As December rolled around and winter threatened to turn us all into ice or at least very soggy. Abi (Cycleshack in house pro triathlete), Jamie (store mascot mk1) and Morgan (mascot mk2) decided to chase the sun and headed over to California for the 70.3 Indian Wells half Ironman. Armed with their trusty Trek Speed Concepts and a moderate amount of sunscreen, they set out on their racing adventure in the desert.

The ride out to Indian Wells was as flat as a pancake with long, straight roads stretched ahead for miles! These were the perfect roads for tri bikes that like straight lines more than corners. The straight lines enabled Abi and Morgan to  the stunning scenery of the Californian desert. Picture perfect! Imagine cycling at sunset with the sun in your eyes and the wind on your face. 

Jamie also a Pro Triathlete, is normally found racing but is on the road back from injury so took the role of soigneur - keeping Abi and Morgan fueled, hydrated and motivated. Generally removing some of the pre-race stresses. Whilst the others did some training Jamie took the opportunity do something a little different so headed down to a down town bike shop and asked about the off road trails he could hit on the Trek Fuel Ex that he had borrowed for the week. He must have had the appearance of a seasoned mountain biker (those that know Jamie well will know he is more like Bambi on ice when it comes to anything that isn't tarmac) as was pointed in the direction of a “super chill” black run

Spoiler alert: it was not “super chill.” Between multiple tumbles, falls, and a slight melodrama, Jamie soon realised that perhaps he should have better described his off-road riding history. These trails would have been absolutely fantastic for a more seasoned riders. None the less they where beautiful trails and Jamie does want to get to a place where he could go back and ride them one day. Rumour has it he is doing and off-road triathlon this year in preparation!

On the day of 70.3 Indian Wells half, Abi was feeling a little under the weather, the combination of travel and mixed sleep patterns had caught up with her. Despite this she finished the race in 4 hours and 30 minutes, snagging a solid 10th place. Morgan, however, faced a twist of fate (or “very bad luck”) and got slapped with a 5-minute drafting penalty and in a race with a very competitive field this dropped him from near the front 10 athletes down to around 25th.

Even though the results weren’t exactly what they were aiming for it was a fantastic race to end the season on. Not least because they got to let their hair down and have a bit of fun and sightseeing in the days after the race. Disneyland Adventure Park, Muscle Beach and Santa Monica Pier.

"Run Forrest (Morgan), Run!