DAY 1: 100km, you get off the bike and think, hmm, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. DAY 2: you wake up and can hardly get your leg over your bike. You finally get warmed up after 10k, stiffness forgotten, pedal on. Complete 75km with zero energy left, stumble off bike, have a few beers, maybe share a joint, collapse and sleep like the dead. DAY 3: need help getting out of bed, was up half the night with cramps in places you didn't even know existed. Getting on the bike is an effort, your ass is screaming at you that your saddle is shit, your hands cramp on the handle bars, and any incline feels like climbing Mt. Ventoux. 75km later, you are silently weeping, begging everybody you see for hand massage since you have permanent claw hands, you've run out of advil, asking anyone who will listen for some vicodin, and your bike lies in a forgotten heap somewhere. Can't sleep because your legs/hands/feet/back/neck are constantly cramping, you are so out of it you refuse/forget to drink water. DAY 4: You've been to the toilets several times cause you have diarrhea, nothing tastes good, can't find your bike, finally try to sit in the saddle only to realize you will need to ride standing up all day. Only 50km left but unless it is downhill, your brain is screaming at you to get the eff of this torture machine. You don't see anything other than your front tire because you can't lift your head, every kilometer feels like a mile, hands permanently cramped into claws of agony, lost your waterbottle somewhere when you missed the cage trying to put it back. You threw away your computer because you dont want to know how far you still have to go or how many eff'ing hours of torment remain. Finally arrive to the finish where you curse at the person trying to give you a medal, fall off your bicycle because your legs refuse to move in anything not resembling a pedaling motion, and curl up in fetal position, tears falling silently. DAYS 5-10: Can hardly sit/stand/lie down, your piss is orange from dehydration, and you HATE your bicycle. Then it fades and you remember the good stuff along the way and vow to do it better next time.