Boulder HOT

When I moved to Colorado in 1991 I was amazed at the caliber and number of athletes. Actually, I was most impressed with the caliber of Boulder athletes. This small college city, well it’s technically a town since there are less than 100,000 permanent residents, is packed with runner’s, cyclists, swimmers, climbers, skiers, paddlers, … and has aptly been named "the endurance capital of the world."

There is a particularly famous bike ride every Tuesday and Thursday year round in Boulder called “the Bus Stop Ride.” This refers to a strip joint called The Bus Stop, which is named for the bus stop next to it on Broadway. The riders meet in the parking lot before rolling out north on highway 93 to Lyons and then the excrement starts to fly.

It’s not uncommon to see pro riders mixing it up with talented amateurs as the pack thins and stretches out, then explodes as the pace goes ballistic. The bus stop ride is a test piece, as is Boulder Peak Triathlon and Jane Scott’s (sister of Dave Scott) masters swim program. Any athlete worth the salt crust on their jersey has at one time or another jumped in on the Bus Stop Ride, the Peak or Jane’s swim squad.

As an Aussie native (and now US citizen), I pride myself in being able to swim a bit, meaning that like most Aussies I was born and bred around the water. Swimming to Australians as like Apple Pie to Americans, so my first experience at the local masters swim squad was humbling, more like apple crumble for me. My expectation from swimming at Aurora Masters was that I would comfortably slot in to lane 5. Not in Boulder. Try lane 3 or 4. Ouch. Olympians and pro triathletes took up 7 and 8. Age group champions filled 5 and 6.

The same experience can be enjoyed at the Bus Stop Ride, any number of the dozens of weekend ride groups, running groups, triathlon groups, masters groups … and I mean dozens. There are more than 20 masters swim groups each week and cyclists in their hundreds fill the roads on weekdays, thousands on weekends. I constantly ponder if anyone works in Boulder, then remember that I am one of “them.”

Now don’t get the wrong impression here. Boulder is not all about elite athlete’s strutting their cut quads and sleek carbon bikes. Sure you can watch the Japanese and Kenyan marathon teams glide along the roads around the reservoir at sub six minute mile pace, but there is also a huge number of mortals. The Bolder Boulder is a good example. It is one of largest and most prestigious 10K road races in the world and also caters to 50,000 walkers, joggers, families and crazies in costumes who shuffle, leap frog and party through the picturesque streets on Memorial Day.

This was another inspiration for 24 HOT. The near perfect climate, outdoor environment, pervasive sense of community athleticism and race friendly permitting bodies all converge to embrace new ideas and events. I love it!