I was born in 1964 which means this year I have turned 60 years old. I have long been a believer in marking the important milestones of your life. So I knew this needed to be something of significance. In two days (June 2nd) I will be riding my bike from Lands End to John O’Groats in the United Kingdom. LEJOG (as it is know) is a route from the farthest south of England to the north tip of Scotland. Total distance is approximately 1600 km with over 17,000 m of climbing. This will be the most physically, psychologically, and emotionally challenge endeavour I have attempted.
I have always cycled. As a small child I distinctly remember the moment my dad took off my training wheels. I was ecstatic and felt like I was flying. It was a time of “free range” parenting where there was little supervision. I spent a lot of time roaming around my Edmonton neighborhood. As a teenager I was the proud owner of an orange Norco 10 speed. This bike allowed me to go even further afield. No helmet, toe straps on the pedals, and no fancy saddle or padded shorts. Just old school adventures.
As life and adulthood took over my biking days seemed behind me. I did occasionally ride but this was few and far between moments. This changed in 2014 when my partner was getting into triathlons and needed a new road bike. She got a new proper road bike and I decided to get a Cannondale Quick for puttering around. I envisioned myself maybe doing a lap of Stanley Park occasionally on it. I quickly fell in love with the freedom and physical nature of cycling again.
I began commuting to the hospital I worked at. Vancouver is a great place to cycle and the hospital had a large bike parking area. I felt refreshed and energized when arriving at work and when I rode back home. It wasn’t easy as there were hills to conquer on the way home. But I enjoyed it and began tracking my rides on Strava. I could see myself getting faster and stronger by tracking the data. My partner and I did some group rides to further test ourselves. I remember being so nervous at the start of a 50km group ride. When I successfully completed it I felt triumphant!
I outgrew the first bike and bought a Cannondale CAAD 10 road bike. New challenges ensued with clipless pedals, different gearing, and shorts with a chamois. The first ride was terrifying and I remember thinking I had made a mistake buying that bike. But I persisted and it got easier and then even comfortable. I started buying cycling specific kit and learned more about the sport by watching GCN on YouTube.
In 2018 I signed up for the RBC Whistler Gran Fondo. This encompasses a ride from Vancouver to Whistler. I was intimidated but also inspired by other women I knew who had done it. I took a “learn to fondo” clinic to help me prepare. I wasn’t the slowest in the clinic but I wasn’t the fastest either. The leaders were great and very encouraging. They kept telling me that I could actually do the ride, even when I was sceptical. They were right and I successfully completed the course. I knew I could improve my performance and the following year took 40 minutes off my previous time.
I upgraded my bike again and took on more adventures. Cycling allowed me to travel to France for a self guided holiday in the Dordogne. We also went to Italy for a biking holiday at Lake Garda. So when I thought about a real challenge to mark my 60th year I remembered a friend telling me about LEJOG. My partner and I have booked in with Peak Adventures for a supported tour. This is 14 days of cycling an average of 115km per day. Breakfast, lunch and accommodations are provided. All I have to do is pedal!
I wanted to share my story because women remain underrepresented within cycling. It is still a generally older, white male activity. Women are well suited for long distance activities as we have the mental fitness to endure. The beauty about cycling is that most people can do it. You can build your stamina by cycling incrementally longer distances. A decade ago I was thrilled to be able to ride 10 km and now I can ride that distance in less than 30 minutes. Cycling also opens you up to a whole world of people who are adventurous and passionate about the sport.
I’m very nervous about my ability to ride LEJOG but know that I have done other hard things. I want to be able to look back on my life and know that I didn’t just take the easy path. If I am successful I will write another post in 2 weeks time to share with you my thoughts.
Lona lives with her partner Emma and their 2 dogs in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Originally trained as a social worker she transitioned to nursing, graduating when she was 40 years old from UBC. She worked in health care for 20 years in a variety of roles and areas including palliative, surgical services, and urban health. She now works as the executive director for Resident Doctors of BC, the union supporting resident physicians. She lives by the motto that life is short and therefore it is good to challenge yourself.
