Dude's 2012 Ride-2-Survive

[Dude]

For the 4th year, I’m calling on my TTP friends to help me raise money for this worthy cause and charity.

Here’s the 2011 thread: http://www.takethepiss.com/forums/community-introductions-general-offtopic-banter/16812-dudes-ride-2-survive-2011-a.html

2010: http://www.takethepiss.com/forums/community-introductions-general-offtopic-banter/16280-dudes-ride-2-survive-2010-a.html

2009: http://www.takethepiss.com/forums/community-introductions-general-offtopic-banter/15045-dude-spandex.html


I’m honored again that Kerry & Vicky Kunzli would ask me again this year to ride as one of the R2S Captains during training days and ride day, and it’s the least I can do. We’ve already started our training rides for 2012; yesterday was our second official training ride, an 85 KM jaunt through Richmond in the biting cold.

Riding a bike comes easy to me, but raising funds for charity doesn’t…so I need help.

If any of you have followed the last few years, this ride and charity have obviously had a profound affect on me. The cause is mighty, and significant. Raising money for Cancer research is nothing new…it’s been done before, but a lot more famous people and recognized organizations than our little grassroots team. That being said, I don’t know if anyone does it better or more efficiently than us.

What makes us different?

Every single penny (and then some) of the money YOU donate goes directly to the Canadian Cancer Society. Unlike most other charitable organizations, not one penny will go towards covering overhead. In fact, all of us riders pay a $200.00 entry fee that is earmarked towards covering costs, and at the end of the year, whatever is left from that goes into starting the next year’s fundraising campaign.

Think about that…how many charities, rides, walks, hockey games, climbs, etc., do you hear about? There are a lot. The reason why you hear about those causes is because- for the most part- a large percentage of the money donated gets siphoned off to cover overhead such as advertizing, office expenses, salaries, and other overhead.

The R2S is 100% volunteer driven. There is no staff, just a small team of people who have oversized hearts and implore on people like me to do the easy part: ride my bike.

Please check out this page to learn more about the Ride-2-Survive: Ride2Survive - Ride2Survive

Please check out my donation page: Ride2Survive 2012 - General Donation

Please donate if you are so inspired. Like years past, sponsor me and tell me who I'm riding for...the person you are donating in honor of. They will then ride with me on the day of...on my arms or legs. A little, or a lot, it doesn’t matter to me.

 

[Dude]

Kurgan- thanks for the 4th year running. Very generous.

 

[Dude]

Thanks to Dutchy13!

 

[dutch13]

Keep up the good work Dude. A little you scratch my back I'll scratch yours for supporting that dirt on my face in November.

Awesome hearing how successful this ride is, in light of the costs of other fundraising efforts going public in the last year. As a volunteer with the Relay for Life in Coquitlam I know we struggle with costs, and eliminating overhead as much as possible.

Also, I hear the CCS is always looking for hair donations - With a helmet like yours, ever consider sharing the wealth?

 

[Dude]

Dutch...can I ride an extra 400 and not donate my lid? I just hit 38 today...the other side of the precipice is looming!

Many thanks again bud.

 

[Dude]

It's...interesting...how some of the ladies doing this ride wear their emotions on their sleeve. I was on the Ride2Survive - Ride2Survive website today and read some of the blogs. Common theme...the guys use humor, the ladies spill their guts. The difference between men and women, and how we communicate our feelings, is always interesting to me. Maybe its part of my never ending goal to try to understand women, knowing full well I never will.

Sunday we had a fairly flat, fairly low paced 85 KM ride through Delta / Richmond. The day looked to be completely shite when I headed out the door at 7:30, so I prepared for the worst, but turned out to be a really nice ride with some sun and a bit of wind, nothing too bad.

There was the Alex Fraser Bridge, going South at about KM 75, that was tough on some people. A hard head / crosswind would have made it challenging for anyone that was sort of on the edge of their reserves.

I met Sonia on her first ride last year...she's a spin instructor at Nash, and was inspired to join the R2S team. In truth, she probably should have trained for a year on the road before joining, but I always admire people's reasons for joining. She showed up to her first ride- a 110 KM day through South Cloverdale and Langley, with loops around 0 & 16th ave- on a new bike wearing runners and using flat pedals. I literally pushed this girl for 3 hours or so just so she could stay in the pack and not get dropped. She struggled all through training last year, but had a good ride on the ride day as part of a relay team. That was then…

Seeing her Sunday off the bridge, I thought the tears were in her eyes due to the wind, maybe a bit out of pure exhaustion...but in no way did I know what she was going through emotionally. On the climb up from the lower Delta flats to Scott Road, I noticed her doing the death wobble on a climb, so rode up next to her. Asked her if she was fine, she told me she was done. For the next 20 minutes I rode beside her in case, but not once did I have to put a hand on her back for a push- a BIG difference from a year ago. She made it in on fumes, and gave me a big hug after for the "help".

So...that whole showing of emotions thing does not compute well with me. My wife tells me I'm a great father and husband in so many ways, but the "showing of emotion" side is not one of my strengths. I gave Sonia the old one-armed "atta girl", and then found somewhere else to be.

Reading this morning on the blog, I'm dumfounded as to what this girl was going through on the day of...mental strength is measured in so many different ways...

What a ride! These last couple of weeks have been very hard for myself and my family. Last Friday I found out the my mother has a tumor that is growing very aggressively in her left eye. She is scheduled for her biopsy this Wed the 14th and its been a long relentless and restless waiting period. The only thing I can do ... I have realized is pray. Well, pray and pedal. One of the doctors who saw her told my sister it appears to look like cancer and inoperable. So I'm praying and crossing all my fingers and toes its not.

Last Saturday I rode with Team Coastal and I honestly didn't want to be there. I knew in my heart of hearts that being there would make me feel better because I know that most of the people there are R2S people and therefore are my family not by blood. After doing that ride I felt so much better than before I started it and getting so many hugs, smiles and sharing stories and once again I realized I'm part of something so big.

I have been touched by cancer in so many ways and already losing so many people dear to me. My grandmother when I was 11 years old and then Brenda my dear friend I lost last May at 55 to stomach cancer. And now cancer is facing me again and I know once again its going to bring me down to my knees in ways I never imagined. Yesterdays ride wasn't easy for me and the wind was a beast itself that I tried to push against as hard as I could. And I thank my lucky stars when Siobhan slowed down so I could catch her wheel. And when Chris and Geoff helped me with the head wind and crosswind. Heading back home on Alex Fraser Bridge, I almost thought I was going to fall over because the wind was so strong. I had tears in my eyes and emotions so raw and real in my throat that I didn't know how to swallow. All I could think about was wanting to give up BUT I knew I couldn't. I thought of Brendas spirit, my grandmothers face and my mother ................... I thought of my mother and the fight she possibly has before her. And therefore the fight that I have before me. I got off that bridge and I felt every ounce of my energy gone. I looked around and then Graham brought me chocolate chip cookie that made everything so much better. (Lynn, the peanut butter ones were to die for).

So blessed I am to be a part of Ride2Survive and more so to know that there will be days I don't want to ride, I would rather sleep in on a Sunday BUT I know its that text from Siobhan or encouragement from Vicki that get me on my bike and make me realize WHY we are there and WHY WE RIDE. Thank you all for your words of encouragement, your smiles and hugs .............................. the small things in life go such a long way. xo

Last week my wife spent the better part of her days w/ her parents; getting her dad’s last will sorted out, meeting with contractors renovate their basement to a handicap friendly environment so they to move in there, and make like a lot easier on my Dad-in-law- who is dying from Multiple Myeloma. He’s been fighting this for a while now…8 years I think. The treatments have been remarkable, but the disease always wins. The medications can only stay resilient for so long before the cancer adapts. Right now, he’s on his last try. We had a scare about a year ago, when my younger sister-in-law was still pregnant with her first child. In the hospital, the doctor wanted clear instructions from Mohammed on his life wishes…fight, or go peacefully now. He chose to fight, only reason he gave was that he wanted to see his new grandchild brought into the world. Well, the new granddaughter is now 8 months old, and I can see it in Mohammed that he’s now ready to go. He’s making preparations, so I don’t think it’ll be long now. It’ll be tough on my family, but really tough on my wife. So…reading this blog from Sonia reminds me a little that my wife is going through the same thing. I find a lot of reasons to be motivated for this ride, but the original and everlasting one is to pay tribute to my father-in-law, who changed my life for the better when he went against his cultural and religious customs, and allowed his Fijian-Muslim daughter to marry a white kid that showed no care or respect for religion, but loved his daughter to death. He said to me on the day he gave me his blessing, “I have everything to lose, and you have everything to gain.” He was right…I have gained everything with his blessing, so it’s my pleasure to be on this team in tribute to him.

I haven’t been doing enough fundraising (in fact, my TTP post is really the only fundraising), but I need to get on it. E-mails going out this week, and I’ll be with a few R2S teammates at Willowbrook on Sunday doing a “Ride-A-Thon” between 2:30-6:00, so feel free to stop by and drop off change…or if you’re so inclined, go here:

Ride2Survive 2012 - General Donation

 

[Regs]

Atta Boy, Dude.

 

[elbowroom]

You are the man Dude. Great post.

 

[sid]

You are the man Dude. Great post.

great stuff dude,now wheres my car

sid

 

[elbowroom]

Hey Spam (sid),
Donate or drift ya tire chewing diesel slurping smoke puffer.

 

[Dude]

Another guy who has supported me every year on this...thanks Rangerforever.

No dedications this year, Frase?

 

[Dude]

Elbow...I trust that old Sid will kick in something. It's not like him to just troll for fun.

Right Sidney?

 

[Rangerforever]

No dedications this year, Frase?

When I look on your page it comes up?

Anyhow, yes, to my wife's Aunt Diane - She is suffering from Multiple Myloma too.

Cheers bud and good show,
RF

 

[elbowroom]

I'll come by Willowbrook Sunday.

 

[Dude]

Aie, yes...there she is. Thanks again big man.

 

[sid]

Elbow...I trust that old Sid will kick in something. It's not like him to just troll for fun.

Right Sidney?

many moons ago I kicked in your face now u want more............what would you like?

sid:gift:

 

[Dude]

A trolling fee would be a good start. Go here: Ride2Survive 2012 - General Donation

 

[sid]

I'll donate if you come to my pub night fundraiser at the cat & fiddle march 31st
Its for Kilmer elementary poco
$12 burger & beer


Sid

 

[Dude]

That's not the way I work. Fcuk off...go troll somewhere else.

 

[Dude]

Today I'm participating in a R2S ride-a-thon at Willowbrook Mall. I'm riding 2:30-6:00. Come on down, bring your jar full of pennies, donate to a good cause, and watch me suffer through riding off a post Master Cup retirement game, and a nasty Saint Patty's Day hangover.

I'll be sweating the pints out!