My Back 40

The last time Trish was on the podcast we had a fantastic conversation and this time around did not disappoint. I was out on a ride and I sent her a voice message asking if she'd be okay if we dove deep on a couple of topics. This made for a really fun and flowing chat. We talk about her finishing the The Big Sky Spectaculaire , a 1500km route with 12,555m of gain. She finished in 7 days. 12 peopl...

I love podcasting because it gives a platform where the listener feels like a fly on the wall, listening to two people getting to know one another. Fred Chagnon contacted me a few weeks ago to highlight the lack of chat about Randonneuring on the Podcast. Well then, we should talk about it. Fred was a fantastic guest and shared a lot about his work, personal life, and the meaning he gets from the...

In this episode I speak with Jocelyn De La Rosa about his 2023 Lost Elephant experience. Jocelyn was riding head to head with winner, Meaghan Hackinen when suddenly his dot stopped moving. It then starting moving west and off route. I wanted to get the story and it's a good one indeed! I have crossed paths with Jocelyn a number of times in the last few years, but we never had the opportunity to sh...

This week I have a conversation with Jay Petervary about his new project, Great Divide Ride Unearthed.   Jay is planning an ITT of the American Cycling Association's official GD route which starts in Jasper Alberta. The mission: "To inspire others to use the bicycle to benefit their physical and mental health; to pursue their dreams; to do challenging things; to think outside the box and foll...

July 22, 2023, I headed out to Fairmont BC to meet up with folks racing the Lost Elephant Bikepacking Race here in the East Kootenays. Similar to the 2023 Divide, I brought the recorder with me to meet and chat with riders as they rolled into the only resupply they would see for the next 390km. This is a format that I enjoy and I hope you do too. My goal for the podcast has always been to make you...

In this episode of the podcast, I’m speaking with John Ogrodniczuk Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the University of British Columbia Psychotherapy Program, one of North America’s largest medically based psychotherapy training programs. John also heads up the Men’s Mental Health Organization HeadsUpGuys. Launched in 2015, their team of clinicians, researchers, and mental health advocates b...

In this podcast episode, I explore a couple of voice intros and delve into some thoughts that have occupied my mind recently. I am aware that it's been a while, and I want to express my gratitude for your patience. I tend to place a great deal of pressure on myself to release episodes as regularly as possible. I hope my absence didn't cause any concern. The podcast holds immense significance to me...

Something a little different this week. Last week I hung out at the 2023 Tour Divide Grand Depart to take in the energy, and to wander around with my recorder to talk to people from around the globe as they get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. It was such an exciting time for everyone. I also had the chance to meet previous MB40 guests in real life. Folks like Chris Wheeler, John and Mira as...

Just a short one for you this week. I was inspired by a voice intro from Steve in Manitoba to record some ramblings. Life has been pretty hectic lately, so it's been hard to find time to record so I thought I would just get a track down to connect with you. The one thing I truly love about the podcast is the engagement I get from you, the listener. To know that I'm reaching you and, in a small way...

In this episode, I'm speaking with Matthey Kadey, dietician, author, bikepacker, and route developer. It's been a while since we've had a chat and it was great to catch up with him. You'll know Matt as the author of Rocket Fuel , Muffin Tin Chef and The No-Cook, No-Bake Cookbook . Matt is also the creator of the BT 700 and has contributed to many other routes in Ontario. Check out his site for mor...

This week on the podcast, I'm speaking with James Folsom , ultra-endurance cyclist, and bikepacker.  I've been wanting to connect with James for some time now. I had the pleasure or riding with him during the 2021 AR700 . We sat and enjoyed some snacks at a gas station in Coleman, before rolling on to find a place to sleep in some random field. We didn't have a lot of time to chat to get to k...

This week I chat with Rob Biron, aka Salty Beard Bikepacking @ saltybeardbikepacking about his new route on Vancouver Island, Caves and Coves TT . Caves and Coves offers a new format for riders in that there are a ton of options on how and when you participate in the event, making it more accessible to more people’s timelines. Rob wanted to show off Vancouver Island in a unique way treating riders...

Thought I would just sit and go in cold with a few things that have been on my mind. I share a couple of voice intros, talk a bit about eating during long distance events and chat a little about mental health in regard to the stories that we tell ourselves. Life has been pretty intense for me, but it has been an opportunity to process and to continue to work on myself so that I can show up better...

This week I’m speaking with Stefan Barth , Coach at SBU Coaching and Author of Ultracycling & Bikepacking . Stefan is an entrepreneur who started his coaching business after being dissatisfied with his path. His coaching business is unique as he takes a whole-body approach to training his athletes. As a Medical Fitness Coach, he can pay particular attention to athletes’ physical imbalances and...

The last couple of days have been hard. Last evening I decided I’d put on Ride the Divide and escape into that world for a bit. It was very cool to see places that I had been, long desolate roads and the rider’s struggles as they navigated the trail. Despite being separated by a big screen and that over a decade has passed since the film was released, there is familiarity and timelessness to it. L...

This week, I bring you a conversation with Jerry Kopack . Jerry reached out to me a few weeks ago requesting to connect on the podcast. He wanted to share his personal adventure and how the simple act of riding a bike, provided him with invaluable insight. This is from the bio he sent me. After 10 soulless years in corporate America, Jerry founded a hospice and learned first hand how precious our...

Those of you following the Iditarod Trail Invitational may have noticed a couple of riders heading back to Anchorage, RJ Sauer being one of them. On the heels of just publishing a podcast with RJ, he messaged me to let me know that his heart just wasn’t in it. I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to connect with RJ, while it is all fresh, to talk about what happened and why. Just showin...

One of the fringe benefits of doing this podcast is having my guest’s phone numbers. I saw that RJ Sauer was getting ready for the Iditarod Trail invitational , 350-mile race across Alaska, so I reached out to him to wish him luck and to keep the rubber side down. The next day, I was thinking to myself “Is he in Alaska already?”. When I found out that he was, I figured this would be a great opport...

This week, I chat with Jonathan Hogg. Jonathan is riding the Tour Divide in 2023 and wants to raise a million dollars for Rocky Mountain Adaptive , a charitable organization that creates and provides accessible adventures for individuals living with physical and/or neuro-divergent challenges. Jonathan discovered the Tour Divide during his recovery after breaking his leg. During that time, he also...

Joy, Habits, Life Obstacles, Validation, Trauma, Human Design. This chat with Ryan Draper, despite being truncated by family duties, is a doozy and one of my favourite ways to podcast. No framework, just conversational flow. We get deep fast! I know I just re-posted a podcast with Ryan, but I think the topics here are fresh and interesting. I share quite a bit about my current circumstances and ho...

From time to time Ryan and I connect for a chat to catch up on things that are going on in our lives and there are great things happening for him. Namely the birth of his son, Maxton. Ryan started coaching as a passion project in 2000 as athletes in his community were asking him for help with their training. In 2014, he took the leap and Cycling 101 was born. As the name implies, Cycling 101 is yo...

In this episode of the podcast, I connect with Meaghan to talk about some of her 2022 cycling highlights, including the World 24-Hour Time Trial Championships, The trans Continental Race and Mallorca 312. Meaghan Hackinen is a bikepacker, writer and adventure seeker cyclist from Kelowna, BC, whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and t...

This week I thought I would chat a little about Fat Bikes and why you need one. I have had a Fat Bike in my quiver for the last 8 years or so and it’s one of my favourite bikes to ride. I mostly roll her in the winter but summer riding with a fatbike can be equally as fun! In this episode I reflect back on the Divide. Memories that were bought back to life after a voice memo I received from Brian....

In this episode, I speak with one of my Mindset Coaches, Paige Royal . Paige and I have known each other for a many years. Last year, after being disconnected from her for a long time, I stumbled across her online. We connected for a conversation, which turned into a personal coaching opportunity. Coaching and Therapy have been vital for me over the last few years and I have preached the benefits...