Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Cabin at Sandfire Roadhouse

Sleeping, eating and playing Minesweeper at Sandfire Roadhouse

6,761

7,650

-290

Cool early.  Very warm and sunny later

Toasted sandwiches for breakfast.  Pie and pastie for lunch.  Toasted sandwiches for dinner.

The little three vehicle convoy doing road-testing that I saw two days ago west of Fitzroy Crossing have caught up to me and are staying at Sandfire tonight.

None really.

It’s beginning to sink in that my quest is most likely over.  After a day of no riding it is still painful to walk up or down steps or to bend my injured leg.

Just spent the day lazing around trying to kill time.  Dr Jon called the roadhouse twice in an attempt to speak with me about my injury and I called him back from a public payphone later in the day to discuss options.  He agrees that it is most likely a torn muscle and suggested some actions to hasten recovery although none is likely to achieve any miracles.

I am still inclined to stick with my plan of resting for three days and then attempting to get back to riding my scheduled distances.  If the leg is too sore by the time I reach Pardoo Roadhouse, 137km away, then I’ll quit and get a Greyhound Bus to either Port Hedland or Broome and fly to Sydney.

I’m pretty depressed about my situation and keep thinking back to those really hard days I put in to keep on schedule without apparent injury and wonder why this problem should have occurred on a relatively easy day.  I want to rewind the clock!  On the other hand, I recognize that I have been lucky to get this far without any serious problems and I always knew that luck would play a major part in the success or failure of this venture.

It also saddens me to think of all of the people watching my progress who I know will be disappointed, particularly those schoolkids in Katherine and Kincumber.

Anyway, I haven’t given up yet, and there’s nothing I would like more than to get going again in two days and go for the record.  My motivation will be intense, so long as the body holds together.