Heeeyho Readers! Another one of those training days.
The sun finally rose after a week of rain and wind (a cyclone to be more precise).
Training volume plunged last week. The only cardio exercise was done at the swimming pool plus one hour of pure torture on an exercise bike. I'm not a fan of indoor cycling, but, when the weather is pitiful, there's no other option.
Also, I may have stepped a bit into over-training territory. Never before have I had such terrible back/neck stiffness and headaches. It happens sometimes to about 60% of cyclists, although it should disappear after a good night's sleep — not my case for a few days. Anyways. Seeing a doc just to make sure everything is fine. And keeping up with the stretching routine, et cetera.
What matters in today's post is Sunday's mountain-biking ride — call it ass-whooper, to say the least. Makes me think that I really need a gravel bike for longer stuff. You know... lighter, faster, less fatiguing.
We decided to go for the "leave early in the morning, come back late afternoon" plan. Pristine Sunday, behaved winds. Our compass was set to the other side of the lagoon where new routes awaited.
The ferry raised the ramp just as we arrived, delaying our departure in about one hour. We couldn't complain when none had obligation to come back home any time soon. The water was so clear that jelly fish are everywhere.
The old port view from the ferry. Out of curiosity, I dug the internet archives in search of more information about the old cranes, but couldn't find anything. That's an invite to the city's port museum. The only info around states that the port itself is from 1915 (called the old port). Well... considering the "new" port is the second largest in Brazil, it's quite disappointing lack of websites with a complete history.
After much wandering we decide to visit the lighthouse. I can see the flashes of light coming from the lighthouse a few miles away from where I live at the beach, although never visited the place.
Just around the corner there's the Church of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem. The simple Portuguese building dates back to 1851 and the name honors the sea workers who risked their lives crossing the "untamed bay". It's worth noting that the breakwaters that 'tamed' the entrance from the sea to the lagoon only happened around 1910, so in the 19th century entering the lagoon was quite a challenge.
In the end I totaled 133 kilometers on the mountain-bike — quite the volume. Of course we had to race on the way back, since the wind was pushing us slightly. It's not ideal to accelerate after such a long ride, but it's fun nonetheless.
Such bicycle rides makes me want to build a DIY gravel bike. It would be faster without compromising the ability to tackle vicinal unpaved roads. Not that long rides aren't doable on a mountain-bike; it's just a tad boring to sit for five hours, hence the ass-whooper title {laughs}.
I hope you've enjoyed this post and even better if you feel inspired to go out there and explore on two wheels.
Peace.
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Disclaimer: The author of this post is a convict broke backpacker, who has travelled more than 10.000 km hitchhiking and more than 5.000 km cycling. Following him may cause severe problems of wanderlust and inquietud. You've been warned.
