05/15/2020
Having finished the Leadville 100 MTB in 2018 and more importantly growing as a human being from the experience and becoming part of a bigger tribe, I'm sad to hear that all 2020 Leadville series races have been canceled.
Yes, I wanted to race a qualifier this year and am bummed.
With that said, I've still been racing hard for myself this season on the dates of canceled races. If I trained for the Boston Marathon, I would have run marathon mileage the day of.
That's what we do as athletes. We keep conditioning ourselves mentally and physically so we're ready for the "COVID curveballs" in life.
So, I'm going to keep riding and racing this season. I don't mind if it's solo or with a group of like-minded athletes physically distanced from each other on the day of a "training race." We'll ride the same course, experience the same weather, and challenge ourselves to give a race-pace effort knowing there are no crowds, no feed zones, no announcer yelling your name as you cross the line.
The beauty is the trophy is still the same. You toed the line, you sought the best in yourself, and you have another experience -- another story from "the days of COVID" you can share with the tribe.
If you're a mountain biker, a gravel rider, a trail runner and want to be a part of some outdoor fun and/or combine forces, please get in touch with me.
Peace and Strength,
Jon Malone
