Читать книгу Cycle For Life: The Story of the 1991 Trans-Canada Record Attempt - Bill Psy.D. Narasnek - Страница 12

I have previously recounted the base of training and racing which led up to the fall of 1990. From October 1990 to July 1991 I trained specifically for the record attempt. It really wasn't very scientific. I knew the attempt, in relative terms, would be focused on endurance rather than speed or strength. I say "relative" since speed and strength cannot be discounted and, in fact, I believe they were the aspects most misunderstood by many people.

I rode outdoors all winter but, of course, this was inconsistent due to the weather. Running became dominant from November to mid-January when I would often run the 11 kilometres (one way) to work and back. Many of these runs, on the back roads, alone at night through snow storms, or -30ºC temperatures, would become adventures of their own. Cold, crisp nights when the northern lights would play their magic in the sky leaving me staring awestruck as I jogged over snow packed, frozen roads. Nights when the moonlight illuminated fresh snow over a barren landscape revealing hundreds of tiny, and some not so tiny, animal tracks. It was a great period of training full of motivation and hope.

It's hard to estimate exactly how much my full time job contributed to my training. I did have, however, the opportunity, all through my training period, to walk and climb ladders almost continuously for 4 to 5 hours a day, five days a week. It was significant in building strength and endurance in combination with my regular workouts.

Starting mid-January the running decreased as increasingly more time was spent on the indoor cycling trainer. My Tacx mag trainer allowed me to train on my own bike but, like any exercise bike, it is BORING. I watched hour after hour of Desert Storm

coverage on CNN while putting in up to 4 hours at a time on the trainer. In February this training had a test as I rode the trainer from 12:00 p.m. on a Friday to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday during a fundraising event at the downtown Dominion Trust location. I rode my Concorde Prelude on the Mag trainer in the front window while groups and individuals were challenged to solicit pledges for their efforts in riding exercise bikes set up for the purpose. Pelmorex broadcasted live on location during the period and it turned out to be a fun and successful event. About 9:00 a.m. on the Saturday morning I got the best laugh of the weekend. An elderly foreign gentleman stood watching me through the window before opening the front door and suggesting, "Why don't you get an axe and cut some wood?" 700 kilometres were registered on the bikes computer in the 24 hour period. It was a good morale booster not to mention a severe test for my backside!

As weather permitted, and it was a good spring, more and more time was spent outdoors on the bike. Daily 40 kilometre rides led to 100 on the weekends which quickly progressed to 150, 200, 250, and then to Saturday rides of 300 kilometres. These would be followed by Sunday rides of 120-150 kilometres. Weekday rides varied from 40 to 100 kilometres. The whole idea was to simply ride as much as possible in the time available, without getting injured.

I did several 300 kilometres rides, mostly to Manitoulin Island. My favourite was the return trip to Mindemoya from my home in Lively. These rides would test all the physical systems needed to ride 500 kilometre days. Longer distances, at this point, would only risk injury. The rides would typically start at 8:00 a.m. and end around 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. I would average over 30 km/hr., which was my target, but since most rides were unsupported I would have to stop several times for water re-fills and the occasional coke. Pretty much a full day! Sunday would be half the distance, or less, and usually just around the district with a later start and mid-afternoon finish. Still, I wouldn't feel like doing much else on the weekend. Weekdays would just be ride and work, work and ride.

In addition to all this there was sleep deprivation training and again it was rather unscientific. Starting in January I would do stretches of 4 or 5 days, every few weeks, in which I would stay up until 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. and get up early the next morning, 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. Not only did this prepare me to function on minimal sleep but it had the added benefit of providing the extra time to keep my part time bicycle repair business going!

We did one "trial run" to Bracebridge in May. This involved several of the crew, and two vehicles, on a day trip. The Kidney Foundation in Bracebridge was having a fundraiser and we were to arrive in the afternoon for some publicity work. It was supposed to give us a chance to get a feel for being on the road with the support vehicle and doing the little things like passing food and water on the go. Our early morning start left us all fearful for our future! Through some bad communications I ended up cycling alone down Highway 69 while crew members searched for each other in donut shops back in Sudbury.

This all ended the third week of June with my last long ride leading to a two week taper-off period to the July 5th start date. This was to provide a rest, recovery, and build up period leading to the record attempt.

It had been a wonderful experience really. I enjoy training and this had provided purpose and motivation in allowing me so much riding. And so it was done. How lucky!

No injuries. No serious illness. Stronger and fitter than at any time in my life having trained at a pace worthy of any professional athlete.

I had a good head start but was bone dry by the time they caught up. Fortunately the rest of the day went well and we arrived to be treated to a fantastic bar-b-q by the folks in Bracebridge.