Weekly Racing (or Touring for Time)
The weekly race series up at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center has been a staple of my summer riding routine for the past 20 years. Every year I look forward to what Eli has put together for a course and who I will get to see. Gone are the days where I put up some of the faster times, but it remains one of my highlights each week from July through August.
In the past couple of years I've started cheering on the children of the "kids" that used to hang out in the shop up there when I was running the retail operation. And some of the fast times being put up are by men and women that I watched learn how to ride a bike. That causes me to both shake my head and smile.
The courses are designed to be raced in a time trial format, with distance and challenge options that range from mini, to short, to long. With the long only being about five miles. The terrain is a mix of smooth gravel carriage roads and classic New England singletrack. Eli Walker, a long time GGTOC employee, finds unique ways to route the course to create good flow but also to create a different feel each year. That is no small task, but it is one that Eli has mastered.
For those who are able to make it to at least 5 of the 8 races they will have an opportunity to win prizes at the end of year raffle as well as to compete for podium spots in the various divisions. There are always some great giveaways, but I always seem to win socks. I'm not sure how that plays out that way every year!
Great Glen runs a number of racing series, from Nordic Meisters in the winter to the spring and fall trail running, there is something going on all the time. They used to run a cyclocross series in the fall back a few years ago but it never drew enough of a critical mass. For me it's the people that show up to participate that make the events so much fun. It's a mini reunion each week and there are always a lot of smiles.
While I'm not putting my Team Bikeman.com jersey up on the podium anymore, it is still great to get out and compete with my friends and with myself. You should give it a go!
www.greatglentrails.com
See you out on the trails.
In the past couple of years I've started cheering on the children of the "kids" that used to hang out in the shop up there when I was running the retail operation. And some of the fast times being put up are by men and women that I watched learn how to ride a bike. That causes me to both shake my head and smile.
The courses are designed to be raced in a time trial format, with distance and challenge options that range from mini, to short, to long. With the long only being about five miles. The terrain is a mix of smooth gravel carriage roads and classic New England singletrack. Eli Walker, a long time GGTOC employee, finds unique ways to route the course to create good flow but also to create a different feel each year. That is no small task, but it is one that Eli has mastered.
For those who are able to make it to at least 5 of the 8 races they will have an opportunity to win prizes at the end of year raffle as well as to compete for podium spots in the various divisions. There are always some great giveaways, but I always seem to win socks. I'm not sure how that plays out that way every year!
Great Glen runs a number of racing series, from Nordic Meisters in the winter to the spring and fall trail running, there is something going on all the time. They used to run a cyclocross series in the fall back a few years ago but it never drew enough of a critical mass. For me it's the people that show up to participate that make the events so much fun. It's a mini reunion each week and there are always a lot of smiles.
While I'm not putting my Team Bikeman.com jersey up on the podium anymore, it is still great to get out and compete with my friends and with myself. You should give it a go!
www.greatglentrails.com
See you out on the trails.
posted by Sven at 7:00 AM
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