Inside Scoop, Part 3

Setting a new record had little to do with how good a cyclist I was or not…

Ottawa to Halifax Part #3

I had NOT done proper planning of a cycling route through Ottawa/Gatineau. I paid the price. It was raining and cold. The main highway was off limits to bikes. My crew did a great job of finding an alternate route, but it was frustrating to say the least. I saw more of Gatineau then I ever wanted to.

When I was riding, I was able to make up time on the record. The problem was the off bike time. I cut my 120 minutes of sleep per night down to 90 minutes. That helped, but I was aware of the upcoming hills in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. If I would get a stiff wind coming off the ocean, the record was far from certain. I was riding well again. The swelling in my legs was virtually gone. Charles Mulli was now part of my support crew. He was able to see firsthand what was involved.

My struggles west of Ottawa had created a bit of drama. The word spread about this old guy trying to become the fastest person to cross Canada. We had created a bit of a following on our website. We received countless emails and messages of encouragement and prayer support. My crew read most of them to me through the window of the support vehicle. It was huge motivation for me. Thank you. The media got a hold of the story and I was able to do a number of interviews while riding my bike. Things were happening. My daughter Stephanie (at home) had been tracking the on-line donations. We heard updates each and every day. What an encouragement each and every donation was to me. Thank you to all.

The St Lawrence River offers a spectacular view and Quebec is my favorite province to cycle through. They just seem to be the most bike-friendly province in Canada. They seem to get this whole biking thing.

We reached Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec about 800 km to go, at around 1:00 am. I informed my crew that this would be our last night (we would stop for a shower and a 90 minute sleep). After this my intentions would be to go straight through with no sleep, other than some 5-10 minute naps. By 3:30 am we were riding again. The next 40 hours were hard, but I was determined. Red Bull helped keep me stay awake, but soon that too was ineffective. Strong head/cross winds from Fredericton, NB to Truro slowed us down to a crawl at times. This record was far from certain. When we finally reached Truro, Nova Scotia, the cross winds became tail winds. I put the hammer down one last time for the last 90 km. With a wind pushing me, I cruised at 40 km per hour. Sweet deal! Rain, cold winds and rush hour traffic made the entry into Halifax a bit more challenging. We lost about 15 minutes, being gridlocked in traffic.

It was a great feeling to be welcomed by a few friends and family. The media did a fantastic job reporting on the record, but more importantly, they represented our mission with accuracy. I am very grateful for the way they treated us.

Frank and Agnes DeFehr were there to sign the $50,000 bonus cheque for MCF as a result of setting a new record.

Some time during my last 40 hours, I received a phone call from Ben and Dori Sawatzky. They wanted to make sure that I would earn the extra $50,000 bonus cheque for MCF. They pledged $200 for every minute I would break the record, capped at $30,000. What motivation. Breaking the record by two hours and 53 minutes meant I was able to cash in on every dollar pledged. To date, events and meetings built around Grandpas Can have raised $470,000 to help raise over 2000 rescued children at Mully Children’s Family. Praise God!

On my way to Marathon, Ontario at 2:30 am, and the next couple of days leading up to and including the 17 hours in the motel in Mattawa, the possibility of setting a new Guinness World cycling record had very little to do with how good a cyclist I was or was not. It did not matter if I was riding a cheap bike or an expensive bike. What mattered was if I had the courage in my heart to stay on the bike.

Likewise, today, millions of children worldwide are suffering. Many are dying. Organizations like MCF (and others)

have committed themselves to be on the ground or in the trenches to change that. For us to help make this happen, has little to do with money. It has to do with what is in our heart.

You see for me, ultra-marathon cycling is simply a classroom. The subject is character-building. Within a very defined time frame, I will experience physically, mentally and emotionally the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. In order to have success, I must be willing to accept adversity as the teacher and even a friend. The benefit, of course, only comes if I am willing to apply the lessons learned in real life where it matters. For me, real life is being a relentless ambassador for children who have been abandoned by society, but not by God. See you on the road in 2012.

Stats from Vancouver to Winnipeg (shown again for comparison)
Stats from Winnipeg to Ottawa (shown again for comparison)
Stats from Ottawa to Halifax
Summary Stats (Vancouver to Halifax)