How Ride the Rideau has changed me

Over dinner a few weeks ago my wife asked me a pretty interesting question – “How has Ride the Rideau changed you?”

After thinking it over for a bit a couple thoughts came to mind:

First: I am definitely more active. When I started this Ride the Rideau journey more than a year ago I didn’t own a bike and barely found myself at the gym. But signing up for the ride provided me with the incentive to get off my butt and start training. In the end, I have lost close to 50 pounds, I am involved in a couple sports leagues, and I have discovered a love for the serenity a quiet bike ride can provide. Heck, I am even giving Pilates a shot in the coming weeks.

Second: I would like to think I am more generous. In the past I would let those emails from co-workers or friends raising funds flownder in my in-box for months before realizing I had missed my chance to donate. Now, I give it a second look and if I feel it is a worthy cause I give at least a little. After you have fundraised for any amount you learn to appreciate how tough it can be. As I have said before asking people to part with their hard-earned money shouldn’t be taken lightly. And how can I asked people to support me if I am not willing to return the favour.

And finally: I would also like to think I am more grateful. Grateful for the wonderful healthy family I have. Grateful for my friends who offer their support and money so I can reach my fundraising goal. And grateful for those I know and love who have battled cancer and are still around. I am also grateful for having the chance to meet and be inspired by those who have fought the disease, but didn’t make it.

Despite the rainy weather forecast I am pumped about tomorrow’s ride. I know I will get wet and muddy, and Sunday will be a sore day. But  I will still be grateful to have had the chance to give back in my own little way.

(Update: This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but simply my quick thoughts on how I think this event has played a role in my life.)

tk

The $2,500 evening

Friday night was a very good night for our Brits on Bikes team.

For the second year in a row we held a charity Quiz Night to raise funds for Ride The Rideau, and once again our teams came through to raise some serious money (see title above) to support world-class cancer research in Ottawa.

While most of the teams were made up of friends, contacts, and co-workers I was happy to include a team from the Ottawa Hospital Foundation again this year. I really think it says a lot about the people who run the Foundation that they are willing to take their personal time to support these events – especially a week out from a huge Foundation event.

Ottawa Hospital Team “Sweet and Sour” during Brits on Bikes Quiz Night 2012

The Quiz Night really has become a high point of our Ride the Rideau fundraising. Coming only a week before the ride, I think it really helps boost our team’s spirit after a long summer of training and fundraising. It is also great to see so many people come together to support a cause our team and workplace cares so much about. Besides paying the $25 entry fee I am pretty sure everyone in the room also bought either a raffle ticket, a cake pop, or just dropped a couple bucks into the donation jar. I have said it before and I will say it again – Ottawa is a very generous city.

Finally, a huge thanks to those who really make this event happen –  Quiz Master Allan, my co-workers who volunteered to work the bar, security, the set up / tear down crew, and everyone else who donated their time and energy to help make our Quiz Night a success. Also a big thanks to the Chateau Laurier, D’Arcy McGees, The Scottish and Irish Store, and the National Arts Centre for donating raffle prizes.

Now it is our turn to live up to the other end of the deal. Our donors donated, the Foundation staff have plotted the route and organized the training events – now we need to cycle. Six more sleeps and ass hits the seat for 100km. Get ready Merrickville the Brits are coming!

tk

An inspiring pair

This entry has been sitting in the draft folder for a few weeks… better late than never.

Last week (14 November) I had the privilege of being invited to the Ride the Rideau awards gala. Held at the General Campus, the evening honours the event’s top fundraisers. But it is also a chance to look back at this year’s event and get recharged for next year’s ride.

Hearing about the heroic sums teams and individuals raised certainly inspired me, as did chatting with a few familiar faces.

In particular I was happy to chat with Mr. Waldmin. During the first year when I volunteered at Ride the Ride I held his bike at the starting line while he talked about his battles (three of them) with cancer, and last year I had the pleasure of sharing the road with him during a couple training rides. In his 80’s and still going strong, he is a true inspiration.  I only hope I have half his energy when I am his age.

I also had the chance to meet Bob again. The first time I met him was during the fundraising tips breakfast I attended back in August, we also had the luxury of enjoying that monsoon of a 75km training ride a few weeks later. From our first meeting I knew he was a cancer survivor, but I had never gotten into the details of his battle. That changed Thursday night. Bob shared his battles (yes that is plural) with cancer during a 2 minute video presentation. Sitting just a few rows behind him I could help but notice the amount of emotion which came over he and his wife as they watched the video while holding hands.

If the definition of a hero is “a person who is admired for courage or noble qualities”, sharing your story like Bob or Mr. Waldman certainly puts you in my heroic books.

I looking forward to sharing the pavement with both next summer.

Trevor

10 Thoughts on Ride the Rideau

It has taken me a few days to sit down and write this, but don’t worry it isn’t due to a sore posterior. If fact five days later I feel pretty good.

So, with that in mind here are 10 thoughts on last weekend’s ride:

Start: I was happy to see the ride’s start at Lansdowne Park moved from the Coliseum Building to Aberdeen Pavilion.  It is such a beautiful space.

With over 715 riders, I must say the starting line was a bit crowded. I have to wonder if a delayed start might work better. Things really didn’t clear up until we reached Hog’s Back.

Route: It was a beautiful ride on a beautiful day. You notice so much more when you take a journey on a bike than you do while driving in a car. For example, who really lives in those huge homes on River Road?

Driving through North Gower, Richmond and Merrickville made me realize I need to take the back roads more often. These are beautiful communities which have really done a great job of keeping their identity.

Sponsors: I don’t think I have ever seen a group of companies so excited about being part of an event. Clearly Nordion, Rogers, Boone Plumbing and Heating Supply, Merkley Supply, and Tommy and Lefebre are extremely passionate about this event. Not only did they financially support the event, but each had a team taking part. And it looked like they all had a member of senior management on their teams. Talk about biking what you preach!

Also, who knew baristas were also excellent cheers leaders? A shout out to Starbucks and their staff. They are great (and very loud) Ride the Rideau boosters.

(Courtesy: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation)

Cheer…I mean… inspiration stations and rest stops: Ride the Rideau takes care of their riders and the rest stops are the best evidence of that. They were well-stocked, well staffed, and well placed along the route. It seemed like whenever I physically needed a break a rest stop was just around the corner.

The inspiration stations were equally valuable when I needed an emotional pick-me-up. Having complete strangers come out and cheer you on is a great boost. Especially when you are biking the final kilometres.  Your body is getting sore and you think the finish line will never come.

The hardest part(s): As expect the route was definitely rider-friendly, but Mother Nature always throws a few curve balls at you. The section from North Gower to Richmond had to be the hardest due to a lovely head wind which made a subtle uphill section fairly challenging (at least to this cyclist).

That last 10km was no doubt the longest. By that point it felt like I was simply biking on a treadmill. It took me the same amount of time to the bike that final leg as it did for me to bike the first 20km.

The finish: Point blank it was the highlight of the day. Just thinking about crossing that line with everyone cheering and my wife and son there still gives me goose bumps. It was an amazing feeling and I am sure one shared by all the riders (especially those true amateurs like myself!).

My Team: Speaking of crossing the finish line… it was great to do it as a team. Brits on Bikes, as we dubbed ourselves, had pretty humble origins. After I hosted an info session last spring at work I would have been happy if just one person signed up… instead I found four brave… and very committed souls. Through all the early-morning training (mostly on Sundays) and fundraising we worked as a team, and in the end we thought it was important to cross the finish line as a team. A great moment.

The Foundation /Volunteers: An event this large could would never work without good organization and plenty of people willing to help out. Last year I volunteered, and it was very rewarding. Clearly dozens of people agree with me, and gave up their Saturday to help make sure us riders had a great day.

The staff at the Ottawa Hospital Foundation are also a great bunch (ok perhaps I am a bit bias). But really, they once again put on an amazing event and seemed to have every base covered. If there were problems I saw no evidence of them. True pros!

Oops, how did I forget that?: Just a word of advice. If you ever go for a 100km on a warm day in September (or any month for that matter) put on sun screen. That might sound like a Baz Luhrmann song, but it is true. My legs and arms are proof. Also, throw in some bike gloves and an extra padded seat.

Money raised: $1,829,544. It is a great number, isn’t it? An amazing achievement that further proves there is power in numbers. I also like the number $8,678.85. That is what Brits on Bikes finished with. Small compared to other teams, but I remind myself without it that first number would only be 1,820,865.15 and while that is a great number too… it just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

One final thing, I am sure any cancer patient would gladly bike 100km everyday instead of being forced to worry about battling cancer. But as I have said before 100km on a bike is the least I can do. Now it is in the hands of the researchers and doctors to continue their amazing work. And hopefully someday my son or his children won’t have to worry about losing a friend, a grand-parent, a co-worker, or a neighbour to this horrible disease.

Thanks for reading this far. I do hope to update this space over the winter and if all goes well… Ready to Ride 2.0 will be back in 2012!

Take care,

Trevor

Positive days

As the title suggests the past few days have been very good.

First, I was extremely happy to see Dr. John Bell‘s work getting international press coverage after the results of his team’s viral therapy trial  were published.  As I wrote about in May, this research is a great example of how Ride the Rideau is supporting world-class cancer research right here in Ottawa.

I really don’t think I could ask for a better form of motivation a week away from this huge ride. The research my supporters and I are helping fund is making huge strides and getting more and more attention.

We might be a few years away from this being a standard treatment, but just years ago using a virus to fight cancer would have been no more than a dream.

And did I forget to mention… Dr. Bell is also doing Ride the Rideau! Impressive.

On to some other exciting news…

Last Thursday Brits on Bikes fundraising efforts got a big boost following our Quiz Night.

This event had been in the works for months, and thanks to the quiz master’s generous support and help we were able to fill the room. Fourteen teams took part, including one from The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

No doubt it is a very busy time for staff from the Foundation, but it was great to see them come out and support our Ride the Rideau Team. In return, I think we (ok, the quiz master) gave them a pretty good evening of entertainment… and perhaps a few jokes to remember.

By the time the evening ended and all the money from the raffle and quiz was counted we managed to raise OVER $2,000.

A truly phenomenal number which puts our team above our original goal of $7,500. We are now looking to hit $8,500.

Once again, people’s generosity amazes me… and the motivation continues to build.

Trevor

Jack Layton

Like most I was shocked to learn of Jack Layton’s death this morning.

It is such unfortunate news that brings an all too common battle to the front pages. On average 487 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer today, and 75,000 Canadians will die from this horrible disease this year alone according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Startling stats indeed. But there is hope. A message Mr. Layton made clear in his final letter  to Canadians.

People diagnosed with cancer are living longer than ever. In the last 10 years survival has increased for all cancers combined from 56% to 62%.

That is why supporting cancer research is more important than ever. We have never been closer to a cure than we are now.

I have hope we will see a major cancer breakthrough in my lifetime and that is why I am biking on September 10th. Biking a 100km is a walk in the park compared to battling cancer, but it is the least I can do.

Trevor

Scrambled eggs… with a side of fundraising

• Fundraising update (Only 1 month to go!): $535.00 (36%) – Give now

Raising money can be tough, but one of the great things about Ride the Rideau is the staff at the Ottawa Hospital Foundation are more than willing to help in any way they can.

As an example, I got up early this morning and headed to the Civic Campus. Greeted by Andrew and Michelle from the Foundation, I joined a dozen riders for a little hero’s breakfast with a side of Fundraising 101.

The hour long session covered some great material, including top fundraising tips, event planning, and how to reach out to not only your network but also your friend’s and family’s contacts.

The highlight of the morning though was hearing what other riders and teams are doing to raise much needed money for cancer research in our community. The list is pretty diverse and includes everything from bakes sales, to magic shows and even selling donated clothes at consignment stores. It really is amazing how creative people can be, and how that creativity can become contagious in a room. I would be willing to bet everyone left today’s session with at least one new fundraising idea.

For Brits on Bikes our fundraising continues next week with a bake sale and then a raffle, and finally a quiz night just a week before the Ride. It is going to be a busy month, but if last week’s BBQ is an indication we will have no problem putting some fun in our fundraising. (ok that was cheesy… but how could I resist?)

tk

Funding a cure

It makes sense people want to know where their money is going when they donate it. And for that reason the findings of a study released last week on cancer research funding make sense. The authors argue cancers with higher survival rates get more money than cancers that kill more people. In other words, if you survived breast cancer, you are likely to support breast cancer research.

So how does this tie into Ride the Rideau?

Well, in my opinion, this makes a great case for supporting this event. Not only does the money raised stay in Ottawa, but it helps fund research that benefits a number of types of cancer.

For example, last year Ride the Rideau helped raise funds for the Centre for Innovative Cancer Research. Last fall I had a chance to tour this amazing facility and talk to staff who work there. They are doing some great work led by the likes of Dr. John Bell. The video below really outlines some of the amazing talent on his team. And it seems only a matter of time before their work helps cancer patients around the world.

This year the money raised will go to help develop personalized treatments for cancer patients and support clinical trials at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.  The hope is these project will benefit patients suffering from a number of different cancers including: lung, breast, colon, and brain.

In my opinion that is a pretty impressive and wide reaching impact for a single bike ride.

Money for hugs!

Friday I took my son to work. It was a big day for my wife and I. Showing him off to all my colleagues was a good way to say thanks for all their support during the pregnancy and it also gave them a chance to see the little guy up-close-and-personal.

Since I signed up for Ride the Rideau my wife has been joking we should offer hugs with the baby in return for donations. Well, it seems my wife may have discovered a new market.

While handing over my child to my co-worker, Laurie, my wife mentioned her $5 donation policy. Sure enough after giving us our child back she returned with $5, which I happily added to my online donations. IF only I could pay someone to take him for 5 min when he cries non-stop at 6am on a Sunday!

Rest asurred I do have a concience and will not sell my child’s snuggles at any cost. But this does seem like a good fit. Here is hoping that $5 helps solve this cancer battle in my son’s lifetime.

My goal this week: call Tommy & Lefebvre and get my NEW bike fitted.

Cheerio!

tk