Life isn't going too bad these days, but I'm not exactly livin' the dream. I'll get there eventually, and will certainly be including a little more bike and travel time than the current state of affairs!
Which brings me to a someone who is a lot closer to living the dream. I got to know Marg Fedyna last year as a fellow Albertan heading down to La Ruta. Although I'd heard her name and the stories that come with it prior to meeting, she didn't hesitate in laying the smack down such that there were plenty of new stories to tell rather than me having to regurgitate her prior impressive cycling feats.
I was only a one year "veteran" of the race, yet Marg peppered me with a plethora of questions about the experience, as a true devotee of cycling would (as an aside, much like our "other" cohort Nutbro). The three of us did some fall training rides together, at which point I knew Marg was headed for an impressive performance down in Costa Rica. Depending on the day, conditions, and the whims of my fitness, I spent a fair bit of time riding "near" Louise Kobin at my first La Ruta experience... and she was the reigning champ. Comparing these efforts back to our fall training period, where Marg was leaving me sucking cold October air up the Moose Mountain road, then following Nutbro and I down the "fairly technical" descents (not a problem when Jon had his downhill bike with him - ie. the hardtail with SID... but it did have the 2.1" tires on it), it was apparent that barring any unforseen difficulty, Marg had the goods to deliver a stellar result in Costa Rica.
Which brings us to today. Marg still has the goods to deliver... and is planning on heading over to the beautiful cycling mecca of the Alps with partner Nikki Kassel for the TransAlps. I can't generate much of a story to vouch for Nikki, other than sharing about 5 minutes of proximity riding in last years TransRockies with her. The experience stuck in my head, as Dallas is leading us up the trail, and says something to the effect of "dude, there's chics up there, you gotta quit looking tired for at least a few minutes". All I can say is that I tried...
Regardless, these two are a few steps closer to "livin' the dream" than I am. Take a couple of minutes out of your day to watch a few vids, and vote for their cause by watching the videos. And if you're really motivated, get over to the Alps to watch, ride, cheer, and drink a few glasses of red on a mountainside patio!
"dude, there's chics up there, you gotta quit looking tired for at least a few minutes".
ReplyDeleteclassic. i knew boys did that. it's nothing to feel bad about to be beat by Marg though, she's pretty solid.