Last year (2000), I took up riding like never before. Oh, I had enjoyed riding for ages--I remember my first 11km ride to nearby Darlington Park (and then back again). Took us (there were like 6 of us) all day, and we were uber-dead at the end, but it was fun. }:) Then I got my bike up to Ottawa when I was 'permananlty' living there, and it got promply stolen. D!oh. Then I bought a new mountain bike from, of course, Canadian Tire. Thing was much heavy and not very good, but I was broke, and it was cheap. And I rode it to work, to school, on 40km jaunts on the weekend. Then I moved to California, and Phyxis was kind enough to pass his mountain bike onto me so I could ride it to work (only 1.6mi away). My roomate, Jude, at the start of last summer began to get interested in cycling--a lot. He got himself a nice road bike, and began riding lots. I decided to start joining him on the weekend rides. So began the summer of 1000 miles of riding -- if not more! I got way into it again--despite the fact I had a mountain bike (though Keman (Phyxis' other half (too many brackets!)) got a mtn bike too and bought us both some semi-slicks--a real life saver!) I rode on ever increasing lengths of trips. 20 mi. 30 mi. 40 mi. Keep in mind too that riding here consisted of heading west--which leads straight to mountains. From 70' above sea level we would ride up to 2200' above sea level. Yikes! Culminations and great-cool-froody happenings: Riding in the MS Tour du Jour event, a full 65+ mi ride with a tonne of other riders! Taking a wrong turn (I had a tendency to be faster than Jude or Keman--but I never knew the route :P) and ending up almost at the ocean... then having to turn back and ride back UP the hill, only to go down and then start Alpine road, the BIG hill I was supposed to go on! LONG story short, they had made it home and came and rescued me in the truck :P Doing a full Century, a full 100 miles inna day! Woo! (and the comments I got since I was the only insane one on a mountain bike--and keeping up :P) Of course, there's a downside to this. Turns out riding kills your flexibility, since you don't get full extension of the muscles while excerting them, causing them to shorten. GAH! Now that I've taken up martial arts, this flexibility is important to me. I'm working on getting it back, but I don't know of my current plan for riding this year because of it... }:(

T O U R   D U   J O U R  
 
  The CAS riding team! (Linda, Amy, Yissan, Oli, Brigitte, Heather
  My number! (post race photo op)
  Another post race photo

  Jude Rides!
  Keman Rides!
  Kannik Rides! (why do I always look like an idiot???)