SENSE OF ADVENTURE/COMPETITION

     IN THE PAST I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO COMPETION. AS MY LIFE UNFOLDS AND I GET OLDER I HAVE FOUND THAT THE URGE TO COMPETE HAS NOT EVEN BEGUN TO DIMINISH. HOWEVER, THE TYPE OF COMPETITION THAT I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN HAS CHANGED AND I FEEL IS CONTINUING TO EVOLVE. IN MY YOUNGER YEARS I RACED MOTOTRCYCLES, CROSS COUNTRY TO BE EXACT. THOSE RACES TOOK PLACE IN ALL CONDITIONS AND OVER ROUGH TERRIAN. THE RACES VARIED IN LENGTH FROM 2 TO 24 HOURS AND FROM 50 TO 350 MILES. ALTHOUGH I VERY MUCH ENJOYED THESE RACES AT THE TIME, I KNOW HAVE COME TO ASPIRE TO WHAT I FEEL IS A BETTER MORE PRIMAL OR PURE FORM OF COMPETITION. IM SPEAKING OF RUNNING, NOT JUST YOUR AVERAGE 5 OR 10K ROAD RACE, IM TALKING ABOUT TRAIL ULTRAMARATHONS. A RUNNING RACE ON ROUGH TRAILS, SOMETIMES AT HIGH ELEVATIONS LASTING FROM 8 TO 35 HOURS, COVERING 50 TO 150 MILES OF TRAIL. WHY AM I DRAWN TO SUCH AN INTENSE AND CHALLENGING EVENT? I THINK IT IS JUST THAT, THE FACT THAT IT IS VERY INTENSE AND CHALLENGING. I REMEMBER AN OLD SAYING THAT STATED " NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY".
     AS I MATURE AND GROW SLIGHTLY OLDER IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE EVIDENT THAT EACH AND EVERY EXPERIENCE WE HAVE IN LIFE SOMEHOW STARTS TO DEFINE WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE FEEL ABOUT DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. THEREFORE IF YOU STRIVE TO HAVE RICH AND FULFILLING EXPERIENCES YOU WILL IN TURN HAVE A MORE RICH AND FULFILLING LIFE. MY POINT FOR SAYING ALL THIS IS THAT IF YOUR GOAL IS TO RUN A 100 MILE RACE AT 10,500 FT, IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY HARD, NOT IMPOSSIBLE BUT HARD. IF YOU WERE DILLIGENT IN YOUR TRAINING AND DO ANY NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS RIGHT ON RACE DAY, YOU WILL FINISH. I CANNOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE RICHNESS AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT THAT MUST COME FROM AN ACCOMPLISHMENT SUCH AS THIS BUT IT MUST LEAD TO A MORE SATISFYING AND COMPELLING EXSISTENSE.
     NOW ON TO THE ADVENTURE SIDE OF THIS THOUGHT, AS HARD AND CHALLENGING AS ULTRARUNNING IS I FEEL AS THOUGH THERE IS SOMETHING HARDER AND MORE CHALLENGING. THERE IS NO OFFICIAL NAME FOR THIS SPORT, THERE ARE NO SPONSORS AND THERE ARE ONLY A FEW EVENTS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS WRITING I WILL REFER TO THESE EVENTS FROM NOW ON AS" WILDERNESS RACES". AS FOR THE NATURE OF THERE RACES, THEY TAKE PLACE IN REMOTE WILDERNESS AREAS OF THE WORLD SUCH AS ALASKA, MONTANA. PATAGONIA AND SO ON. THERE IS NO SET COURSE ONLY A STARTING POINT AND AN END POINT. THE ONLY RULES ARE THAT YOU ARE SOLEY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF, YOU MAY NOT TRAVEL DOWN ANY PAVED ROAD, YOU MUST CARRY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO COMPLETE THE EVENT FORM THE START(NO RESUPPLY), MUST CARRY A SATTILITE PHONE, FIRST ONE TO THE END POINT IS THE WINNER. THE LACK OF RULES AND REGULATIONS IS VERY APPEALING TO ME, BUT THE MOST COMPELLING PART OF THESE RACES IS THE SENSE OF ADVENTURE AND PRIMAL EXISTENSE WHILE COMPETING. I FEEL AS THOUGH THESE EVENTS ARE EXACTLY WHAT IM LOOKING FOR IN ORDER TO SATISFY MY HUNGER FOR ADVENTURE/COMPETITION, AS WELL AS PROVIDING SOME OF THE MOST SUSTAINING, ENJOYABLE, RICH, AND FULFILLING EXPERIENCES ONE COULD HAVE IN LIFE.
     AS FOR MY FUTURE PLANS ON COMPETING, I AM FOCUSING ON PREPARING FOR A 50 MILER THIS WINTER. BEYOND THAT I HAVE HOPES OF RUNNING THE LEADVILLE 100 AND ALSO POSSIBLY  DOING 2 WILDERNESS RACES, THE ALASKA MOUNTAIN CLASSIC AND THE PARCOUR DE WILD. I ALSO PLAN ON COMPETING IN SOME COLORADO ORIENTEERING SERIES RACES. ILL LEAVE YOU WITH SOME VIDEOS, FYE!