#4
Music is your fourth
passion. The annu-
al Folks Festival delights with
the laid-back likes of John
Prine and The Swell Season.
The occasional
rattlesnake, bear
or mountain lion traipsing
through the backyard sends
your heart rate soaring.
TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN
Perched between two peninsulas in Northwestern Michigan,
Traverse City borders copious amounts of the clearest, cleanest
open water a triathlete could hope for. Tagged one of America’s
best beach towns by AOL Travel, this endurance sports haven is
aptly nicknamed the “Caribbean of the North.”
But Traverse City’s tri sport charms begin well before the water’s
edge. Cyclists—both mountain and road—are treated to a variety of
terrain, with choice views spanning multiple bays, bucolic farmland
and rolling vineyards. Runners can course through the area’s TART
trail system—estimated to span more than 55 miles. Xterra pros
Josiah and Yaro Middaugh hail from Traverse City and base their
Middaugh Bros. Triathlon Camp here, introducing eager athletes
to the triathlon-rich resources of their hometown.
Traverse City also teems with endurance events including a
handful of local triathlons, the Bayshore Marathon and the legendary
Iceman Cometh Challenge bike race. When winter blankets the area
in white, it’s best to buck up like a local and strap on snowshoes
or Nordic skis.
LYONS, COLORADO
It’s no accident that Australian legend Chris Legh makes
Lyons his April through December home. Legh bases his
Penny’s Peak Performance Camps here, taking full advantage
of the quad- and calf-busting trail runs and road rides that
emanate in every direction. Nestled north of Boulder’s
endurance athlete Mecca, this picturesque Rocky Mountain
hamlet serves as a high-altitude training retreat for numerous
pros, including Ironman champion Belinda Granger and
Team Sky’s Tour de France stage winner Simon Gerrans.
July marked the inaugural Lyons-based Centurion Cycling
event, which offered all-ability rides of 100, 50 and 25 miles.
Tough training days in Lyons are rewarded with a
dip in the icy cold St. Vrain River, gourmet goodies from
the newly refurbished St. Vrain Market or a beer at local
brewpub Oskar Blues. With 242 sun-drenched days each
year and only 34 inches of snow on average, winters in
Lyons are milder than one might imagine. The tiny town’s
only drawback is its lack of a swim facility, but that’s easily
remedied with a short 17-mile drive to one of Boulder’s
many community recreation centers.
Courtesy of Brian Donnell/Ducks in a Row Studio
#5
You’re an open wa-
ter junkie. What’s
not to love about plunging into
the “Caribbean of the North?”
You can’t take
your job with
you. Traverse City’s 12. 1
percent unemployment
rate leapfrogs the 10. 2
percent national average.
