What keeps me motivated to keep going on Ultra Distance rides and Races?…
What keeps me motivated to keep going on Ultra Distance rides and Races? Not sure how others motivate themself and would be cool to read some comments from others to see what is driving you for cycling specifically even to keep racing. I am into ultra distance racing since two years now. OK ... if counting the Sebring 2022 race its 3 years but after Sebring 2022 I had a major accident and it took easy 8 month to recover so I could not do any ultra distance ride or race in 2022. Real start was more 2023 in Miami (12 hours) and Florida500 as preparation for RAAM. I often ask myself why the heck I keep scheduling new ultra distance races and why I train for those. OK ... part of it might be success. I tried different formats and seem to do decent in races over 200 miles. Do I win all the times? Definitely not. 😜 I have a few successful races and I have races where I am more happy to just finish the race.💪 So whats driving me to continue racing those long distances? Main reason seems to be that once on a very long ride out on such race (mostly the once over 500 miles) I seem to enjoy them. Enjoying them means I do try to go to my limits in a race. I train specifically for the very long distances and want to see whats doable. Inside a race I may ask myself why getting through the pain. And honestly it's most likely a painful experience. But having the finish line in mind ... Once crossing it its an amazing kick and I am happy. During the race I use methods to stay focused (more later) .. And once a race is done I am eager to look for the next one. Overall Ultra distance is tough ... yes ... but other races such as the Gran Fondo series (I do that as well) or some time trial races ... thats all very exhausting. Still my preference is Ultra Distance mainly because I know I have hours and hours for myself. And overcome the pain and crossing the finish line is always a great payback for me. I hope to see more competition specifically from younger generations. It's not easy at first but once racers keep doing it again they sure will get more comfortable. Hopefully see some of you out on the race tracks in the future 🙂
