The battle to get a grip on my health isn’t a straight line. It has rewarding ups, but in equal amounts, It serves you with some serious bummers from time to time. That has been reflected in my writings here. But today, it’s time to celebrate.

I made it. Unsupported. Just muscle and grinding teeth. At the top, a warm feeling of pride and accomplishment filled my veins.

What seemed a far reached dream a couple of weeks ago, became more and more realistic over the past week.

A little while ago, a fellow recumbent rider told me about an event on the Ford Proving Grounds near Lommel in Belgium. It’s a day where they open the track for a free ride for all cyclists. Where usually, the track is off limits to the public, they open the gates for all to discover around 29 km of the 80 km in total the grounds have to offer.

Four days - Four rides
A ride across the border - 96 Km
A ride around town - 23,8 Km
A ride along the canals - 122,7 Km
A ride to Scherpenheuvel - 116,4 Km

Sometimes, motivation to move forward hides in unexpected corners. Often, I look at my health as my main motivation. And that is plenty of course. Especially since the results are there already.

But today I saw an article about the “Warmste Week”. That’s an annual week, organized by Belgian radio station Studio Brussel, which benefits a variety of charities. This year, the main theme is “invisible illnesses”.

From day one, I have attacked my training rides more or less in the same way. Based on how I felt before I set of, I decided how far I wanted to ride. Then I checked the weather app for the wind, and I started peddling away. I did it that way, since I prefer to start with a headwind when given the choice. Just because it’s easier on the way home. Given the wind doesn’t suddenly change direction of course.

I’ve gotten to know the bike packing community as a rather close and welcoming one in the short time i’m cruising in it. Yesterday, I posted about the steps I’m taking towards my first tour

I’ve mentioned it before. I want to go on tours one day. And if I could, I would embark on the first one today. But I’m sure it wouldn’t be the most epic ride.

While I’ve been riding a lot over the past few weeks, especially when I compare to the past 25 years, and while I’ve done so without real issues, my body tells me I have to pace myself.

Yesterday’s ride was a bit of a challenge. It had me navigate between rain showers the whole time. Belgium is known for many great things, but the weather isn’t on that list unfortunately. Especially not in spring.

Riding around the country side, I find myself traveling of the beaten path in more then one way. The ride may be the most obvious.

At the end of my most active week to date, my body firmly puts my feet back on the ground. I’ve done more than 250 km over the past 7 days. And while I’m proud of that little milestone, it also brought up some small issues. This morning I woke up to a body telling me something.