I love life out in Colorado. The weather, pretty much year 'round, is amazing. I can ride my bike out in the high plains east of the mountains or point the bike west and climb forever. I love my career at Boulder Fire, enjoy the highs and lows of helping people in very crappy situations and I love the women and men who serve next to me on the line. Life is good out here.
Michelle and I (and doggy) traveled out to Minnesota this past weekend for some bike racing and some reminiscing with old and new friends. Life in Minnesota is pretty sweet and I miss it out there. Unfortunately I'm starting to get used to the "fakey hippy environmentalist I'm from California and you're not" attitude out in Boulder, and so it was refreshing to go out to the "Land of 10,000 nice people."
The riding in Minnesota was spectacular. Many kudos to the organizers of the Headwaters 100 bike race and the beautiful bike tours also hosted that day. The race course was on some of the smoothest and safest roads I've ever raced or trained on and the scenery (when I had a chance to actually see it at 25-30 mph) was incredible. Saturday's road race was alternately tough and easy, depending on where I was sitting in the pack or what the terrain was like. Minnesotans know how to race and with few exceptions I was impressed with everyone's ability to stay cool when the tempo heated up. My Team Strong Heart comrades put on a good show and a special shout to John Rotach who can simultaneously race at the front of the pack and change out of a wind vest. Nice!
On Sunday, Rainbow Resort hosted the Laurentian Divide Challenge mountain bike race, which was a charity event for Camp Odayin and Team Strong Heart. I stupidly assumed before the race that because the course was being held near and around lakes that it would be a flat course. Wrong! Immediately the course climbs and heaves up and over some tough trails that are normally used as championship cross country ski trails. Think Olympic qualifiers, etc. So...I had brought my singlespeed Bianchi out to race with and there were a couple times where I was running rather than riding. Overall I turned out a good race, felt pretty decent despite the beer consumed the previous evening and I ended up placing first in the event.
Thanks to Rainbow Resort for hosting Team Strong Heart, Loon State and all the other people who showed up to race and support Camp Odayin. Michelle and I had an amazing weekend and will definitely be back next year.
Life in Minnesota is good. I was definitely reminded of that this past weekend. I dearly miss my friends and wish that the drive out there was a wee bit shorter. Packing up the truck and heading out there felt like a "mini-RAAM," and I was just as remiss to come back to CO as I was after finishing solo RAAM this past year.
Be thankful for who and what you have out there, all ye who call Minnesota home. Colorado has some altitude and some attitude, but y'all have some great bike riding, some great companionship and a wonderful place to rest your weary head at night.
Keep the rubber side down...
Tim
Michelle and I (and doggy) traveled out to Minnesota this past weekend for some bike racing and some reminiscing with old and new friends. Life in Minnesota is pretty sweet and I miss it out there. Unfortunately I'm starting to get used to the "fakey hippy environmentalist I'm from California and you're not" attitude out in Boulder, and so it was refreshing to go out to the "Land of 10,000 nice people."
The riding in Minnesota was spectacular. Many kudos to the organizers of the Headwaters 100 bike race and the beautiful bike tours also hosted that day. The race course was on some of the smoothest and safest roads I've ever raced or trained on and the scenery (when I had a chance to actually see it at 25-30 mph) was incredible. Saturday's road race was alternately tough and easy, depending on where I was sitting in the pack or what the terrain was like. Minnesotans know how to race and with few exceptions I was impressed with everyone's ability to stay cool when the tempo heated up. My Team Strong Heart comrades put on a good show and a special shout to John Rotach who can simultaneously race at the front of the pack and change out of a wind vest. Nice!
On Sunday, Rainbow Resort hosted the Laurentian Divide Challenge mountain bike race, which was a charity event for Camp Odayin and Team Strong Heart. I stupidly assumed before the race that because the course was being held near and around lakes that it would be a flat course. Wrong! Immediately the course climbs and heaves up and over some tough trails that are normally used as championship cross country ski trails. Think Olympic qualifiers, etc. So...I had brought my singlespeed Bianchi out to race with and there were a couple times where I was running rather than riding. Overall I turned out a good race, felt pretty decent despite the beer consumed the previous evening and I ended up placing first in the event.
Thanks to Rainbow Resort for hosting Team Strong Heart, Loon State and all the other people who showed up to race and support Camp Odayin. Michelle and I had an amazing weekend and will definitely be back next year.
Life in Minnesota is good. I was definitely reminded of that this past weekend. I dearly miss my friends and wish that the drive out there was a wee bit shorter. Packing up the truck and heading out there felt like a "mini-RAAM," and I was just as remiss to come back to CO as I was after finishing solo RAAM this past year.
Be thankful for who and what you have out there, all ye who call Minnesota home. Colorado has some altitude and some attitude, but y'all have some great bike riding, some great companionship and a wonderful place to rest your weary head at night.
Keep the rubber side down...
Tim
2 comments:
That was fun!! Thanks for coming out!!
it was really fun to listen to youre experience at RAAM and to see you again in minnesota, and good luck in youre nex RAAM project
jorge
see you next year, or sooner
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