheering us up the grueling hill! The three of us couldn't help but smile as we powered up that hill!

Story numero 2:
Once at the top, we were looking for mike and keiffer. We found them resting beside the tourist information center infront of the chateau frontenac. Just as I was about to turn off the street and onto the sidewalk, a police officer on a motorcycle (sirens blaring, and lights flashing) stopped dead infront of me, inches from my front tire, and put his hand up for me to "ARRET"! Another cop drove by, and did the same down the street. Seconds later, a convoy of cars drove past: two police cars, followed by a maroon car. It was about this time that we saw hundreds and hundreds of people rushing the streets, chasing after this maroon car. Jon's bike and trailer got mildly trampled as people rushed past him! Then it hit us...Paul McCartney was driving right infront of us! I whipped out my camera and started recording, as he hung out the window waving at the people of quebec city! He passed feet infront of us, as he was escorted down the streets od quebec city! It was pretty sweet to have been in the right spot, at the right time, to get a glimpse of PM, the day he was to perform his live show! We might not have seen him on stage at the concert (thanks to the thousands of hardcore fans blocking our view) but we were within feet of him, as he drove past the chateau. Watch for that video to be posted!

I think that about does it!
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Celebrating Quebec's 400th anniversary with Sir Paul

Quebec City is in the midst of celebrating its 400th anniversary, and we rolled into town at exactly the right time to take it all in. Sir Paul McCartney of Beatles fame was scheduled to play a concert on the Plains of Abraham as part of the year-long festivities, and everyone was invited.

The only problem? Finding a place to stay.

We got into town around noon after a short ride from our campsite West of the city, and headed straight for the area right around the water. The city is absolutely stunning, rich with history, and abound with friendly and relaxed people. A lot of people approached us randomly, asking if we were staying for the night, and telling us how once-in-a-lifetime this opportunity was. After making some calls, we couldn't find anything in town, so we resigned ourselves to continuing across the water on the ferry, and continuing along.

While we were shopping for groceries just across the water, Brian found a campsite that was closeby. We would be able to get a taxi back to the ferry across to Quebec to watch the show, or at least try. After all, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

While we were on our way there, my Mum found us along the road, and followed us in. She's heading out to our place in Metis, anticipating our arrival. She gave us some money to help with cab and ferry expenses, and we headed out shortly after dinner.

The city was alive as people walked in the streets and hundreds of thousands were all around the Plaines d'Abraham to watch Paul's show. We couldn't even get close to the stage, and walked all around only getting views of several screens that had been set up around the area. He played hits from the Beatles and Wings, charming the crowd. We walked on, around, and through old battle structures that have been standing for hundreds of years as we walked around, the city is absolutely beautiful. We wanted to get a jump on the crowd leaving, so we took off to the ferry a bit before the show ended to miss the rush. What a way to be a part of Quebec's festivities!

Tomorrow we'll continue along the south shore of the St. Lawrence as we make our way to my family's place in Metis.
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