Meet Team Garmin: Kris

In a previous post, we told you about the inaugural Team Garmin event — June’s Ride the Rockies through Colorado.  Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing the four team members who are using the Garmin Edge and MotionBased.com to help them prepare for this grueling event.  A couple of weeks ago, we introduced Daren… today it’s Kris, a 30-something sales rep from suburban Denver.

Hello, my name is Kris but all my friends in the cycling world call me “On Your Left!” It seems that often I am passed — and as most of you know, that is a polite way of others to tell you that “ya we’re passing your slow behind.”  However, I am usually passed for one of three reasons:

• I am usually talking, talking, talking
• I forgot to train for the ride
• I must have stayed out too late the night before

Don’t get me wrong, I am no newbie to the cycling thing — I used to race my Big Wheel up and down the block. Once I outgrew the Big Wheel, I got hooked on riding with two wheels and I have been doing organized rides since I was 15 years old.  That was the first year I could actually convince my daddy to buy me a “real bike” – my turquoise blue CENTURION IRONMAN.  I remember feeling like I was “all that” with my $849 bike, Shimano 105 system, Sampson clipless pedals, and pink water bottles and cages. Fast forward 20 years and I realize the sport only gets better.  The only problem is now that I am older, I actually have to train for these rides and pay for my own cycling stuff. Who signed me up for that?

A little about me — I am single and have one adorable and very spoiled little dog, Lucky. I live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado — a suburb of Denver — and I have a fabulous condo in Breckenridge.  I work hard and play hard, and that’s why I love Colorado.  I love living here as it affords me the opportunity to bike, hike, camp, board or ski at the drop of a hat.  I love being outdoors and lucky for me, Colorado has over 300 sunny days a year.

I have completed 5 marathons, countless century rides, 12 (13 if you count this year) Ride the Rockies rides, 5 RAGBRAI, and several MS 150 rides.  I am all about the organized rides, mostly because I am all about the challenge and (of course) the socializing.  I am a Denver Broncos season ticket holder, so you know where to find me during football season.

I have the Garmin Forerunner 301 and have found it to be an excellent companion when I am running and want to know how far and fast (or slow) I am going.  What I love is that I no longer have to guess miles per hour or mileage and there is no need to get in the car and drive the route.  (Now I can tell my kids – when I was your age, I had to beg my parents to drive the route and tell me how many miles I had done and it was uphill both ways.)  Also what a fabulous toy my Forerunner 301 is when I am hiking with my friends and we just want to know how much further we have hike to get to the beer.  Now that I have the Garmin Edge 305, I can not even see straight.. so excited!  I can tell speed, distance, how fast my heart is beating, or how out of shape I really am, the weather- temp and winds, and elevation with a hill analysis.  I can race against the Edge! Wait a second, what if I lose?  How do you look at yourself in the mirror with that defeat?

Bike Me,

Kris (a.k.a. “On Your Left”)

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