Riders to watch, team travails and course-design gimmicks—this year's Tour de France is shaping up to be an interesting one. My half-dozen predictions for how it'll all go down.

When it comes to these beastly events, suffering is a given. Crossing the finish line requires some serious grit and fitness, and more than a little luck. While accessible to anyone who wants to push themselves to their limits and beyond, you don’t want to sign up on a whim. These events demand a lot of planning, expertly structured training and respect. That said, there’s nothing like conquering a monumental challenge that seems impossible, crazy even. It’s an experience that leaves you changed, and likely hungry for more. So, which one will you tackle first?

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From swimming with great white sharks to adventure cycling 20,000 miles in a year, the combined stories from these fearless five are nothing short of epic. We’d love to crack a beer with these badasses post-training, which is probably the only time we’d be able to keep up. Get know these incredible women, who personify passion and grit as they push the boundaries of their respective sports.

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Last year, ultra-runner Rickey Gates ran from South Carolina to San Francisco—a 3,700-mile solo jaunt that crossed through 11 states. What possesses someone to run for five months straight? Lance Armstrong posed that very question—among others, like how many pairs of shoes he blew through and what he thinks about the boom in ultra-racing—during a recent conversation with his running buddy.