One of the best jokes I’ve heard in a while is, “How do you know someone is a triathlete?” “They’ll tell you within the first five minutes of meeting them.” Fulfilling that stereotype in this post–I have been competing in one or two sprint races a year for the last four years, and I love them. Prior to starting with Trek Travel, most of the riding I had done was relatively flat and easy to train for the relatively flat and easy 15-mile rides nestled lovingly between a quarter mile swim and a 5k.
I knew a few days after starting my new job that I would be going on the Crater Lake and Oregon Cascades trip, and although I was thrilled to have the opportunity to experience a Trek Travel trip in an area of the country I’d never been before, looking at the daily mileage and elevation profiles I knew I would have a challenge ahead of me.
While I managed to complete some training the in the few weeks before my trip, I knew that a couple of the rides would be far and away the hardest riding of my life. Day 1 did not disappoint, a huge day of 34 miles and a 5,000 foot elevation gain around the rim of Crater Lake. The scenery was absolutely stunning, and although I definitely struggled at some points, the sense of accomplishment I felt after I completed the ride with the support of our two awesome guides was incredible. That feeling of awe and pride continued for the entire week, riding through amazing and ever-varying scenery. We pedaled through ancient lava fields, past glacial streams and down a switchbacky mountain pass descent, terrain that was the perfect way to challenge myself every day in a beautiful setting. And sitting down to a wonderful meal, with interesting people who quickly became new friends, added to the magic of the experience.
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Going on a Trek Travel trip was a formative part of how I look at my job every day, thinking of how we can create “wow” moments for every guest, on every trip. It was also a formative experience in that I learned I can be a little unsure and more than a little unprepared and still make it through with a sense of achievement and motivation to continue to improve in a new hobby or sport. It’s all about getting a little bit better, every day.
Take on Crater Lake
