My wife and I planned a family trip to Girona, Spain: tapas, sightseeing, escaping the daily grind, and hopefully enjoying more sunshine than in the Netherlands.
The Traka—100km of Girona gravel riding—was set for the very weekend we’d be there. It’s 79% off-road over gravel, and more importantly, something completely new for me.
After a long day at work, I thought, "100km in Girona, a couple of climbs—how hard can it be?" Before I knew it, I'd signed up. Not to win—I'm no athlete—but for the CHALLENGE. It felt like the ultimate Attainable State experiment: just seeing what's possible.
I'm pretty active. I do CrossFit, ride my bike (at party pace), and sometimes run (short distance). But my physique doesn't scream 'endurance.' My relationship with food is 'enthusiastic.' My weight proves you can't out-train a love for too much “unbalanced food”.
That’s when this Spanish challenge became the turning point for my quest for the Attainable State. This isn’t about dieting (I shudder at the word). It’s about figuring out what actually works for me. My goal isn’t just to finish The Traka; it’s to find a way of living that actually fits, so I can live better from now on.
Everyone’s free time and life stage are different. So don’t expect expert advice from some certified guru—there are plenty of those. Just read this as a journal: one person’s attempt to balance it all. Maybe you’ll pick up something helpful, or maybe you’ll just feel better about your own journey.
Maybe my experiments will give you ideas for your own version of the Attainable State—or just push you to try something challenging. If nothing else, I hope it’ll at least be entertaining.
Either way, welcome to the journey. Because honestly? "Attainable State" is a nice place to be.
⛰️Almost forgot: it's about 1350m of elevation, which means I will need to drag my current mass up those Girona hills. 😅