A Green Brevet

Preparing for my first Paris-Brest-Paris


I’m not an athlete.

I’m not an influencer.

I’m not fast.

I’m not special.

I’m not you.

I’m not what you think I am.

I already know what I’m not, maybe the Paris-Brest-Paris will give me some hint as to what I am.

Sometimes I give up, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes riding my bike is the best feeling ever, sometimes it’s the worst. And right now? I’m motivated to ride the damn bike for as long as my body and mind will last. I’m motivated to stay on track, to stay on schedule, to just stay on the bike.

The Paris-Brest-Paris, will try to break that motivation over 4 days and 1,200 non-stop kilometers this August.

And why? I don’t know. That’s for me to figure out. I already know what I’m not, maybe the Paris-Brest-Paris will give me some hint as to what I am. Here’s to everyone still trying to figure it out too.

Before you are allowed the privilege of lining up for oldest running bike race in the world, you complete a series of 4 approved Brevet des Randonneurs Mondiaux, or just “BRM”. BRM’s of 200/300/400/600km in the same year as the PBP. If you can build your way up to these distances and prepare correctly, you will be physically and more importantly, mentally ready to tackle the plat du jour of 1200km. Paris-Brest-Paris only happens once every four years and is the grand-daddy of endurance cycling. As the name suggest, you start near Paris, ride west 600km to the town of Brest in Brittany, then turn around and do it again. 

Pas probleme…

Over the next couple of months, I’ll re-cap my preparation of the 2019 Paris-Brest-Paris here. I hope it can answer/help you to go after those unanswered questions as well. See you on the road!

 -Mark


My favorite brevet training rides around Paris. Allez!