T-Minus one

Well tomorrow is the big day when we start driving to Creston. I think I'm ready. I seam sealed my new tent last night and I think I have everything I need. I have received good wishes from literally hundreds of people. As is the case with most things, I could always be better prepared, however, I'm finally getting excited. I honestly think I'm going to be able to do this. Who would have thought even as recent as a year ago when I was still looking at cyclists going by and thinking if only I could do that again.

It hasn't quite been a year since I bought my trike, but I estimate that I have about 1200 kilometres on it and should have my one year total to over 2,000 by July 26. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this effort. I will try and add posts during the trip if time and energy allow.

5 Days to go

Well I went out yesterday and bought myself a new tent. In my preparation, I discovered that since I can't balance on my knees, I can't get into my old pup tent without crashing through it. I have to say it doesn't owe me anything since I got it as a high school graduation present. Yes I did say high school. Thirty-four years is pretty good usage. Now if only some of my body parts did that well.

The daughter of a good family friend just finished riding from Vancouver to Tijuana on my old road bike. So I have a standard to reach for. My gear is almost ready and the carying rack apparently is ready for the support vehicle. Now that it is ready I hope I can get through without using it. The 150 km from Revelstoke to Golden might do me in though. The summit of Rogers Pass is 1332 metres after starting the day @ 440 metres elevation. I certainly should sleep well that night at least.

Eight Days to go

Well one week tomorrow I catch a ride to Creston to start my ride.
My schedule will be:
July 19th ride 110 km to Ainsworth Hot Springs
July 20th ride 110 km to Nakusp
July 21st ride 105 km to Revelstoke
July 22nd ride 150 km to Golden over Rogers pass
July 23rd ride 105 km to Radium Hot Springs
July 24th ride 139 km to Kimberley
July 25th ride 131 km to Creston
July 26th collapse on drive home to Vancouver
I am hoping to be able to ride the whole distance but I am trying to be realistic as well as optomistic. The support will be there but it is going to be extremely challenging.

On another note. I am quite excited for a stroke survivor I met from Saskatchewan. She recently acquired a recumbent trike and is now riding 10 km each day. That was great news. Cycling shoes have solved her foot attachment to the pedals problem just like I had.

Training

Well this past week has been pretty good for training. I've ridden about 215 kilometres over the past week including riding 3 days in a row. I know that seems insignificant when compared to 115 km /per day average that I will be riding in three weeks time (whoops two weeks). The important part though is it is continuing to improve and I am feeling ready for the challenge. I am beginning to feel that my fitness level is more the limiting factor than the abilty of my left leg which is a huge change.

I started this project with the hope of inspiring other stroke survivors to push themselves to improve. I know it has had an impact on some people and I'm sure I will never know who may have benefited from it. I do know that the story has spread and it is my wish that people with challenges will continue to be inspired to a "can do" attitude.

Tribute to A Non-Survivor

We had our program wrap up lunch today for the North Shore Stroke Recovery Centre. One of the volunteers handed around a brochure recognizing the death of one of our members. I met this gentleman while he was in the hospital after suffering another stroke. He had several over the past 8 years. They were the side affects from a brain tumor. I only met this person once but was very inspired by how he tackled his recovery which unfortunately he has had to do numerous times. When I met him he was training for a triathlon which inspired me tremendously. He was training irregardless of the fact that he might have another stroke at any time. He showed me that the important thing was to keep striving to move forward.

He unfortunately lost his struggle on June 28th but I believe he has left a legacy for all those who met him. To do less than my best would not honor his memory.

Less Than Month to Go

Realization has come finally that I am less than a month from starting this challenge. I have been riding between 80 and 120 kilometres per week, however, that will jump to my daily ride in just over three weeks. I am pleased that my left leg is spinning much better than when I first started riding, however, I am now really noticing how much fitness I have lost since my stroke. I will be doing 180 kilometres over three days this weekend riding three days in a row so that should be an interesting test. I suppose putting all the weight back on that I lost in the hospital hasn't helped. However, I find it hard to find an exercise that my body can do at a hard enough intensity to actually get aerobic exercise. My cycling is just about there, but my running is still just a walk.

The good news is that I honestly think that I am going to be able to ride the whole way now. The $64 question is how long will it take? Now I am trying to spread the word about the fund raising part of the trip.

A Challenging Day

I've had great days and challenging days on my recovery road. Today has been a challenging day. I am working hard these days at finding employment which is a not easy in the current employment market. Another challenge is maintaining a positive attitude when you are constantly being evaluated by people. In our society, one of the big signs of one's worth and one of the first things people ask is - so where are you working? Although I have only recently been capable of working, being unemployed is a bit of an additional stigma. It appears that my disability provider has deemed that I am able to work so my benefits have ended. Finding work is one of the steps in my validating who I am post-stroke.

I have tried to overcome the disabilities that I currently still have through determination and positive attitude, but to an employer who doesn't know me yet is that sufficient to overcome the visible shortcomings I have in their eyes? I don't know the answer to that question yet as I haven't been given that chance. I sometimes wish my employer had handled things differently so that I would have had a job to return to. Returning to work and learning a new job will be challenging. Now I just need someone willing to take the chance and let me do it.