Whitefish Mountain Resort Thursday Night Race League (TNRL)
I participated in my first TNRL on the 11th of August. There were in the ballpark of 75 people milling about at the start line just before the pre-race instructions. Lots of high end bikes, lots of color co-ordinated race outfits, and lots of VERY fit people.
It was a little intimidating, I'll admit it. After the pre-race instructions I felt a bit better as the participants split into the three starting groups, beginner, sport, and expert. All of the race suits and really high end bikes were lined up in front of me.
Having never rode any of the trails on the mountain previously, I was still a little unclear exactly what I was getting into. I settled into about 4th or 5th spot off the start so that I'd have someone to follow. It was mostly downhill down some very narrow, windy and rugged trails. I blew out of the trail on at least three times due to my unfamiliarity with the course.
You'll want to be sure your bike is in good condition before signing up. I brought not my regular bike from home, but the cast off 50lbs steel monster a friend gave me to kick around at my cabin. I gave it a quick once over at home to inflate the tires, oil the chain, and tighten all of the bolts. Additionally, I'd recommend a bike with front suspension. The trail is full of roots, rocks, and other obstacles.
As the first third of the course flew past, I had my first taste of uphill on a single track. Thankfully, there was no place to pass, so I could just grind and follow at the pace of the guy ahead of me. In my training and triathlon experiences, I've almost always used the top two thirds of the gears. In this race, you'll use the bottom third exclusively. To do it again, I'd most likely replace the front sprockets with smaller ones for a better gear ratio for what turned out to be a brutal uphill through the last half of the track. At three spots I had to hop off and push, not because it was too steep to pedal or leg strength, but due to the extreme cardio demand of the course. Soul crushing would be a good description. The second half of the course was mostly two track, with lots of spots to pass if you had the legs. I did finally overcome the guy I was following. He asked 2 times if I wanted to pass before I actually did. I'd have ultimately finished ahead of him if I hadn't made a wrong turn.
I went through the downhill sections of the course saying to myself 'DON'T CRASH! DON'T CRASH! DON'T CRASH! DON'T CRASH!' and the uphill sections of the course saying 'DON'T PUKE! DON'T PUKE! DON'T PUKE! DON'T PUKE!'.
The final 300 yards to the finish line features a series of switchbacks (read steep) before a 20 yard flat before the finish line. I smiled inside a little when the race starter encouraged me to finish hard... That WAS finishing hard...
I won't likely make it back this summer to race again, but next year I'll plan to make at least half of the races. There was a downhill race this night as well, which sounds like an interesting thing to try too.
After the race, there was a congregation on the patio of the Bierstube for an informal awards ceremony. Its a great place to enjoy a burger and a couple of cold beers.
I'd encourage anyone who likes to bike and likes to test themselves against a formidable track to plan your visit to Whitefish around the TNRL next year. It was really a lot of fun! Thanks Whitefish Mountain Resort for putting on this event!
I participated in my first TNRL on the 11th of August. There were in the ballpark of 75 people milling about at the start line just before the pre-race instructions. Lots of high end bikes, lots of color co-ordinated race outfits, and lots of VERY fit people.
It was a little intimidating, I'll admit it. After the pre-race instructions I felt a bit better as the participants split into the three starting groups, beginner, sport, and expert. All of the race suits and really high end bikes were lined up in front of me.
Having never rode any of the trails on the mountain previously, I was still a little unclear exactly what I was getting into. I settled into about 4th or 5th spot off the start so that I'd have someone to follow. It was mostly downhill down some very narrow, windy and rugged trails. I blew out of the trail on at least three times due to my unfamiliarity with the course.
You'll want to be sure your bike is in good condition before signing up. I brought not my regular bike from home, but the cast off 50lbs steel monster a friend gave me to kick around at my cabin. I gave it a quick once over at home to inflate the tires, oil the chain, and tighten all of the bolts. Additionally, I'd recommend a bike with front suspension. The trail is full of roots, rocks, and other obstacles.
As the first third of the course flew past, I had my first taste of uphill on a single track. Thankfully, there was no place to pass, so I could just grind and follow at the pace of the guy ahead of me. In my training and triathlon experiences, I've almost always used the top two thirds of the gears. In this race, you'll use the bottom third exclusively. To do it again, I'd most likely replace the front sprockets with smaller ones for a better gear ratio for what turned out to be a brutal uphill through the last half of the track. At three spots I had to hop off and push, not because it was too steep to pedal or leg strength, but due to the extreme cardio demand of the course. Soul crushing would be a good description. The second half of the course was mostly two track, with lots of spots to pass if you had the legs. I did finally overcome the guy I was following. He asked 2 times if I wanted to pass before I actually did. I'd have ultimately finished ahead of him if I hadn't made a wrong turn.
I went through the downhill sections of the course saying to myself 'DON'T CRASH! DON'T CRASH! DON'T CRASH! DON'T CRASH!' and the uphill sections of the course saying 'DON'T PUKE! DON'T PUKE! DON'T PUKE! DON'T PUKE!'.
The final 300 yards to the finish line features a series of switchbacks (read steep) before a 20 yard flat before the finish line. I smiled inside a little when the race starter encouraged me to finish hard... That WAS finishing hard...
I won't likely make it back this summer to race again, but next year I'll plan to make at least half of the races. There was a downhill race this night as well, which sounds like an interesting thing to try too.
After the race, there was a congregation on the patio of the Bierstube for an informal awards ceremony. Its a great place to enjoy a burger and a couple of cold beers.
I'd encourage anyone who likes to bike and likes to test themselves against a formidable track to plan your visit to Whitefish around the TNRL next year. It was really a lot of fun! Thanks Whitefish Mountain Resort for putting on this event!
