Meet Micah Rice | Endurance Event Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Micah Rice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Micah, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I think there are a couple habits I have created for myself that have allowed me to be somewhat successful. First is an ability to listen and learn from others. It is very easy to get wrapped up in yourself and your own perspective, and if you shut other ideas out you are denying your chance to learn from other people. Even if you are sure that you are on the right path, bringing other ideas into your own planning can help vet issues that you know exist or even set you on a totally different path as you see different perspectives. Second is my annoyance with imperfection. While this can also be a detriment to a project, an insistence on getting exactly the right look or feel can elevate the brand very quickly. Sometimes I have to reign this in and know when to let things go as well. Third is being a bridge-builder. I am constantly trying to find ways to bring everyone together on a project, building coalitions that may not have existed in the past. Bringing everyone to the table and finding ways to pull in the same direction always gets better results then finding ways to work around issues or people.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been able to see a lot of sides to bike racing. I have raced as a pro athlete, owned and operated a couple of professional teams, overseen all sizes of events as a race director, and spent over eight years as an executive at the National Governing Body. I have been involved in road cycling, mountain biking, track/velodrome racing, cyclocross, BMX, Gran Fondos, and gravel racing. I have run National Championship events, World Championship events, and Olympic Trials events. I feel like all of those perspectives have given me a well-rounded sense of the sport that is quite unique and I know few people with that varied a background in cycling.

There have been many wide-eyed moments along the way–the decision to move my family from Georgia to Colorado for the USA Cycling job that in the past had been a high-turnover position. The decision to take over a World Championship race 10 weeks before the event so the International Governing Body wouldn’t send it back to Europe. The decision to take off on my own and be a “race director for hire” and leave the support system of USA Cycling. All of these are of course calculated decisions with risk, but I feel pretty lucky to be able to run bike races for a living.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I feel like Colorado Springs is such an underrated destination in Colorado. When out-of-state friends of mine think about where they want to visit in Colorado, The Springs is not at the top of the list. What people don’t know is that the access to the outdoors is absolutely second-to-none. You can ride your mountain bike from downtown and be on backcountry single track in no time, there is an unbelievable network of city parks where you can hike and bike, and you can climb a 14er from the edge of town. And the restaurant/brewery/coffee shop ecosystem has absolutely blown up in the last 10 years.

For a week-long visit, my list of outdoor adventures would include hiking Barr Trail, mountain biking up Cheyenne Canyon and Captain Jack’s Trail, and taking a walk through Garden of the Gods. Always take a visit to the Broadmoor for a drink or meal. My downtown favorites include Odyssey Gastropub, Loyal Coffee, Wild Goose, Urban Steam and Garden of the Gods Café. If you want something a bit more off the beaten path, try Paravicini’s (Italian in Old Colorado City), Mauricio’s Taco Shop (off of Austin Bluffs Parkway) or Viet’s Restaurant off of Academy. And for touristy things to do, I would definitely try to take in a Switchback Game at Weidner Field, tour the Olympic and Paralympic Museum, and drive to the top of Pikes Peak (if you don’t think you can hike all the way up Barr Trail).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course at the top of the list is my wife Heather who has been through the good and the bad as I chased my interest in bike racing. There were some times where she had to keep the family afloat while I found a way to my next opportunity, but here we still are! The other person who has affected the way I operate is Steve Johnson, the former CEO of USA Cycling who hired me to move to Colorado Springs from Georgia to run the National Events department for the National Governing Body. He was somewhat of a polarizing character as he navigated USA Cycling through the Lance years, but he led with purpose and was always honest about where the organization would be headed under his guidance.

Instagram: @micah.rice

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahrice/

Twitter: @micahrice

Image Credits
Linda Guerrette Barbara Dowd