Cycling 140 kms under 9 hours, it's me Kamal

Before your brain puts some roadblock consider the following aspects:

1. The cycle is heavy and it's not a gear cycle.
2. I just went ahead and did it.
3. My smartphone doesn't have a front camera and so poor selfies.

Deliberating for a long time, I had to push my brain to accept a fact, 
"If it's not now, then never".

I had been planning this for a long time and i kept postponing but i decided to go ahead without further delay.

Cycling from Neyveli Township to Puducherry and returning to Neyveli Township the same day. From Tamilnadu to a Union Territory 73 kms 

I don't have a good cycle(in the sense, a cycle that's fit for long distance cycling) and i had to knock on every friend's door to get a cycle.
Finally, i got a cycle almost 8 years old with rusted chain and a very normal hand bar. Break was good.

All set i informed my parents about the journey and i had to face initial backlash but they finally gave me a green signal.
"Few have did this, let me be one of the few". This verse compelled my parents.

The journey begins

I started from Neyveli Township at 5.20 am 
Reached Panruti at 7.00 am
Nellikuppam at 8.15 am
Cuddalore at 9.08 am
Puducherry border at 9.45 am
Mudaliarpet(Puducherry) at 10.30 am

Completed 73 km cycling under 5 hours.
Break time 30 minutes.
Average cycling /hour - 14.8 km

Return journey
Started from Mudaliarpet(Puducherry) at 3.45 pm
                      Puducherry border at 4.30 pm
                      Cuddalore at 5.15 pm
                      Cuddalore OT at 6.20 pm
                      Kullanchavadi at 7.30 pm
                      Marungur at  8.20 pm
                      Neyveli township at 8.45 pm.

Morning the journey was not so tiresome as my mother gave me buttermilk when i began. Journey time was flat 4.30 hours with half an hour break.
I reached Puducherry under 5 hours. 

The return journey was the painful, troublesome and endurance testing.
My knee joints, lower half proved to be troublesome with every kilometer.
Evening lights were on till 6.30 pm. 
I kept riding into the night and following a stop at Kullanchavadi for drinks.
A shopkeeper advised me to take a shorter route through Marungur(Near Panruti)

It was a solid 14 km journey without any kind of assistance and it was hard riding into the headlight of oncoming vehicles. Riding solo was a difficult thing. Cyclists who ride at night on highways will understand what i am trying to say here.

Last 20 kms starting from Kullanchavadi was too painful as i could not sit on the saddle. The next 1 hour, literally, i had to pedal the cycle standing and standing. 

Believe me, Last part of the journey was testing my endurance,
A conversation between my brain and consciousness 20 kms before the end point follows:

Brain: Just give up, call your friend, Karthi and ask him to tow you home.

Consciousness: Man, don't give up, this is not what you meant to do. Keep going. Remember last time when you failed, Chennai to Trichy in my bicycle: Reflections by Kamal Haz on OMR Pedal Messengers

Brain: Fuck you. You are not going to complete this, just get down and start walking instead of cycling.

Consciousness: Just few kilometeres. You can do this. This is just the beginning. If you give up on this, then how can you complete cycling all around Tamilnadu and India.

It was amazing, seriously, i trained to focus on the next kilometer and next kilometer and i did it. With legs burning and knees twitching, i made it.

I did it!!!.
Block 18, Neyveli T.S, Tamil Nadu to Block 18, Neyveli T.S, Tamil Nadu - Google Maps

Thanks to Mohan Raj, Hotel Rassi and Astha Chaturvedi, Urban Climbersfor supporting my journey.

Gearing up for the next big journey.

Chennai to Trichy in a bicycle: Reflections

I have been riding 650 kms in my cycle for 11 days as a part of the 2000 km journey for my OMR Pedal Messengers advertising firm. And i had to visit Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India for my cousin's wedding. So i took the chance to travel a distance of 301 kms in a day averaging 20 kms/hour which will roughly take 16 hours. 

Friends, I don't know who is going to read this, Please be kind to read the entire post completely and help me with this.

The journey list included a 5 kilogram aluminium box attached an iron angle( 4 kilograms) and

3 litre of bottle, 7 Bananas, Emergency LED flash which were taken in bag.

The journey begins

The journey began at 4.15 am on 6th June,2014 and i started from Perungudi with the aim of reaching Trichy under 16 hours.

The first 30 kms from Perungudi to Vandalur was quick i was able to cover  it under 1.15 hours. 

I stopped there to take a snap of Vandalur zoo and continued on till SRM University and to eat some bananas to refresh myself.

I took picture of SRM's board hurriedly and much to my dismay i learnt that the Digi cam broke out and what i was able to record was just random trickling flash. This got me psychologically a bit down.

Then i went until Mahendra world city, Maraimalai nagar and i sat there for the next ten minutes gorging upon a few bananas and a bit of water.

I was determined to make it and continued till Chengalpet without much trouble though the road was rising and falling all the way. The wind was not a problem.

As i crossed the breathtaking Chengalpatu lake striding across the toll, pain started to sear through my body. Hip and legs began to pain immensely. 

The next stop was Maduranthagam but i had stop for Breakfast and i had four idlis and chunks of groundnut cakes.

I was still 7 kms from Maduranthagam and my mind told me to give up and park the cycle or cite some invaluable reason to give up this journey.

A fight between my mind and body began and it was tiresome for me  to continue which made me stop at two spots. At one of the spot after Maduranthagam, the cycle along with the box fell on my head owing to the strong wind and wrong placement of the cycle.

The time was nearing Ten'o clock and i had traveled 80 odd kilometers out of 301 km.

My legs felt burnt and mind took complete control of my body ordering me to abandon the journey. I was looking for a spot tpark my vehicle and i reached Melmaruvathur. I felt disturbed by this lackluster preparation for the journey and i parked my vehicle in the paid parking and got a bus. 

I have failed to complete the journey but i managed to cover 91.5 kms under 6 hours carrying immense weight which most cyclists avoid.

Why i failed?

I am the main reason apart from that i believe

1. Excess weight attached to the cycle.( This is my vehicle)

2. Bag filled with excess baggage.( Water and Banana was essential but they weighed substantially)

3. Winds were lifting my cycle while a larger vehicle overtook me.

I failed but i'm not going to give up!

Kamalakkannan Durairaju

Head- OMR Pedal Messengers Advertising

Chennai

089392-70181

kamalhaz.wix.com/pedalmessengers