Mavic Haute Route Rockies 2018 - Travel Day

You have got to love travel days.  A necessary evil for me now. but I can remember a time in the dim and distant past when I actually looked forward to flying.   After a night filled with restless energy and anticipation for the journey ahead I woke at 5am ready for Daisy our love bug of a dog to slip under the covers for an early morning cuddle. 

With bags packed Sarah drove me to the airport.  That might not sound like a big deal but for Sarah it is.  She faced her anxiety about driving in rush hour to see me off.  It is just another example of the support she provides for which I am so grateful.  On the drive to the airport I checked on the status of my bike.   I decided to ship it using www.bikeflights.com and FedEx. I  entered my tracking number and discovered it was out for delivery.

Whenever I can afford it and sometimes when I can't, I try to upgrade my flights to either business or first class to make travel as painless as possible, you may think this is flashy but I don't do it for status, for me it is simply worth it to make the journey a little less unpleasant and today It certainly made getting through to the security line easier.

And then there is security.  I know it is necessary but does it really need to be so unpleasant, it is like a vortex that sucks the happiness out of everyone in the line.  Wouldn't it be different if the security personnel where cheerful and treated customers with respect and enthusiasm vs suspecting everyone.  I know this is unfair and I certainly would not want the job, but just imagine what could be. 

I got over it once I got dressed for the second time and finished with the security guard riffling through my backpack.  Go figure, my bag of electronics sailed through but fruit and a bag of potato chips set off the alarm.  

The rest of the flight was pleasant with the added bonus of food on the plane that I could actually eat.  Now that is something that does not happen very often with my diet.  

Upon arrival there was a driver arranged to take me to the hotel where my bike had been delivered and placed in my room.  What a different experience to having to drag my bike bag around with me.

After assembling my bike it was time to meet up with the Team Type 1 crew in the lobby and meet a couple of the riders.  After a few logistics we headed out for a nice dinner and good company.  It feels good to be here and tomorrow things get even more real.

I will be heading out for a short 1 hour recovery ride in the morning after breakfast then over to registration.

If you are enjoying these posts please think about a small donation to Team Type 1.  You can help me meet my fundraising goals by visiting my fundraising page, no amount is too small.

Keep it Rubber Side Down and MaxLifeOut.