All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us – Gandalf from Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
This is a good quote for a fine Saturday morning in the Ardennes. I know I need to get some recovery in my legs for Monday when I leave Fumay on a hilly 50-mile fully loaded journey but I don't like the look of the easy rides. I eventually decide what to do with my time today and select a 55km route along the valley floor northwards up to Givet; its actually the ride I had earmarked for tomorrow.
Having resupplied my body with fruit and vegetables today is le weekend and time to push the dietary boat out. My bakery order this morning is baguette, croissant and mille feuille. All times two! Breakfast is tartine, that most simple of French standard breakfasts comprising bread and butter, though bread and jam is an alternative.
Another of the Ardennes Château, Le Risdoux.
A view of Vireux-Wallerand from a bridge. It is all very French here.
I stop in Vireux-Wallerand for a coffee and am reminded that the Boulangerie here in France often have both entry and exit doors to help manage the flow as there is always a continuous stream of customers. The café area has 7 tables and I am the only one sat down; it's just not a French thing but no doubt busy when the tourists arrive.
Moving on down river after my relaxed coffee stop I am at the 25km mark when I am hit by a terrible fatigue. I am on a loop of the river away from the main navigable canal so there are some mild undulations. I shift down, stop briefly, and generally limp on for 500m before a picnic bench comes to my rescue. Getting off the bike I stagger to the bench. Luckily I have water, the ends of two baguettes and a croissant which I slowly work my way through even though the problem can't be one of fuelling, can it? I had the warning signs of bodily fatigue yesterday when I had to adopt a safety first approach coasting down the big hill that closed out the day. I give it 40 minutes before continuing and then surprisingly feel just fine, no tiredness, no sore legs. I am keen to understand the situation. Did my legs run out of strength? Did I run out usable energy? Have the demands of 40-mile days caught up with me? Once I am refuelled I proceed feeling as if nothing has happened and decide its a fuelling issue. Hitting the wall is a common concern in half-marathon and marathon runners and the equivalent term for cycling is bonking.
My destination today is Givet which is in France though at the tip of a finger of territory that extends north into Belgium as if the river has stretched the elastic border in its flow to the sea.
Fortifications above Givet.
I make the return trip on the main road with no further problems. My plan for Sunday is another flat ride out to Givet, maybe taken in the reverse direction.