The Ride is the Goal

A bit more than a week ago, I arrived back in Toronto, Canada. Since then, my time has been spent having coffee, lunch, dinner or just chillin’ with many dear friends. There has also been several hours spent wandering about the city I call home, getting reacquainted. I’ve done a little bit of riding and am excited for racing the Paris to Ancaster race this Sunday. It’s a pseudo road-race, sorta cyclo-cross race, not really a mountain-bike race. It’s a bit of all three. In either case, looks like it’ll rain that day, so it should be very muddy! Irene and are sure to have a good time!

Despite being away for nearly six months, returning to Toronto it seems as though nothing has changed. Back amongst familiar faces and settings, I am free to consider and plan my upcoming trip; cycling throughout my native England.

In 1979, with an employment offer made to my father, my family moved from Winchester, England, to Ottawa, Canada. At age five, Ottawa would become my home for the next eighteen years, punctuated with regular visits to England at Christmas and/or summer holidays. However, my last visit occurred the summer my parents split; I was fourteen. Now thirty-seven, I am eager to revisit England, explore the countryside, the cities, and the people; to explore my homeland, my ancestry and family. Health brand viagra pfizer experts have said that psychological factors can also affect the men suffering from diabetes and hypogonadism. Urology Urology is a medical specialty dedicated to diagnosing and treating the symptoms cialis generic australia of andropause. Sugar is good for health and also it will be irregular. viagra online no prescriptions Surgery especially those related to a woman’s breasts or genital tract can viagra 25 mg affect her body image and sexual desires. 3. A country with a rich history of cycling, I know I will quickly find myself feeling at home.

The weekend of May 21st represents an important one for myself, my brother and his family. In 2010, the weekend was spent in Prince Edward County, Canada among friends and family, honouring and remembering our mother who died April 7th of that year. This year–in keeping with her wishes–a similar memorial will take place in The New Forest, England, a place cherished by my mother where she spent much time as a child. Flying to England from Toronto May 18th, I will resume my touring Monday, May 23rd. Having had much time to reflect upon this next leg of my cycle-touring, there is a noticeable difference this time around.

When I departed Spokane, WA I had two dates that set my schedule; mid-February in Texas for the Chihuahuan Desert Mountain-bike Festival and mid-April in Ontario to prepare for the England trip. This meant that not only were there dates to work towards, but it meant that my route had been pre-determined. I had to ride south from Washington state and eventually east towards Texas. I knew that every day I was heading in a particular direction, I did not have the luxury of setting my daily course based on the winds, the grade of the road or my whimsy. There was something to work towards, a goal, an end to the road. This time, however, there is no such tether, no goal or final destination. This time, the ride truly is the goal.