Fan Hype Not Fan Fever

Not one to watch hockey. Had enough of it when my son was growing up. Yet, tonight’s game drew me in.

The Stanley Cup Final. A win or die for the locals.

Earlier in the week during the game play lead up a prominent statue in Victoria’s Inner Harbour was sporting our very own Canucks jersey. A classic move for what would have been dominant era for the mood prude in the century of the individual it was erected after.

The energy was even high over the weekend when they did win. Young and old flying the flag. Screaming horns and waving fans, driving around in circles. In case anyone didn’t know.

A dollar off at some of the local vendors if you wore the jersey.

Someone’s blue pick-up truck complete with the team logo and whopper flags to boot.

Many, many, many car flags fluttering by.

On my way home tonight and the game start is on so I flick to the AM. I can hear the energy of the crowd as the team enters the arena.

Who doesn’t want the win?

At home I’ve got the tube dialed. We’re past the second period and the team is down. I check with Twitter and the fans that once were are already scattering.

Some Tweets resonate - don’t give up! Go down fighting!

Here in Victoria at Royal Athletic Park they’re leaving. Downtown Vancouver, the street party is thinning.

Yet the game's not over!

It’s not over till it’s over.

For all the fans that began the game, is that fan hype not fan fever?

Go Time! BC Bike Race

This week is supposed to be a rest/recovery week, ahead of the BC Bike Race race week. I’m troubled when I think of all I could of done, training wise but couldn’t. Not that I didn’t try. It was time.
Although the Challenge course, which is new to BC Bike Race this year, is not the full pull of the Epic course, it is something one needs to train and prepare for.
When I passed on a comment to my pal, Rose today with regards to how I’m feeling, her reply made me laugh. I spoke to my subconscious in this tone, “Cancel that thought!”
I said I was starting to get excited. She said, “I’d be petrified!”
Oh boy, I know what I’m in for. I plan on enjoying it. I suppose you call it a race, but really for me I’m there to ride. My goal is to make every cut-off time and not make any volunteers or BC Bike Race staff wait for me. Also, to ensure I get’er done each day so I have enough time to recover for the next day.
Now I can say I’ve ridden the North Shore in Vancouver, a bit of the trails in Nanaimo, a lot in Cumberland, a little in Powell River, nothing at all on the Sunshine Coast, a smidgen of Squamish and some of Whistler. So what am I looking forward to most? Honestly, I have to say sweating, getting the heart pumping and breathing in all that beautiful fresh forest air. Getting in a 2-6 hour work out a day: BONUS!
When I dropped the dog off to my girlfriend, Irma’s house tonight I told her about my tailgater position in all the races I’ve done. That got her mind going.
“Call yourself the Last But Not Least Club!” she said.
We headed to the computer thinking about the Tortoise and the Hair… slow and steady wins the race.
Then we found this one: The race is not given to the swift nor the strong but he who endures until the end. (http://wiki.answers.com)
That’ll be me.

Note: The Prologue starts on Saturday, June 26th in North Vancouver with Day 1 beginning in Nanaimo June 27. For more information visit www.bcbikerace.com