The last day at work was manic, as you’d expect but throughout the day, with no warning, my mind kept wandering back to the Challenge. It’s like life goes on at normal speed and then you find everything has slowed down, matrix-like, and you realise you’ve been day dreaming for who knows how long about the ride.
Most of the Malta Betfair team had lunch together and were regaled with stories of horror from last year’s ride by Lenny and Ian – all of us novices wondering just why they couldn’t have told us some of these grim details before we signed up. And what the *$*! have we let ourselves in for. Industrial strength ear plugs and wet wipes?? You figure it out...
I tried to have a normal Friday night take-away night with the family, and found the same kept happening. I did my best to stay “in the room” but I’m sure they all realised I had a few things on my mind.
After a pretty poor nights sleep I headed off, bleary eyed to see off the rest of the team at the airport. The usually quite sedate airport was heaving due to a combination of Saturday tourists and a faulty conveyor belt. Not quite to T5 standards, but you get the picture. The check in area was a sea of yellow LifeCycle t-shirts. A real mixture of emotions going on – excitement and relief to finally be going, nerves and anxiety about what to expect, and a few tears with the families all saying goodbye.
We did a quick presentation of the official Betfair sponsorship, with the Sports Minister on hand to wish everyone well, and then waved the team through the departure gate. Dan and I sat and had a coffee in the now deserted check in area – for me at least a mixed sense of “what now?” and “I wish that I could have been going now too.” We’d been left well and truly behind – the only saving grace was knowing that we’d be getting a plane from Rome to Venice tomorrow, while they had an 8 hour coach trip ahead of them at the other end!
A few last minute purchases, internet failure at the house, packing, re-packing, gps map loading (failed again!) and last minute chores kept me pretty busy right up until it was time to walk down to the wedding. Amazing how being busy on LifeCycle stuff stopped my mind drifting to it!
The wedding was great – a beautiful ceremony in the Palazzo in Naxxar and then on to the Bedouin Bar at the Westin for the reception. The three of us left, one by one – Lenny, then me, and finally Dan (not before he’d taken a bit more sponsorship from the gathered Betfair masses for taking on a drinking challenge). In my case finding it harder and harder to focus on the real world and finally giving in and deciding I was probably ok to be thinking of nothing else with so little time left.
More emotional scenes of farewell at the airport as the final three of us said our goodbyes, and walked through security and into the unknown. It’s a real shock to the system to be saying goodbye to my family and not knowing what the next two weeks hold for us all. We got to Rome with no problems and boarded our flight to Venice.
Despite the uncertainty before, it was only as we started to descend into Venice and I could see it out of the window that my stomach really caught up with how the rest of me had been feeling for days, and a huge swarm of butterflies decided to do a few laps – now it was finally real and I could answer “yes” to anyone who asked me if I was nervous!
We caught a water taxi to the Station in Venice – shutting my eyes and taking in the sense of the salty sea air took me back to growing up on the coast and it felt like I was home (for a while at least). Alan and Shirley met us and walked with us back to the accommodation so we could settle in. Venice looks like an amazing place but I have to be honest, it barely registered – so many things to prepare before tomorrow.
The hall is covered wall, to wall with bikes propped everywhere. We are obviously the last ones in, and pretty much every square inch of space was taken. We managed to find a couple of spaces to lay our mattresses down. Lee, Evan & Co had done our bikes – what a relief not to have to worry about that, and also that the bike was fine. I found myself thinking I’d better be strong on the ride or get used to struggling to find a decent spot to sleep!
That feeling of being at home didn't last long!!
The next couple of hours were spend unpacking, preparing for tomorrow and getting “sorted” in a bit of a blur. Team members drifted in and out, some sleeping, but most tinkering with bikes and riding around and around the small area outside the hall.
Its now 8.30pm, I feel ready for bed, but am not sure if I can sleep. And if I can, whether I will be woken and then not be able to get back to sleep again! It’s getting quiet but Lenny is still here trying to fix a problem with his back wheel. Not a good start, but plenty on hand to help if needed at least.
The nerves have gone now, overtaken by the relief that the ride is finally about to start – surprising because I thought I’d be in bits by now. But maybe I will be by this time tomorrow! :)
We are definitely there now.
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