Lack of internet in some of the small Canadian towns I was in have kept me from updating the blog. Have no fear, I am still very much alive and well. I biked the last 45 miles of the TransCanada Highway today from Batchawana Bay to Sault Ste. Marie. It was probably the easiest ride I've done so far this whole trip. There was one section in the middle that was a bit challenging. A couple of the staff people in the restaurant at the resort we stayed at in Batchawana Bay lovingly referred to it as the "mile long hill." They weren't kidding. After almost 20 miles of nice flat, even gradual downhill riding, I saw it reaching up into the sky. I slowed my pace to save my legs. I knew it'd be a workout. Up I went - eyes to the ground so as to not get disappointed by seeing how much I had left to ride up. It could have been worse, but it was definitely an unpleasant disruption to a very flat and pleasant ride. Once I reached the top, it was a steady downhill ride into Sault Ste. Marie to bring day 10 and my ride through Canada to an end.
Days 8 and 9 were pretty horrendous for various reasons. Day 8 brought me from White River (where Winnie the Pooh had its origins) to Wawa. It was the last of my couple-day flatter rides as I knew the route from Wawa to Batchawana Bay would be through several mountain ranges (as indicated in my Google research a few nights ago about the area I'm biking through). I was pretty deflated by the time I reached Wawa. I was extremely hungry and had no energy for anything. Once we ate, I felt better, but then the pain and discomfort hit. As soon as the pain comes, my mood drops in an instant. I got super crabby and just wanted to fall on the ground and scream and cry because I was so uncomfortable. Every little thing irritated me. I needed to go back to the hotel (where I had my own room - a VERY good thing that night) and just be by myself and go to sleep. I was snapping at my mom and being really crabby because I was in so much pain and just so fed up with it. Hurting that bad made everything worse. I wanted to give up, be done, go home, and screw the rest of the trip.
The next morning I was really no better. I knew that I had a possible century ride on day 9 (yesterday). I met up with my SAG team for breakfast - didnt say much. Had a hard time getting motivated and ready to go. Finally I got the move on, packed up my bike, and headed out. I got into the groove pretty quickly and all the pain eventually subsided. Usually I am finding about 15 - 20 minutes into my ride, everything gets into its own rhythm and/or numbs up and I can go for awhile relatively pain free.
Most of my ride I tried to convince myself that if I had to throw in the towel at Montreal River Harbour (70 miles into the ride), that it would be ok, especially because of the terrain I had to bike. I didnt want to hurt my body more and risk injury or some kind of long-term issue (which may happen anyway). I ate Cliff bars and Hammer gel packs for an on-the-bike lunch. It didnt provide much and the hunger I felt was taking its toll. I could barely even move. I am not sure where I even found the energy to keep turning those cranks over. I struggled up even the smallest hills - again having my speed reduced to 2.5 - 3 mph. I caught up with my mom and Helene in Montreal River Harbour where I ate two ham and cheese sandwiches, some chips, a yogurt, and a cookie. I felt instantly better, though still exhausted. I decided to keep going. I asked that they do 10 mile checks with me for as long as I could go. I was more worried about losing daylight than I was about not being able to make it, although I wasn't completely convinced I had it in me.
Once I reached my first 10 mile mark for a check in, I was determined to make it all the way. I was hungry to finish this century ride. After all the riding I had done so far, I NEEDED to make it to the very end, even if I was crawling and dragging my bike all the way there. I ended up making it to the turn off street in Batchawana Bay for our resort. I was told it was 4 miles down the road. I decided to keep biking it. A few miles in, I saw my mom's truck off to the side of the road. I knew that couldn't mean anything good. As I pulled up, she told me it looked like it was another 3 or 4 miles down the road. My heart sank, my hopes sank, and I wanted to fall off my bike and just lay there - maybe cry too. I pushed through all of that and luckily, the resort was only about another mile up the road. We got in around 8/830pm. I checked my mileage - something I hadn't done all day so as to not upset the delicate balance of my biking psyche. 103.5 miles in 9 hours and 40 minutes. I couldn't believe it! I had done it! I had completed my century ride just as I said I was going to do! And through the freakin' mountains! We unloaded our stuff in the room and the owner of the resort told us if we got an order in soon, they could cook us dinner. Being a German resort, we feasted on pork schneitzel, green beans, potatoes, bread, and salad. It was divine!
The 103.5 miles from Wawa to Batchawana Bay took me through some mountainous regions of Ontario. The ride was extremely hilly. While there were no mountain passes like there were a few days ago on my ride, the hills were constant. They were very long, very steep, and happened very often. My whole ride was going up a long steep hill, followed by a very brief flat that was usually a false flat anyway and was still just at a slight incline. Then, I would go up another long steep hill and the pattern repeated itself for 70 miles. I enjoyed a few downhills, but not near as many as the uphills unfortunately. It was a beautiful ride, but the relentlessness of the hills was obnoxious. There was just never a break!
Today, on day 10, as I was biking to the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie), I took my time. I knew this was the end of the Canadian leg of this trip. It's been quite an epic experience and I felt sad to know that I was almost done. I was more than happy to be done, but at the same time, given what I have endured during my 8 days in Canada, quite an attachment was formed and it was hard to know that it was ending. Bittersweet for sure. Day 11 will be back stateside in the UP of Michigan. I'll be headed to Paradise for my first ride back in the states. I'm halfway done with my trip having logged just over 600 miles so far. Ten more days through Michigan and Wisconsin along the South Shore of Lake Superior, then across the Highway 53 bridge to Duluth where my ride will conclude. I find much relief knowing that I will not be riding anymore 100 mile rides nor will the rest of the route be nearly as hilly as what Canada gave me. I'm looking forward to seeing what the South Shore has to offer.
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