Stokmarnes – Buknesfjord

Day 4

103.46km / 851m climb

Learning point from today. 103.45km is a long, long, long way. At an unseasonably 27^oC, the heat burned our skin, roasted our tired limbs and sapped our energy. I started the day with low energy levels which didn’t bode well for the scale of the challenge we were to tackle. The reason for this low energy starting point was the previous days 90km bike ride followed without rest by a 5km kayak session, quite possibly 7km due to my rowing technique which saw me zigzag the water with rarely a discernible straight line.

I awoke this morning, not only exhausted but to find the prospect of a 100+km day was quite overwhelming. Already anxious about the distance, the heat, my stamina or lack of it, I then got wind of a treacherous bridge within the first five miles and high winds. Before I knew it, I had catastrophised my way to a scenario that saw me being blown off the bridge or under the wheels of a juggernaut. When I started to contemplate which would be the worst, I thankfully got a grip of myself, stopped procrastinating and set off with a small group.

The bridge, busy and not in anyway lending itself to safe cycling, saw many of us walk our bikes over. Mission accomplished, first obstacle of the day overcome without trauma. The first 20km passed quickly and easily, a little hillier than our brief had suggested but manageable. The next 25km took us all by surprise. The hills seemed relentless, steep and significantly more than we had anticipated, culminating in our arrival at the home of one of our team members, Steiner and his wife, Lina. They had invited the whole team for lunch and what an amazing experience it was. With help from a few friends from their local Parkinson’s support group and some family members, they had cooked a wonderful feast for all of us. I could quite happily have stayed there all day but after an hour in this beautiful setting, we set off to cover the remaining 66km.

Despite the incredible surroundings, I could not forget for one second, the pain my saddle sores were causing or my tired, aching limbs. It was a long, slow 66km, peppered with frequent stops, encouraging words and lots of jelly babies. It was nearly 7pm when we arrived at our chalets. Our now regular routine, shower, wash kit, recharge everything electrical, eat dinner and flop into bed. Only to repeat the same tomorrow.

Despite our aches, pains, saddlesores and exhaustion, the team spirits remain high as we cajole, support and encourage each other ensuring that the whole team managed to complete another challenging day. Strange though it might sound, we really look forward to it!