Finish line pictures

Finish line

We have had a great day, relaxing and eating.  It is a very good feeling to be DONE.  I look at the weather outside and simply say:  "Let the wind blow as much as it wants. It does not impact me."

The last day's results very much exceeded my expectations.  I went into the last 24 hours with a simple goal of doing my best.  I did not expect to hit  a PB, simply because of the 22 days of 

"wear and tear".  My previous best for a 24 hour time trial had been 687 km when I qualified to do RAAM.  Weather wise this was the best day of the 23 days.

I am so grateful  for all the media exposure with Global TV, the Winnipeg Free Press, CJOB and of course big time with CHVN and Ignite 107.  Thank you all for believing in the value of an orphaned and abandoned child, now under the care of Mully Children's Family.

Also a big thank you to all who showed up at the finish line, and to those who sent a note, called, or emailed.  A  journey like this can feel very lonely at times.

A special word of thanks to Ruth who continuously goes beyond the call of duty keeping me on the bike and dealing with the rest of life at home, a task I can only imagine what it is like.  

I will add my "perspective" in future  blog entries.

God sustained me with energy and commitment.  Without the prayers of many of you, I would not have persevered.

Arvid

Pictures, Day 23

Enjoy the pictures of Day 23! See some of the people that came out to cheer Arvid on, Paul 'pulling' Arvid for two laps, a well-executed food hand-off, the Global TV crew and the night support crew.

Check back for the finish line details and pictures coming soon!

The Long, Dark Night

Arvid set a blazing trail down Henderson today. He was at 376km in 12 hours - an incredible feat. He finished 400km in 12h 48m, and was quite confident that that was a personal best. This, after 22 days and some 7,000km+ in the saddle. Even though he's tired, he's driven by a determination to put as many kilometres on before 7:30am tomorrow morning. He's tired, but he's at peace with being tired and pushing through it with determination.

Ahead awaits the night.

At night, biking slows. The dark gives the illusion that you are still traveling fast, even if you slow by 5km/h. It becomes difficult (or impossible) to read the onboard computer and know how fast you're going. Sleep-deprivation sets in. The darkness brings with it its own struggle - there's just something optimistic about sunshine during the day (the sun is very welcome after the night).

Pray for Arvid, for strength to keep pushing, for hope for the end of the tunnel, for safety, clarity of mind and sight, and for renewed passion to earn $69 every kilometre. Just so you know, Arvid's night is being crewed by Josh and Stephanie, who will be driving behind him, shining headlights for better visibility and with flashing lights for visibility from behind.

Caution: Cyclist ahead

It is getting dark out. Josh & Stephanie will drive the support vehicle and follow Arvid through the night. The vehicle is equipped with the yellow flashing lights to warn drivers of a cyclist on the road. They can also entertain him and help him stay awake. He is in good spirits and stays motivated knowing that every kilometer makes a difference to the children at MCF.

We will post some pictures tomorrow, so check back!

Winnipeg Free Press

The Winnipeg Free Press called 10 minutes ago for an interview with Arvid. He hasn't gotten off the bike, but is doing the interviews while riding. Every kilometre counts.

Global TV

Arvid and Ruth are currently being interviewed by Global TV. See the story tonight, or (if golf interferes) tomorrow.

Hour one is done

Arvid left home at 7:30am this morning. He just called in with his hour one stats. The weather is beautiful and in his words, "a perfect day for a bike ride."

Early Morning Ride

I (Paul) hit the road early this morning to ride with Arvid for a little while. I haven't done much biking this year, so it was a bit of a testing of the legs. At 7:45 I joined him heading South for a few kms, then pulled him for a there-and-back to Lockport. He was in good spirits, having a much better day than yesterday. I asked him if he could see the end, and he said that it came and went in spurts. While for us watching, it seems like it's 'easy' to finish the last 10%, when 10% is 2 days of biking it's hardly easy. I pulled him at 32km/h for an hour, and helped bring his average up by a bit. Hopefully it can make a difference in the amount of rest time he'll get tonight. As we biked I updated him on the Tour de France, and we discussed the final day challenge. For more information, stay tuned to the website (details to come). After an hour of biking, I had to call it quits. My legs were hurting much more than his were. I snapped two pictures - one of him and one of both of us. I apologize for the overly cheesy smile, but I was taking the picture with my right hand across my body, trying to get both of us in the shot.

Keep your eye on the website, as Sunday should be intriguing and exciting!

Day 23 opportunity

When I first contemplated 23 days of Tour for Life, one of the big concerns was the length of time.  What will happen physically, mentally and emotionally?  How will I cope with the cumulative fatigue?  To give me the best chance of lasting to the end, I needed to raise the stakes to finish.  Here is what is planned for day 23 (providing I last that long.)

1. Day 23 will start on Sunday (July 26) at 7:30am.

2. It  will conclude on Monday (July 27) at 7:30am at the NKMB parking lot at the corner of Springfield Road and Gateway.

3. A number of individuals/foundations/businesses have together pledged to donate to MCF $68.00 (so far) for EVERY km I ride on that last day.  That is quite an incentive to ride.

For example:  If I ride 500km x $68.00, MCF will receive a donation total of $34,000.00 for food.  That means 340 kids.  If I ride more, more will be donated.   This is quite an opportunity.

Please pray for:

1.  My energy level to return.

2.  A warm and windstill day on Sunday

2.  No flats and no bike troubles.

Please also note the drought crisis at MCF and Kenya as a whole.  They have never needed our prayers and help more than right now. 

We will have as many progress updates as possible on Sunday.  All riding will happen on Henderson north with the possibility of also riding on Hwy. 202.  But I have to make it to Sunday first...

I always knew there would be days like this

When I started out this morning at 4:40 AM, I felt really good. As the day progressed, most of my strength disappeared, however. I am feeling very drained and tired. I guess that is understandable, considering I have cycled the equivalent of three trips home from BC in 20 days. This includes the three days that I was forced to sit out and deal with my medical condition. The next two days are all about survival, reserving as much strength as possible. I will do the best I can, but not risking a possible DNF. Individuals wanting to "pull" (allowing me to draft) for awhile, are greatly appreciated on Friday and Saturday.

Read the next blog entry to find out why.

Short day

Since my "recovery time" is only a bit over 6 hours, I am quite concerned about lasting to day 23. For that reason I chose to shorten my ride today, hoping to recharge my batteries somewhat.

I am still determined to be a voice for these 2013 kids for all  of the 23 days. Hoped for success in an extreme event like this (especially the length of time), means, one must keep a close watch on how the body, mind and even emotions respond. I am NOT saying I have it all figured out, but I am aware of many of my limitations. Adjustment to a plan must be made, or else one will not make it  to the end. Hopefully I will continue to make the best call.

The strong winds have been  a huge factor so far.

Arvid

PS: I am now doing  ALL my riding on Henderson North, with the occasional one way ride on 202.

Daily food intake

Some have asked: "What do you eat?"

Breakfast at 4:00am

1.  2 cooked eggs

2.  1 bowl of porridge 

3   2 mugs of coffee

4   6 slices of rye bread  dipped in 10% cream

On the bike

1.    (1) 700 ml sustained energy (meal replacement)

2.   (1) 700 ml GoChi juice  

3.    (1) 700 ml of water

Brunch  (10:30am)

1. 4 egg everything omelette (loaded)

1. 1 mug of coffee

On the bike

1. (3) 700 ml water

2. (1) sustained energy (700)

3. (1) GoChi juice (700)

4. 1 Aero mint chocolate bar

5.  1 orange

6. 1 bag of cherries

7. tomato juice (small can)

8. 1 pickle

9.  1 energy drink (small can)

Early supper 4:30pm

1.   4 piece KFC dinner

2.   medium vanilla milkshake

3.   medium coke

On the bike 

1.  (2)water bottles (700 ml)

2. (1) GoChi juice  (700 ml)

3.  (1) Sustained energy (700 ml)

4.  1 Aero mint bar

Supper  around (10:30 to 11:00pm)

1. 2 servings  of a home cooked hot meal 

2. 4 servings of tomato, onion, and cucumber salad

3. 1 large bowl of ice cream and strawberries

Sometimes, if time permits, large bag of ripple chips and dip.

This has been pretty standard, although  hot weather makes it more difficult to digest, meaning I eat less  on the bike and drink more.

Arvid

I sometimes wonder how many kids could be fed for one day at MCF with that?

The 'See Food' Diet

Pictures from the Bike-A-Thon

NKMB Bike-a-thon

The NKMB Bike-a-thon happened at Birds Hill Park on Thursday evening, July 16/09. The weather was cool, cloudy and windy, but many brave souls came out in support of the worthy cause of Mully Children's Family. Participants walked, ran, rollerbladed or biked the 11.2km loop at the park. We had a wonderful time!!

We would like to say thank you to all those that participated. Together we are making a difference. With our recent heavy rains, it is hard to imagine how desperate the situation in Kenya is. There they are praying for the rains. The final total of donations for the Bike-a-thon is not in yet, but it is over $20,000 (in donations & pledges) to date! It will go a long way to purchase food for the 2013 children.

Prizes were presented to the following:
1. Best decorated bike: Michael
2. Most number of sponsors/pledges: Rick
3. Most $$ raised: Irene
4. First one to register for the bike-a-thon: Jen
5. Oldest participant: Henry
Congratulations!

Thank you to the NKMB Church Council with a very special thank you to Marlene, Pastor Vic, Hardy, Danny and our evening sponsors!

Amazing evening

Tonight I was joined by about 150 people from our church for the NKMB bike-thon, as part of the TFL.  I was humbled by the support and overwhelmed by the amount of money that was raised.

Over $20,000 came in, with a bit more coming.  We will post some pictures soon as well.

Arvid

The only "pool" of water remaining from the mighty Thika river.





















Kids playing soccer in dried up river bed.

Sometimes helping the less fortunate comes with a price but that is OK

After spending most of my day yesterday (on the bike) in soaking wet and cold conditions, I woke up today to more of the same.  After about three hours on the bike battling strong winds, rain and cold temps, my body told me that was enough for today.  I needed to do the sensible thing and take a break.  I always knew this would require everything I have to give.  During some conditions I simply have to abandon my cycling goal, in order to stay the course to be a voice for the 2013 children at MCF.  I need to focus on the bigger goal instead.

I received an e-mail update from Charles Mulli today.  The drought that has affected much of Africa and in particular Kenya, is now having devastating effects on MCF and the surrounding community.  In Ndalani, the Thika river, their main source of water for virtually everything, has dried up.  I have pictures of children playing soccer where usually a raging stream of water flows.  That means the irrigated crops they are so depending on, are drying up.  The cost of food has tripled in the last year as well.  This makes the goal of Tour for Life  critical to preserve life. 

I don't know how the  cycling will go for the remaining 11 days, but I do know the difference we are making at a very critical time for 2013 kids at MCF. 

Tomorrow evening (Thursday, July 16) the NKMB church is joining me for three hours at Birds Hill Park.  About 140 people, young and old, will walk, run, rollerblade or bike in support of the Tour for Life initiative.  I am very grateful for all the help.

Arvid

Keeping a hard day in perspective

Today was a difficult day. Lots of rain and cold temperatures. Just when I started to feel sorry for myself, God directed my thought process back to 20o6 when Ruth and I visited MCF. We had the privilege of walking hand in hand with Lillian to the eating area. About 4 years before she had been rescued by MCF. She was 8 years old at the time and weighed 14 lbs. Now we were walking hand in hand with what was truly a miracle.

When I came home today, Ruth told me that she had received four donations for a total of $840 .
That varified why I was out there, and put my 17.5 hours of struggle into perspective. God wants to continue to do miracles at MCF.

With the wind and even colder temperatures for tomorrow, I expect an even harder day .

Arvid

I am back for good (I hope)

I had a very good day on the bike today.  My elbow felt OK, some swelling came back during the day, but I think that will go down again with icing and elevation during sleep.  There is still some pain, but nothing that affects my cycling.  As you can see by my stats, the Pan Am staff and nurse Ruth at home did an excellent job nursing me back to health again.

The rather calm (wind) day helped  with my high average speed.  I hope and pray that my general health will be good from now on.

Arvid

He is happy to be back on the bike

It's 1pm CST and I just spent a few hours on the road, taking Arvid food and refilling his water/nutrition bottles. He is feeling great. The arm/elbow is holding up and we are very thankful. We pray that it will continue to heal. We are taking it one day at a time.

Back on the Bike

Arvid's back on the road this morning. Keep praying for his elbow as he aims for 457km once again!

Difficult decisions

Shortly after yesterday's post, which stated I hoped to be back on the bike today, we did more research on my condition, and felt that the wise decision was to continue to do "treatment" for another 24 hours, before attempting to continue. I had been told by the doctor that if this condition worsened, it would mean a trip to the hospital, which would probably mean an end to the Tour for Life.  I am trying to do everything I can to avoid that.  I find this very difficult, as the rest of my body feels great and I am anxious to ride. 

It is my hope and prayer that the momentum of interest and support will not suffer too much of a setback as a result of this unfortunate situation. There are still 15 days and close to 7000 km to go. I still need help with buying  food for over 1000 kids.

Arvid

Back on the Road

I spent the day following doctor's orders by icing my elbow and being diligent in taking the prescribed medications.  The pain caused by the bursitis is a lot less.  The swelling is still significant, but also decreasing.  The redness is less and is not spreading.  We believe the antibiotics are taking effect.  Unless something changes between tonight and tomorrow morning, I plan to be back on the road tomorrow.    

Cyclist Elbow

As I mentioned on the blog yesterday, Jeanette and I were able to see Arvid around supper time. His elbow was bothering him quite a bit, and the problem obviously continued to grow. Overnight it got worse, to the point that a visit to a doctor was required. And while the issue with the elbow is significant, we (as his family) have been glad to see a respect and care for knowing when to draw the line. That's what kept him off the bike today, and that's what may keep him off the bike tomorrow. He's been careful to follow the doctor's orders, including taking antibiotics and icing it as much as possible. With that care, the swelling should diminish and the infection should be stopped. We ate supper as a family and were encouraged with his positive outlook. It could have been worse had it not been caught in time, and so we're thankful that he was observant of it right from the beginning. He's got energy, he's understanding of what led to this injury, and he's excited to get back on the bike.

Arvid eating supper Wednesday evening:

Arvid, icing the elbow at home:

Inflamed elbow update

This morning my elbow had turned from sore and swollen, to sore, swollen and quite red, indicating an infection.  I decided to have it checked out and spent 5 hours at the Pan Am clinic.

The diagnosis is bursitis. I got anti-inflammatory and antibiotic prescriptions.  Hopefully they will take effect quickly, as I am anxious  to continue.  I will wait till tomorrow morning to make a final decision on whether I am riding tomorrow or not.

I am very pleased with the response of donations already, many from people we don't even know.

Knowing that my goal is not a "yellow" jersey as in TDF, but rather an effective voice  for 2013 children, I am committed to continue.  CHVN and IGNITE 107 continue to give Tour for Life regular exposure. I had another interview with them when I was at the  clinic today. 

My struggles are only temporary, for an orphaned and abandoned street child, each day can be a matter of life or death. 

Pray for a quick response to the medication.

Arvid

Unexpected set back

My commitment to Tour for Life being a voice for  23 days  for the 2013 children of MCF remains strong. CHVN  and Ignite 107 have done an incredible job of  exposure thus far.

 The last two days I have ridden with an inflamed right elbow, making it difficult to ride in my favorite position, in my aero bars. I have never had this situation before, but I think the ridges in the pavement at Birds Hill Park probably contributed to developing this condition.  I am concerned that this could get worse, unless I deal with it now. After a discussion with a doctor, I decided on a day of rest tomorrow, treating my elbow, and getting my bike looked after. I will also add lots of additional padding to my aero bars.

I also ended up with three flats in the evening, adding to an already long day.  I made a decision to call it a day after 322 km, since I had to call Ruth for assistance anyway.

Riding 457 km per day does not allow for a lot of things to go wrong.  It very quickly cuts into your recovery time, which is key to any hoped for success over such a long time.

Coping with things that come up and adapting to the new reality is part of any extreme ultra-cycling challenge. Right now I hope to continue my Tour for Life plans again on Friday, (assuming I make progress with my elbow).

Arvid

On the Road

Day 5 now. Jeanette and I stopped in to say hi to Arvid as he ate his supper. He'd just had his first flat of the ride, and had already fixed it himself. I popped the wheel back on for him, then talked for a bit. It's certainly not getting any easier! Arvid's body is in the middle of adjusting, if it's even humanly possible for it to adjust to a routine like this. He's finding it difficult to push his speed up above 26km/h, meaning that today's distance will probably take longer to ride than any of the previous four days. 5 down, 18 to go - and that's not an easy number to feel comfortable with. Keep praying for strength to push, for the ability to get a restful sleep, and for determination to see through to the end of the ride when there's a lot of hours left.

To put things into perspective

It's difficult to know just how this event compares to Arvid's previous endeavors. For example, Arvid competed in the Rocky Mountain 1200, a 1200km race in the Rocky Mountains (I guess the title kinda gives it away). In this ride, he has completed 1200km in a time that would have won that competition: 58.5 hours. Riding the Boston-Montreal-Boston twice (another 1200km race), he would have beaten both his times from that ride. Riding the Paris-Brest-Paris, an enormous 1200km ultramarathon event, Arvid would have placed in the top 5% of 4,000 participants.

Not a bad showing, considering that he has to do it 8.75 consecutive times.

Supper on the Road

Jeanette and I were able to drive out to visit Arvid on the road tonight. His supper was a 3-piece meal from KFC, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes, washed down by a Pepsi and then a vanilla milkshake for on the bike. We met him just North of Hoddinott on Henderson, where he sat in the shade for 16 minutes to finish his meal. Not much time to spare! Things are tough, as they always will be on an event of this nature. Pushing past one or two days means your body starts doing things it wouldn't normally do. He's feeling okay, but keep the prayers coming - he needs 'em!

After the 16 minutes he was back on the road, milkshake in hand. I had hoped to update him on Lance Armstrong's performance in the Tour de France, but he's staying up-to-date by listening to CJOB on the road. Four days have nearly come and gone, and he indicated that the toughness of this event is at the same caliber as RAAM last year. But that was 11 days, this is 23. One difference and difficulty this year in the fact that he has a set distance he needs to complete by the end of the day: 457km. No more, no less. With varying weather, varying states of physical readiness, varying states of mental sharpness, that can be more difficult some days. On RAAM, if he had a great day and flew to 500km, that meant he had (technically speaking) less to do the next day. On a headwind day, he could have squeaked by with 320km. But not on this ride. He's got to tough out 457km, day after day, regardless of how wet he gets, how strong the wind is, how little he slept, or how tired he feels.

Heartwarming creativity

It is heartwarming to hear about (and see photos as they are emailed to us!) creative ways people are finding to raise awareness and support for Mully Children's Family!

We have heard of three very creative ways so far:
1. one family's children are selling cookies and iced tea on their street corner
2. one family's children have a lemonade stand on their front yard
3. one gentleman actually stood on a busy street boulevard advertising 'hosta' plants for sale from their garden that he and his wife had transplanted into little containers and were now selling

Neat! Keep the stories (and pictures) coming! They help Arvid stay motivated to stay on the bike.

While Arvid Rides, They're Baking Cookies...

On the corner of Oakland and Roch, they're selling cookies one donation at a time. Stop by if you're hungry!

First day is done

I woke up to 0km/hour wind this morning. That does not happen very often. The wind was never a factor all day, making it a for a perfect start to this journey. My riding speed reflected the great conditions.

I have two very optimistic goals for these 23 day.

1. I am hoping to ride 23 days without rain. Well, that goal is over and done with. I got dumped on a number of times.

2. I would like to have NO flats on the road. After one day, I am still optimistic on that one.

Arvid

He's off!
July 4, 2009
4:55am
Temperature: 11 degrees Celsius
Wind: 0km/hr
Perfect conditions

Ready or not, tomorrow is the day

The day has arrived. Twelve hours from now I will be on my bike. Someone did the math today and reminded me that I plan on being on the bike about 400 hours over the next 23 days. That is about ten 40 hour working weeks in just over 3 weeks on the calendar. That is a sobering thought.

I believe I am as ready as can be. Here are a few things you may want to know.

1. Planned route to start (things do change sometimes)
5:00am to around 9:00am will be on Henderson Highway (loops from Hoddinott to Lockport and back. I may also use 202 through Birds Hill town for some variety.)
9:00am to around 4:00pm (BH Park including transition to and from the park)
4:00pm to between 9:00pm-11:00pm (Henderson to Lockport, ending at home with a goal of 457km.

Those are plans, and they are subject to change.

2. Updates: We hope to have periodic blog updates, but more regular stats updates.

3. Publicity: CHVN and Ignite 107 are two radio stations sponsoring the event We have done a number of pre-recorded interviews, commercials and we will do some live updates as well.
We already did two CJOB interviews as well. I very much appreciate the media's willingness
to give me a platform from which to share my passion to help orphaned and abandoned
children.

4. Visits: Visits are welcome and appreciated, but please do not be offended if I don't stop or if I am not very talkative. My off bike time will be minimal and reserved for food, bathroom and interviews.

5. Donations: I will receive regular updates. Nothing keeps me more motivated than hearing about another donation in my effort to raise funds to buy food for 2013 children. I am thrilled with the support we have already seen. Some of the donors are completely new to MCF. What an encouragement that is.

Hopefully I will see some of you on the road sometime.
Arvid

Shaving off Seconds

A post by Paul (Arvid's son):

Over the years, we've found that people can't totally comprehend the distances Arvid cycles. 20k, 50km, 100km - those people can grasp. Once you go beyond that, however, it all just becomes numbers. Many people don't notice a difference between 300km or 450km, even though the difference is enormous. So here's one way to look at it:

Driving at the speed limit on a residential road, it would take you 9 hours 8 minutes to complete Arvid's daily 457km trek. That's a long drive. Biking a normal 20km/h, it would take you 22 hours 51 minutes to complete 457km. Biking at an impressive 30km/h, it would take you 15 hours 14 minutes. Arvid hopes to complete his 457km in 16-18 hours of riding time. That's an average of 25.4 to 28.5 km/h. That, considering weather conditions, traffic lights, fatigue, etc., leaves between 6-8 hours for everything else. Since 16-18 hours is riding time, that does not include eating three to four very large meals, using the washroom, getting dressed in the morning, showering in the evening, and the ever essential - sleep. After all those are done, it leaves very little extra time. Everything must be perfectly calibrated to shave off seconds and minutes to make this event possible.

Sure, when the numbers hit into the hundreds it can be difficult to comprehend the difference. But rest assured, the difference is huge. 457km/day does not leave a lot of time for recuperation.