Cycling over 2,000km solo is going to take its toll on my soul and my mental fortitude. There’s no denying that cycling for days on end is tough and there have already been many ups and downs.
Some days I feel I am cycling for hours on end and going nowhere, there are some (brief) moments when I just want to get off my bike, throw it in the river and be done with it.
Other days I feel like this is exactly what I should be doing and I couldn’t be happier.
Staying motivated
Motivation is absolutely crucial for a long trip like this and I would be nowhere without it.
I’ve found the most useful way to motivate myself is to visualise the finish line. I see myself in Tunisia, with the biggest grin in the world on my face and in utter disbelief that I actually made it. I imagine hugging my friend, drinking a Tunisian beer (I hope that’s a thing) and rewarding myself with an unending amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. Not a beige foodstuff in sight.
When the going gets tough (as it often is in the afternoon) I listen to music through my Shokz bone conduction headphones. I admit I have been cynical of riding with headphones in the past, simply because I worried about not hearing the sounds of the world around me, but these are an absolute game-changer.
OK, so things are bad – I’m tired, thirsty and hungry – so I whack on a tune and I have a bit of a dance on the bike. It really helps me get out of a funk and it reminds me that cycling is fun.
I also read a piece of advice on Twitter (I wish I could remember who said this) about smiling. It sounds weird, but sometimes just smiling to myself gives me a real boost. I’ve been thinking recently about how smiling might be one of the best things we humans do.
The last thing in my motivation pot is remembering how far I’ve come, all the reasons why I’m doing this, and how lucky I am to be out here seeing the world by bike.
Being mentally aware
As it’s been absolutely scorching and I’ve been using up a lot of energy, I am conscious of making sure I am still in a fit state to ride.
One of the ways I do this is by testing my mental state.
I do a lot of (simple) maths, most of which involves working out how much longer I have to go and various other sums related to how far I’ve come, at what kilometre I last ate and how many times 30 goes into 145.
Another one is asking myself trivia questions which I should know the answer to.
These include capital cities, countries beginning with letters of the alphabet, and – my personal favourite – where the sun rises and sets.
I am ashamed to admit there have been a few times when I haven’t been able to find these answers as the brain fog has been real.
Then it’s time for food, water, and a reset.
thanks for the blog of your adventure, the mental side of riding alone is often overlooked, the realisation you cannot do simple sums is always a slight worry, but easy to fix. Keep smiling!