BOWWBLOG #23: The Audax Within: Finding the Hero's Journey on a Bicycle
How watching my son ride 300 km taught me about the real race—the one we run against our own limits
WHAT: The Rhythm of the Road
This weekend, our family did what we often do: we packed our bags with a mix of excitement and quiet awe to support my son, Joaquin Amico, as he set out on a 300-kilometer Audax ride. There’s a sacred rhythm to these days—a blend of anticipation, hope, and the profound silence of long distances.
“Audax” is not a race. It’s a different kind of journey altogether. The word itself means “audacious,” and the success of an Audax event is measured not by speed, but by one thing: completion.
The event is part of a global system called Brevet de Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM). The term “Brevet” comes from the military—a temporary promotion for outstanding service in times of need. It’s a field promotion for rising to the occasion. And a “Randonneur” is a rider who embarks on a “randonnée” - a French term with no direct English translation, meaning a long, defined tour or ramble.
From the very beginning, the philosophy is clear: this is not about beating others. It is a personal pilgrimage, a test of endurance against the only true opponent—oneself.
SO WHAT: The Competition Against the Self
At 65 years old, my own experience with cycling is humblingly different. It consists of a stationary bike my son set up for me, connected to an app that lets me choose a virtual terrain for a 30-minute workout. It is a world away from the extreme physical and mental challenge Amico embraces.
To be judged a “Super Randonneur” is a monumental achievement. It requires successfully completing a series of rides—200, 300, 400, and 600 kilometers—all within strict time limits and all within a single year. (A feat, I beam with pride to share, that Amico has accomplished).
But here lies the subtle trap, even in a non-competitive event: the desire to break one’s Personal Record (PR). When the only person you’re competing against is the person you were yesterday, how hard do you push? And what happens when you don’t meet your own mark? This is where frustration and self-doubt can creep in, turning a personal pilgrimage into a personal trial.
It brings to mind the five immutable truths of life, which David Richo beautifully culls from the heart of the Buddha’s teachings:
1. Everything changes and ends.
2. Things do not always go according to plan.
3. Life is not always fair.
4. Pain is part of life.
5. People are not loving and loyal all the time.
On a 300-km ride, as in life, every one of these truths will reveal itself. The body changes, plans are ruined by a sudden flat tire (not 1 but 3 for Amico this weekend!), the road is unfairly steep or potholed and cracked, pain is a constant companion, and your own resolve may feel disloyal. The ride is a metaphor for life itself.
NOW WHAT: From Resistance to Liberation
The Audax, and life, asks us a simple, daunting question: Can we open ourselves to what is?
Can we open up to the frightening, the painful, and the disappointing—and drop our deep-seated resistance to life’s very nature?
It is in that surrender that we find not defeat, but liberation. The givens of life are not punishments; they are the wellsprings of creativity and new possibilities. Our own imperfections, and those of others, become the raw material for a masterpiece of a lived life.
Accepting the world on its own terms is the foundation of a heroic life. A hero isn’t someone who never feels pain. A hero is someone who has lived through it, been transformed by it, and now uses that understanding to help others navigate their own journey.
What we practice is what we become good at. It is formative of who we are. And it is out of who we are that we act.
So, the most important question we can ask ourselves is: Who is it I am practicing to be today?
CALL TO ACTION: Your Personal Brevet
Your journey may not be on a bicycle, but you are on a randonneé of your own.
This week, I invite you to undertake a personal Audax.
1. Name Your 300 km: Identify one current challenge in your life that feels like a long, arduous journey. It could be a difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding, a project that feels overwhelming, or a personal goal that seems just out of reach.
2. Focus on Completion, Not Speed: Grant yourself grace. Your goal is not to solve it perfectly or instantly, but to simply stay with it. Move forward with consistency, not rush. Take one small step today. Then another tomorrow.
3. Embrace a ‘Given’: When you encounter one of life’s givens—when things don’t go to plan, or you feel pain—pause. Instead of resisting, whisper: “This, too, is part of the ride.” See how it changes your relationship to the obstacle.
4. Award Yourself a Brevet: At the end of the week, acknowledge your courage. You showed up. You endured. You did not quit. That is a heroic act worthy of a field promotion. You promoted yourself to a higher version of yourself.
Your journey may not be on a bicycle, but you are on a randonneé of your own. This week, I invite you to undertake a personal Audax.
We are all randonneurs on the long road of life, learning to be audacious in the face of all that is. Keep riding.
-Susan Grace Rivera
Posted on: August 31, 2025
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