07/20/2025
Hello guys!
Yesterday I beat my personal record for one day on the road to check my limits.
But even though that was passed, I’ve got a lot of complaints from myself about how I managed it. The main aim was to go to an unknown area of the Netherlands, to the far north.
The major problem was that when trying to reach a personal record, it's not good to spend time sightseeing or chilling on the beach of the North Sea.
But at that point, it was hard not to use the opportunity - the sea and beach were beautiful, by the way.
I knew I shouldn’t ignore the fact that going back at night when I’d be tired was not a good idea, so I started my trip at 4 o'clock on Saturday morning.
Starting at night is not as exhausting or bad as finishing at night.
I fully ignored the fact that I would end up 170 km from home without a tent - just to use the new areas as much as I could.
Somehow, I’d survive the way back home, but the environment threw a lot of extras at me :D
After all, I’m happy I came back home. I feel strong that I managed to solve all those extras, but at this moment I feel full of self-confidence that I can survive all of these things (after many hard trips), and I don’t want to prove that anymore.
Anyway, that happened.
I’ll give you a summary of the “extras” - maybe it will make you or your friends more aware:
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1. The first thing was when night came - around 120 km from home - I had a small accident.
The asphalt road I turned onto changed into gravel, and I took the curve too fast. I fell down.
The major problem was that I lost my water.
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2. Dry mouth while searching for water on the big d**e between Enkhuizen and Lelystad, which is the only road over the sea to the second coast, to Lelystad.
I totally struggled with the mix of monotonous night views and exhaustion.
To make things worse, I had strong headwind and heavy rain.
I was extremely sleepy and just wanted to come back home as soon as possible.
My solution was to fight through whatever came next.
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3. After arriving at the next coast, I was looking for a drink machine.
I visited a lot of petrol stations, but none had any.
I rode in the wrong direction to lots of places just to check, with no energy to function and no environment where I could sleep.
The goal of my mission was also pushing me - I had to finish it. I didn’t want to sleep on the street.
Finally, I found one vending machine, and to be honest, I drank a lot of expensive soda (yeah, fu***ng Fanta it was) because I was so dried out after that crazy ride, fighting with the wind.
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4. My phone didn’t have enough battery - 10% wasn’t enough for the 90 km back home.
So even though I was happy I found a drink, I started thinking: what now?
The critical option was to wait until morning for the train station to open so I could charge.
But I just wanted to sit with my expensive drinks from the vending machine.
Luckily, there was a closed restaurant nearby with a power socket outside. I used it.
Now I had battery for the rest of the journey!
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5. I went on a road with my best DJ - Google Maps. I never complain about it in the end, because it always gives me great adventures :)
It led me through complete darkness.
I used also my phone flashlight to enlight the way.
My struggle included slow riding between many obstacles with some surprises: signs warning about wild animals, narrow paths, and even free-roaming cows that scared me a few times.
I was in total darkness for about not 3, but 30 km!!!
I drained my battery again because of slow riding which cost time on active GPS and lighting.
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6. I kept going, using the map in my head which I tried to remember - aiming to reach the last sea view.
I went into the darkness.
Good thing there are no wild animals in the Netherlands like bears or wild pigs — you forget about that here. It’s totally safe.
I took a nap until the morning light — around half an hour.
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7. Morning light came and changed my appoach to that difficult and unclear situation.
The grass was green - not a dark black- wow I could go further with some happiness ready to handle all obstacles.
But my energy was so low after the short excitement of the new day.
And eh… the Netherlands is anyway monotony also in daylight, especially when you’re in bad condition: long flat roads, with only small changes to be grateful for.
Yes, that was the revolution - lights on and colors back.
I went further and chose a route from Google Maps that I knew better, because my battery was dying again and I knew some of location which I know how to get home from there.
But the road was through a forest with a dirt path - soft like sand and impossible to ride, so I walked.
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Conclusion:
That was a really great time, and I’m grateful for everything that went wrong - without that, it wouldn’t have been the same.
I’ll try to take the lesson seriously: returning home at night needs better planning.
Random situations will happen - and I finally fu***ng love that, in the end.
350 km is mine, and I will beat that with a shorter time someday - not at night, I hope so
