Less than a week til departure.....

It is now down to 4 days until I depart.  WOW it is really going to happen!

I have been reading blogs from past tour riders and watch some videos from them.  The one thing that is becoming apparent is that this trip is far more challenging than anything that I have ever taken on.  I hope that I will be able to take on this enormous challenge.  As they all say, the trip is extremely challenging.  It is not a matter of if you will get sick, it is a matter of when, for how long, how severe and how often.  The physical demands of the trip, the sanitary conditions, the food, the water, etc. all add up to the body will be taxed to its farthest possible extent and the immune system pushed to its limits.  With that in mind, EFI (Every F*#^<ing Inch) status is extremely hard to accomplish.  But it is what I will be aiming for.

I do believe the saying....  Whatever does not kill us will make us stronger is sooooo applicable here.  I'm hoping that it is not literal though.  :)

In 4 days off to the African wilds I will go.  I hope you tag along with me.

Bike naming

It is now official... my to be trusted companion for the trip now has a name.  My customized mode of transportation for this epic adventure has a name.  My daughter came up with a name that is quite appropriate and will help me safely make this the trip of a lifetime.  The bike, she, will henceforth be known as the Green Ghi (gee) after Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists.  

Training

Training for the trip has been tough as winter set into Chicago early and strong.  This has sent my training endeavors indoors.  Last year at this time I was training for my cross country ride by doing spinning classes at a full service gym.  That was adequate at best.  Spinning classes were quite boring and tedious.  I always found myself looking at the clock and wanting the time to go quicker because it felt like exercise.  This year I found Full Psycle, a cycle spin center that is focused on cycling, much better than the gym.  They have an electronic board that you can watch your stats while you spin.  It is great to push yourself and maintain a focus.  I started by doing 3 classes a week but once I saw the calendar of miles for the trip, I quickly went to 4 per week.  Now I am doing 5 with classes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a double on Saturday.  The double is great because it gives me a drive for endurance.  All in all I will be as ready as I ever could be to take the trip on.  12 days til departure!

14 Days til departure!

It is now down to just two weeks until departure.  It is getting unbelievably close to lift off.  With that the sense of excitement and a bit of fear is swirling about.  The unknown that lies ahead is overwhelming in its scope and magnitude....  Africa from top to bottom, Wow!  It is incomprehensible to think about, 7,500 miles on a bike...  Holy s#*^!

The excitement at times is giving way to the fear, can I really do this?  In my mind I quickly respond, of course you can.  But that response is based upon an acceptance of what has been experienced and known.  This trip is far beyond anything known and certainly experienced.  So it is with blind confidence that I am embarking on a truly epic adventure; one that has been tried and done by a number of people that is measured in hundreds.  So hopefully I will join a fairly unique and select group of hardy adventurers.  Wish me luck as I will assuredly need it.

The bike is ready to go

Had a bike fitting and got the baby all set for the trip.  Tim at Village Cycle spent over 2 hours setting my bike up to get it all ready to go.  He adjusted the cleat setting on the shoes, height of the seat and handle bars, elevation of the bars as well as angle of the seat.  Just put on new wheels, new tires, new brake levers to increase brake effectiveness and cheater brakes, new cassette, new chain, new seat post, and  new stem, bottom bracket was in great shape!  The bike is ready to go and so am I!  Just 23 days to go.

28 Days until departure

It is down to only 28 days until departure.  It is hard to imagine that 4 weeks from today I will board the plane for this epic 7,500 mile adventure.  Emails have been going back and forth from other riders on the trip.  There seems to be a couple of common threads to their thoughts... 

*  All are concerned about not being "ready" for the demands of the trip.  I have upped my spinning classes to 5 days a week to compensate but that won't really have me thoroughly prepared.  I think the first week and a half to two weeks of the trip will really be the conditioning needed.  By then the aches, pains and strains will let the body know what it is in for.  Thank goodness at least the first week or so are along the Nile River valley, supposedly flat!

*  Another common concern is the reality of the magnitude of this adventure.   7,500 miles over 4 months from the top of Africa to the bottom of the continent.  Just think about that,   the enormity of this undertaking, no small feat!  As many have said, their friends and family think they are crazy.  So, I guess it is with collective insanity that we will all meet in Cairo to embark upon this epic adventure.  One that will put us in the less than 1% of the people of the earth, heck less than .01%.  

So it is with great excitement and a bit of trepidation that I look forward to what is awaiting me.  Also, for those reading this....  I will need all the encouragement that can be mustered. There will be days of awe, days of challenge, days that fly by, days that are excruciatingly long, days filled with unbelievably amazing new sites and days of pain.  Through all of these I will share all that I can and will need all the encouragement you can muster.  So, thanks in advance.

4 weeks til launch!  WOW can't wait!

Monster of a trip

I received the latest release from the Tour which included a list of mileage per day and it is going to be a monster of a trip.  

The longest day will be a 129 mile ride!  
Of the 95 days actually riding there are a total of:
63 days, two thirds of the trip are over 70 miles (not so bad...) of those:
44 days are over 80 miles (a wee stretch of the legs but doable ...) of those:
28 days are over 90 miles (starting to push it...) of those:
13 days are over 100 miles (ok, I will solidly be in the century club category and will certainly be challenged...) of those:
5 days over 110 miles (now that is getting a bit much...) and of course one of them is:
129 miles in a day (this one fits into the OMG category!)

The best (or depending on your point of view, the worst) stretch is in Botswana where in a 5 day stretch the mileage is as follows: 99, 87, 129, 101 and 99.  With any luck or maybe misdirection I could hit 4 centuries in 5 days!  Yay, or ouch!

Well wish me luck and maybe a dose of sanity.

39 Days..... and counting

it is down to 39 days until departure.  Everything is coming together.  I just received my hand built wheels for the bike.  The previous wheels I was going to use were stolen from the basement of the building.  So planB had to be put in place.  They are very sturdy and should hold up well to the varied and uncertain conditions that I will encounter over the trip.  I am going to be scheduling the bike fitting to get the bike setup for the 7,500 miles of pure pleasure that I will be experiencing.

I have to return the solar charger from REI as it is defective.  I also had to return the tent to REI as it was defective as well.  Better to find these out before than during...  😳

I have gotten my first and second round of vacination shots and looking forward (not really) to the final round next week.  My arm feels like a pin cushion, very soar from being stuck so many times (5 shots each time)!

I have been reading about the trip and the adventure.  It says the highest climb in one day is going to be over 8,000 feet.  8,000 FEET!!!  Holy quacamole!  That is a lot of climbing.  Glad I will have an 11-34 cassette with a 30 front chain ring.  As my daughter says when I start talking bicycle....  she only hears wawawawawa when I use bike terms.  

39 to go....   So close now!

49 Days to go!!!

Wow, down to 49 days until D day.  Just think 49 days from now I will be boarding a flight to Cairo.  The flight will be an ordeal.  I fly on Emirate airlines connecting through Amman Jordan and get into Cairo at 8:00 at night.  Travel time is just under 20 hours.  

Once in Egypt, I will have a couple of days to shake off the jet lag and explore the Pyramids and Sphinx before the actual kickoff of the biking on January 9th.  It is becoming very real! 

The Route

This is the route that the trip will be taking through Africa....

     Through the countries of:  Eygpt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa

African adventure food and water choices... Ho boy!

For those of you who know my epicurean tastes, I thought I would share what the tour leader sent out as a description of what our meals will be like.....

"Some highlights:

• Egyptian Falafels, Tuna and caper pizzas, Fresh fried anchovies, Crispy fried onions and veggies,
• Sudanese fresh breads, Spicy fish sandwiches, a yummy bean dish named foul (pronounced as Mr.T says “what you talking about FOOL!”)
• Ethiopian Injera; a tasty, fermented flat bread topped with delicious curried lentils, Berbere spiced lamb or goat, kitfo (Ethiopian steak tartar - not for the faint of stomach!) and other novelties.
• Kenya presents a great chance to experience a rich history of Indian cuisine. Curries and delicious chapattis await. Also Ugali (cornmeal paste) and lots of roasted goat
• Tanzanian fried chicken, mmmm.
• Fresh fish from Lake Malawi, lots more corn
• Game meats in Windhoek, Namibia. Kudu shank braised to perfection.
• South African biltong - the world's finest jerky, boerewors - perhaps the world’s finest sausage, and seafood, steaks, organic veggies, and wine galore.

• Braised beef stew with butternut squash and green beans
• Beet salad, Tomato and cucumber salad
• Barbecued chicken with potato salad, and veggies
• Spaghetti bolognese  (Ha!  Finally something I can eat!)
• Fresh fruits and energy drink

• Creole spiced sausage and okra with rice
• Curried goat stew and vegetables with chapattis.
• Soy and bean equivalents for vegetarians.

And for lunches:

• Tuna fish sandwiches
• Avocado, onion, tomato sandwiches
• Peanut butter and jam sandwiches. (Looks like I will be living on PB&J sandwiches)
• Fresh fruits and energy drink

I do believe that this will be an opportunity to either drop a couple of ten pounds or delve into a new area of culinary delight!  Like on my last trip, I just have to keep telling myself....  it is fuel, necessary to keep the engine going.  Partake and intake and then shut up and keep pedaling!  :)

And a note on the water front because after all I will be pedaling through the Sahara and the Namibian desert.....

"During the TDA we will go through stretches where water becomes our most precious resource. Typically these areas are in The Sudan, Ethiopia, Northern Kenya, Botswana and Namibia. However it can happen at any time of extreme heat. There should never be a shortage of drinking water. However, where water resources are limited, rations on using water for cleaning oneself (in bush camps) will take effect. At times this can mean that everyone is allowed 1 water bottle full to rinse themselves off. Other times we will need to keep all of our water for drinking and cooking, and so no water will be allocated for washing."  (Baby wipes, my new best friend!)

You just have to think...  It's all part of the adventure experience!  Wow, can't wait.

51 days left to departure!

Training begins

Finally training has begun.  Got out on the bike for the first time in 2 months.  Beautiful weather, in the 70s yesterday, today and supposed to be for the next 2days.  Rode only 15 miles as hand and shoulder ached.  Today was much better, did 25 miles.  Certainly am out of shape as it was hard to do and tough to keep going.  It will get better as the miles roll by.

Milepost.... Only 79 days to go!

Wow, just turned 79 days left to go!   It is coming on quickly.  Amazing how fast the days are flying by until go time.

Still not able to train for the trip.  Cast is off but very stiff and soar.  Maybe in another week.  Better be able to soon or else it will be a very tough start to the adventure.  Just received another bulletin from the tour company talking about sanitary conditions on the trip.  This is going to be a very rustic trip.  Or should I say a very back to basics and nature adventure.  Many stops will be in the middle of no where literally.  With that in mind the "facilities" will be a hole in the ground and that is all.  :(   

Need to get all the vaccinations shortly;  yellow fever, hepatitis A & B, meningitis, rabies, tetanus, polio to name a few.  Oh well, will feel like a pin cushion but better safe than sorry!

It is getting amazingly exciting!  The bike class is edifying....  so far we have covered: bottom bracket, headset, and hubs.  It was great, this past week solved a problem on my cross country bike that I didn't even know I had.  I should be able to diagnose and triage a good number of problems after this class.  Certainly will come in handy.

Have the new (used) bike for the trip.  Will be able to use it this week in class for brakes and shifters.  Nice steel 843 bike with bar end shifters for easier maintenance, 40mm tire capabilities, 53,39,30 Triple and will be putting an 11-34 9 speed cassette on her.  Should be able to handle just about anything Africa could throw at her.

Just broke the 90 day mark! Only 89 days left until kickoff!

It is hard to imagine but it is now only 89 days left til the trip starts!  I have broken the 90 day mark and now have less than 3 months until trip start.  Still have not been able to do any training as my hand is still in a cast and shoulder still very sore.  Hopefully will get the cast off this coming Thursday.  Then I should be able to get out on the bike.  Hopefully.....

Another setback...  the bike I originally bought to ride the trip was stolen out of the basement of the building.  This sets me back as I need to now get a new set of wheels, literally.  But on a good note, I have signed up for a 6 week class on how to repair your bike.  Week one was this past Sunday, bottom bracket repair.  It was a great class.  By the end of the 6 weeks (18 hours) I should be able to do or at least understand everything about a bike.  Just what I need to be able to keep going on the Africa trip.

89 days and counting!!!  It is getting very exciting!

Milestone.... 99 Days left to go!

It's amazing that I am now down to only 99 days to the beginning of the trip!  Just received a bulletin from Tour d'Afrique with hotel information and airport pickup stuff.  It is becoming very real!  

The bulletin included a comment on the Ebola outbreak.  It asked ... "Is the first question that everyone asks you when you say you are going to Africa, what about Ebola?"  Yes, that is the first thing everyone says.  Or more appropriately, most people say, You can't go there....  Can you get your money back???   My answer is I don't want my money back, I want the adventure of a lifetime!   And that is exactly what I have in store for me.  As the bulletin states, Ebola is not in anyone of the 10 countries we will be cycling through as well as it is not airborne and can only be contracted through direct contact of bodily fluids.  

My cycling buddy from the cross country trip, Montana Mike, visited this past weekend.  He was driving across the country in a car he just bought.  He is the only person who is of like mind and full support of the epic adventure.  As he said, this is a trip of a lifetime and he only wished he could do it as well.   thanks Mike!

Only 99 days left until pedaling down the length of Africa!   CAN'T WAIT!

115 Days and counting

Well, I am down to 115 days and counting....  Had an email from the tour organization today, in it they mentioned 3 times that this is the longest, toughest long distance bike trip/race in the world!  Makes you think.... the longest bike tour challenge in the world!   Hmmmm, what in the world made me sign up for this?!  I certainly could plead temporary insanity.  Everyone I speak to has said you have to be crazy to do this.
But why not tackle the biggest challenge in the world?!  Once you knock down the biggest challenge in the world, the rest of the challenges that you face will just fall in place.  Right???!

Sure wish I could be riding and training for it.  Still sidelined with hand in a cast.  :(

119 Days until show time!

It is now 119 days until the beginning of the epic adventure!  

This will be as all the documentation from the company says...  The ultimate challenge both mentally and physically.  It is the longest bike trip in the world.  No hill for a climber, right?!

Training for the ride is postponed for 6 weeks due to rotator cuff repair and cast on hand.  Oh well, just makes it that much more challenging.