Lap the Gats. Done. I did well, I think. I cut about 8 minutes off my last year’s time, scored my top three results on the Fortune Parkway climb segment, and generally managed to stick with the lead group from start to finish. It wasn’t the result I was looking
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cmkl: Half way, a week away
Today my buddy Joel and I rode out to Dunrobin Shore and back — all in about 117km. I hit the half-way point for my yearly kilometre goal and I’m about half way to my Lap the Gats fundraising goal. So I’m pretty happy about that. Only I’ve got until the
Continue readingcmkl: Much pavement in my near future
I’m having a relaxing evening trying to get a decent earworm into my head in preparation for riding 420km from Ottawa to Kingston and back in the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour this weekend. Wish me luck and please, if you can, donate to one or both of my Great Cycle
Continue readingcmkl: Why are we subsidizing landlords to keep commercial buildings vacant?
How is this even a thing? A 30 or 35 per cent refund on property taxes for vacant commercial or industrial properties. What purpose does that serve? It doesn’t seem like there’s a time limit either. Someone could keep a building vacant for years, make no attempt to rent or
Continue readingcmkl: Pedalling against Parkinson’s again
You don’t have to join me. You can just donate. I’m riding the Gatineau Parkway ‘A’ Loop four times — maybe five — to raise money for the University of Ottawa’s Parkinson’s research consortium. The event, Lap the Gats, is in its third year. And each year I’ve been getting
Continue readingcmkl: The Trudeau government needs to speak, take risks to oppose Trump
I’m not normally one to reach out to elected representatives. I’m happy to help others to do so but I’m shy myself. However I’m feeling a need to see big action from our government to stop the lunacy down south. So I just emailed my this to my MP, Catherine
Continue readingcmkl: Outrage and shame over Québec City shooting
There is a meme going round the internet for a couple of years now showing the faces of several American terrorists — the white man who opened fire on the audience of a Batman movie. The white man who opened fire on Sandy Hook. The white man who opened fire
Continue readingcmkl: Giving back at 50
For 50 years I’ve lived a pretty comfortable, privileged life. Time to give something back. I’m giving up my birthday up to fundraise for the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Read more The post Giving back at 50 appeared first on cmkl.
Continue readingcmkl: December 6th: Constant progress, constant retreat
We take consolation in disasters from the idea that society might learn something and that the horror might never recur. The war to end all wars, the massacre to end all massacres. We want to see progress to encourage ourselves to keep pushing for change. And yet we don’t want
Continue readingcmkl: Fake news on Facebook: what they could do to fix the dust cloud of misinformation
Fake news played a pretty significant role in influencing opinion on the recent US election, which, I note, has not gone unnoticed here in Canada. The Guardian had an interesting piece about the preponderance of lies that got circulated and re-circulated amongst both Clinton and Trump supporters. Although it notes
Continue readingcmkl: Boy poses and girl poses
Lately it’s been bothering me and Irene that Mallory would come back from photo day with tales of how kids were being posed by gender. Read more
Continue readingcmkl: For better cycling infrastructure
I am going to lose friends for saying this but I never ride the Laurier Bike Lane. I hate it. I want to see actual, safe cycling infrastructure in Ottawa, not just narrow channels designed to keep us from impeding the progress of car traffic.Read more
Continue readingcmkl: Dear Canada Post, settle. Don’t be as stupid as I know you can be
Wherein I plead with Canada Post to do the sensible thing and settle. As if corporations are guided by rational thought.Read more
Continue readingcmkl: N-word Rapids – get racism off the map
I was planning a bike ride on my favourite route planning app when I came across a rather shocking site. There is a place marked on Google Maps — don’t think it even has a population count — south of Maniwaki Québec called N-…
Continue readingcmkl: Lap the Gats – flat out bragging
Not humble bragging. Nope. Just out and out bragging. Tempered by the fact that I didn’t actually win. But I rode Lap the Gats today and came in third overall. Second in my age group.
Continue readingcmkl: For fathers and men everywhere: enough rage and thuggery. Be the person you were meant to be
Between the mass shooting at Pulse in Orlando, the assassination of Jo Cox and this dude rolling on his motor, waving a gun in the air I am beside myself with rage and fear about what on earth is happening to men.
Continue readingcmkl: Made it back home: a much tougher day
Rideau Lakes is done – Made it back home: a much tougher day
Continue readingcmkl: Long grey day and bike as drying rack
What do you do with a forecast that calls for temperatures in the mid teens and a 40 to 60 per cent chance of rain. And what if you are supposed to ride for six plus hours in it? I spent two hours agonizing over my clothing strategy before finally sett…
Continue readingcmkl: I hope I am up for this challenge
About 12 years ago, just a few years after I had discovered how much I liked riding bikes, I decided to ride the Challenge route of the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour. At the time I wanted to test my limits. After limping back to Ottawa, clinging to the wheel…
Continue readingcmkl: Ride of the Dammed: the organizers and support people deserve a medal
As bike rides go, my first Ride of the Dammed was pretty good. As an adventure it was spectacular. My team endured four flats, one tire-touching ditch crash and one hospitalization. And if it hadn’t been for the ride’s organizers and support team, we’…
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