The final pieces of equipment for the tour are on order, although the bike will have to wait until I touch down in Jacksonville.
I don’t want to play down cycling solo over one thousand miles in a foreign country, but I do want to make the idea accessible. Perhaps it’s the coach in me that wants to make this, or any other inspired adventure, seem a little closer to reality for anyone with similar dreams. People have asked me how much training I have done and the truth is not that much. I’ll explain how this is possible.
Fitness: I am an activities instructor, and a beach lifeguard. Neither of these things guarantees fitness but as I said I like to be active. I play football for 90mins per week, and surf or kayak as much as possible, usually between 2 and 4 times per week. It’s not something I measure scientifically because staying fit doesn’t need to be scientific; much better to be a little inaccurate, simple and fun. Coupled with this I watch what I eat- plenty of fruit and lots of water. No special diet, or calorie counting, but I do listen to my body. My point is that none of these things required extra, or indeed harder, training. It is just playing the games I usually play. I did cycle a few miles to and from work when I was working in a pub, and would then hurtle off up into the woods when on a split shift, and run some hills, before arriving back at the bar caked in mud!
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| It's been a while- what's left of the old mountain bike |
In reality, my goal is measured by what is achievable. If I cycle only 900 miles, or three quarters of my intended distance, have I failed? I don’t think so, firstly because this tour is about meeting folks, and learning a new culture and this is achievable over far fewer miles if I wish. I am cycling because I like to stay active, and I enjoy the challenge. Secondly 1000+ miles is a reasonable target. I’ve recognised my limits, and 50 miles per day means I will manage 1300 miles in 26 days. I have given myself 35 days.
I’m camping, so I can set my own timetable. I’ve got roughly 12 hours of sunlight, and by my calculations I need less than half of these to do 50miles a day. This means that effectively I am training during this period. I’m not putting my body under major pressure. I could cycle an hour and walk an hour if necessary. I am training for the tour, during the tour. Travelling in this manner, I expect to be able to speed up after two weeks, giving me more time to stop and play along the way!
The downside (not that I see it this way) is that potentially, I need to be able to survive days without meeting anyone, or more importantly any store, because of the speed I will be cycling. Planning is the key. The hardest work will have been done before cycling each stage. I will need to plan the amount of food I carry for each leg. As for water- crucial of course- but I’ll tell you how I intend to deal with that issue, and what equipment I’m carrying, in Set Up pt 2...
One last thing...the scant amount of pictures thus far...I’ll be posting more once I’m cycling, I promise :)
