Quick Links
For more information on Cystic Fibrosis please visit the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cysticfibrosis.ca
Each province in Canada has active Chapters. There are a total of 50 chapters located in Canada. Individual chapters are made up of volunteers who are deeply committed to finding a solution to CF. They organize and stage fund raising activates, raise awareness of CF in their local communities, and support family and friends who are coping with CF daily.
Click here to find a CCFF Chapter near you.
Contact Us
Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Vancouver and Lower Mainland
4050 Graveley Street
Burnaby
British Columbia
Canada
V5C 4A5
Telephone: (604)436-1158
Our chapter office is open
Monday-Friday from 9:30am-5:00pm
|
Bill Markvoort\'s Blog
|
The May long weekend saw many GearUp4CF riders making plans for big rides and big climbs around the Lower Mainland. A commitment to visit family in Lund did not allow me to accompany any of these training rides. However I was able to mix training with my trip and managed a very good workout nevertheless.
As some of you may know Highway 101, the Sunshine Coast highway starts right at Lund . What I didnt know until this weekend is that it is the Northern Terminus of the world's longest highway, the Pan-American (also named Highway 101 in parts of the United States and Canada), stretches 15,020 km. all the way from Castro on Chile's south coast to end in the tiny hamlet of Lund on BC's Sunshine Coast. Anyway I cycled it all the way from Camp Elphinstone, the Y camp right near the Langdale ferry terminal to Lund with a ferry break at Earls Cove-Saltery Bay. Total distance to Lund is 145 km. Its a lovely route but there is not much flat riding. Right from the ferry terminus there is an intimidating hill that takes you to upper Gibson. Ditto for the ride out from the Saltery Bay ferry terminus with a large climb at Jefferd Creek. The weather on Saturday was outstanding, short sleeve riding for almost the first time this year. The shoulders are quite good
The same could not be said for the return. Monday proved rainy with a nasty Southeasterly wind blowing off the water right into my face. I had to jump in the car on two occasions to make the required ferries and ended up riding only two thirds of the route back, with that , by now familiar, drowned rat look. I do hope this all pays off when we start our trip in June. I looked wistfully at a Cervelo RS and R3 carbon bike at Bicyletta today.
|
|
|
This Saturday it was decided we would tackle Cypress Mountain and put in some decent kms. Mieko, Sandi, Brian and I met at my place in New West at 8am for coffee and some croissants before tackling the day. We swung out to Marine Drive direction Vancouver. Not that pretty but it allows a fast, flat pace. Once at Cypress we took the bike route to that well known Starbucks at Cornwall and Cypress. For the first of several coffee breaks that day. Dear God... the joking is over... give us some decent warm weather on a Saturday.
Not today though. As we cycled over the Burrard Bridge the clouds over the North Shore Mountains looked quite foreboding. We made good time on Marine Drive in West Vancouver and ended up at Leona's favourite coffee spot. Then that long climb out from the ferry terminal on the Upper Level Highways where Sandi decided to shed some weight and I had to stop and retrieve it all.
A last stop at the base of the Cypress Road and then off on that long slog on the first hill to the Lookout. A quick refueling and on for the next three switchbacks. On that last climb to the x-country turnoff I keep getting false hopes of a summit close at hand. But having driven the road many times on the way to a mornings skiing I also know it just keeps on climbing. Did I mention that the rain had started and that it was only a few degrees above freezing. Well that is just how it turned out.
This Saturday it was decided we would tackle Cypress Mountain and put in some decent kms. Mieko, Sandi, Brian and I met at my place in New West at 8am for coffee and some croissants before tackling the day. We swung out to Marine Drive direction Vancouver. Not that pretty but it allows a fast, flat pace. Once at Cypress we took the bike route to that well known Starbucks at Cornwall and Cypress. For the first of several coffee breaks that day. Dear God... the joking is over... give us some decent warm weather on a Saturday.
Not today though. As we cycled over the Burrard Bridge the clouds over the North Shore Mountains looked quite foreboding. We made good time on Marine Drive in West Vancouver and ended up at Leona's favourite coffee spot. Then that long climb out from the ferry terminal on the Upper Level Highways where Sandi decided to shed some weight and I had to stop and retrieve it all.
A last stop at the base of the Cypress Road and then off on that long slog on the first hill to the Lookout. A quick refueling and on for the next three switchbacks. On that last climb to the x-country turnoff I keep getting false hopes of a summit close at hand. But having driven the road many times on the way to a mornings skiing I also know it just keeps on climbing. Did I mention that the rain had started and that it was only a few degrees above freezing. Well that is just how it turned out.
But we made it once again and after a quick thaw out at the top we had the pleasure of careening down the wet, cold road. I managed to find a spare Georgia Straight newspaper and tucked that under my jersey. It worked wonders. We ran out of gas and time at Commercial and Adanac. One last stop and we cycled to the Broadway Skytrain station and had the luxury of commuting the last 15 km. by train. 120 km and 3000+vertical. An awesome training day with an even more awesome crew.
Bill Markvoort
|
|
It was decidedly cool and drizlly when Brian Carlson, Mieko Rennie, Sandi Saunier, all fellow GearUp4CF riders and I met at the Kensington, Burnaby Starbucks on Sat. May 3 for a planned ride to Mount Seymour. We had met inadvertenly several days earlier while on a training climb up Gaglardi Way to SFU. It wasn't long before we were cycling across the Second Narrows Bridge (narrow but excellent separation from vehicular traffic) and onto the Dollarton Highway. As is usual when heading toward the North Shore the weather took a slight turn for the worse. We then wended our way up to the Seymour Parkway and arrived a the start of our objective, a climb to the top of the Mt. Seymour Road. I think it is about 13 km. with a 5-8% grade with very little respite. The climb from the Dollarton Highway (right beside the saltchuck) is 3000+ feet. Our pace wasn't too quick but we made it right to the top. There is still a lot of snow up there. The long coast down in some ways was more miserable than the ride up as we once again froze our behinds and everything else in the near zero temperatures at the top. A cup of soup at another coffe stop at the bottom of the mountain put us back into a more positive frame of mind. Did we enjoy ourselves..You bet. |
|
This was one of the best winters in many years for skiing in coastal BC with frequent snowfalls and no January thaws. Both Janet and I took full advantage of the great conditions and headed up to Hollyburn at Cypress Bowl most Sunday mornings. She would generally go snowshoeing with a friend and I would head off to improve my skills and stamina skate skiing. It's hard work but the payoff is equally big. Hollyburn is all up and down but once the technique is mastered a bit you get the great rush of maintaining good speed on the skis and the trails just rush by. There is a loose group of keen early skiers on the trail and I had the fortune to tag along with the likes of Vlad Ulovec and friends on those Sunday morning sessions.
However the Pacific Populaire the first event of the BC Randonneurs is the usual switchover from skis to wheels. John Joyce, as always and John Edworth for the first time accompanied me on the 106 km trek through UBC, Richmond, Delta and Vancouver. We made good time, just over the four hour mark which included a rest stop at the half way point for some date bars. It was a cold and at times rainy day, but at least the rain held off until sthe half way mark.
The cold weather has stayed on as last weeks 40 cm snowfall in Nanaimo will attest. Several of us on the CF squad headed out to Horseshoe Bay on April 19th and on the way back John Edworthy and I made a climb to the daylodge at Cypress Bowl. It was right at freezing on the top and on the ride down we had to stop several times and flail our limbs back into life.
My other training regime is to make evening climbs up and down the SFU hill both on Gaglardi Way and the Parkway to Cassiar. This gives about 2000 feet of climbing over a 2 hour ride. Lots of vertical, lots of sweat and lots of heartbeats.
I'm scared of the hills on Highway 3. so any vertical now will hopefully pay off in June
This is my first posting on a blog. Stay tuned. |
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 4 of 4 |
Is there a cure?
As yet, there is no known cure for CF, but there is real hope. Comprehensive treatment programs have dramatically extended the life expectancy of persons with CF and many are living into their 20s, 30s and beyond.
Recent years have seen remarkable progress in CF research. Since 1989 when Canadian researchers discovered the gene responsible for CF, global research to find a cure for the disease has brought us closer and closer to a solution.
The astonishing pace of CF science suggests that there is good reason to feel optimistic about the future.
How does CF affect daily life?
For persons with CF, life includes a daily routine of therapy and periodic visits to a CF clinic. Otherwise, most individuals with cystic fibrosis lead normal lives, for many years, in terms of education, physical activity, and social relationships. Eventually, however, lung disease places increasing limits on daily life.
Thanks to the advances in research and clinical care, growing numbers of children with CF are surviving into adulthood. In 1960, when the CCFF was founded, a child born with cystic fibrosis rarely lived four years. CCFF is one of the few organizations that maintains extensive records, tracking a CF patient from first diagnosis. This data base called, the Canadian Patient Data Registry, is proving that advances have been made with the recent announcement that the median age of survival of Canadians with CF has reached its highest point ever: 37 years of age. This means that Canadians with CF now have a 50% chance of living beyond the age of 37. While this is positive news, the need for a cure is crucial for the 50% who won't reach the age of 37.
Over 41% of all Canadians with CF are over the age of 18 years. These men and women are pursuing post-secondary education, careers and many are having families of their own; a tremendous accomplishment, but not enough.
|
