2019 | Tri for Les

Hello! Catching up, the impact of an Ironman

We’re back!

Don’t worry. Despite a mostly silent Tri for Les, you better believe the dedicated (read: obsessive) and constantly evolving discussion over our latest goals, workouts and diets has continued offline; much to the chagrin of our loved ones who can’t seem to keep up.

I often reflect on how Ironman Arizona changed my life. At the start of 2012, I was moving back home in the midst of a very early quarter life crisis. I had up-and-quit a great first job in PR after what seemed like just one day realizing how unhappy I was. I couldn’t quite explain it to anyone back then. I blamed it on disliking the city I was in and a series of bad break-ups/dating experiences. But really, I just needed a change, to be in the safety net of home with my family close by, and to figure things out. I had also gained 30-40lbs over the course of 2.5yrs, and had little confidence or direction.

Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop Aug 2019

Training strategy, gear packing list and takeaways from an epic hike in glorious Colorado, just outside a little place called Aspen, where the beer flows like wine.

Ever busy with work and school, and facing the despair of a finish line void, I penciled in an epic hike on my list of things to do in 2019.

It’s not a Ironman, but it many ways an epic hike packs its own unique version of a big-time endurance adrenaline rush punch: it requires planning, training, will power, fitness, health, humor, mental toughness, cat-like mobility, an dogged thirst for pushing yourself to the limits. And also a strong hunger for being uncomfortable, often awkwardly so.

What epic hiking lacks in the hype and glamour of a triathlon or big race, it more than makes up for in the subtle joys and inspiring landscapes of the great outdoors.

Thus, I searched for “epic hikes” and “awesome treks” and “most triumphant excellent experiences that are legal in the contiguous United States” I found many a list.

And near the top of many of those lists sat the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop in beautiful Colorado.