Tour of Richmond: A Sequel!

RIchmond's Gran Fondo aka Tour of Richmond has been going on for quite a few years. It is a cycle race that occurs annually and has several different options depending on experience level. You can do a 29, 59, 79, or 101 mile race!

This year we were set to start and finish our race at the Raceway Complex where several Nascar races occur. My boyfriend, Will, and I decided to enter into the 59 mile race. The previous year I made the mistake of doing the entire race on a mountain bike. Due to the tires gripping the road more my legs felt like they were falling off halfway through the race and by the end of it I wasn't sure I still had legs at all, but I had an absolute blast.

That's exactly why I wanted to do it again and even convinced my boyfriend to do it with me. This year we were smart and bought road bikes, which was a fantastic decision that my legs greatly appreciated. Here's a breakdown of how the race went for both of us.

Mile 1: Holy crap I'm excited! Are you excited babe? Yeah? Sweet I'm already passing people.

Mile 3: Is that a UNICYCLE? That person has balls of steel. Those hills are massive...I hope they don't die.

Mile 5: Feeling pretty great. Hey everyone! Looking good! We've got this!

Mile 10: I feel pretty good. Yes! A pit stop. Time to fuel up.

Mile 15: Still feeling good. Just humming along and enjoying the scenery

Mile 20: Phew these hills just keep on coming don't they? I'm glad they had a lot of food at this rest stop. Hey babe, let's sit here a few minutes.

Mile 25: HOLY CRAP I HATE YOU WIND. Why is the wind coming straight at us at 25mph? Yes I looked up the wind gust rate. I feel like my legs are made of jello and the wind is my worst enemy.

Mile 30: If I could murder wind I would go postal right now. Legs? What legs? This added resistance is insane. WHY is there a huge hill right here? Isn't the wind enough?

Mile 31: Remember, I wanted to do this. I wanted to do this. This is fun. This is fun. This is ...

Mile 35: Dear lord where is the REST STOP. Babe did we somehow pass it? Is this a cruel joke? Have my legs fallen off? Why didn't we pack snacks? Maybe the stop is around this corner?

Mile 36: Maybe the rest area is just up this hill?

Mile 37: Whoever designed this course is evil.

Mile 38: I love biking. I love biking. This is fun. (Said through gritted teeth)

Mile 39: I can do this. I can do this. Hey fellow biker and fellow comrade in fitness and leg numbness. WE CAN DO THIS. Any idea where the rest area is?

Mile 40: HALLELUJAH! Rest area. La la la la di dah rest area. Let's eat. And sit. Sitting it great. Ow my butt is sore. Oh well I asked for it. Maybe we should ride standing up? No my legs wouldn't like that either. YUM sustenance! Man I feel much better. We are so close! Let's pack snacks because....let's not forget what happened last time.

Mile 45: Cruising along, enjoying the adventure and scenery.

Mile 46: Did a 70 year old man just pass me like I was standing still? Yep. Maybe I should kick it up a notch.

Mile 50: ALMOST THERE. I can feel it in my bones!...minus the ones in my legs.

Mile 52: Any minute now.

Mile 54: Everyone let's get excited! We have come so far!

Mile 57: WOW they really had to put the biggest hill of all right at the very end at the entrance to the finisher's lap. Jerks.

Mile 57.5: That wasn't as bad as I thought. Okay I can see the raceway complex! Getting PUMPED

Finisher's lap: HECK YES WE DID IT! Oh hey smile for the camera! We did it! We did it!


In a nutshell, the race is physically and mentally challenging no matter which stage you do. Always, always, always prepare for all aspects and bring lots of water and snacks. This is such a well-planned event and I've never had anything, but great things to say about it. I can't wait to do it next year!

As a side note they have road support, medics on standby, DELICIOUS meals for everyone at the end (for free), quality medals, fun t-shirts that you will actually want to wear, maintenance crews for your bikes at the beginning and end, and booths that sell fun race items. There was even a band at the end! I highly, HIGHLY recommend this race.

A Journey To The Desert!

 “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” –Clifton Fadiman

Will is from the beautiful desert/mountainous city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He lived there for several years before his family relocated to Virginia Beach. His grandparents still live there and we had planned a trip to visit them over Christmas this year. Our flights were booked, Atlas had a sleepover planned at Will's mom's house so he could play with the pit bulls, and we had everything planned that we wanted to see!

Now we had to wait a month for our flights. Luckily time flew by. Next thing we know it's already Christmas Eve! We dropped our fluffy child/dog at Will's Mom's house so he could have a weekend of play time with the pit bulls, small children, and get some snuggle time in. We made it to the airport nice and early because we thought we would have to battle the masses of people flying out on Christmas Eve. However, we were pleasantly surprised that the airport was near empty! We breezed through security in under 5 minutes, which I'm sure most of you are jealous of that time.

Now we had to figure out how to kill a little under 2 hours in the airport. We ended up sitting at the bar having a refreshing drink and delicious dinner! By the time we finished eating we were pleasantly full and went to our gate to relax, read, and people watch.

Our flights were pretty uneventful and by that I mean we both passed out and I actually had a pillow aka Will's shoulder. We arrived in Albuqerque at 1130 after both of our flights were delayed, but it wasn't a big deal.

Before we left, everyone, and I mean everyone, in Will's family warned me that I was going to be EXTREMELY well fed while I was there and that his grandparents would try to feed me at every chance they got. They weren't kidding. Almost every decorative bowl in the house was filled with candies, chocolates, and other goodies. Every drawer either held cooking utensils or more food. Their pantry looked something like a bomb shelter supply that could last 50 people several years.

When we arrived at their house both adorable grandparents greeted us and of course offered us food. We politely declined and went to sleep almost immediately. In the morning, breakfast was promptly served and this the feasting began! Christmas day was off to a delicious start! Since we had just gotten there and Will hadn't seen his grandparents in a few years we decided to have a lazy day and just spend it with his family opening presents, talking, and watching movies. And of course, we had a FEAST that night!

The second full day consisted of driving around town, seeing where Will used to live, taking in the sights of the desert, and going to Old Town Albuquerque, which had lots and lots of stores that boasted handmade items, Native American pottery and other makes. It was really neat to explore all of the stores with nothing but handmade Native American crafts. As an anthropologist I loved seeing the drastic and sometimes subtle differences between the pottery and jewelry of different tribes.

One thing that I really loved about Albuquerque was the openness of the terrain. There were tons of mountains that you could always see in the distance, but there was also very flat desert all around you as well. It was completely different, as you'd expect, from the East Coast and I really enjoyed it. It was a very refreshing feeling.

The next day we were supposed to go skiing in Santa Fe. I was beyond excited because I had never been skiing before and the mountains were phenomenal looking. Plus I wanted to get some really neat action pictures for my portfolio. However, life had a different plan for my Christmas vacation...

First of all, I get sick about once every 2 years. Nothing in between, but maybe a small cold. I guess my 2 year sickness interval was up and of course it had to come while I was on vacation the NIGHT BEFORE the day trip I was looking forward to most. I was lucky enough to somehow get norovirus...I got it once before on a cruise and let me tell you it is no picnic. I don't want to get too graphic, but it is essentially like throwing up out of both ends, continuously for 8 hours straight...

My wonderful boyfriend should get an award for picking me up off the bathroom floor and carrying me to bed every few hours. I felt a little better by the morning, and by that I mean I could drink water and keep it down. I decided that I would come with the guys (Will and his brother, Nick) to the ski lodge and just rest there in hopes that I would be able to ski later. In reality, I just slept all day on a table and some chairs in a corner. It was a huge disappointment that I couldn't ski there, but I'm glad I got to see the mountains and that Will had fun day of skiing. The only upside to this part of the story was that I lost all the weight I had gained by eating until I couldn't move for a few days straight. Not that I would ever condone losing weight this way..ever. I'm just looking on the bright side.

We spent our last night there enjoying spending time with his family, playing scrabble, relaxing, and of course eating. We had a very nice trip minus the illness setback. We decided we will have to go back soon so we can add more adventure to our New Mexican repertoire!   I did get to see tumbleweeds and a road runner so I can call it a success ;-)    I've always wanted to see both of those and I finally got to! (Nick and Will did a bunch of eye rolling when I got so excited over them)

All in all, New Mexico was a great success and I finally got to meet that side of Will's family. It was also my first time to the West coast and I absolutely enjoyed myself. If you ever get the chance to go I would definitely recommend it. It was very picturesque and had a homey feel to it even though it was such a big city.

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins