It returned, that familiar sinking feeling. The abrupt loss of momentum and the accompanying wobble of failing balance. Curse it as you may, loose sand is the constant foe of the cyclist and my first few days riding across Belorussian country lanes was drifting in it.
Under normal conditions in Belarus, I'd be worried about getting rained on and caked in mud. But weeks with little rain left the collective-farm-filled countryside parched, the gravel lanes churned into beach-sand thanks to the traffic during the hay harvest.
Pedal on. Bike touring is like that. Once you set your mind to a goal, a loop, an arbitrary A to B then just get on with it.
I had time, so the pace didn't matter
Eight days to get from Brest to Minsk is hardly a harried timeframe, even with all the zigs and zags of my proposed route. But I was alone and pushing myself. Maybe I'll get better at stopping to 'smell the roses' as I grow older. For now, however, there is a certain masochistic thrill in the big days, the epic days – to impress someone, to hurl myself outside of the comfort zone, or who knows why.
By the fourth day, I was warmed up
It takes a few days to make it routine. To strip down to simply what is needed to ride long distances. Stay on route, keep moving forward, top up with cold water often, and remember to buy beer before the small village shops close. Keep eating and keep cool.
Those last two were the quickest lessons to re-learn. The hotter it is, the less I want to eat and the more I rely on cold sodas for simple carbs.
After 100 miles things change
A thousand yard stare greets strangers and the dull fog of ache settles. At least it is still daylight. Mantras come and go, each one guides me through another few miles.
There was a long stretch of Bob Seger. Ideas come and go, pain points flash and fade. The longer I ride, the more exposed my mood becomes to the environment around me. After a quick stop at a village shop just before closing, my route ducked into the forest, the broken asphalt gave way to smooth dirt, and the cool fragrance of tall pines put new life back in my legs for the last 20km.
For those that are keen on the data, I like to set my laps to 10 miles on tour to see how my speeds average out throughout big days:
The Final Leg
After the 125 mile epic on day four finished off with a meager dinner of beer and sausage, the last day was a slog. I decided to just put my head down and blast out the 90 miles back to home on the paved and most direct route. The winds were with me so there was no great effort needed thankfully.
This is just the first leg in what I've planned as a full loop around the country.
Important Statistics: Brest to Minsk via Narach.
- 5 riding days
- 417 miles
- ~7 cokes
- Countless waffles
- 3 dog inspired sprints
Stay tuned for the next leg(s) of the #TransBLR Loop.
Tour de France coverage coming SOON!
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