Very FESTIVE 500 update.

[Paul C.]

I am not really bragging....ok I guess I am.
After 152 km today I am at 302 km. John D. did 110 for a total of 245km.
John and I have decided our Festive 500 is going from Dec 23 to 30...instead of the official Strava/Rapha Festive 500 from Dec 24 to 31.(this was an executive decision ok'd by new Pres: John D.) Sure to be debated at future coffee stops and next AGM.

So come on Tripleshot Keener's: Peter L., Sylvan, others, You still have Dec 27,28,29,30 AND 31.

See you on the road, Paul C.

[JohnT]

So, what is the plan for Thursday? I've been knocked out by the flu since Sat. (i.e., weak but keen to get back in the saddle). I'm am planning a 6 - 8 am ride - Pure Vanilla to Gordon Head to Mattick's to Sayward to Old Field to West Saanich to Royal Oak Dr. and through Gordon Head. Meet me a Pure Vanilla (don't think it will be open) or let me know where you'd like to meet.

Unsolicited training advice: Get a flu shot. Heidi did and she's the only one in this house that dodged a bullet.

JohnT

[sylvan]

Douglas/Alpha Starbucks for the Thursday Horrorfest Prospect Lake route. 6 am. I'm slow so it'll be a good recovery ride for a sickie.

[JohnT]

Steve L. will deliver me to you holidays keeners - Pure Vanilla is no-longer my start spot.

JT

[sylvan]

[Josh.E]

"horrorfest"?
you mean "gentlemanly and civilized"

[sylvan]

it was

[John D]

My "horrorfest" morning consisted of 25 hard-won kilometres, punctuated by going down hard on a wet bridge on The Goose in Colwood. Seems I flatted just as I hit the bridge deck, which made my rear wheel slide out from under me.

After lying there for a few minutes, I got up and had just started changing my flat when Mark Ford rolled up. He took me for a coffee and fed me Christmas cake, after which we rode home.

FTR, I highly recommend wiping out on wooden bridges instead of roads...they're much softer and slipperier than asphalt, so the road rash is minimal!

268km down, 232km to go.

J.

[glenowyn]

Bridges are not where you want you to slip out on. Bridges are more slippier and the damage can be greater. If I had slipped on the road I probably would only have surface wounds and be able to ride soon after. As well, David B would not have slipped and fell on his hip while taking out the phone to call the ambulance and also visit emergency that day or have the paramedics slip on the bridge while walking to me.
be careful what you wish for
but have a great Festive 500

[Lund]

Mark Ford rolled up. He took me for a coffee and fed me Christmas cake

Is that the 18-year-old Christmas cake Mark was boasting about in Starbucks yesterday? If so, I'd worry more about the after-effects of the cake than the fall.

[DavidB]

FTR, I highly recommend wiping out on wooden bridges instead of roads...they're much softer and slipperier than asphalt, so the road rash is minimal!

268km down, 232km to go.

J.

Depends on how you fall. As I, and Glen, and the paramedic can attest, sometime it's not so good.

[John D]

>be careful what you wish for...

I presumed that nobody would take my comment "recommending" wiping out on a bridge seriously. Be it bridge, road, railway track, or any other slippery surface, nobody likes wiping out. Like everyone else, my wish is merely to stay upright.

J.

[Plawless]

To place it in context in the summer we were almost exactly 30' slower this am than in the summer. Interestingly I still suffered like a dog in spots. Not sure what that means...

Overall it was a great ride though especially when it became clear that Calgary Steve and Josh were waging an unspoken battle to see who could pull for longer! Glorious - for me!

Peter

[conway]

For the record, on Sunday I shared with Rolf my "energy bar", a piece of one year old Christmas Pudding. He said it tasted okay - I think he was being his usual polite self. On Thursday, I treated John D. to a piece of very fresh, week old, Christmas Cake. I am not finished with my Christmas offerings.

For you riders who have so far missed out on my Christmas tastings, I could offer you, a slice of a well matured Royal Christmas Pudding. The Traditional Christmas Pudding, still in its original wrapper, was bought from Harrods Of London 15 years ago. I can assure you there is no best before date on the wrapping, therefore by definition, the pudding must still be good!

If there are no riders who believe in the saying "never look a gift horse in the mouth", I think I will donate the Pudding to a local theatre company for their next Victorian production of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol.

Mark

[John D]

I think that a slice of 15yr-old Xmas cake would be the ideal way to celebrate the completion of the Festive 500!

Only 137km to go...
J.

[Paul C.]

Enough with the pudding and Christmas cake discussion....This FESTIVE 500 is serious business....
Any updates from anybody? Is it going to just be the 2 guys that aren't even using Strava that will make the 500 first? ( That would be John D. and yours truly) Will any other Tripleshoters even do a Festive 400?

Mark Ford, John D. and I plan to head out to Sidney on the Club, Sunday ride with a stop at the Sidney bakery. Please Join us for a total of about 100km!

And stay tuned for the announcement about the very exclusive "SUMMER 270" one day 'BIG loop ride'.

[stevierooks]

I am still in for the Festive 500. Ive had to work, but with commuting, i logged 90kms and today, I made it to Ladysmith and back for 190 kms. 220 to go!

[MDAWSON]

Well after 120km today, i'm officially at 310 total. so i need to do 190 km at least this weekend. On the strava website I can see that Peter L. is at 314km and Sylvan at 350km.

[Paul C.]

Very impressive boys....We where wondering about Peter and Sylvan...I said to someone at coffee " If they aren't out today they will pull it off in the last 2 days ."

Officially ,but not on Strava ,I am at 401km.
cheers, pc

[esilnarson]

Are any of you Festive 500ers planning on riding Saturday morning?

Brian E