When we set out we aimed to average 70 km per day and I trained to the extent that I had got my head and my pins (tiny legs) around an 80 km ride on a BMX. During the initial stages of the ride from Cape Town every niggle and small pain that developed threatened the success of the ride (if only in our minds) but as we pushed on and got into our routine and rhythm’s, our bodies hardened and confidences grew. We never wanted to get ahead of ourselves but as the distance behind us got to around 750 km and as the distance left to ride got to under half we began to feel like nothing could stop us! On days when we felt strong we pushed on past the scheduled km’s and started riding longer distances until 70 km started feeling like a short ride. It is amazing how the human brain works and that if we are mentally prepared, our bodies follow without hesitation.
After my dad had his heart attack I just wanted to get home and with the support of my girlfriend, Marilu, and Doug (Doug is not also my girlfriend) I started getting my head around even bigger distances. To get back in time for my old man’s op I started skipping stop overs and riding 2 stages a day. The first day I attempted this we covered 116 km (the largest distance I have ever ridden in a day (on any bike). The next day we rode through Hoopstad and continued on to Bothaville turning the stage into 130 km stage! Before we set out on the One Gear challenge I would have categorically said that this would not be possible. My altered mindset (perhaps going slightly dilly from the heat) and the support I received from the guys in Bothaville had me feeling like I could keep on riding. We glided into Bothaville that day and I started feeling like anything was possible.
Our next scheduled stop was in Parys, 110 km from Bothaville, which I now knew I could comfortably do in a day. We had planned on stopping there for the night and completing the ride into Joburg the next day (another 110 km). The guys from Bothaville rode me out of town at sunrise and with some great laughs and a wind at our backs we were 20 km down when they turned around to head back for work; it didn’t feel like we had even started riding. The wind stayed at my back and the slight drizzle kept me cool and at 10:30 we arrived in Parys. I stopped just before town where Doug had pulled over to check if I needed anything and we chatted about early it still was. We looked at each other and smiled – we both knew I was thinking of riding on. Doug said to me “you can do it dude”. We quickly smashed a steers chicken burger in our beaks, refilled the water bottles and I started riding out of town towards Joburg.
Having to go back after visiting my dad and complete even one stage became extremely unattractive. My old man was adamant that I should finish the ride and not come back to see him at all (this is the same guy that tried to carry on riding while he was having a heart attack because he didn’t want to let me or the Cows down). Being able to get back in time to have a dinner with my old man before he went into hospital and be able to surprise him with the news that I had finished the ride, was all the motivation that I needed. With Doug driving patiently along with me at 20 km/h for a total of 10 hours I arrived at Soccer City at 15:30 on the 12th of November 4 days ahead of schedule. I had ridden 460 km in 3 days with my biggest ride being 220 km on the final day.
Made it! too surreal
Everyone keeps congratulating me but I got so much out of this trip for myself that I feel guilty at the amount I benefited from the challenge. The biggest treasure I got to keep from this adventure was the knowledge that my boundaries can be pushed so far beyond where my mind puts up that proverbial fence. I now know that literally anything is possible!
It is also a little serendipitous that our fundraising efforts tipped past our targeted amount on this ride and coincided almost perfectly with my arrival at Soccer City! Our GivenGain donation account is still open for another week – help us blow the target out the water and raise even more for kids suffering from Cancer and Blood disorders! Go and donate now!
Funds raised
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We did the 94.7 Cycle challenge this weekend (now a comfortable distance), which was the actual conclusion of One Gear. Stay posted for some awesome pics and some untold stories from the trip. The Cows are having their awards evening on Friday…so there will also be some crazy cow pictures and mad moo stories from there that will need to be posted!
This stage was very kindly sponsored by Storsure:
Storsure