Ministry
Infrastructure

What’s your day job?
Data Design specialist, Community Hubs Secretariat (starting in August)

What’s your past biking experience?
30+ years of Toronto commuting, many many triathlons (including 2 half & one full Ironman), 15X Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour finisher, 2X Hastings Hilly Hundred finisher.

What’s your inspiration for this ride?
Connect with other OPS bike riders and promote cycling amongst the OPS in general. Especially in Toronto.
 
How are you preparing for B4UW?
Daily commuting (40k round trip), long weekend rides, craft beer sampling. Also, will be watching Le Tour daily, since my holidays coincide with the dates of the race this year. Totally accidental, of course.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge on the ride?
Setting up my tent.
 
What do you like to do other than riding your bike?
Hockey, curling, tennis, golf, gallery-hopping, craft beer (drinking, not brewing)

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I spent the first 3 years of my life in Orillia, the starting point of this year’s ride. I remember none of it! Also, the most bikes I’ve had at one time is 8.

It’s Monday afternoon, 5 days since the ride finished. I think an appropriate amount of time has passed and my thoughts have settled a little bit…. So let’s do this re-cap/highlights blog. I’m just going to list the things that have stood out in my memory from the trip last week……

–       The people. I know I mentioned this last week, but all the people on the trip were amazing. It reminds me that the people who serve the people of the province are a dedicated, caring and very balanced group of people. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to learn about OPS’ers outside of the day-to-day grind of the work experience.

–       The accomplishment. The level of pride I felt at the end of each day riding was pretty amazing. Whether I had a good or a bad day, there was substantial km’s completed and it was very easy to look back to see what you had accomplished. Not something I’m used to on a day to day basis, making the world better one key stroke at a time – so a welcome change of pace.

–       Athleticism. I thought I was in shape – turned out there’s a level of ‘in-shape’ I hadn’t predicted in advance. I was the weakest rider out of the entire group, so had a first hand opportunity to see how in shape everyone else was. I’ll be adding “physical recovery time” to my definition of in shape – and watching people ride 150k’s, and then play Frisbee in the park afterwards blew my mind. You guys are all amazing!

–       Recovery time – a bit of a follow up to the previous point. I had predicted being in traction for days after the ride. It took about 24 hours for my body to feel normal again and my legs felt good by Saturday. Didn’t see that coming – and am impressed at how quickly the body can recover if you take good care of it.

–       Camaraderie. Regardless of how you did during the day, to regroup at the end of the day and hear the stories from other riders was really cool. Cycling was all consuming, and I really didn’t expect that people would talk cycling after actually cycling for 8 hours. It was fun being immersed in it for 7 days.

–       Ontario – what an amazing province we live in. being able to get out and really experience a good chunk of the province was amazing – and something I probably would not have done were it not for this experience.

–       Nutrition – riding those distances, day after day, I have a better appreciation for the human body and the input/output relationship we have with food. Wish I had understood this prior to the ride, but hey, at least I know for next year (peanut butter and jam is way better than any gel pack on the market)

–       OPS/Community support – it was great to actually get out of Toronto and interact with United Way offices and government offices in the various regions. I think we all have a sense of how much money the GTA can generate to help United Way campaigns, but to see the impact that a few thousand dollars has in smaller communities in Ontario, it’s very impressive. I feel fully confident that every penny earned will go a long way out in the regions so am super happy to have been able to help out. It was also great seeing executives from MNR, MOE and Service Ontario come out to show their support at various legs of the ride!

–       Generosity – the outpouring of support from friends, families and co-workers was more than I expected. Perhaps more than any of the riders expected. The tweets and posts, the significant donations, the meals that were prepared and delivered to us along the way – absolutely amazing.

To my fellow OPS B4UW riders – thanks for an absolutely amazing experience. Now that I have a better idea of what to expect, I’m already planning on seeing you all again next year!

May the wind always be at your back…

C

Day 7

The alarm went off at 6:00, but I felt like I hadn’t slept a second. I was still nauseous and hoped that some of the catered breakfast we had delivered (coordinated by service Ontario) would jump start me.

It didn’t.

I went to the bathroom to take a leak. I put on a pair of boxers, and then promptly put on a second pair, forgetting I had put on the first pair mere seconds prior. That was the point Allison suggested I ride in the SAG vehicle for the majority of the last leg.

It’s interesting – you train for something all summer long, send out e mails asking for donation, promise to write blogs etc, so there’s a fair amount of pressure to ride.
Or at least perceived pressure.

There’s also the desire to finish the complete ride. Everyone else in the camp was ok, so I didn’t want to consider having to quit on the last day.

Well folks, I’m sad to say that I left my soul somewhere on a hill between Peterborough and Brighton – and now, at 5:41 pm, almost 24 hours later, I’m almost feeling normal again.

I’ve watched the tour and seen guys pull out of the race due to sickness, injury etc. there’s this sad look they have when they throw in the towel. I know what we did wasn’t on the same level, but I think the feelings were similar.

It’s sad watching the full team roll out while you’re still stumbling around trying to remember who you are and why you’re there.

I did ride the the final k into Kingston for what that’s worth.

Today was even hotter than yesterday so kudos to everyone else for pulling through and finishing the ride. You guys are total champs and I have so much respect for each and everyone of you.

We just got out at a service station and I could barely stretch my legs to stand up. If real muscle pAin doesn’t hit for 48 hours post exercise, and this is what I feel like now. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in traction by Saturday.

But you know what? That’s ok. Because as much as this ride was a personal challenge, it was really about raising awareness for the United Way and the great work they do providing services to these who need it in communities across Ontario.

I’ll drop one more blog either tonight or tomorrow with a recap of some of the highlights of the trip.

Until then…….

– Corwin Troje

Day 6

I’m writing this post as I sit in the car on the way home on day 7. That means 21.5 hours have passed since we finished the longest day on the ride. And wow, what a day.

I mentioned yesterday that we had 160 k’s to bite off yesterday. Well, what no one had mentioned to me was a 15 k detour we took down into Peterborough where the OPS MNR family hosted a little event for us. Spokespeople from the United way were present as well as mnr executives to thank us and wish us well.

Back to the ride – so the 175k ride on day 6 was longer than expected. It was also way more hillier than expected. As a matter of fact, the hills from Peterborough to Brigjton have a higher total elevation than the hills from Owen Sound to Alliston. Who would have thunk it?

It was also 28 degrees. How you feelin? Hot, hot, hot?

So other than the ups and downs and the sweating profusely, there isn’t much to describe from the ride really. I spent a good chunk of the day with my eyes glued on the wheel in front of me – trying to stay as focussed as I could knowing how long of a haul it would be. Thanks a million to Allison for dragging me around!

So….. I’m proud of myself! I finished the ride in just over 7 hours of moving time. 9 hours total time.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the way my body reacted. I have never felt an exhaustion like that in my life, and I don’t hope to ever again. I went and laid down shortly after arriving at camp and spent the next few hours shivering and feeling nauseous. It was a pretty dark place to be, especially knowing that everyone else was fine. I pushed myself further than I ever have before and at least now I know what I can handle and how my body reacts. For whatever that’s worth.

A side note – we stayed at sandbanks provincial park which was stunning. I’ve made a note to go back at some point next year so I can truly enjoy its beauty – yesterday it just wasn’t happening.

I went to sleep hoping that I’d recover in the 12 hours between the end of day 6 and the start of day 7. I’ll let you know how that worked out for me in my next post.

– Corwin Troje

Day 4/5

I’m combining the blogs for days 4 and 5. Hopefully you don’t mind……. We just finished day 5…..

I’m gonna give you the good, the bad and the ugly from the last two days. But first… In reverse chronological order – here’s how the last two days have gone.

Downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, UPHILL, DOWNHILL, UPHILL, DOWNHILL, UPHILL, DOWNHILL, UPHILL…..UPHILL….. UPHILL.

And the caps on the uphill a and downhills are not representative of the size of the hills. I just didn’t realize how to do caps while typing. They were basically all UPHILL AND DOWNHILL.

Day 4 started out in Owen sound with an amazing breakfast at the service Ontario location (thanks again Francessca and company!!). Then we started the trek south and east back across southwestern Ontario….. Perhaps the term trek should be replaced with accent/decent.

The good:
– cycling can be a lonely sport. Many times it’s just you and your bike battling your body and your mind. This week I’ve learned how it can also be more of a team sport than any other. When you’re cracking on a hill and you tell yourself it’s okay for the others to leave you behind, all it takes is one word (pace) and they slow for you to catch up. And should you choose not to say it, guaranteed someone will look back and notice and wait for you at the top, Amazing.

– Ontario – yours to Discover. Whoever came up with that tag line really did get it right. I think one of the things I’m most proud of on this trip is that I will have seen as much of the province as I have. Seeing how the scenery has changed all during these last 5 days is ……….. I can’t even think of a word to describe it. (I know there’s more to the province than southwestern/central Ontario – but considering I try to stay south of bloor as much as I can, cut me some slack)

– the company. This trip is essentially a grown up camping trip with 20 people with a health mix of daily activity. I didn’t know most of them coming in other than they all work in the ops. Each and every person is interesting, funny, smart and caring. Its makes me feel proud to work in the Ontario Public Service.

– the support we’ve gotten from
Friends and family. From tweets, to posts and comments, to food delivery in provincial parks or in car parks – the support is extremely appreciated.

The bad:
– the topographical report we get from one of our WB4UW reporters. Each night we have a team meeting and go over the map, weather, wind, hill profile and break/lunch spots. All but one of the reporters nails their forecast every time. “Little bumps for 10k, then it’s flat turns into 1200 m of climbing. *sigh*.

– I feel like I have Charlie- horses on both thighs. Im very curious to see how sore they’ll be on Saturday, 2 days after the rides done. My bottom on the other hand feels pretty good. K

The ugly:
…….. Someone mentioned the term “briefing note” today. •shivers*

Tomorrow will be the longest day! 160 k south east – I’ve been told it’ll be flat and we’ll have the winds at or backs…… I’ll let you know how that worked out, tomorrow.

Wish us luck!

– Corwin Troje

Day 3

Headwind – this term didn’t mean anything to me before today.

6 hours and 30 minutes riding straight into the wind. Brutal.

I don’t even have any good observations for you. Didn’t notice the smell, didn’t notice the terrain, didn’t notice what I was thinking…. It was just head down, following the tires in front of me.

I’m 6’4″, 230lbs. Do you know what a 50 km/hr wind does to a frame like that? I was like a friggin sail. Sucked for me.

You know who it didn’t suck for – anyone sitting behind me. Although now that I think about it, with the amount of sweat and snot that flies off me as I ride, maybe that isn’t such a good place to be – I’ll have to ask others what that’s like.

There are two definite groups of riders on this tour – the fast/strong group and then my group (slightly less strong, slower, but waaaay better looking). My group ended up shaving off about 20 km from the ride due to the wind. The stronger group stayed strong – but they did knowledge that the wind was brutal so there’s solice in that!

A special thank you to Francessca from Grey Bruce United way who met us at the campsite with 4 pots of cyclist chili, muffins, buns and chips. Nothing is better then riding into camp and having food there waiting for you!

Francessca is the heart and soul of Frey Bruce United way. It was very cool listening to her describe the way they coordinate the delivery of programs and services for the community. Let’s just say that if you had a concern about where your donation money goes, rest assured it’s being used effectively (that last sentence only means something to those who’ve donated – if you haven’t yet and are reading this…. I hope you feel guilty).

Now we’re sitting around the fire, enjoying each other’s company.

Tomorrow we’re going up and across the escarpment as we start to head south. No headwinds in the forecast – but tomorrow will be the first real hill day. Let’s see what gravity does to this frame!

Smooches

– Corwin Troje

Day 2

Remember that warning about snoring? And remember that request about not being eaten by a bear? Well no bear In its right mind would have approached the cacophony of noise that went down on campsite 399 at conestoga lake campground!. There was one point in the evening I woke up to hear wolfs howling – I’m pretty sure they were asking for us to shush it!

Ah well – I suppose that’s what you get when you put 5 tired female cyclists and one exhausted SAG driver at the same camp site. Who knew they could
Make such a sound 😉

The morning started off with rain, just as we were taking down camp. Not lots – just enough to make sure everything was wet as we packed up. The rain stayed away for a short amount of time – but came back – again, not for long. Just long enough to soak everything I was wearing. Fun times.

I’m making this seem a little dramatic. In the grand scheme of things a little rain wasn’t that big of a deal. The ride was from conestoga to just north of goderich. I believe we rode slog what’s commonly known as the “western butter tart trail”. (Commonly known by cyclists, or at least by the ones on this ride).

I guess this will sound ignorant to anyone who actually knows Ontario. But south western Ontario, northwest of Guelph (through my eyes) is a Mennonite farm country. And at this time of year, when the fields are being tilled (is that the proper term?) smells like horse poop. This isn’t a big deal under normal circumstances, but when your huffing and puffing with your capillaries wide open, that smell goes places that aren’t the most fun. But again – in the grand scheme of things……

Highlight of the day for me was my first real ride in a pelleton. I normally ride by myself or with Allison “tank” Partington, so to ride with a group of 14 other riders was cool. There’s physics behind the way a pelleton moves and why it goes so fast – Google it – but it was amazing to be a part of. I think I held on for about 10 kms before I got dropped, but the speed, the sound, how close we were to one another and the general non chalantness of the other riders was impressive. Definite highlight.

After we got dropped (three of us) we rode the last 50 kms at a more reasonable pace (30 kms/hr vs 44km/hr). But there was a chunk in that 50 that wasn’t too pleasant. I don’t think my mind went to too dark a place, but it was a grind. I couldn’t even tell you what I was thinking at that point other than just watching the kms click away knowing we only had a few hours to go.

We stayed at a campground just north of goderich, on a cliff over looking Lake Huron. Spectacular!! Some of these riders even went swimming – nutters (I only go in water south of Miami)

Second highlight of the day – we had guest deliver us dinner! I had talked about having to cook after a day of riding. We had guest bring a BBQ and we had a full spread – burgers, sausages, quinoa salad, pies and butter tarts. I could get used to this life!

Tomorrows supposed to be tough. Straight north into what I’m told is a killer headwind. This should be fun.

Sleep tight!

– Corwin Troje

Day 1

Not totally sure of the format I’m going to use for these…… Flow of consciousness, theme based, bullet point functional…… I suppose this is steam of consciousness…. But you didn’t come here for that.

You came here because you wanted to know how awesome day one was. Well, it was!!!

Temperature couldn’t have been better, distance was a nice warm up for what’s to come, no one got lost or hurt, everyone is very cool ……….

If you happened to be driving between Guelph and conestoga conservation area, you couldn’t have missed the 18 riders and our SAG vehicle and ‘hopefully’ looked up B4uw on your phone (passengers, not drivers) and learned about our ride, and ways to support United Way.

Thanks to our regional OPS friends at one stone road Guelph (MOE and Omafra) for a wonderful kick off event. I’m sure the staff of that building are traumatized from all the spandex they saw today – unless there’s something going on in the regions that Us city folks don’t know about .

The ride wasn’t too strenuous. Some beautiful roads and southwestern Ontario farm land.

And now we sit around the fire after Coleman stove cooked spaghetti and meat sauce and cookies for dessert. No beers sadly, as this is a dry park.

Fingers crossed we don’t get eaten by bears tonight, and that the sky stays clear.

I’m feeling sorry for my riding partners tonight though. We’re at a group campsite so 14 tents within a 50 foot circle so sound travels……. Snoring never bothers the snorer!! 😉

….. I’ll leave you with this. What did the Buddha say to the hot for vendor?

Make me one with everything.

(Groan)

Night!

– Corwin Troje