Over the past few weeks and months people have been asking me:
“what scares you the most when thinking about a challenge like RAAM?”
and honestly it’s a difficult question to answer. To begin with it was the ultra-endurance aspect of the race, that was set aside after taking on my first 24-hour race. Next, it was the heat and altitude, those fears have been set to one side after spending the past six-weeks training in an environmental chamber at MIHP.
I fly out to America and when I think about the race I am pretty calm. I don’t feel nervous and I’m just going through the motions of packing, picking equipment up and checking things off a list.
In true Coach Carter style I’m asking myself the question.
What is your deepest fear?
And honestly, right now; it’s the flight. I hate flying. The thought of flying gives me anxiety. Flying for two hours to somewhere in Europe is normally enough for me. The idea of being on a plane for 15 hours is purgatory and belongs in the bad place.
The sudden realisation that I’m riding a bike across America in a week might kick in soon or like my mate Lew said your either completely prepared or have no idea what you’re doing which might be true.