Well I made it! The Tour de Hans is over. Havent totalled it up yet but 6days and aproximately 650 miles thru Hans’ homeland.
This tour really pushed me to my physical limits but thats good to do now and then. Its easy to get caught into a comfortable gym- rut. Being a well rounded athlete is important to your body as well as your soul, make those muscles you have built up in the gym *do* something. Dont be a Porsche stuck in second gear, punch it now and then. People make a big deal about specific cross training programs and cross-fit programs, I say just make sure you enjoy some sport other than weight training on a regular basis! Personally I love cycling, swimming, beach volleyball, and running and do one of these activities four to five times a week.
My crazy tour took me thru Frankfurt, Cologne. Trier, Cochem, Koblenz, Boppard, Mainz, Brandau, Lindenfels, Heidleberg, Michelstadt, Freudenburg, Tauberbischofsheim, and Rothengurg ob der Taube. By the way, I say “crazy” tour because when you are doing 120 miles a day there is no time to stop, not even for photos. All the photos and video I took was from my handlebar mounted camera rig at 15mph. A better pace for touring so you can actually stop and enjoy things is 40-60 miles a day.
Here I am at the end of my tour in Rothenburg ob der Taube, so beautiful that Disneyland took many pointers from it!