How Do You Celebrate?
Honoring Milestones and Tackling Goals with Good Friends
Sanitas Sunrise
Before I moved to Boulder in August 2023, my cycling friend Reid from the Poconos suggested I connect with his buddy Jay from business school. In Boulder, Jay and I grabbed coffee, and within a few minutes, suggested I meet his buddy Bart—“a super-connector” and the founder and CEO of Business Outside.
Business Outside, hmm, that sounded familiar. After some thought, I remembered that my friend Ali had told me about Bart and his company after doing photography and videography work at one of his retreats
At the time, I was unhappy in my 9-5, looking for a change, and unsure of which direction I wanted to go, but committed to expanding my network as a proud, new resident of Boulder.
Over email, Bart asked to meet for a morning hike. I suggested a 7 AM start; however, he proposed 6 and pointed out that the best light is before sunrise. In October 2023, I was in the thick of my build for Ironman Arizona the following month and trying to maximize sleep and recovery, but I agreed—6 AM it is.
At 6 AM sharp, we left his house in North Boulder on foot. After reaching an intersection on the route, a point at which I sensed we’d be turning around, I mentioned that I had never been on this beautiful trail before. After learning it was my first time on Mt Sanitas, Bart insisted we continue onto the summit.
About an hour after we started, we reached the top of Mt Sanitas. After chatting with local legends Bart knows from the trail, he played “Follow the Sun” by Xavier Rudd, also one of my favorite songs. We expressed our gratitude and watched the birds fly over town at sunrise. That memorable morning on the trail, we exchanged thought-provoking questions and shared a wide-ranging conversation. What an awesome way to get to know someone! Good call on the 6am start, Bart.
Networking in college, when I was looking for internships and jobs, felt forced. Even now, I have no interest in attending happy hours or luncheons as the interactions are often predictable and transactional. It’s always easier for me to show my authentic self and connect with others when moving my body in nature.
Over the last year, Bart and I have kept in touch. As someone who has experienced setbacks and heartache, he was on the shortlist of people I reached out to after I found out about my pelvic stress fracture just three weeks out from the Ironman World Championship in Kona, a multiyear goal I had been working toward. Whether he knows it or not, I consider him a mentor, so I was flattered when he invited me to join him in celebrating his 50th birthday.
Bart’s 50th Birthday Bash
To honor the milestone, he took on a unique challenge: hiking Mt Sanitas five times—one lap for each decade of his life—inviting friends to join for a lap or two. As such, two of his buddies and I met him at 9:30 AM for lap three. Before we began, he set an intention and communicated his appreciation for us being a part of his special day and journey.
Along the route, I got to chat with his friends Yoav and Brad, both local entrepreneurs, who brought their playful dogs to join us in the snowy fun. Bart and I caught up and shared our goals for the year, as well as ideas for us to work together ahead of his 2025 misogi—a 12.5 mile open water swim around Charleston!
We snagged a photo and video, as Bart captures a one-second clip every day and creates an annual video, before descending. When we got down to the trailhead, I had the opportunity to meet his wife and her friend. Immediately and enthusiastically, Bart told them I left my finance job to go all in on my passion, and not only compete in Ironmans, but competed in the Ironman in Hawaii.
Bart’s an energetic, supportive guy who wants to see others succeed, especially purpose-driven individuals dedicated to serving others and aligning their professional lives with their values and interests. His special birthday celebration made me ponder how I wanted to commemorate my upcoming birthday on April 7, when I’ll be turning 29.
29 for 29
As an endurance athlete and someone who’s been involved with 29029, Everesting came to mind. For those unfamiliar, Everesting involves repeatedly ascending and descending a hill until you’ve accumulated 29,029 feet of elevation gain—the height of Mt Everest. This would be an epic test to take on any time, but something about 29 for 29—29,000 vertical feet for my 29th birthday—sounds good.
I had a few places in Boulder in mind for the birthday bash, but believe Flagstaff Road, where you can gain nearly 2,000 feet in five miles from Chautauqua Park, would be the best place to do it. The category two climb, even once, is hard feat due to its steep, punchy climbs and sharp, hairpin turns. But 15 times? Physically exhausting, of course, but mentally taxing as well due to the repetitive nature of the challenge.
Like Bart, I plan to invite friends to join in on the fun, accompany me on a lap or two, and lift my spirits with their presence and carb-heavy snacks. However, as Boulderites know, the weather is unpredictable here, especially this time of year. Two weeks ago, in early February, it was 60°F and I rode up Lefthand Canyon in short-sleeves. It’s snowing and dropping into the negatives today. As a result, I’m considering my options.
I will likely be in Arizona for my birthday, helping my girlfriend
as she and her company hold the inaugural Arizona Monster 300. While I’d prefer to embark upon this adventure on my actual birthday, I’d rather share it with loved ones in warmer weather in the place I’m fortunate to now call home. And have more time to train.This means it’ll have to wait until late spring or the summer, but that’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make. It’s rewarding to push yourself, but as Bart has reminded me, it’s more rewarding to do so with people you care about.
Endurance athlete friends—invite to come.
Until then, a few questions:
How do you celebrate milestones, birthdays, or special occasions?
Who are the people you want by your side for life’s big moments? Why them?
What’s a challenge or adventure you’ve taken on that changed your perspective?
“I don’t know where we’re going, but I know exactly how to get there.” - Boyd Varty
