For those that don't already know, for the last eight days I have been accumulating 500Km to complete this challenge (click here for more info) it was enjoyable although not easy.
Day 1 (24 Dec) I was working in the morning so in the afternoon after I got home I went for a 57Km ride on one of the regular routes through Sterkfontein Farm estates.
Day 2 (25 Dec) Being Christmas and a busy day I left the house in the dark and managed to get 44Km in before coming home to open the prezzies, the kids only started rustling a few minutes after I got back.
Day 3 (26 Dec) Saw me umming and aahing how to get in some decent mileage in the end I decided to invest R30 at Northern Farms and spent a few hours first doing a 46Km loop (mixture of black and red tracks) and a 20Km loop (blue track) Came home sat around a few hours and did another 15Km around the dorp on the now SS'd road bike.
Day 4 (27 Dec) I had planned to join in with some other folk to do a long social ride to Black horse brewery... and back home but ended up with a small cut in the sidewall of my rear tyre, put tube in, but only got a few Km when that got punctured, fixed that rode another couple Km got another puncture, called wife to rescue me. Still managed to get 18Km in, went to shops got new tyre and later did Critical Mass Johannesburg another 16Km.
Day 5 (28 Dec) Saw me 'zooming' just under 60Km/h down past Sterkfontein hospital in the dark (and I didn't crash this year), and then on down to Hekpoort, back via Tarlton. When I got to Magaliesburg I was a bit bored of the tar and tried to find my way round the back of the mine towards Golden Harvest, but didn't find the right route and ended up hiking up and down the hill for a bit, before coming out onto the tar again for a short bit and got back on the dirt at Orient for a total of 88Km (that was the longest ride I had ever done on the MTB bike).
Day 6 (29 Dec) I was preaching in the morning (so although I got up early it wasn't to ride but to finish up my sermon preparation, the rain almost drowned the challenge with 200Km still to go I didn't know if I would manage that in 2 days that would be left, so I did go out in the rain out to Nelson Mandela bridge via Emmerentia dam and back for a soaking wet 72Km.
Day 7 (30 Dec) I left home not knowing how much I would manage but 'dis mos mielies' saw me passing on the 100Km route (if you don't know where that is you need to ride out into the NW Province a little bit to get there) I was passed by and had a short chat to a lonely Europcar SA kitted rider, Neal Corbett, he of course went longer and faster than me completing 160Km. So that left me needing a short 23Km for the last day.
Day 8 (31 Dec) I decided to do a short route and invite a few people along with me, Simon Greaves, Vincent Krause and Trefor Brock joined me on my 27Km slow (for me anyway) social ride down and up near the mine dump across from Krugersdorp Game reserve which saw me completing the Strava Rapha 500 challenge just before hitting the tar in wessies.
My cycling tan, err burn, is looking sharper, my legs are a bit on the stiff side, but I'm glad I took up the challenge and completed it, for an overweight 44 year old who 5 years ago decided to go out and buy a bicycle, it took me a few more months to actually start riding, to get fitter and steer away from the looming health disasters, I'm fairly pleased that such challenges as this and the one I completed last year riding every day of the tour de France come up to show that with a small amount of dedication a lot can be achieved.
Thanks to all those who have congratulated me and 'liked' the posts the support it is encouraging. Rest day tomorrow and work the next day but I know my insanity with the pedals will continue as it keeps me sane(r) taking a break from the other stresses and busyness of life.
Happy new year everyone, may it be a blessed year for you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment