Round two of the Ben Hoffman Triathlon Camp at The Cycling House in Tucson was a big success, due mostly to the efforts of the house staff, amazing clients, and support from some of my sponsors. After spending some nice winter days in Colorado, starting my training with Richie Cunningham in Boulder, and then skiing around Christmas with the family, it was time to head south and join the TCH crew. There’s nothing quite like that initial feeling of leaving winter behind and stepping into the desert sun, doing my best interpretation of photosynthesizing and soaking in some vitamin D. Couple that with almost 5 years now of memories in Tucson, and it’s always a special homecoming.
Owen does an amazing job of creating a comfortable environment with a family feel at the house, and this year was exceptional. Everyone seemed to click and find their rhythm. From the very first easy spin and dinner courtesy of Chef Drew (Savage Javelina), to the departure day, we all had some fantastic days at camp. With Specialized’s own Aaron Peet on hand to get people dialed on demo Shiv and Venge bikes, there were plenty of attacks off the front of the group! Highlights of this season’s rendezvous included endless espresso, professional athlete Q and A with Linsey Corbin, Brendan Halpin, and myself, picnic lunch and primal trail run after riding Mt. Lemmon, and slacklining and circuit workouts in the backyard under the beautiful Catalinas. It’s always a surprise how quickly the week flies by, but I am already looking forward to the next year of riding and meeting new people. If you’ve ever wanted to try out a camp experience, this is the one!