A Big, Hairy Goal
/I rode 15 days in a row this week. Why???? Because, after about 4 bottles of wine, myself and Girls Rock ride leader Trynt Young, started to discuss the possibility of signing up for a 7 day mountain bike stage race called "The Pioneer". This means 7 days of riding and camping over 546 kilometers and 15,057 metres of climbing. Translation - 340 miles of riding, 50,000 feet of climbing (holy shit-didn't realize that until I just now did the translation) and probably some sleepless nights in a tent.
Check it out here - www.thepioneer.co.nz
As I drove home, I got excited about the idea of putting a really big, hairy goal on the calendar. I used to run marathons (7 of them) and do triathlon (all the way up to Half Ironman). When I was competing, I always had goals on the calendar that inspired me...or at least scared me into...running, biking or swimming. I started mountain biking less than 3 years ago and the part I love about it most is the fun and freedom to enjoy, wander, stop, start and not feel the pressure to race or compete. However, I also enjoy copious amounts of wine, cheese and bread that I refuse to give up. So, something's gotta give! Just the THOUGHT of signing up for this race scared me on to the bike.
You ride in teams of two people, so Trynt and I will be required to ride together the whole time and stay within 2 minutes of each. Something you need to know about Trynt...she is a bad ass. She used to do adventure racing, appeared on reality show called Global Extremes and was the 12th American woman to successfully summit Everest. And she is a retired firefighter. She is super tough, but she is also a lot of fun to ride with. So, I am excited to have her as my partner in this journey.
So, stay tuned while Trynt and I train for this great challenge. We would LOVE to have more female teams join us for this incredible journey!