Only two weeks left!
We are more than half way through race season and going strong! The weather has been spectacular so far this fall and the trees are starting to turn colors, which makes it a beautiful time to be outside. It has been great to have continued high participation levels at practices and to see so many of you at the race events; thank you for your commitment.
PRACTICE TIMES & DAYLIGHT
With autumn in full effect, the daylight hours are dwindling. Practices are running into sunsets and dusk, which make for gorgeous scenery, but also means visibility is reduced. Please continue to be punctual for practice with riders ready to go at 5:30 pm. If you have a bike light, make sure it is charged and bring it. We will also start ending practices a little early, around 6:45 pm, to avoid unsafe low visibility conditions. Announcements will be made at the beginning of practices with our anticipated end times.
Remaining Races
There are two races left: Mount Morris in Wautoma, WI on October 16 & 17, and Trek in Waterloo, WI on October. 23 & 24. Remember that online registration in Pitzone ends at midnight on the Tuesday prior to the race, so please ensure you have signed up by then if you are planning on attending.
In order to keep race days smooth, we have a few requests:
Coaches, continue to sign up for tasks for race weekends, your help is very much appreciated!
Thank you parents and families for continuing to supply team snacks! The sign up has been working great to keep things healthy!
Aside from the snacks, please do not add extra accessories (especially extra bikes) to our pit area. Space is limited and with our higher participation levels this year we have a fair amount of congestion.
If you are not a league recognized coach or student athlete, please do not bring your bike to a race venue and expect to ride. The race courses use almost all the trails at each venue and riding is restricted to those with a race plate, which includes league staff, coaches, and student athletes.
Make friends with the folks in the adjacent pit areas! Ask them about their team, where they are from, their favorite trail, complement them on their bikes, etc. Building these relationships means you will have friends to ride with in different locations when you travel!
Volunteers needed!
Our team is considered a "home team" for the race at Trek. With that comes some home field responsibilities! The league created a signup for volunteer positions, access it here. Please sign up for a spot or two; many hands make light work, and these races are a huge undertaking. If you have a rider who is racing, we recommend signing up for prep work on Saturday so you don't have to manage doing work and watching your rider on the same day.
If you are the family of a rider who has chosen not to race this season, we want to remind you that you are still welcome at racing events! The final race of the season at Trek offers a perfect chance to experience all of the fun and energy of a NICA race weekend without the long travel commitment.
