This story, as all good stories do, began one fateful night, a stormy, dark night in a roadside tavern. On the eve of Trek 2004 we came in from the rain to dine with friends and cohorts. The intent was a send off, a reunion and merriment was to be the venue. However something more sinister was afoot, loaded with testosterone, leading to guile and deceit; a simple ten dollar wager was made.....

To comprehend the enormity of this act one needs to understand that I, a grand fatherly figure well past my prime, had never truly achieved what could be considered sport infamy. My, soon to be, opponent had reached epic stature amongst her peers with cross Canada achievements not to be undertaken by the weak of heart. The trek we were to embark on was a mere 200 km , something my opponent had been known to ride prior to afternoon tea. To me a 100 km day was huge, having returned to cycling in the latter years of my now defunct marriage. I was capable of the feat but not without a "price". Having indulged in spirits and merriment I rose to the gauntlet, taking on the wager and accepting the challenge to complete the first 100 km before my opponent. The stage was set ....

Trek 2004 started amiably enough, discussions of drafting times (10 min each using my watch timer), getting clear of the pack safely, and of course the hot tub to be enjoyed at the completion of the first day. All went well for the first 80 km, we had ridden with a few other riders and found one young fellow who traveled well at our speed sharing the pulling duties of our pelleton of three. At the 80 km mark I felt the "price" start to be collected. Small twinges at first, mini cramps really, soon to become spasms of pain shooting up and down my legs. Oblivious to this my companions continued along and soon I was dropped to follow them in agony within sight but well away from the restful draft that I had provided my share of thus far. The wager was done, I had lost. After climbing "the hill" and painfully making it to the finish line, I felt little relief to discover my opponent had dropped our companion as well at the bottom of "the hill". Humility reminded me why I seldom wager!

Upon returning from a Vancouver jaunt, Melissa informed me that when she delivered Ifti his winnings they had entered me into wager for double the amount of the previous year. What was I to do? The wheels started turning, not bicycle wheels for I knew I was outclassed on the sheer muscle/skill level, but wheels of a far more devious nature.....

GUILT, guile, deceit, patience, and training were to be my tools. I thank my daughter for her coaching, her advice on nutrition, resting and recovery - that made the ride possible. And I would complete the 2005 ride without pain, but I knew from day one that completing the ride would not be enough to win the wager. Starting immediately with guilt, I worked and worked that angle until it was rote. When Melissa herself started telling the story from my applied viewpoint I felt a glimmer of hope. The guile was in the training plan. I would use the house construction to rebuild stamina, feigning off bicycle rides and keeping my mileage low. Holding my training peak to arrive September 10th 2005, the fateful day....

We took the BOB bike trailer to Vancouver on Friday Sept. 9th. To simplify things I said I would pull all the gear. With only one major hill a light it was a leisurely 80 km spin to the Hazelmere campground which was the start of Trek. A ride that surely would resurface the guilt I had planted months before. Sure enough another trekker had seen us cycling along and recounted his opinion of the poor guy pulling the BOB and "the cow" following him. The psychological edge was mine!

September 10th 2005

Light rains fell on the tent through the night, but we woke to a slightly overcast, but dry day. As with all BC Lung Treks, our gear was quickly stored in the support vehicle to be taken to Stillwood Conference Center above Cultis Lake. 315 riders of all abilities and walks of life were participating. $289,000.00 had been raised by the start of Trek 2005.

Once more Trek morning arrived with discussions of drafting times, getting clear of the pack safely, and the weather. This year was different, a few hills and then a relatively flat course to "the hill". The first hill separated the seasoned riders from the rest. After 30 km of up and down along zero Avenue corridor we called our numbers as we cycled past the first rest stop. Melissa and I had decided that barring a breakdown we would ride to the lunch stop, grab a wrap for our arrival at Stillwood and continue. the next 50 km was on open farmland. While we had drafted with some other riders we were mainly on our own, strong head winds making it suicide (for me at least) to go it alone. So we drafted each other on and off through the ride. At the first real test, the turn off to Cultis lake, I discovered my "gas tank" near empty and had fleeting thoughts of another wager being lost. Melissa was not going to live with months of guilt again and chose to draft me as I recovered around the lake. We passed three riders just before "the hill". As we made our approach, I stated "the gloves are off" and the unofficial last leg of the race was on. Melissa pulled away at the start, 20, 30 , 40, 50 meters and then set into a pace I could maintain. She crested the hill and (I thought) paused to catch her wind. As I approached she said "all is fair in love and war". That was my first break - time now for deceit. My simple reply was "it is not over till it is over" and accelerated past her. She took the bait and easily passed me, giving me once more a draft pace I could hold for the last few kilometres ....

Patience, I needed patience not to pass too soon. My goal became the gate - a few hundred meters from the finish line the last unscrupulous act was to be played out. I took the inside corner and stood on it. Passing Melissa only gave her the opportunity to draft, so I wove all over the road in a successful effort to prevent both drafting and passing. Crossing the line in the lead tilted the wager to me. The real win was in the actual training and my improved health and endurance. So, thank you Ifti for the challenge, but no I will not enter a further wager as I pulled out all the stops this year and it still truly came down to Melissa's generous nature and the last few kilometres of the day. The wager will be donated to BC Lung upon receipt.

While the events unfolded as told, the truth is I could not have planned it this well. I hope it makes for a good story; after all they say truth is stranger than fiction. The ride back to Hazelmere was a relaxed spin recovery ride to rest up for our return ride on Monday. Arriving #10 and #11 on the first day was truly an accomplishment for both of us. Both days Melissa was the first woman in.

Please donate online to my 2007
BC Lung Association 200 km Bicycle Ride!
I am registered as trekker # 75

Webmaster: Steve Mahovlic
Canada
Last Updated: June 2006

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