Wishes and witches

I am thoroughly spent. I am incredibly excited. It's a pull and push of emotions in my heart. I can't believe it's been five days of riding. I also don't want it to end. By this time tomorrow, we will be in Montreal. Possibly drinking and partying. Possibly just sleeping and resting. But let's talk about today. I had one goal today: finish the ride with no lower than 30km/hr average across all 107km. If I could pull my average up to 27.7km/hr yesterday, then this new goal had to be possible. Thus, I set out with the confidence of a person with assured glory. The first opportunity I saw to follow a fast group (Charles Evans, my team co-captain and Lu, another teammate) I took it greedily like a thief. After a few kilometers, I lost Charles and Lu. Sylvie came back and I pulled her to the first break. There, I ran into Gigi, my favourite teammate from this year's rally (barring people I already knew from last year's rally). Gigi is cool. Gigi is fast. Gigi is calm and collected. And Gigi trains with Saddle Sisters of High Park, a group of women so awesome they would have been persecuted in Salem for witchcraft. Gigi asked if I'd like to ride with them after the first break and I took the opportunity with open arms and tensed calves. The Saddle Sisters pulled at a very decent pace oscillating between 32km/hr and 42km/hr, depending on the hills and the slopes. They rode fast. Fast enough for my objective. The rode with aligned precision like the solar system and I sat on their wheel as I watched them work the elements. Simon and Michelle (both my co-captains from last year) soon joined the party and the chain grew even better and longer. We took turns pulling. This way. That way. And this way. And that way. Soon, it was lunch. The sky cracked open and spilled its albumen on us. We resumed the ride on slightly wet ground but with humidity seeping through every pore of our bodies. We became Sisyphus's stone, rolling up and down. The day soon escaped from us as our remaining distance shortened faster than a fly's lifespan. At some point, I want he done Peloton from the back and it felt like I was watching Tour de France femmes. What a beautiful, bright and vibrant bunch. Another water break. Another return to the road. A few other folks joined our peloton as we swung ourselves further and further towards Montreal. Pain is such a fabled concept. You feel it and you don't. Or you feel it and something else occupies your mind so you stop feeling your feeling of it. Riding with the Saddle Sisters disappeared most of the pain I've felt in my hamstring, in my lower back, and every other part of my body. When I pulled, I entered flow state. When I was being pulled, I entered elysium. Four kilometers to the end, we stopped for Ice Cream at Dairy Queen, a Friends for Life Bike Rally tradition. There, I reunited with Anthony and Sylvie. We had dairy together like we did last year. We took pictures like we did last year. And we rode the last 4km together, just like last year. Unlike last year, I ended today's ride at 30km/hr average. Yay me. At camp, I saw a chiropractor (I need to have tapes on my back tomorrow, the lad decided). Then we were attacked by a wave of torrential rain that disappeared almost as soon as it came. Afterwards, we had a team meeting. The Devils Wear Lycra shared the different quirks and joys of the rally for them. We laughed. We complained. We plotted. We acknowledged. And importantly, we planned to meet next year. Charles has a plan for me to become co-Captain next year. He has promised to cover 1/3rd of my fundraising if I do it. I am on the lookout for a co-Captain who can be to me what Michelle was to Charles (a well-informed and connected instigator). Will I be team captain next year? We will see. While I continue to think about that, I want to mention how angelic it is to have Sylvie and Anthony with and around me. As well as the general Devils Wear Lycra team, many of them carried over from Wheely Wonkas, my team from last year. The Friends for Life Bike Rally is pretty big, with over 300 riders this year, as well as crew and support staff who make it all work. Having a team that's considerate in many areas makes a large affair become a small personal one. I am grateful for that. Especially to Michelle and Charles and Simon. Tomorrow, we will arrive in Montreal in one long procession. May we do so in peace and in one piece. See you at the finish line.