Margie, you have been heard to say the Tour De Vet is a “crazy idea” is it?
It is crazy insofar as the daily, repetition of seat and legs seeing bike…regardless of mental state, weather, traffic, etc.
Did Mike take much convincing to do this again?
Absolutely not. Hence, I’m pretty sure he’s crazy. 😉
What worries you most about the whole TDV tour?
Am I tough enough to grind out the miles day after day? Will I still love my bike at the end of it? Are we going to get decent weather to make it a little nicer? Will we be able to meet our fund-raising goal? Will people want us to come into their practices and teach them?
Have you ever done anything like this before?
I train on an ongoing basis for one event or another, but as a triathlete I generally alternate between swimming, cycling and running plus gym and yoga. I haven’t cycled daily, though…
What do you most want to achieve?
Raise funds and awareness for feline welfare! And become really strong (and leaner) from cycling.
What are you looking forward to doing most?
Teaching! After that, undoubtedly getting OFF the bike, sleeping and eating.
How many bikes have you got?
Two
Which one are you using?
My Cervelo R3 which is my road bike
You are towing a trailer with all your kit in, will it all fit?
Probably not. We have to carry a laptop, a projector, speaking clothes, cycling gear and normal, day-to-day items, food and water. I’m counting on shoving as much of the heavier stuff into Mike’s trailer. 😉
Are you training for any triathlons this year?
I haven’t committed yet (failure to plan is planning to fail) but I will do a half ironman this summer.
Does it worry you that your partner on this adventure, Mike, is an indoor cyclist/track sprinter?
No. He is welcome to sprint all he wants. I’ll be toddling along at my pace. He is experienced and very strong as well as mentally tough. He’ll need that to deal with my self-doubting…
Is there anywhere you are particularly keen to visit?
Since I first heard Dylan Thomas read A Child’s Christmas in Wales, I have wanted to get to Wales…and had thought about pony trekking there. I love the whole region around Oxford where my great-aunt lived and my brother completed a PhD. Everything else is new to me and I am excited to see new turf!
Cheers! >M<
Margie Scherk DVM, Dip ABVP (Feline Practice)
Editor Journal Feline Medicine and Surgery
Margie has been heard to say the Tour De Vet is a “crazy idea” is it?
Crazy? It’s absolutely nuts, yes, but Margie is even crazier for asking me if she could join me!
Did Mike take much convincing to do this again?
After last year it took a while for what Tour de Vet achieved, for everyone involved, practices, clients, vets, nurses to sink in. Once it had, the pain gets forgotten and the good memories remain, and there were many and when it was suggested, I said yes.
What worries you most about the whole TDV tour?
The riding day after day can be tough, but mostly I worry about getting the bookings and making sure everyone gets value for money and we have some fun.
Have you ever done anything like this before?
Yes aside from Tour de Vet 1, last year I have been involved in various charity events for the last 10 years, the toughest I think was a round Britain ride as 1 of 3 riders..1250 miles in 3 days!
What do you most want to achieve?
This year the goal is very firmly on raising the money for Cats Protection, but I also want to have a bit of fun
What are you looking forward to doing most?
The teaching, I love working with new people in live dynamic situations and I am very much looking forward to sharing this as well as learning from Margie.
How many bikes have you got?
How many pairs of shoes do you have? What a question to ask a gentleman!
So how many bikes have you got?
Including the indoor ones?… just 14
Which one are you using?
I am going to ride one of my classic steel Italian hand built Colnago Master Olympics
You are towing a trailer with all your kit in, will it all fit?
Of course, it all fitted last year, both pairs of shirts and a pair of pants…is there any more?
Are you training for any events this year?
I’ll see how the Tour goes, the World Masters Track Championship is pencilled in for October, but we’ll see how we are after 3 weeks base training dragging the trailers
Does it worry you that your partner on this adventure, Margie, is a top triathlete?
I have to say that does worry me a bit, when she gets her head down she is one determined and able endurance athlete, water, hills and distance hold no fear for her. I’m just not sure more than 15 seconds flat out is healthy you know?….or “right”
Is there anywhere you are particularly keen to visit?
I’d love to visit the Edan Project, but I am also looking forward to riding around the Isle of Wight.
I still don’t see what is wrong with 14 bikes…including the indoor ones….
