Travel

oleksandr_tereshchuk
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TRAVELLING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA

Athletes from all over the world had races scheduled in the United States. Now, that restriction caused by pandemic lighten up, the races start happening again. Ironman recently made the following announcement:

Announcement:

We appreciate your continued patience and understanding while we have been developing options for you during this very dynamic time. After assessing all event scenarios, we are pleased to share with you the new race date and location for the 2020 IRONMAN Texas triathlon which is now scheduled to take place on October 17, 2020 in Waco, Texas as part of a festival weekend with the 2020 Bicycle World Texas IRONMAN 70.3 Waco triathlon on October 18, 2020.

IRONMAN Texas

That’s great news! Pack your bags, we are going to RACE! … wait a sec. You are not from US? Canada? Mexico? Europe? If so, then there might be some problems… If you’re outside of United States of America and want to come to attend a sporting event, consult with US Border officials. COVID-19 changed the way we travel.

I did the work for you and sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Information Center. I explained that I’ve got the Ironman Texas coming and I really want to be there. Can I go? Would you let me into the country?

Information for guidance on travelling to the United States from Canada

COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions across the U.S. Borders with Canada and Mexico

  • The United States will temporarily limit inbound land border crossings from Canada and Mexico to “essential travel”.
  • U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and certain other travellers are exempt from this action. 

The following categories DO NOT fall within the definition of “essential travel:”

  • Individuals travelling for tourism purposes, such as sightseeing, recreation, gambling, or attending cultural events in the United States. (Ironman or any other sporting event included)

Who is considered an “essential” traveler? 

  • Citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States.
  • Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to receive medical treatment in the United States).
  • Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions.
  • Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Canada or Mexico in furtherance of such work).
  • Individuals traveling for emergency response and public health purposes (e.g., government officials or emergency responders entering the United States to support federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial government efforts to respond to COVID-19 or other emergencies).
  • Individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade (e.g., truck drivers supporting the movement of cargo between the United States and Canada and Mexico).
  • Individuals engaged in official government travel or diplomatic travel.
  • Individuals engaged in military-related travel or operations.

This action does not apply to air, rail, or sea travel at this time, but does apply to commuter rail and ferry travel.

I am gonna have to miss the Ironman Texas… you probably too. Sorry bud.

References

Notification of Temporary Travel Restrictions Applicable to Land Ports of Entry and Ferries Service Between the United States, Canada, and Mexico: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/06/16/fact-sheet-dhs-measures-border-limit-further-spread-coronavirus

Please visit coronavirus.gov and USA.gov/coronavirus for official government-wide information and CDC.gov/coronavirus for health-related updates about COVID-19. Visit DHS.gov/coronavirus for homeland security updates and FEMA’s website to distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

oleksandr_tereshchuk
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Госпитализация в США. Операция в Канаде. Процесс и стоимость.

Друзья, после падения с велосипеда на IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Placid, New York я получал вопросы по поводу процесса госпитализации, стоимости и реабилитации. Ниже я ответил на интересующие вопросы. Почитайте, сравните, задайте вопрос.

  1. После падения приехала скорая, тебя сразу в больницу забрали и там выполнили рентген и поставили диагноз?
    С момента падения, прихода в себя и прибытия кареты скорой помощи пошло порядка 30-40 минут. Машина подбехала тихо, без лишнего шума и серен. Во время ожидания со мной пребывал сотрудник полиции, который позже помог поднять меня на носилки.
    Дорога до больницы заняла порядка 40-45 минут. Проокатили с ветерком, сиренами и всем сопутствующим. Компанию мне создавала молодая сотрудница скорой помощи.
  2. Через сколько дней после травмы была госпитализация и операция?
    Через 9 дней после получения травмы у меня был назначен  appointment с хирургом. В тот же вечер мне перезвонили с госпиталя и сообщили что операция назначена на следующее утро в 6 часов. И того 10 дней после получения травмы.
  3. Операция была же под общей анестезией? (Ты спал с трубкой во рту) через сколько времени после операции разрешили пить, есть, вставать?
    Операция проводилась под общей анестезией, перед которой мне также сделали “anesthetic nerve block“. Анестезиолог сообщил что nerve block не обязателен, но они сильно его рекомендуют. Объяснил как будет проходить процедура и сообщил все возможные побочные эффекты и осложнения.
    Подкатили ультразвук, подключили меня к приборам и больно укололи в шею.
  4. Сколько времени/дней ты находился в больнице после операции?
    Выписали в тот-же день. Более того, спустя 4-5 часов после начала операции.
  5. Какие препараты тебе давали/прописали?
    Прописали только один болеутоляющий препарат – Oxycontin. Считается одним из самых опасных и вызывающим быстрое привыкание.
  6. Косынку после операции сразу разрешили не носить или когда снять?
    Косынку сказали носить до следующей встречи с врачом (2 недели).
  7. Через сколько дней после операции рентген?
    Рентген и осмотр доктора – 2 недели после операции.
  8. Какие движения в плечевом суставе разрешены или запрещены?
    Единственными запретами были не нагружать руку/плечо и не поднимать руку вверх. Таких прям конкретных запретов не давалось и общение строилось в плане рекомендаций.
  9. Какую программу реабилитации дали? И когда можно вернуться к нагрузкам?
    Пока еще не прописали программу реабилитации. Сказали походить 4 недели, ии назначили рентген по истечении. Если рентген покажет что все в норме, только тогда можно будет начать реабилитацию. Когда можно будет вернутся к нагрузкам не сказали, так как это будет зависеть от физиотерапевта.
  10. За чей счет все происходило? Бесплатно, как экстренная помощь при травме; полностью по страховке (если по страховке, то сколько стоит страховка, если не секрет).
    Медицина В Канаде бесплатная, хотя есть свои нюансы, такие как например она не покрывает услуги стоматолога. Операция и всё с ней связанное, на територии Каданы, было за счет государства, то есть бесплатно для меня.
    С другой стороны, госпитализация в США стоит денег. Ниже копия счёта пришедшего по почте. В сумму включены только услуги скорой помощи:

Обрати внимание, отдельно идет расчет по километражу, прям как в такси. Инвойс из больницы я еще не получил, и с нетерпением жду приговор.
Страховка: Мой работодатель предоставляет медицинскую страховку, которой предусмотрена госпитализация за пределами Канады. Ещё не подтверждено, но есть надежда что она покроет 100% расходов связанных с моими приключениями в США.

По поводу стоимости моей страховки не могу сказать, но знаю что в среднем, семья в Канаде тратит порядка $2000 на страховку для всех членов (он, она и ребёнок), плюс $4000 на всевозможные “premiums” то бишь выплаты из собственного кармана. В основном в Канаде, так же и в Америке, страховка предоставляется работодателем.

  • До и после операции.
    7 болтов и одна металлическая пластина.

Так выглядит установленная пластина под кожей.

В Канаде не практикуется удаление пластины по истечению определенного времени, так что пластина остается в человеке навсегда. Металл вынимают только в случае возникновения осложнений.

Шрам после операции. “Небольшое” напоминание.

Как вы уже заметили, медицинские услуги за границей не дешевое удовольствие, особенно в США и Канаде. Я очень рекомендую потратить пару $ на приобретение страховки особенно если вы планируете участвовать в каких-нибудь спортивных мероприятиях.

В целом я удовлетворен качеством полученных услуг и отношением к себе, как к пациенту. Медсестры в Нью Йорке накормили фруктами и и напоили кофе. В Канаде ко мне так же отнеслись с уважением и терпеливо ответили на все мои вопросы. Если бы я был в силе изменить что-то, то это время ожидания операции с момента получения травмы. Но с учётом того что я сломался не на родной земле и мне пришлось ехать 500 км обратно в Торонто, даже 10 дней я считаю не так уже и плохо.

Stay Strong!

oleksandr_tereshchuk
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+3 Hr Ride (3×10′ bouts), April 18, 2019. ~IRONMAN Mont Tremblant bike course (100 km)~

On May 19th I am doing the SPARTAN race near Montreal, Quebec. A day before, I’ve got scheduled a long bike ride which I planned to do in Mont Tremblant. Why there? This is where one of the most popular IRONMAN races take place in June. I am not doing that particular race, but since I’m in Quebec, it’s a great opportunity to ride along the bike course.
Mont Tremblant bike course (100 km).

IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant

Arrived to the Mont Tremblant at 8 am. Had no specific agenda for the ride. The only plan I had is that the ride had to be no longer than 3.5 hours. Studied the map, packed the pockets with protein bars and headed out on the course by myself. 

Leaving the parking lot I noticed two guys with fancy TREK bikes, getting ready to head out. I started the conversation by asking if they’re going to ride to IRONMAN course and what should I be aware of, going into such a long ride. 

I learned that they came to Mont Tremblant for a training camp. And they, along with the group of other athletes are going to ride the full course. They also said that the group will be heading out in an hour and invited me to join them for the ride. I was hesitant to agree for two reasons: 

  1. I haven’t payed for the training camp;
  2. One hour wait seemed like forever.

However since I haven’t done the course before and wasn’t familiar with it I decided it will be a good idea to follow the group so I don’t get lost and it’s always more fun to ride together. I agreed to wait and I am glad I did. 

One hour later I met the rest of the team on the main square. There were about 20-30 athletes all excited and ready to roll. Everyone seemed to be talking French – the foreign language to me. I introduced myself to the coaches and asked for permission to join on which I got a positive response. Great!

Athletes were really nice and welcomed me into the group. I met a lot of cool guys and made new connections. Thank you for being so nice and accepting a random guy off the street to your group.

At the beginning I got assigned to the slower group, however after the first 10 km I was suggested that I go ahead with 3 other faster riders. Christopher and me went ahead and were cycling side by side for the most of the time. Two other guys couldn’t keep up so we just dropped them. Sorry folks =)

At the beginning I was worried it will take me much longer than 3:15 hr, but now I am really surprised to see how perfectly the time aligned. 

How me being here at that exact time, that exact parking lot allowed me to meet all this people and cycle with the group for free. WOW!

It took me 3hr 16 minutes to do the full IRONMAN course. Have no idea of how good or bad, slow or fast this is. Moreover I don’t give a crap. 

The question that matter is: Did you ENJOY THE RIDE? Yes I did!

Could I’ve done it faster? You bet I could, but this was not the day and time to give my all. Hawaii 70.3 will give me the chance to push the pedal to the metal. 

FUELING

We had a support vehicle and a mid way fueling station with bananas, oranges, Gatorade and this “Fruit” bar:

 They are 25g pure sugar in a form of jelly worth of 100 calories. I loved it. And what a boost I felt after just taking one. Felt the warmth in my stomach and the power in my already pretty fatigued legs. Rocket Fuel! Unbelievable! 

Note: Don’t be afraid of sugar while racing or training. 

Fuel:
145g Carbs 30g Protein 21g Fat
Total: 822 Calories 

I don’t think I am consuming enough calories. 

The nature at Mont Tremblant is so beautiful! Woods, lakes, mountains… Being an outdoorsy guy, I can’t stop enjoying the scenery along the course.

There are IRONMAN signs along the course, which makes it easy to follow and not get lost. They look like this:

It was a great ride! A challenging one.

Training 95% solo I made a new discovery and learned the lesson: it’s much safer and enjoyable to ride in a group of like-minded people.

oleksandr_tereshchuk
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Blake’s flight to Ukraine

Blake and me have traveled quite a bit together. In just one year of life, this dog has seen more that some people did in the lifetime. All our travels has been done by car. We explored every corner on the West Coast in US, we lived on the back of my truck for more than a week, we drove cross-country through 8 states from Arizona to Toronto. He is a trooper! I cannot express how good he is in car. I am really proud of him as he never vines or causes any issues, he sits still for 7-8 hours of straight driving.

It’s time to expand our scope of travel and begin exploring Europe. We are heading to Kiev, Ukraine 🇺🇦

Unfortunately it would be quite a challenge to drive my truck across the ocean, so I need to make sure he is ready for a long plane flight. I don’t want to have him shipped in the cargo section, and looking to have him travel with me in the main cabin.

Choose the airlines wisely

First of all you need to make sure you choose the airlines that allow pets on board. Every airline have specific requirement regards weight of the pet, breed, size etc. Study all those requirements to prevent make sure there will be no surprises at the airport.

Ukrainian airlines FlyUIA had a direct flight from Toronto to Kiev that allowed pets onboard. In our case, maximum weight of an animal including a container for carriage in cabin should not exceed 8kg and size of container must not exceed 3 linear dimensions 115cm (55х40х20 сm). Otherwise your pet should be transported as animal in hold. I’ve got the pet carrier strictly due to the requirements, however Pooch seem to be a bit overweight for this trip. To be exact, 2 kg (4.5 lbs). I was really worried that after they weight him at the check in, he will be sent to travel in cargo section of the plane. Thank God! Besides the rabies certificate they haven’t requested any additional documentation or put him on scale. Lucky you – chubby boy!

Don’t hesitate to contact the airline customer support with any questions prior to the flight.

Prepare to pay extra

The cost of flying one way in this direction in the cabin is 100 EUR / 153 CAD. Respectively round trip for Blake costed me extra CAD 306.00. However at the check in I mentioned that he is an emotional support animal with proper documents, which saved me $306. Service animals travel for free.

Get your pet comfy

Traveling by plane is a new experience for my boy and I want to make sure he’s ready and comfortable. First of all you need to get a pet carrier.

Now you need to introduce your pet to his new travel vehicle. You have to familiarize him with bag and make sure he’s not afraid of it and is comfortable to spend extended periods of time inside. Like the astronauts are being trained to go out of space, I began training Blake with familiarizing him with his new spacecraft. After he got comfortable being a passenger in it, I moved forward and closed him inside in for 10-15-20 minutes at the time, so he is being ok spending prolonged periods of time inside. The final stage of training was the command to “hide”. Shit happens and in case of emergency 🚨, he hides inside and waits until I say it’s clear to stick his nose back outside. Every day, for about a month, I would spend some time training him, playing with his carrier. He now feels more than comfortable with the carrier, which will help us both to have less stressful flight. I think he’s ready! 

Scottish Terrier Blake does the “Hide” trick.

Vaccinations & Paperwork

Study on required vaccinations and documents your pet need to enter the country you’re flying to. It’s really important your buddy is up to date on his shots and papers. My experience was really stressful and it took me almost two weeks to have everything ready. Don’t keep it for the last minute, as some of the vaccines has to be given 21 days or earlier before the flight.

Ukrainian requirements:

1. Ukraine does not impose any restrictions or quarantines on the importation of pets.

2. I need to obtain the “International Health Certificate” issued by local government of Canada for exportations of pets. It needs to be completed by a local vet within seven days of travel and endorsed by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA). If traveling from the USA then endorsement is by APHIS)

3) Ukraine requires a current rabies vaccination. Keep in mind that they don’t recognize the 3-year rabies vaccine.

The costs to take your pet to Ukraine will include the following:

  • Pet carrier – $125
  • Checkup and completion of health certificate by local Veterinary – $110
  • Rabies Vaccination – $140
  • Endorsement by CFIA – $20
    (APHIS in the USA – $38)
  • Pet on board fee from FlyUIA Airlines – $306
  • Import fee in Ukraine – none
  • Import fee in Canada – $35

Total: $736

Last tip

The flight is almost 10 hours long. It’s hard for me and I can’t imagine for painful it cauldron be to an animal. As my friend suggested, I gave Blake a small dose of Benadryl to help him fall and stay asleep through the flight. 30 minutes before departure I gave him half the pill (1 mg per pound). If you’re going to try Benadryl with your pet, I suggest trying it at home first and see how he reacts to it, just to test it out.

Overall the trip went so much better that I expected. I am really proud of Blake as he behaved exceptionally well. I don’t know any other dog that will have so muck patience and trust in his owner as he does. All the trainings I’ve done with him well payed off, making this flight a breeze for both of us.