APRIL 13, 2007
All I could say was
wow when I got an email from Chelsea Trousdell telling me that she and pal Marla Temoin planned to cycle around the Americas and practice the 100-Mile Diet as they went.From Vancouver down the west coast of the US to Argentina,up the east coast and then across Canada, we're talking 30,000 kilometres or 19,000 miles.
The 25-year-old Vancouverite, who is taking a year off school for the September odyssey, asked me for advice. But Chelsea already had a map of all the farmers markets in the States; they had planned their route to pass through agricultural lands; and they were staying within the growing seasons as much as possible.
To train, she said, she goes to the gym, rides her bike everywhere--including the 500-kilometre distance across Vancouver Island, and a previous trip in Africa--and has a rigorous summer of treeplanting ahead. She sounds as prepared to suffer as could be. All I can say is, Stick to the pavement! When I cycled a pilgrim footpath across Spain recently, I learned that mud bogs and loose rocks can turn a mere five kilometres into an hour's work. Local eating is challenge enough.
Why are they doing this daunting feat anyway? "We're riding in the name of sustainability," says Chelsea. "We want people to de-motorize their souls." She says that a year raising awareness about climate change, globalization issues, and, of course, local eating, is more important than another year in school. They are hoping to raise funds for their epic trip, and can be reached at
peddlingpedalers@gmail.com. Along the road they will be posting to their
blog. I can hardly wait to hear about their adventures: the 100-Mile Diet on wheels. -ADS
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