This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/randonneuring by /u/aedes on 2025-01-20 14:43:46+00:00.
Those night shifts were some of the least offensive ones I’ve worked in a long time. I’ll aim to post all the remaing parts this morning.
Memoirs of a Rabbit
Part 6: The Slithy Toves
I wake up a few minutes before my alarm goes off at 2am, and I feel alert. Nowhere near as groggy as yesterday. And I feel like I could eat. So I head downstairs with my bike, eat a proper “breakfast,” then hit the road.
It is dark, and a bit cold, maybe 12C. There are still lots of riders on the road, though not like it was last night, and there are people asleep in ditches everywhere. Including in some questionable places, like with their heads less than a foot away from the edge of the road.
My recollections here are few and far between like every other time I’ve ridden in the dark.
I remember looking up at the stars at one point.
5am comes along and it is noticeably colder, especially in the valleys between hills where the fog is collecting. I’m uncomfortably cool for the first time and have to do-up my jersey and vest zippers, and would almost prefer something on my arms. As the sky starts to turn grey on the horizon the fog deepens, and I can barely see twenty feet in front of me. Glasses mist over. Red lights rise ahead, front lights fade behind. Just the sounds of my breathing, drivetrain purring.
Then it’s Tinteniac at the grey-part of dawn, where I get a bowl-full of coffee, soup, and hamburger steak and potatoes. Apparently the perfect thing for breakfast. Stomach is less angry at me today in general and is tolerating maltodextrin-drinks again. I can tell I’ve been on the bike too much these past two days because I struggle to walk when I’m off the bike now. Not due to pain or stiffness, but due to balance, like with sea-legs. I’m liable to fall over if I’m not careful, and have to hold onto the railing to not suddenly sway while standing. Even doing that I lose my balance once or twice while in line.
I’m cold now from not biking but warm up quickly once I start pedalling again. The sun is on my side of the horizon now and the fog starts to break. No time for pictures, I’m in a flow state (or delirious) and all that exists in my world is riding. Shortly after leaving Tinteniac I notice a French rider from the wave after me and we’re riding at similar speeds, so we continue together. A couple other riders briefly hang with us, but they all seem tired and can’t keep up for long.
Left Achilles’ starts to hurt though.
Like problem hurt.
It’s worse with standing, harder efforts, and pedaling while on the aerobars, so I deliberately slow down and have to leave my French friend. End up in Fougeres and it’s late morning and sunny. Time off the bike and a Tylenol make my Achilles feel normal, and I start riding again. Soon I’ve run into French dude and we’re back riding together… but nope, Achilles comes back with a vengeance. I slow down and he slows down too – no don’t do that!
“Vous allez! Je ne pas rapide! (Gesture at ankle).”
He understands and is concerned whether I’ll be ok.
“I will be ok. It’s only 300km. Allez, Allez!” and laugh and wave him forwards, so he smiles and goes on his way.
In my mind I can get through 300km of anything, but my Achilles has other ideas.
I’ve never had problems with it before, but it is loudly proclaiming dissatisfaction with this situation. I start to wonder whether I’m simply causing pain versus actual damage. And how much damage I’m willing to do to myself to finish this thing. Start reflecting on the natural history of Achilles tendon injuries and in a worst case scenario how I’d feel about having to seek medical care for a tear while in France. Consider whether stuffing some leaves or something under my heel might help. Or maybe I can splint the ankle in plantar-flexion with some sticks and zip-ties.
Pain is worsening and is so much worse with climbing. Unfortunately there are still endless hills.
Unbearable.
Thinking more about it, I think some of the toe flexors span the ankle joint too, so maybe if I flex my toes when I pedal that will help. It actually does, but only for maybe 15 minutes. Now it’s even worse.
Do I need to just quit at this point?
I still have over 24-hours in hand, and maybe 250k to go, so I could always stop early, take the rest of the day and night off completely, then ride the last bits tomorrow.
But I’d promised my kids that I would be back by Thursday.
…I still need to get to the control at Villaines at least though. I guess I can limp there at like 10kph. But now I can’t pedal at all with the left leg, it hurts too much. So I spend the better part of an hour with my left leg unclipped, pedaling only with my right leg.
As this is going on my shifting has been deteriorating. It still works, but the front derailleur is sad and sometimes takes 5 minutes to change gears. And the rear derailleur drops the chain a bit while shifting sometimes.
Then while climbing a hill at like 7kph there is a loud clunk and I physically can’t pedal forwards. I unclip rapidly and manage to avoid falling over. The chain has dropped completely so I put it back on and get back on the bike.
I try to pedal but now my jersey has somehow gotten stuck on my saddle, so I have to stop again and unhook it.
I get on yet again, and there is another loud clunk and I can’t pedal at all.
This is a sign.
I should take a rest for a minute and just think and focus. I am so far down into my own mind I am being stupid and not paying attention.
Looking at my chainring I finally realize what’s happened. The chain has somehow ended up on both chain rings at the same time – it starts on the big one, then does a “zed” going back on itself for one link, then starts on the little chain. That’s fucking weird. Try and pull it off but I can’t. It’s stuck really good like this. Try with two hands but it’s still not working.
Stare at it for a few seconds, then decide to use the old hack of just kicking the stupid fucking thing, and it gets unstuck.
The shifting is… even somewhat worse after this, but still not a huge issue. Take a minute to collect myself. I just need to get to Villaines and then I can rest and make some decisions. That’s about two hours of riding. I can do that. But I’m in a really bad mental space, so it’s time to put on some tunes.
Let’s go.
The music makes a big difference and things start to feel much better. The ankle hurts less too – that’s suspicious. How much of this was just in my mind? But this is taking a long time. How far away is Villaines? There’s just climb after climb after climb… and this particular climb is fucking hot. And long. Holy shit. I’m almost there though, just keep going. This is the second time I’m hearing this song… that means it’s been over two hours… but finally there is Villaines. But where is the control. Why is the control so far away from the sign saying I’m in Villaines? Oh there it is. But wow is it busy. It’s full of local people. It’s loud, someone is saying something on a microphone, there’s music, I can’t focus. Where do I put my bike. I’ve been here before why am I lost. Oh there’s a spot. Careful getting off the bike. Oh it’s hard to stand. Right take things out of the saddle bag. Where am I. Where am I going? Right those stairs are familiar, go there. What am I doing. Control. Need stamp. Almost fall over. There go that way. Get stamp. (Volunteers staring at me with concerned faces.) Are you ok? Smile. Yes I’m ok. Food. That way. I know this routine. Croissants. Coke. Orangina. Sit down. Drink Coke…
…Oh…
…This is not normal…
…I’m really hot.
My faculties start to come back a little bit and I take in my surroundings.
It’s really fucking hot out. I am really hot, too hot. That’s the problem here.
I continue to drink cold fluids and continue to feel better and my thinking and concentration improve. I legit really need to cool down a lot and ASAP.
I chug my drinks and stand up to go outside to the water station where I can soak myself and lie down in the shade. I can stand and walk again without balance issues at this point. I completely douse myself in cold water, then lie down in some grass in the shade and close my eyes. I tell myself it’s ok if I fall asleep here for a bit if I need to. I drift off for maybe a minute, but then I’m wide awake again. I can’t fall asleep, so I just keep lying there to cool down and rest, but eventually I’m shivering and it’s time to get going.
It is absolutely boiling out, why hadn’t I noticed this earlier? Like more than 35C in the shade, let alone on the tarmac in the sun. I know the early signs of heat stroke in myself very well, having had issues with it on a number of occasions. I get into a really bad mood and start to get a headache… oh right. I’d taken …
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