I was all set to go this morning and timed the departure to be just after the local peak traffic period with school runs etc. Saying goodbye to my awesome wife Carla and our cats is never easy, especially when she only just got back from a trip herself.
Off I went down the back local roads, the bike felt good and everything was running as smooth as silk, but there was a bit of a headwind right from the start. I always get terrible anxiety leading up to the start of a big challenge like this, but it quickly disapears as soon as I actually get going, so it was nice to be on he move finally after so much planning an preperation.
Getting out from a big city on a bike always has its challenges, and Melbourne is no exception even when one lives on the fringes. But after a couple of hours I was out in the fields west of Melbourne and heading gradually uphill and into that wind. It could be a mental thing but the pannier bags felt like sails resistant to forward movement, so it was a bit of work. Probably, I just need to get used to the heavier bike...
About 50 km in my old ankle injury started getting sore and I stopped at a bus shelter to check it out. And it was not good. After that stop, I couldn't put my body weight on it. The shoe felt all tight so I switched to thinner socks and removed the brace I was using. Hmm better but still not good.
Due a lunch break, I could either keep going but the only town on my route with a shop for water, was still 25km away and up hill. Or, I could detour off rote and go 4km downhill where there was a general store. I had no water left, so kind of had to take this option.
But getting back on Beatrice I had trouble even clipping in to the pedals…this is really not good.
With the darkest possible thoughts in my mind I got to the general store, got a coffee and some water and tried to think things through clearly. I msg'd my wife with an update. First thoughts were I would try and keep going, get to Ballarat and sleep on any decision. I could get a train back to Melbourne in the morning if it is still no good...Ballarat was the lats place on the trip with an easy way of getting backt o Melbourne.
So I tried to get back on Beatrice, clipped in in great pain and tried a few pedal turns going just KM down the road. Nope...there is just no way I should be riding solo anywhere remote like this…so with great shock realised I just have to abort this trip while I still can safely.
It's difficult to write any more about this so I will leave it here for now, and am awaiting a rescue from my wife, followed by a Dr visit tonight.
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The Next Day
I aggrevated a chronic sprain from last year. Although I have ridden some 7000km since that injury, perhaps it never fully healed and I had felt some warning signs leading up to this trip. It must be the heavy workload of a touring bike that is the difference. I'm told no cycling at all for 3 weeks, and back to physio followed by a potential visit back to the surgeon.
I am so gutted, so much prepation went into this, but it was the right call to pull out. Now I've got to decide what to do with this time off work, or to go back.
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