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Today's Quench'd writer is an amazing cyclist who completes feats we can barely fathom. Cynthia Carson is an Ultra Endurance Cyclist who started road racing in College but she's since found her love of off-road riding. She began her journey into Ultra Cycling with a first place at Rockstar Gravel 250 followed by fourth place at Unbound XL.Cynthia is currently in Chile for the Across Andes Ultra, an unsupported 970km gravel race with 14,000m of vertical. Wish her luck as she starts the race tomorrow, and follow along on her Instagram, @watt_wagon!

If you asked me what the hardest thing I’ve ever done is, I would say it’s hard to pick! As an ultra cyclist I could imagine so many instances where I thought I couldn’t continue during an ultra cycling event, but I did. The same could go for so many folks in so many instances in our day to day lives.

Ultra-distance cycling is a test of endurance that pushes the limits of both body and mind, with races spanning anywhere from 24 hours to weeks! I thrive on the thrill of competition, yet I also cherish the sheer joy of riding my bike, whether racing or exploring new trails. These grueling events bring forth a myriad of challenges—physical fatigue, mental hurdles, and unpredictable environments. Yet, in many ways, these experiences echo the struggles faced by anyone pursuing a daunting goal, be it in sport, work, or daily life. 

Have you ever experienced sleep deprivation? Maybe while traveling, up late with your newborn, or in my case riding through the night or multiple nights during an ultra race. The fatigue may be from different sources, but the outcome is the same. You might start to doze off, or even hallucinate. When I am racing and I’ve gotten 50+ hours into an event without any significant sleep, I hallucinate to the image of a life-sized nutcracker. The more tired you become, the more challenging it is to keep your pace up. There is a battle between how much to sleep and how far to push it without snoozing. It’s a fine line on the bike and in life!

One of my favorite things about ultra racing is that the fastest racer doesn’t always win. With races being hours, days, and sometimes even weeks, you’ve got to be able to manage fatigue. Mental fatigue is real and one of the biggest challenges ultra racers face. To combat that, I spend time working on my mental fortitude. Meditation goes a long way when gearing up for something really hard. I imagine those moments when I feel like I can’t continue and then I imagine pushing forward. The meditation has helped me make strides on and off the bike in goals I want to achieve.

I can remember a time when I was in Morocco in the middle of the afternoon with direct sun and nowhere to hide. It was a particularly challenging part of the route with 20 plus percent gradients that were nearly impossible to hike up with a bike, let alone ride! At the moment, I found myself in what I thought was my lowest of lows. Shortly after, I was passed by the 2nd placed woman like I was walking backwards. She put it into high gear and dropped me and my bike into an even deeper low. I found myself sitting in the middle of the trail trying to eat the driest cookie of my life with tears running down my face. As I sat there trying to pull myself out of the hole, I decided to allow for a small pity party and then sat with my eyes closed imagining myself getting up and pushing forward. And then I did just that.

I challenge you to take 5 minutes before you tackle your next big goal and meditate or think deeply about tackling it. Think about it a few times and I promise you the 5 minutes will go a long way!