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To answer the question right away I am often asked: Am I ready?

The short answer is no. I never will be. It is tough to feel ready for a challenge that seems overwhelming, scary and exciting at the same time. Just thinking about riding 3300km in 21 days already blows my mind. Adding the heat in the South, the steep climbs in the Pyrenees and the many doubts I have received from others into the mix and it is clear that this challenge is beyond my and many others’ imagination.

But this process is very similar to real life, whether it is to move to a new country, changing jobs or creating a family – there are many unknowns – some scary, some exciting – that are given when facing a new challenge. No matter how well you are prepared, there is always something that could go wrong, unplanned and out of your control.

Only status quo makes life (at least seemingly) predictable and secure.

But life shouldn’t be about just “being” worrying about living a perfect life waiting for the final end.

At least not for me. I see life as an opportunity to gain enriching experiences, to challenge myself physically and mentally and as a way to create value for others.
But to be able to excel, I need to push myself and that means to get out of my own comfort zone. I need to see how far I can go in life. If I dont try I will never know my limits, my capabilities and the best version of myself.

And that’s why I ride this massive 3300km Vuelta a Espana challenge.

Sure, I could worry now about how I will survive the 200km rides in 40 Celsius degree heat, I could worry about if I have the legs for 18% pitches after 2500km in my legs, I could worry about flats, mechanical problems and all the other extra challenges that will certainly be thrown at me.

Or I could think about this challenge as an amazing opportunity to be able to experience a country on my favorite mode of transportation – my bike -, how I will meet fantastic people along the way and share stories.

Can I fail? Yes. But the feeling of lying on my death bed thinking about how much better my life could have been outweigh the sense of failing at something that has given me such a rich experience and created success in other parts of my life. And then, what is failure anyway if you decide your own rules and your own successes? But that’s a topic in another post.

So am I ready? No.

But am I excited for a new challenge, for a new adventure that will give me an enriching experience for life? Hell yes!

Read more about the challenge here: www.thevueltaride.com

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