Training

Here we are two months to the day before my “planned” departure; “planned” because sadly we are living in uncertain times right now. As it stands now my plans have not changed, but more on that later.

A number of people I speak to about my trip have asked how my training is going and what I do to train for this trip. That’s a valid question, and one I ask myself and look for when I follow someone’s blog who has toured by bicycle, no matter where they were traveling. My preparation started last year with planning my route, a couple of overnight training rides involving camping, launching this website, and working on getting my wife’s blessings.

With just a couple of months left before I start my journey: my route is pretty much mapped out, I have an itinerary, my training is in full swing and Sue is almost on-board, in fact she is looking at ways she can support me during the ride. Also, I have my doctor’s blessing and I see a wonderful kinesiologist, with whom I have been working for the past couple of years on an unrelated issue. She has graciously provided tips to ensure I am doing my training exercises properly and has been keeping my motivation up, mostly about setting goals. Thank you Anna.

My training to this point has consisted of bike rides in the basement on my bicycle trainer, going to the gym (sort of) and daily meditation, to prepare the mind.

Bicycle Trainer

I want to talk about my bicycle trainer because it’s super cool and is the biggest part of my training during the winter months. I acquired it from Bushtukah a few months ago and is a Wahoo Kickr Snap. Using bluetooth, the trainer talks with an app on my computer called Zwift and mimics bike rides around the world. If I am riding in hilly areas, the computer tells my trainer to add more resistence for going up hills, and less resistance for going down hills. Recently I completed a 24 km ride around Central Park in New York City on my computer, it really is very cool. Depending on my mood, I can focus on distance, hills or a combination of both with Zwift.

Initially my plan was to cycle this winter outside. There is quite a network of plowed paths in my area, and I would be able to get in a good 18km loop safely from my home. But with winter cycling I wouldn’t be able to get the hills in that I need to work on, and there is the motivation factor of bundling up to go for a ride in winter, hence the trainer.

Although I quite like my trainer, nothing beats being out on the road on my bike in the fresh air. This past weekend I took my bike off the trainer, put on my spring tires and I’m ready to resume my training in the great outdoors, now that I am feeling better. In fact I took my first outdoor ride today on my road bike of 2020. And now that the snow has melted off the roads, I will be increasing my distance in the city and in the countryside. Sue and I went for a drive this weekend with her daugher Tess to get some fresh air…and pure maple syrup, and I noticed how the roads in the country are perfect for riding.

Gym

This is the achilles heal of my training plan, I do not like going to the gym. It doesn’t take much to avoid going, in fact I’ve actually been doing more in my basement than I have at the gym. I started off well, but then it peetered off.

I have also started two training programs which are specific to bicycle touring that I was able to find on the internet; one is specific to conditioning, the other is a 16 week plan which encompasses many things, like building distance on your bike. As well, I have a stretching program that I follow from The Bicycle Touring Pro. Unfortunately I don’t have a link because it’s a book I have purchased, but it’s very good and I am feeling a difference… more limber if you will.

Spring Trip

Before I embark on my journey across this great land of ours, I am going to do a trial run through Eastern Ontario. This will give me a sense of how prepared I am, mentally and physically. The trip will take me from Ottawa to Sandbanks Provincial Park (where my high school friend Mike Jensen and I would travel on our bike trips), up to Campbellford (Ferris Provincial Park) and back home via Sharbot Lake Provincial Park. The trip will take me about 10 days to complete and I will mostly be staying at provincial parks along the way. I love the Ontario Provincial Parks system. This trip is more about developing a daily routine and getting a maximum number of nights in than daily distance. After this trip, I will have about a week to do final preparations before my journey across Canada begins, such as stocking up on things I need for the trip, sending my bike to Bushtukah for a good “going-over”, and making sure everything else is in order.

My cousin Sharon in Newfoundland told me about a bike store in St. John’s which I will contact the week before I leave to book them to box my bike up to prepare it for its flight to Vancouver, for the second leg of my trip. I am really looking forward to seeing Sharon and other family members on both my mom and dad’s sides of the family who are still in St. John’s.

Contingency Plans

I have already been asked if I am considering delaying my trip given the current global health crisis. Although I have been sick for the past week or so and have not been able to train, and we do have this crisis in our midst, I am approaching my training as if I am leaving in 2 months as planned. That being said, I do have a couple of contingency plans just in case it’s not safe or we are still discouraged from travelling in May. These plans include leaving at a later date with no effect on the route, or just doing the first leg of the trip, from Ottawa to Newfoundland, should I need to leave at a date later than would make a cross country trip not feasible. Of course, any changes to the plan will need to be discussed with Paul (and Sue naturally) as he is a big player in the first part of the trip.

If I have to postpone to next year, I have other items on my bucket list to pursue that don’t take as much preparation, like paddling the Rideau Canal from Kingston to Ottawa. So there are lots options and I have lots of time.

Stay healthy, stay home, and safe ride.

Bill