Cycling NZ26 - Day 18 - My Big Eyes!

I think someone is travelling with me. An unseen presence that is somehow looking after me.  More about that later…

Well, what an excellent stay in Palmerston North. But I over did it last night. 

I’d like to say that I had forgotten but no I’m not that erudite. Yesterday was the Chinese New year - the day of the horse.  Of course I wanted something to eat and a horse would have done nicely. The Chinese restaurant was almost next door to the motel so that’s the evening sorted innit. 

I rock up about 6 pm and folk are queuing out of the door. A private event. Nonetheless they are very happy to do a take away for me so - what would I like?

Do you remember ever being told as a child by your mother that your eyes were bigger than your belly?  No. Well I do. A boy who used to win eating competitions at junior school only to later grow into a teen with a voracious appetite. Sunday lunches!  Oh could mum make a great Sunday lunch or what. For me?  

Well it always started with a tray full, that is 12 Yorkshire Puddings, plus ladles of lovely meat gravy. Then the main course. Then if there was anything left - another main course!  Memories right now of me absolutely full up sprawled out in the living room whining like a dog watching the Sunday afternoon film. 

I was an active lad. Big into weight training as a teen and later in the 80’s playing amateur American Football. I could handle the calorific volume and needed it for all that I did. But, WOW did I have big eyes or what?

The FAT BLOKE came later in life. The American Football stopped because of injury and the weight training frittered away. However my eating did not. Then a 20 year career stuck behind a desk as a manager. Boy did the weight pile on. 

I have a suit at home. I only keep it as a reminder. Of the days in my late 40’s with a 50 inch waist. 50 inches!  Dear God just how big were my EYES?  

Well I have that monster somewhat under control nowadays. I have to. Unsurprisingly I am still big at 63 (yrs) and so a type 2 diabetic. BUT. This tour cycling malarkey kinda keeps my blood sugar in check. It’s my exercise yin to my foodie yang. So why not have a Chinese my friend. 

Talk about over ordering. Prawn rolls. Ok they’re small aren’t they. Some duck. Only half of one. Thats quite small back home too. Thats enough for starters. Some beef and veggies in a sauce? Yeah that’s quite healthy innit. And some fried rice cos I do need the carbohydrates for tomorrow don’t I?  This is what came. 

My fighting iron gives the scale of the challenge!  And that’s no teaspoon!  The price was the big giveaway that I’d over done it. Bloody hell I’ve stayed in places less expensive than this take away!  There for sure was enough to feed a small family. 

I gave it my best shot last night but also saved a large portion for ‘breakfast’ this morning. I took one look at it in the fridge today and with an URP! 🤢 put it in the bin..

Okay. So what am I eating and drinking each day. 

Today was quite a normal riding day. I’m atop a 40 kg bike including luggage and I weigh probably 115 kgs or so. So not that far off one sixth of a ton. Today I think was about 56 miles and 1100ft of ascent. Garmin estimates that my calorie consumption over the ride was about 4000 more than normal. So I need to be getting approx 6000 inside me each day just to retain the status quo. 

Food today has been :

1x cheese and ham toastie

2x cheese and chicken sandwiches

1x egg and bacon sandwich

1x rather large portion of apple pie

2x pork wraps

1x lamb shank with mash and veg

1x chocolate bomb! 

To drink :

8 pints of water

6 cups of tea

3 americanos

2x pints of pilsner

And a partridge in a pear tree!

And this was probably a lite day…

My blood sugar is between 5 and 6 at the end of the ride which is OK but is about 9 when I get up. Should be nearer 7 for a type 2 diabetic.  It’s difficult getting the balance right. 

Nonetheless compared to other days an easier ride. Initially greasing along across wide flat countryside only meters above sea level. So similar to the Fens only in its flatness. In every other way food wise weather wise state of the roads wise here is so much better. 

However to keep out of the hills one needs to ride on the arterial main roads. No busier than the A64 from York to Scarborough on a non-holiday day and quite safe to cycle because of the wide shoulders. That is until you get to a bridge. For here the road is compressed into a narrow flow. Trucks. And I mean the double articulated 59 to 60 ton Mack / Peterbilt types fly past with huge suction.  The smell of the freshly sawn timber so pungent as the logging trucks skim by. 

You have to be confident at handling a loaded bike. Car drivers though are the worst. Them feckers must drive with blinkers on as even when I pull out into the lane in the narrow bits to block the road they still manage to find a slither of light between me and the oncoming traffic. A couple of times I’m left gesticulating with wide angry eyes in a way that London Alan might remember when he was so angry with lunatic Range Rover drivers on the North Coast 500. 

Nonetheless twas a good day to lay down some miles. Tomorrow I will put my best foot forward and most likely end up in a Wellington. I will then book the ferry the day after to South Island. 

I have checked with Kathy Pathetic and there is no option to change my return flight on the 10th to depart from Christchurch rather than Auckland. So I have booked an internal fully flexible fully refundable flight from Christchurch to Auckland on the 9th. For 75 quid.  😳👍. In lieu of the ethereal train service it seems it’s the way folk get around in this country - rather than by car.  And its a bloody long bike ride back to Auckland!

I really do think though that I have a guardian angel with me on this ride. I will try to explain tomorrow…

It all started at my first pit stop today. For food!

Ciao for now.