Months of planning, training and riding have come and gone. What does it all mean?
A brief ride re-cap:
Hot Pursuit 2010 was the 8th time I have cycled the distance from the west coast to Winnipeg. It was the third time that the goal was to do it in as short a time as possible. My previous fastest times had been 5 days, 11 hours and 20 min in 1999. In 2008 I managed to break the 5 day barrier and got to Winnipeg in 4 days, 22 hours and 20 min. I knew I would need to improve my time significantly, in order to have even a slight chance of not being caught by the "pursuit relay teams".
My plan was to simply further reduce the "off bike time," much easier said than done. After 12 hours on the bike, maintaining a 30 km per hour average pace, I noticed that processing of my food intake slowed down. By midnight, my stomach rejected everything I had consumed. (I will spare you the details as witnessed by my support crew). After reaching Revelstoke around 4am, (about 570 km in 21 hours), I knew I had to give my stomach a break. I lay down in the van for about 2.5 hours. By 7am I was back on the bike, slowly rebuilding my calorie intake with clamato juice, chips, pickles, salted cashews and Gochi juice. Anything salty that would stay down. I also reduced my effort on the bike and "nursed" my way through the most intense climbing stretch in the Rockies. By 3am of the second night we finally reached Calgary, (1000km in 43 hours) totally depleted of any kind of nourishment. I had improved my PB to Calgary by about 8 hours, but I was in danger of having to abandon the ride. My crew had a hotel room ready, and I went down for my first sleep (2 hours). Food still did not agree with me, but I was able to keep Gochi juice down. I drank a whole litre during my three hours off the bike.
As is often the case, the dawning of a new day brings with it a renewed spirit. The rain gave me another challenge to focus on, and by late afternoon I was able to take in much needed calories again. Calories quickly turn into renewed energy and by 3am,(Tuesday), I reached the 1500 km mark (Swift Current), and chose to take my second 2 hour sleep break. It was during this sleep break, that the fast, furious and efficient CMU relay cycling team passed me on their way to Winnipeg. I applaud their performance.
With 825 km to go, I informed Ruth and the rest of the crew that I would attempt to ride straight through to Winnipeg, not stopping for more than a few minutes on the side of the road. The plan worked. Four days, 3 hours and 43 min is a PB by about 18 hours. I rode the first half in about 55 hours, and as I was able to cope better with the calorie requirement later in the event, my second half was done in just under 45 hours. Weather conditions were favorable as well. I was off the bike for about 13.5 hours in total. (including 5 hours of laying horizontal trying to settle the stomach and 5 hours of actual sleep) All in all, a ride executed about as good as I could have hoped for.
Why?
I believe God has called me to be an ambassador for the less fortunate in this world, namely the children abandoned by society, but not by God. Cycling has been, and continues to be my platform from which to do that. Over the course of the last 6 years, I have come to understand that most people in society are sympathetic to the desperate circumstances of millions of children, but only some are truly also compassionate. Sympathy sees a need and says "I am so sorry." Compassion sees the same need and says"How can I help?"
It is up to each one of us to choose which camp we represent.
We can find many reasons, and dare I say maybe sometimes excuses, why we can't help. After all, it is not our fault. But what if YOU can save a life by simply getting involved? Does it mean personal sacrifices are required? Maybe? God is ultimately in control of the future of these children, but He chooses to work through you and me. What an incredible privilege, but what an incredible responsibility to think that we are called to bring hope to an abandoned child, where today there is none. It is simply a matter of choosing to be compassionate or simply remaining sympathetic from a distance.
Applications of lessons learned
To be able to cycle 2330 km in less than 100 hours does require a willingness to push through physical, mental and emotional perceived limitations. I must accept adversity as a teacher and even a friend. I must ride when I no longer want to. I must ride even when I see no way possible that this is doable. I, have learned however, that if I stay on the bike and pedal, I will eventually reach my destination. This learned ability of commitment and determination to overcome adversity are only of lasting value if applied in real life where it matters. Besides being my platform, I have been fortunate to find a way to use ultra-marathon cycling as a training ground to develop character traits helpful in being committed to restoring hope in the life of a destitute child. There are many times where I simply don't want to continue to care about these kids. I have done my part, let others carry on. It is then that I rely on my learned ability to carry on, even when it seems to make no sense or when at times I feel like I am the only one that cares.
Hot Pursuit 2010 was intended to inspire people to live life in a way that makes a difference to the less fortunate. No matter what your cause or your passion is, get out there and do something about it. When your focus is on others, you will find that your life will be much richer for it. You can be the difference between life and death. What is stopping you?
Thanks for the support and I look forward to hearing about your initiative to make a difference.
Arvid
