On Labour unrest and Bragging Rights

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 416 and 79, also known as the City of Toronto inside and outside workers are on strike and have been for almost two weeks now. I will admit, it is a pain in the rear end to dispose of garbage and I cannot swim at the city run pool so I cannot train for a triathlon but truth is I don't want the strike to end, not unless the union makes major concessions.
Now I am told by newspaper columnists that Torontoians are "spoiled" that we cannot cope without regular garbage pick-up that life the universe and everything would collapse in a sea of used coffee filters and empty ink cartridges if the strike lasts. I think we are made of stiffer stuff than that. I also think my opinion is shared by millions of neighbours of mine. If the city gives in, then at the height of a recession when a city not known for having a well balanced budget at the best of times will find itself saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in unfunded liabilities it just cannot handle. But more to the point is the principal of the matter.

The major sticking point, union workers want to keep their 18 bankable sick days per year (up to six months of sick days can be cashed in at retirement for a prorated salary.) I have, count 'em, zero sick days per year. Early this year when I got back from China I was sick as a dog, could not sleep on the flight home and the change in weather buggered up my system. I asked my boss if I could work from home he told me he needed me that first day to set something up but I could go home once my thing was setup, that first day back was Thursday, I worked until about 5pm at my desk in the office. The following day, I worked until 9 at night before I left the office to work from home. My "sick time off" was Saturday and Sunday. Oh sure I get 20 or so vacation days, but I'd trade those for 18 sick days and the statutory 10 vacation days in a heart beat. Besides, bankable time off? Hey CUPE the 70s called, they want their well treated employees back!

In fairness if I had the benefits of a city worker I'd strike too, but the thing is that the economy is so bad I really think the Union should show some compassion to the people who pay the salaries, people like me, City of Toronto rate payers. Ultimately every concession the city makes to the union I will be paying for and I never got a raise or additional sick time.

Anyway I've been watching reruns, and sometimes live bits of the Tour and damn those guys are remarkable. When I bust my gut I can sprint as fast as they average, well a little faster than average but no way I could keep that up for 110 or 120 miles. What I can do is ride 192 or so (computer crashed, twice) miles. Burn so many calories (over ten thousand) that the counter had a variable overflow and zeroed out. In short I can out ride my Garmin, but more than that I can ride far with some speed. I averaged over 29.1km/h (almost 20mph) over a 10 hour 37 minute period I covered 309.4km (assuming you trust the Garmin).


So what lessons and experiences can I draw from this?

Well first I was lucky, a strong tail wind helps the speed situation and when you ride alone for 200 miles you need that tail wind, a head wind would have killed me. Also I did not get the nutrition perfect, I had the nutrition closer to right than I have ever had it before but it was still not perfect. In 20 to 25 degree weather (about 70~77 degrees) I need one twenty four ounce bottle with three scoops of Perpetuem and five servings of Endurolytes with water every hour. I need to force myself to guzzle the bottle every hour otherwise I am just not getting enough of what I need. (I know I did not consume enough electrolytes, my joints cramped really badly when I stopped.)


Also I have learned that point to point rides are high risk if there is no support. It is critical that I always have support lined up for any solo distance situation. (Particularly if there is a risk of flash thunderstorms.)

Finally some border guards are actually pretty decent, at least when you ride. In both directions the reaction to "I'm riding return Toronto to Rochester" was exactly what a normal person might expect, not a paranoid 'are you hiding something under your shoe covers?' Unlike last time, when the American bordert guard gave me the third degree.


Speaking of shoe covers I noticed a bunch of guys on the tour, particularly during the time trials seem to be wearing shoe covers. Let me guess, during the trials it reduces aerodynamic drag but during regular stages adds too much weight? Well this "summer" has been so damn cold I may need covers for an entirely more conventional reason.

Anyway my legs are stiff as 2 by 4s, for an old house, I think these new houses are built with pussy wood or something. I better go stretch.

But here is a parting thought, check out the Dickipedia entry on Lance Armstrong, yes I know if I were at all important in the grand scheme of things I'd have a well earned entry in there, at the very least for this blog! But anyway, the Nancys who write for the Dickipedia deserve a big hairy white (or black?) sausage! Calling cycling gay for spandex! Bunch of pussies, actually let's be honest, probably a bunch of fat lazy couch potatoes who cannot go more than 3km/h without burning green house gas producing chemicals. Hey Dickpeida writers! Dick Cheeney called, he said thanks for the contribution, now go drive your SUV somemore, Sarah Palin needs the money for 2012!