Response to the Newspaper article has been overwhelmingly positive and we have had some generous offers of support and donations come in. I'm very thankful for this because as a few of you know I had to turn down a donation last month. It hurt- I had promised not to turn away any support but this was unique. A very nice guy said his company would like to donate $3000. I was flabbergasted and heartbroken. I know that the company he was talking about was a tobacco and cigarette business. With my history and my mother's struggle with lung cancer, I just couldn't take the money for Sea To Sea. The guy understood and several people have supported this decision. I have faith that making this call was right and the other blessings will come.
Such as these:
A guy named Jeff emailed me, he is the head coach of the London Y Triathlon club, and offered to coach and train me. COOL! We have already met once and the good news was that I'm pretty well fitted on my bike with my new clips. Jeff is also convinced he can make me a better cyclist- I like his optimism and naivety! He does have a unique discipline technique of throwing water bottles and if I don't like an exercise/drill that is the one that I should spend the most time on. Apparently being happy is not conducive to being a better cyclist. I had to ask- When you read the article what made you want to get involved? Jeff's response "What you wanted to do was crazy and I knew you needed help!"
I warned Jeff he was going to be good blog fodder.
The church office also got a call from a local funeral home with a donation. It seems they see a chubby chick who has already been hit by a car as a good future investment! I'm very grateful for their generosity and support-including wishes of safety and good weather. From their mouths to God's ear and I pray this ride doesn't lead to a direct need for their services. Hmmm wouldn't it be fun if they brought the hearse to escort us into London? Or as the SAG sweep wagon? Good people they are.
Finally, Jo Botnick was really touched by the story. He is the Ontario Regional Sales Manager for Bugaboo Earwear/Suntech Optics. He graciously offered our First CRC team free cycling glasses and shirts. THANKS Joe! Hey Check out their selection at suntechoptics.com and support this Canadian company.
Truly, I am grateful for all the blessings that are flowing into Sea to Sea 2008 and excited about the possibilities that will spring from them in ending the cycle of poverty. Amos 5:24
Friday, March 28, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
100 days to go!
Yes. 100 days from today I hope to be sitting around camp after a successful day's ride. I hope we are all buzzing with energy still. I'm going to bet right now that our first day will include rain.
In the meantime, there is a bit of excitement building at home. Yesterday, our congregation woke to a morning paper that included a full colour photo of me on my bike in front of our church. There was a terrific article about not just me but with perfect details about what Sea To Sea is really about. A HUGE THANK YOU to Ian Gillespie who wrote the piece.
Part of me had wished that there could have been a different picture with the article. What I would have liked to have happened was a picture of all of the riders in our church with the whole cogregation behind us because that is what is really happening. And when I look at that picture it's not the building I see but all the faces of encouragement I encounter every time I go to the church.
One of the first phone calls I got that morning was a warning. OMG! they published your weight on the front page of the paper! Yes, yes they did. And by putting it out there it didn't change. Also note that they gave my age and size. I'm OK with this as I have learned that these stats are not what define me, and I try and ensure that they are not even close to being the most important or interesting things to know about me. If that's what's important...I'm not going to be very appealing to you. That's hard as a woman in our society and going beyond stereotype was what was focused on in the article.
An really amazing phenomenon has happened since the article. Women and girls have been coming up to be and giving me their ages and weights. Breaking through the taboos of polite conversation and stating the irrelevant numbers that society tries to bind us with. It's good. And if I make no other difference to anyone doing Sea To Sea....it was worth it just to have those moments with those ladies.
Thanks Ian, for throwing open the door. Here's what Ian wrote:
From the London Free Press Friday, March 21, 2008
This ride will boost charity, fitness image By IAN GILLESPIE
Some women are reluctant to admit their age. But not Gayle Harrison, who happily tells me she recently turned 40. And she doesn't stop there. Harrison gaily adds she is "an overweight, middle-aged woman" who weighs 195 pounds, wears a size 16, carries her weight high, can't find a cycling jersey that'll fit her and was "always the chubby kid who wasn't good at sports." She also admits when she tells people she plans to ride her bicycle coast-to-coast this summer, as part of a church-sponsored fundraiser, most people assume she'll be helping out behind the scenes.
"They think I'm a volunteer," she says. "And that I'll be in the SAG (support and gear) wagon making sandwiches, eating bonbons and waiting for the riders to come in."
Harrison relates all this with an infectious sense of humour. But her message -- that we routinely (and mistakenly) associate thinness with fitness -- is serious.
"Fit is a different thing than size and body weight," she says. "Body mass is not an indication of fitness. And part of me doesn't want to lose the weight, because I want to show there's not a perfect size to being fit."
Harrison has been training hard for the Sea To Sea bike tour, a cross-continent trek organized by the Christian Reformed Church to support anti-poverty programs.
More than 200 riders -- including eight Londoners -- plan to participate in the ride, which starts June 30 in Seattle, Wash., and ends Aug. 30 in Jersey City, N.J. Along the way, the cyclists will cross the American border and dip into Southwestern Ontario, visiting London on Aug. 21.
Although the cyclists will be accompanied by vehicles to cart their gear and pick up exhausted riders, it's still a demanding challenge: During the nine-week ride, cyclists will cover an average of 110 kilometres a day.
To prepare, Harrison started cycling last spring for an hour a day. Now, as winter lingers, she attaches her bicycle to an indoor stand and pedals two to three hours daily.
Harrison figures she'll be able to ride at an average speed of about 20 kilometres an hour, which means she'll be pedalling five to six hours most days. And apart from raising the required $10,000, she aims to finish the trek without ever being picked up by a support vehicle.
It's a big challenge for anyone, let alone a woman who admits she has been largely inactive most of her life.
"I was always a chubby kid," says Harrison, who was raised in Seaforth but has been living in downtown London for about 17 years. "And I was always the last person picked in the schoolyard for teams."
"So you get into this cycle," she says. "You think you're no good at sports because nobody will let you play them, so you don't get active. And when you're not active, you stay overweight and inactive."
But Harrison, who works with a local physician recruiting firm, says she now realizes many of our assumptions about fitness are false.
"As I got older, I discovered that my weight didn't determine my abilities," she says. "I realized I didn't have to be a size two to enjoy hiking and walking and camping."
Her riding regime was temporarily derailed last November, however, when she was struck by a car while crossing Richmond St. near St. Joseph's hospital.
"I felt something hit my thigh, I looked down and it was the front of a car," she recalls. "Then my head struck the hood or the windshield, I remember feeling very light and hitting the ground and then I felt the tires driving over my hair.
"I had the imprint of a grill on my thigh, literally."
Although there were no broken bones, Harrison was seriously bruised and sustained a head injury that has affected her short-term memory.
But none of that has deterred her from trying to gather $10,000 in pledges (to make a pledge, call Barb at First Christian Reformed Church at 519-432-7997) and hitting the road.
"If any kind of lesson comes out of this, I hope it's that being picked last on the schoolyard doesn't mean you come in last in life," she says.
In the meantime, there is a bit of excitement building at home. Yesterday, our congregation woke to a morning paper that included a full colour photo of me on my bike in front of our church. There was a terrific article about not just me but with perfect details about what Sea To Sea is really about. A HUGE THANK YOU to Ian Gillespie who wrote the piece.
Part of me had wished that there could have been a different picture with the article. What I would have liked to have happened was a picture of all of the riders in our church with the whole cogregation behind us because that is what is really happening. And when I look at that picture it's not the building I see but all the faces of encouragement I encounter every time I go to the church.
One of the first phone calls I got that morning was a warning. OMG! they published your weight on the front page of the paper! Yes, yes they did. And by putting it out there it didn't change. Also note that they gave my age and size. I'm OK with this as I have learned that these stats are not what define me, and I try and ensure that they are not even close to being the most important or interesting things to know about me. If that's what's important...I'm not going to be very appealing to you. That's hard as a woman in our society and going beyond stereotype was what was focused on in the article.
An really amazing phenomenon has happened since the article. Women and girls have been coming up to be and giving me their ages and weights. Breaking through the taboos of polite conversation and stating the irrelevant numbers that society tries to bind us with. It's good. And if I make no other difference to anyone doing Sea To Sea....it was worth it just to have those moments with those ladies.
Thanks Ian, for throwing open the door. Here's what Ian wrote:
From the London Free Press Friday, March 21, 2008
This ride will boost charity, fitness image By IAN GILLESPIE
Some women are reluctant to admit their age. But not Gayle Harrison, who happily tells me she recently turned 40. And she doesn't stop there. Harrison gaily adds she is "an overweight, middle-aged woman" who weighs 195 pounds, wears a size 16, carries her weight high, can't find a cycling jersey that'll fit her and was "always the chubby kid who wasn't good at sports." She also admits when she tells people she plans to ride her bicycle coast-to-coast this summer, as part of a church-sponsored fundraiser, most people assume she'll be helping out behind the scenes.
"They think I'm a volunteer," she says. "And that I'll be in the SAG (support and gear) wagon making sandwiches, eating bonbons and waiting for the riders to come in."
Harrison relates all this with an infectious sense of humour. But her message -- that we routinely (and mistakenly) associate thinness with fitness -- is serious.
"Fit is a different thing than size and body weight," she says. "Body mass is not an indication of fitness. And part of me doesn't want to lose the weight, because I want to show there's not a perfect size to being fit."
Harrison has been training hard for the Sea To Sea bike tour, a cross-continent trek organized by the Christian Reformed Church to support anti-poverty programs.
More than 200 riders -- including eight Londoners -- plan to participate in the ride, which starts June 30 in Seattle, Wash., and ends Aug. 30 in Jersey City, N.J. Along the way, the cyclists will cross the American border and dip into Southwestern Ontario, visiting London on Aug. 21.
Although the cyclists will be accompanied by vehicles to cart their gear and pick up exhausted riders, it's still a demanding challenge: During the nine-week ride, cyclists will cover an average of 110 kilometres a day.
To prepare, Harrison started cycling last spring for an hour a day. Now, as winter lingers, she attaches her bicycle to an indoor stand and pedals two to three hours daily.
Harrison figures she'll be able to ride at an average speed of about 20 kilometres an hour, which means she'll be pedalling five to six hours most days. And apart from raising the required $10,000, she aims to finish the trek without ever being picked up by a support vehicle.
It's a big challenge for anyone, let alone a woman who admits she has been largely inactive most of her life.
"I was always a chubby kid," says Harrison, who was raised in Seaforth but has been living in downtown London for about 17 years. "And I was always the last person picked in the schoolyard for teams."
"So you get into this cycle," she says. "You think you're no good at sports because nobody will let you play them, so you don't get active. And when you're not active, you stay overweight and inactive."
But Harrison, who works with a local physician recruiting firm, says she now realizes many of our assumptions about fitness are false.
"As I got older, I discovered that my weight didn't determine my abilities," she says. "I realized I didn't have to be a size two to enjoy hiking and walking and camping."
Her riding regime was temporarily derailed last November, however, when she was struck by a car while crossing Richmond St. near St. Joseph's hospital.
"I felt something hit my thigh, I looked down and it was the front of a car," she recalls. "Then my head struck the hood or the windshield, I remember feeling very light and hitting the ground and then I felt the tires driving over my hair.
"I had the imprint of a grill on my thigh, literally."
Although there were no broken bones, Harrison was seriously bruised and sustained a head injury that has affected her short-term memory.
But none of that has deterred her from trying to gather $10,000 in pledges (to make a pledge, call Barb at First Christian Reformed Church at 519-432-7997) and hitting the road.
"If any kind of lesson comes out of this, I hope it's that being picked last on the schoolyard doesn't mean you come in last in life," she says.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Spreading the Word
Our city of London is home to one of only 3 indoor Velodromes in North America
It's a steep indoor cycling track that is really cool and freaky at the same time. Today, Canadian icon, Rick Mercer, decided to take a ride on this track
Being a member of the local media has it's advantages on days like this as I decided this might be a good opportunity to get some Sea To Sea information and exposure to our national TV station the CBC. I headed down to the velodrome, joined Rachel from our radio news department and sure enough got a few minutes of Mr. Mercer's time.
He was great. Very interested in what I was planning on doing this summer and introduced me to his producer who I handed a package of information and sponsorship stuff. You never know what will happen...but if you don't ask you may miss an opportunity!
It's a steep indoor cycling track that is really cool and freaky at the same time. Today, Canadian icon, Rick Mercer, decided to take a ride on this track
Being a member of the local media has it's advantages on days like this as I decided this might be a good opportunity to get some Sea To Sea information and exposure to our national TV station the CBC. I headed down to the velodrome, joined Rachel from our radio news department and sure enough got a few minutes of Mr. Mercer's time.
He was great. Very interested in what I was planning on doing this summer and introduced me to his producer who I handed a package of information and sponsorship stuff. You never know what will happen...but if you don't ask you may miss an opportunity!
Monday, March 3, 2008
On the Road Again!
Well last week there was a big change to my cycling. I finally got my clip pedals and shoes. I'm at least starting to look like a serious cyclist if not performing like one. Of course it led to a small adventure that hadn't been planned. (Hmm, is it just me or does it seem that many things that have happened along this prep for Sea To Sea weren't in the plans?)
My shoes and pedals were waiting at the bike shop for me and my bike to come and get them. Yes, I had to take my bike in to get them installed and to be properly fitted once they were on my bike. Since the shop is across the street from one of my physio clinics I could drop the bike off and come and get fitted after therapy. Good efficient plan. However, the question was then how to get my bike to the shop. I have several friends with vans who I knew would be there with a phone call but as I look out my window I thought-Why not? Sure it was -7C but it was sunny, the roads were dry, the shop was only a few blocks away and I had always said that I thought it would be a good goal to be back on the road in March. It was February 28, I was convinced. So off of the trainer and outside my bike went. As I a got on a little anxiety rush through...would I have enough balance? good gearing? safe in traffic? But with a sigh and a prayer off I went.
So how was it?(As I have been asked many times)COLD...REALLY COLD. I was quickly reminded of why I didn't bike in the winter. As I was sucking in the cold air, I was hoping that I will remember this chill next summer when I'm sweating through the scorcher days on Sea To Sea. But it was FUN and ENCOURAGING! I can do this again. And I safely arrived at the shop.
My fitting for the shoes and clips went very well. As Brian, my shop guy at Cyclepath, said "I'm a Rockstar!" as I was able to clip in and out on my first try! I pedalled home again(sans clips...let's not push my luck!)
It is so good to see progress. My friend, Dan, commented that he is amazed at where I am considering it was only 4 months since the accident. I forget that sometimes. I see all the stuff still wrong with my body and mind. Reminded of how far I have to go yet; how much work is still to do. It's good to be reminded that someone notices the steps already completed. Often, when you are working towards a goal, you are told not to look back but to keep focused on where you are headed. That's probably a good strategy most days, but there are times that you need to look back at the journey not to rest on those laurels but to celebrate the successes...no matter how small.
I hope I remember to apply this to Sea To Sea during the tour. On day 4 or 5 when the reality of the task becomes overwhelming. When there are more days ahead than there are behind. That I can look back and say...Hey! You've biked XXXkms in just Xdays! Way to go!
July 30 is the evening that marks having more days finished than left to pedal. I think we need to plan a celebration.
My shoes and pedals were waiting at the bike shop for me and my bike to come and get them. Yes, I had to take my bike in to get them installed and to be properly fitted once they were on my bike. Since the shop is across the street from one of my physio clinics I could drop the bike off and come and get fitted after therapy. Good efficient plan. However, the question was then how to get my bike to the shop. I have several friends with vans who I knew would be there with a phone call but as I look out my window I thought-Why not? Sure it was -7C but it was sunny, the roads were dry, the shop was only a few blocks away and I had always said that I thought it would be a good goal to be back on the road in March. It was February 28, I was convinced. So off of the trainer and outside my bike went. As I a got on a little anxiety rush through...would I have enough balance? good gearing? safe in traffic? But with a sigh and a prayer off I went.
So how was it?(As I have been asked many times)COLD...REALLY COLD. I was quickly reminded of why I didn't bike in the winter. As I was sucking in the cold air, I was hoping that I will remember this chill next summer when I'm sweating through the scorcher days on Sea To Sea. But it was FUN and ENCOURAGING! I can do this again. And I safely arrived at the shop.
My fitting for the shoes and clips went very well. As Brian, my shop guy at Cyclepath, said "I'm a Rockstar!" as I was able to clip in and out on my first try! I pedalled home again(sans clips...let's not push my luck!)
It is so good to see progress. My friend, Dan, commented that he is amazed at where I am considering it was only 4 months since the accident. I forget that sometimes. I see all the stuff still wrong with my body and mind. Reminded of how far I have to go yet; how much work is still to do. It's good to be reminded that someone notices the steps already completed. Often, when you are working towards a goal, you are told not to look back but to keep focused on where you are headed. That's probably a good strategy most days, but there are times that you need to look back at the journey not to rest on those laurels but to celebrate the successes...no matter how small.
I hope I remember to apply this to Sea To Sea during the tour. On day 4 or 5 when the reality of the task becomes overwhelming. When there are more days ahead than there are behind. That I can look back and say...Hey! You've biked XXXkms in just Xdays! Way to go!
July 30 is the evening that marks having more days finished than left to pedal. I think we need to plan a celebration.
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