Monday, December 15, 2014

2015 Begins! The Festive 500 Season Opener


While I still need to sit down to design a detailed training plan for 2015, I do know that it will begin with volume. I also know that 2015 starts for me on December 24 with Rapha's annual Festive 500 Challenge. This will be my fourth time completing the challenge and each year I've found it to be a remarkably exciting way to kickstart the season ahead. In 2011, I was even a finalist in the competition for the Trek Madone 6.9. I completed the challenge in 2012 and 2013 as well, but my wrap-up posts were apparently a bit less comprehensive. You can see my individual Festive 500 posts by searching with the keyword Festive 500 in the search bar to the right.


Admittedly, riding 500 kilometers in one week is not a huge deal for the experienced randonneur. What makes this challenge so special, though, are two things. First, it comes at a particularly dark and cold time of the year. The weather around the winter solstice in the Northeast can be pretty grim, yet marshaling the discipline to complete this challenge despite the elements (while thinking of the warmer and brighter times ahead) is downright uplifting. 


The second reason the Festive 500 is so amazing is because of just how, well, festive it is. Over the past several years there have been tens of thousands of participants from around the globe joined together with a single purpose: to ride at least 500K in nine days. Sure there are the young guns in the southern hemisphere whose goal is to climb the leaderboard with thousands of kilometers, but most folks seem to be just scraping by in hopes of finishing. I've made friends I keep to this day through the Festive 500. How cool is that?


The Festive 500 rules really encourage community as all participants must upload their GPS tracks to Strava in order for them to be applied to their challenge total. While on Strava, it's easy to follow other riders and read posts about their accomplishments and setbacks along the way. Lots of folks also post updates to Twitter and Facebook so it really feels like a global event unfolding in real time across thousands upon thousands of miles. While I may look down my nose at participants in the southern hemisphere, it's nice to read about what they're up to if only as a foil to my own suffering.

So join me, whatever 2015 holds in store for you. Log onto Strava today to register. It's free. With 9 days until the start, there are already 34,012 other riders in the mix. All mileage logged between December 24 and 31 counts. And, if you finish, you earn a patch. Sounds almost like randonneuring, right?


6 comments:

  1. George,

    Are those photo's from the 2013 Festive 500?

    I did a video of all 3 years. Here is our latest Rapha Festive 500.

    http://youtu.be/t5XsTmCy5Lw

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    1. Hi Thomas - The top two are 2013. The reindeer sign was 2011. Loved your video. Nice to do these with a team! I've been riding mine solo. Hard to get the gang together when temps drop into the teens. Hoping for the 30s this year. Good luck and enjoy!

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  2. I plan on giving it a good crack! Last year I made a half hearted effort and fell well short of the mark so I've got a bit of a game plan this time around. A good excuse to load up on mince pies too!

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    1. Indeed! The extra slice of pie is a nice side benefit. Best of luck this time around.

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  3. I'd like to join you but I don't do Strava - can I still ride?

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    1. Hey Randonnerd - as Eddy Merckx once said: the secret to cycling success? "Ride lots." As if I need to tell you! My Strava use is episodic. Looks like I ride for two weeks per year: one in July and one in December, which coincides with the two global Rapha challenges. Enjoy the season! Stay safe out there.

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