Why Keep Pushing?

Why run farther? Why enter an ultra marathon or Ironman or Ultraman or mountain trail race? Why take on challenges that seem absurd, stupid, unreasonable, nonsensical? Why keep pushing?

I've spent a lot of time asking myself these questions as I dive deeper and deeper into endurance events. I've struggled finding an answer, at least one that felt complete. But, while watching this video, the answer struck me. I do it to live, to really live. I do it to experience what's possible and to find the spot where impossible actually begins. And I do it so hopefully my kids will choose to do the same as they grow up, in whatever manner they want.

I do it because I want to 

Experience Life and Fucking Live!

Jump out of an airplane. Run 50 miles. Train for Ironman. Climb a mountain. Learn to surf. Get into photography. Paint a flower. Dance on a desk to silly European dance music. Experience this incredible planet we live on. Discover what the body is capable of and where the real limits are. Whatever. But do something and fucking live.

That's it. That's the reason. All other justifications be damned.

Oh, I have yet to find impossible.

Side Note: I use profanity rarely and very selectively. In this case, it's the phrase that keeps coming to me. Sometimes you just can't fight the words. Sometimes using a profane word is just right. I believe that to be the case here.

Early Morning Rides

I'm going to try something new on here. Instead of the long-ish posts I've been writing (or failing to write) in the past, I'm going to try writing really short posts, almost poem like posts. I'm sure they'll be miserable writing...oh well. They'll be about whatever's on my mind as I continue down my path to fitness.

For the first post, I'm writing about why go running or biking or swimming so early in the morning. Credit for many of the words below go to a fellow biker whom I was discussing this with yesterday.


Early morning rides.

The road to ourselves.

A lightning storm at sea.

While the sun prepares to rise behind.

Crackles of electricity smash into the ocean.

A flash of purple covers the sky.

Peaceful quietude.

We ride.


That's miserable. So be it. Predawn exercise allows us to experience moment so few get to see..