5 REASONS WHY BOULDER IS A PERFECT GET AWAY FOR TRIATHLETES

It has been years, and I mean years and years, since David and I have gone away together and NOTHING triathlon was involved. No swimming, no biking (well, no tribike), no running (well, maybe a little trail run), no worrying about working out, and no worries about a race and all the gear.

We chose to drive to Boulder for a weekend get away that we both desperately needed. As you can imagine, we were both a little nervous. David will never admit it, but I think he was sort of like, “what am I going to do all weekend”? Well, we did it all and we did nothing, and it was great. To be honest, Boulder is like an adult playground AND the perfect triathlete get away. In case you aren’t aware, many triathletes live and train there and they also have multiple triathlons in the area.

Here are my top 5 reasons why Boulder makes the perfect get away …

1. LODGING OPTIONS

There are so many lodging options for your perfect getaway, but triathletes will love Boulder Adventure Lodge. A-Lodge was created just a year ago for like-minded people who love to be outside and around others who feel the same way. Picking the right lodging was key for me! Just about everyone there loved to be outside and loved to talk about it.

That meant a lot to me, because it was not triathlon talk or work talk, but talk about the love of being outdoors and sharing experiences. At A-Lodge, you could do nothing or everything and there are not that many people. It sits alone at the intersections of Four Mile Creek and Boulder Creek and nothing is around it, but you are still only minutes from town and seconds to the Boulder Trail.

The property has my so many places to chill out, but also a few challenges too, like the slack line. David was able to fly fish right on the property or walk to Boulder Creek and fish. But, what I really love, is the chill factor. Every room has a small kitchen area and the property has both grills and fire pit options for cooking.

To be honest, we had every intention of exploring all the wonderful restaurants of Boulder, but loved being at A-Lodge so much, we cooked almost every breakfast (they do serve a breakfast of granola and yogurt) and dinner on the grill. We just wanted to be home at A-Lodge after a day of adventure. Could you get a better endorsement?

2. HIKING

Triathletes love to be outside and with Boulder’s 300 days of sunshine, you can’t go wrong. And again, like most everything else in Boulder, the options are endless. You can take a nice easy hike on the Boulder Creek Trail, one of the many mountain base hikes, or you can pick a little bit tougher trail with some uphill. But, if you like me, live with a triathlete, you will most likely be heading to the over 8000 feet at the top of one of the FlatIrons, I can’t breathe trail covered in boulders that you have to get over.

And yes, it is well, well worth it…But, if you are new to hiking, I suggest the Royal Arch Trail at Chatutauqua Park for your first true uphill.

3. BIKING

It is very easy to leave the tribike at home and still get some time on two wheels. There are three great options:

• The first is renting some road bikes and exploring the area. Boulder has so many gems throughout the city and surrounding area, it is easy to explore for hours and hours via the road. It is a very bike-friendly city, but please remember the be a good bike rider and ask the rental shop for the local rules of the road.
• The second option is Trail Biking. The Boulder area has trails designated just for riding and just like with hiking, you can go from easy to hard.
• And, third, for a really fun time head over to Valmont Bike Park. The whole area is marked like a ski mountain, with colors that mark the difficulty of the course.

4. FOOD

Not much more to say here other than there is an AMAZING food scene in Boulder. We have a full Boulder Food article you can read for some recommendations. This trip we enjoyed a few local places. Our favorite though was Zeal, but we also enjoyed Mateo.

We would highly advise checking out the tea rooms, as well. If you are there on a Wednesday or Saturday, be sure to check out the Farmers Market. We picked up some wonderful fruits and veggies and that we enjoyed back at the A-Lodge.

5. ACTIVITIES

Boulder and the surrounding area have so much to offer. We enjoyed taking a drive up to Nederland and some time in Denver. In reality, you can create a trip with a ton of adventure or a ton of relaxing and be very happy either way.

Check out some of our favorite things to do in Boulder. Make sure you also see what special things are happening that you can take advantage of and be sure to always ask the locals!

So when thinking of your next non- triathlon getaway, Boulder has to be high on your list. You won’t be disappointed.

DANA

Disclosure: I was provided with a two night stay at the Adventure Lodge for my review. I was not paid for this article. All opinions are my own.