My 10 Favorite Races: By Gale Bernhardt

Submitted by Susie Schreiber

My 10 Favorite Races:
By Gale Bernhardt

Gale Bernhardt was the USA Triathlon team coach at the 2003 Pan American Games and 2004 Athens Olympics. Her first Olympic experience was as a personal cycling coach at the 2000 Games in Sydney. She currently serves as one of the World Cup coaches for the International Triathlon Union's Sport Development Team. Thousands of athletes have had successful training and racing experiences using Gale's pre-built, easy-to-follow cycling and triathlon training plans. Let Gale and Active Trainer help you succeed.

I've been hooked on endurance sports since 1986. In that time, I've had the good fortune to participate in, and be a spectator at, some fantastic events.
When asked to boil it down to my top 10, it was tough. Be forewarned that some of these races fill up some seven months to a year in advance. If you want to experience any of these fun events, look into registering soon.

1. Tri Glenwood Triathlon — Glenwood Springs, Colorado
This event was one of my first triathlons, and it is still going strong. One of the things that makes this event special is that the organizers actually cool down the historic Glenwood Springs Hot Springs pool so that triathletes can begin the race with an open-water-style pool swim.
There was a bagpipe musician playing the pipes in a location tucked away beside the trail. It seemed magical.
Heats of racers swim circular laps in the historic pool, which measures 405 feet long and 100 feet wide. What also makes this event special is the post-race party, featuring a barbecue and awards ceremony. The food and hand-crafted awards have always been top notch.

2. Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon — Loveland, Colorado
Yes, you might say this is my hometown favorite, but the event has earned its spot on this list. The current swim begins in Lake Loveland, with perfect views of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker toward the west. The bike ride is a challenging loop to Horsetooth Reservoir and back, one of my regular (and favorite) local rides. Made for strong cyclists, the course is a hilly 30 miles.
The event finishes with a flat run, great food and awards in the amphitheater. Athletes can go for a cool-down walk in Benson Sculpture Park that showcases beautiful pieces from the artist community living in or visiting Loveland. Artists showcase work in these parks each August at America's largest outdoor sculpture shows Loveland Sculpture Invitational and Art in the Park.

3. Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race — Leadville, Colorado
The first time I did this race was in 2005, several years before Lance Armstrong made it one of his favorite races. With a cut-off time of 12 hours, I managed to score the "Last Ass Up the Pass" trophy with a blazing time of 11:59:55. Yes, a five-second, by-the-lycra-threads-of-my-shorts victory.
This narrow victory made me want to go back for more. I not only wanted more racing, where the majority of the event is held at altitudes above 10,000 feet, but more of the mountain town. After completing the 2005 event I read several books on the rich history of Leadville; which made me further respect the town, the people and its contributions to the state of Colorado, as well as the nation's history.
Some names of famous people getting their start in Leadville, or having Leadville significantly influence their course in life, include J.J. & (The Unsinkable) Molly Brown, H.A.W. (Horace) and Baby Doe Tabor, Daniel Guggenheim and Charles Boettcher. Of course the riches of gold and silver brought outlaws and lawmen the likes of the Younger Gang, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson and the Earp brothers.
Honoring that rough and tumble history, race organizers give out great prizes that include ore carts, mining pans with real gold dust, belt buckles, pendants for women, whiskey and a small taste of the wild west via mountain bike. "You're better than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can."

4. Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run — Sheridan and Dayton, Wyoming
I've done the 30K and the 50K events and both begin with a bus ride to the starting location. Both groups are dropped off at the same location, but 50K racers do a 20K loop in the mountains before heading back to Dayton on the same route as the 30K racers.
The route includes jeep roads, single-track trail, running through fields of thigh-deep wild flowers and finishes on a dirt road that takes you back to the park where you can soak tired legs and feet in the river. The years that I ran the event, there was a bagpipe musician playing the pipes in a location tucked away beside the trail. It seemed magical.
A group of us did a lot of training runs together, and I ran the entire 50K with a friend of mine. Though she is a much better runner than I, she was willing to hang with me. This event made me realize how much I enjoyed training for long endurance events with friends. It really is all about the journey.

5. Ironman — Multiple events world-wide, with the crown jewel in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Ironman-distance racing was made iconic world-wide via the television coverage of the Hawaiian Ironman event held in Kailua-Kona. The Ironman family has since expanded to host multiple events around the world.
In the mainstream sports world, it is arguably the accomplishments of Ironman athletes that associate the word "triathlon" with challenge, toughness, pain, endurance, overcoming obstacles and success. If you don't want to put yourself through racing one of these events, I highly recommend watching the start of one of these races and then return to watch the last hour of finishers.

6. ITU World Championships — Varies from year to year
I love the fast-paced racing of International Triathlon Union (ITU) events. This multiple-loop, draft-legal format is a kick to watch, and my favorite courses feature big hills on the bike and maybe the run, too. These events showcase athlete speed, tactics and guts. These events are the path to the Olympic Games -- and I'm a Games addict.
Amateur (age group) athletes around the world go through a qualification process within their nation to travel to the ITU World Championships to represent their respective countries. In the U.S.A. the process to qualify for Team U.S.A. is listed on the USA Triathlon website. As an athlete representing your country, you march in a parade of nations modeled after the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
I felt extremely patriotic racing in my nation's colors, in my team uniform and in the parade. A bonus for age groupers is watching the Elite ITU World Championship event that contains multiple current and future Olympians. If you can't travel to the Olympics, perhaps you can race yourself and watch the Elite ITU World Championships with an Olympic-quality field.

7. Winter Park Mountain Bike Race Series — Winter Park, Colorado
In particular, my favorite course is the Tipperary Creek event known as "King of the Rockies". This course was the beginning of mountain bike racing for me, and the King of the Rockies used to be a stage race. I like the idea of mountain bike stage racing and miss that aspect of the event; but I still like this course. It begins on a wide service road and allows the group to get spaced out before heading up a wide-track climb.
This climb further separates racers so you can really enjoy the single-track. You ride through lush green meadows and forest. The trail hosts roots, rocky sections, a few areas of technical challenge and water crossing. The water can be deep and spectator pleasing. Organizers have expanded over the years to host eight events within the series. There is plenty of fun to be had over the entire season.

8. BolderBOULDER 10K — Boulder, Colorado
In true Boulder style, this race has top elite racers, fast age groupers, those just trying to finish and the costumed group. In 2009, the event attracted more than 54,000 racers. The on-course entertainment has grown so big that it has its own page on the website. Not listed are the numerous belly dancers, costumed people and only-in-Boulder characters.
All runners finish in the University of Colorado's Folsum Field, and many hang around post-race to watch the elites run in a separate wave after the citizen's race. By the time I ran into the stadium (fast runners are staged first), the place was packed so it sounded like the entire stadium was cheering for me. You gotta do this race at least once.

9. USTS Indianapolis — Indianapolis, Illinois
The last two events on my list are now extinct. I'm hoping that by showcasing them here perhaps it will somehow bring them back to life.
This particular event was part of the U.S. Triathlon Series of events, sponsored by Bud Light. The best part of this event was that I got to ride my bike on the Indianapolis 500 Race Track. This race track is rich in automotive and racing history. I recall riding past the light tower that is used to start the race. I had to slow down just to get a full look at the tower, it is so enormous.
Who wouldn't ride fast on the Indy track?

10. Scott Tinley's Dirty Adventures — Ft. Collins, Colorado
Tinley's Dirty Adventures used to be a national series. Though my local Colorado Tinley's race no longer exists, Tinley's Adventures continues to thrive in southern California. I loved this event because it offered shorter, easier courses for beginners and tougher courses for advanced racers. You could race one event or more events over the course of three days.
Those that wanted extra challenge could enter the "Toughest Competition," which was essentially multisport stage racing. My race began on Friday with a mountain bike time trial. The second day was an off-road triathlon and the third day was an off-road duathlon. Great fun!
It is worth mentioning that Scott Tinley's contributions to the sport of triathlon and to dirty fun are recognized in the XTERRA Hall of Fame.