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16 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday August 1, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Senior cyclist ate constantly to maintain strength Continued from page 13 -ous pace he was managing. "You're an eating machine more or less. You eat, eat, eat," he said. "I had two breakfasts in the morning. I'd have about 10 oatmeal bars a day and I'd eat a lot of sardines because of the protein. I'd eat tuna fish. In the evening, I'd usually eat a big meal and I'd eat about 10 bananas everyday. I'd drink about six litres of water everyday." While the strict regiment of exercise and ingestion may seem unbearable to many, Gandeski was rewarded for his efforts with the many breathtaking sights this country has to offer. Pictures Gandeski took during his journey show great snow-capped B.C. mountains, the bases of which are covered with dense forests of green pine trees. Another photograph shows a crystalclear lake reflecting a perfect image of the sky above while another picture shows a small bear, which came upon Gandeski just after he'd crossed into Alberta on June 26. "I took a picture and then I took off again because I was worried its mother was going to show up," he said. Many of Gandeski's memories revolve around the particular biking conditions he encountered in each province. "Manitoba is not very bike friendly because they haven't got many shoulders (on the road) so you have to ride right on the line and it can be quite dangerous at times. Sometimes the big trucks pass you and you get pulled towards them by the wind," he said. "Saskatchewan was kind of easy because there were not many hills. That's when I was able to do more than 200 km a day." The diversity of the terrain Gandeski encountered was matched only by the weather with which he had to contend. In Alberta the temperature hit a blistering 31-32 C, the type of day Gandeski had probably been wishing for when he reached Dryden, Ontario on Friday, July 11, where he had to deal with a six-hour lightening storm. "I hadn't paid any attention in the morning to the weather forecast and I HOT SUMMER SAVINGS! 4 DAYS ONLY · AUG. 1-4th Alex Gandeski with his bicycle and camping equipment got caught right in the middle of it," he said. "It was scary. There was a tremendous thunderstorm and everything. I was in the middle of nowhere so I took my watch off, put my bike far away because I didn't know what to do and took shelter in a big drain pipe." Gandeski admitted that at this point in time he questioned what he was doing, but in the end decided to soldier on and finish what he had started. Black flies and mosquitoes also plagued Gandeski's journey, as did six flat tires and damage to the wheel that was so bad on two occasions that Gandeski had to purchase replacements. Gandeski was able to pick up some company when he reached Thunder Bay on Sunday, July 13, when he happened to cross paths with a group of young people who were also in the process of bicycling their way across Canada. "Two of the girls were doing it for charity, to raise money for children with cancer," said Gandeski. "They stayed with me until I reached Owen Sound then we split up because they had started in Vancouver and were going all the way to St. John's." On Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Gandeski completed his journey, arriving at this home in Oakville to a hero's welcome courtesy of his friends and family. "It was awesome. My wife welcomed me and I had a friend of mine who was here and we had two bottles of champagne," he said. With his point proven that he is capable of such a trip at the age of 65, Gandeski noted that he's not done yet with an excursion from Oakville to St. John's possibly coming in the near future. Weekend Sale Price $1,399 Reg. $1,700 URBAN COTTAGE 7 PIECE DINING SET · Includes Table & 6 Chairs. Weekend Sale Price $1,699 CLASSIC TRADITIONAL 7 PIECE DINING SET · Includes Table & 6 Chairs. Weekend Sale Price $3,399 RUSTIC ELEGANCE 5 PIECE BEDROOM · Includes Queen Bed, 2 Night Tables, Dresser & Mirror. Weekend Sale Price $2,499 Reg. $3,899 URBAN COTTAGE 5 PIECE BEDROOM · Includes Queen Bed, 2 Night Tables, Dresser & Mirror. OUR BIGGEST FLOOR MODEL SALE EVER UP TO 70% Save the GST & PST on Already OFF Reduced Floor Models · Alco · American Drew · Bermex · BG Furniture · Broyhill · Hooker · Howard Miller · Lea · Pulaksi · Riverside · Shermag · Universal · Villageois European Engineering Combined With Traditional Workmanship N Winston Churchill Erin Mills Parkway Mississauga Home and Design Centre 2575 Dundas St. W., Mississauga. (Between Winston Churchill & Erin Mills Pkwy) Dundas "Building on the Brightest Ideas Around Glass" Tel: 905-820-4111 · Fax: 905-820-4445 Design Services Available, Designers Welcome. Financing Available O.A.C. M-W: 10am-6pm TH-F: 10am-9pm SAT: 10am-6pm SUN: 12pm-5pm Q.E.W. 905.849.0266