Group bands together on course for fitness, outdoor enjoyment

By Ali Bronsdon / Leader Staff

They call themselves "the Rounders" — a group of local cyclists who meet in Polson to ride, run, swim and generally have a good time enjoying an active lifestyle.

While attending graduate school in Missoula, Matt Seeley helped form Team Stampede, a triathlon club at the University of Montana, which has grown to over 100 members. When he moved to Polson about 10 years ago, he could no longer be a part of the team's daily training, so he began to build another community of bicycling enthusiasts.

"There were four of us who initially started riding together," said Seeley.

"Every time I met someone else who was interested, I invited them along. It's a small town and we have a small group of people to draw from, but it's really grown and over the past few years we've had plenty of people to keep it going."

According to Seeley, getting involved requires two main ingredients: proper equipment and a regular workout schedule that gives people consistency and holds them accountable for getting out there. He provides both — an informal bike shop located in an old shed supplies his group with the necessary gear and serves as a meeting place for workouts: Monday night's group ride, Tuesday night's track workout, Wednesday night's women's ride, Thursday night's swim, Friday's bicycle time trial and a weekend packed with some combination of mountain biking, a distance ride, run or a regional race.

"I had an opportunity to work with a distributor, get some basic supplies and tools for repair, so I started up the shop," said Seeley. "It's been a great place to start rides, give the group a center and a sense that there was a unified effort for getting involved in cycling."

Seeley, who estimates his group now has between 35 and 40 avid cyclists, says he tries to emphasize participation and fitness. "There is a smaller group, 10 to maybe 15 people, who are starting to get more interested in racing, but I've always tried to downplay the competitive aspect."

Shortly after initiating weekly bike rides, Seeley kicked off a once-a-week track workout at Polson High School. He encouraged people of all levels to come to the track to run, jog or walk at their own pace.

"We usually have a lot of different levels, but what I've tried to do is come up with workouts that are good for everybody," he said. "The track workout is a great example of that because we're not all running at the same pace, but we can all do generally the same workout."

Whole families are encouraged to attend — even the kids who enjoy watching their parents circle the track while playing, supervised, on the infield.

"I think coming for the first time to a track workout can be really intimidating," said Heather Knutson, who has been training with the Rounders for three years. "People feel like it has to be this competitive thing, but once they come, they realize it's not. It's social and it's active at the same time."

According to Knutson, Seeley offers a wealth of knowledge, especially to people without any prior experience. "I had done maybe two road races before I started working out with Matt," she said. "But since then, I've done adventure relay races, a few half marathons and triathlons. I wouldn't have done any of those things if I didn't have someone to talk to who made me feel better about it and give me that confidence."

Seeley and his wife, Tana, have worked hard to bring new recreation opportunities to the Polson area. The first Saturday in August, Tana Seeley helps Mission Valley Aquatics sponsor the Water Daze Swim — an open water swim in Flathead Lake. The one-mile course runs across the bay from the KwaTaqNuk dock to Boettcher Park and offers seasoned athletes a chance to compete, while at the same time, giving novices an opportunity to try something new.

"It's a competitive event, but it's really just about people finishing, making it across and having a good time," said Seeley.

This Saturday, Seeley will bring a competitive cycling event to the Polson arena for the first time. The Speedwagon Classic welcomes riders from all over the region to test-ride a 55-mile, two-loop course of mixed pavement and dirt roads that begins at Riverside Park and ends near Big Arm with what he refers to as the "R.E.O." climb, or "Rather Endless Ordeal." Riders can ride the whole course or just one loop of the Roubaix-style course.

"I've always thought about having a more formal local cycling race," said Seeley. "We're making the first steps toward that by having an informal race this Saturday. There are some incredible places to ride around here that people from Missoula and elsewhere don't really know about."