Tom Cochrane - "Life is a Highway"

Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
There's a world outside every darkened Door
Where blues won't haunt you anymore
Where the brave are free and lovers soar
Come ride with me to the distant shore

We won't hesitate break down the garden gate
There's not much left today

Life is a highway
I want to ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I want to drive it all night long

- Tom Cochrane - "Life is a Highway"

Day 43 / 44: Manitowaning - Owen Sound
166 kms

I woke up at 4:30am to the sound of sleeping bag zippers unzipping, clinking of poles and the ‘sssssssssssssss’ sound of air being released out of about 35 thermarests all at once. Today we had a super early start as we were heading to Tobermory and, for the triatheletes, on to Owen Sound. We had to catch the Ferry to Tobermory by 9:10am and the truck had to be loaded by 7am. I had organised my clothes the previous evening so jumping into them and taking down my tent didn’t take too much brainpower – a plus at that ungodly hour of the morning..! Our crew was on Galley Duty so we served breakfast and then loaded the truck for 6:55am – right on time and on schedule. This then gave us about 2 hours to cycle the 40kms to the Ferry in South Baymouth.

Everyone was in a great mood in spite of the early start as it was a short day for most people – 40kms and then a relaxing afternoon post-ferry. For those participating in the triathalon the following day the mood was somewhat different. There were A LOT of jokes and even more laughs but a sense of nervousness did overshadow the day. We had originally entered the triathalon as a bit of fun but we suddenly were caught up in stories about strategy, swimmers being kicked in the head, bikers being disqualified for drafting, and runners with terrible leg strains which would eventually affect the rest of the bike trip… What on earth had we gotten ourselves into?! I must admit, I was incredibly nervous particularly because I knew that Graham would do a fantastic job on the bike, Eve would run a speedy 5km and I would have to start out with a very strong 750m swim to give our team the advantage… unfortunately however I have not swum 750m of front crawl for about 10 (??!) years..!!

The cycle out to South Baymouth was very scenic – Manitoulin Island has stunning scenery and I like the hills as they are sufficiently ‘rolling’ to give you enough speed on the downhill to get up the uphill and get into a nice rhythm. We breezed through the 40kms to South Baymouth and cruised into the ‘Chi-Cheemaun’ (sp!!) docking area. We officially kick started the morning at 8:45am with a coffee and butter pecan tart whilst sitting in the sun and watching the cars line up eager to pull into the waiting ferry. We were able to pull out right in front of everyone. I could see the drivers of the cars jealously eyeing the 40 bikes cruising happily into the belly of the waiting ship and we were the first in line for the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry breakfast which was dominated by mass caffeine intake to counter the early morning start.

The gentle rocking of the boat combined with our full stomachs soon had everyone lethargic and yawning. Graham, Eve and I received some coaching from Peter who is a professional marathon trainer and has participated in a number of triathalons and similar sorts of athletic competitions. We also used the time to instil fear into Brendan, Andrew and Yao… the psychological warfare had officially begun. By the time the ferry pulled into the dock in Tobermory we were all exhausted and I found it difficult to get motivated to bike the next 130kms to Owen Sound given that by the time we got out of the ship it was already about 11:30am.

James, a TdC vet who has joined the 2008 group was the original sign-up to the Owen Sound triathalon. He then spoke with Erik from the French Connection who felt suitably inspired and decided to sign up which prompted a chain of entrants. When our group separated from the ‘Rest Day’ group at the Tobermory dock I looked around to see the remaining group of athletes – Laura and Wing (duathalon), James and Erik (triathalon) and Andrew, Brendan, Yao, Eve, Graham and myself (team triathalon) and John (team supporter and cheerleader). A fantastic group of people and I looked forward to sharing in this experience with them. Everyone was a bit nervous because for most of us this was our first triathalon and had no idea what to expect.

We pulled off onto Highway 6 which deserves a mention in this blog as the ‘Number 1 most dangerous highway’ that we’ve been on so far in the trip. Perhaps this is a bit of a sweeping generalization as it was a Saturday of a Long Weekend but there was A LOT of reckless traffic, absolutely no shoulder and huge potholes along the side of the road. It was extremely tedious riding as you had to be 120% aware of what was going on all around you – in front, behind and beside. Having said that, we cycled a brilliant 100kms averaging about 29kms / hour into Wiarton (the home of Wiarton Willy, the groundhog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiarton_Willie) with only 1 stop for sunscreen application. We had one particularly close encounter with a giant black SUV which was trying to overtake in the oncoming lane and we are still uncertain whether he did, in fact, see us in the oncoming lane with a car overtaking us… we all swerved into the gravel and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief as the truck flew past us and we escaped unscathed and only half of my life flashed in front of my eyes. Similar incidents were reported with campers and trucks… nothing makes your knuckles go white on your hoods like the sound of screeching tires coming from behind.

In Wiarton we stopped at a fantastic restaurant called, ‘The Three Friends’ which served home made ‘Monte Cristo’ sandwiches, fantastic soups and salads as well as lasagne in a cute little converted mansion house on the Main Street. It was such a HUGE relief to be able to sit down and relax and laugh about what we’d been through now that we felt a bit safer. As usual, a lot of laughs were had by all and a series of practical jokes ensued – the highlight of which involved some electrical tape and Andrew’s helmet…. Following our meal we all popped out to enjoy an ice-cream at a restaurant which James had highly recommended – a new little shop which had recently opened called, ‘Northern Confections’. I often wonder what the small town shop owners think when they are suddenly invaded by between 15 – 39 hungry, lycra and spandex clad cyclists. I can imagine that it is slightly overwhelming.

James then took over the drivers seat position for the group and led the way as we cycled a 30km stretch on a lovely series of back roads into Owen Sound. It’s his neck of the woods so he was familiar with the roads and the route which was nice. The road was relatively quiet and well paved which was SUCH a refreshing change from the previous highway experience. The day had been quite a hot and sunny one so by this time it was about 4pm and things had started to cool down a bit and the trees lining the road did provide us with some shade. It was a great ride into Owen Sound which I did my best to enjoy in spite of triathalon nerves. Our final destination after a few pit stops was James’ parents place just outside of Owen Sound. He had kindly arranged our entire evenings itinerary including a ‘clean up’ at his parents and then dinner at Boston Pizza and then sleeping at a friends cabin. Enroute to James parents place was the triathalon bike course so we checked that out as well. A nice rolling ride with one challenging hill (which was a breeze for us pros and provided a great opportunity to pass the less experienced cyclists and gain precious seconds). It was good to see it and great for Graham, Yao, Erik, Laura, Wing and James to see what they were up against.

James parents house was gorgeous – right on the Owen Sound Bay with a fantastic swimming area. It was strange to be in an actual ‘home’ for the first time in 43 days..! James’ parents were so incredibly sweet – towels and soap were laid out ready for everyone and they’d also organised three cars to take us all into town post shower for dinner. James’ Mom even offered to do our laundry..! It was total 5-star treatment. We washed and cleaned up in the Bay and I tried on my wet suit for the first time. I am pleased to report that it fit..!! We piled into the cars and headed off to the Owen Sound Boston Pizza for dinner with the gang which totally hit the spot. I sat across from James sister, Lee, who is an incredibly inspiring and strong woman. It was lovely to be surrounded by such wonderful people. I had a huge delicious chunk of lasagne for dinner as part of my slow-release carb-boosting diet. I hoped that it would provide a good base for the triathalon the following day and did my best to stay away from the beer as couldn’t imagine that it would help with my fitness level – for a change..! I keep telling myself that the triathalon is just for fun but at the same time I can’t help but feel nervous. I guess that this is all part of the competition and part of the experience.

We spent the night in James’ friends cabin which was incredibly rustic and absolutely gorgeous. It was in the countryside and away from everything – no trains, no cars, no lights – just total peace and quiet with a sea of stars outside. Stunning. It was a real, ‘This is why I love Canada’ moment. The cabin was a ‘log cabin’ style with electricity and an outhouse. It was such a charming place and it felt like we’d just stepped back about 50 years in time. There were beds and floor space for all of us and it was not long before everyone was passed out and fast asleep after quite a few laughs as we chatted between bedrooms. By this stage I was even too tired to be nervous for the day ahead..!