But…Why?
The question I get asked most (probably tied with “where is Mongolia"?”) is “Why are you doing this?”. And to that, I still don’t have a great answer. When I applied in the fall of 2019, I was in a strange place. I had just accomplished two major goals that I had been working towards for years (an MBA and a career switch), was trying to figure out my next major goal and my “five year plan”, but was at a bit of a loss. What WAS next? I was tired of only having major career goals, instead of also focusing on stuff outside of work. I was in a new city, with a new job, 3000 miles away from my network and loved ones. One could say that I was having a bit of a moment.
And sometime during that extended moment, I received a text from a good friend (Kristin) saying “hey look what I just applied for…want to do it together?” with a link to the Mongol Derby. As I read more about it, the insanity started to make it more appealing instead of less. Was this what I could work towards?
Nevermind that I had no riding network in the Bay Area where I lived. Nevermind that I had never ridden an endurance race in my life. Nevermind that I, too, had to look up where Mongolia was on a map. Nevermind that I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going to come up with the money for the race, equipment, etc. Nevermind that I didn’t know the first thing about horsepacking - and in fact wasn’t sure how I would practice, train, or anything. Nevermind that taking an entire month off from my corporate job could potentially be a problem. I was going to apply, hopefully get an interview, hopefully get in, and figure it out from there.
So I took the plunge. I submitted my application, got through the two interviews, was chosen, and signed up for the installment payment plan. How cool to be one of 40 people worldwide selected for a race 18 months out!
I slowly started telling people that I was doing a 1000 km horse race in Mongolia. I planned pack trips with a good horse/college friend who lives near Reno, Nevada. I signed up for Stevie Delahunt’s derby boot camp in June. I had started riding at a barn in Portola Valley with a wonderful friend from college. I still needed to figure out how I was going to get used to riding all day for 10 days straight… And through all of these conversations and preparations, I still don’t have a good answer to “why”.
Why do something grueling and dangerous, expensive with no potential for monetary upside, time consuming and so outside of my wheelhouse?
Side note: I do find this slightly ironic, because at Darden, they ran a campaign about “finding your why” while you were there. If I found my “why” at Darden, it certainly did not apply to 1000 km horse races.
So here we still are - I’m still figuring it out, and I still am not entirely sure why I’ve signed up to do this “longest and toughest horse race in the world”, but I do know that I’m incredibly excited to learn and do all of the new things. I get to meet the Mongolian herders and spend a night (or a few) in a ger. I’m pumped to see more of my own country from the back of a horse as we horsepack through the mountains of various states. I can’t wait to be so good at balancing on a balance board in a one-legged squat that I look like I’m on solid ground. I look forward to looking over at Kristin, as we’re both dog-tired in our sleeping bags, smelly, dirty, sore, and drained from the days of riding the semi-feral Mongolian horses and making a face as I try the fermented mares milk that is apparently a staple in Mongolia. I relish the opportunity to meet my fellow adventuring competitors and get to know them and their stories.
Hopefully, through all of that, I’ll continue learning more about myself and just how far I can push the envelope. And maybe I’ll even be able to answer “why”.