September 8th, 2008 | categorizilation: all categories,China (Anhui)
Today’s distance / ???????: 46.4 miles / 74.7km
Average speed / ????: 7.4mph / 11.9km/h
Time on skateboard / ????: 6h 18m
Total skateboarding distance to date / ????????????: 6833mi plus 386mi (?) / 10,998km plus 622km (?)
Ascent / ??: 350m
Descent / ??: 350m
End-of-day GPS coordinates: N31°51′11.8″, E117°15′30.7″
Horrible, horrible day. China National Highway G312 between Luan and Hefei is shocking. Groved concrete surface, ups and downs all day, rubbish on the roadside, and today worst of all, a stiff headwind. This is my first proper headwind in a long time, and it sucked the life out of me. I had forgotten how draining a solid headwind is. I am pushing against an invisible force.
The most frustrating thing about all this is the fact that as far as I am concerned, I have no other choice but to keep skating. There is no option in my mind to give up on this mission. My body would happily give up, but my mind will not allow it. This hurts.
It is hot again today too. Stifling. Muggy. The final 10km into Hefei were done on sheer willpower alone.
This road construction worker was a welcome comic relief for a nano-second…
I arrived in Hefei at 4pm and promptly decided to take a day or two off. I also decided that I would not stay in a budget inn (the typical 30 RMB place) but a decent business hotel with internet access. I checked into the 7+1 Business Hotel on the main drag entering town for a stiff 170RMB (17 Euro) a night.
