In the summertime of 1994, my spouse, Shelly, and I stop our instructing jobs and launched into a two-year, around-the-world bike tour. Twenty-three months, 18 nations, and 19,000 miles later, we returned to the U.S. and settled in Phoenix, Arizona, the place we lived for 5 years and began a household. We now have three sons aged 25, 23, and 20. Whereas in Phoenix, I found path working and ultrarunning, and a 25-year profession of working ultramarathons was born.
Between 1997 and 2021, I ran over 175 ultramarathons together with a number of the largest 100 milers within the nation — the Western States 100, Leadville 100 Mile, Hardrock 100, Wasatch 100 Mile, and Vermont 100 Mile, to call however a couple of. I beloved these halcyon years as I got here to know that working wasn’t solely one thing I did, it was a necessary a part of who I used to be.
AJW and his son Tully after the 2021 Bighorn Path 100 Mile. Picture: Shelly Jones-Wilkins
All three of our sons grew up attending ultras and had been an integral a part of our household involvement within the sport. Because the boys matured, they gravitated towards biking fairly than working. Our center son, Logan, loved some success as a junior highway racer with Kelly Profit Methods, earlier than transitioning to gravel a couple of years in the past and snagging a pleasant sponsorship take care of the nice people at Rodeo Journey Labs in Denver. Alongside the way in which, in help of Logan’s racing, I had the chance to attend a couple of of the larger gravel races like Unbound Gravel, The Mid South, and Gravel Worlds and noticed how the vibe had quite a bit in widespread with the early days of path ultras. Positive, there have been some variations, however generally, the neighborhood emphasis and the camaraderie had been palpable.
Logan Jones-Wilkins (left) and Ryan Hagen on their RockStart Gravel Route quickest recognized time try. Picture: Andy Jones-Wilkins
This previous summer time, we relocated again to Phoenix. For my fifty fifth birthday, my household, aided by Logan’s beneficiant sponsorship with Rodeo Labs, purchased me a brand new gravel bike. It was my first new bike in 30 years, as previous to that I used to be nonetheless pedaling round on my metal 1991 Bianchi Volpe Touring Bike, with a SunTour groupset, Wolber Tremendous Champion rims, and Phil Wooden hubs.
Just a few months in the past, my son Logan instructed me in regards to the Spirit World 100 gravel race. A novel 100, 80, and 50-mile biking race within the Borderlands of Arizona, about 40 miles south of Tucson and 18 miles north of the Mexican border. As a 55-year-old man, I had not tried one thing new in a very long time, and I used to be thrilled to be given the possibility to dip my toes again into biking after greater than 1 / 4 of a century away.
So this previous Friday afternoon, I drove right down to Patagonia, Arizona, arrange my tent within the city park, and loved a night of nice meals, dwell music, and funky individuals. On race morning, I loved an unbelievable home-cooked breakfast unfold and good, sturdy espresso earlier than venturing out on the trip. I loved the companionship of different riders in addition to the extraordinary surroundings of the San Rafael Valley and the Borderlands. On the 28-mile assist station — which had an almost similar assist station vibe as all the extremely assist stations I’ve been to through the years — I appeared on as riders of all sizes and styles joined collectively within the shared struggling and pleasure that’s a lot part of any endurance endeavor.
Riders collaborating within the 2022 Spirit World 100 gravel race. Picture: Spirit World 100
Ultimately, I made it to the end line again on the town the place Zander Ault, who, alongside along with his companion Heidi Rentz, makes this entire weekend occur, greeted me enthusiastically and for a couple of moments made me really feel like crucial particular person on the earth. From there, I retired again to the city park for extra nice meals, earlier than pointing my automobile north and heading again house with some soreness in my legs and a smile on my face.
Zander, Heidi, and the Spirit World 100, thanks for reigniting the biking spark in me. I’m trying ahead to subsequent yr already.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Pueblo Vida Brewing Firm in Tucson, Arizona. La Valencia, a cocktail-inspired IPA with Valencia oranges and peaches, is a candy and hoppy deal with from this nice little brewery tucked into a pleasant nook of the Sonoran Desert. Good with meals and simply as a standalone beer, La Valencia is a fantastically quaffable beer.
Name for Feedback
- Have you ever tried gravel bike racing?
- Or discovered another enjoyable sports activities with the same neighborhood vibe to path working and ultrarunning?
