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- 21. December 2011: Dec 21 / 2011 - All Is Well
- 29. July 2011: July 10 - Triathalon Is Complete
- 20. June 2011: June 20 - What The Heck Is A Dulcimer
- 14. June 2011: June 12 - We Did It - The Ride To Conquer Cancer
- 31. May 2011: May 30 - Completed The Ottawa Half Marathon
- 19. May 2011: May 19 - Only 3 Weeks Till Our Ride To Conquer Cancer
- 1. May 2011: Apr. 30 - Caitlin And Rob Have A New Baby
- 22. April 2011: Apr. 18 - We Ran Our Races Yesterday
- 18. April 2011: Apr. 11 - The Ride To Conquer Cancer
- 29. March 2011: Mar 26 - The Sunset On Our Winter of 2011
Dec 21 / 2011 - All Is Well
21. December 2011 by David Cain.
I just completed the 21 month check up and all is in great shape.
We are just finalizing our plans for a 95 day trip to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
We will be doing a blog at www.janodavo.com if you wish to follow.
Attached is a great article on exercise
Below is a great article on exercise and cancer for your consideration.
Bye for now
David
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
July 10 - Triathalon Is Complete
29. July 2011 by David Cain.
Well it was a bit of a hot day but I got the sprint triathlon done in 1hour 47 minutes
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?racecode=100408&first=David&last=CAIN&city=peterborough
It felt great to complete this race.
Getting Ready For The Swim
Starting The Bike
My friend Peter ran me in the last part of the run - Thanks Peter
My support crew and little buddy - Jano
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This was a blast. Next up, cycling from Jasper to Banff through the Rocky Mountains
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June 20 - What The Heck Is A Dulcimer
20. June 2011 by David Cain.
If you don’t know, come to our house concert.
House Concert – Sunday June 26th at 7pm
274 Engleburn Avenue
Janis Kelly & David Cain are Hosting the Concert
Featuring: Peggy Lynn and Dan Duggan
They are on tour from the Finger Lakes Area
Tickets are available in advance or at the door - only $15
BYOB (snacks will be provided)
Peggy Lynn, referred to by poet Maurice Kenny as “The Voice of the Mountains”, is recognized for her soulful song writing and extraordinary vocal versatility. Her work has been featured at the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville, and in 1996, Peggy was selected “Adirondack Woman of the Year”. Peggy’s song about Mary Brown, the wife of abolitionist John Brown, was selected as the cover piece in Songs for Peace Magazine and was also recorded by the folk duo Magpie on their Sword of the Spirit album. Peggy has recently co-authored a book with Sandra Weber titled Breaking Trail: Remarkable Women of the Adirondacks and released an album of new ballads about strong women called “Stand a Chance,” produced by Dan Duggan. In 2005, the Adirondack Mountain Club honoured Peggy with their Arthur E. Newkirk Education Award.
Dan Duggan is known nationally for his wizardry on hammered dulcimer and flat picking guitar, and is the recipient of the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship. Adding to his extensive array of recordings, Dan has recently released a new album of original airs and waltzes called “Once in a Blue Moon.” He and Peggy have released a trio album with Dan Berggren, called “Ten Miles to Saturday Night,” and as a duo have released two recordings: “Keeping Christmas,” and “A Stitch in Time: Songs Celebrating the Art and Heritage of Quilting.” Dan’s children’s album, “Pieces of Our Life,” earned a Parent’s Choice Award in 1998. His dulcimer work can also be heard on Paul Simon’s CD “You’re The One”, released in October of 2000.
Call David for tickets 705 760 3012 or e-mail me at david@janodavo.com
All proceeds go to the musicians, and we hope you can make this event.
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As you may have figured out, this is the same Dan Duggan that went through head and neck cancer a year prior to me. His blog was our roadmap, and Dan was my remote coach. Peggy Lynn also supported us in the background. Words can’t explain how helpful they were to our journey. We are very greatful to them and are thrilled that they are coming to Peterborough.
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
June 12 - We Did It - The Ride To Conquer Cancer
14. June 2011 by David Cain.
- Toronto to Hamilton to Niagara Falls
- Over 200 kms
- Over 4,500 riders
- Over 700 volunteers
- Over $17,000,000 raised on this one event on this one weekend
Our mini team included my wife Janis, our friend Peter Weiler and myself finished the ride on Sunday around 2pm. The reception in Niagara Falls was amazing.
The weekend started on Saturday morning at 8am at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, with very inspirational speeches. There was not a dry eye in the place.
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Janis, my friend Peter Weiler and I reflected on the names on the back of our shirts before the race started and it was very inspiring. We know all those names represented more than just a battle with Cancer. They defined a key portion of many people’s lives and the impact this disease has on all of us is horrendous. We could feel the spirit of those names as we flew through the course.
The spirit of these names will live forever on the shirts and in our minds. The funds raised will help ensure key research to make it a better journey for those battling cancer from this day forward.
The ride started around 8:30 and we rode all day till arriving at Hamilton. There was no rain, and no humidity, with a very light wind. The kilometres flew by and it was as if there was more than one person peddling my bike.
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At pit stop 3, my mother Lola was a crew member pictured with Janis and I and my cousin Lyn. She was there at the 80 km mark to cheer us in and make sure we had refreshments. What a thrill that was for us to see her there. Thanks for being there.
Saturday night there was a tent city set up with 100’s of tents in a small area. Thanks to Peter’s great planning, we were one of the lucky ones who had a hotel bed.
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Sunday morning bright and early we started our journey from Hamilton to Niagara Falls. What an amazing journey. We completed our trip by around 2pm and were all greeted at the finish line by 100’s of cheering fans. It was uplifting.
As you can see in the photo below, any cancer survivor rider who wish to be identified had a yellow flag and yellow socks on. The respect the other riders and crew gave us was extra special.
During the ride I often times reflected on my journey and imagined all those journeys of all the other yellow flagged bikers, and all the names that the other riders were represented. It triggers a wave of emotions. The one that I tried to focus on was “Look at how many yellow flags are out here today. Twenty years ago, people didin’t survive to live productive lives, and maybe just maybe tomorrow will be the day that the true secrets to this insidious disease are understood, and we can eliminate the need for this ride”.
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Thank you again for your sponsorship.
David
(On behalf of my loving wife Janis and my very special (but high maintenance) friend Peter Weiler)
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
May 30 - Completed The Ottawa Half Marathon
31. May 2011 by David Cain.
Yesterday was an amazing day. Almost 40,000 people ran in the various events in Ottawa. The weather was perfect, overcast and a light drizzle for the last half of the run
Ali and I both completed the half marathon. I was able to shave 30 minutes off my personal best and maybe could have done it faster (not sure why at 55 years old, that is important, but we all have a competitive streak in us) if my left knee was not so wonky.
http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?racecode=100018&first=DAVID&last=CAIN&city=peterborough
Part way through the run, I thought about being on the couch last year, barely able to walk from the living room to the kitchen.
The course was amazing, with few hills. I use to train with my good friend Ed Kettyle. He taught me to sprint up hills and it would give me a psychological boost lasting well beyond the downhill portion of the run. So when I came up to the biggest hill on the run, at around the 14km mark, my Ed Kettyle training kicked in. I sprinted past maybe 65 runners, and triumphantly reached the pinnacle of the hill. Did I feel euphoric or triumphant, hell no, I hurt like hell and had to walk for 90 seconds to regain my composure. So much for strategy. Ed, I will have to work harder on my quads to make this a tool for future runs.
There were people cheering along the route, and it was an amazing boost when people would yell encouragement to you by first name (we had our first names on our bibs).
Best Signs along the way!!!!!
- This is the worst parade I have ever seen
- At the 5km mark there was a large sign “You are NOT almost there yet”
- Seemed like a good idea in January
- If it was easy, I would be doing it
- Tough times don’t last, tough people do
- Boy, you have lots of stamina, give me a call (the 30 something lady actually had her phone number on her sign)
- Some day you will not be able to do this run (but not today)
- You have done more difficult things in your life
- I thought I was signing up for RUM
The best T-Shirt “If you see me collapse, please pause my Garmin” Runners would get this t-shirt (the Garmin is the gps wristwatch that tracks your stats.
Well that is it for today. Next major event is a 200 km bike weekend “Ride To Conquer Cancer” on June 11th and 12th
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
May 19 - Only 3 Weeks Till Our Ride To Conquer Cancer
19. May 2011 by David Cain.
The weekend of June 11th / 12th is approaching quickly. We are preparing to ride 100km on the Saturday and 100km on the Sunday.
It is an amazing feeling to be back on the bike.
The six months I was sedentary, left me with scrawny legs and little or no quad muscles. I have been able to regain much of my cardio capacity, but the quads are slower to build back up. Yesterday I ran a half marathon as part of my preparation. Today the quads are a little stiff. Back to the gym and doing weights.
We are still looking for sponsors for our ride. If you wish to support us, below is a link to sponsor Janis.
http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2011?px=1798970&pg=personal&fr_id=1361
We are wearing special biking shirts the day of the ride. As people donate to our ride, we ask them for names of their family and friends who have been affected by Cancer. We will wear their names proudly that weekend. Let us know if you wish names added.
Bye for now
David
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
Apr. 30 - Caitlin And Rob Have A New Baby
1. May 2011 by David Cain.
Eloise Marie was born on Wednesday April 27th at 6:02am and she weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces.
Janis and I could not be prouder being first time grand parents. What a rush. Not that I am biased, but this is one great little baby, quite most of the time, but when necessary, the loudest howler in the hospital.
She is quite content, starting to feed well, and all systems are go.
It reminds you of how amazing life is. We get busy on our day to day stuff, and we forget the miracle of the pregnancy, child birth, the helplessness of a new born, and the importance of parenting, especially in the early days.
Caitlin and Rob are amazingly cool and calm. They appear to be naturals.
Enough on that. If you see me on the street, I have photos in my wallet and unlimited time to talk about baby Eloise. If you click on the photos, the enlarge and become clearer.
David
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
Apr. 18 - We Ran Our Races Yesterday
22. April 2011 by David Cain.
It was a cold, windy, snowy day yesterday in Ennismore. It was the first annual Run for Community Care. They raised over $30,000 for this wonderful cause. Below is a picture of Will, myself and Allison just before the start of the race.
Click on picture to enlarge.
Allison ran the half marathon, and it was grewling, with all the elements plus the rolling hills of Ennisomre. Despite the elements, she shave time off her persaonal best and clocked in at 2hours 37 minutes averaging 7:29 minutes per km. Well done Allison.
Will, in his first official race ever finished the 5 km run in 27 minutes and 46 seconds, averaging 5:38 minutes per km. Well done Will.
I ran the 5 km in 28 minutes and 45 seconds, averaging 5.49 minutes per km. It was really uplifing being back at it. Next up is the Ottawa half marathon at the end of May, followed by the 200km ride to conquer cancer weekend June 11th and 12th.
Bye for now
David
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
Apr. 11 - The Ride To Conquer Cancer
18. April 2011 by David Cain.
Well it is official. For the second year in a row, we have entered a team in this amazing fundraiser. It is called the Ride To Conquer Cancer.
It will take place in Toronto on the weekend of June 11 and 12. The two day ride starts in downtown Toronto, you ride to Hamilton the first day, stay overnight and ride to Niagara Falls on day 2.
Last year, Janis, my friend Peter Weiler and his daughter Marissa entered the 200 mile weekend ride. That meant that they rode over 165 km on both Saturday and Sunday. I was only a few months from treatment, so I volunteered as a pit stop helper. Below is a picture of our 2010 team.
Click on picture to enlarge
This year, I am BACK ON THE BIKE (the title of this blog). Janis and I will be attempting the 100km per day leg of the ride (Toronto to Hamilton to Niagara Falls). Peter is doing the 100 miles per day leg of the ride.
All the proceeds from this weekend ride go to research at Princess Margaret Hospital. What better way for me to start to pay back,and pay it forward then to help the future of CANCER research.
Janis and I have been in contact with two new friends, Ben and Joanne. They live in North Carolina. Today Ben is courageously starting his first of 35 radiation treatments and chemo treatments for Head and Neck Cancer. Let’s keep them in our prayers and the back of our minds as they go forward.
This year we will be wearing special biking shirts that will hold the names of people near and dear to us, those who have battled cancer in the past. Some of us are survivors and some of us fought the good fight and lost. If you wish to let us know who all you would like to list on our biking shirts and we will be proud to carry their name through this ride weekend.
If you can find room in your donation portfolio and wish to help us reach our team goal of $7,500 please click on one of the links below and make a donation. Let us know if you wish to have the name(s) of family and or friends who you wish listed on our biking shirts.
Janis Kelly http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2011?px=1798970&pg=personal&fr_id=1361
Peter Weiler http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2011?px=1743718&pg=personal&fr_id=1361
David Cain http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2011?px=2548306&pg=personal&fr_id=1361
Thank you for considering this worthy cause.
To prepare for this type of weekend, one has to work on both physical and mental aspects. If you do the math, a person of our age (in our 50’s), can probably average around low 20’s km per hour, so we have to be in the saddle of our bikes for between 5 and 8 hours (Peter is in the 8 hour zone), for two days. Last year the team had to ride through a few torrential down pours. The ride can be a real pain in the ass (both literally and figuratively speaking). It is also a blast, the feeling in the starting line, the kinship among the 4,000 plus riders that day. The sights, the sounds. The encouragement along the way is amazing, and is a key nourishment to the mental aspect of the ride. I was pumped being in the crew last year, without peddling at all.
Janis, Peter and I will rack up 1,000’s of km of preparation time before June 11th, including time in cycle fit classes and time on the road. For anybody who bikes from Peterborough to Lakefield, Janis and I will do 3+ trips to Lakefield each of the two ride days. Peter will do a little under 5 trips each day (to give you perspective on the scope of what we will do).
I am jogging to help build up my muscles and stamina. Next weekend, I will be in a 5km run in Ennismore along with my nephew Will Williamson. Allison will be doing the half marathon that day as well and it looks like she is poised to shave time off her personal best.
Bye for now
David
Posted in Head & Neck Cancer Journey | 1 Comment »
Mar 26 - The Sunset On Our Winter of 2011
29. March 2011 by David Cain.
Click on picture to enlarge.
We are packing today to leave Roatan and start the 18 hour commute to Peterberborough, via San Pedro Sula, Miami, and Toronto.
It has been an amazing trip with lots of ups and a few downs.
The sheer poverty we witnessed is depressing. The day to day hardship these people live with is unimaginable. Maybe we have been sent to this area to become more of a “Voice for the voiceless”.
We heard that the 14 month old girl with the heart murmur actually has two holes in the heart, and is in a bit of heart failure. She has been put on strong drugs and will be going back for an additional check up in the summer. It is believed that surgery may be a real possibility in her young life. She would probably have died a very young child without this intervention.
The young lady with TB/HIV is doing ok, and her mother said that she is following doctors directions and they are on a relatively good path as it relates to compliance, although overall they are very impoverished.
We will go home and debrief on the overall success of our Primary Health Care initiative and determine next steps. Stay tuned.
A lot of what we witnessed in the impoverished areas of Honduras were a direct result of the category V hurricane Mitch from the fall of 1998. Eleven or so years later and they are still pooched. As the Haiti earthquake recovery turtles along and the tsunami and radiation nightmare in Japan unfolds, one can only imagine how long those disasters will take to be dealt with for those who survived.
That is one of the things I like about Friends of Honduran Children organization. We are realists, knowing that there is no silver bullet and that the people of Honduras will need help for a long time, to dig out of the affects of MITCH and move away from their developing nation status.
Back to the vacation portion of our Winter. We had a wonderful time, making two visits to our friends Julie Gifford and Ed Kettle. They live on a sail boat for the last 11 years, spending the last 5 in Roatan. www.svfreeradical.com We had a great visit.
Click on picture to enlarge
This last month of downtime has been great. Neither Janis nor I have ever had a month of downtime, with little scheduled. It is always overbooked lives with things being missed and never enough time to get things done. It actually took a bit of time to get in this mode, but we did it and loved it.
We are excited and looking forward to getting home and seeing family and friends again and get back into our Peterborough lives. We wonder how things will be different now with the new experiences under our belt and the revised outlook on life that one picks up after witnessing drastic events like we did in Honduras. Stay tuned.
Click on picture to enlarge
Janis and David
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