Embracing the Long Road: My 30km Journey of Endurance and Reflection

As a fresh member of “Exhaust,” a community where the relentless and the spirited converge, I want to share the saga of my longest walk - a 30.02km odyssey that unfolded under an open sky, stretching from the tranquil trails of Morsel to the bustling pathways of Turnhout.

The journey began as a challenge, a silent pact between me and the horizon. The rules were simple: walk, reflect, persevere. With Strava as my witness, I embarked on an expedition not just to test my physical limits but to transcend them. The path was a tapestry woven from the green hues of Beerse and the vibrant lifeblood of Turnhout, punctuated only by the rhythm of my own heartbeat at a steady 144 bpm.

I walked through the day, each step a drumbeat in a long, enduring symphony of motion. With only a 10m elevation gain, the terrain was not a beast of inclines but a serpent of distance—a quiet snake that tested not the climb but the relentless push forward. For over five hours, time became a blur, a mixture of sweat, the steady cadence of my footfalls, and the lush Belgian landscape that unfolded like pages in a storybook with each kilometer.

Throughout this journey, I burned the energy equivalent of a small feast—2,682 calories to be exact. This wasn't just a number; it was fuel, the kind that feeds both body and spirit. My steps, all 35,302 of them, became a mantra. With each one, I shed layers of doubt and fortified my resolve.

The road taught me lessons in silence, the kind only solitude can teach. With each stride, I engaged in a dialogue with my inner self, the one that pushed me to join "Exhaust." This group understands the grind, the glorious ache of muscles, and the triumph that comes from pushing past what we once considered our peak.

In this introductory post, I extend a virtual handshake to each of you. I may be the newest face in our legion of endurance enthusiasts, but my recent voyage mirrors the ethos of "Exhaust"—pushing through fatigue, embracing the sweat and the burn, and finding joy in every grueling step towards a stronger self.

This 30km walk was a testament to our shared philosophy. As I closed in on the final meters, with Turnhout's urban heart beating in sync with my own, the real journey was just beginning. Each of us has these pivotal moments, these treks of epic proportions that define our mettle.

So, as I recount this tale of endurance, I invite you to lace up your shoes and join me on the roads less traveled. Let's chase the horizon together, stride by stride, in the relentless pursuit of our limits. Welcome to "Exhaust," where every breathless moment is a badge of honor. Here's to many more miles, shared stories, and the unyielding spirit of adventure that propels us forward.

Shot with iPhone 14 Pro Max, edit with Adobe LR using my own presets (you can get them too soon!).
All photos are taken by me. If you want to know more, head to beheydt.be/en/photography or shor.by/BjB for more info.

Check out https://shor.by/BBphoto to see all the gear I’m using

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Coin | Sweat | Step’n | Actifit