The Why Question!

One of the most challenging questions ever. If people were asked why they are participating to extreme sporting events like ultra long  Marathons or other ultra endurance events they are often not able to give a sufficient answer and are surprisingly lost for words. For a long time I’ve reflected about my own motivation to spend so much time and money in only a more than 3 weeks lasting planned self destruction.

I know for sure what it is not - It is not, because I am feeling like a pussy or want achieve more acceptance in my life with such a big accomplishment.        

The first reason is really very simple: I’m a landscape junkie. Except with a mountain bike, with no other means, not by feet nor by car, you’re able to experience nature in such an intensive way in such a short amount of time. That’s it. Quite simple. But if I go further on I realize - this is not all about that.

Learning the simplicity of life absence the mainstream. Realizing what we really need in our life. Not what the merchandizing industry want make us believe we need or not. Concentrating our view to the basics. All aspects that might be an answer!

As a consequence of our education and society we are all “goal driven”. First we have to finish school. Maybe passing the exam and after going to the university. The first job, wedding, maybe our own house, kids – and now welcome to the daily rat race. Every day, week, month and year follows a certain pattern. We have to operate and work. At the one hand this routine gives us a safe haven in our sometimes stressful life. A scope of action where we don’t expect negative surprises we really not wanna face to during our daily business. At the other hand exactly the same routine is banging at our psyche. Likely a psychiatrist would argue now we all standing at the doorstep of midlife crises - hitting people between 30 and 60 years with an age focus of the mid forties. A glimpse view at the age column of the annually unofficial starting list tells me: “I am in good company! By now, more than hundred riders are planning their getaway his year.

Yes, for me it is something like a getaway from all the daily obligations. Turning the focus to more simple things just like eat, sleep, and ride - a total hard reset.