Ajax to Bowmanville

51% of women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16

Eastbound out of Ajax at 7:10 a.m.

My good friend, and cycling buddy Tom joined us as we left the office and immediately took up position in front of me to set the pace and sheild me from the wind. The three of us made fantastic time along Hwy #2 through Ajax, the town of Whitby and arrived in Oshawa more than 10 minutes ahead of schedule!

Tom setting the tempo

Oshawa was not a planned 'rest point' but I was stopping there to meet with the City's Mayor, John Gray who had also agreed to come out and show support for my fundraising initiative. After a media interview to get word out about the Shelter Foundation, I was back on the road heading eastward to Bowmanville and my first official 'rest stop' of the day. This first 30 kilometre stretch it should be noted, was also the flattest of the entire route. From Bowmanville on I was in for some substantial climbs.

Chatting with Oshawa Mayor John Gray

Local media interiew about Cycle for Shelter

I should also mention that at no point during the entire day was I ever completely alone. Although I cycled over 90 kms solo during the ride, I was always accompanied by a support vehicle with my husband (and for the first half of the day both my sons and a good friend) for safety reasons. Complete with a Shelter Foundation Banner across the back of the van, Kyle drove between 20-60km/hr behind me all day. At the wave of my arm he would pull up beside me as I rode, ready to pass me a tissue (did I mention I was sick?!?) a water bottle, an energy bar or to tell me we had made a wrong turn and needed to turn back. Yeah...that was a fun conversation. It happened twice that day.

Breaking the Cycle....Ride Day

On Saturday September 18th, 2010 I embarked on a journey to set the record for the longest one day bike ride in Durham region for a charity. My goal was to cycle more than 200 kilometres, through all eight municipalities in Durham in order to raise funds and awareness for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.
My fundraising target was an ambitious $3,000 and I wanted to have it raised by the 18th. The following is a summary of my ride that day.

1. Dawn

The sky was inky black at 5:30 a.m.. It was that calm peaceful time before dawn, except in my house. I was up showered and trying to eat oatmeal, peanut butter and blueberries while racing around making sure I had all my supplies. Despite the checklists, the hours spent organizing and reorganizing everything, the hour before we left the house was pure chaos. There is nothing like misplacing one's car keys just prior to leaving to add  that extra shot of tension to an already exciting day.

I had been training since June for this ride, cycling several times a week, spinning, and heading out for longer rides on the weekend with local riding groups whenever time permitted. As a recreational cyclist the most I had ever ridden in one day was 125 kms and that was only a few weeks prior to my Cycle for Shelter date. Despite a nasty (and by all accounts quite spectacular) crash at the beginning of that day, combined with unbearable heat and humidity, I completed the route, but I was not filled with confidence. While in my head I knew I was going to achieve my goal, to say I was at ease with the mileage was grossly inaccurate. Regardless, I was determined to get through it, and as we pulled away from my house that morning on the way to the start point, my focus was entirely on getting to the end of the day.

Sandra, Sharon & Kira were all there at 6:30am to see me off.

Saturday dawned crisp and clear and as the sun was rising I was met at the brokerage (my start and end point for the ride)  by a wonderful group of supporters including my Broker, Kira, Sharon Promm from RLP head office, and Sandra Diaz, Executive Director of the Shelter Foundation.

Talking about the Cycle for Shelter with Mayor Parish

Ajax Mayor Steve Parish was also there to show support and had agreed to ride the first leg of the journey with me.  My mind already focused on the road ahead, and with the sun lightening the morning sky, I said my goodbyes to family and friends and was on my way.

Did someone mention the Tim Horton's Drive thru?

On my way

Sizzling Hot!

Sizzling Hot is the only way to describe Zumba for Shelter! On Friday September 10th, more than 70 women from all oer the greater Toronto area gathered in Ajax for an evening of fitness, dance and fun, all while giving back to the community. With Zumba Instructors Yan, Sandy and Heidi leading the fitness dance party, these super women too a group fitness class and turned it in to a huge celebration of strength, passion and community spirit!

Was Zumba for Shelter a Success? Absolutely! During those two incredible hours, more than $1,300.00 was raised for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. Herizon House Representative Tasha Wilson was on hand for the party and confirmed that 100% of all the funds received via the Shelter Foundation from both Zumba for Shelter and Cycle for Shelter would be used for the crisis centre's childrens program.

Armed with the knowledge that more than 60% of the beds at Herizon House are currently filled by children, and that every penny raised would help pay for things like medicine for the kids, new shoes, and things like school field trips, we all set out to make it a night to remember.

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people, both family and friends who helped make this event such a success. There were so many of you who jumped on board and said "what ever it takes" as soon as you heard my plans. Because of you we were able to make a real and significant difference in the lives of those women and children who need it most, right here in our community!

For The Record

• I am a recreational cyclist. I love cycling, but it is something I do for pleasure.
• I bought my first street bike in May 2010.
• I completed several duathlons (run/bike/run) in 2009 using my beloved hybrid (heavier bike with upright handles). These duathlons were sprint distances though and the cycling element was usually completed in less than 1 hour.
• The longest distance I have ever cycled in one day was 115kms in August of 2009 (yes on my hybrid). I got home from that and slept solidly for 3 hours before even being able to function. I even forgot to go pick up my kids I was so tired!
• Cyclists registered for the Ride to Conquer Cancer (a fabulous annual fundraiser for the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto) also travel 200+ kilometres. Spread over 2 days.
• The Cycle for Shelter will be completed within 10 hours.
• The Cycle for Shelter distance is equivalent to an average stage distance in the Tour de France.
• 200 kilometres is approximately the distance from Toronto to just north of Parry Sound. It is also the same as going from Ajax to Napanee Ontario.
• Yes, I am a fitness instructor and I do teach beginner to advanced spinning classes. That being said there is absolutely no way that a 45 minute spinning class alone can prepare one for an endurance ride of this length. It comes right down to getting outside and logging the kilometres. Lots and lots of kilometres. 

The Word is Out!

Last Thursday was the Official Kick Off for the Cycle for Shelter. In order to generate some public awareness, and of course some donations for the Shelter Foundation, I organized a group ride around Ajax.

 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous as we prepared to ride that evening, with light winds, blue skies and no humidity. Our merry group of participants set out just after 6pm and enjoyed a scenic 11km bike ride through town following the beautiful bike paths and trails.

The pace was leisurely, there were lots of laughs and best of all, no-one got left behind. The après party was fantastic! We relaxed on the patio enjoying Casey’s hospitality and their amazing platters of generously donated food. Everyone who came out had the chance to win some wonderful gifts as a thank you for their donation and participation, including tickets to Yuk Yuks, Restaurant gift cards and some really cool bike helmets! 

In addition to all of the wonderful donations to the Shelter Foundation that were received that evening, there was also a lot of media ‘buzz’ about the Cycle for Shelter fundraiser which is fabulous. The more people who know about the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and the need to support women’s shelters and violence prevention programs the better. Domestic abuse isn’t something that happens “somewhere else” and it isn’t something that occurs “on occasion” either. It is a sad reality that women and children in our own community and everywhere need assistance and support as they endeavour to rebuild their lives and start down a new path. Want to help me put an end to domestic abuse? Please spread the word, donate, and come out to the next fundraising event on September 10th: Zumba for Shelter! Details are on my website. 

Until next time,

Sarah

It's Official Now...I have my Jersey!

I am dying to show you my new cycling jersey! It arrived a couple of days ago and I was so excited I could hardly wait to get home and try it on. Let me know what you think!

....too cool for school! :) This is the jersey I am going to be wearing whenever I am out on my training rides and of course on the day of my 200km journey. If you see me buzzing around town, drop me a line at my website cycleforshelter.com!

What a crazy few days it has been. Last week I was delighted to receive an invitation to join the Durham Cycling Club for one of their Sunday group rides. I went out with the Club last weekend and had a wonderful time! The members are every age and experience level, and without exception they were welcoming and friendly. Of course there were a couple of tense moments when word got out that I was a "tough" Spinning Instructor (I have a repuation, you see)...but aside from the promise by all that they weren't going to let me go 'easy' up any of the hills, it was a great. Sunday was a beautiful day and I completed an 86 kilometre training ride.

On the fundraising front I was totally ecstatic yesterday when I received a notification that I have now raised just over $1,000 for the RLP Shelter Foundation! At $1,020 raised, I am now just over a third of the way to my goal. This is great, but I am well aware that I am still on the "up hill" portion of the proverbial fundraising goal.

In order to help me on this front, I have been busy organizing two additional super cool and exciting events to help raise funds for the Shelter Foundation, and I hope that you will be able to come out and join me at one or both!

Here are the details:

GROUP RIDE KICK-OFF EVENT
Thursday August 12th, at 6:00 p.m. We will be starting and ending at the McLean Community Centre in Ajax and completing a 15-20 kilometre fun and easy ride around Ajax. I am asking for a minimum donation of $20/participant. After the ride all participants are invited to Casey's Bar & Grill in Ajax for an Apres Ride Party and can enjoy complimentary starters, and door prizes!
***PLEASE REGISTER AT CYCLEFORSHELTER.COM***

ZUMBA FOR SHELTER!
Friday September 10th, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at McLean Community Centre Gym, Ajax. Come out for 1.5 hours of Zumba style! The three best Zumba Instructors in Ajax have signed on to team teach this amazing dance fitness class and will make sure you have a dance inspired, hip shaking, jump up and down good time! There will be complimentary refreshments, door and raffle prizes! A minimum donation of $20/participant is requested.
**PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT AT CYCLEFORSHELTER.COM** We are expecting a capacity crowd so don't miss out. Register right away!

I will post another update in the next couple of days.

Sarah

It was a man who asked for the map

This past Saturday I completed a long training ride in Durham region. The weather was perfect; no humidity, bright sunshine and (at 7:00 a.m.) cool temperatures. My route was a fantastic loop that saw us start in Ashburn, travel north through Utica to Epsom, over to Port Perry, south and east again through Shirley and Purple Hill and then north up to Blackstock. From there we were southbound to Burketon, Enfield and finally back west to Ashburn. On paper it was 73kms and seemed easy enough.

Kyle (my husband) and our good friend Tony set out with some other friends of ours to journey around the region. There were lots of rolling hills on our loop, which is exactly what I need to train on. As each new hill appeared on the horizon I looked forward to climbing it just a little faster, in a higher gear and with a little more strength. After an hour and a half though there were grumblings, groans and muttered comments from my cycling buddies as we saw each new hill up ahead. Even I stopped looking up and kept my eyes on the road for fear the next rise would be even steeper then the last. Some hills were long and gradual; others were shorter and quite steep. No matter what type, there was no end of them! In order to complete the Cycle for Shelter in good time on September 18^th I am going to have to spend some serious time doing hill repeats over the next couple of months.

Remember I mentioned the length of our Route? 73 kilometres. Well I was enjoying the ride so much or just too focused on breathing and getting up each hill that I forgot to keep an eye on the street signs! Not once, but three times I missed turns and we had to back track to find the route again, adding an extra 5 kilometres to our overall trip. J I have now been officially fired from my role as “Keeper of the Route Map”!! The guys were really having fun with the whole genetics/asking for directions “thing” that day. I don’t think I will ever be able to make a comment about my husband getting us lost and not checking the map again. Yikes! Thankfully the day of my ride I will have the support vehicle behind me, and the GPS will keeping track of my location/route!

The whole trip took just over three hours and included a number of breaks during which we rested, checked the map, and had an opportunity to chat with the local residents and cyclists out enjoying their rides. When I told them about my Cycle for Shelter and how I was training and raising funds for the RLP Shelter Foundation they were so supportive! Everyone offered well wishes and encouragement. They asked for more information about the Shelter Foundation and were impressed with my goal to set the record for the longest one day ride for charity in Durham. It was amazing! Even though I was pretty exhausted by the end of the second hour of our ride and my legs were aching, I was so inspired and encouraged that I felt I could keep going all day!

This week has been really crazy with work and organizing the Cycle for Shelter events so I haven’t been out on the bike, but I am looking forward to training with the Durham Cycling Club on the weekend. I will keep you posted. Look out for information next week about my Cycle for Shelter Kick-Off Event!

In my next post I will update you on my fundraising activities and have some exciting announcements. Please help me reach my goal of $3000.00 for the RLP Shelter Foundation. Click here to make a donation and help me break the “cycle” of violence.

Official Start of Training

What a whirlwind this last couple of weeks have been! Since announcing my Cycle for Shelter fundraising initiative I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support, generosity and kind words everyone has given me! Here is a brief update on what’s been going on in preparation for my Cycle for Shelter.

I am now the proud new owner of a fabulous Specialized Dolce Elite street bike, which replaces my trusty hybrid. This bike is much better suited to the training I will be doing and the mileage I will be logging as I prepare for the Cycle for Shelter. It hasn’t taken me long to adjust to the way this bike feels and reacts. I must say that it’s a real thrill to finally be able to keep up with my husband now when we are out together and he speeds up!

My first official training day coincided with the Ajax Trailfest “Cycle with the Mayor” event last weekend. It was an easy, but very rainy 35km ride around the trails and cycling lanes Ajax has created for the community to enjoy. It was the perfect opportunity for me to really get used to my pesky new cycling shoes too. “Unclip then stop” is my silent mantra at the moment. It works well right up until I have to stop unexpectedly.... :) I am sure I will have this worked out shortly though.

One of the best parts of the last two weeks has been receiving all the emails notifying me that donations have been made by so many generous people. As of today I have already raised $495 for the Shelter Foundation. This is absolutely fabulous! Talk about motivation. Remember that every penny donated goes towards making difference in the lives of those women and children that have experienced domestic abuse. How amazing is that! In addition, everyone I have spoken to about my Cycle for Shelter and the Shelter Foundation has been so helpful and supportive.

I am humbled, inspired, motivated, excited and utterly determined to reach all of my goals. Thank you everyone for all of your support!

I'll be back soon (I promise it won't be 2 weeks) with more pictures, posts and fun.

Sarah

Why....

If someone ever asked me if I was happy, I would say "yes, most definitely". I would tell them that I am one of the luckiest people out there because I love what I do for a living. As a Realtor and full time Sales Representative with Royal LePage, I help people every day with their real estate needs and decisions. I advise, coach, counsel, research, support and guide them to their goals. I help each of my clients find a safe place to call home and raise their families. When at the gym, I am lucky enough to help people there too. I love it. That's what I do. Best of all, at the end of the day, I go home to my family of red-heads (yep, even my dog has a red patch on top!), relax, unwind and enjoy life with my family, friends and neighbours.

For many families in Durham region and across Canada this is not the case. For them "home" is not a safe place; every day women (and their children) are forced to make the decision: Should I stay? Should I try to leave? Where can I go? How will I live? Will I be safe?

This year my goal is to do whatever I can to support those people in my community who don't have a safe place to call home. I am determined to the best I can. I approached the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, which is Canada's largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and violence prevention programs, and asked them what I could do to help.

After talking to the Executive Director of the Shelter Foundation, and many evenings thinking about different ways I can help, the idea for my Cycle For Shelter 2010 was born, and I couldn't be more excited!

THIS IS MY GOAL: On Saturday September 18, 2010 I am going to embark on a solo bike ride, cycling over 200 kms around Durham Region, Ontario, through ALL eight townships in order to raise funds in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. My goal is to raise $3000.00 by September 18th, the day of my ride. I am really excited because every single penny I raise (100%) will go directly to helping the women and children in local shelters. It is also my goal to raise awareness of the need for shelters and the role they play in our communities.

Did You Know:

• 51% of women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16.


• 360,000 children are exposed to domestic violence each year.


• One to two women are murdered by a current or former partner each week in Canada.


• Physical and sexual abuse costs Canada over $4 billion each year (factoring into account social services, criminal justice, lost employment, and healthcare interventions).

In order to achieve my goal I NEED YOUR HELP! These are the ways you can help me reach my goal:

1. Please Help Spread The Word! Tell everyone you know what I am doing and why.


2. Please Help Me Raise Funds by Sponsoring Me! You can donate by clicking here .


3. Come Out, Support Me and Have Some Fun both on the day of my big ride, and also before at one of the many events I will be holding in the months before September 18th and my Cycle for Shelter 2010.

I have started this blog to record my fundraising progress and successes, to document my training for the big ride itself and for anything else that comes to mind. Please check back often to see the updates leave me your comments.

Don't forget to "friend" me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter as I do what I can to "break the cycle of violence"! Wouldn't it be great if everyone had a safe place to call home?

Please sponsor me for my Cycle for Shelter 2010!