Lili Hrabchak's Cross Canada Ride
"It’s 3:17 a.m. I’m on Main Street in Evansburg, Alberta Eating Tuna Out of a Tetra-Pak!"

How many people will ever be able to shout this to the heavens as I did? Let this stand as my testament to the utterly surreal experience of crossing Canada by bike June 2-20, 2008.

My group, Team Outspokin’, had just arrived in this hamlet 100 km west of Edmonton; it was my first full night ride on June 3. I loved it, and cycling in the night quickly became my favorite part of the event. Starting in Edson at 10:22 p.m., we cycled through the dark and into increasing damp and cold. At ride’s end, as we followed the BMW into town, I noticed a sign outside the Sears store which read: Welcome Sears National Kids Cancer Ride. Approx. arrival 2:50 a.m.

If I were to relate the full story of this cross-Canada trek, I would end up with a James A. Michener-sized book. Instead I’m focusing on vignettes, roughly categorized according to new experiences, mishaps and ‘peachy-keen stuff’ for lack of the correct word for what was the best of it all.

I love having new experiences; they bring me wisdom, wonder and joy. I had a few of those in Victoria, BC. Jean and Walt Edwards own a spectacular float home at Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria. Since April, they have opened their float home to tourists in exchange for donations to this childhood cancer fund-raiser. They invited me to begin my journey there, to receive a cheque, meet their neighbours and send me off to Eastern Canada spirited and smiling. I arrived on May 29 and left the next day.

What was new there? First, there was Walt’s homemade rhubarb crumble and custard which were so delicious that I had another giant-sized portion for breakfast the next day. Also at the party, little Olivia, aged 3, gorged herself on round after round after round of baguette dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, until her mom called a halt to it, possibly fearing bouts of explosive diarrhea the next day. In addition, I learned how much work it is to count coin and paper currency. Over a couple hours two of us sorted, stacked and rolled $962, two weeks’ donations. And finally, I discovered the joy of drifting off to sleep on a float home while outside my sliding glass doors otters splashed, dived and frolicked in the harbour.

In the evening of the day I left Victoria, I dined with two friends who had cycled the Big Island of Hawaii with me in November, 2007. They took me to Earl’s, a western Canadian franchise though Earl’s also has outlets in Arizona and Colorado. While the food is good, this restaurant might be better known for its easy-on-the-eyes waitresses: young, tall and willowy, dressed in stilettos and low-cut, tight-fitting black dresses. After dinner, Larry drove me to the Days Inn in Surrey where I met the team and from where we would begin our trek to Halifax.

Cycling in a double pace line at high speed is an effective though potentially dangerous and frustrating way of getting through long rides. Since I and a couple of the others weren’t accustomed to it, we had a practice ride, albeit at an easy pace, on June 1, the day before we headed out. Thereafter, we became quasi-experts at it, using various configurations depending on the wind direction and intensity. When the wind was from the side, the stronger cyclists, formed a wall for the weaker ones. When we faced a headwind, the stronger cyclists rotated at the front of the lines, while the weaker ones held their position and drafted. In windless conditions or when we were lucky enough to have a tailwind we all rotated through the lines. Only once did a rider touch another rider’s back wheel; he went down hard but broke no bones. Many times I suffered when the pace edged into 34 km/h +, and often in the first days I was aided up the big climbs by the strongest cyclists in my group. It was a bit embarrassing to get pushed, but since my training had been on the Florida flats, it was not a surprise that I needed some help. I have deep gratitude for their kindness.

In retrospect, mishaps often induce laughter, though they aren’t so funny at the time they occur. Prior to packing, we were told to put name tags on all our clothing to facilitate returns when our laundry was done en masse by others. Label Lighthouse had provided me free-of-charge with stick-on labels which are placed over the care tags of garments. Unfortunately, my leg warmers had no care tags, so I had to use iron-on labels. S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s…..that’s the sound of one of my leg warmers melting under the iron. It now sports a perfect imprint of my iron’s base, and when I pull it on, the crisped plastic section sandpapers my thigh. Wanted: one leg warmer.

Just before leaving Florida for the season, I tripped over the vacuum hose and injured the three small toes on my right foot. They folded under and twisted sharply and painfully. The entire foot turned purple and swelled, and while I was able to cycle, walking was uncomfortable. By mid-June I felt that the injury was somewhat healed. Whoops!! At Western University in London I banged my big toe hard into the wooden leg of a chair, and a short time after, while carrying my bike up the stairs to my room, I tripped and re-injured the same toes.

My bike had a few mechanical issues as well. The day of our first practice ride in Surrey, I discovered that my cleats and my pedals were mismatched despite careful preparations on the part of the mechanics at my local Toronto bike shop, Wheels of Bloor. One of our mechanics, Jaime, took care of that. Also, on our ride from Little Current, ON to South Baymouth, my shifters stopped shifting. I was left with the use of only the smallest ring on the crank, and so I had to stop after 50 km into the 75 km ride. In Hamilton 24 hours later, Jaime replaced the shifters, and I was good to go again.

Until then I cycled on one of the loaner/sponsor bikes, a Dorel. What a difference! The Dorel, made of carbon fiber, weighs 14 lbs. It makes my 18 lb. aluminum DeVinci feel like one of General Sherman’s tanks, especially when I cycled uphill.

As I scan my notes, I see that the ‘peachy-keen stuff’ covers three pages; that’s uplifting. In Winnipeg at the Polo Park Shopping Centre Jeff Rushton asked me to address the gathering as I was the sole representative of the province of Manitoba. In my speech I expressed my gratitude about many things. It is in this way that I will end this story.

Forever, I will be in awe of the many individuals who volunteered their time, energy, hearts and souls to this event as support crew members. Their names might be ordinary, but they are extraordinary people: Larry, Mike, Kelly, Michael, Dan, Don, two Keiths, Rob, Bill, Jimmy, Wanda, Lucy, Lorraine, Ralph, Greg, Jaime, Jann, Jenn, Shawn and others whose names I’ve forgotten. All of them worked beyond fatigue and without complaints (at least none that I heard), and they always gave their best to us and to this cause. No one is owed a louder thank you than this fabulous group of generous, kind and loving people.

From Vancouver to Halifax I met beautiful children who have been impacted by cancer. Among them are: two Caylebs, two Megans, Adam, Chelsa, Marisa, Bailey, Sara, Katie and Nicholas as well as many others whose names I didn’t record. Some are cured; others are in treatment. It is their smiles I am grateful for. They teach me that no matter how tough life may be, there is always some reason to be of good cheer.

From Vancouver, BC to Wolfville, NS I re-acquainted with friends. Kristy Robinson, who cycled across Canada with me in 2002, joined me for the community ride in Vancouver. Heather, a friend I made playing Scrabulous on the internet, showed up in Swift Current moments after Team Outspokin’ left for our night ride. In Winnipeg I enjoyed an overnighter with my nephew Randy, his wife Ardith and their sons, and then the next day Randy, Gordon and Donald cycled the 25 km route with us. One of my best friends, Cyndi, cycled 100 km from Hamilton to Toronto with me on June 14th. Dave, another Scrabulous friend, showed up at a Sears store in Ottawa, but I missed meeting him. In Montreal my Silk Route friend, Edwina, cycled with us. Hans, who crossed Canada with me in 2002, and his wife Sandra, popped over to the Sears store in Sussex, NB to say hello and meet us. At journey’s end in Halifax, Paul, another Silk Route friend, joined our celebration, then took me to his farm in Wolfville, NS. I am grateful to them all for their friendship and for their support of this worthy cause.

A few more-than-special things happened during the three weeks on the bike. In Swift Current, SK a pair of jet fighters from the Snowbirds flew overhead paying tribute to the National Riders. It was one of those rare times when all three teams were together in the same place. In Kemptville, ON the proprietor of Mr. Mozzarella donated 30 pizzas and numerous beverages to us. How many ordinary Canadians on bicycles get to visit 24 Sussex Drive, home of the Prime Minister and his family? Thanks to Neil on Team 3, who is a neighbour of the Harpers when they stay in Calgary, we were invited to meet Loreen Harper at her family’s residence. Under brilliantly blue skies, we were treated to drinks, fruit and homemade energy bars. It’s all icing on an already spectacular cake.

A long time passed since I last cycled across Canada in 2002. I had forgotten how beautiful our country is. Especially picturesque were the snow-capped, amethyst-hued mountains of BC, the towering, lush forests and deep quiet lakes north of Lake Superior, the emerald green-amber gold of the prairies as the sun came up in that space between Reston and St. Claude, MB and the rugged terrain, rolling hills and dense woodlands of the Maritimes. Along the way I saw bears and their cubs as well as elk and moose and deer, and I heard the cheery, piercing call of meadowlarks. How nice to have these opportunities one more time.

Despite having sore toes and often not having more than 2-3 hours of sleep, I completed all or the bigger part of the days’ rides. I sat out twice when I decided it would be too dangerous--long, in the night, cold, rainy, uphill and/or pot-holed. Throughout the endeavour, I experienced no leg cramps, and my tender zone was consistently pain-free. Thank you to one of our sponsors who provided the Assos Chamois Crème—it really works. Good health, physical strength and determination are my greatest treasures. Completing this event underscores how fortunate I am to have those in abundance.

So much paints this journey ‘surreal’. Covering 7600 km, about half of it by bicycle, in just 19 days is physically tough. That we did it on so little sleep, seems impossible. Most days I could not tell you which day it was, and without my journal I didn’t know where I was the day before. Though I got used to eating mashed potatoes and chicken cacciatore at 4 a.m. following an energetic night ride, it seemed bizarre to do so. Taking part in such an arduous feat, breaking with established sleep patterns and eating norms, sitting long hours on an RV as we moved to our next starting point or sleeping stop, I learned that we are limited mostly by our own beliefs, and that if we think otherwise, we can accomplish so much more.

Perhaps it is the finale that most deserves the descriptor ‘surreal’. Ceremonial music played by two bagpipers and three drummers greeted us at the shoreline at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax. As we filed in dressed in our red, gold and white garb, lined up with our bikes side by side, our tears flowed. Mist rose from the water under an overcast sky, and though it was cold and windy, I felt little of it. Some lifted their bikes above their heads; others walked on their hands in the water. Some slipped off their shoes and waded into the water to get photos. Jeff and Scott showered us with champagne, and we raised a glass or two as well in triumph, in joy, in celebration. After countless photos, hugs, cheers and smiles, it was all over--just a blur like the mist over the water.

Pete Cornell's 2008 Cross Country Ride

Read the article in the Sun Herald about Pete's Ride HERE.

(Last installment) I'm back here in cloudy SW Florida. Yesterday I finished my bike ride as expected about 3 PM in Jacksonville Beach. The ride was uneventful. The road from Savannah, GA to the Florida state line was designated as the bicycle I-95---smooth and great riding lanes. The 10 mile ride into downtown Jacksonville was difficult because of the major road construction and traffic. Then once in the middle of downtown I had to turn directly east into the off shore breeze from the Atlantic and ride another 17 miles to Jacksonville Beach. To say it felt good to finish is an understatement.

Joe and Mike finished strong riding significant mileage in the last week and were only slightly behind me at the finish. They are both strong riders and accomplished this ride with enthusiasm and skill.

The total miles for the trip was 1,418 miles in 13 days (109 miles/day-everyday). I was really focused on the goal of 100 miles per day and am happy to have accomplished it. (Only one flat tire---unbelievable since the three previous trips had so many--probably because I spent so little time riding on the freeways).

Thanks to all of you that have been following my progress on this last leg down the East Coast. Knowing that there were so many of you following my progress gave me the motivation to continue even when the weather, the roads/traffic or my body wanted to stop. And thank all of you who emailed me along the trip. Hearing from you guys put an extra spin in my pedal stroke.

This is the conclusion of a goal of mine to ride the four corners of the United States which began when Chris Dimanin and I met a husband and wife in Washington State on our West Coast ride who rode the four corners (on a tandem). I'm ready to take a significant break from attempting another riding adventure--but you never know when or what adventure might be next.