It’s been quite a while since my last post. Here’s the story behind my forced sabbatical. Late in May I decided to do a trail ride with my hi-bred bike, the Flyer Trail in Eastern Passage. Soon after I started up Cow Bay Rd. I realized the gusting wind was very dangerous. I made the decision to continue thinking once I got on the trail I would be sheltered by the trees. I had a great uneventful ride. It wasn’t until I crossed Cow Bay Rd. along Caldwell Rd. that things got harry. There was road construction going on and the wind gust were even stronger. As I headed down this substantial hill I slowed down to 30km/hr (I usually reach 50km/hr). Not good enough a gust knocked me over. The bike and myself started sliding down the hill. If it had not been for the road workers quick response I may have sustain more serious injuries. They ran to me and stopped me from skidding down the road. I have to thank them for their response and offers to drive me to the hospital or home. Since I was less than a few kilometres from home and very stubborn (I insist ending any ride on my own steam) I declined their offers. It was a slow and dangerous crawl home in terrible pain. I’m glad I wear complete gear when I ride. My bike shorts were torn and I was covered with road rash. I slammed my head several times on the road. I had whiplash and a minor concussion. I had read indentation marks around my head where the helmet pressed against my forehead. A shoulder injury and the most troublesome injury was to my left thumb which I thought was broken. A quick trip to the ER showed no break. I did however tear the ligament which made it impossible to grasp and do fine motor skills. Riding was over for a while. Every time I tried to ride the pain was unbearable and I could use the thumb at all. This made riding difficult and grasping my water bottle that is in a left sided cage impossible. I soon realized my riding in one of the best summer we’ve had in a long time was over. After a few months the pain was minimal but the thumb still wouldn’t work. In my wisdom I decided to make up for the lost season by doing renovations to our newly purchased house. This include some serious dry walling and painting living room, dinning room, and all the halls. I stubbornly worked through the pain and got it done but then realized I had done more damage to the thumb. Some intensive physio therapy and I regained the use of the thumb. As a way of making up for the lost summer (my partner had a severe back injury and was laid up in bed for a good part of the season) we decided to finally make the leap after 5 years together and tied the knot and then went to Cuba for our honeymoon.  In the process of all of this I gained a whopping 18lbs. I have many excuses for this: My sister visiting from Ontario. We met for breakfast every morning at local restaurants. With Jenn in bed and my injuries we did a lot of  pizza and timbits. Every time I made mention of going for a ride or a run Jenn insisted on coming with me. Of course this made no sense except the jury is still out on who is more stubborn.  So I did not work out. I’m sure I left out more excuses. Well, the excuses are over and I am back on track. I have lost a total of  20lbs in 5 weeks and still riding in the cold and windy weather. I planned to continue as long as there is no snow. I’m running and spending a lot of time at the gym. I also have adjusted my diet to include only healthy choices and no cheating.

I am doing some video with the herocam of my rides and will post them soon. I will attempt to start posting information about all the trails will be in full swing for bike week next June. I welcome any comments or information that others might have information about the trails.

Pleasant surprise to see this portion of the trail repaired. It was dangerous for walkers let alone challenging for cyclists.

Storm clouds in the distance were fast approaching.

Mother Nature was laughing at me yesterday. I had just finished posting about how I am a fair weather rider. Went for a ride in Eastern Passage along the Flyer Trail and the Salt Marsh Trail. The weather network said the wind speed was 20 but I soon found out the gusts were much more than that. In the past I would have turned around but I knew I would be somewhat sheltered from the wind once I got on the trails. When I got to the first bridge on the Salt Marsh Trail I could see storm clouds in the distance. I thought I would make it home before anything would happen. Within 10 minutes the cold driving rain was pounding on me in my shorts and Mother Nature topped it off with a shower of hail. Despite being cold and wet it was kind of fun. It reminded me of when I was a kid playing out in a rain storm. It was exciting and electric. I felt like I had ‘Braved the Storm’. It also reminds me of times when I was camping in  the interior of Algonquin park after canoeing and portaging all day just to set up camp in the pouring rain. At the time it sucked but when it was over I felt emotionally ‘strong’. Reflecting on this I thought ‘Wow, I did this’. It’s cool to think I didn’t quit or fall apart. After days of pouring rain and all your gear is wet and trying to fish in a downpour I did ask myself “What the Hell am I doing here?!” I find as I get older (just turned 45 2 days ago) I get very comfortable in my comfie and cozy life and that I really have to push myself out of my comfort zone. It in those moments of strength that I really feel alive.

This is my partner Jenn waiting for the light to change on Main St and Montague. Here's proof of the nice weather we've been having. Shorts and short sleeves on Saturday May 22nd. I think it got up to 29C. It was actually a little hot for me. I've been struggling with dehydration and heat stroke. I have to keep on top of it because it looks like we are going to have a hot summer.

The weather has been better this spring than most that I can remember. I have accumulated about 7ookm this spring and it would probably be more but I’ve been a bit busy. An average of 1000km a month would be a good cycling season for me. I think we had something like 21 days of rain in May last year. I am a fair weather rider unless I get caught in the rain. I find cycling in the rain a bit dangerous. My experience is that motorists don’t see you as well. I find it gets cold and I tend to tense up creating some extra muscle soreness at the end of the ride.

I am really sad to hear of the recent tragedies for cyclists. I don’t really think about the possibility of being hit when I’m riding although I do have close calls when cars turn left or right in front of me. For the most part people tend to go around me.

Bike week starts tomorrow and should be a lot of  fun. I’ll be at the Halifax Cycling Coalition Open Street Party on Sunday. I’ll be there with the HD Hero Helmet cam and handing out business cards with the blog address on it. I’ll also be at the MEC BIKEFEST the following  Sunday. I hope to attend a few other bike week events.

Safe riding to all.

I believe this is day two. Must have been earlier in the day. After a few mountains the camera was the last thing on my radar.

What a trip it was! As you can see I am wearing long tights and a wind breaker. It was chilly and very windy. I posted a video of this trip. In it you can see and hear how windy it was. This made this trek across the trail brutal. Mid day, day 2 I was broken! Didn’t really realize how the wind on day one had drained me. I also have to admit I wasn’t fully conditioned for this years trip. Being stubborn and still learning how to listen to what my body is telling me, I went full steam ahead. Well, I did complete it and didn’t die in the process. I always try to learn something from my adventures and this one was no different. Weather conditions will kick you in the butt! Hill climbing training is essential. I have emotional strength to meet challenges head on. My partner is always there to remind me that I am strong and to face those challenges. Lets see what this years trip will tell me.

Go Pro HD Helmet Hero

Optics	Lens Type:	Fixed Focus (6ft/.6m – ∞), glass
	Aperture:	f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
	Angle of View:	170° ultra wide angle in 720p and 960p
		127° wide angle in 1080p
Video	HD Resolution Settings:	1080p: 1920×1080 pixels, 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
		960p: 1280×960 pixels, 30 fps, 10 Mbit/s data rate
		720p: 1280×720 pixels, 30 fps with 7.5 Mbit/s data rate, or 60 fps with 15 Mbit/s data rate
	Sensor Type:	1/2.5″ HD CMOS, 2.2μm pixels
	Light Sensitivity:	Super low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec)
	Video Format:	H.264 compression, saved as MP4 (.mp4) file
	Exposure Control:	Auto with user selectable center weighted average and spot metering settings
	White Balance:	Auto
Audio	Microphone:	Built-in, mono with AGC (automatic gain control)
	Audio Format:	48 kHz, AAC audio compression
Photo	Resolution:	5 megapixel
	Capture Modes:	Single shot, photo every 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60 secs. 3 photo burst self-timer
Storage	Memory:	SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC)
	Average Recording Times:	1080p: 12min/GB 960p: 14min/GB 720p: 16min/GB (30 fps), 11min/GB (60fps)
Connectors	PC Connection:	USB 2.0 (data connection and battery charging)
	HDTV Out:	HD NTSC & PAL (component cable included)
	Audio Out:	Combo 2.5mm jack with stereo audio and composite video out
Power and Battery	Battery Type:	Rechargeable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion
	Battery Life:	Approximately 2.5 hrs
	Charging:	Via USB to computer or optional power adapter
	Charge Time:	80% capacity after 1 hour with optional power adapter, or 2 hours with a computer’s USB port
Waterproof Housing	Depth Rating:	Up to 180 feet / 60 meters
	Construction:	Polycarbonate and stainless steel
	Hardware:	Stainless steel
Additional Information	PC Compatibility:	Windows ME, 2000, XP, and Vista; Mac OS X 10.2 and later
	Dimensions (H x W x D):	1.6″ x 2.4″ x 1.2″ (42mm x 60mm x 30mm)
	Weight:	5.3oz / 150g including battery, 6.3oz / 179g including housing

This is me in 2003 at 220 lbs. This picture is kinda ratty because I carry it around in my gym bag as a motivator to keep working out. I also pull it out and show other women in the locker room to help inspire them. It works.

I started my fitness journey in 2005. I weighed 220 pounds!  If I wasn’t depressed enough when I visited my family doctor I sure was when I left. When she looked at the scale her response was “Oh, Emma this isn’t good”. I felt like she cared and I had disappointed her. My life was a mess and my physical health was no different. It seamed like no one cared or had the courage to say anything to me. It hurt hearing it but I needed a change and was ready to commit to a healthy life again. My sister sent me some money for my birthday and I took it and bought a crappy mountain bike from Walmart. Where I lived in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia there were bike paths and a trail system that started on my street near Shearwater Airport and went all the way to Lawrencetown Beach. This was the beginning of my new healthy life. It’s interesting now that I think of it that I was on the Salt Marsh Trail one Saturday when I met Bob from Velo Halifax and he offered me some organic chocolate as he pointed out the 3 gray herrings fishing in the water. He was so enthusiastic about cycling he invited me to join Velo Halifax. I mentioned that my girlfriend was a member. Well, we had just recently started dating but I felt comfortable calling her my girlfriend. His response was “I know Jennifer, she’s really strong!”. It was a good thing because she soon became my personal trainer and I needed all the help I could get. Oh, by the way, here in Nova Scotia we joke that there is only 2 degrees of separation. I guess that would be considered one degree.

An eagle soaring on the thermal at the top of French mountain. Cabot Trail 2007. My first tour of the Cabot Trail and only my second season of cycling while getting fit.

Imagine you’ve been cycling all morning. You start to wonder if you are crazy and if your legs will last the whole trail. You realize if you keep  thinking like this you’ll never make it. You refocus your thoughts to the present. As you try to remain in the moment. You say to yourself “Pain is good, it reminds me that I am alive”. You encourage your legs to do what you want them to do by thinking ‘smooth, smooth’ until you reach the peak of the climb. You turn the corner on French Mountain and there you see this eagle riding the thermal. It’s not even aware that you are there but you know it’s your reward for not giving up.

After riding my cheap mountain bike that I bought at Walmart I had outgrown it. It was time to invest in a bike that would help me meet my fitness goals. I was off to Cyclesmith in Halifax to speak with Mark Beaver.

My new Trek. The investment on the front end is big but if you consider how much you use it the price per year or for me per Km is worth it. My first year I did over 5,000 km. (that averages out to 20 cents a Km. An average ride being 40km that's only $8 a ride.) I'd say that's worth it.

I have to say that everyone at cyclesmith was a great help and enthusiastic about my fitness goals. Being short and carrying a lot of weight in my midsection Mark did his magic fitting me with my new Trek. I needed stem extensions and shorter crank arms on a 43cm frame. A bike computer was essential for logging my progress. I also bought a small notebook and started logging my rides. My log started out pretty simple with ride route, max speed, average speed, distance and time. As I got more familiar with riding I started putting information about the weather, wind speed, temperature, how the ride felt, my weight and nutritional information. I also noted my accumulated Km’s despite the bike computer doing this. This one was important because I had joined Velo Halifax ( the cycling club in HRM). One of my goals was to get the distinction of being the Rookie of the Year which is won by having the most Km’s as a new member. At 5,000 by the end of the season I fell short of this by several thousand to another lady who was doing the same thing I was. It was a great incentive and comforting to know that I was not alone in my weight loss journey. I lost 50lbs in the process, well I shouldn’t say lost because that might indicate that I am actually going to find it back. NO WAY! I also competed in the First World Outgames in Montreal that year. I was inspired by Mark Tewksbury when he came to Halifax to talk to the GBLT community about the games. He was generous enough to share his olympic medals by allowing us to hold them. Something he does routinely as you could see because the medal were scuffed up and well handled. I will post more about my journey to the Outgames. Setting goals is what kept me on track. I wouldn’t suggest that anyone set this many big goals when starting out but I am a all or nothing girl and was ready to get fit. I also ran the MacPass Bridge Mile the previous year with the intension on having a marker to chart my progress. Unfortunately I was unable to run it the next year because it was at the same time as the Outgames. I completed the Bridge Mile in 10min. 45sec. the first time and beat that mark by 2 minutes the next time.

http://cyclesmith.ca/

This is one of my favorite rides. This ride is approximately 110km leaving from Dartmouth (MacDonald Bridge) at 3am on a Saturday or Sunday morning and you arrive at Peggy’s Cove as the sun is rising. You might think that’s totally crazy but here is why. Riding in the dark when no one else is on the road (except for a few trucks) is so much fun.

You arrive as the sun is rising and there is no one there. When was the last time you had Peggy’s Cove to yourself? It is so quiet, just the sound of the waves and the seabirds. During one of last years rides (I do it several times a season) I was met on the road by a family of dear. It was just as I was getting close to the Cove and I guess the quietness of my bike alowed me to get close to the dear without frightening them. While most of the dear headed for the bush one yearling paused about 25m away from me and just stared at me as I stopped to get my camera out.

This is why I do this ride. On the way back I counted 13 tour buses and it was only 8am. It was going to be just another busy day at Peggy’s Cove.

I think this is the only way to see Peggy’s Cove.