To my riding buddies, thanks for getting me here

Travis riding in a triathlon

Travis Paterson (left) rides the bike course of a triathlon, part of his build up to riding 140km in the Tour de Victoria. Photo Joel Rushworth

 

To my riding buddies, thanks for getting me here

For those unaware, I’m doing the 140km Harbour Air Seaplanes course. It’s my first time exceeding 100km. I mostly train alone but I am grateful for a few rides with others this year, and of course, each had its own story.  

Thanks Robbie for putting up with my bad jokes when I should have been dropping my shoulders and leading you through the Cordova Bay section after you pulled me the first 45km of Victoria and Saanich.
Thanks for taking pictures of me on Bear Mountain… wait, thanks for dragging me up Bear Mountain… next year we’ll figure out that gas cap on your boat.

See you at the finish.

Thanks Joe for introducing me to the Tour de Victoria in 2015 and inspiring me with your massive progress this year. (Joe is kickass. He blew a tire training for the 60km riding in View Royal on Sunday, took the bus to MEC, got a new tube/tire, and finished his ride.)

See you at the finish Joey.

And thanks to the Johns.

Triathlon John, I’ve known you for a decade. We did that cold October ride that I wore all neoprene and was still colder than you, and you had no neoprene. And John, we all know having that third kid of yours was a blessing. I gotta tell you, it was a blessing for me that she killed your training schedule and brought you back to Earth so I could keep up with you. (John’s a former marathoner who now has three kids and now trains with me, lol. He finally came back to Earth.)

Goalie John. I love your self-deprecating approach. But shut up. You’re in your 20s and you don’t have kids so, seriously, zip it. Thanks for letting me drag you up to Munn last week. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep up. Ironically, I plan to pip you on Munn this weekend. (Goalie John takes our beer league hockey team deep into the playoffs every year but on a bike, I just can’t stay on his wheel. So he just waits for me. What a great guy.)

See you at the finish line Johnny.

It’s funny how things change once you find a new toy.

All my eight year old son cares about is Minecraft. To him kids who don’t like Minecraft, well, they’re just kids and to me people who don’t like pro cycling, well, they’re just people. (I jest, but if the world was perfect, I would only care about pro cycling.)

This is a big journey for me. I bought a bike trainer, and I actually use it. A lot.

I started with triathlon, but it’s not swimming, it’s not running, that gets me pumped.

It’s watching (online) the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta A Espana.

It’s riding, and it’s knowing that I’m riding the Tour de Victoria.

I’ll be there throwing out high-fives on Saturday. Hit me.

  • Travis Paterson is grateful for everything

 

 

-Travis Paterson is a community reporter for the Saanich News and local Black Press papers. At night and on the weekend, he is a spandex-loving poser on a bike.

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