For some reason, my beloved Bikeblog beckoned me to come back and share some more bike love over here. In the past years since my last post, a lot has changed. Also, I’ve been busy elsewhere. But I just got reminded of why I started this blog in the first place. How I love writing as much as biking and that is how it started back in 2007 when I almost called this blog Sunday Jen.
What have i been up to?
Since my break, I’ve had twin girls (almost 6). Stopped riding bikes because I didn’t want to be away from them. Tried to get back a couple of times but it only stuck within in 2019 when I decided I missed my bestbikefriend and our rides together too much. She uttered the “we should get gravel bikes” a few months later and in November 2019 we started Gravelgirls.nl
The last posts on Bikeblog.nl were from 2014, that was when I was still very much fascinated with the Transcontinental Race and ultra-distance cycling. I went so far as to volunteer for 2015 to secure a place for 2016. That was before I knew in November 2015 my babies would be born by the way.
I went to Geraardsbergen, I saw most of the participants as I worked on the registration desk and had the opportunity to talk to a lot of them. All bright and eager to get started.
long / ultra distance bug
Once you’ve seen them in real life, you’re invested. So I followed a lot of dots that summer and kept track of countless social media accounts. I had seen the “before” faces, happy and buzzing and now I got to see the “After” faces. Of those that made it, because a lot of them didn’t, it was a particularly hot summer. Most of them were happy to have made it, but you could clearly see the wear of this brutal race. With a deep level of respect, I bowed and decided that “it wasn’t for me”.
The longest ride I had ever done was maybe 130 km a day, for one day. Though I do think it’s trainable, it is just a matter of how badly do you want to do it and what are you willing to give up for it. Just like everything in life, you can do anything just not everything and it all comes with a cost.
Now my girls are turning 6 and I’ve learned a lot more from life and what I personally want out of it on different levels. One thing is: I want more (bike)adventures. And I want to write more.
Great to welcome you back here, it’s good to see you again.