Sam’s Dunes Diary
Day 1: 35 miles across dunes on fat bikes
We arrived during a thunderstorm which is so rare our driver stopped to take photos. Unfortunately though there’s no rain today and by breakfast it’s already roasting. I didn’t sleep well last night. I went to the loo at 2am and was awestruck by the stars.
No time for gazing today though. We are given GPS watches and set off. Nothing could have prepared me for how tough this is. Cycling on sand is as difficult as it sounds – especially when it’s uphill.
Day 2: Trekking 25 miles
Today is Pancake Day. Somehow the camp cook managed to do pancakes, but I can’t stomach food. Yesterday was brutal. Krishnan has a cut on his leg from falling off his bike and my calves are covered in bruises from the pedals bashing against me.
I’m pleased we are on foot today, but my toenail is already hanging off. There are big parts of the day on my own as everyone is going at a different pace. I’m finding the isolation difficult.
Day 3: Trekking 35 miles over big dunes
We decided to cover as many miles as possible before the sun is unbearable. The only problem is there are 19 dunes and one of them happens to be the biggest in the world.
Yet it turned out to be my best day; I was better at turning off the negative voices in my head, summited the highest peak on my own and felt on top of the world. I was so happy I rolled the whole way down.
Lou absolutely smashed it and was singing Something Inside So Strong. I couldn’t get the song out of my head all night.
Day 4: 13 miles cycling to the finish
I managed to get sunburn on my lips and they’ve swollen up like bad infills. I asked if I could have stabilisers on my bike which everyone laughed at, but I wasn’t joking. There’s a real chance I’ll crawl to the finish on my hands and knees. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional roller coaster. With nothing but miles of sand, it has given me so much time to think. My mind has been wandering to some pretty difficult places. At the finish line my body is broken but my heart is full. It’ll take me a long time to process what we have achieved here.