This week, I want to bring you a catch up conversation with Bonnie Gagnon to see how things were going as she tries to recover from Spinal Fluid Leaks sustained during the investigation in how to treat some severe head pain.

Bonnie’s journey hasn’t been an easy one, battling injuries and a bout with Lemierre’s Syndrome in 2010 that nearly took her life. Through it all, her infectious smile and desire to spread positivity while sharing her struggles inspires many.

There are a couple of fundraisers going on for Bonnie right now. You can check out her GoFundMe Help Bonnie Ride Again, you can grab a 2 pack of Bonnie Gagnon Adventure Chocolate Bar stickers, and Cycling 101 put together a Blivet winter riding helmet as well as a cycling 101 hat, that can be found on the store. 100% of the proceeds will go to Bonnie. There are lots of ways you can help her, so please do what you can.

I always find inspiration when I speak with Bonnie and I hope you enjoy this short catchup conversation. To learn more, check out our previous chats on episode 27 as well as episode 79.

U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name

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With the 2022 Tour Divide less than 3 weeks away, I haven’t had a lot of time to connect with folks to have conversations. That said, I did get a great voice memo from Jim Sevaly. He had some questions that I thought I would address.

I also wanted to tell a couple of stories, thank some listeners for their engagement and read a wonderful email that I received as I was recording. There are also a couple of great tunes to break things up.

It’s you, the listener, that inspires this and all of my podcasts. Don’t be shy. I love hearing from all of you, whether via email or, my favourite, voice memos. As I always say, whip out your device, record me something and send it to [email protected], and I’ll cut it into the show.

And if you find value in what I’m doing, consider supporting me financially. You can one time PayPal me or, for the cost of a cup of coffee, lunch or a pint, you can join my Patreon.

Thanks in advance for your support.

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Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for supporting me!

Inspired by Anthony Walsh’s recent podcast episode, Can Cycling Cause Erectile Dysfunction on the Roadman Cycling podcast, I wanted to break the ice a little with the guys and talk about ED.

I wanted to break the stigma and talk a little about something that guys really hate talking about. It is said that almost 30%-50% of all men deal with some sort of ED and that generally, changes in diet and lifestyle can mitigate it.

Cycling has been shown to NOT cause ED, so that numbness you might feel after a long ride isn’t indicative of the syndrome. That said, this discomfort can be dealt with by getting yourself a proper bike fit, as well as the proper saddle and riding attire.

Before that awesome topic, I wanted to chat about waxing. No, not that kind of waxing. Chain waxing. I’ve been running a factory waxed chain for a few hundred maintenance free Km’s and I wanted to share that experience with you. If you’re looking for more info, check out Ottalaus’s Instagram or reach out and bug Jay!

Enjoy!

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Thanks to Ottalaus Inc. for their support.

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Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for supporting me!

This week I am speaking with Adam Hokin and David Harper from PedalCell. I have only been using a dynamometer since last year and there’s no going back. Being able to charge electronics and generate light on the fly is a game changer for longer rides.

Adam, David and co-founder Vishaal Mali wanted to make it easier for people to get into the dynamo game and saw a niche. Their mission is to give people one less excuse for not riding a bicycle. PedalCell is a journey-enabler, allowing cyclists to ride freely, untethered from outlets.

These guys built this technology from the ground up. It’s not just a power source, it’s smart and is constantly monitors power generation so that, whatever device you’re trying to charge, will be done safely and efficiently.

In this episode we chat about Adam and David’s background and how they found one another. We get into the science behind this kind of power generation and the challenges they faced while creating this kind of technology from scratch. We chat about the challenges of entering a global market as well as other topics.

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It took a little longer than I anticipated, but I have hit the 100 mark. In this episode, I just wanted to thank you for letting me into your ears over the last couple of years and to share a couple of messages and tunes.

This may seem like a one way relationship, but it’s not. Podcasting has been like therapy. The comments and engagement mean the world to me, even the not so positive ones. To be able to talk openly, and share ideas and stories with others, helps me grow.

What more can I say… Thanks for all the support.

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Foo Fighters - Stranger Things Have Happened
Van Halen - Jump!
Mark Lettieri - Everybody Wants to Rule The World
Blue Rodeo - Ride Your Bike

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Today on the podcast I bring you a conversation with Documentary Filmmaker, Kris Wheeler of Liquid Coast Films about his adventure documentary, Grace and the Great Divide.

Kris’ latest documentary, which is currently in production, focuses on Grace Ragland and her journey against time on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in 2018. Grace, who lived with Multiple Sclerosis, passed away in January of 2020 after a struggle with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was small in stature but big on personality. Grace was an inspiration to many, and It was said that she lit up any room she was in.

This isn’t your typical adventure documentary. In this film, Kris tells Grace’s story of not only the struggles with her health but also how the trail provided her with a path to healing and reconnection with her estranged son.

In this episode, Kris tells us a little about himself and how he worked his way through journalism to eventually become a self taught filmmaker. He talks about how he first met Grace and how he felt compelled to tell her story. We chat about the meaning he gets by being a creator and he shares a story from his first ultra attempt on the Trans North Georgia.

I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too. Keep any eye out for this documentary and if you want to support the project, you can visit www.indiegogo.com and search for Grace and the Great Divide.

I hope you enjoy this conversation.

The Stable Song - Gregory Alan Isakov
Parlor Hour - Cute Song

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This week on the podcast I bring you a conversation with filmmaker, Jack Zakrajsek @jackzakra, creator of Tracing The Divide | A Tour Divide FIlm, which was just released on August 16th, 2022.

In this documentary, Jack follows Chris Schmidt and Chris Hiebert, two avid cyclist who take on their biggest bike packing challenge yet, The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The Chris’, who have known each other since they were children, travelled the route together following the Tour Divide Classic route from border to border.

Jack was born in the mountains of Gunnison, Colorado but moved around a lot as a kid. He grew up playing football but realized it never really did it for him. Later, Inspired by a bike purchased for him by a family member, and with the inspiration of his brother, an avid cyclist, he began cycling passionately and would eventually race with the Colorado Mesa University Cycling Program.

Jack wanted to make a film about the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route that would be on par with other films he has seen in the ecosphere of bikepacking and I think he has done it. It’s an inspiring film that highlights the highs and lows of such an endeavour and beautifully captures the essence of this route and I hope you enjoy it.

To open our conversation, Jack chose the song Favorite Places to Go by Layup. You can find it on Spotify and right after that we’ll get to the conversation so I will see you on the other side.

Favorite Places to Go - Layup

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One of the pieces of the puzzle, when it comes to endurance athletics, is nutrition. Long days in the saddle require ample calories to keep the body moving, but often times it’s difficult to get the fuel in without our stomachs complaining. Thick sticky gu and gel shots can be unpalatable and are generally just high carbohydrate fillers with flavour added. Enter, Endurance Tap.

Toronto’s Matt Smith and co-founder Patrick Stark started Endurance Tap with one thing in mind; getting glycogene into the body without the stomach troubles. They accomplished their mission by using electrolyte rich maple syrup with added sodium and ginger to not only get in much needed calories and carbohydrates, but also top up the body’s minerals to maintain performance over the long haul.

Matt’s road through athletics started with trail running and triathlon but when pools closed due to the pandemic, interrupting Matt’s training, he was drawn to road and gravel cycling as a way to keep fit. Matt has consumed his fair share of fueling products, and it is this research and development that led him to creating this natural, whole foods fuel source that many athletes are happily using to keep their fires burning through their adventures.

In this episode, we talk about ultra running and how it relates to bikepacking. We chat about the importance of self care as we age. And we get into the evolution of Endurance Tap, and how the use of sub standard foods for fueling sparked the business. Of course there are lots of tangents along the way.

Enjoy!

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This week I wanted to bring you a conversation with Jennifer Hanson gojennygo67 about her 350 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational which she finished in 6 days 2 hours.

Arizona born and raised, Jennifer grew up in the outdoors. She makes a living training horses but is also an experienced equestrian endurance rider. In these endurance events, a competitor will ride their noble steed over a 50 - 100 mile course trying to be the first across the line. Imagine having to feed and water your rig as well as yourself!

It’s clear that with this experience, and the addition of Jay P’s Fat Camp and Fat Pursuit events, she was ready to dip her toes into winter ultras with the ITI 350. And given her success in the 2022 ITI, she plans to ride to Nome in 2024.

In this episode we talk about how she prepared for the ITI and the things she learned along the way. We talk about her relaxed and confident mindset and how important it is to enter these events with an open mind. Her advice to anyone wanting to push their limits is that you’ll never know until you try.

I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Lions - Skillet

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This week on the podcast I wanted to bring you something a little different. A few months ago, Louis-Eric Simard introduced me to Sebastien and since then, we have been in communication on a regular basis. Side note - Louis-Eric, creator of the Trans Canada Bike Race has also been on the podcast back in Episode 50.

Sebastien Rolland is a Consultant and Coach who helps people to show up as their best selves, whether it be in their chosen career, in fatherhood or in relationships. Seb uses the art of deep, generative conversations in order to help people to perform better in life and to manifest the lives they truly want to live. Seb approaches life with loving kindness and you will hear this in the way he communicates. Seb isn’t afraid to give conversations the space they need to be truly powerful.

In this episode, we chat about having powerful conversations and approaching life with loving attention. We discuss masculinity and the importance of vulnerability. We chat about the differences between men and women and how they show up differently in relationships. We cover fear and how it can manifest as anger. We touch on people pleasing and defining one’s values, as well as finding meaning and purpose in one’s life.

This was a truly deep and meaningful conversation and I am so happy to be able to share this with you.

Queen - Don’t Stop Me Now.

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