I hit my Great Cycle Challenge Canada goal today on the way back from a two-loop tour of Gatineau Park. One day early even. I might take a rest day tomorrow as the weather is meant to be bad and… well, maybe I deserve one.
Though in fact, the last seven or so days of the challenge have been a little anti-climactic since I discovered that the GCCC app was missing a 176km ride of mine. Uploading the data file manually improved my outlook for the last few days dramatically. I was able to take it easy one day and go for a treat of a ride with my daughter.
It’s always a bit surprising how much fatigue builds up over time. You’d think that it wouldn’t be that hard to handle steady helpings of long slow distance rides.
But I always arrive at a point where the thought of heading out for another four hour tour — even knowing it’s at ‘all-day pace’ — fills me with dread.
It’s at that point where having donors really helps. Where I can agonize for an hour over going for the next ride, with the GCCC it’s always a fairly short conversation (with myself), as in “People are expecting you to do this. You have to go with the day you have and the legs you have. And you have to do it now.”
You’ve still got a day to donate, but I would like to thank everyone who donated to my month of metric centuries. I’ll be sending an email round with the grand total as well as the amount I’ll be donating to the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society to match.
I admire your tenacity and generosity is spirit! Well done!!