# 50 — Bike Path, aka MFT in the Hot Seat
Michael, Joe, and Kegan put Mark in the hot seat to discuss his relationship to the bike, how it became a surrogate for climbing, and chasing similarly (sometimes) transformative experiences using a different means. Twelve years ago rehab from shoulder reconstruction was Mark’s impetus to start training and racing. In 2018, having a total hip replacement and recovery from that triggered a new cycling renaissance. Mark talks about his introduction to mass start racing, how he learned that the amateur categories actually mean something, that he shouldn’t race his age group, and eventually, to read the field. Later they discuss the experiences Mark used to manipulate his mind into believing in a body affected by decades of mileage in the mountains, and how to keep the vessel viable enough to continue transporting the mind as the years progress.
