I grew up swimming and the team I swam for was located about 30-40 mins away from my house. This meant early mornings. Very early. Throw in occasionally swimming before school and getting up early just became a part of it.

When I started training for triathlon this early morning game began anew. Runs and swims at 5:30 were the norm. The bike rides though crept earlier.

I once got on the bike at 4 am. Rode 40 miles and walked in my house at 6:01. It was still dark. It was like it didn’t happen.

Over time. A group of similar idiots emerged. Guys with jobs that needed their rides done before 7 a.m. Guys that liked being hurt and hurting each other.

Due to the vampire hours these rides occurred, the group was given the name the “The Lost Boys” after the 1987 vampire movie. It stuck. It’s been the same ever since.

For us it’s been the constant way to get better. The rides usually go:

Warmup.

Get face smashed for 30 mins.

2 min recovery

30 mins of secondary face smashing.

Aka greatness.

The group ebs and flows a little but is never more than about 10. The core stays the same and slowly ramps up every spring. The conversations are short if at all, but the commitment is what counts.

I’ve spent an enormous amount of time training alone and am always happy when the rides ramp back up. There’s not much better than watching a sunrise through salt and sweat and pain. To knowing it’s almost over so you double down for the last miles.

So we revel in 1987, in riding at the vampire hour, in carnage and pain, and what may be a Top 10 movie soundtrack.

#higsandhi5s