Le tour

No, not that Tour, another one. The TA just spent eight days on the Heartland Tour, a cross- Nova Scotia bike ride to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. things like riding your bike. We'll abbreviate Heartland tour to HLT for now just to make typing a whole lot easier, but of course HLT is not to be confused with BLT which although suffused with bacony goodness is somewhat the antithesis of the actual HLT core message. We may have spent most of our undergraduate hanging out in the wrong lectures but we've never heard of a BLT being successfully integrated into a healthy lifestyle. Sure, you can bicycle over to get your BLT but it's a zero-sum game with the health benefits of the ride over cancelled out by the reason for the ride over!

Anyway, the HLT visited eight NS communities from Yarmouth to Sydney. Each community hosted a bike-ride (or series of bike-rides) as well as a kids event and a little healthy-living expo where you could find out about how change your lifestyle (if you wanted). One of the great ironies of this event was to see people in the crowd smoking or eating fried foods whilst listening to public addresses on how Nova Scotians fly the heart disease flag a little too high. Or perhaps it wasn't ironic as these were the people we were trying to reach.

The reasons for the TA doing the whole ride on the core-team are somewhat lost in time, but the practical upshot of this was getting a kicking from triathletes from one end of the province to the other.

The tour started on Saturday July 10th in Halifax with a ride round the Peggy's Cove Loop. Knowing we had another seven days to go the TA opted for the shorter Purcell"s Cove loop. To be honest, we got as much fulfillment out of helping people to ride Purcell's Cove (which is not a piece of cake) as we would have done screaming around Peggy's in the fog and the 53 getting a kicking from Mac Grant. Besides, we just got a kicking from Mac on the Peggy's loop on our own time, it wasn't pretty and we had little desire to repeat it so soon and with company (witnesses surely - Ed). Mac did have company on the Peggy's ride, we saw Ian Loughead come back in the group sans chihuahua (but if the ride was as brutal as we suspect then Newt may have started the ride as a passenger and ended as a snack). Speaking of brutal rides, the talk is Mac did the Peggy's loop then did Sambro as well, for a >140 km day.

We also saw Ken Grandy of HTC out for the ride as well as Leanne MacDonald, both of whom were getting in a few last pre-Lake Placid miles. Norm Lai also joined us for the ride, as did Ron McScotch MacDougall who turned up in a fetching green ensemble, together with matching Starbucks cup, having driven back from Antigonish the night before where he'd done the Highland Games 5 miler (38:50 if anyone's asking).

After the public addresses and stuff we piled in the Dalhousie bus post-haste and hot-footed it to Pictou, where we took part in the Lobster Festival Parade. We'd never been in a parade before and it was good fun. In further deference to the prospect of spending the next week on a bicycle, we spent half the parade sitting on the bike but holding on to the bus and getting towed around Pictou. Why not?

The next morning in Pictou we did the Lobster 10K before the ride. In this silliness we were joined by fellow core-members Marie-Claude Gregoire, Mike Kennedy, Doug Hayami and Kathy Saulier. Most of you know MC and Mike. Kathy is training with a group out of the New Glasgow YMCA for the Timberman 70.3 later this year and Doug used to be a useful duathlete and trained with Samantha McGlone at McGill and is still monstrously strong. It was a hot and sticky morning. Doug ran a 36' for 3rd, the TA a 38' for 4th. MC did a 44' for 5th lady. Mike's 45' reflects the steep learning curve of "don't eat sausages before a race" and the precise meaning of deja mange and Kathy did a 26' in the 5K. McScotch in a fetching lobster hat ran a 44' while Emily MacDonald's 43' got her 4th lady and first AG. Steve Saunders and Bev Richardson were also there.

After the race we got changed and headed out for the ride, eventually clocking 80 kms for the day. Steve and Bev joined us in the afternoon too, as did Pat Lee and Mike Heatherington (the latter pulling us tired 10K racers until we linked up with the ride somewhere near the Trenton Connector). Darlene Chapman joined us but had a torrid time as her pedal fell off! Some-one had a spare pair of SPDs in the sag wagon though and she was able to continue.

When it comes to riding in the Pictou area, truth be told, the TA always gets lost. Is it just us but it seems one can ride any way out of town that one wishes from, say, the Y, and always see a sign that says "New Glasgow 5"?

The ride was enlivened by one core member hitting the front then violently and unexpectedly swerving left then right, nearly taking out a couple of cardiologists, an oncology surgeon and a paediatrican, thereby setting health-care in the province back by twenty years. This got him a tongue lashing from two of us, including a protracted bollocking from Sherry Huybers who many of us know from DILB. The excuse for the sudden attack of the Fabio Parras? "How can I take my pictures then?". Saints preserve us!

Back on the bus and we headed to Bridgewater for Monday's ride. Together with Yarmouth, this was possibly the best organised ride of the week, a >90 km loop from Bridewater to Mahone Bay, then to Lunnenberg and back to Bridgewater via the la Have ferry (we were the first bike tour to use the new vessel on the crossing) and the la Have bakery.

The tour on the new la Have ferry.

iRon Allen was one of the organisers and despite it being a work day we saw several out from Bridgewater Tri Club, including Steve and Bev again, Tammy Slaunwhite and Mary Chisolm.

Bridgewater ride organiser iRon Allen.

The ride started from the Wildwood cafe with possibly the hottest homemade hot-sauce we've ever had (insert "jet propelled ride" joke here). Gracias Maria. The Wildwood is a great place with loads of cycling memorabilia on the walls and a knowledgeable barrista, Aaron Brown, who knows his coffee and his biking. The Wildwood may have been a highlight for us, a low-point would be following a Euro fan-boy wearing the predominantly white jersey and shorts of a well-known Pro-Tour team but with black underwear. We held our tongue (if not our line; that's quite the sight to ride behind), but it's a good job Sherry wasn't there!

Talking bikes with Aaron

Another interesting moment was when someone on tri-bars went rocketing past and a whole line of us jumped onto his wheel. BikeSnobNYC described roadies as shameless freeloaders and the TA will admit, why work for your speed when you can draft for it? Then, suddenly, our mystery TTer decided he'd had enough and sat up at 40 kph, causing a little consternation behind him. We're not sure if either he didn't know he was at the front of the train or he had the hubris to think that as he was TTing at 40 kph and 200W no-one could possibly hold his wheel. For one, the TA will admit we can't do 200W, but to sit behind you all we need is 130W, and our 10 year-old can do that.

Morals from Bridgewater; always do a shoulder-check before sitting up and if you're going to wear underwear on a ride (why oh why?) then black undies and white shorts are not a winning combination. Doubly so if it's raining.

Back on the bus to Truro this time. The TA sat this ride out and rode into Halifax instead for a meeting. The ride may have been sketchy; few stops, freakin' hot, but there was a good turnout oat the community event in Victoria Park, including one of the largest turnouts ever seen for a Heart and Stroke walkabout. Way to go Truro.

Back on the bus again to Sydney, the day"s ride organised by Chris Milburn, the winner of this years Port Hood triathlon. We'd never done the Boularderie loop before (and certainly never ask us to pronounce it) but if you are ever up Sydney way with a bike; do it. It's reminiscent of the Aspotogen loop but hillier and, believe it or not, nicer on the eyes! A highlight of the day? Drafting behind Chris and a now-fit Julie Curwin as we bombed back into Sydney from Point Edward. Motor-pacing without the fumes. Vroom vroom. After the ride proper, we had a Tour de Sydney, and the TA finally got to see the tar ponds, albeit in the midst of reclaimation. They seemed so small. The Tour de Sydney also took in a loop of Whitney Pier, home of the Tour's instigator, Nick Giacomantonio. There was much talk about the wisdom of guys riding round the Pier in lycra and shaved legs, but it was decided that if we stuck together as a peloton, or gruppo compacto (as a nod to Dr Nick's Italian heritage) then we'd be safe.

Not that Dr Nick

Adding to the gruppo were many from the Barbarians out for the ride; Donnie MacIntyre, Paul MacKenzie, Todd Crowdis, Erin Pike, Erin Gillis and Tara Camus, some of whom are doing an IM in Germany in a couple of weeks.

Marie-Claude and Tara Camus at Sydney (post-Pier)

The day's riding finished with a kids criterium of sorts where the kids got a raffle-ticket per lap which was entered in a draw for a new bike, plus lots of goodies such as helmets and lights. Chris got all sorts of kids to come out, including a little girl on a tiny trike. Talk about heart-warming (which we needed because it poured during the crit).

We finished the day at Framework Bikes and Fitness where we added to our sock collection.

Beer socks. 'nuff said.

From Sydney a long transfer to Antigonish. When you read riders' blogs from the Tour, Giro or Vuelta they rarely complain about the length of the stages, the difficulty of them or what-have-you but they will complain about the length of the transfers. This being my second tour, a certain empathy has started to set in. A 100 or 120 km day isn't that bad really, but when you start at 9, finish the public flah-flah at 5 then get on a bus unshowered, drive two or three hours, eat and only get to bed at midnight, only to start again the next day at seven for a nine o'clock-sharp departure? Less so. A few days of this and the gloss of riding the big Dalhousie bus around the province and riding every day feeling like a pro starts to tarnish slightly.

Nina, our bus driver and de facto tour mother getting into the spirit of things.

Antigonish was the Queen stage of the tour; 120 kms over the Cape George loop; affectionately known as the mini-Cabot trail (no ideas Mark!). The day started warm and sunny, if not downright hot, in Antigonish but within 20 minutes of the start we were in heavy mist and even actively rained on. The sun soon came out again and the last 60 kms, including all of the climbing around Cape George were in the blazing sun.

The group at the Cape George look-off

After a well earned rest at the look-off we then did what always feel like the longest 30 kms in Nova Scotia; the ride back to Antigonish.

After the ride we were able to get a shower at X before another long transfer to Wolfville. This leg of the tour was under new management this year with Mike Kennedy and Shannon Read taking the reins. Despite the new metaphorical direction, the literal (littoral perhaps given we visited a couple of bays and harbours?) direction remained the same, including the short but surprisingly steep ascent of Blomindon to the lookoff. The view was worth it.

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Rumour had it Doug climbed Blomindon six times during a training session recently. No wonder he was kicking arse all week.

We also did the down and up into and out of Hall's Harbour. The road into Hall's Harbour is a long, gradual, smooth >4km descent that leaves you at warp speed just in time for the 180 at the bottom. Two more 180s and another long, gradual, smooth 4km up to pretty much where you started. Don't be fooled, according to the geeks (some people had more dials and displays on their handlebars than you'd find in a small plane) the elevation gain coming out of Hall's Harbour was nearly that of Blomindon itself. It just takes longer. And Mac Grant rode up it like it wasn't there! Ron and Darlene also joined us again for the valley ride; Darlene breaking all manner of personal speed records whilst in a mad stern chase to find the main peloton!

Darlene and iRon drop into Hall's Harbour

After the Valley ride it was a short drive to Yarmouth for the last leg. Before we could ride, the same five who ran the Lobster started the day by doing the Sheila Poole 10K, which was also RNS provincials. It was a foggy, foggy day in Yarmouth for the run. Doug took 3rd overall in 35 minutes and even with 750kms or so in his legs managed to go a minute or so faster than the Lobster. Yours truly clocked another 38 (pretty much the same time as Lobster) and managed to snag 3rd Master! MC ran another 44 to match the one she got in Pictou. Mike was significantly faster this time, but he didn't have sausages floating round in his system and it showed. Kathy did a solid 58.

Elsewhere in the Sheila Poole Rayleen Hill was 2nd lady we think. Chris Mackenzie was just behind the TA, and when we say just behind, visibility was 100m and we could see him! Garth Spinney wasn't too far behind and Shawn Muise, back from an injury, reckons he's never run that fast at Sheila Poole. Rhonda Cook was in the mix too, coming in under 45 minutes and with her IM to come in a few weeks.

Somehow, we recovered from the run and a whole bunch of us, not just the five core riders but Chris, Shawn and Rhonda, headed out for the ride. We bumped into Bobbi-Lee Reardon at the end of the ride too and Darlene was turning into a bit of a Tour groupie, following us down from the Valley to do the Yarmouth ride too. Just to be sadistic, the tail end of the ride took us over the same hills we'd just climbed in the race! We finished off by riding to Cape Forchu lighthouse, the erstwhile Yarmouth Tri T2, where we stopped for tea and muffins and the TA put its limited cyclocross skills to use by riding a road-bike with 23Cs up the unpaved, steep pitch from the carpark to the lighthouse (don't knock it 'till you've tried it).

The last 12 kms of the tour were a group ride with the kids back along from the lighthouse to downtown Yarmouth.

Gruppo compacto in Yarmouth.

On the ride into Yarmouth, we rode with 11 year-old who tried to ride the whole way without his hands on the bars (or so it seemed). A friendship was cemented when the boy learned if he carried on like this then he would end up with titanium screws in his face, just like the TA.

Titanium screws? In your face? This, for a 11 year-old is way, way cool, even if we can personally attest the process of getting them there wasn't!

We then took part in the Seafest parade, walking our bikes en masse down Main Street between Miss Yarmouth in her convertible and a couple of pipe-bands.

Feeling somewhat self-conscious off the back of the Seafest parade.

The very end of the tour was a bit of an anticlimax. We pedalled away from the parade half way up Starrs Road to the Beacon United Church for the community event. When we got there, there was no great fanfare to say "yey, we did it". We just pedalled up, unclipped and walked into the hall to do our thing and when we came out agin the bikes were back in the truck and not to be seen until Halifax!

So that, dear reader, is where the TA has been for the past week or so; getting a kicking from triathletes from one end of the province to another; from trying to draft Julie and Chris M in Sydney, seeing Mac disappear up the road repeatedly in the Valley and to trying to keep one foot ahead of the other Chris M in Yarmouth and all those places in between.

You know, people kept on asking all week "so when's the next race for you?" and for a moment the temptation was there to throw one's hat into the proverbial ring, but a week of these wide and varied kickings have given the TA a new appreciation for just how good the triathletes are in this province so let's just say we'll all see each other again in Bridgetown, but I'm glad I'm the TD!

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Photos from the Heartland Tour and YHZ Espresso Snob.