Summer is upon us and the Untamed New England is fast approaching. Most of Team GOALS has competed in two races in the last month with some very different results. First up was NYARA’s Longest Day. As always, RDs Rodney Villella and Amy Bartoletti did an outstanding job treating racers to a spectacular course in the southern Catskills. Gorgeous vistas, a sweet climb and descent on a glimmering rock face, quad killing climbs on the bike, a beastly night-O section, a slip and slide through a cool subterranean cave and a midnight start highlighted one of the finest races around. A competitive field with the likes of NYARA, EMS, Granite, Berlin Bike and more made for an intense 18 hours of racing. Bruce, Dan Smith and Brent (prepping for Untamed) teamed with Sara Percy-Taranto after Ali’s move back west, and while the team made up some ground and moved well, some struggles after the Witching Hour start proved too costly to overcome. Jonathan and Chris, put in a good showing in the solo category, essentially tying for second behind Granite Solo.
This past weekend saw us racing a very different kind of race here in our hometown of Philadelphia. Heavily urban in nature, GOALS ARA’s 24 hour Cradle of Liberty saw a small field of teams brave the sweltering humidity and simmering pavement of Philly and the surrounding suburbs. Teams struggled against the heat and humidity, not to mention 120 miles of roads, trails and woods, running a large loop around center-city, biking around the famed Wissahickon portion of Fairmount Park and hauling out to Evansburg State Park for a nighttime O section before a long paddle back to the heart of the City of Brotherly Love. Though the race was small, a handful of strong teams toed the line ready to battle it out, including two GOALS teams, NYARA, ARMD and Team EMT who were running in second for the first third of the race before succumbing to the heat. Bruce, Brent and Abby hammered out a win, with Jonathan, Chris and Melissa Rice turning in a strong showing for third behind NYARA.
Things slow down a bit now for GOALS. A race or two are on the radar for the end of July before we head north for Untamed New England, armed with new jerseys (hopefully) and ready to take on what looks to be a very strong field in the woods and mountains of northern New England.
