In the summer of 2019, acclaimed photographer Chris Burkard set a new record in the WOW Cyclothon in Iceland, completing the 844 mile ride that traverses the perimeter of the country in 52 hours, 36 minutes and 19 seconds. In his second appearance on the show (he appeared previously in Episode 2), Chris does a deep dive on his record-breaking effort, which included 45mph crosswinds, zero sleep, unicorn hallucinations, and nine hours of torrential rain. He talks about why he puts himself through such grueling hours on the bike even when he isn’t training for an event, why getting out of your comfort zone even when you have a career as multifaceted and exciting as his is so important, burning 35,000 calories over the course of his ride, and why he made the deliberate choice to not document his experience. He also talks about how cycling facilitates a unique and exhilarating closeness with landscape, and how that relationship is the motivating factor behind his seemingly limitless drive for the sport.
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YouTube: Payson McElveen