It's been over a month since my last blog. I meant to blog more often but time is becoming a bit of an issue, and when I have time I have to admit I just want to veg. I want to touch a little on my past experiences riding. What I thought were my big rides in my life. It all started when I lost my dad to cancer. I was listening to the radio one day and an advertisement came on about a ride from Vancouver to Seattle. This ride would be somewhere around 350 kms over two days and the objective was to raise money for cancer. As my father's death from this terrible disease was so recent, I began thinking this would be a good way to raise money, and make me feel like I was helping. I had felt quite helpless as my dad went through this disease and this was my way of trying to Honor him. I signed up for the ride and went off to the bike store to try bikes.I hadn't rode seriously in a long time and didn't even have a bike that I felt would do the job. With the bike purchased I was off to train. I had about 4 months to put some miles on the new bike and old rider before the actual ride day. Well, the first couple of rides were great, I have to admit I was a little sore in all the usual places but was truly enjoying the bike. I raised my money through the generous support of family and friends, and in the end did this same charity ride 3 consecutive years. Once I had completed the third year I wanted a bigger challenge. It became not only about raising the money but pushing myself.
I wanted to continue raising money for cancer and heard of a group called Ride2Survive that rode from Kelowna to Vancouver in one day over mountain passes at a total distance of 400 kms. This was the challenge I was looking for. With the opportunity to raise money for cancer and a great cycling challenge. This ride is metaphor for the rider to try and understand what a day in life with cancer is like. We know this isn't even close but it helps us overcome the trials of the day, as you go through the mental challenges of wondering if we will make it the whole way and pushing through the pain. The ride day was a great success for me as the group had put on a great training schedule to prepare all the riders for the big day. We had a few weather issues to overcome as you would expect crossing over the mountains, but all and all the day went well. The total ride time with breaks and all ended up being somewhere around 18 hrs.
I had already started planning to do the Tour Divide before I had completed the Ride2Survive, which brings me to this point. I want to continue to raise money for cancer or support the cause in whatever way I can, so this year I am continuing to train and raise money for this group. My ride this year is the continuation of my challenge to myself by pushing me to the limits mentally and physically. In my own way of trying to understand what my dad and many others have gone through fighting this disease. There were times when my dad vocalized wanting to quit but pushed on. There were days when he felt like he couldn't get out of bed and move, but he found a way to get up. Then unfortunately for us there was the day when he just couldn't go on and the fight was over. On the other hand I have fortunately seen friends that have pushed the limits and overcome everything put in front of them to continue the fight and beat this disease. I know I can never truly understand what they have gone through but this is my way of seeing what I can overcome.
The link below is my web page for donations in my fight against cancer. This group is 100% volunteer which means the total amount you donate will go toward research to hopefully one day end this disease.
http://ride2survive.kintera.org/2013/chrisculos?faf=1&e=6592276317
