'I don't think I view real ultra-racing as particularly healthy' – Maddy Nutt looks to beat Traka 560 record with pocket pizza, voicenotes from loved ones, and a refreshing attitude towards sleep

Maddy Nutt is currently attempting to set a new record for the 560km Traka Adventure, a gruelling ultra-distance gravel race in Girona. Her innovative approach includes utilising 'pocket pizza' for nutrition, pre-recorded voice notes from loved ones for motivation, and, perhaps most notably, a stated intention to prioritise sleep. Nutt openly expressed reservations about the health implications of traditional ultra-racing, aiming for a more sustainable, albeit still record-breaking, effort.

This attempt comes as ultra-distance gravel racing, particularly events like The Traka Adventure, continues its surge in popularity, often overshadowing the shorter, more traditional races at the same festivals. Nutt's perspective offers a refreshing counter-narrative to the prevailing 'suffer-at-all-costs' mentality, which has seen riders push physical and mental limits to an extreme. Her background, though not explicitly detailed, suggests a nuanced understanding of endurance, making her approach a fascinating case study in balancing performance with well-being in a rapidly evolving discipline.

Nutt's pragmatic approach to an inherently unreasonable distance suggests that perhaps even ultra-racing has a ceiling for masochism. Time will tell if pocket pizza and a good night's sleep truly conquer the Traka.