What does it take to ENJOY a 440km Bike Ride?

What does it take?

Well, first of all, motivation, because its gonna hurt.

Second, more motivation, because its gonna take awhile, and the vast majority of the time, you'll be alone. Just you, your thoughts, and (hopefully) some glorious natural scenery flowing by...

Lastly, a lot of water. In Thailand, it tends to be warm.



Of all the things I am enjoying in my mind, I will just list the details of this one crazy fact for now -

I just weighed myself - 65.2kg.  I left, at 68.7, Which means that in the past 36 hours I have lost 3.5kg (almost 8lbs).  I kept track of my liquids, actually for this ride I was trying to get more calories by way of liquid than I ever have on a long ride before. Very interesting results!

So on top of water, I was also drinking a coconut pretty much every time I saw a stand, and also Taan-fruit juice (very sweet liquid that is bottled here), and then I also had 5 dry packets of electrolyte powder/salts to try and keep all those liquids working inside throughout the day.

For a very straightforward detail, I drank almost 5 gallons of liquid, and I only peed 4 times.

I won't forget that one.
Another quick little number detail, from the hours of 10am until the end of the ride (at 4pm), the average temperature was 38C (100F). Before that of course, it was also warm. But whew that Thai sun was smiling down on me :)



Few more details...
I stopped a total of 9 times over the 24 hours of riding (but one of those times was to sleep for 4 hours, so thats more than just a 'stop' for sure. It is though, included in that number 9).

During the entire day, I only had one actual 'meal,' meaning one plate of rice, veggies, and 2 fried eggs. Besides this I had a few Clif bars, a few packets of peanuts, and two caffeine gels. So most of the calories I used really did come in liquid form. It did feel 'lighter' on the bike, but it was definitely pressure on the mid-section to be drinking that much while fighting into the wind, trying to drink two bottles every hour (plus a coconut every other hour).



LIQUIDS:
Six bottles of 1.5L, Three of 1.2L, and Two bottles of 0.6L = Total of 13.8L of mineral water.

13.8L, (equal to 3.65 Gallons), which weighs 13.8kg (nearly 30 pounds of water)! And I still lost 3.5kg! Next time you see 4 Gallon cartons next to each other, think how long it would take to drink all of them.

But that's still not all I needed to drink!

Besides mineral water, I also had 9 fresh coconuts, 2 bottles of Taan sugar water, and 1 gatorade-type drink.  That totals to about 3.5L of more liquid (almost another whole Gallon of liquid).

**Scroll down to the end to see the full ride notes in more detail.

Of course there are a lot of cool little stories that come up, out on the bike alone for 24 hours in the countryside... and thats really why I do it. The health side of things is just a bonus.

Finally, a big benefit of reading someone else's blog is that you can just learn, laugh, (experience none of the muscle soreness) and look at all the pretty photos!

So Enjoy, and have a wonderful day :)

By 6pm it was already getting dark but the Sunset I got to witness was simply breathtaking. It was definitely a challenge to maintain focus on the very small shoulder on the road ahead of me, two way traffic, when this guy was literally exploding next to me.

Departure was a gentle ride down a road I know well, uneventful but with a gentle headwind the entire way. In this situation, you try to keep the heart rate down, and the legs moving steady. I managed 20 mph for two hours here, then stopped for a coconut.

Almost done...

And the Finale!!

Wrong road, Ha! Man there are so many red lights rounding the Roi-Et bypass, I went one too far. I had to turn back a few kms to start on the first leg of the dinosaur

After this, darkness begins, and I stop for coffee (and to charge my lights before the next hours of riding, yes, coffee, at 6:30PM)

Unfortunately for the idea of pushing on to the main town, my lights were already low in front. I stopped for coffee at the 95 km mark, gotta love Amazon Cafe everywhere, and they stay open until 7 PM. Got to charge the front light, then set off into the real darkness. In this area the roads are still nicely paved, but not much traffic - so a lot of stretches with no lights but mine. It’s also entirely a rice farming area also so unless there’s a mega corporation for which a road will magically present itself in full 6-lane glory, there will usually be just a single lane each way and no shoulder.

Dangerous for sure.

For most of the section from Roi Et town to At-Samart, at least there are several small villages with lights, which one can use to move section by section. Black, but you can see lights in the distance, make it to the lights very happily, then darkness again and... leap-frogging (reminds me of several other crazy rides!)

So strangely humid.  This is at about 8:30PM now, and I have had enough.  I will press on to the town of KutChum, and find a room. (means about 2 more hours of riding, hopefully the weird humidity will go down before then)

Tonight though, SO weird. Very sorry to see smoke and/or fog, the ENTIRE way. Insane, and very uncomfortable, but also dangerous. My glasses were so steamy I had to stop about once every 10 minutes to wipe them. Weird at first, then just annoying. Dogs coming out to 'play' as well, made this part quite dangerous.

At around kilometer number 102 there were about 10 guys with headlamps driving their motorbikes slowly up and down both sides of the road looking for something in the bushes (maybe mudfish?) all of them of course looked at me as I rode past, just a crazy swing of lights, both of us looking at each other, haha...

I finally made it to 4022, perfectly paved but super dark but I’m sure this one will not be any traffic so slow and steady .

Stopping to dry off.  While its NOT raining.  Hilarious situation here, almost forgot about this one!  I was alone, enough to prop my bike in front of 3 urinals and not mind taking the space... but then suddenly every single one was full, and a huge line had formed!  A pair of buses had pulled in, everyone ran out to pee.  As one guy passed and asked in Isaan language "Ok, wheres this guy going?"  And I also responded in Isaan, several of them started laughing, all asking me questions.  Got to have a great laugh together at who knows what hour of the night, who knows where, just a random truck stop for them and a random pee break for me, such a boost though to have surprise connections like that along the way.

My phone screen was so sweaty that I literally couldn't work it no matter what I did.  Some of the guys took photos, unfortunately I have none.  But it was great, and they helped me finish the ride off with a smile :)

A casualty I witnessed on the trip. Young dogs playing on the road-side, not respecting just how fast a late-night truck may move :-( I have seen it several times before, but never so close! I was even spattered by some blood, it was sad.

My single plate of food for the trip.

350 Baht per night, there was only one option.  So thankful that they decided to give me my own unit (they just locked off the other rooms, and let me in the family villa)

TV, who needs that?  But I do need both power outlets to recharge my light batteries.  Nice!

After 4 hours sleep and a Clif bar, ready to go!

The best part of any day.  Right before the sun comes up.

Got lucky with the sunset last night, and look at the sunrise!! Rays of color, flowing over the monster Yang Na trees.  Gorgeous.

I love the rubber-plantation roads (when they're not covered in mud).  They give some of the most unique feelings sometimes, hard to describe, a bit eerie at times, but I love it.

This was my 3rd mistake, drawing the mouth of the dinosaur, I should have turned Left.  Instead I turned right, and so my Dino only has an emotionless head-outline.  I wanted it to be smiling!

Young monk walking barefoot on the immaculately paved blacktop.

So tough to ride directly into the sun like this, thankfully it was only for about 15 minutes.

Just had to turn back for a snap of this little guy.  What a Super claw!!!  He even raised it to defend himself, I hope he made it.

Almost to the town of Nong Pok, finally I can have breakfast! (which consisted of another coconut, electrolytes, and a lot of water.  But hey, these are the most useful things!  No time for rice!)

Made it to Selaphum, just 100km remaining (340km down)

Had a great long chat with these ladies, they had just opened the shop.  Amazon Cafe is always good in that I know exactly what they have and what will come, and quickly, but these family run businesses are of course what I prefer. She gave me free passion fruit ice cream and we chatted about life in Esaan... :)

Another few rounds of this combo here to get me home.  I went back to check the riding computer info, for the final 6 hours of the ride the AVERAGE temperature was 38C.  Insane.  At least I wasn't sweating over nothing...

Passed this road to finish my first solo 400, only fitting that I use it as the home stretch of this one as well.  I can honestly say though, I felt much better after this one, definitely stronger, and this one I rode an extra 40km on top of the 400km...so it was even more fun?

Same mirror as 24 hours ago, but I have a 'clean' shirt on! Gives quite a boost to the spirits to have a fresh kit (after a shower, oh now thats nice if you can get one!) with which to start the 2nd leg.

OK.
And for the Nutrition Info :)

(Before riding, massive bowl of oatmeal, then fruit, then coffee, then rice and more fruit. Total about 1800Calories)

(Sep 20)

Riding

Left at 3pm 

- 1.2 liters water

Short stop to buy a new front headlight

Short stop at 60km for a coconut (50Cal)

-1.5 liters water

Long stop at 90km to have coffee banana (80C) and a granola bar (180C)

- 1.5 liters water

Short stop at 140km to have a coconut (50C) and a soy milk (220C), and dates (100C)

- 0.8 liters water

Night stop at 180km, had rice, veggies, 2 eggs (500C), soy milk (220C), and Taandrink (140C)

- 1.2 liters water

(Sep 21)

Breakfast Clif bar (270C) and dates (100C)

- 1.2 Liters water

(while riding, caffeine gel (100C))

Long stop at 270km, had big coconut water (250C) and peanuts (220C).

- 1.5 liters water

Short stop at 315km, had coke (180C)

- 0.8 liters water

Long stop at 350km, had coffee, ice cream (100C), pocari sweat (100C), banana (80C)

- 1.5 liters water

Short stop at 380km, had coconut (50C)

- 1.5 liters water

(while riding, energy gel (100C))

Short stop at 415km, had coconut (50C), Taandrink (180C), and biscuits (100C)

- 1.5 liters water

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