The weather’s nice, your muscles are twitching for activity, and you just happen to have a little free time. Cool. So, how about running 135 miles? Or swimming around the entire island of Manhattan? Not good enough? There’s always pedaling your mountain bike in the desert for 24 hours straight.
Think we’re kidding? If only. While most “normal” people engage in “normal” fitness activities like running through the neighborhood, cycling or skating along the waterfront, or taking weekly spinning/yoga classes at the gym, there exist some hardy—many would say borderline insane—folks on the outer athletic fringe who regularly push their bodies to the extreme limits, all for the fun of it. Traditional triathlons and marathons are considered tame.
The adventure-racing revolution is upon us. Gone are the days of bragging about being king of the company-picnic relay race. Even Bruce Jenner, once the vanguard of all-around athleticism, seems a distant memory. Today’s extreme fitness athletes aren’t satisfied until they conquer the elements, trail-run straight up an impossible peak, kayak down a raging whitewater staircase, pedal through a swamp of mud, or navigate through a thick rainforest, all while risking life and limb for the glory of the post-exercise endorphin rush.
What drives these fitness warriors? Why isn’t exercise merely a walk in the park for them? Sports psychiatrist Dr. Robb Gaffney of the University of California at Davis, himself a noted film-star extreme skier, says it may not be a matter of people wanting to push their limits, but having to.
“Some extreme athletes may have more of a genetic loading, having inherited genes which predispose them to seeking high-risk activities,” notes Gaffney, who recently co-authored a study on physical thrill seekers. “Others may have more of a developmental loading, meaning their past has shaped their current thrill-seeking or extreme behaviors. The end result for both groups is a feeling of need to participate in these sorts of activities to develop a sense of satisfaction or well being.”
If you fit the above description, you probably don’t need a shrink. Just train hard, eat well, and find the right outlet for your skills and energy. You may even want to consider the following selected events:
Badwater Ultramarathon—Death Valley to Mt. Whitney
http://www.badwaterultra.com/
The name alone suggests illness. Not only is the running course 135 miles long, it gains more than 8,000 feet of elevation, beginning in Death Valley at -280’ and ending at 8360’ on the slope of the lower 48’s tallest mountain. As if that isn’t tough enough, the race takes place in the middle of July when temperatures in eastern California regularly push 110 degrees. Can you say sick?
Xterra Triathlon Series
http://www.xterraplanet.com/race/championship_world.html
There are triathlons, and then there are triathlons. The Xterra series takes place all year long in dozens of locales, leading up to USA and World Championship events in the fall. Often called off-road or wilderness triathlons, segments involve mountain biking, trail running, lake/river swimming, and more. Courses are often wild and strewn with natural obstacles. Not for the faint of heart—or city slickers.
24 Hours of Moab
http://grannygear.com/Races/Moab/index.shtml
As endurance events go, this mountain biking race in the southern Utah desert is top dog. Teams of two, four, or five relay around the clock on a lapped course that includes 1,000 vertical feet of climbing, sketchy downhill sections, and long stretches of sand, all set in an otherworldly moonscape terrain. If you’re feeling especially sadistic, register for the solo division. And don’t forget to bring your headlamp. We did say around the clock.
28.5 Mile Manhattan Island Marathon Swim
http://www.nycswim.com/Event/Event.aspx?Event_ID=1702
Go big or go home was never so apt. Competitors swim around the entire island of Manhattan in 10 hours or less, navigating waters usually reserved for cruise ships and tankers. Participants are warned of “chop in the water from wind and tide action,” and oh yeah, “there may be random flotsam and jetsam in the waterway.” Our tip: don’t swallow.
The Southern Traverse, New Zealand
http://www.southerntraverse.com/
One of the granddaddies of adventure racing, the Southern Traverse is a grueling, six-day multi-sport race in which teams from across the globe brave the waves, mountains, forests, canyons, and harsh weather of New Zealand’s rugged and pristine West Coast. Adding to the challenge—the course remains a secret until the night before the race begins. Those Kiwis never do anything easy.
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