I made it! The details are below although I must admit I had a lot of trouble deciding what and how much to write about my challenge. Reading about fellow challengers who had to battle with extreme conditions such as arctic cold, pouring rain and riding through the night I feel that my experience was relatively very easy. In addition I do not posses the means to enrich my blog with pictures and/or video of the high quality that I have seen. Nevertheless I decided to write a short story about my experience and if anyone who plans to visit Greece would like to ride these scenic routes he or she is more than welcome to contact me for details.

Day 1 December 24: Three prefectures


The starting point is from my house (as always) which is located in Athens in the prefecture of Attica. My route has taken me through the prefectures of Boetia and Euboea for a total of 208 km. The following pictures are not in Instagram and have been taken a few months ago (sorry but many stops are not my style and I am incapable of shooting pictures while cycling without jeopardizing my safety).


View from the south side of mount Parnitha with a view of the bay of Eleusis 
in the background

 Fyli

















Wind turbines in Parnitha

Chalkis suspension bridge















Conditions were ideal for riding with the weather pleasantly fresh with no wind . This time the route felt easier than the last time I rode it, which was during the summer and I don't do well in the heat, so this time I finished without problems. Details are here:

Strava route day 1


Day 2 December: Recovery spin by the coast

This was a first for me, I never ride back to back days. My legs were a little stiff from the previous day so I was a little hesitant about how I would ride, but after selecting a low gear and a high cadence everything was OK. I could go on for more but I had to stop at 100 km to get back home in time for supper, it was Christmas after all. My ride was along the coast with very little elevation, here are the details:

Strava route day 2

Day 3 December 27: Wrapping up

After a rest day I felt fresh again so I headed out again, this time on the North side of Parnitha and returning via the Northeast coast and passing through the historic town of Marathon. As the kilometers were passing by I started to feel excited, this was again a first, I never felt like this on a training ride, I started to believe that I was going to make it and after 198 km I did! The details for the last day are here:

Strava route day 3

P.S. As I wrote before my goal was to stay dry and I completed the challenge without a single drop of rain, so I am officially still a wimp.

Taking part in the Rapha 500

Why take part in the challenge? Well, I like challenges and I need a goal to keep me motivated. Don't get me wrong I have the deepest respect for people who exercise for the sole benefit of their health, in fact I have friends who never take part in races but keep going year long. Me I am different, I need to set goals to stay active.

Thinking back I realize that what got to me last year was the winter blues, you may be familiar with the pattern: The weather is lousy, you don't feel like going out to train, the house is stocked with all sorts of tempting food and before you know it spring has arrived and you have gained 2-3 kg (4.40925-6.61387 pounds {google is my helper} for those of you accustomed  to imperial units).

So what better way is there to fight against weight gain than setting the goal of completing 500 km in the middle of winter when the house is full of turkey and sweets? Just to keep things interesting I have set the additional goal of cycling alone and finishing the challenge in as few days as possible. I know what you think and my answer is no: I am most definitely not a lonely person, in fact I love the company of others and this is not a form of self-punishment. My belief is that cycling alone has a cleansing effect: It's you, your bike and the open road, no one else is involved (OK there are a number of bakers and kiosk owners who help you avoid the bonk by selling you food and refreshments, but I digress). When you are alone you set your own pace, rest stops, nature breaks, buying food etc. Plus if you have a flat or other mechanical issue it's your luck you curse, not someone else 's.

My second goal of finishing in as few days as possible is simple: I am a wimp and I don't like cycling in the rain. I know that most of you who live in the Northern hemisphere must be laughing out loud, how is it possible to ride in the middle of winter without getting wet? My answer is that I am very lucky because I live in Greece and here we get extra help because of our mythology. In winter there are special days which are called  Halcyon days during which the weather is exceptionally calm. My plan is simply to take advantage of  Aeolus' mercy to keep my butt dry.

Having said too much, it's time to stop writing and start riding. Saddle up, clip on and start!