From the Library: The Man Who Cycled the World...

I have read books recounting 'round the world cycle trips, they have generally been of the travelogue variety - what was seen, what was done - all during what was to a greater or less extent, a leisurely journey. This one is different, in that the author was riding to set a timed record for the endeavor, as determined by Guinness World Records. So, while it is not devoid of the what I saw and what I did, stories of the people and places along the way, the retelling is done in the context of a race against the clock. Physical trials and travails are front and center of this story, as you might expect; the more interesting part of this story, I thought, concerned the mental obstacles. The author obliterated the previous best record by 81 days, more than 2.5 months. To accomplish that clearly required dealing with great emotional ups and downs, maintaining a certain level of motivation and determination over an extended period of time. It is amazing to consider the level of mental conditioning that was required, especially while being so far ahead; the pull of simply taking a few easy days here and there, relaxing and site-seeing, rather than staying on task, must have been quite a battle. Head games indeed.

Beaumont, Mark   The Man Who Cycled the World   New York: Broadway Books, 2011