Today once again not much climbing, but 185 k to ride.
The scenery was the same as yesterday without the elephants, although we remained hopeful all day that we would spot one.
Nata Lodge to Bush Camp
At 98 km we called into another camp called Planet Baobab for a cold drink. The camp had a giant Baobab tree.
Gerry and his group came past us a few times and growled at us (like a wildcat) and then we would sprint past and try and stay in front for a few kilometers. It helped the time pass but after the 4th time I was out of sprints and still 70 km to go.
185 km is a long way to ride. I play a number of mind games to help me manage, such as only focus on the distance from camp to lunch, then break that into 4, then focus on the next stop after that, rather than trying to focus on the whole day.
Another is to think about what I have done every year from 1-57, or years if it is a climb and I am going slow.
If all else falls and I am really struggling, then I set a time I can stop for my next drink of water. Despite having biked many kilometers, I still have not managed to master the trick of being able to reach down, get my water bottle, open it, drink, and put it back, so to drink I have to stop and get off my bike. Because of this I tend to drink a whole bottle at a time. I don’t have a great sense of balance which I suspect is behind this.
Finally, we got to the bush camp – there were no shower or toilets. For dinner was Tofu fettuccine, beetroot, and rice.
Bush Camp, watch out for the elephants walking past at sunset
Kaye's Awesome Adventures 