Because I’m a big Socrates fan (not true – I thought Hemingway said it) and I have enough time to do so, I find myself examining my life from time to time so that it is worth living. I’ve been looking at my relationship with the Tour du Mont Blanc since kind of (sort of) deciding to register for it again, and it turns out that the first time I wrote about it here was 6 years ago. It’s been in the back or front of my mind since then, taunting me with its super-sized distance and climbing. In short, I’m truly petrified of the thing.
So why do I keep coming back to something I know I might not even finish? And apart from the non-finishing, there’s the 10+hr training rides that I’ll have to do to at least give myself a fight chance. I nearly bonked on my 3-hr ride today, which didn’t help with the confidence.
It could be that I have something to prove to myself, but it also very well might be that this fear I feel is, like Coach Rob always told me, really the greatest motivator.
I know that the only way to approach a physical and psychological challenge like this is to dive right in. I’m not exactly there yet (this is yet another fear I have – committing to a very heavy training program), but there aren’t many more years for me to think I could do this, and I don’t want to have these blog articles about maybe doing the TdMB living on the internet for an eternity, without at least one entitled “He Gave it a Go”.
Do any of you have an unresolved challenge that is niggling at you?
The Vicious Cycle 
Yes, I was supposed to do a Pyrennee version of Marmotte before it fell apart 3 years ago. Got out of shape and like you struggling to fight back. Its coming along though and content at the moment. Working on a cycle of the Cabot trail in Cape Breton next summer. Chewing a little less at this time.
I’m also thinking about that Marmotte next year, Pierre, but I’ve done that one, so lacks the charm of a new challenge. Cabot Trail sounds beautiful. How long would that ride be?
Still not for the faint of heart and a challenge that will take a long day to complete. total stats for the loop with ocean views unmatched. 288.6km,
3,672m of climbing,14.1% max gradient. You want to join me when you come on your next Gaspe trip?
Would love to, but it’s still a 10 hr drive down there! Are you planning on doing that in one day? Big
Go Big or go home but it is a consideration if you really want an endurance epic ride. That being said, if you recall Etape 2012 in The Pyrenees, 200k and 5000 meters and not a whole lot of cruising in between.
My father ran his last marathon when he was 78 years old. For years he wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, while still in marathon shape, but unfortunately he left it too late, even though he did has daily 10km walk/jog up to the day before he passed away suddenly of a brain aneurysm just before his 90th birthday. When he was in his mid-80’s he told me he left this goal too late, so I said I would do it after he passes and take his ashes to the top of the mountain. I’m coming up on 68 and I don’t want to fall into the same situation, so I’m making the commitment now that I will do this within the next two years so I can keep my promise. Mont Blanc is a huge effort, but to steel a good saying, “It’s better to have tried and failed, then to have failed to try”.
A worthy goal, Rob. He’ll have ashes on Ventoux and Kilimanjaro. Not bad!
He’ll get to see some sweat and others freeze at the same time.
yes and I will always regret it…. 1986 up Alpe D’ Huez…3rd wheel up behind Hinault and Lemond..should have gone earlier.
The forgotten 3rd rider in the the epic battle between Hinault and Lemond. Books need to be rewritten!
I only have to see a challenge to make a detour, but that is why my life is a bit less exciting than yours.
As I sit here nearly all day long, I’m wondering where the excitement is. At least you have the birds.