Day 5 - Somedays, you get a headwind all day

miles today: 76 total miles: 285
km today: 122 total km: 468

As planned, we woke up at 5am to watch the US Women’s National Team in the World Cup. Sad loss, but for the most part a good game and it was fun to watch - in a fancy hotel with robes and an espresso machine :). Chandra went and got bagels which were AMAZING - although more amazing was that I was able to lay in a comfortable bed for a little longer after the game and enjoy a lazy morning.

We knew today wasn’t super long and we have plenty of daylight. But the forecast was for nice temperature and no rain, but a persistent headwind, starting at around 12 MPH in the morning and increasing to 15 MPH in the afternoon. Combined with a fair bit of climbing, we also knew it would be a challenging day.

We talked about skipping our yoga stretches, but I insisted that we keep that pattern. I think it is really helping with comfort on the bike and only takes 5 minutes. So we went into the fitness room at the hotel and cranked it out. We were a little out of place with our biking kit on already, but whatever - it felt good and Chandra found a pear in the fruit bowl to take along for the ride.

Then, at the crack of 11am, we rode 1 km to our next stop - St. Lawrence Market. I went in to find a snack and just as I was thinking “Chandra would love this, I wish she wasn’t stuck watching the bike” I felt a warm hand on my arm. Not expecting Chandra, I kind of jumped and we had a laugh - she had met a nice woman outside who offered to watch the bike saying she should really see the market. Inside we got some drinkable yogurt with peaches and an Eastern European pastry (spaced on the name) filled with sour cherries. Amazingly, there was hardly any sugar in the pastry and it was completely full of sour cherries - so delicious!

Fueled, and laughing a bit together at the phenomenally late start, we headed east to join the bike path on the waterfront. With loads of construction, this was more challenging than we expected with detours, tight turns, and gravel sections. We navigated it ok though. I have to say - both the captain and stoker roles are challenging on the tandem, especially in urban terrain. As captain, I have the burden of keeping us upright which is super-hard and shakey when we face slow speed sharp turns, traffic, and other obstacles. This is only possible if the stoker can provide power, but also be totally loose for sudden starts and stops (which can be painful on knees!) and keep totally neutral balance. This can be really counter to biking instincts and is all part of the specific skills of the tandem.

As we made out way out of the city, I was stuck at how visible the CN tower is from so many parts of Toronto. It’s iconic, but I can’t help but wonder if some people feel like they are being lorded over by it.

We made our way east, with the Scarborough Hills being the first significant climb of the day. Somehow this are reminded me of Daly City as compared to San Francisco - hilly, out over the sea (Lake Ontario in this case) and still urban but different character from the City. Anyway, urban gave way to suburban and exurban - going through a business park saw this sign which I thought said alot.

Soon we passed through the Rouge National Urban Park which had a cool beach at the mouth of a small river and so many people were out enjoying it.


We pushed through some pretty crowded and loud terrain right next to the highway and finally made a lunch break around 60km at 3pm. I did my favorite yoga pose - don’t call it a nap!

After that stop, it was just grinding out the km, getting over the climbs, and making our way to camp. It was kind of too loud to talk much because of the wind, so we pedaled much of the day in quiet. Headwinds are discouraging and can really wreak havoc on your mental state biking, but we adjusted our expectations (not going to mainatin as fast a pace as we want) and dealt with the climbs (sometimes the hills blocked the wind, until near the top of the hill after most of the effort, when you are already breathing hard and it feels like a slap in the face). When I was riding in New Zealand, a guy I met told me it’s important to not expect the same outcomes on stormy days as calm ones. Wind, rain, heat, cold - these conditions change things and fighting against them just makes you mad. And it doesn’t make it easier or faster. So we ground it out. The good news is, while we both get a little uncomfortable (mostly butt and hands) on the bike, we are feeling good. I don’t think my legs have ever been this strong, save for the end of big bike rides like this - lifting has been a good training device. Our endurance is good. Our mental state is good - despite changing it up with the fancy hotel in Toronto, getting to camp tonight, jumping in the lake for a quick swim, making dinner (grocery store just before camp) - it’s all feeling normal. Comfortable. It’s a pace of life I love - and we’ve stripped things down to the essentials. So a little bin of blueberries was a royal treat tonight.

So here we are - in Cobourg. The campground is at the beach (waves are pounding in the wind that still hasn’t let up). It’s chock full of people, mostly in RVs, and save for people walking from town to the beach, the capground is quiet. I just hear the waves. Chandra is asleep, and I’m about to join her. Tomorrow we make a short-ish ride to Belleville and see Chandra’s cousins Joanna and Casey. It’s forecast to rain, but having it rain on a short day and maybe a rest day is not bad! We will also get the wheel rebuilt - more about that later (I will say, though, that the truing job from First Cycleworks is holding up brilliantly!).

I leave you with a view of the road toward the end of the day. If you blink, you might think this was Dane County, Wisconsin! I love that using the computer for navigation has provided the opportunity to choose super-small quiet roads except when urban areas prevent it.