Endless Support.

How could we ever do this without support? Not only do we have volunteers, but we are surrounded by great people who are supporting us unconditionally.
You are meeting some of these members via our blog, but here are countless helpers behind the scene making things happen.
Everyday I am cheered on, provided with supportive words of encouragement and praise. Hey, it’s great, but THESE are the ones who deserve the recognition.
So this note is for all of you who are reading this right now. This note is for all of those who have passed this link to friends and families. For those who have spread the positive energy and helped create a buzz.
We are sitting well over $400,000.00 raised (sponsorship included) and the momentum is building. We are on point to hit a million before the tires hit the East Coast.
Awesome!
Keep it up everyone; we’re all making history here!

The People Behind the Push.

Cheryl Wilson Stewart - H2V Pr & Publicity.

who you are on the H2V team (roles / responsibility)
- H2V PR & Publicity

why you have volunteered to be on this epic journey
- I have always been driven to make a difference and to leave things better than I found them.
- I had met Matt and Willie through Curtis (my IF trainer) and was a champion of their book Hire Me! I really liked their philosophy, ideology and their commando style of getting things done!
- I didn’t know much about juvenile diabetes before April -- now having met the amazing Taylor Balagno and with an understanding of how devastating this disease is ..it needs our attention!
- I’m working with brilliantly talented and completely committed people! H2V-ing has been more than I ever could have imagined!

what worries you most about being on the road for 9 days straight
- What’s going on at home? Will they be able to function without ME? I know the answer is a resounding Yes….but I can’t quite believe it!

1st thing you are going to do when you arrive at Stanley park.
- Find my family…..congratulate the team!

The People Behind the Push.

Curtis Christopherson - Rider Vehicle Support.

who you are on the H2V team (roles / responsibility)
- be a driver for the 5 riders and to ensure they have the necessary equyipment and support during this experience.
- also, be present during media coverage and...


why you have volunteered to be on this epic journey
- because I want to be a support for 5 friends and our journey in help find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. We have the ability to lend a helping hand to so many people that don't have that control...and I want to be a part of just that.


what worries you most about being on the road for 9 days straight
- ensuring the group of riders receive consistent support day and night over the 9 days - whether it be consistency in our driving (no wrong turns), sufficient fueling and rest, positive encouragement, and responding to any of their other needs and requirements


1st thing you are going to do when you arrive at Stanley park.
- celebrating this groups accomplishment

Adversity

Adversity was the name of the game on our ride up to Mabel Lake.

The ride started off early Thursday morning with a positive vibe felt throughout the group. The team ripped it up along Lougheed in a pace line with solid pulls put in by all. The trip saw a few flat tires and a mechanical that put our ride on the burners for a stop in Hope. Once we had everything back in running order the Coquihalla was ready for us to conquer. The climb was long but everyone threw down a huge effort to crest the summit. The Argon 18 bikes performed better than any bikes we had ridden.

Day 2 started us off in Kamloops under sunny skies and a fresh team. The ride out of Kamloops was all downhill, which would have been a relief if it wasn't for Richard pushing the pace. Great team work pulled us along the undulating hills into Enderby. A quick 30km brought us to Mabel Lake and the end of our epic journey.

Carbo-Pro 1200 fueled all the riders up the way and Elete kept the cramps at bay. Not one cramp was experienced by the riders. Our Polar cycling computers were amazing as they constantly read out the altitude, incline of hills, temperature, heart rate and speed. The full carbon frames and components provided by Argon 18, FSA, and Sram, and Specialized kept all of our backsides comfortable throughout the km's.

Solid work team!

Quiet on the Home Front

But loud in the interior........

Team H2V spent some holiday time in the interior this week with most of the team riding their new Argon bikes from Vancouver to Mable Lake over two days [over 500km and I'll let the boys tell you how it went]. I spent a week in the Ironman capital of Canada, Penticton, riding every day and recovering from a bad food poising incident that had kept me off my bike for 9 days.

Part of the plan has been to increase the kilometres over the next thirty days as this time in our training is pretty much the last hurrah for gaining any speed or strength. After about July 30th most of our team will be unable to gain any major speed and it will all come down to maintenance.

I personally put in 6 hard days in a row, amassing over 400km and learned a few lessons about how I fuel during rides, which for me is an increasingly big worry. Practising riding every 24hrs is something that is needed as with each ride each team member needs to feel and understand how their body will respond to the tired legs that will be inevitable. Feeding during rides is something that we all need to do in order to be prepared for the next ride. I did some hill rides and some long, extremely hot rides and even some slower long rides to test the system and our fuel options.

Carbo-Pro is our fuel of choice as it is ingested as a drink so it helps to maintain hydration as well as give instant important calories. Overall I felt the drink was phenomenal as stomach problems, even on the 33 Celsius 100km day were nill. Elete electrolyte replacement are being used in our water to help replace our key base elements that we will be sweating out and in general it is hard to tell if any of this stuff works but I would say that with 6 days under the legs and recovering from illness being still top of mind, I felt great. I would have to say that it must be working and thanks to the amazing team of nutrition support for helping us make the most of these older bodies!

While it was quiet in Vancouver, the interior saw Team H2V training hard and having a blast doing it.

Edelweiss Granola

Edelweiss Granola has stepped up as a sponsor for our ride across Canada and has provided enough granola to keep the riders fueled from now to the event. You can find Edelweiss Granola at Mount Royal Bagels and make sure you say hi to Krista!

A great big thank you to them for sponsoring such a great cause!

The People Behind the Push.

Sharon Constable, 57 – Volunteer
Driver/Cook and anything else that needs doing (Sweeper/Recovery Vehicle)
Novice cyclist.

Why have you volunteered to be on this epic journey:

I had been researching diabetes on a personal level when I heard that a group would be riding across Canada to raise money for a cure. I wanted to part of the journey and I felt compelled to volunteer.

I believe that myself and all involved will get back far more than we will expend in inconvenience or effort and that the experience will be immeasurable.


What worries you most about being on the road for 9 days straight:

I worry most for the safety of the riders. The rest of us will be in relatively comfortable surroundings for the entire trip and they will have to endure so much.


1st thing you are going to do when you arrive at Stanley Park:

Take a deep, long breath of the ocean air and know that I get to sleep in my own bed that night.

Oh yes, the new bikes…

The new bikes are totally amazing…and after last weeks training, a treat is just what the doctor ordered. 2 night rides (10pm-1am) and many hours of work, I have been really drained of energy.
On Friday I walked into John Henry’s and was fitted on one of the new Argon’s. An XL frame with all the bells and whistles! I was blown away when I picked it up and realized it weighed next to nothing. I went back to JH on Saturday to bring it home. I didn’t have a chance to ride it till yesterday after it stopped raining. I didn’t want to get it wet! I finally hopped on and went out for a quick 1.5hr tempo ride. That just means that I raced around and kept the pressure on high.
Holly smokes, it was incredible! That bike is light, strong, fast and mean. It sounds crazy on the road too. The carbon frame is quite stiff and creates a cool sounds while riding. The drive train is flawless and shifting is a breeze. I’d never been on a bike like that before. The whole time I had a smile on my face and was thinking about how awesome the cross Canada ride is going to be.A couple days of light riding this week and then this weekend the H2V team is heading out and up into BC’s interior. Apparently 16hrs of riding the first day and 6hrs the following day…yikes! But it will be well worth it after we get to a hideaway cabin for a couple days of swimming and relaxing. Ya!

TEAM H2V: BIKE UNVEILING

Jay making sure the fine mechanics are working perfectly.

Two frames.....one carbon and one over trained body!

The RED BULL gals stop by late to get the mechanics revved up. Tom, ready to rock.

Martin using the heavy machinery to make sure the frames are in perfect alignment.

The sexy carbon steeds that will help propel us across this long country have arrived and are being dressed with their armour as we speak.

Check out the sweet Argon 18 Platinum frames as the boys down at John Henry Bikes, Tom, Martin and Jay, with care and precision put the machines together over the last few days.

Argon 18 is one of Canada's finest manufacturers of racing bikes building with the highest grades of carbon and the Platinum model is one of the few bikes that Argon 18 manufacturers which is a monocoque design. That is to say that the front end of the bicycle frame is made, or molded, in one piece to give it the greatest rigidity [speed and energy transfer] while at the same time using the carbon properties to make a very comfortable ride, which the guys will surely appreciate as we get nearer to Vancouver.

This techno-jargon just means that these bikes are the sweetest looking carbon machines going!

Dress them up with some Full Speed Ahead components like wheels, seatposts, and crazy carbon cranks and the units get better and better. FSA as the component manufacturer is known just had a major victory in that one of their major athletes, Daniel Di Luca, just completed his victory at the Giro D'Italia. So needless to say we are riding some great equipment and couldn't be happier.

Shifting equipment is being run by SRAM and these carbon levered shifters and derailleurs are so light it makes you nervous.

The whole bike is just fabulous and we are proud to represent our sponsors and ride their equipment through our training and race.

Bottom line: we will succeed and raise the awareness necessary to help move forward with finding a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. Thanks for all your support and check out this crazy bikes.

The People Behind the Push.

Each Tuesday, we will profile the hero's behind the push. These people, like the riders have volunteered to sacrifice their time to help this cause from coast to coast. They are not being paid. They are not aiming for the spotlight, they are simply doing their part to be a part of the legacy. Without these people, this event would NOT happen. So on behalf of all of the riders, parents, and communities we thank them for their selflessness.














Support Team Mechanic:

Robert Ferguson age 45

Years biking 20 plus year both mountain and road
I will be doing numerous duties that include driving, wrenching, creating maps and logistic support.

I volunteered on this Epic journey because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I get to be part of a great team of people who believe that Juvenile Diabetes Can be beaten!

Worries = Challenges, and when it gets to be to difficult, I will just remind my self of the children who have to stick a pin into there finger and get shots on a continual basis, I then will go to the worries that the parents of these children have to go through day in and day out! I have no worries when compared to these people.

The first thing I’m going to do when I arrive at Stanley Park after such a ground breaking ride is give thanks for the health that I have, the wonderful country that I live in and last but not least be thankful and grateful for being able to be part of such an Team of extraordinary of individuals.

Show and Tell

I went to the doctors office this morning due to some unforeseen food poisoning and it was like destiny had sent me. There I was feeling sorry for myself, worrying about catching up on my training, upset I had missed the CTV filming, jobs and work when the doctors finishes her diagnosis by telling me to make sure I "keep the training a little lighter this week."

My energy level peaked a bit as this tweaked my interest because I hadn't told my doctor about our little escapade across the country and yet I was sure she was talking about the ride.

She then continued to tell me that she and her kids had cut out our newspaper article and the youngest of her children had used the story as their mom and son show-and-tell so they could help spread the word of our great effort and great cause.

I went to the doctor to get drugs and I received a lot more. I received a positive reminder that anybody in the world can make a difference if they put their minds to it and that each and every one of us, young and old, can play a part in helping others.......

......just by showing and telling. Thanks for the help doc. We'll do our best.

p.s. Stay tuned for some sneak peaks of the new H2V race bikes. Sexy Argon 18 Platinum frames dressed with Full Speed Ahead carbon parts, SRAM shifting components and Crank Bros. titanium pedals. These will help us Push the Pace for sure. Keep your eyes peeled for these black beauties around Vancouver.

CTV shoot take 1

What a brilliant morning...a little wet but perfect for an early tempo ride.

The morning commenced with a meeting to go over logistics and expectations for the trip. The mood of the group today was stellar with upbeat and positive attitudes shinning out. Our tempo ride took us out to Deep Cove and back to Horseshoe Bay which was full of fast speeds and attacks.Here is a little clip of the warm up...

MOV00225.MPG

The ride ended at Thunderbird Marina where we met Brent from CTV for some filming. We did some on road filming along the scenic coast until arrival at Whytecliff Park where we sat down and did some one-on-one interviews.






























Great team cohesiveness was built during the interview as it gave us some time to sit and banter. Good laughs were shared and another excellent training day was in the books.

Clipped in

As the alarm sounds beside my bed I roll towards the music and flick the switch. 4:10am looks directly at me...a smile runs across my face as I lift my head off the pillow. Here we go again I think, lets go. I turn on my espresso machine and crack a couple eggs into a pan before I get in the shower.
Within 25min I'm cruising on my bike. The wind in my ear and the morning sun creeping across the sky. Keeping my heart rate low, I adjust myself on my bike seat. Months of riding has 'prepared' my butt for my saddle and by now it only bugs me after those really long rides. Only really the sit bones I'm talking about, not the other parts of the glut, like my glut medius which seem to talk to me a little bit during some other rides...Ok, lets pick up the pace here, a sub 60min tempo ride is all I have time for before I have to be at work.
Before I know it, I'm home, I've stretched, I've eaten and I'm heading back out the door to work. Training customers at 6am and loving every minute of it!
Mid day, a little bike specific workout...some hip stability, low back, core and hamstrings. Feels great! A couple more hours of training and that's it. With a sandwich in one hand and some fruit in the other I get into my car with some renewed energy.
It's cleared up and the afternoon sun is begging for another ride. Within the hour I'm walking out of my apartment and getting ready...ready to get 'clipped in'

Every day seems to be an adventure. Time is on fast forward and before we know it, we will be knee deep in our H2V Canada ride.

Just typing it out gives me shivers!

Early Morning Ride - 05/17/07

Momentum is building.

Initially, it started as something we said we should do. "hey, why don't we ride across Canada, wouldn't that be cool?".
Well, dream quickly turned to reality and now we find ourselves in the thick of 12 + hours of week training, inclusive of physio, rehab, massage, core work and of course cycling and we couldn't be more excited.

The team on whole has really started to come together. After a slow start and working through the intricacies of the team dynamics, we seem to have learned to understand the FOCUS of H2V far supersedes our individual ego's, needs and wants. Its a great place to be as we head into the final 100 days of this epic journey.

With the committment of the television network solidified, we expect to see a few more sponsors find the resources to put towards this event over the next couple of weeks. Our goal is to seal the sponsorship deal by the end of June and focus on preparing for the ride itself. Logistically we are tight and ready, and as we sit back and look at the plan to date, its another reason to get even more excited.

So today, on the heals of our first blog, let us share the fact you will be able to see, hear, visualize and be a part of one of the greatest legacies Canada has ever witnessed in real time!

Welcome to our journey.