Ghost rider
Embrace the Elements
Goal: 12hours of ride time
Date: Friday, March 16, 2007
Forecast: -5 with a wind-chill below -10 and at times -15/chance of flurries, winds 30-40-50+km/h
Weight: 180.5lbs
Depart: 10:15am
So the day began innocently enough as I awoke from my 4hour sleep. I was up late into the night planning the route and prepping the 8 000calories I was going to consume during my ride. The plan was for my girlfriend Katarina to meet up with me on route at about the 3 hour mark for my first 600calorie smoothie consisting of Ultra Maintain and Flax oil. I had a solid breakfast consisting of Kamut pasta with fruit and nut muesli and a gallop of Balkan yogurt, yeah I know it sounds disgusting but hey, I need the power. A final check of the weather before I got dressed tested my level of commitment, but I knew that if I can go out in conditions like today and carry out what I have planned than another layer would be added to the existing armor. I kissed my mom goodbye as she wished me good luck and told me to be safe, as always, I replied I will, don't worry.
Once outside I was able to hear the winds and feel their presence, the cool mid morning air sent a chill through me that kick started my ride. Not before long I was coasting at 35km/h and knew this was going to be the day, a special day. In less than five minutes I was warm and set a pace for myself that didn't leave much room for reserve. Today was about pushing my body, testing my nutrition, not about survival or so I thought. I knew that having Katarina meet me for my fluid replacements was a luxury compared to the rides I've been on up until now.
The route headed west along Eglinton through Mississauga, I was touching speeds of 40-45km/h, in the back of mind I knew what this meant and what was in store for me. I was literally racing, out of the saddle trying to maintain my speed over the short highway overpasses, nothing was holding me back, feeling free and riding for the moment. I could see the trees now, the countryside stood before me awaiting my arrival, almost as if this was the famous forest of Arenberg in the one day classic Paris-Roubaix. I was now heating up, sweating like a morphine pig, the thought of slowing down and having to cool off was not an option, I continued the pace. Several hours in and still going strong, but my food stores were running low, I was down to half a bottle which I treated like a snow cone.
No sign of Katarina yet, this was now beginning to concern me. The kind of effort I was putting out and if not supplemented with the right nutrition can have a pretty steep price tag, one which I couldn't afford, not on this day at least. So there I was, now traveling south on Hwy 8 just north of Ancaster sucking on my endura snow cone. The reality of the day was slowly beginning to set in; the winds were now at my side folding me like a cheap pop can. My fingertips were beginning to go numb and this was only hour number four, what's going to happen at hour 8 and never mind hour 12. Something needed to be done, I need my extremities, what to do? what to do? I thought of calling Katarina and suggest she go into a Canadian Tire and buy me some big mitts but that would just delay her getting to me. If something comes up, I'm stopping.
I was now descending off the escarpment making my way into Dundas (just west of Hamilton). Looking down at my bottles, I realized I was completely out and the two bars that I started with this morning were also gone. Hmmmmmm, where can she be, how hard is it to find a guy doing 40k/h on a bike, but I’m sure she was fighting her own battles. I now knew, that yes, this will be an epic day, and I would have to turn on my survival skills. Coming into a small town, first things first, food. I walked into some corner store and grabbed 1.5L of water, now what am I going to eat that Dr. Pat (my health advisor) would approve of. There were no fig newtons to be found, I surveyed all the shelves and nothing good, just as I reached for the power bar threat chocolate peanut butter caramel cluster I noticed some type of organic seaweed sesame bar that looked like a sheet of grass, yes I'll take this I said out loud. Back outside the wind was howling, I filled my bottles and stuffed all three sheets of grass in my mouth and I was off.
Rolling down the road I noticed a red sign up ahead, could this be a Canadian Tire? Please please please, yes it is, and a sigh of relief. I ran in and all eyes were on me as if I stood out or something. I asked a gentleman on the floor where I could find some gloves, he directed me to the second floor and so I was off on my hunt. Another store clerk was there to greet me and so I asked if they had any warm gloves or mitts. He gave me a puzzled look which I wasn't too fond of, but he did say that he'd seen a pair in the back room so he'll have a look. When he came back out he was holding a pair of Hot Paws that were a XL, PERFECT, I thanked him and knew that this day was meant to be. I stuffed my old pair of gloves in my jersey and threw on these Hot Paws which resembled my mom’s oven mitts. They were a little clunky when shifting gears but I didn't care, I don't even know how much they cost, and I knew they would get me through the day.
I now had enough food and water to get me through this hour but after that I don't know. Climbing back up the escarpment was effortless, looking over to my left; I had a great view of the lake and all the development surrounding it. Going up at 18k/h I thought wasn't too bad given the grade, and just as I crested the last peak, there she was, her white car was like a big angel I've been waiting for all day. She wanted to pull over but I insisted I climb right to the top and find an area that had more room to park. And so a few minutes later I was downing my 600calorie smoothie and packing my jersey with more food. I changed my neck warmer and damp hat before heading back out. At this point I was just happy that she found me and didn't want to get into the ifs and buts. It was nice to see a warm smile and a loving heart. We agreed that she'd follow me closely until we got out of Ancaster which was another hour or so.
Back on the road now, I was focused on my riding, my pedal stroke, its fluidity, and controlling my heart rate. The wind was at my back and I was touching speeds of 50k/h. Ok I thought, back to business. I headed south on a country road which had a sign stating, no through traffic. Most times this means nothing so I proceeded forward and began descending down a steep gravely road that went under a tunnel. I was heavy on the brakes; there was ice across the entire road so I took to the gutter nearly taking out a mailbox. Well, I guess you can't always have things go your way, I came to a dead end with a barricade, beyond was a road that looked as if it had been abandoned all year. I said to Katarina to turn around and meet me at another location and that I was going to go play in the snow. If she could, I think she would have slapped me. So I looked over the barricade to have one last look, and yes, the road was all ice going up a switch back leading to nowhere. I turned around and began the steady climb of about 12-14%grade which went up for about a kilometer.
We were now 6hours in and I was still averaging almost 30k/h despite all the climbing and crosswinds. Katarina hadn't eaten all day and the stress of having to find me was beginning to show. I took down another smoothie and sent her off to go to Tim Horton’s. I was going to be on this straight road for a while.
With my energy levels topped up, I was certainly up for the challenge. The winds were strong, on two occasions I was blown about 3 feet into the gravel shoulder but managed to stay up. Those chances of flurry predictions, well, guess what, yup, in full effect as we speak. I began to think, where the hell am I, its March, it’s -15 and the winds are just like Kansas and to add, I’ve got all this white fluff floating around. I began to laugh. To be honest, I was happy and grateful for this opportunity that lay before me. Today was a gift and I embraced it. It was my chance to test my will, my spirit and most of all sharpen my spear.
Several more hours passed and once again I was running low in the calorie department. I thought she’d be here by now; I can’t keep switching back and forth from survival mode to performance mode. When you have a vehicle following it becomes your safety net, your lifeline, you began to depend on it for your basic needs like food and water and at times warmth.
Oh well, it is what it is and I just have to keep moving forward. Passing by the grain elevators out here in the Niagara region reminded me of last year’s RAAM when I crewed for Kevin Wallace , and with today’s winds even more so. It brought back some powerful memories, of heroes on bikes relentlessly pushing through crosswinds of 80k/h for two days.
And so 3 hours went by and nothing yet. The snow was now beginning to accumulate making the riding conditions treacherous. These were well known roads for me, ones where I’ve had great experiences before. I rode across the top of this escarpment 3 years ago in the dead of the night pulling a trailer which I traveled with across the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes region of New York State. And than last year I was caught in a torrential down pour with a friend Bob Langley which also turned out to be a day of epic proportion.
Again, the white car appeared miraculously, it was now beginning to blend with the elements surrounding it but nevertheless it represented food, water, warmth, and most of all a lovely smile, even if just for a brief moment. Another smoothie down the pipe along with some oat bars and I was off.
We were soon to be heading north on Centennial Parkway. I knew what this meant, a headwind. If anything, all this exfoliation on my face couldn’t be a bad thing. The speed dropped to about 15-20k/h. I began to think more about what all this meant. And what I came up with was that these elements were only polishing the stone, a stone I’ve embraced when I first heard of RAAM. In essence I have been working on this stone for 10 years. Ohhhhhhhh, all the lonely nights I’ve spent out in the middle of nowhere, just trying to survive, just trying to get home. What all these rides have done is create some very powerful layers, moments edged in time.
The roads now filled with almost a foot of snow and I had to resort to riding on the gravel where I was able to find tractor marks that I can follow. This is not what slick tires are made for but given the circumstances they held up just fine. I was actually enjoying it, it made me work extra hard and I had to fight for every inch of terrain. It was very rewarding.
It was time for another smoothie and we had to assess the situation. I knew I would go on no matter what was discussed even though my moms called on several occasions. The thought of quitting and getting into a vehicle is never on option for me, I don’t make it one. So without it there, the bike is all that exists. It’s very simple, but it works.
I had a bagel with cheese and ½ an egg sandwich along with a small coffee, than a quick trip to the washroom. We both agreed that the conditions were crazy but I was confident that I can ride. I was determined to ride on the gravel for the next 5 hours if I had to. This wouldn’t be the first time, but that’s another story all together.
I left leaving Katarina to organize her things and we agreed that she’d catch up with me along hwy20. I headed out, and boy was it slippery. There was no room for error, every pedal stoke had to be delicately balanced otherwise it would mean kissing the tarmac. Oh yes, when I first got onto hwy20, a crosswind blew my front wheel from under me and I was down before I knew it. Thanks to all my years of Martial Arts I was able to do a Kamikaze style role over the bars and walk away unscathed. I brushed myself off like a lucky cat and got right back on the bike. I was lucky.
It was now dark, about 8 o’clock and another 5 hours lay ahead. I found patches of road in between section of snow I could ride on. It was a desolate landscape, dark and vast, but I was at my best. I was once again beginning to gain some speed. The danger was going too fast and than hitting a long patch of snow which would have been ugly. All my concentration and focus was on the 10 feet in front of me and nothing else, the slightest wrong turn, if I got off balance, than I would fall. And so I thought that how amazing it is when you’re put into an environment with an element of risk, how fast one can become a master and a perfectionist. I guess there’s no other choice.
The snow was blowing across the road like a sandstorm in the Sahara, and at times being part of this felt like I was just gliding without any effort, floating through space like a time traveler.
Almost an hour now since I left the Tim’s my mind began to wonder and worry about Katarina and whether she made it out ok. Moments later she was on my wheel driving in the gravel behind me. There was no room for me on the road and so I sought refuge in the gravel often times bunny hopping from one track to another.
Another 2 hours later we reached downtown Hamilton. It was strange for me to see all this hustle and bustle after I’ve been out there in the middle of nowhere all day. Passengers peaked out me from the warmth of their luxury sedans and SUV’s. But I too felt cocooned in an environment which I have created. I felt it was no different; I was safe in this environment because I felt as if I’ve been a part of it all day. Often times I’d get a nod of approval or thumbs up, these were great gestures of respect, and very different from the ones I’m used to getting.
I thought a few more hours and I’ll be home. The last several hours seem to go by without any major excitement. It was a fight to the end, but the end was near and so I pushed on and gave it my all. I was back up to speeds of 30k/hour. The roads closer to home were only wet with a couple of inches of slush which I easily cut through.
Mom was waiting outside to help us bring all the equipment in. A nice warm hug felt great. The day was over, another sensational day I should say. Lessons learned, and a new found awareness. Just embrace.
“Forget about likes and dislikes; they are of no consequence. Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness.
-George Bernard Shaw
Thank you for reading.
Larry Optis “time traveler”
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