me – a very emotional reunion . Day 5 , another long 88 miles to Preston - wonderful reunion with our Preston families . Managed to make it in time for the Arti at GHS Temple - was fortunate enough to be blessed by the resident priest . Ushaben and Anjuben , gave me a reiki treatment . I was tired and completely exhausted on that day . And yet , the next morning after only 3 hours of sleep , I had never felt stronger …. I knew by now that it was nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with my mind and sheer determination . Day 6 took us 91 miles to Carlisle . Today was the dreaded climb up Shap – this is a 14 mile long uphill climb out of Kendal – a real killer on those legs – And I am proud to say I climbed it … did not walk up the hill one small step …. And by now had reached half-way and I knew deep inside me , there was nothing , short of an accident , that was going to stop me . I was mentally and physically exhausted and yet somehow , strangely felt elated - could not believe that this overweight body of mine had allowed me to cycle 500 miles in the last 6 days … Day 7 we were in Scotland having cycled 96 miles on a horrendous deeply pitted road to Kilmarnock - in one week we had covered 596 miles . The pattern was established , the body was reluctantly getting used to the daily punishing , the weather was improving and we were beginning to enjoy the ride and scenery . Our 81-mile ride to Inveraray on Day 8 introduced us to the scenic delights of Scotland . When you cycle on isolated roads you hear babbling brooks , lambs bleating , the rustle of the wind , the pitter patter of rain , or the sheer force of a torrential downpour , you are listening to natures music … music we are denied when you are cocooned in a car … you may see the same scenery but you miss these wonderful aspects of nature elements … all your senses are awakened … I call this music , God ’ s music … not once on this cycle ride did I need to resort to my headphones / iPhone music .
Modern day cycling nutrition : when I last cycled long distance in the late 1970 ’ s early 80 ’ s , if you felt hungry , you stopped for a Mars bar … lunch was at a greasy roadside café …. and now we have a whole new world of nutritional science – gels to consume , white powder to add to your drink ( first time I saw it , I thought someone was about to snort cocaine !), post ride shakes for your muscle recovery etc .
Technology : My 23 year old bike , a 30th birthday present from my brother , Praful was state of the art back then - Titanium frame and carbon fibre forks …. now she is twice the weight of some of the bikes the seasoned pros were riding . They have electronic gears ( yes , you read it right …. they call it DI technology . Buttons to press to change gears ), carbon fiber ( CF ) frames , CF seat posts , CF gear changer etc .
Day 9 was a 96 mile ride to Loch Lochy - a physical test of mind and body . All of us were now feeling the effects of 9 days cumulative riding with little rest . Silly mistakes were being made . Riders clipping kerbsides and falling off , knees playing up , dinner table talk of how strong pain killing drugs are you taking … and these are the pros / the seasoned cyclists , By comparison , I seem to be holding up well - other than rubbing ibuprofen gel on my knees , calf and my back , I was OK . To put matters into perspective , the ‘ pros ’ average riding speed was 16mph and mine was 11mph . Leaving at 6:30am gave me a 90-minute head start - I knew my pace and was determined to finish each day . Day 10 brought us our greatest reward so far - the 100 mile ride from Loch Lochy to Brora was a sight to behold . Riding along Loch Ness with the sun glistening off the lake , very few cars to contend with and the glory of the mountains . It was idyllic . Day 11 was deceivingly short at 66 miles and for almost all riders it turned out to be a dark oppressive ride though the moors with 30 miles of a steady climb . Victory was in sight and on Day 12 we rode the final 20 miles of our challenge accompanied by strong headwinds into John O ’ Groats . I rode with tears streaming down my face - the odds were stacked against me and I had just made one of my dreams come true … My motivational drivers were many including the waves of support messages through social media and the donations that poured in . I am grateful to all of you who believed in me - you gave me spiritual energy - Self-determination won . You can still donate using this link : https :// www . gofundme . com / 28q8sb8 - It will also allow you to read my journeys daily blog and see lots more pictures . The total miles I cycled on LEJoG was 927 – the balance I completed at home . And the last 2 miles of my odyssey , I cycled with my wife , Nila on our tandem - she has been my rock - it was fitting to end my 1,000-mile journey together with her . I had tremendous support from all . Lessons in Life : You can achieve whatever you set your mind on … count on God ’ s kind grace , blessings , and goodwill from all . I hope my journey has inspired you in some small way . It allowed me time for reflection and contemplation , helped me re-energise and make some positive life changes subsequently .
vol . 41 | Prajapati Sandesh 2016 37