Deborah Maybury

Saturday Training prep to ride across Canada

As we ease into Feb. I welcome the longer group rides at the Malls. It gives me a reason to stay on the bike even longer than our training schedule requires. I must be slightly ‘off’ because everyone else keeps saying how much they prefer the outdoors, than the trainer in the living room model…I do not mind training stationary. It has provided me the opportunity to bond with my bike without dividing my attention between it and the road conditions, climate variations and, not to mention, safety considerations.

Back to the MALL—-Thanks to the other riders at SEARS-Oshawa-ED, Erin, Helen, Eric & Cath. Special thanks to our helpers including Ed’s wife Christine and the three young ladies that did a fabulous job asking for donations-what amazing confidence and persistence for kids! I was truly impressed.

Here are the states for today:

miles 89.6/ time in the saddle 4hr/ average cadence 84/ average speed 23.7/ calories burned 1200. I felt pretty good throughout - took it pretty easy today (with the exception of the 3-5min. stand ups and climbs and 3-2min. spin as fast as possible sessions in the last hour-next time out I will improve the speed and cadence average.

It is surprising me that I really enjoy being on the bike-there is no mental challenge to put in the time as is required at this moment. I had a good laugh this week at my body shape change. Through December I had been wearing what I call my SKINNY pants. I hadn’t worn them in months because the butt was too tight….however,  they fit as I began combining riding with boot camp training….then I went to put them on last Tuesday and NO MORE SKINNY pants-my legs are changing-muscles!

7:20pm and it feels like it’s time to sleep….pulling out paper work, from a book I must complete, and hoping not to fall asleep. 

You can be the difference.

Nobody can go back

and start a new

beginning, but anyone

can start today and

make a new ending.

—

Maria Robinson

220 days

Sometimes I wish we were already on the road somewhere between Vancouver and Halifax-other days I feel like there isn’t enough time to prepare…will I be ready for this trip 220 days from now? What will it feel like to ride between 120-200km each day for 15 days? I have no idea. So, I do what I can to prepare my body.

We are now finished the second week of our formal training program. Due to a few things in my personal schedule, and riding a lot of extra miles in the mall last Saturday, I have managed to NOT follow the training routine right out of the gate.

However, that does not mean I am behind-it just means I switched a few things around-I actually road more than the schedule states. This week I will be able to get right on track-though I feel like I should and can ride more than it requires. I suppose there is a science behind the whole thing, over-training would not be wise. A slow build up makes sense.

I felt good both yesterday and today after 30/50 kms days. Today I was actually surprised I felt good, though hungry after 2:07hrs.                                 cadence average was 91        mph 23.7 average    

I was watching a good movie and each commercial I hit the hard gears and let my heart rate climb and my legs burn and the cadence slooowwww. I played the stand up sit down game until I felt like I was close to “burnout”.

It is interesting-the other day a friend said—“Why does our brain try to take us out”?  We can ALWAYS do more than the point to which we push ourselves. We are human-we look for the easy way out-we are solution oriented, right. Stopping is the answer to discomfort NO?  When you take the ‘stop’ out of the options, you accomplish more.

The last 10k was the hardest-not because I could not go on-I could have stayed there another hour, if that is what the schedule stated…it was the hardest because I was counting the time rather than enjoying the fact that I was preparing for the trip of a lifetime-every minute is as valuable  as the one previous…

When I was preparing for black sash in Kung Fu-it was the journey that was precious, not the moment I received the sash….though that was pretty amazing…….no more watching the clock!

75then100…..We climb to 150km this week-bring it on!

Days are flying by

Wow, Thursday already. Time is sailing by. Every time I look at the count down number I am even more motivated to hop on the bike. You can not fake conditioning and I do not intend to try. Riding across Canada will require great endurance!

I find it pretty easy to sit on the trainer, probably because I have little to compare it to. Meaning it has been 10 years since I have ridden more than a couple of blocks-the bike represents a hard workout and I am accustom to that. I try not to over think the time in the saddle-and now that the saddle does not represent pain, it is all good. (I will update that when the time jumps to a few hours a day).

The neat thing is that I get to watch tv….I don’t normally do much of that. So, I admit that I am planning my training around what is on and when. Dragon’s Den is a favorite-now they have added the Sharks from the States, Biggest Loser is pretty dramatic in a not so good way this season (get some positive energy folks-what you are doing is amazing), The Bachelor (oh my gosh that’s crazy that I watch that-non of the gals are for him), Survivor will be back and I so wish they would allow this Canadian to apply……and a few others-talk shows…dvd spinning is great too.

I’d rather read or listen to cd’s but neither of those seems to work for me. A good movie causes the time to fly….send some my way.

The Decision to Ride for Children with Cancer

What an amazing day! Where are all the fabulous people coming from? Someone recommended me here and there to do what I live-speak…more on that another day…

I was tired when I left work tonight. I had a hectic day due to a needed refit with my bike seat that shortened the work day by 3 hours….more on that later….

I headed hm, the maid served me dinner, my roomie gave me a much needed massage, I watched tv and feel peacefully asleep with ‘not a worry about me’.

NOT.

I headed to the gym, put my bike in the sauna (it was off- no one uses it), completed my beloved boot camp work out (a young man partnered with me, said “HI Deb”. It felt wonderful that he remembered my name from pre-Christmas when we paired up. I replied, “You remember my name”, with an impressed smile! He said “Of course. You were doing those Wing Chung moves in class”. He is special, there is something about him that is genuine and sincere. He then proceeded to tell me he would sponsor me, “Not a lot, but something”. So sweet.

After class a gal said her father would have 5 guys come to my golf tourney in June. Assume!

Then I went home ready to eat whatever I could prepare the quickest-fish, asparagus and beans. Sounds funny, but it tasted great.

I answered about 10 emails that had arrived since I left work. I ate, put my feet up for 20 minutes then put on my new biking shorts. (It was too late to make 2 calls I was suppose to make-sorry).

Oh my gosh, what a difference. I put my tender butt on my new fitted seat-with NO discomfort and started to warm up. 15 minutes later I was watching the Biggest Looser and spinning away…One hour later I had traveled 26.5 miles at an average cadence of 95rpm, burned 473 calories and had an average heart rate of 132bpm.

I cleaned up stepped on the scale and was 1.3lbs less than this afternoon….I proceeded to eat a bowl of blueberries, a protein bar, 4 dates and then drank a cup of water………..then I sat here.

Like I started to say, I decided to ride mostly because of Becky and the fact that all 13 neices and nephews are healthy. (See archieve Dec. 8th for the complete story).

Now I continue because I can’t remember when doing something made me feel this alive.

Crossing Canada Challenge

The challenge is to take action, not a brief sprint, not tomorrow, not when you feel like it, but take action everyday because that is what is important to succeed.

I often say “Fake it until you make it”, however I am also cogniscent of the reality that I can not fake the level of fitness-mental as well as physical, that is required to cycle from Vancouver to Halifax.

For that reason I break myself away from this computer and several tasks that are awaiting my attention to mount my bike-prepare for the adventure and opportunity of a lifetime…..one that will make a difference….and that is all I need to carry on.

Cycling Canada 4hr Training Day

An amazing day! Raising money for kids with cancer…and training. That was the longest I have spent on my bike……..and I feel great tonight….though I am heading to lay down and watch a movie now, 7:15pm. I look forward to the next time out!!  Keeping this short, enjoy the video.

Cycling and Raising Awareness 101

What a great day! Preparing to cycle across Canada was fun today….that may change when I test tonight…..

Regardless- I had a great day with 7 women registering and paying for my women’s self-defense seminar Feb. 21 in Toronto, an old friend coming out of the woodwork and saying she would love to help me out with those non-cycling things that take so much time and energy, about 20 people registered in the hockey play-off pool in just a few days, a donation from my dentist!!!!! on and on….

you know, there are so many positive things that are evolving from this physical and mental challenge….I know I will come out of this different, different in  very good way. Special people are draw to this type of endeavor…I am playing with and learning from the good side of people….I feel blessed that I decided to attend the canfitpro opening ceremonies last August where I heard about the Coast to Coast Foundation and Sears National Kids Cancer Ride.

Home now to test—bed early—to the Mall to spin 9-3pm tomorrow….meeting new friends…….so cool!