Epilogue

And how did my “Presence training” go? I struggled to keep my mind free of thoughts. It's surprising how much effort you need just to get rid of something, like re-occurring thoughts or re-occurring melodies that revolve around your head. It is a hard work, just like in body building you need dedication and a lot of will power. The bad news about it is that it's a life commitment. It is the same as in developing muscle mass: if you don't practice it regularly or if you make a break for a few weeks, all the benefits are gone. It's seductive to give up, take a bag of chips and a beer, sit on a sofa and watch “El Classico” on TV. After all, watching football on TV is an activity in the present moment. As is solving a technical problem. These are examples of the “good use of mind”. The problem with the mind comes when it revolves about past or future events, especially the events conneted to your personality. As Anthony de Mello brilliantly put it: “A neurotic person worries about the things that did not happen in the past, unlike a normal person who worries about the things that will not happen in the future”.

Cycling summary

Dates: 18.8.2018 to 1.9.2018

Route: Tromsø – Skibotn - Alta – Olderfjord - Nordkapp – Olderfjord – Alta.

Totals:

975 km cycled.

8 days of cycling.

60 h 28 min on the bicycle.

9383 m of ascent.

Maximum speed: 52 km/h.

Maximum gradient: 13%.

Maximum temperature: 20 deg C.

Minimum daily temperature: 8 deg C.

Minimum temperature at night: 2 deg C.

0 falls.

0 punctures.

5 (wild) campings.

7 nights in hotels.

Per day:

Average distance: 122 km.

Longest day 166 km.

Shortest day 69 km.

7 h 33 min on the bike.

1173 m of ascent.

Overall average speed: 16.12 km/h.