What IF I could?
As someone who loves being on the water and has spent many years sailing on BC’s stunning coast, I have also spent many hours poring over maps and charts of this area. As a result, I have a vivid mental image of Vancouver Island.
I have studied it in great detail, looking at the coast line, looking for places to visit, places to anchor, and generally dreaming about this coastal treasure. This means also that I have seen the main highway artery – one long highway connecting the length of Vancouver Island. From a cycling perspective, an enticing idea recently emerged: cycling from the northern end to the southern end.
The idea first presented itself over a year ago while having lunch with my friend Yosh. He proposed the idea of cycling the length of the island, and of course I said yes. Now all that remained was to determine the date. As luck would have it, circumstance conspired against us. Yosh was injured and so the idea got lost. Well, not really lost, as it kept niggling in the back of my mind. I kept looking at the map, and the stretch of highway kept beckoning. I finally gave in. I decided I would complete the ride on my own. I had lost my cycling partner but that should not stop me from doing this ride. The idea kept evolving. I started wondering, “would it be possible for me to cycle the entire length in one go? No stops! Roughly 500 kms from Port Hardy to Victoria?” I have tackled other challenges in my life, in fact I have made it an integral part of my life to seek out challenge, to test myself. I have come to understand that when I push myself far out of my comfort zone, when I’m stretched physically, mentally and emotionally, and when an outcome is not known, these are the times when I learn the most about myself. These are the times when I feel truly alive. These are the times when I learn about my resources, my strengths and my weaknesses. Five hundred kms non-stop, on an enticing stretch of highway – a defined route with obvious and interesting book ends. What IF I could?
As a sport psychology consultant and professor of sport psychology, I know that setting goals, and understanding and learning how to overcome barriers, are concepts we deal with every day. Much of sport psychology is about learning to unlock human potential, and learning what it means to be tough: physically fit, mentally and emotionally robust. I have always been interested in applied performance, and as such, I promise my students and any clients I work with that anything we discuss from a performance perspective, all the strategies, concepts and ideas, are things I have personally explored and applied to my own life. And so…. I consistently seek out challenge, ways of testing my limits, my barriers, my potential.
Slowly and surely the Island ride was taking shape. I decided would cycle the entire length in one go, but when? After exploring several possibilities I landed on June 21st, summer solstice! A perfect date on the calendar with an added bonus of having the longest amount of daylight hours, and a perfect way to celebrate the start of summer. Now all I had to do was get my body ready for this challenge and sort out logistics. I also had to make a public declaration. Setting goals is important, and making a public declaration makes a goal that much more powerful. Sharing the goal with others helps to ensure accountability. Once stated, it is much harder to back out! The first declaration was to my wife Monica. This was followed by declarations to several others. Initially, the ride was going to be a solo effort with Monica providing moral and vehicle support. In a very short time, however, other friends and family had come on board, each with their own reason for getting involved. One friend, Bert Griffioen, would join me for the entire distance. Monica and three others wanted to ride a portion of the route.
Monica, Bert and I arrived in Port Hardy on Friday, June 19, well past midnight. At 8:30 am the following day, Bert and I set out from Port Hardy on a damp and chilly morning. I was twitching with excitement. As we started riding, I turned to Bert and said, “If this was a book I would be tempted to turn to the last pages to see how the story ends.” Of course, I had to wait awhile to learn the ending. In the meantime, we had some miles to cover and scenery to enjoy – which we did; the North Island highway is gorgeous. Typically, we dash from one place to the next in the comfort of our cars, in which we are insulated and isolated from our natural world. And because we are generally in a hurry, and so focussed on the destination we don’t observe or take note of what we are passing by at any given moment. On a bike, however, because one travels slowly, there is ample time to observe not only vistas but also smaller and more subtle points of interest, like the sound of song birds, the sight of flora and fauna at the road sides, evidence of wind in the trees and grasses, and so on.
Approximately 6 hours into the ride, and roughly halfway between Port Hardy and Campbell River, our teammates Yoshi, Wanita and Alistair joined us. It was a lovely boost to see the vehicle with their smiling faces appear on what had been a very quiet and empty highway. From here on in, Bert and I were joined at different times by Monica or Wanita or Alistair or Yosh or a combination of the above.
Miles melted away, punctuated with food stops and leg stretches. These stops beside the road generally felt like mini picnics, in part because we were all having a great time, and secondly, the weather could not have been better – perfect summer conditions ideally suited to picnics. The one thing I had been curious about before departure was tedium. Would I get mentally fatigued after a time and simply want to pack it in? Surprisingly enough, this did not happen; at no point did time drag. I fully and thoroughly enjoyed the entire ride. As it relates to setting and obtaining goals, celebration is important for several reasons, part of which is that it produces energy. Consequently, Bert and I celebrated each 100km marker. A high-five was all it took.
As miles passed, so did daylight. A warm afternoon melted into dusk which melted into darkness. As darkness came, so too did the cold – an unexpected twist. It got really cold. I started adding layers, and more layers. Eventually, after 5 layers, and bundled up from head to foot, I found the right combination. At 1:00am, Bert and I were once again on our own. As we rode away from the 1:00am stop I turned to Bert and said “just you wait, we are in for a treat. It won’t be long before we see the light dawning on the eastern horizon.”
As would be expected, the ride was loaded with sport psychology lessons. One of these occurred in the night ride stretch. In performance psychology we often talk about ‘being in the moment.’ This concept is critical for many reasons, not least that it helps to maintain an uncluttered mind. Night riding provides an ideal opportunity for ‘being in the moment.’ A bike light, no matter how powerful the light, still only illuminates a relatively small sphere around you and so visually, that’s all you get. It was a cool experience taking information only from legs and lungs. When riding in daylight we are constantly looking ahead at what’s coming our way. If we see an uphill section, we process how steep and how long. If we see a downhill, of course we become excited about a free ride. If the road is flat, we process how far is the ‘straight.’ Is the area one is passing through interesting? Or tedious? In the dark there is none of this information being processed. Now the sensations of the legs and lungs tell us if we’re going uphill or downhill, how steep and for how long. I found this to be a highly engaging portion of the ride.
The crack of dawn did eventually appear and the song that played in my mind was Cat Steven’s “Morning has Broken.” Songs often occupied my thoughts along the way.
Early morning slowly turned into full daylight and brought with it warmth once again. Daylight also signalled the home stretch. With 80 kms to go we were joined again by Yosh and Alistair for the final leg to Mile 0. On the home stretch into Victoria, Bert and I rode alongside one another and did a spontaneous de-brief, commenting on what a pleasure this whole ride had been, that our bodies were feeling great, and relishing in the fact that we were actually going to do this. The finish line was completely in reach.
Wending our way through Victoria we finally arrived at Mile 0. The western start point of the Trans-Canada highway. And oh, what a feeling it was to arrive at Mile 0. I now knew how the story ended. The initial question “What IF I could?” now had an answer! I can, and I did.
The bike ride started as a personal quest; however, other threads got woven into the fabric of this ride. There were many sport psychology lessons in this. First, recognizing the importance of setting a goal and then setting in motion the tasks needed to turn that goal into reality.
Second, the importance of ‘team.’ Monica was a great motivator from the time she caught the vision. Several days she helped me get out the door for a long training ride, when I could have convinced myself that I was too tired or too busy. She was also a fabulous support organizer on the road – managing to stay awake all through the night providing vehicle support in the dark. Yosh was an amazing teammate in that he offered his knowledge and support in nutrition preparation and all-round enthusiasm. It was great having an unexpected riding partner in Bert for the whole length of the ride. And it was great having family member Alistair get excited about joining part of the ride. I was thrilled by the energy of the team. Yosh was responsible for the initial idea, but then through injury was sidelined. This did not stop him from becoming an enormously enthusiastic supporter. He and I many long and animated conversations about ideas, approaches and most importantly, nutrition. Having Wanita as teammate was an unexpected gift. Her abundant experience with long distance events made her a fabulous teammate in her enthusiasm and well timed insights and support. Such energy and enthusiasm is essential in accomplishing goals, and the great fun such energy brings to a task!!! I was also blown away by the interest and support given from people who learned about this project. This sort of energy is a major contributor in finding energy when things get difficult.
A third lesson in an event such as this is the practice of persistence and dealing with obstacles and barriers. Overcoming barriers is a combination of problem-solving and developing an appropriate amount of grit and determination (persistence) to get through a difficult stretch.
These are reasons why I’m a fan of Innovative Fitness’ (IF) motto: What IF you could?
Mile 0. Mission accomplished. 503 kms, 21 hours riding time. Team of 6. ‘Challenge’ ‘Adversity’ ‘Victory.’ IF I can, you can too!!!!!
Roger Friesen BRS. BA. M.Sc
University of the Fraser Valley
www.rogerfriesen.ca
Join Innovative Fitness for next years adventure because it is designed to include YOU. We are organizing a Tip 2 Tip Vancouver Island ride for summer solstice 2016 and you are invited for either the full distance (500k) or both ends (300k) with a nice sleep in the middle. Stay tuned for more details, but mark the June 18-20th weekend in your calendar if you want to partake in this unbelievable experience!
#WhatIFyoucould
Yoshia Burton, B. Kin.
Principal
Innovative Fitness Abbotsford
P: 6047463923 / C: 6046152398
www.innovativefitness.com
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