Vision Quest?

Just wondering if anyone here is into doing stuff like 'Vision Quest'?

The term is taken from that of American Indians. It's also the title of a movie.

About four times a year I plan some physical event, and combine that with fasting and dieting and sleep deprivation. These 'mini- VQs' can really be fun.

One thing I'll do is take my bike out in the country, pick a route that I think is just over my head (i.e. I'm not sure I can complete it).

Now, being that I'm a sensible person, I also plan for some 'support', and get a friend to follow with their car in case I run into real trouble.

One really fun event I did in 2004, was to be driven out to the beginning of a woodland trail a number of miles from home, and dropped off on foot. It was up to me to make it back home. That was a fun event, in that I ran out of water about five miles from home, and after three very dry miles, had to go into a VFW lodge to get a drink. I'm sure those guys thought I was nuts, but they were really nice.

Another event I did was to get up at 3:30 AM and get geared up for a very early bike ride on a nearby rivertrail. I rode 30+ miles (which was about twice as far as I'd done in training). Trails are harder than roads, due to the sand and mud and poor traction, and you usually are riding a heavier bike with knobby tires. The funny thing there is on the last lap I slipped and fell into the mud. Well I got mud from head to toe on one half of my body.

But I didn't realize it. When I walked into the house, half mud-man, half biker dude, I scared everyone to death. Of course I'm standing there going: "what. What?"

One of the most fun events was to go pair up with a buddy at the beach and ride an event where the organizers opened up a long stretch of highway for only cyclists. We had to get up at 4:30 to get there by 6:45 and start the ride early. We rode about 19 miles with a couple of monster hills and a 30mph wind in the face. It was so windy that you almost came to a stop riding downhill!

It can really be fun, especially if you plan your diet, lose weight and get in shape, then get it all together for a big push.

Someday, I hope to pull it together and do the Erie Canal ride in mid-state New York. It's 8 days of riding 50 miles/day for a total of 400 miles in one week.

Just wondering if anyone else did anything like this or maybe beginning Adventure racing or Orienteering. I've done lots more, but this post is getting long. (sorry about that).



[edit on 18-9-2007 by Badge01]

I used to organise these types of events! I find it hard to believe you did not get any responses to this thread. We could talk more at some other point I really just wanted to bring this thread back up for consideration. As far as vision quests go there are a lot more types of quests than what you describe that appeal to a vast variety of different types of people. We used to specialize in Martial Arts training and drumming. Some are within groups for the most part kind of male ritual bonding and then there are others that are completely on an individual basis. One thing I could suggest is balance in all things. You need the passive to accompany the aggressive in order to form the fullest potential of either. Om Shiva!