I am writing this on my way back to cold weather from sunny Tucson after a week of fantastic riding with the US Military Endurance Sports Team at their annual training camp. The camp was top notch all around with outstanding organization and 6 days of fully supported rides for over 50 riders on some of Tucson’s most iconic routes including, Madera Canyon, Kitt Peak, Gate’s Pass, Saguaro National Monument and of course the 26 mille climb up Mt. Lemmon. The camp was open to all US Military Endurance Sports (USMES) members and their families and participants ranged from elite level cyclists and triathletes, to accomplished adaptive athletes to recreational riders and beginners. In its first year of supporting such a large crowd, they did an excellent job ensuring there was something for everyone.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I was fortunate to be picked up to be the team director for the USMES Elite Cycling Team for 2014. After a few weeks of conversing with the 6 selected elite road riders plus our sole mountain biker via social media, email and phone, last week was my first opportunity to meet the team in person and ride and talk with them face to face. Fortunately I wasn’t ”Catfished” and the positive online vibe I got was indeed supported in person. It’s a great crew with a lot of potential and I look forward to the season ahead working with all of them.
In addition to “team building” and bonding with the riders as the elite director, I was also in charge of leading the “A” group on each of the day’s rides which ranged from 12-20 riders each day depending on the course. While I was born in Tucson and was familiar with the area, I actually had seen very little of it by bicycle and was a bit nervous as I didn’t 100% know all the routes. In addition, anytime you get 10-20 elite level cyclists and triathletes in a group, there is bound to be a little bit of flexing of muscles. Given this, I had some concern about trying to keep the group together and safe, but allow folks to have fun by dropping the hammer a little at the same time. In the end, armed with some .gpx files, a stern word here and there (the occasional “GET OUT OF THE ROAD!” was required at water stops), and help from others with local knowledge, we were able to navigate through without a hitch (ok except for that one wrong turn…) and strike a nice balance between keeping the group together and allowing a few fireworks to fly in the right places. Thanks to all who helped keep things in check and for all the rider’s understanding and cooperation.
It was also great to finally meet many of the club members and hear about their backgrounds and stories. Of particular interest was the adaptive athletes, talk about an impressive bunch. Watching them climb every day was absolutely amazing. Climbing Mt Lemmon on a bike took on average about 1:40 to 2:15 of sustained effort, imagine, 9 hrs on a hand cycle scaling Mt Lemmon, absolutely incredible. One of the most memorable quotes all week was the very man who accomplished that, Scott Wells, who said “You should aspire to inspire before you expire.” Great words to live by and a great week. If you spent any time in the military, guard, reserve or active and have any interest in endurance sports, I highly recommend signing up for the club and joining us at camp next year, more info is at www.usmes.org Until next time.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I was fortunate to be picked up to be the team director for the USMES Elite Cycling Team for 2014. After a few weeks of conversing with the 6 selected elite road riders plus our sole mountain biker via social media, email and phone, last week was my first opportunity to meet the team in person and ride and talk with them face to face. Fortunately I wasn’t ”Catfished” and the positive online vibe I got was indeed supported in person. It’s a great crew with a lot of potential and I look forward to the season ahead working with all of them.
In addition to “team building” and bonding with the riders as the elite director, I was also in charge of leading the “A” group on each of the day’s rides which ranged from 12-20 riders each day depending on the course. While I was born in Tucson and was familiar with the area, I actually had seen very little of it by bicycle and was a bit nervous as I didn’t 100% know all the routes. In addition, anytime you get 10-20 elite level cyclists and triathletes in a group, there is bound to be a little bit of flexing of muscles. Given this, I had some concern about trying to keep the group together and safe, but allow folks to have fun by dropping the hammer a little at the same time. In the end, armed with some .gpx files, a stern word here and there (the occasional “GET OUT OF THE ROAD!” was required at water stops), and help from others with local knowledge, we were able to navigate through without a hitch (ok except for that one wrong turn…) and strike a nice balance between keeping the group together and allowing a few fireworks to fly in the right places. Thanks to all who helped keep things in check and for all the rider’s understanding and cooperation.
It was also great to finally meet many of the club members and hear about their backgrounds and stories. Of particular interest was the adaptive athletes, talk about an impressive bunch. Watching them climb every day was absolutely amazing. Climbing Mt Lemmon on a bike took on average about 1:40 to 2:15 of sustained effort, imagine, 9 hrs on a hand cycle scaling Mt Lemmon, absolutely incredible. One of the most memorable quotes all week was the very man who accomplished that, Scott Wells, who said “You should aspire to inspire before you expire.” Great words to live by and a great week. If you spent any time in the military, guard, reserve or active and have any interest in endurance sports, I highly recommend signing up for the club and joining us at camp next year, more info is at www.usmes.org Until next time.
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