Three races in two days.  That’ll make your legs tired.  These images and more are available at Sansai Studio.  Mai from Sansai has road race and time trial photos available now and says the criterium photos are forthcoming, pending on getting her regular job and the taxes done.

The Men’s Cat 1, 2, 3 criterium winner unleashed a wickedly fast sprint

The criterium venue at Balloon Fiesta Park provided close up views for spectators

We are athletes.  Being active helps us learn.  I viewed this weekend’s event as a training race to get into the swing of things again.  It built up my motivation and gave me a sense of how strong the racing is in the Southwest US.  The event showcased fit and healthy athletes and brings bicycling to the broader public.  People race to reach for pinnacle experiences, to execute teamwork (road cycling is a team based sport), to build community, and to have fun enjoying the bounty of all the hard work that goes into practicing bicycling.

Since we live in Albuquerque it was a special treat to race from home.  There was a little driving involved to each venue, and I got a little bummed out spending Sunday morning on the freeway heading over to the West Side, and Sunday afternoon on the freeway again heading over to the north side.  When you’re driving on the freeway major landmarks like the Rio Grande are a quick blip on a high speed journey, or you may not even notice the river at all.  But when I climbed out of the car and onto my bicycle I felt grounded again knowing exactly where I was.  The driving was not too bad considering races such as Valley of the Sun in Phoenix, which requires 50 or 60 miles of serpentine freeways between stages.  I’m spoiled because in my regular life I don’t have to drive a car.  I can use my bicycle and transit for everything, as Albuquerque is a city especially scalable by bicycle, and my favorite place to drive my bike in.

Matt from Caruso Cycle Works is training for the Masters National Championships Time Trial

Thanks to Sports Systems Mountain Top Cycling on Montgomery and Louisiana for a wonderful weekend of racing.  Please remember to support the beneficiary of this race, the Adoption Exchange, by helping them find waiting children safe, loving, and permanent homes.  I’ll see you next time at the races, or perhaps we’ll meet before then somewhere out on the road or trails.