The Most Tiring Day of My Life

22nd February, 2009 - The Most Tiring Day of My Life (So Far). We (a team of 15 from my college mountaineering club) went on a bicycling trek. Our destination was a dam off the Bangalore-Mysore highway 40 kms away from the college. Us seniors (Experienced ones. 3 of us), decided to get everyone to assemble in college at 0630 hours so that we could be off by 0800 hours (Experience had taught us that - more the people involved, the later you started off). For all our planning, it was 0830 hours when we set off. High spirits and heavy backpacks. The onward journey included 3 breaks for coconut water ( the roadside coconut sellers were really happy that day). 3 breaks for repairs ( 2 punctures and a cycle which locked itself! The lock had to be taken apart by yours truly with only a pair of cutting pliers and a monkeywrench). Puppy joined us three quarters into the journey. On his bike! With a girl! So not fair! He gets the comfort of a bike and the company of a girl. Turned out she was his high school classmate. I didn't get to speak much with her cause I was mostly out of breath with all the pedalling. But, going by Puppy's usual choice of girls, I'd give her two thumbs up anyday. It took us close to 3 hours to reach the dam site. I made really good time the last 8 kms or so. It was a dirt road with white dust that flies up in a cloud behind you and rocks embedded in it. I raced on the stretch. On a straight, smooth road, I'm pretty slow because my cycle's pretty heavy, even with all the weight reduction I personally have carried out (Weight reduction involves randomly pulling out or unscrewing parts and chucking them). Anyway, on this dirt track, I made good time. By the time I reached the dam site, the others who were with me were a good 2 kms behind. We jumped into the water straight away. Man, was it good! We sat there in the cold water with the water upto our necks just relaxing after the gruelling ride in the hot sun that doesn't seem to realise that February is still winter. The spot is a beautiful place. We sat by the water and ate a lunch of sorts (involved a lot of cucumbers, biscuits and water). 'Round about 1500 hours, we set off on our return journey after I went about my duties as unofficial mechanic repairing brakes and refilling tyres. We were all damn tired. It showed. Most of the girls preferred to "walk their cycles". Most of the guys too. I predicted 10 breaks. Boy! Was I wrong! I counted 16 but I'm pretty sure the guys up front had more ( I was acting shepherd. I get to come last and urge the stragglers on). We sent Puppy ahead to go home (His house's on the way. Just about 7 kms before college) and keep lots of food for us. Three of us who were rounding up the rear were made to wait for half an hour by the side of the highway searching for a couple of juniors who turned up looking full from a "light meal at a dhaba". Needless to say, they got it from me for being "so irresponsible". After I finished my ranting, we finally reached Puppy's kennel where he had brought loads of parcelled food (don't be surprised. It was my cash he used). We rested there until we'd more or less caught our breath and then made our way back to college. It was 2230 hours when I finally reached my room and collapsed on my bed (after I had had a bath, of course). We'd cycled an astonishing 83 kms in one day. Whew! I feel tired writing this post.