By Louise Rachlis
One by one, for many years,
I have been doing my own modest version of some of the athletic events that I’ve
admired. I’ve done some of the segments of the impressive Canadian Ski
Marathon, I’ve managed to swim Beach to Beach at Meech, but not at 7 a.m.
before work, and the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour was always on the wish list.
When running along the Canal
early on those June Saturday mornings, I’d see the riders whooshing out from
Carleton University and I would stand in fascination. I never thought I could
do it.
There are four route options
– The Challenge, 450 k; The Cruise, 358 k; The Classic, 354 k, and The Century,
from Perth, 200 k.
Early this year, some of my
friends and I did sign up for the Perth to Kingston Century Route, encouraged
to jump in by Hazel Ullyatt who had done the full route many times. Charlene
Ruberry and Kristin Goff and I were first-timers. The experienced was enhanced
by spending the night before on friend Lynn Campbell’s boat at Rideau Ferry.
It was also enhanced by
purchasing booties and a rain jacket at Bushtukah, which I actually got to wear
for 40 minutes during the tour.
We scoped out the Curling
Club beforehand to make sure we got to the right place in the morning. We wanted
to start as early as possible, and were pleased to see that people were heading
out before 9 a.m.
The maps and signage were
great, the rain held off, and the route was beautiful. Naïve that we were, all
the rolling hills came as a bit of a surprise. I’d heard for years about the
big hill at Westport; I just didn’t realize that the Westport hill had so many
relatives.
Let me explain that while my
friends have cycling shoes and nice bikes, I am biking on a hybrid in running
shoes. They were amazed I could get up the hills at all.
Hazel advised us to stop in
a restaurant in Westport for a proper lunch to fuel the rest of our journey.
Consequently, we arrived in Kingston in pretty good shape, got settled in
residence and then joined the throngs in the busy buffet supper. In the
evening, like many others, we walked down to the water and admired the view.
The next morning Kristin and
I left Kingston around 7 a.m., while Hazel and Charlene, being faster, opted to
sleep in and leave a bit later.
As is usual, the second day
was harder on the backside and the leg muscles than the first day. I was going
so slowly, and on the hills I felt as if I were standing still. As the day got
warmer and more humid, my pace slowed further. Just outside Westport, the kind
drivers of the Myers Motors sag wagon asked if we wanted a ride. Realizing that
under my own steam I wouldn’t get into Perth before the luggage left and the
place shut down, I decided to accept the ride and Kristin came along with me.
Charlene and Hazel completed
the route themselves.
The driver deposited us in
Last Duel Park just before some of our friends who were biking arrived. I
quickly explained how I’d managed to beat them, and they congratulated me on
“knowing when to quit.”
So I only completed “a
century and a half” of Rideau Lakes, 100 kilometres the first day, and half
that the second. Nevertheless I’m so pleased to have seen the beautiful route,
the talented pelotons, the friendly participants and the excellent
organization. And now I can picture it and admire even more all the thousands
who every year go the distance to Kingston and back.
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