Riding with Heart
The training has been going pretty well. I have not been as strict to the plan as I would have liked so the swimming has been lacking a little bit, but the running and biking have been going very well. This past weekend for instance, I did a LOT of biking.
On Sunday morning I participated in the 2006 Ride for Heart. This was a 75km bike ride to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The ride left from Ontario Place at 6:45am and headed East along the Gardiner Expressway, then North on the Don Valley Parkway to York Mills Rd. (which is where I live,) then back down the DVP to Bloor, back up to York Mills, back down and across the Gardiner to Ontario Place where I started. It wasn't a race, but I made it one. I completed the 75km in 2 hours 44 minutes, which is a decent time for me. I found Kinch and his wife as I made my way down the DVP and we hooked up to form a team back along the Gardiner. We even picked up a couple more for our draft and really hammered it the last leg to the finish. It was a great event that saw thousands of riders cycling two of the Tdot busiest commuter routes.
I had a lot of people ask me why I was doing this as I was raising money and then later telling them about the ride. It is easy for me to raise money for a good cause. I don't have any problems asking people so long as I see the benefit and especially if I am subjecting myself to some kind of torture for the donation. This one is always close to the heart though, (so to speak,) as heart and stroke related problems have factored heavily into my family's lives. So, I'll give my answer to why I am doing this as five people.
1. My Grandad, my Mum's Dad that I never really knew. He died when I was about a year old due to heart failure.
2. My Nanna, my Mum's Mum, who has had triple bypass surgery and is still going strong.
3. My Uncle, my Mum's Brother, who had a stroke before he was 60 and survived.
4. My friend Martin, who at 25(ish) had an AVM rupture in his head putting him into a coma for several days, but has since made an incredible recovery.
5. Me. I figure if I can ride 75km averaging about 27.5km/h, then I am in decent shape and am giving myself a fighting chance at beating the hereditary aspects of Heart Disease.
The money was for them, and anyone else that it can help.
The ride was for me.
All for now,
Kef...
On Sunday morning I participated in the 2006 Ride for Heart. This was a 75km bike ride to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The ride left from Ontario Place at 6:45am and headed East along the Gardiner Expressway, then North on the Don Valley Parkway to York Mills Rd. (which is where I live,) then back down the DVP to Bloor, back up to York Mills, back down and across the Gardiner to Ontario Place where I started. It wasn't a race, but I made it one. I completed the 75km in 2 hours 44 minutes, which is a decent time for me. I found Kinch and his wife as I made my way down the DVP and we hooked up to form a team back along the Gardiner. We even picked up a couple more for our draft and really hammered it the last leg to the finish. It was a great event that saw thousands of riders cycling two of the Tdot busiest commuter routes.
I had a lot of people ask me why I was doing this as I was raising money and then later telling them about the ride. It is easy for me to raise money for a good cause. I don't have any problems asking people so long as I see the benefit and especially if I am subjecting myself to some kind of torture for the donation. This one is always close to the heart though, (so to speak,) as heart and stroke related problems have factored heavily into my family's lives. So, I'll give my answer to why I am doing this as five people.
1. My Grandad, my Mum's Dad that I never really knew. He died when I was about a year old due to heart failure.
2. My Nanna, my Mum's Mum, who has had triple bypass surgery and is still going strong.
3. My Uncle, my Mum's Brother, who had a stroke before he was 60 and survived.
4. My friend Martin, who at 25(ish) had an AVM rupture in his head putting him into a coma for several days, but has since made an incredible recovery.
5. Me. I figure if I can ride 75km averaging about 27.5km/h, then I am in decent shape and am giving myself a fighting chance at beating the hereditary aspects of Heart Disease.
The money was for them, and anyone else that it can help.
The ride was for me.
All for now,
Kef...
posted by WestsideKef at 11:11 PM
2 Comments:
Props and big ups for doing the ride. I've wanted to do it for a while. Thanks for sharing about your family; it helps people realize the minor inconvenience of closing two major roadways is well worth it if someone close to you gets to live.
And mad props to Martin for his recovery!
Go, Kef, go!
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