Body & mind preparations:
Although, I will confess that I have done a less than adequate job preparing myself physically for this trip, there is a mental side benefit..(I will explain). I read much on the Google about ways to prepare for such an endeavor like the GDMBR. It mentions weight training and long sessions in the saddle, riding on similar challenging conditions that I will encounter on the route, with a loaded down bike and all.. It was many of the things I dreaded to do in advance, and not the reason for doing this trip. I was not looking for drudgery, or torturing my body to the point where I was dreading doing the trip. It would have been a different situation if this had it been a race or something. Although, I am way past doing that at my age. I want to look forward to this trip, and experience an adventure at my pace.
So, I will accept that I am not in tip-top shape right now, and that I will pay the price for some of that along the way. However, I will not be “burned out” before starting on too much training, etc. I will gauge my body and energy, and adjust along the way. Maybe a day off, or more time off the saddle with a camera in hand. It is hard to tell what will happen, or if I will finish the whole route. But I am determined to make the best of it. I expect lots of “hike-a-bike” stretches on some of the steeper up and down hills.
Although I did not spend as much time on a bicycle seat in advance as the experts said I should, I did make good use of our elliptical machine in our garage. I followed a “Zone 2” training plan where you keep your heat rate within a certain range. The current road cycling world champion, and Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogaćar, does this type of Zone 2 training, so it must work for me too, right? 🤓. I also got to watch many YouTube videos on the elliptical from other folks doing Bikepacking adventures. I was inspired by many on their videography skills to capture their experiences. I would like to be half as good as some of them.
I am not afraid of suffering fatigue or soreness, but I do fear the dreaded “saddle sores”. I did suffer those on my bicycle “touring” trip to Slovenia last summer, despite having trained in the saddle quite a bit ahead of time. This can happen to anyone riding long multi day trips in the saddle. It is something that you really can’t ride through if it gets bad enough. I fear saddle sores more than the Grizzly bears I might encounter on this trip. Although I am not sure why I got them last time, I am taking a few precautions this time to improve my odds of avoiding them. We’ll see..
More later on my more favorite preparation things..
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