17th
Team 2, Day 10: Party at the center of the universe
Today we rode into Toronto, the center of the universe. I can write that with good humour because it has been a running joke within Team 2. As we crossed the country, Glen and Neil poked fun about asking people where were were “in relation to Toronto”. Ironically, since most of the riders are from Toronto area, or at least Ontario, in conversations with them they would inevitably mention place names that I have no reference for so I too would end up having to ask “So where is that in relation to Toronto? The Toronto day is always a crazy day for the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride. For the riders it is a relatively short day (114km for Team 2) and easy because we pick up dozens of community riders so the pace is very gentle. Team 2 rode in from Brantford. Team 1 rode in from Barrie. We met up at Burlington and rode right into Yonge Dundas Square in downtown Toronto. Thanks to a police motorcycle escort, we were able to cruise right in without incident and without worrying about traffic. We even got to blow through most of the traffic lights. I had a fun time coasting along and visiting with a number of Glen and Neil’s cycling buddies who took a day off work to come out and support them. They are very lucky to have such great friends to ride with. For our crew Toronto is a different story. There were a few late changes of plan, so there was some confusion about which vehicles needed to be where and when. Parking is always an issue, and traffic is very congested. Plus they were constantly being bombarded with questions from the riders about where to go, how to get there, and “Where’s my stuff?” There were a few frayed tempers by the time we got out of town, but all in all it seems the day was a great success.
At the square I got to see my first Inside Ride. An Inside Ride is a high-energy team spin on stationary bicycles. They are coordinated by the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation as fundraising events. Yesterday the National Inside Ride Tour met up with us at the Square and, as if cycling across Canada wasn’t enough, I got to get on a stationary bike for 5 minutes. It was a lot of fun though. The Inside Ride crew really know how to keep the energy and the antics going and some of the corporate teams had great costumes.
After the Inside Ride we travelled down to the waterfront for a barbeque. September is childhood cancer awareness month, so our visit coincided with a big celebration at the waterfront. We were treated to speeches by childhood cancer advocates, patients, and parents of patients. Then there was music and dancing and to top the night off the CN Tower was lit up in gold, which is the official ribbon colour for the childhood cancer cause. It was a good-spirited event and a nice way to end an important day.
We had a short shuttle to Pickering after the event. A few of us went out for a quick beverage and snack. It was a good chance to unwind. Tomorrow we start with at 156km shuttle to Belleville, then we have a long 280+km day to Ottawa. We will be rolling into Ottawa late, but I am looking forward to getting a chance to visit my sister, Suzanne, and her family when we get there.
On a side note, the National Inside Ride Tour is coming to Banker’s Hall in Calgary on Monday, September 26th. Having finally gotten a chance to see one, I can say that it lives up to all expectations. Please consider taking a couple of hours out of your day for this worthwhile event. Details are online at the link above, or visit http://www.theinsideride.com/national-tour/index.php
