Episode Details

A month alone on a bike will tell you the truth about your limits. Our guest, Carrie Hayes, just finished the Tour Divide, the legendary ultra endurance bikepacking race that follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Alberta all the way to the US Mexico border. His final tally is staggering: 2,716 miles with 172,000 feet of climbing in 27 and a half days, often riding 100 plus miles a day through remote stretches of Canada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. 

We talk about what you cannot learn from a spreadsheet: the day one shock of cold rain and isolation, the unsexy reality of saddle sores and hygiene, and the mental shift from planning everything to staying present in two hour chunks. Carrie also shares how he met Jerry, a stranger on the trail who became an unspoken teammate, and why that kind of companionship can be the difference between finishing and folding when the wilderness gets loud. 

Then the story opens up into something bigger than sport: trail angels who build trust based resupply havens, the “dot watching” world of Trackleaders and Garmin inReach tracking, and the surprising generosity of people who show up with coolers in the middle of nowhere. Carrie ties the ride to purpose by raising nearly $100,000 for the Honnold Foundation, supporting community solar and clean energy projects where they matter most. 

If this conversation sparks something you have been putting off, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review. What hard thing are you ready to try next?

Send us Fan Mail

Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject

Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject

Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/