Last morning....

We were supposed to be almost ready to go by 6:00... but at 6:00 no one was awake... did I misunderstand or does last night's wine have anything to do with it??
Rainy morning not too cold.... hopefully the rain will stop to help us along the road....
see you all at the office later!

Day 3: Kingston to Cornwall - Sophia

Well we have done it again. .. 200KM day between Kingston and Cornwall; the hardest day of the ride for all... it is very long. But I had the previledge to ride the 2009 with exceptional individuals. Great job all on one of the greatest day of our life. Sophia

185km is Not Enough for These Crazy People

I planned to blog after day 1, and 2 but both nights when everyone else was enjoying a beer I was passed out in my room. Today was the long day. 185 km from the Best Western in Kingston to the Best Western in Cornwall, with many emotions and pain between the two. At about 80 km today I took a fall on the hwy, at the moment the pain was hidden by the fear of getting run over by a car but at this point I am feeling it. When we got to the Best Western in Cornwall it was only 185 km - the normal person would think that this was enough, however in order to call it 200km we had to loop back and get another 15km in. Despite the pain, and the tears it was the only think I could think of to take the time to get to 200km. At this point some "fast" riders took it upon themselves to come with us to make sure that we could make it. This is exactly how this ride has gone - support from strangers and encouragement from everyone. I am truly blessed to be able to be part of this ride. Thank you for the support from my parents and sister and brother in law. And my brother (if he had a cell phone). And my trainer Lance...!
Jennifer Hansford

butt paste and power gels

WOW - two life saving strategies for me on the ride that I had no experience with given my biking to date. 150km and what's a gal to do - complain with exhaustion, pee in a bush making sure your team can't see but most likely all traffic can - apply your child's diaper rash cream....and take a power gel...now that juice can change your life. tricks of the trade! LOVE TO MY FAMILY AND ALL THEIR SUPPORT!

oui, tout est possible !

2e fois pour moi. Ce feeling intense d'accomplissement d'un 200km... Incroyable mais vrai. Vrai parce que le Ride for the cure permet de regrouper des gens intenses, des gens qui croient que tout est possible... qui savent transmettre cette vision d'espoir.

Merci papa (et maman) de m'avoir transmis cette valeur si essentielle.
Merci a mon chum et mes enfants qui croient en moi et m'ont permis ces longues heures d'entraiment.
Merci a tous ceux qui croient en cette cause et qui m'ont encourage. Votre grand coeur fait toute la difference pour ces gens touches par le cancer.

Je vous aime
Isabelle xox

wow, wow....WOW!

Feeling very humble today. Since we started riding on Sataurdy, we have had ton of support by way of people honking horns, waving or flashing of thumbs up. On day 3 of the Ride for the Cure we have just finished 200kms in one day. Other than very tired legs, I actually feel good! If riding 200kms wasn't eventful enough my riding partner Mike 'crash' Siauw landed on his head and had to be rushed to the hosptial to have stiches in his knee and have his broken arm mended. We are very lucky Mike was not hurt more. In typical Mike fashion, he said, "oh well!...now I can get my stiches out with my son Ethan, who also needed stiches this past weekend.
Last evenful item of the day was our team(team AZURE) was pulled over by the police! I originally though that we were pulled over for speeding:)... nope we got pulled over for blocking an entire lane! I hope our small effort will help put an end to breast cancer.

Bitter Sweet

This is not the way I intended to finish the Ride! Bitter in the sense that we only had 1 day to go but sweet in the fact that I had the privilegde to ride with such an amazing group of indivduals. Special thanks to Josee who was amazing!!

Our 2025 Riders

The big day... 185kms from Kingston to Cornwall

Chilling in Kingston

Chilling in Coburg

In Kingston!!!!

We are all in Kingston, after 160 Kms.. started the morning at a chilling 7 degrees with breakfast at Oasis.. arrived after a sunny ride, perfect conditions.. all made it

Team spirit somewhere between Coburg and Kingston

Happy b'day Joe!!!

Some people travel with Tiger Woods...

....we travel with Tiger Balm....

Hello from Kingston

Hi Gigi, Ali, Andy
I am having a great time on the ride. We are almost half way there. I have meet many great people and seen some cool sights. We will be in Montreal on Tuesday.
See you soon,
Love Dad

Ride Comradry

Day 3 is done and in the books. Today was historic for many of us "newbies" on Team 1: Jane and the Newbies. Not only did we complete our longest ride ever (200k), but we did it by smashing another the previous day (165k)! But, what I would really like to share with you is the comradry that we've come to associate with the 'Ride'.
Over the past 3 days, 8 Novartis "newbies" were captained by 2 more "experienced" Novartis Riders. How does one sum up the experience... Through the early AM starts, the incredibly long days, the fatigue and the sore bottoms, there is one shining moment that rings true each day. We started the day as the team and we finished as a team. With every passing day, the group grew stronger as riders and all played an integral role in the team. However, that was put to the test today as we lost a rider to injury. With 1 more day to go, I am absolutely positive that we're all in agreement on this point. We finished today with ALL of 'Jane and the Newbies' together. Mikey, you were in our hearts and minds. Today was for you!
What a privilege its been to be a part of this fantastic team.

Sincerely,
D-Dubs.

5 years, same old route, same great weather, more great people

It's magical that this ride has continued to grow, while keeping the same team spirit. With almost 40 riders this year -- we now have 4 teams, our own laundry bags, and even a new component to our uniform (caps!). It's great to be a part of this legacy and I am sure it will be even bigger next year...
Thanks for following along the journey.
Cheers,
Henry

Feel the burn....

Took quite awhile to find my legs with the fast and furious pace today. Unfortunately after I found my legs and realized that I did not want them.

a great 1st day

Thanks for all those that supported the ride for the cure. Great day today, with lots of sun but a bit of a head wind. 2 1/2 days to go, and I know it will be great. I rode today with a great team of riders I have not ridden with before, and it was avery rewarding experience. It is great to meet new friends. I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow. The experience and hard is worth it, as it will benefit breast cancer patients and their families. Will update tomorrow.

Cheers,
Les

Hi from Cobourg and Sophia

We got the first day if this incredible adventure today. Great weather and wonderfull group of people all joining together and celebrating our fundraisng achievement for The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
We have a great teams again this year; all so motivated and enjoying the ride.
I am so proud to be part of this...
Tourlou from Sophia in Cobourg...XXX

2009- I am humbled

Today was humbling in many ways.

First, I have the honour of riding with the last group. These guys are animals. I trained all year in hopes of surviving this team. To say they completely punished me today is an understatement. Very humbling, but at the same time rewarding. Thanks team- the right amount of push, and help.

Second, I stood at lunch looking over the sea of smiles, laughs, and excitement. I never thought I would see this event grow to such proportions. I am humbled to lead such a great group of people this year. The leadership and positive attitude of this team is second to none.

thxs team for bringing the spirit of the ride alive.

Team Leader,

Jeff Martens

More on the road... Toronto to Coburg

The whole team in Toronto - just before the official departure

Lunch to Coburg

Some much needed road side assistance :-)... 'cause did anyone say there are no hills from Toronto to Montreal??? 2nd biggest lie after "the cheque is in the mail".....

Toronto to lunch...

Leaving Toronto...

Day started - on time - with a cold 7 C but cloudless sky... cars packed and teams ready to go.

2009 Jerseys unveiled

Thank you Mathieu for the amazing design, and Les for the (amazing) modelling....

In Toronto

oh yes.... bikes arrived safely, thank you Scott!

The Journey

Clouds progressively disappeared on our way to Toronto, and we arrived with a cloudless blue sky.

Leaving Montreal

Started with a very wet day in Montreal, and yes – very cold.

Four years already...

Dear readers, this blog contains the stories and memories dating back to September 2005, when six cyclists decided to undertake a fundraising challenge for their company, Novartis, for the benefit of the CIBC Run for the Cure. The riders cycled 600km in 3.5 days, from Toronto to Montreal, arriving back at their head office just West of downtown having raised $26,000 for charity.

Now, in 2008, the team has grown to almost 30 riders following the same route, and we have set a remarkable goal of raising $100,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation... on the last day, we will be joined by another 20 cyclists who will get a taste of the team spirit and physical challenge this entails.

Thank you for visiting and please come back to read about our progress, we've had a late start updating the blog this year, but there are lots of great stories and pictures to uncover as our riders continue to discover the joy and meaning of this event...to those of you who have ridden in the past, I hope you will share a smile. ;-)

-Novartis Ride for the Cure team

Ride for the Cure 2008!

Nous voilà à Dorval... 600 km plus tard et surtout des rencontres incroyables!

Merci à tous mes amis et parents pour vos généreuses contributions, j'ai amassé $2,650 et j'ai donné $250 pour aider un autre rider... ce qui me fait près de $3,000 pour ma 3e édition! Le plus impressionant a été d'appendre que nous avions dépassé notre objectif (bold promise) de $100,000!... Je suis très fière de l'équipe! MERCI!

La ride elle a été fabuleuse... difficile à cause du vent mais superbe à cause de l'équipe! Souvent il n'y avait aucun mot, le vent simplement et le frottement des pneus sur l'asphalte, mes coéquipiers me transportaient d'un km à l'autre! Je pense que nous avions chacun nos pensées pour nous amener encore plus loin! Les miennes ont été souvent pour mes enfants Emma et Samuel... Emma était là à Dorval avec mes parents... ça m'a donné beaucoup d'énergie! Je vous aimes tant!

J'ai fait des rencontres superbes... j'ai de nouveaux amis... j'ai fait mille réflexions à travers ces longs kilomètres et j'aurai quand même de la difficulté à ne pas recommencer encore l'année prochaine! Avant d'y penser... merci à mon équipe #2 et à toute l'équipe de la ride 2008! Merci Jean-Charles pour ton énergie, merci à Stéphanie, Chantal Koot, Jeff et Henri! Merci à mon amoureux Gaby qui me fait vivre cette deuxième portion de vie avec intensité et passion!

À très bientôt j'espère... on se retrouve à la marche le 5 octobre?

Annie xox

What an experience!

I have learned a lot about myself and about life during those 4 days. Unfortunately I was not able to do the whole 600 km because of a knee injury. For sure, I was disappointed but like I told André on Sunday, it's not about me, it's about the cause. Monday, I followed my Pure Enjoyment team in the Minivan with Bernadette. I was now a spectator. It was amazing to see the dertermination, the teamwork and the camaraderie. That's what Ride for the Cure is all about. Thanks Berny for the great support and help. You did a great job! And thanks for putting the smile back on my face on Monday!

I decided to do the last 120 km because I wanted to finish this journey with you guys. I am not sure it was the best thing to do for my knee but I had to do it. I can tell you that I will never forget the feeling I had when we arrived at the office. I was so proud to be part of such a great team!

I knew I would meet new colleagues during this trip. I ended up meeting new friends.

I will see you next year...With stronger knees and legs!
Cheers,
Chantal

To need for speed

Thanks Guys!

It was great riding with all of you and getting to know you better. Thanks for pushing me and letting me rest!

Cheers!

Joe

Thank you to all the riders for a wonderful birthday

Thank you Team!

Everyone on the ride went all out to make sure I had a wonderful birthday on Sept 20th. It really feels amazing to have this experience with all of you!