It’s easy to maintain the status quo, take the path of least resistance, and to go along without change. It can be a comfortable life. But it’s refreshing to question if something is possible, and to really learn, discover, and experience, you’ve got to put yourself out there a bit.
Ultra endurance races take up a huge amount of time and commitment. The race is just the tip of the iceberg, with more time and effort being spent in training and preparation. There are moments of tiredness, hunger, annoyance, and anger, and times when you'll ask yourself if it’s worth it.
But, if you enjoy the simple action of riding a bike, there’s some really good news:- in ultra endurance racing you get to do a lot of it. I had a great time cycling the Transcontinental Race.
I most often get asked why I ride ultras on a Brompton. Well, it’s the bike I’ve got, it’s certainly up to the job, and most importantly, it’s really fun to ride, so why not? It’s a bike which I’ve got to know very well over the years, so I’m familiar with its peculiarities and I can tell intuitively if something is wrong. I love that the bike that I use for commuting is the same bike that I’ve used in some of the world’s most demanding bike races. I’ve now ridden five ultras on one, and if I ride another ultra road race, I’m pretty sure it’ll be on a Brompton.
So I’m not going to win the race on it — I’m ok with that. If I entered the race on the world’s most expensive endurance bike, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t win it on that either. I don’t enter the race to win, I enter to challenge myself and experience the world; these races really are a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual experience.
Entering races gives me a target and gets me motivated into action. ‘You don’t know what you’ve got til its gone’ is another motivation for me; I’m privileged to be in a position to be able to go on these adventures, and I’m appreciative of that. I’m not racing the other competitors, so much as laying the gauntlet down with myself. Winning the race for me is about going though the whole process from signing up to crossing the line, all under my own guidance, planning, and power, but with the encouragement of those around me, and on this basis I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.
I thank those who over the years have supported me on this journey, and thank you reader, for being an ultra-endurance athlete by making it to the end of my write-up. I really hope you enjoyed it.
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See you down the road,
James
