200Kms in a Week!

Mikaela

I did it!  201 grueling kilometers on my bike since last Thursday!  :D  My goal was to do 200Kms from last Thursday until this Friday (tomorrow).  What makes this goal extra challenging is that I don't have gears on my bike.  It's what's called a single speed, just like the BMX you had as a kid.  I've been riding single speed (SS) exclusively for a little over a year now.  On Thursday, I did 53Kms with my friend Bong, going to Makati and back (I live in Fairview).  Then Friday was New Year's eve, so Friday and Saturday were no bike days for me.  On Sunday, logged in 46Kms with my friend Ruelo, going to Greenhills and back.  On Monday, I did a solo bike ride to National Book Store along Congressional Avenue for a cool 15Kms.  Then I got sick... Monday night was horrible.  I was sneezing and blowing my nose and coughing.  Tuesday was worse.  I was bed ridden.  I couldn't get out of bed, and my whole body ached.  I thought my goal was done for.  Wednesday morning, I was feeling a little bit better, and I biked in the afternoon, just because I couldn't stand staying in bed for 2 whole days.  It was hard, but I managed to clock in 31Kms, going around Katipunan and Teacher's Village.  That ride made me feel a lot better.  That evening, I met up with a bunch of my photographer friends for a late Xmas get together.  I got home at around 3am and got to sleep at around 5am.  I woke up at 11, and had lunch with my brother and sister in law.  I was thinking that my goal was just a bit out of reach because Friday I would be busy with a one on one workshop.  But then my brother said "kaya yan, bike ka ngayon papuntang Makati and back." It was then I realized, yeah, no excuses.  I'll do it.

I got my gear ready, and I left the house around 2pm.  By around 3pm, I was along Gilmore.  3:45 I reached Makati.  I didn't have anywhere to go, so I just decided to visit Saguijo, one of my favorite haunts.  It's a bar with live bands along Guijo Street, and it's one of the places I feel most at home in.  I stopped to rest for about 5 minutes then started heading back.  By the time I reached Gilmore again, my back was starting to hurt.  So was my butt!  But I trudged on.  Tomas Morato, Kamuning, Kamias... Maginhawa... UP!  I stopped by Ate Vicky's (our favorite awesomest food cart outside Archi!) and ordered  a big bottle of C2 Iced Tea and a cheesy chicken burger.  I really needed that recharge!  I looked at my odometer and realized that I was still short 11Kms to reach my 200Km goal.  But the thing is, the distance from UP to my house is only around 6Kms!  So what I did was go around the academic oval (2.2Kms) twice and a half to fill in the needed mileage.  Then I started home.  By this time, my thighs were burning because of all the biking I've been doing, and partly because I had just recovered from a flu.  But of course, I HAD to get home.  So slowly but surely, I biked home.  By the time I got back (around 6:30pm), I had logged in 56.63 Kms, bringing my total to 201Kms! :D  I was stoked!  I AM stoked!  I set a goal, and I did it!  And that makes me realize that I can do so many things.  All I really have to do is put my mind to it.  Yeah, I really believe that.  Maybe I'll try for another 200Kms this coming week! :)