The heat cycle

You still have time!

This year marks the sixth time I’ve participated in the Great Cycle Challenge to help fight children’s cancer. And as luck would have it, this is the hottest cycling season I’ve ever experienced.

The Burnt Lands in the Stoney Swamp, part of Ottawa’s encircling
Green Belt

On Friday, 8 August, I rode 20.5 km, through the Green Belt around Ottawa, past the “Burnt Lands,” some suburban developments, a couple of stormwater reservoirs and along the Trans-Canada Trail. And it was a hot one.

That brought my first week total ride up to 123 km, more than a third of the way to my monthly goal. And it brought me over the top of my fundraising goal! Thanks to all who have supported this cause.

Today, I got on my bike again (various obligations prevented me from riding at all on the weekend.) Temperature with humidex was well over 30 Celsius (about 90 Fahrenheit). The sun was intense even at 8:00 a.m. And there is still a hint of smoke in the air from forest fires in Ontario and Quebec. So I managed 14 km before melting into my garage.

A new reservoir pond in Stittsville that I ride past.

This is a charity event to raise money through the Hospital for Sick Children, toward research and treatment of children’s cancers. My goal this year was to raise a minimum of $500 and ride 300 km.

My leg brace, courtesy golden retrievers.

In past years, I’ve ridden up to 500 km in 30 days—in fact, I just checked my history, and in 2019, my first time taking part, I rode 605 km. Of course, that year I was riding my bike 50 km per day to and from work, so hitting that mark was — well, not easy, but unsurprising.

This year, I reduced my target to just 300 km. The reason? Well, it goes back to January, when two wrestling golden retrievers slammed into me from behind, knocking me down and tearing my quad tendon.

That required surgery, and it was while I was still wearing a leg brace that the Great Cycle Challenge contacted me again to sign up. With physiotherapy still in the future at that point, I decided on a modest goal.

I’m well on my way to passing it. Maybe I’ll even get to 500 km this month.

And as for that fundraising goal? Sure, I’ve met it, and I’ll get the shirt to show it, but you still can join the fight against kids’ cancers. If you haven’t yet, come to my Great Cycle Challenge page and pledge whatever you can.