#146 Almost Giving Up Cycling to Acing 6800 km Self Supported TransAm Bike Race - Sundaram Narayanan's Cycling Journey

This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.com If you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today's sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code 'BIKEYVENKY' on their website.  Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com     Today's guest Sundaram Narayanan is an Ultra cyclist from Goa who recently finished the 6800 km self supported race called The Trans Am Bike Race. In 2018, just days before he was about to take to the start line of Race Across America(RAAM) he met with an accident that resulted in him having to come back to India without starting the race. In 2019, he met with another accident in Ultra Spice race and that was the end to his dreams of making it to the RAAM 2019.          In this episode he shares how he dealt with the disappointments and unfortunate accidents of 2018 and 2019 and got back to Ultra cycling. He shares his experience at the challenging Trans Am Bike Race. He talks about the many memorable experiences and kind people he came across as well as the challenging mechanicals he had to overcome to get to the finish line. It was also interesting to hear about his origins in Ultra cycling with a base he built as a paper delivery boy as an youngster. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.       0:00:00 Intro 0:05:10 Missing RAAM 2018, 2019 due to freak accidents and how he dealt with it 0:13:40 How life coaching helped him overcome mental turmoil 0:22:00 Focusing on self supported ultra events 0:27:40 Trans Am Bike Race preparation 0:37:05 Gear requirements for a race like TransAm Bike Race 0:41:00 Nutrition, how he managed his nutrition for TransAm Bike Race 0:44:20 His ride and rest pl