In 2017, I was challenged to do my first century ride (100 miles) in one day.

Since then, I have tested my physical and mental endurance by seeing how far I could ride my road bike in one day.

This has required alot of long hours of training and one day rides across Michigan (150 miles), Indiana (160 miles), and Wisconsin (235 miles in 2 days).

I set the goal this year of doing my longest one day ride of 180 miles across the state of Illinois. This ride has some special challenges since it was early in the cycling season and I could not really do training rides over 120 miles at one time.

A week ago on Father’s Day, I started at 5:30 AM in Moline to bike to Chicago on Lake Michigan 180 miles away. Based on previous times, I thought it would take 14 hours. I was wrong.

If I ever wanted to find the edge of my endurance limit, I found it on this day.

The first 75 miles for the first 5 hours were easy. Beautiful start along the Mississippi River and then through the farms of western Illinois. But from there to 115 miles temperatures rose to over 90 degrees and humid. The route took us through produce fields that provided no shade.

I was sucking down water as fast as I could, but still felt on the brink of heat exhaustion. I was close to feeling broken.

At 113 miles, my legs cramped up and had to get off the bike to stretch and massage then.

After lunch, I hit roads that were cracked every 10 feet, jolting me as I road. In the heat, the two other cyclists I was riding with dropped out.

The Prairie path was good until it got slippery when it rained. I entered Chicago at 7:30 PM with no working lights on my bike riding through neighborhoods I would hesitate to drive through.

At this point, it is more of a mental challenge than a physical one. My karate training taught me “non quitting spirit”.

I had to stay focused or I would get sloppy which could cause a fall or mechanical problem.

When I rolled into Diversey Harbor in Chicago at 8:30 PM, 15 hours after I started to meet my spouse, Sara, I was more delirious than elated. It took 24 hours for my mind and body to really function normally again.

So why do this?

I think as we get older, we have a tendency not to test ourselves, try new experiences and find our limits. We play it too safe. I don’t want to be that guy. I still want to do things that challenge me. This happens alot in business where companies rest alot on their past and don’t evolve with new customer needs and market trends.

As Seth Godin said “When the telephone began to gain traction, the monopoly of the time, Western Union, decided to get even better at sending telegrams.”

I love cycling. It is as close as I will ever come to flying and the friendships formed on a bike can’t be matched. I meet people of all ages and physical abilities.

I want to keep doing these things as long as I am physically able and not turn my back on that gift.

Finally, I still want to achieve things that few are able to do.

Do you still test your physical or mental limits? If so, how?