I think best when walking in nature so I climbed South Boulder Peak and asked myself “what if.” I came up with the following list:

• Race the Tour of the Dragon in Bhutan
• Nepal – Hike the Annapurna Circuit
• Tibet – Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash
• Hole in the Rock – Lake Powell
• Sail the Atlantic (Canaries to Caribbean)
• Cruise to Alaska
• Cruise Micronesia

Knowing that my desiring mind isn’t the most reliable adviser for personal happiness, I stepped outside of the specifics to consider the deeper urges. I noticed…

• Remote mountain biking and hiking
• Mountains, forest and water
• Exploring

Maybe I should tap out everything that’s an easy drive from home, before spending a fortune in airfare and crossing dozens of time zones? Maybe I ended up in Boulder for a reason… 🙂

It’s a lesson that I’ve shared with many aspiring athletes. Until you can win every race within a 90 minute drive from home, you should only travel to access great training.

Here in the Rockies, there’s a lot of good stuff that’s within 90 minutes and getting there doesn’t stress my family, or my budget.

What drives your list?