Wednesday, May 5: a new beginning.
After 10 hours 30 of sleep, I am refreshed! All things are dry except the shoes. I allow myself a departure around 7am instead of 6am. The sun is there to wish me good road. The wind is also present but less strong than the day before. A few hailstones will even fall but it will be brief, although intense. A little vegetation sometimes allows respite but the majority of the roads leave me unprotected. Fortunately, the sun is there. I’m even very hot at some times! A quality supply in Almere will allow me to eat my first croissants since the beginning of the adventure and to store some food for the rest of the day.
After Amsterdam, the roads aren’t very wide and the cars don’t like to drive too close to the right. I’m afraid of ending up in the water which is on both sides of the road (I’m not in Waterland for nothing hey!). I’m starting to ask myself questions about my GPS because I end up twice on staircases and once on a very narrow sluice where I have to completely remove a bike bag to get through. After checking, Ihave the confirmation that the GPS cuts in the track… It was only after contacting Sigma that I discovered that even if given a route to follow, the Rox 12.0 will recalculate it to make it as short as possible… At the time of this writing, in March 2022, Sigma has still not planned an update to remove this effect despite multiple complaints from quite a few users.
Fortunately, that day, I will change direction several times and I can tell you that when the wind is at my back, I’m flying ! Sometimes I go at 30km/h without really pedaling. Changes in direction are also accompanied by roads that are no longer endless straight lines.
This day will also be marked by new roadworks areas that will make me do 5-6km of detours. The first was not indicated properly and in Waterland I had not a lot of choices in the roads but the second was well indicate so overall these areas don’t bother me too much.
On the other hand, we are a public holiday in the Netherlands and it shows as soon as I approach the cities. Monickedam and Voldeman are even difficult to pass as there are pedestrians everywhere. It will have made me beautiful pit stops but the long queues in front of the stores make me continue my journey.
I will be joined by two dotwatchers and I pass the marks of 950km covered, half of the journey! It motivates.
I’m taking a break at a church when I see a rider pass. I check the tracker and find it’s Kemal. Strangely, he will catch up with me at the entrance to Medemblick. I don’t remember passing him during the day but it must have happened if he is behind me again. So, we will stay together for about twenty minutes. He will continue on his way while I look for accommodation. I’m going to get three refusals before the last owner directs me to a place that has lodges. I discover the “Trekkershutten”. It is a network of hard dwellings that can be rented by the night and which offers greater comfort than camping tents. It’s not as comfy as a hotel room, but I don’t feel to drive any longer so I take what they offer me. It is sheltered from the rain and it’s heated, it’s enought for me.
Casually, I traveled twice the kilometers of the day before and it’s nice! But I’m starting to have a lot of delay to finish on time so I’m thinking. On one hand, I tell myself that the way I discover the country is already a victory in itself, but my ego would like to finish on time. Am I capable?
In the evening, I make a discovery that will motivate me to push on the pedals the next day. I receive a message on Facebook from a certain Emmanuel whom I don’t know and who tells me this: “Hi Baptistine! I have just found out how to access all your stories of the race on Twitter, I will read that carefully! It’s cool that you share all this, it makes me relive a lot of memories! I wish you a lot of courage and continue until the end! What a feeling to reach the end, you’ll see. I almost cried so much I drooled but I don’t regret anything, on the contrary. In short, may everything go well for you! »
A Liège finisher please! It cheers me up and I say to myself that YES it is possible to finish on time!
Thursday, May 6: I’m going to eat for miles!
I will not spend a night as hot as I would have liked, but it was better than if I had to re-plant the tent. I decide to push to Rotterdam! Almost 240km to go, but I’ve fallen behind my schedule so I have to move on. In addition, I come across a supermarket already open at 7:30 so I can store food for the whole day so that I can stop when I want. Emmanuel continues to motivate me to finish on time and I believe in it!
I arrive in Den Helder in the middle of the morning rush hour. Phew, it’s weird so much noise and traffic after all this calm. Fortunately, I turn quickly towards the south and there, it is the beginning of the dunes mixed with the pine forests. This is my favorite part of the trip. I loved this rolling roller coaster despite the sand and the ubiquitous klinkers. The wind turns and is less strong so it hardly bothers me anymore. It’s full sun, I drop the jacket!
Bad luck for me, in Ijmunden, we can no longer take the ferry because the road works are finished. I love to take ferry, so it’s a shame I can’t take it 😉 At this point, I tell myself that it’s time to look where to stay in Rotterdam. I have already done 125km and there are still a hundred. I calculate a theoretical arrival time to find something that closes late. After failing at a youth hostel, I discover a capsule hotel open 24 hours a day. It’s perfect. On the way !
« Bad luck, just before The Hague, I’m going to have a puncture. »
I repair and I finish just in time to arrive in the city under a biiiiig black cloud carrying rain. But, I’m a little lucky, it comes towards me so I know I’ll be wet just long enough to pass underneath. It’s going to rain hard but it won’t last more than 15 minutes. The road is even dry when I go back into the dunes after crossing the city. There, I can’t believe my eyes, I will see a highland cow (that lookslike a yak for me).
After 205km, here I am in Hoek van Holland. No more way to go straight, you have to turn and start the straight line towards Rotterdam. It’s getting long. A stop at KFC fills my stomach and I’m ready to end this long day. Bad luck, another road work zone that diverts me! The arrival in Rotterdam is completely surreal! Despite the late hour, there are people everywhere! And traffic in all directions. It’s already not easy to find one’s way during the day, but then at night it’s painful. The pinnacle of the insane arrival will be reached when two cars will collide just to my left. I sigh of relief when I arrive at the hotel. The bike has to sleep outside so I’m somewhat not reassured, but the puncture has leaked so it has a flat tyre and it’s not really appeling.
Small gag, I will come across an « almost Brussels guy » at the reception, he comes from Overijse on the outskirts of the city. And there, I speak French again. That too feels weird after only speaking English and Dutch for 7 days. It is past midnight when I close my eyes satisfied with this day. The mental has held and the physical begins to grumble but it’s okay. I conscientiously apply cream on my knees morning and evening.
Friday, May 7: the day of all doubts
As you can imagine, the night was short. I start by repairing the puncture but my small pump is not enough to put enough pressure. And I can’t find anything in town so I’m going to have to drive a little bit with the tire not really inflated. It feels like it takes forever to leave Rotterdam. Again, the GPS will divert me from the mandatory route but I will only find out by seeing the comments on Twitter because my followers have been worried about seeing me off track. Grrrrr. In Spijkenijse, I make a detour to find a foot pump in a store and let’s go.
It’s the second day in a row where I’m struggling to get started. I really feel “that I have to start the machine”. Emmanuel reassures me, it’s completely normal. It’s up to me to pedal gently to warm up the whole body and prepare it for the day.
Having to book a hotel stresses me out because I’m afraid of arriving too late. I’m aiming for 210km that day. I tell myself that the countryside is hardly animated after 6 p.m. so I can make a wild bivouac. After all, there is another participant who does. In my head, the plan for the day is approved in the morning but after 2 p.m., it’s a different story…
The wind is a little bit stronger and more often from the front than from the back, so I’m struggling again. And I start thinking again and doubting… I know that once I turn to the East, I will have the wind at my back. On the map it didn’t look that far. There are still 135 km. And on an unfortunate sluice passage of the Delta plan, I’m going to crack.
I’m cracking up because I thought I’d be able to arrive on time on Sunday and I realize that’s not the case. When I was in the storm, it made sense to me. But yesterday, I started dreaming again that I’ll be on time. In the morning, I had decided that I would do 250 km today, 250 tomorrow and 150 on Sunday. The numbers are good, I’ll be on time. Except that doing 135km with a 3/4 headwind on the Delta plan alone it’s not the same as doing it with 150 cyclists like I did in 2016. I even told myself that I had enough to do wild camping and that I only had to ride, ride, ride and sleep when I needed it so I was sure to be on time. My mind had said yes. My body had vaguely said yes. The weather tells me no. So I get frustrated. I cry while driving. I thought I was ready! Really ! But in fact no. It’s another thing to ride 240km for fun. There is an goal here. And I thought that would be an extra motivation. This is the case but suddenly, I am also disappointed. Disappointed, because I don’t know how I will do the last 560 km in 2 days. I have noticed that after a good night’s sleep, it is much better. I am very effective in the morning, much less after 2 p.m. But this is not compatible with the exploit I have to do. I pay for my lack of speed, and that annoys me. However, I am already driving faster than before. But that is not enough. I know how to swallow the miles, but I’m a turtle. And there is a problem. So I cry. Still happy that I met no one while I was crying, and I wonder how the others are doing. I wanted to be like Lael, I’m still a long way from that. Now that I’m in, I have even more respect for those who do this. And I envy those who have already finished or who will finish on time. Useless feeling but what do you want? I’m cracking up so what I think doesn’t make sense. I also realize that I need too much sleep. Two factors that make me so far so close to the time limit.
I have to strengthen my mind. I must not let myself down. I focus on the music but nothing helps. I ponder. Too likely. The last 25 kilometers are hellish and I almost stop at the first hotel I see. But I WANT to pass this turning point today, it’s the beginning of a new part of the country. It’s like Rotterdam yesterday, it’s psychological. I do not take advantage of the journey even if it’s beautiful. The arrival in Vlissigen is magical. I’ll have to come back and take advantage of that when I have another state of mind. I wanted to stop in Vlissingen because it was the promise of more hotels (I would have to do 3 before finding a free room). But it is dangerous. It could be the ferry and then Knokke station and then the train and then home. It could be home tonight! But there is a golden rule in ultra cycling: « You don’t give up when you’re tired. You sleep on it and decide with a rested mind. » It may sound weird, but despite the fact that I had a hard time today, I want to finish. I just don’t know how long it’s going to take me. I think that in 3 days it can be done, but there is still all the hilly things to come. Do I plan or do I ride and see from day to day? More questions swirling around in my head as I collapse on the bed after eating a pizza and a half.