Three Months into the Tour d’Afrique; the Pressure’s on.
If all goes well, on May 10th we will be riding into Cape Town. These last three months have been some of the most difficult and challenging times of our life.
Dave and I do tend to put a lot of pressure on our selves though. He is still one of the few hanging on to EFI (riding every fabulous inch) and I am still trying to hang on to my race lead. A lead that keeps diminishing, because they can’t seem to get the times figured out. I was 20 hours ahead going into the previous section. I have gained 3 hours so far this section, but when they posted the times yesterday, I had lost 5 and now I am 15 hours ahead. How can a company that calls itself the world’s longest bike race not get their times right. It is very frustrating.
The distances are becoming insane. 195km, 205km, 187km.. How do a bunch of amateurs maintain this mileage?
A lot of people have actually decided not to. Some are taking off to explore the country or go ahead to the next city that we have our rest day to relax. Others have simply chosen to ride their bikes for half a day and hop on the trucks after lunch to enjoy the view.
Not Dave and I, we came here to ride and we are going to ride whether we like it or not!
5:30 comes early, but the days are becoming so hot that we have to leave before 7:00 to beat the heat. Some days the hills are just too much. My legs ache and I complain often that I just won’t be able to finish. Dave replies that I have been saying this for 3 months and I always finish.
My leg has pretty much healed. The sore is still there and it is hard to keep the flies off. I am paranoid about them laying eggs in the wound, since other people have told me their experiences. But I am over reacting. The pain is gone, but I have definitely lost strength. Dave said that he can see the difference between my two legs when I ride.
Dave is staying healthy and strong and I marvel at how easy he makes it all look. He says he is suffering, but I don’t see it. Unless you count his never ending gas.
I have accepted the fact that I zipped through the continent. To come to the TDA and think that you are actually going to have the time to experience the culture is completely naïve. People here will argue with me, but we are all just a travelling western society staying in camps that fence out the locals. A 10 min break at a coke stop does not make you a person who really got to know the areas that you have traveled through and 1 day off in 7, doesn’t exactly give you the chance to make up for lost time.
But I have accepted that. Seriously.
This is the ultimate test in human endurance. We push ourselves to the max everyday, and to make it to Cape Town after all that we have been through will be extremely rewarding. We aren’t pampered with masseurs like participants in the Tour de France. We set up our tents in the blinding sun after each ride trying to avoid the ants and compete with other riders for the shady spot to wait out the afternoon. We sit on little stools that fall apart as we eat our meal and fight for the small amount of second helpings that are left. Then we go to bed and listen to the locals party all night while we pray for silence so we can get at least a couple of hours to regain our energy.
I am O.K. with all of this because this is what I signed up for; too suffer. I thought it would be fun to test myself, but I realize that suffering isn’t fun. The TDA could do a lot more to ease our suffering, but that is for another blog.
But for now… let’s just say it needs some competition in the market.
We are in Lusaka for our rest day and we are going to experience some real Zambian culture by eating at Subway and catching a blockbuster movie with a big bag of popcorn in hand.
Ahh, this is our African experience.
6 Responses to Three Months into the Tour d’Afrique; the Pressure’s on.
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Deb, stay positive. Don’t let the negative of the tour company defeat you. Focus on the positive, the friends and the personal accomplishments. Realize that you have opened our eyes to life in Africa through your photographs and your blogs. Your experiences have affected many of your friends back home in a positive way. If I recall correctly, you were hoping to stay a couple of months after your ride to tour the country. If you still plan on doing that let those thoughts distract you. That is your light at the end of the tunnel. You are stronger than any women I know!!!!! Ride on!
K.
Wow, Ironman has got nothing on Tour D’Afrique. Sounds like we have witnessed your breaking point Deb- but you are so strong and incredible, I know it will not hold you back from completing what you set out to do. It is crazy to put yourself through this, but man, what an experience. Will you stay after the race to soak up the culture? I understand wanting to hightail it out of there, but after some r & r, you will surely be singing a different tune. Remember, there are a bunch of Canadians ho idolize you for this, and are living through you so stay strong of heart and keep passing on your exotic adventures. A month is a long time but just remember that finish line is growing ever closer.
XO
all my love and support,
Paula
Deb every inch of your ride comes through in your words. Hang in there. It ia unbelieveable what the two of you are going through. Sorry about not getting to know the people better. I know that was one of your goal. You will have a lot to look back on. The two of you will make this trip into something positive and you will make a difference. Love Mom and Dad
Okay, so today you start your ride from Victoria Falls to Namibia…and from what I read it’s very difficult.
But CHIN UP…you’ve done 3 months of this, and you can pull off another 27 days! You have just 3200 kms now out of 12,000 kms and we KNOW that you can do this…you’ve been through illness, injury, racing, mountain climbing, bungy jumping and rapids (how was that by the way?).
We’re all so proud of you, and can’t wait until you’re home so that we can hear all about it. Although, speaking for us Cambridge folk, we’re going to seem so incredibly boring after all this! LOL
Counting the days until you’re home and cheering you on from Canada (and tipping a glass of wine…)
Love,
The Hortons
Yo girlie…..I know it’s getting tough but hang in there and get with the positive program!!!! Don’t let the last three sections get you down. The elephants are coming, the mileage is long BUT it is going to be a BLAST!!!! You wait until you are riding in Botswanna ….long stretches of road….you’ll have wild horses galloping freely along the road side with you and elephants crossing the road in front of you. No work ….just a quick decision…all you have to do is figure out if you are within the 100m no zone. 100m no zone? ..what is that?…..ahhh… bull elephants are rather quick off the mark so you have to make sure you are no closer than 100m as them cute gray things can move!! Stay focused as before you know it you’ll be at Elands Bay a huggin and a kissin everybody and wishing it would never end!! Ok pep talk over…
love ya
Kiwi Princess
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