Post-Ride Massage and Sound Healing
Post-Ride Massage and Sound Healing with Connie Magee, Sacred Valley Healing Arts
At the 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo Finish Line Festival, Connie Magee and other therapists of Sacred Valley Healing Arts will offer on-site sports massage, joint mobilization, deep tissue massage, as well as Sound Healing.
Connie is an experienced LMT, yoga & meditation teacher, former massage school instructor, Advanced Wilderness EMT and outdoor guide. Connie’s diverse background allows her to intuit the needs of athletes and offer deeply effective therapeutic work in condensed timeframes. Connie’s work is unique and fluidly integrative.
Group Sound Healing Attunement: Drop in and experience the profound effects of sound healing with Gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, drums and chimes. The vibrations will relax you, synchronize your brainwaves and dissolve lactic acid and joint accumulations, as well as facilitate deep sleep that night. Bring a yoga mat, blanket or towel to get comfortable.
Massage: $20 for 15 minutes, $40 for 30 minutes. Longer sessions available if time slots allow.
Sound Healing Attunement: Drop-in at the tent (1PM and 3PM): $5 per person suggested.
HoneyBaked Ham Sandwiches on Course
On course during the 2018 Gran Fondo, all riders can look forward to enjoying a Mini Classic Ham, Mini Classic Turkey, or Classic Veggie sandwich provided through a partnership with HoneyBaked Ham of Harrisonburg.
Sandwiches will be available at one Rest Station along each course. For information specific to each Rest Station check out the Rest Station Information page.
2018 Gran Fondo Training Weekend
NEW for 2018 – this road cycling weekend will help ready riders for the Alpine Loop, Shenandoah Mountain Adventure and Shenandoah Mountain Century routes of the 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo.
Taking place over two days, the training weekend will include training-based strategies, onsite clinic-style instruction, and on-course training rides to help attain your best performance at the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. Topics will include performance, training, nutrition, course-specific instruction, equipment and setup.
On both days of the training weekend, Jeremiah Bishop will lead rides with assistance from other Harrisonburg-based professional cycling guides. The rides will be fully supported with cycling snacks, a variety of sports drinks and water, fruit, and sag vehicles.
This training weekend is a great opportunity for you to get a glimpse of some steeps climbs and/or dirt roads of the 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, including two of the timed. KOM segments. It’s timed to provide a great training boost in preparation for the Gran Fondo. If you can’t participate in the Gran Fondo, this training weekend will be a great adventure in and of itself!
The Details
Participants should come prepared for the rides with their bicycle in great working order. Both days, all riders should bring at least two water bottles, and carry at least one spare tube, CO2 cartridge or preferably a pump, multi-tool and identification. Cycling equipment should be suitable for the conditions – On Sunday, Alpine Loop riders will encounter steep un-paved roads; Shenandoah Mountain Century and Shenandoah Mountain Adventure riders will stay on entirely paved surfaces. All riders should be prepared for changing weather conditions – spare clothing and rain gear can be stowed in the SAG vehicles.
On Saturday, all riders will complete a 36-mile route that includes the first 10 and final 18 miles of the Alpine Loop, Shenandoah Mountain Century and Shenandoah Mountain Adventure courses of the 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, including the Mole Hill KOM segment where we are sure to have some fun. Alpine Loop riders will see a stretch of unpaved road where Jeremiah Bishop will give additional instruction on gravel riding. Following the training ride, Jeremiah will lead the entire group in a training-based discussion; covering fitness, performance, nutrition, equipment and setup, and allowing a good amount of time for individual and group-specific questions.
On Sunday, riders who are training for the Alpine Loop should be prepared to ride 81 miles with 7,000+ feet of climbing – including unpaved steep surfaces. Exact route will be e-mailed prior to the ride.
On Sunday, riders who are training for the Shenandoah Mountain Adventure and Shenandoah Mountain Century should be prepared for a 61-mile ride with 6,000-feet of climbing on paved mountain climbs. Route will include the climb up Shenandoah Mountain’s Moyers Gap Road from the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. Exact route will be e-mailed prior to the ride.
On Sunday, after a warmup through the Valley, the ride will make its way up some great mountain roads. The first climb will treat participants to spectacular scenery. We will divide into two groups which will be based on participants’ desired ride length; and ultimate training goals: the Alpine Loop, Shenandoah Mountain Century or Shenandoah Mountain Adventure. Throughout the ride, you’ll have access to full support from SAG vehicles and enjoy the guidance and expertise of local cycling pro’s and seasoned Alpine guides. At the ride’s completion, you’ll be treated to a late afternoon meal, relax, recover and enjoy discussing training tips and preparation for the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo with Jeremiah and other professional cyclists.
Full details of the training weekend, including start location, route maps with GPS files will be e-mailed to registrants in a follow-up message approximately one week before the ride, or by August 23 if you register within one week of the training weekend.
Ride snacks and hydration will be provided both days. Sunday’s post-ride entrée and other foods are also included with registration. A variety of fresh fruits, veggies, chips, hummus, desserts and drinks will be offered.
2018 Host Hotel
Now open in the heart of Harrisonburg, the new Hotel Madison and Shenandoah Valley Conference Center will serve as the host hotel for the 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo.
Gran Fondo participants will be invited to take advantage of very special pricing being offered by Hotel Madison just for the occasion:
Deluxe Double Queen Rooms: $159/night Friday/Saturday, $118 Sunday
Deluxe King Rooms: $169/night Friday/Saturday, $128 Sunday
(The rates offered to Alpine Loop Gran Fondo guests are reduced from regular the $229/night average fall weekend rate.)
Guests can book directly by following this link, using the Group Code SALGF18928, or calling the hotel and mentioning the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo group name. Guests who will stay beyond the dates of September 29 – October 1 are encouraged to call to book directly.
Hotel Madison features a blend a sophisticated style and relaxing comfort. Featuring rooms with mountain and downtown views, a farm-to-table restaurant, and a location that can’t be beat, Hotel Madison will be the perfect lodging selection for those coming to Harrisonburg to enjoy the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. The hotel offers an upscale experience, rustic elegance, and the convenience to access the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo like never before – including some special event activities that will be hosted within the hotel’s adjacent conference center ballroom.
Alpine Loop Gran Fondo event director Erin Bishop says she has looked forward to the partnership with Hotel Madison for many years. “Having an upscale hotel, which can accommodate a large number of our event participants as guests, right here in the heart of Harrisonburg is going to add to the authenticity and experience of the Gran Fondo for those who are traveling to the area for the adventure,” she says. “The event is an extension of our family and what we love; we invite people here to share in the Gran Fondo and to get a taste of what Harrisonburg and our cycling community are really like.”
From Hotel Madison, Bishop says “cyclists will be able to roll right out of the front doors and onto Main Street just a couple of blocks away from the Gran Fondo’s start/finish venue. I think Hotel Madison will be especially loved by our participants’ family members and other guests,” she adds. “Our family often travels to cycling events, and it is always delightful to stay in location that is both comfortable and conveniently located. Hotel Madison is just a stroll away from the event, and this year I think we will see an increase in the number of families who choose to make a weekend adventure out of the Gran Fondo,” she says. “It’s great to be able to make these meaningful connections to our community.”
The 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo is September 30. For more information, visit www.AlpineLoopGranFondo.com
2018 Jersey Design Unveiled
We are breaking the mold with a highly stlyin’ high-vis cycling jersey custom designed in collaboration with Cutaway for the 2018 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo.
In this bright bold graphic design, you’ll be seen from afar with road-side shoulder and jersey back completed in high-vis. Jersey front evokes Shenandoah Mountain and the climbs of the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo.
Jerseys feature three elastic rear pockets, mesh side panels, full zip. Club Cut. See sizing guide prior to purchase. 2018 event jerseys are available for purchase with event registration or as a unique transaction, both at BikeReg.com/GranFondo. Order by August 2 to guarantee your jersey. Jerseys will be ready for pickup at the Gran Fondo event sign-in.
UPDATE: Our 2018 edition event jersey is our most popular collaboration with Cutaway USA yet! If your size has already sold out on the registration page, you can take advantage of a new opportunity to order one, linked below. Do you want to complete one of the challenging routes of the Gran Fondo before you order your jersey? That’s ok, too! We are accepting orders now through October 12, at www.BikeReg.com/Jersey
