I am back from the cycling trip that I mentioned (blog pimping alert). Mumbai to Daman.
I started by having a black out half an hour after the start. And I have only my impatience to blame for it. At the start the trip leader was giving a brief about gears and maintaining a steady comfortable pace, it been a 2 day long trip and there was no point speeding up and getting tired early.I of course , decided there is nothing new to learn and pooh poohed his instructions and sped off in full swing , not even changing gears in the uphill,since I had no clue how to do it. 25 min of pedalling furiously ,in the full blast of the summer heat, at 12 in the noon,I stopped for a quick water break. When I resumed cycling after that, things started going horribly wrong and I could feel trucks whizzing past me.My vision was getting blurred and I couldnot hear the traffic in the highway.I could feel myself swaying. STOP before you kill yourself, my brain shouted.
And I did..and sheepishly waited for the back up car to pick me up.next one hour I was busy recovering from the shock.I had to get back on my cycle.And decided come what may, I shall not get off it till we reach our destination. And I pedalled. Some more. Yet more. It was a fight against the heat, the aching thighs, the bruised hands.
And I managed to complete 84 kms.
And now to re-live those moments as I pen it down for some magazine (which explains this half hearted post)
(left leg down,right up,left down ,right up,left….)
(the afternoon sessions were bearable)
(crossing on a ferry) Sid did around 102 kms, and is preparing for the Nilgiris cycling expedition in Nov.Refuses to take me along as he fears I might slow him down…
May 28, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Did you say 84?? I cannot even dream of one-tenth of that. You have got guts lady! Hats off to you.
May 28, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Yeah, am a bit proud of it myself,considering I have very poor stamina .
May 28, 2009 at 6:02 pm
wha???? amazing. especially in this heat.
May 28, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Now I am all enthu about doing a cycling trip in the winters (when it ought to be done).
May 28, 2009 at 8:04 pm
wow.. hats off.. you have some stamina.. wish I could do this!! but I would probably not last 5 mins!!
May 28, 2009 at 11:52 pm
I lasted 30 mins in the first stretch..
May 28, 2009 at 10:44 pm
You should have fixed up a tiny motor in your bicycle so you wouldn’t have to pedal.. (Don’t listen to me, I’m an engineer, I’m lazy and I keep trying to make life easier so I wouldn’t have to do more work..) You go girl!!!
May 28, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Oi Engineer Sahiba, can you build me some kind of protective air-conditioned covering for the whole body, which will also save me from sun burnt.I have turned a funny shade of purple now.
May 29, 2009 at 9:22 am
good going gurl!
didn’t know u biked! but, to repeat what G said there.. you go, gurl!
May 29, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Thanks
May 29, 2009 at 2:08 pm
That is brilliant!!! I can’t even imagine walking 84 kms. Even more amazed that you’re not flat in bed, but actually manage to write a post and reply to comments, which means you’re in pretty good shape.
Phew! You never know what’s coming up next on this blog!!!!
May 29, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Just you wait..Maybe next blog will announce my pregnancy !!
May 29, 2009 at 8:46 pm
impressive
May 29, 2009 at 9:27 pm
May 31, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I’ve done about 55 km at a stretch, but on a beautiful, mostly shaded bike path. How you could do that on India’s busy roads in summer, I can’t imagine.
More power to you, and please, somebody, start a campaign for bicycle paths in Indian cities. Heaven knows we need it!
Me :It was not actually busy roads, we were cycling along the coastal road passing through the odd village here and there.But there is a campaign for cycling in the city,cannot recall it right now.