Tales of My Departure

Hi everyone, Lucas here.
Hope all is well out there.  By now I think you have probably heard that I am no longer with the group.
I will give you a brief update about that and let you know some happenings.

Before we left Canada I was having some knee issues.  I have had a condition in my knees ever since childhood, but through most of the Canadian portion of the tour they were feeling great.  But by Victoria I was noticing a lot of pain, so I went to a sports physiotherapy clinic there, and changed my riding style in the hopes that it would help.  It did somewhat, and I continued down through Washington.  It seemed like a tried to take it easier and easier on the knees, but they were getting worse and worse even with the rest.

By the time we arrived in Aprovecho (near Cottage Grove Oregon) they were really bothering me, but i was hopeful that a weeks rest would help while we volunteered.  It seemed like they were getting worse and worse through the week but still manageable.  However one day Steve, and I, went for a walk through the forest with our friends Brad and Heather as well as Astrid.  We were coming home just as the sun was setting, and following a little path, when i stepped onto a fallen log across the path and slipped.  Everyone asked if I was okay and I gave the typical "yeah, doing okay, just hurt pride" but when I tried to get my knee was in no mood to cooperate.  I limped back to the house and got a physiotherapy appointment for the very next day, and the prognosis was: rest, ice, stretches and physio for a long time.

Unfortunately, the key element, rest, is not very achievable on a bike tour.  As a group we tried to figure out many options, from hitchhiking ahead each day to finding a place to stay in southern California until the group gets there.

The best option was to come home, and I must say, if I am going to be going home to rest, there is no better time than Christmas season!\

It turned out a friend named Rebecca was taking a natural building apprenticeship there and happened to be coming back to BC pretty quickly after I took the fall.  So i stayed at Aprovecho for an extra week as the cook.  I had a great time there and met some absolutely amazing and inspiring people.  Rebecca and I drove back to Canada and saw some gorgeous areas, from rainforest, to high alpine, to desert and back into snow country again.  It was great getting to know her better and have someone to ride home with.

I am pretty disappointed at this point; I feel like I was so close to the California coast, which I have dreamed to much about going to for a long time.  I am hoping my recovery will be quick and I can join up with the group in the new year.

I am so inspired and impressed by the PEDAL team right now.  They are in some less than ideal weather right now, and making the best of it, all the while staying busy with logistical related stuff.  Believe me when I say they have a lot on their plates.

I am hoping Justin and I can relieve a lot of that.  Being still involved with the tour but in a more technology based environment, we have the opportunity to get a lot of work done that can be hard or nearly impossible on the road.

I hope everyone out there has a great Christmas season, and keep following the journey of the team!
take care, and enjoy the ride, Lucas and the PEDAL Team.