In 29 days I will participate in M312. A bike race in Mallorca – 312km and some 5.000m of altitude. In one day, starting 6.30 am in the morning. My training program is 7 months, so one more month to go. About 11.500km and 50.000m in altitude in total. My idea is, to finish this healthy and experience all the different physical and mental stage in full depth.
When I was in my 30ies, I did Triathlon and Marathon. Finished Ironman and went thru a number of ultra endurance experiences. Thanks to my family I was able to do this during the time I worked, but over time it got to exhausting and business took over. I always said, that I will do another Ironman when I turn 50 – well, that did not happen.
I stopped working about 3 years ago and my mind started to debate with me again, how to get into endurance. That was quite a dialogue and testing. First we crossed the Swiss alps hiking for 3 weeks. Then I started to get me a new bike and randomly enjoyed road biking – with no training plan or intention. Then we hiked from Chamonix to Zermatt – another 2 weeks in high altitudes just by feet. And in May 2022 it clicked in my mind, that I want to do an ultra endurance bike race. I decided for M312, got lucky to get registered (sold out in 10 hours for 8.000 people!) and here I am.
Normally, people hear this and they look at you with this mix of sympathy and incomprehension. Kind of feeling sorry for me and at the same time having no idea why I would do that (to me). In between you have many other reaction from concern to madness and stupidity.
What happens to you when you sign up for such a process, is a wonderful, nearly spiritual journey that is second to anything you experience in life. You are with yourself, you are focused, you are insecure, you are full of power, you are weak, you are vulnerable, you are constantly reborn, you are insanely relaxed, you have the opportunity to enter unknown state of minds, you are getting to your physical limits, you are getting beyond your physical limits and you recognise that it is just a journey – a super intense one.
Being limitless or at least testing your limits and experience what happens is a part of ultra endurance. No matter of you run, swim, bike in extreme distance – it will allow you to get to your limits and you can explore what you find within yourself when you touch these limits. Sometimes nothing happens – you just work thru it. Sometimes you break down – and you try to figure out why and because of what exactly. And very often you have your mind playing with you – in different ways…kind, with joy, demanding, ruthless, brutal, widening, calm.
Very simply put – you have to be very curious, to find out new things about yourself. Enjoy the process and do not be judgemental with the outcome (as you will find limits).
More to come on this event 🙂
