In this morning's post, I talked about the growing group of fitness buffs who are taking their action outdoors. Lately, we've seen 5K and 10K Fun Runs getting popular, with entries numbering in the hundreds, and even thousands in some cases. Triathlons and road cycling are also getting to be popular among working professionals. Even adventure racing, trekking and mountaineering are gaining fans.And these people aren't all hardcore, diehard purists. They are lawyers, physicians, software developers, bankers, corporate-types and entreprenuers who just happen to enjoy being active outside of the gym. And some of them even go so far as to adopt strict training regimens and compete on a regular basis in their chosen disciplines. I like to call this group the Multi-Sport Tribe.This new Tribe is made up of both men and women who go to great lengths to perform well in all aspects of their already busy lives- they maintain a balance between their professional, family and athletic pursuits.For these multi-sport athletes, many of whom are in their 30s and 40s, with others pushing 50, competition is no longer about fame or fortune. They race to prove to themselves and their peers that they are far from becoming "washed-up" desk jockeys.A couple of friends and I had been observing this interesting trend for some time, and one day we decided that what the Tribe needed was a set of events, staged on a regular basis, professionally organized and run, and enjoying a healthy dose of media attention. And from that meeting of minds was born the Executive Road Cycling Race Series (XRC '07).
When I look around these days, I notice more and more people are taking their active pursuits outside. I see the numbers of runners, walkers and cyclists growing. Why is this so?My guess is all those people who joined gyms and health clubs in the last few years are getting bored with running and spinning inside artificially-lit, climate-controlled boxes. The few who have reached a certain fitness level are looking for a new benchmark, in a new environment. And the best place to take fitness to the next level is outside!
Well, here it is. My first (and probably only) attempt at blogging.Why "random rides"?As the subtitle suggests, this will be a compilation of experiences, thoughts, impressions, images and opinions on trips taken, contemplated or dreamt about with a two or four-wheeled conveyance. (Okay, so there are bound to be a few on foot too!) So expect posts on bike rides, bike races, bike events, mountain bikes, road bikes, cycling topics of interest (oh, did i mention i like bikes?), tours, bike advocacy, cycling for kids, multi-sport events and adventure racing.
As for the four-wheeled variety, you'll see posts about cars, SUVs, motorsports, new cars, old cars, cars I like, don't like, own or wish I owned. Road trips, places visited and favorite scenic drives.
So you get the picture.
Welcome. Roam around and enjoy your stay.
