I wrote the following for the Charlotte Observer, where it appeared on March 23, and in Raleigh’s The News & Observer, where it ran March 30.
For the first 37 years of her life, becoming a die-hard runner wasn’t on Carol Gore’s bucket list.
Category Archives: Competition
Blind dating for a teammate
The race got postponed, my teammate had other plans for the rain date, I found myself without a dance partner. Or, more accurately, a partner to ride in the Men’s Duo division of Friday night’s Curse at the Crab 6-hour endurance race at Lake Crabtree.
Meltdown: The movie
OK, it’s no “Race Across The Sky,” but hey, it’s our first venture into film. Check out GGNC Productions short on “Meltdown at Harris Lake: The Movie.” For more on the Meltdown, check out Sunday’s post on the 6-hour endurance mountain bike race, the third in TORC‘s four-race winter series.
Scenes from a Meltdown
Scenes from Saturday’s six-hour Meltdown at Harris Lake endurance mountain bike race at Harris Lake County Park.
A rush from the mush
Recent snows, rain and cold weather (which keeps the trail from drying) have conspired to keep most mountain bike trails closed for the last month or so. That there even was a race Saturday was the doing of Amy Burke and her crew at Harris Lake. Race Director Chris White said Burke, who oversees trail maintenance at the park, had four people working on the trails full time last week and seven other employees pitched in when they could, building new boardwalks and infilling gravel in spots left perpetually wet by the recent snow and rain. The 8-mile course was soft in spots, but certainly rideable. Nice work by Burke & Co.
Try an indoor tri
Jill Malley knows more about competition than she thinks. “You’re doing great,” she said over my shoulder as I pedaled hamsterlike on the stationary bike. Then, leaning in, she added confidentially, “You’ve gone farther than anyone I’ve seen so far.” Nothing like a well-timed stroke to keep a guy from dialing back the stationary bike just when he thinks he’s had all he can take of going nowhere fast.