Dia 35 - Diary of a Festive 500

Andava aqui a arrumar umas pastas no PC e dei com o diário do meu primeiro desafio " Festive 500" que enviei para a Rapha, promotora do desafio. O desafio consiste em fazer 500 kms de bike na última semana do ano e há sempre um prémio para quem o completar que é um género de uma divisa para colocar no Jersey e também 3 prémios para a melhor descrição, texto, foto, pintura, etc, mas alusiva ao dito. Em 2017 fiz o meu primeiro desafio e escrevi um diário que enviei para eles. Apenas ganhei a divisa por completar o desafio, claro, mas não quis deixar passar em branco a longa aventura. Depois disso já fiz mais duas vezes e outras viagens mais longas, mas esta teve um gosto especial por ser a primeira.

Pese embora não vos interessar para nada e estar em inglês, partilho convosco e quero que fique registado. As fotos que estavam no texto não coloquei. Sorry.

December 23^rd 2017

Dear Rapha,

My name is GM, I’m 50 years old and I’m Portuguese.

I am in vacation and this is my “first” Festive 500!

I have to say that my true passion for cycling started around 44 when my husband bought me a Mountain Bike. Since then I have never stopped to go out with the boys at the weekends. I still have my job, my house, my son’s and my family and friends and sometimes is not easy to go for a ride but I always manage things to do it. Even when I suffer because tracks are so difficult, or boys go so fast, or when it’s so cold or so hot to pedal, when it rains or even if I don’t have company, I never give up. I love to accept a good challenge and because of that I have known amazing places and wonderful people on the world of bikes. I have lived dozens of adventures and have taken thousands of photos. My arms and legs are full of marks and mind is full of memories. Because this is the year of my half century birth and I have accepted a big challenge. It was last May, when I went with some friends from Fatima in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain in a complete autonomy voyage. 480 kms in 4,5 days with 9 kgs of baggage on my bike. It was so crazy! There were more than 40 degrees of temperature and Portugal was on fire everywhere. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done with my mountain bike and when I arrived to the Square in Santiago I was feeling a “Pot Pourri” of emotions. When I saw my husband there, waiting for my arrival, I exploded and cried and cried and cried. Cried of suffering and relief but mostly of happiness and joy for the overcome challenge and for all I’ve lived those days….

I’m now 50 but I still have so many dreams and projects in my list and Festive 500 was one of them. This must be the year. Because it will not be easy, I asked my husband and some friends to help me to overcome it. Let’s see what I can do.

24^th December 2017

Day One

Today, me and the boys went to the road and got into the woods burnt two months ago. On 15^th October,  80% of the pine forests around the place where we live burned. It is now so said to ride a bicycle through those places and almost impossible to do MTB, it’s too dangerous because it’s winter, there is wind and rain and pines are falling. I’m glad that some green plants are started appearing here and there. Even though, the sensation of feeling so free is indescribable.

87,2 kms

25^th December 2017

Day Two

Today it’s Christmas.

Me and my husband pedaled a few kilometers along the coast and we use to call this kind of rides “beach day”. Today we went through the road but most of the times we follow a track just beside the sand and the Atlantic Ocean, it’s amazing.  It was a cold morning and there was nobody in the streets.  Roads were empty, the sea was quiet, and the sky was grey but there was a so great feeling of peace in the air. This was a nice Christmas morning.

55,5 kms

26^th December 2017

Day three

Today was climbing day. Me and the boys went up and up and up in a long trip. Around kilometer 68 we finally started descending to the Sanctuary of Fatima and then back home. Usually we do this tour through the woods and small tracks but as there are storms every night, there is water and mud everywhere so, we decided to follow the road. Even so, we had cold and wind and rain, but it is done. I’m so tired…

101,2 kms

27^th December 2017

Day four

Today we made a soft and plan itinerary but so difficult for me. My knees hurt, and my legs are screaming for rest. It was hard to follow the boys and a big sacrifice for me. I hope that I will be better tomorrow.

71,1 kms

28^th December 2017

Day Five

This morning wakes up too windy and it was raining a lot. Nobody wanted to go out. I look like a caged lioness running between the windows of my house waiting that rain stops but it doesn’t happen. I gave up for a while, but after lunch it was better, and I went out on my mountain bike with my husband. I felt so good, I love to ride outside the road, to enter the woods, to discover new tracks and places….

58,6 kms

P.S.

Today I was checking Festive 500 results and I verified that there are girls who have done already 800 kms. Oh my God! How is this so easy for them??

29^th December 2017

Day six

Despite the rain, again, we all went out by road. Every kilometer we ride the rain was stronger
and boys gave up. I decided to go anyway, but I was already all
wet, my clothes were so heavy and as my helmet was
dripping water I was not about to see. The road was full of water and
each car passing was a shower for me. It was too dangerous to ride like that.
On the kilometer 15 I was already at home praying that rain stops...

15,3 kms

Day six – part two

No, no, no! Rain will not stop me of achieving my goal. The end of challenge is approaching, and Iwill succeed,

I will! After lunch rain stopped a bit and with dry clothes I went out again, this time in
the pine forests on muddy slopes. Now, only 60 kms are missing to accomplish the challenge. Yeah!!

50,8 kms



30th December 2017

Day seven

Today I was full of energy and nothing hurts on my body. I think I’m getting used to ride all day ahahah. 

Naaaa, it was just because I will finish challenge today. Anyway, the temperature was so pleasant, 

and the sun was finally shinning agin. It would be a good day.

I was riding all morning near by the sea and around a lake near the pine woods but not too fast so that I 

could enjoy every kilometer of the last ride of this year. I arrived at home feeling great as it is indeed 

a good sensation to overcome a challenge. I can’t remember anymore about the difficulties I had, 

I just will remember I succeeded. Hope this will be an inspiration to other women in Portugal. 

Thank you, Rapha, for pushing me to do things. Good things.

I have also to thank my husband who pedaled with me all this days without participating himself in
the challenge and giving me strength and words of incentive on every kilometer.



I know, it’s hard to understand this kind of attitude on a 50-year-old woman.  Some people admire me, 
but the other ones think I’m crazy and have some problem in my mind. That’s not 
true. For me it’s a lifestyle, an escape, a way of being happy. But how can I 
explain them the freedom and the joy I feel on the top of the mountain? 
How can I explain my laughs when I must go through a stream and carry my bike to the other margin? 
How can I explain them the sensation of going to the mountain at night with just a small light? 
How can I tell them about the adrenaline that shivered at me when I pedal down a trail like a foolish?
It’s difficult to tell them that yes, it is indeed hard to reach the top of the hill but once there, the feeling 
is great, and the landscape is amazing.  What about the feeling of being so 
powerful, so self-confident, so active and look young comparing with the other 
women of 50? To ride my bike is my therapy.  I always say that to my friends 
when they tell me about their problems. “Friend, go for a ride!” They respect 
but don’t agree with me. I am sorry for them.