18X brought less structure, an opportunity to bond as a smaller community, and gorgeous weather. We spent evenings at Storrs Pond swimming in the murky water, late nights and early mornings running to avoid the sometimes humid and hot air, and filled our weekends with long rides perfecting our bike short tan lines. We biked both through sunshine and torrential rain, finished workouts by hopping into the river, and took days off from normal tri activities to hike. Through the endless possible backroads to explore in the NH/VT Upper Valley, each hill was an opportunity for strengthening and each downhill a chance to release tension and create our own breezes. As much as I enjoy the hours spent in the spin room with teammates sweating while singing along to throwback music (which we still fit into our summer schedules on the occasional morning), 18X was focused on soaking in every sunbeam and growing more and more comfortable and powerful on our outdoor bikes.
Carly and I trained to bike 100 miles in the Prouty, which provided us with a chance to do something we love while raising money for a cause. We rode with Hunter and our coach Jeff and finished the century ride in under six hours. As biking has been an escape from stress this summer, this ride provided me with six hours in my happy place. Climbing each hill in order to drop into aero and glide down the other side, I combined personal challenge with a reflection on the impact cancer has had on my family. Just as I worked with my sisters to be caretakers for our mom while balancing school work and health, I worked with my teammates to defeat each hill while balancing hydration and nutrition. The Prouty was a reminder of the incredible Upper Valley community. In the weeks leading up to this event, there were constantly bikers making their ways through the beautiful NH and VT backroads. Give the people in the Upper Valley a cause they care about and a physical challenge, and you see the huge participation and impact they can have.
In addition to our feat on the bike, a group of us traveled to Boston for the Boston Triathlon, which became a duathlon (run bike run) due to weather. The optimism each person held through the storm and the two running events was a great reminder of the team spirit and energy that makes this group of people so special. Not only was it so nice to spend time with past and current teammates who traveled to Boston from their internships and jobs, but it was a reminder of the larger community that will join us again in the fall. This summer has provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships between us ‘20s while developing our sense of leadership and goals for the team as we move forward without the ‘18s. I am grateful for the time we have had to process the changes our community will face without the presence of the ‘18s we love so much, but 18X has shown me that we can honor their traditions and carry their energy and compassion into our team’s next generation.
As 18X comes to an end, we can still be found riding through backroads in NH, training for Buzzards Bay Sprint in mid-September, as we await the return of the rest of our teammates and prepare to welcome 22s onto our team.
SBR,
Andrea
About the Author
Andrea (’20) is a tri team exec from Hanover, NH studying Quantitative Social Science and Arabic. She loves winter, tea, traveling with family, and spending time outside.
