Excessive sports activities like ultra-distance biking and Ironman triathlons usually appeal to people with extraordinary resilience and transformative tales. Jana Kesenheimer, a German ultra-cyclist primarily based in Innsbruck, exemplifies this spirit. From overcoming anorexia and a turbulent social gathering way of life to tackling epic challenges just like the 2022 “Lifeless Ends and Dolci,” Jana’s journey highlights the ability of biking as a path to non-public progress and journey.
Evidently excessive sports activities comparable to extremely distance biking or Ironman triathlons appeal to some exteme personalities. There are individuals who have turned habit or psychological well being points round by way of sports activities. For instance, Jack Thompson, an Australian bike owner with substance abuse and melancholy in his background, rode the route of the 2021 Tour de France, chasing the professional peloton. We reviewed his ensuing video right here: pezcyclingnews.com. Within the meantime, Thompson grew to become, in 2022, the primary particular person to experience a million vertical meters in a calendar 12 months.
Within the video “Three Peaks and In Between,” about Jana Kesenheimer’s 2020 participation within the self-supported race from Vienna to Barcelona (reviewed right here: https://pezcyclingnews.com/options/pez-goes-to-the-movies-three-peaks-in-between/), we noticed the grit and confidence wanted to experience over 2,000 kms alone and in opposition to the clock. What we didn’t get was a lot about who Jana Kesenheimer is.
A video that includes this German rider primarily based in Innsbruck was launched. As anybody following her Strava actions is aware of she has continued to be lively within the extremely biking scene. That is an increasing one, with many new approaches. “Lifeless Ends and Dolci/Cake” (the title is a bit inconsistent in English) started in 2021 and is perhaps thought-about a way more refined and much more durable model of the “Donut Races” beloved in America, the place your time on the course is lowered by the variety of donuts you may stuff down (and preserve down).
The 2022 model of “Lifeless Ends and Dolci” took riders on a course to 5 chcckpoints (which order you need to plan your self), every on the high of an Alpine climb and equipped with fantastic native desserts, whereupon riders flip round, go downhill and off to the subsequent pastry cease. Jana Kesenheimer is up for this problem, figuring that it is going to be day’s driving. Placing this into perspective that “good day” could be 500 kms lengthy and with almost 9,000 m of climbing!
We see Jana at house discussing what biking means to her and her strategy. She enjoys a protracted experience by herself, however as she says, her concept of “lengthy” is now what most of us would take into consideration. Her coaching plan is just not a lot a plan as driving by really feel and whereas she doesn’t do particular preparation for these occasions she does arrive within the situation essential to do them.
Driving excessive distances appears to be a method that she has put apart the extremes of her previous life. Till she was eighteen she suffered from anorexia, the place “success” is measured by victims as the power to keep away from consuming. Overcoming this, she then switched to a different excessive, turning into a celebration animal, consuming closely and up all night time at golf equipment in Berlin. Biking, as one sees with Jack Thompson or Canadian Ironman triathlete (and nationwide One Hour File holder) Lionel Sanders is a substitute for self-destructive tendencies. Jana Kesenheimer is clearly happiest driving alone and measuring herself in opposition to the challenges of those lovely rides.
And there are many challenges in “Lifeless Ends and Dolci,” with gravel segments, brutally steep sections, the potential of navigational errors, and the risks of night time driving. And naturally there may be all that cake to devour, a problem which (spoiler alert!) Jana has some issues with close to the conclusion. As somebody whose concept of the Greatest Bike Journey Conceivable is to cruise from bakery to bakery within the Swiss Alps in summer time climate, I discovered a lot to savour on this fantastic video however the distance and climbing make this considerably goofy occasion into one thing epic.
One benefit of the Digital Age is that movies like “No Lifeless Ends” could be produced to such an expert impact at low value and minimal crews. The credit checklist solely two folks in addition to Jana concerned within the mission. There are excellent photos taken all through the day, together with drone pictures and ones in darkness, underscoring the fantastic thing about Jap Switzerland.
For these eager to get pleasure from extra Swiss surroundings (and desserts), “Lifeless Ends and Truffles” has produced their very own video, which you’ll find right here: www.youtube.com. That is one other German language video however can also be subtitled in English. German audio system might wrestle a bit with the Swiss German!
And if you wish to do the experience your self, enter the lottery for 2024 in January on the occasion web site: www.deadendsedolci.ch/ Additionally it is doable simply to experience sections of the course anytime because the organizers encourage this as properly and supply route info.
“No Lifeless Ends—The Journey of the Extremely Biking Athlete Jana Kesenheimer”
Launched October 7, 2023 on YouTube, 36 minutes in size
In German with English subtitles
Directed and Photographed by Vanessa Blankenagel and Hannes Hohfeld
In cooperation with Specialised and supported by Komoot.
Information on the 2025 occasion at: www.deadendsandcake.ch.
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