THE NEVER-ENDING 100 KM

This morning, I set out on a cycling trip to Đông Giang with a pretty neat plan: ride all the way to Tư commune, turn back to stop by Trung Man market, grab my usual glass of mixed sweet soup at a familiar stall, then head home. The total would clock in nicely at 100 km, just enough to complete my June Gran Fondo.

But, as always, plans are just… plans.

After grinding my way up 9 grueling kilometers of steep climbs, I had to turn back, not wanting to deal with the hassle of health declarations at the Đông Giang COVID checkpoint.

On the way back, under the blazing midday sun, I passed by the Hoa Stream. Its cool, inviting waters were too tempting to resist. So, I took a dip, pulled out my sticky rice snack, devoured it, then lay back on a large, shaded rock next to two amusing giraffe statues, and dozed off for a while.

Suddenly, the sky darkened — a storm was clearly brewing.

And then came the downpour. Thunder, lightning, the full package. I ducked into a roadside stall and waited out the storm for over two hours.

By the time I reached the Hòa Cầm overpass, Strava coldly informed me I’d only covered 74 km. What?! Still 26 km short of the goal. So, I pushed on, soaked through in the drizzle, determined to complete the ride.

It was past 4 p.m. when I finally made it home. I’ve done hundreds of Gran Fondos before — rides of 100 km or more — but this one? This one really dragged on like no other!

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Mr. Old Man, 6 June 2021