Just a few kilometres on the saddle...

In preparation for the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer (RTCC), a two day, 250km journey from Vancouver to Seattle, there is one serious goal one has to undertake: time in the saddle (what the seat is called on a bike for those who don’t know).  This can be achieved a number of ways, but ultimately, there is nothing other than sitting on the seat and pedalling that will get the job done...

So that said, my riding partners and RTCC team-mates dedicated our Saturday morning to a long 100+km ride that would take us from East Vancouver, through downtown, around Stanley Park a few times, across the Burrard Bridge, along 4^th to Spanish Banks, up to and around UBC all the way to Iona Beach by the airport and back again...and we start our ride at 6am!

While we are not speed demons, we are not on a Sunday stroll either.  We pedal as we are able and ultimately, the four hours and thirty minutes it takes to do it all comes with incredible side benefits for one’s health.

Here are a few of the statistics around Saturday’s ride:

Duration (riding time): 4h:35m

Distance: 105 kms

Average Heart Rate (AHR): 128 beats per minute (BPM)

Maximum Heart Rate (MHR): 168 BPM

Calories Burned: 4142cals

What amazes me is not the distance, nor the effort involved, but how that in a few hours, one can burn more than double the recommended caloric intake for a man my age (45). That has obvious significant health benefits...

But I didn’t stop there. We have to go back a day...

Again its the idea of getting time in the saddle and preparing the body for pedalling so Friday I left work and decided I would head off for a little dipsy doodle home plus a few extra kms. I stopped by my Love’s home for a quick hello and realized I hadn’t started all the computers, heart rate monitors and gear but know that for the most part I add about 10kms and a half hour...

Duration: 1h:20m

Distance: 35 kms

AHR: 146

MHR: 174

Cals: 1154

So here we are – two rides later and 5,296cals burned...140 kms.

Ultimately, while I worked hard, rode through massive cold spring showers and cursed the weather gods for making it so crumby Saturday morning, I am none-the-less incredibly thankful that I am still able to do this level of activity and do so in the face of recovering from my knee surgery a year ago. And today, after a simple stretch immediately following the ride and a hot bath, today I am more than able to have a normal day – relatively pain free.

While cycling isn’t for everyone, it is possible that someone out there find some form of fitness that captivates and benefits them like I have found cycling to benefit me.

Go out and find your thing!