2016 Physically Strong Adventure Race by Amanda Lappe

2016 Physically Strong Adventure Race by Amanda Lappe.  Comments in green by Captain Ahab.

     This year, Team BOR was fielding three teams for the Physically Strong Adventure Race, an 8-hour in Mendon, Illinois.  I raced with Mickey, Captain Ahab, and Kevin in the 4p coed division.  Neil, Dave B, Amy, and Robert on another team and Larry and Karl.  Since Kevin, Dave B., and I had a trivia night Friday night, we didn’t get to the Saukenauk Boy Scout Ranch, where the race started, until about 2 am Saturday morning.  Thankfully, Mickey and Captain Ahab drove up at a reasonable time on Friday, plotted our maps, and took our bikes to the bike drop.
  Not-so-thankfully, Mickey’s alarm went off somewhere in the neighborhood of 4:30 am, (4:19) despite breakfast not starting until 5:30.  I guess it takes Mickey a while to get his hair and makeup done.  After grabbing some breakfast and a brief pre-race meeting, which included learning which checkpoints that didn’t have markers, we took off on foot.  After about a 2-mile run on gravel roads, on which the guys immediately dropped me and Mickey carried my pack, we passed TA1, where our bikes were waiting, and quickly found CP1, a ridge point.  We bushwhacked to CP2, clue “cedar grove,” found the grove and looked...and looked...and looked.  We re-attacked from the creek and looked some more.  We backtracked to a pond (2 or 3X), I shot a bearing and pace-counted, ending up at the same cedar grove where we initially thought it was.  All of the other teams were also milling around in the woods, searching for CP2.  After about an hour and a half of fruitless wandering, we decided to pull the plug and head back for the bikes.  It was a hard decision to give it up, especially after spending so much time looking already, and on such an early CP in the race, but we decided if the other teams were also having difficulty, the CP was likely missing.  We veered a little far west on our trek back to the bikes, ending up on the gravel road leading to TA1.  When we got to the TA, we were disappointed to see that there were only 6 bikes left and 4 of them were ours.  The volunteer informed us that nobody had found the CP and that it had likely blown away in a storm the previous night.  I thought that we had no chance to make up ground and thought let's just put the best effort in no matter.  We had a quick transition and took off down the gravel road toward CP3, an out-and-back on gravel roads to a creek crossing.  We passed a number of teams going the opposite way who had already found the CP.  Next, we biked to TA2, the canoe put-in.  After a gear check for patch kit, headlamps, and bike helmets, Mickey and I launched one canoe and Captain Ahab and Kevin another.  Mickey and I did well in the canoe last year, but were NOT in sync this year.  We zig-zagged all over the place and Kevin and Captain Ahab tried to ram us a couple of times.  We found CPs 4 and 5, which were on opposite sides of the lake, easily and then returned to the TA.  I always love the paddling sections and I think we were moving pretty fast compared to other teams except Larry and Karl who were also moving fast.
The next section of the race was where we went through thornbush after thornbush.  Tall thornbushes, short thornbushes.  Fat ones and skinny ones.  Lots and lots of thornbushes.  You forgot the thorn bush that snagged my face and Mickey saved me by pulling it out.  CP6, a reentrant, was on the other side of the main area for the boy scout camp, so we walked/jogged our way down the gravel roads, past the climbing wall.  We got a little turned around, but quickly realized the right direction and found the CP, passing the other Team BOR 4p team in the process.  I was just concentrating on moving fast when Kevin started videoing and then I had some fun fooling about with Kevin, waving to our other team with 4 bent fingers on one hand. 

We ran into Karl and Larry on the way to 7 and Larry shared some really good beef jerky (seriously good.  I’m going to have to buy some of that).  The six of us stuck together to CP7, which was a log across a reentrant.  Don't die Larry! Oh Larry your balls are out racing, literally, your tights are ripped!

We separated from Karl and Larry between 7 and 8 when they kept going in the correct direction while we back-tracked, thinking we had already passed it.  After finding CP8, we made our way back to TA3, which was the canoe put-in where we had left our bikes.  Knowing that we would be facing the rock wall next, we opted to leave our trekking shoes on for the short ride to the wall.  When we arrived, we saw Hunter and Karen from Off the Front sitting at a picnic table waiting for their teammates on the wall.  Kevin had been dreading this part of the race all day and when we were informed that instead of actually climbing the wall, we would be traversing the perimeter of the wall sideways only a short distance from the ground, he gave the volunteer what was likely to have been a very sweaty hug.  None of us had any issues on the wall, but a member of Off the Front had tried unsuccessfully several times and each time, had to start over.  Three points of contact, all in the legs repeated in my head, and a lot harder than I thought it would be.  As soon as our last member finished, they did as well, so we were all swapping to bike shoes and putting on helmets at the same time.  Team BOR left the rock wall first, beginning a long bike-heavy segment of the race. 

We raced to CP10, a punch with no marker, off of a logging road, with Off the Front breathing down our necks.  We continued further down the logging road until we saw Karl and Larry’s bikes on the side of the road.  We left our bikes with theirs and headed down a steep hill, amid much commentary by Kevin and I about the fun of trekking in cycling shoes.  We made our way up and down creek banks and through thorn bushes toward CP11, while we could see Off the Front on top of a spur, watching us.  There was no way to avoid giving away the location of the CP though, so we punched it and made our way back to the bikes.  Sorry Larry and Karl we couldn't help you either.  As we were riding into a cornfield where CP12 was, we passed Toporadicals, the leading 4p coed team, as they were leaving.  We were excited that we seemed to have made up some time.  After riding to the edge of the field for the punch and back, I can say that if I never have to ride my bike through a corn field again, I’ll be fine with it.  This is when I knew we had a chance, but I needed to eat and drink, but couldn't.  Off the Front were still close on our heels and would remain so for the next two CPs.  We made good time to CP13, a long out-and-back on gravel roads to a punch under a bridge, again passing Toporadicals as they were leaving and Off the Front as they were arriving.  The members of Off the Front are all very strong on the bike and they caught us at CP14.  We took a strategically-timed food break YEAH to let them choose a direction and get them off of our tail.  They opted for the shorter, but rougher route, continuing down the abandoned road and facing a likely bike-whack before they would rejoin gravel.  We took the same route Toporadicals had before us, going the long way around on gravel.  We caught up with Toporadicals on a trail through the woods and our team was mixed with theirs as we continued down the trail. Is this about where I ate a NUUN tablet and almost choked to death?.  Off the Front came in from another trail at the same time, and all three 4p coed teams arrived at CP15, a skills challenge, at the same time.  The task was to set up a tent as a team, including the rain fly, and then to put it back into the bag.  We randomly chose a tent, which ended up being larger than the other teams and included a ground tarp.  I liked this challenge a lot better than the ones last year because it necessitated teamwork.  Kevin and I immediately started spreading out the tent corners, while Captain Ahab started putting together poles.  I learned on this challenge that while Mickey is a great teammate and navigator, he is not a camper and is not much help in a tent challenge. I have had a lot of tent set up practice and Mickeys height was good for the rain fly.  He just needs to learn right side out.  All three teams were fast!  After we set the tent up, put the rain fly on upside down, and got everything folded up and put in the bag, we hopped back on the bikes, only to see Off the Front speeding away first, followed by Toporadicals.  Us and Toporadicals took a wrong turn on the way to CP16, but we corrected quickly and headed down a Jeep road toward the lake.  We crossed the pond dam and located the orange trail.  CP16 was just a punch hanging from a tree, which we found easily.  On the way to CP17, we made a wrong turn and again were passed by Toporadicals, but they overshot the CP and kept riding, while we found it.  Kevin dove into a brush pile TREE MOUNTAIN for the punch while Mickey kept whisper-yelling at us to be quiet.  We were trying not to get our hopes up for a win at this point, but with Toporadicals out looking for the CP we had just gotten and no sign of Off the Front, we were starting to think there was a chance.  Mickey said we just secured the win and I wasn't sure that the Topo's hadn't been somehow lightning fast and got the CP.  We hustled to CP18 and then backtracked down the orange trail to the suspension bridge.  We had to cross it twice last year, once in the dark, and I wouldn’t have been disappointed to miss out on it this year.  It’s only a few inches wider than a set of handlebars, so the best way to cross it with a bike is to stand the bike on its rear wheel and walk behind the bike, holding it by the bars.  In the meantime, the bridge is rocking wildly from side-to-side.  No one jumped on it this year.  Whoever did that last year was a jerk!  As luck would have it, at the point we were crossing the bridge, the wind picked up and it started snowing.  On the other side of the bridge, we followed the trail up to gravel and went around the campground to the yellow trail, which Mickey and I could not locate last year, causing us a lot of fruitless bike-whacking.  With a much more efficient route this time around, we quickly punched CP19 amid increasingly large snowflakes.  We hustled back to the start/finish area and learned that we were the first 4p coed team to finish and 3rd overall, which qualified us for nationals with $400 toward entry and we’ll get regional qualifier jackets.  We also received medals and some unique wood plaques. 

Congrats Rib Mountain for taking the overall!  They were on fire all day.  We got plates of food and warmed up next to the fire while we waited for the rest of the teams to finish.  It was fun to talk strategy with the other teams while we stuffed our faces.  After the rest of the teams made it back, we had the second-annual Team BOR group shower in the women’s shower house and everyone smelled the same afterward because I’m apparently the only one who brings soap.  I had soap and shampoo thank you very much, just had to put on spare race clothes since I forgot casual clothes, so I got to ride home in a chamois again.
Physically Strong is a fun semi-close race and word on the street is that there will be 12- and 6-hour options next year.  The organizers put on a great event with a challenging course and lots of food at the end.  Thank you very much Race Organizers and volunteers!

Our other teams did awesome as well!  Larry and Karl made a great comeback after being dead last! 

 

This was Amy and Robert's second AR ever! CONGRATS!

2015 Castlewood 8 by Amy Crews

Castlewood 8-hr: A Beginner Perspective

By Amy Crews

I am 36 years old, I work full time, have a 10-year old daughter, and as of December 6, I love Adventure Racing!

I have been interested and excited about adventure racing for several years now. For me, it was a natural progression of fitness activities: running on pavement to trail running, to obstacle courses. After doing the Warrior Dash and MS Mud Run, I was ready for the next challenge. I went to an orienteering meet, and was preparing myself for an adventure race. Unfortunately, I lost track of that goal for a few years, until one day in November while browsing through a Facebook feed, I noticed someone had posted about the upcoming Castlewood Race.  It immediately lit a spark inside me that I had not felt in a while. I poured over the race page, looked at past stats, and decided that I wanted this.  By that time, the slots were all filled up; I had to find a team.  I emailed the race director, Emily, and waited by my phone for a response. That same day, I got a response from Team BOR’s Kevin Minton, that they had a slot available on a recreational team. YAY!!! I had described my fitness abilities and weaknesses in my email, and Kevin said that they were just out to have a good time, and I shouldn’t worry about whether I could keep up or not.  Of course I worried anyway! I needed gear, feared  embarrassment for not being in good enough shape, and was still struggling a bit with previous injuries. I had this story in my mind, that all adventure racers were in top shape and everyone would be better than me.

The few weeks leading up to the race, I picked up the pace on my workouts, and started riding my bike more. I knew I was not in shape to be competitive, and lacked confidence in my fitness, but at the same time, I knew that I had the mental fitness for this, and that was I ready and willing to give it 120%. 

The night before I was able to leave work early so that I could make the 1.5 hour commute. I had everything packed for the weekend for both me and my daughter, and we left our small town to head to the big city. By my excitement level, a non-adventure racer would think that I was going on a major vacation or something. When I went to sign the waiver, Emily greeted me enthusiastically with a big welcoming smile. What a sweetie! Not only did she help me find a team at the last minute, she was nice too! So now that it is the night before and I am connected with Kevin, I confess to him that I have one gear issue: I didn’t have a good pair of trail running shoes. I didn’t realize it, but my old Salomon trail running shoes (which I had not used for over a year), were pretty much worn out. I talked with Kevin about whether to buy a new pair of trail runners, or just deal with my Brooks road running shoes. We both agreed that buying a new pair was bad, and I would survive just fine in my regular Brooks shoes. Ok, that is settled (Phew – I was stressing for the whole drive up. Setback #1 averted). He gave me his home address, and went to his house to plot points and do a gear check. I had my daughter with me, and luckily Reanna is amazing and she was willing to play Xbox with her for a couple hours.

A small dose of butterflies finally went away when the three team members and I were doing gear check, and everyone was laughing, laid back, and they all convinced me that they were all just out to have a good time. Phew! We made plans for the bike drop, hung out for a while, then my daughter and I headed out to my parent’s house in St. Charles. 

Race day is finally here. It was about an hour drive to the Wyman Center, and an extra 10 minutes to stop for one last minute purchase: body grease stuff.  I had learned the night before that it is pretty normal to put everywhere where your clothes might rub.  I had no clue what exactly to get. I ended up getting a $10 container of diaper rash ointment. Future Setback #2 averted. I arrived at Wyman Center, and as luck would have it, my teammate John Naas pulled in right behind me.  After doing some last minute gear fiddling and ointment application, we headed up the hill. I found it amusing how John was not phased at all by me using my new ointment in front of him.

I greeted the handful of people I knew, but took most of the time at Wyman Center putting on my ankle braces (a chore). As Emily was reading off the rules, and giving everyone the surprise news that there are buses waiting for us, and we are headed to Pacific Palisades, I realized I had left my hat, required gear, in my car.  I gave Kevin the ‘Oh Sh**’ bad news, and we ran for it.  Luckily, I was parked very close and it was on the way to the buses.  Setback #3 averted.  We loaded up on the back of the last bus and made our way. The emotions are a slight roller coaster, but not near as much elevation gain as the hills I knew we were in for on the bike portion!

It was in the 30s that morning, but expected to climb to the 60s. I wasn’t phased by the temperature -it was perfect racing weather. The guys had told me stories about previous Castlewood races that ended in frost bite, and that was one more thing that we didn’t have to worry about today. Setback #4 averted. 

After arriving, I knew I had to pee before we started, while it was somewhat easy. I don’t mind going in the woods, but wanted to avoid stopping later if I could.  Ugh! Of course there is a line for the women’s restroom.  I was about to go to the woods when a couple girls in the line beat me to it and put me in front of the line. I thought to myself that these girls going in the woods were hard core, and it was one of many things that made me feel like I was in my element that day! (Mild setback #5 averted).

The race began. Seven checkpoints of orienteering went great. Kevin was navigating, I was punching the card, and Paul was reading clues.  The vegetation was covered in frost, which is always a cool site to see. No major setbacks. Kevin was navigating and we found them all and were happy with our time.  I will spare the details on the jokes that were flying, but let’s just say that it was inspired by John’s pants, and certain flavored drinks that were mandatory. We did the loop successfully, and started getting ready for the paddling portion.  Kevin reminded me, thankfully, to punch the CP at the TA. I think I would have forgotten to do that. Experience averted setback #6!

We all prepared for the paddle, had a sip of flavored beverage, and lugged the canoes over to the boat ramp. Wow, after growing accustomed to my kayak, which I can carry easily alone, I forgot how heavy canoes are! By now, the teams were spacing out, but there was still a line to get in the water. Once we were in, we paddled strong for the whole time.  I practiced my J-stroke, and managed to only mildly zig zag the course. I had waterproof gloves that I used for cold weather kayaking, and they worked pretty well, but not perfect. My feet were soaked, and my toes and fingers were cold, but it was tolerable and there were better things to think about than that! The fog rising off of the river that morning was gorgeous, and canoeing in the cold is actually pretty fun. The flavored drinks must have given us a sugar high, because we got very hyper! We were talking like pirates, sinking Irish bar songs, playing bumper boats and just being generally very silly. Absolutely no whining from Team BOR! I was slowly realizing that adventure racing is not necessary serious! For a beginner, it was the perfect team for my first race. Overall, canoeing went well with no setbacks, other than the other canoe that we bumped into like twice. I don’t think they were mad, luckily.

After paddling for what seemed like a couple hours, we arrived at the next TA. Gear check happened here, and we checked out. We adjusted gear leisurely, didn’t stress for time, and made our way to the big hill.   This is where the maps that we had received the night before started, so we knew there was a large hill right off the bat. Makes sense – have to climb out of the valley. I decided to go ahead and eat a snack and gel pack - I knew it was going to be a tough climb for me.  As we were climbing, one funny guy driving his car up the hill yelled out at us, ‘You guys are crazy!’. I made it most of the way, but ended up walking the very last bit.  I wasn’t the only one, which made me feel better since I was still worried that I would hold the guys back.  We made it though, and continued on. The next few CPs were fun, and I was having fun being the punch card person because it added even more adventure to the adventure race. For example, to get across the interstate, we had to follow the creek under the bridge. We found the CP hanging from the bottom of the bridge, but we were on the wrong side of the creek. It was probably less than 50 feet from me, and the most direct and quickest route, was through the creek, which was scoured out right in my path. I figured my feet were already wet from canoeing, and it wasn’t THAT deep, so I dropped my bike and went for it! Through the pool, water up to my thighs, over the flood debris, and Punch! The guys thoughtfully and sweetly grabbed my bike, and I met them further downstream. After than fun punch card adventure, we had some creek to travel through, and then found a spot to get out of the creek – straight up the 4-5 foot creek wall. We made it out though – it was a good lesson in the importance of teamwork. It was also my first lesson in the benefit of having a lightweight bike, which I do not.  I made it up the next big hill slowly but surely, will never forget bike whacking up that massive Eureka hill after missing the CP, had a quick celebratory dance at the teepee, had an exhilarating end to the bike portion, and made our way back to TA 2 at Wyman, bikes completely muddied from the downhill mud ski (Kevin rode quite a bit of that actually!)

By this time, we were all in GREAT spirits, other than the slight realization that there were teams that had already completed the entire course by the time we started the trek. Oh well!

The trek begins. It is my biggest fear, since I had not been running for at least a year. Turns out, that after the adrenaline and endorphins kick in, that I can jog way more than I thought I could. Plus, a lot of the trekking portion is on steep slopes, rocky creeks, or other areas where jogging would not have been ideal anyway. With the biking portion, there were short periods of high intensity work on the hills. With the trekking portion, there were long periods of medium intensity work. Time flew by. We were feeling a little tired at times, but were careful to stop for nutrition frequently.  There was no bonking, but there was towing. The card punching was definitely challenging. Running a little ahead to punch the card, even if it means down that steep hill and back up, when you are already tired, while your teammates rest or plot the next point, is normally the reason why a team would give this job to the fit person. Paul normally has this job and I definitely appreciated him, once before for carrying my bike, once for a tow, and once again, when he helped out with punch duties when times got tough!  We remained tough, jogged more than we thought we would, all had a great attitude, and eventually we found all of the CPs.  But, by the time we got to the 2^nd to last CP, which was very close to the Wyman Center (the end), I was definitely starting to feel the pain of old injuries creeping up on me, and couldn’t jog anymore. I told the guys that my mind wanted to run, but my body was telling me no. But, I am determined to finish strong, so the last 10 minutes of the race, I was all set for a strong finish and had mustered the energy. As we half jogged half hiked up the last hill, suddenly, we saw a Team BOR friend. So what did we do? We stopped and chatted it up! Once again, I realized, for like the 20^th time, that it wasn’t a race after all! When Kevin said that they were just out to have fun, I guess he really did mean it!!  All my nervousness, butterflies, fears, etc., was really, truly, finally totally proven unnecessary. We finished around 2:30, not knowing whether we were in last place, and not caring.  We hugged, and enjoyed the after-race-glow over some well-deserved food and drink.

So, we made it; off to the morals and lessons learned.

1.       Team BOR is awesome!

2.       It can be as competitive as you want it to be, and you don’t have to be in excellent shape to finish.

3.       My first team based race was great, and I learned a lot about thinking of the team, before yourself. In other words, lose the ego and let a stronger member tow you if needed.

4.       It IS important to be prepared, even if you are not racing competitively. Setbacks can often be avoided. If you are unsure of your gear, don’t be afraid to ask, even if you are worried that you will sound silly.

5.       Adventure racers are nice and friendly, and if they see you stopped, they will always stop and make sure that you are safe before they proceed to pass you.

6.       I love adventuring racing!s

 

 

 

 

 

Tuning Tips by Captain Ahab

Tuning Tips From Captain Ahab 11/13/2015.

I have been thinking of making a How-To DIY series video for TeamBOR’s YouTube Channel for some time now, but never have got around to it, and since I am more of a writer than an actor I figured I would just write down some instructions for you all.  Now here is the warning; this is how I tune a bike, I am not a paid professional bike mechanic, but I have built and tuned many bikes and probably will tune a bike better than you will get it done in most local bike shops (I have seen many local bike shops turn out some horrifying work, but to be nice I won’t name names.)  I feel like tuning a bicycle is very artistic and mechanical at the same time and is why I enjoy it so much.  I love to have a couple drinks and un-wind while tuning a bike.  I only wish my hearing was good enough to play loud music and hear the tune of the bike, but since I am partially deaf I have to play the music low to hear the bike.  If you get good at tuning, or drink more, hearing the bike becomes less of an issue; although your results may vary.  I do have a mechanical background and have had many many hours wrenching (and building) on just about anything; including cars, Jeeps, bikes, boats, houses, and airplanes.  Word to the wise; make sure you use your bike stand and if you don’t have one I suggest buying one, but in a pinch you can use a hanging bike rack off the back of your car.  A bike stand will make your life easier and is worth the money.  If you are on the trail, then get a buddy to hold the rear tire off the ground.  Now here is the second warning, if you are not good with tools, have little patience, or are not sure about your ability, then turn back now and head to your bike shop.  If you think you have what it takes, then keep reading.  This instruction will be based from a 3x10 mountain bike (normal rise derailleurs, trigger shifter, Shimano), but once you get it down, you will be able to tune any bike.   This is not suitable for children as I speak of drinking and perhaps self-inflicted pain from here on out, so if you are looking for G rated instructions, then please stop reading (I did edit out some profanity…kind of). 

Step 1.   Take a Phillips Screw driver and stick it into either of the two screws on either of the derailleurs.  It doesn’t matter which one. Now turn it ¼ turn clockwise and with your other hand smack the living sh!+ out of the hand that is holding the screw driver and repeat to yourself that you will never do that again.  Repeat this process until it sinks in your brain that these screws are end stop screw adjustments and are not “tuning” adjustments.  If you feel the urge, go ahead and punch yourself in the face.  Let it sink in.

Step 2.  Let’s look at that front derailleur.  Get the correct Allen wrench and disconnect the cable.  That’s lefty-loosy idiot.  Well now your sh!+ out of luck and committed.  Get a beer and have a drink and breathe deep.  Prayer and Yoga will help you maintain your balance through the next few steps.  Put the rear derailleur in the small outboard ring.  Push that front derailleur out with your fingers while pedaling the crank with your hand…not your foot dumb@$$.  Let the chain go into the big outer ring.  Now look at the alignment of the derailleur with the chain and chain ring.  Is it straight?  Look at the gap between the bottom of the derailleur and the top of the chain ring. Does it have about 2-3mm of gap?  If not, you are going to have to unclamp that b!+ch and re-position it so it does line up with the chain ring and have the correct gap.  Good luck and God be with you.  Now that the derailleur is clamped correctly, push that thing out as far as possible and make sure the chain doesn’t come off (outside of) the big ring.  This is where the screws come in.  Select the H or High screw and turn it until you get the chain in the big chain ring without it falling outside or making a sh!+ ton of noise.  It needs to be pretty much centered on the chain and the chain shouldn’t be rubbing on the derailleur.  Now let go of the derailleur.  Did it pinch your finger? Good.  Have another drink and breathe.  Now the chain when cranked should be in the inboard little ring or “granny” or low.  Put the rear derailleur in the inboard or big ring.  Adjust the L screw until the chain doesn’t fall inside the frame side, nor shifts to middle, nor make a sh!+ ton of noise while cranking.  Now crank and push it out to the big ring, now let it go and go to the little, repeat as necessary while making micro adjustments to the screws until it is right.  This may take you hundreds of times.  Get it right!  Use your vision, hearing, hell smell the thing if it helps you, but get it right.  You have just adjusted the stop screws that keep your chain on.  Now take your screw driver and put it away or we will be slapping your hand again.  Turn the barrel adjuster on the shifter all the way in and then back it out one full 360 degree turn.  Grab the cable and pull with one hand and while shifting to release all the tension on your shifter with your other hand.  The cable should be pulling out and getting longer.  Make sure you crank until the chain falls into the little front gear.  Attach the cable.  Put the rear derailleur in the middle ring.  Now crank and shift to middle or 2^nd.  Did it shift?  I bet it did.  If not, turn the barrel adjuster out until it does, or runs true on the middle ring.  Now crank and shift to the outer ring or 3^rd.  You may have to adjust the barrel again.  Repeat until you can shift into all three gears with ease.  If you are having trouble, then you did something wrong and will have to start over. 

Step 3: Now let’s move on to the rear derailleur.  Do we have to talk about smacking your hand again?  Disconnect the cable.  Crank and the derailleur should drop with no spring tension to the little outboard gear or top or high normal (not Shimano Rapid Rise or low normal).  I have had a few Rapid Rise derailleurs, and although the concept sounds solid, I found the delivery of shifting unacceptable while riding, so stick with traditional derailleurs.  (A note about SRAM derailleurs, they suck, and sometimes the screws are backwards.) Now adjust the high screw so that the chain is centered on the smallest ring and doesn’t fall off into the frame, nor upshifts to the 2^nd smallest while being cranked.  With your hand push the derailleur up to the big inboard ring.  Adjust the other screw “L” so that the chain doesn’t fall off into the spokes, nor doesn’t stop in the second biggest ring.  (Note: if you do this correctly invest in a chain whip and take your cassette off to get rid of that stupid plastic spoke protector, because it’s lame.)  Make the chain run centerline on the big inboard ring.  Let go of the derailleur and crank it back down to the little outboard ring.  Turn the shifter barrel adjustment all the way in and then one full turn out.  Hold the cable and gently pull while shifting, pulling the cable out.  If your rear derailleur has a barrel adjuster, then turn it in and then 1-1/2 turns out.  If your derailleur has a screw that pushes into the derailleur hanger, then adjust this until about 1 chain link drops between the bottom of the cassette and the top of the top derailleur jockey wheel.  Connect the cable.  Put the front chain ring in the big ring, the rear is in the little ring.  Crank.  Shift one gear up.  Adjust the barrel on the rear D first (if you have one) to make it shift up one gear smoothly.  Shift it all the way up to the big rear ring.  Shift the front to the inner little ring.  Adjust the rear barrel until it shifts smoothly to this ring.  Go back and forth a couple times to make sure it shifts inboard and outboard smoothly.  Now put the front inboard and the rear outboard and crank.  Does it make noise?  Well it cross chained and you shouldn’t ride like that anyway.  That’s the fasted way to break your chain.  Your chain should always be as straight as possible when riding, but this configuration does not have any cable tension on it and is best for storage.  Now put the front in the middle ring and shift the rear up and down or in and out, which ever saying suits you best.  It should be shifting relatively well.  If it doesn’t you screwed up and need to start over.  If it’s skipping a little or hanging up some on one gear use the barrel on the shifter to correct.  You may need to use the shifter barrel to correct some while riding also, but when you get good at tuning this will not be needed.  You now can tune a bike, so go ride it.

NOTE: Buying a good repair manual is a good idea.  Mountain Bike Maintenance by Mel Allwood is a good tool to have in your box. –  Ahab.

2015 BT Epic by Kevin Minton.

2015 BT Epic by Kevin Minton

 

                4 AM came way too early on race day as it always does.  After loading up the truck I headed out to race HQ at Bass River Resort just outside Steeleville, MO.  After getting checked in, setting camp and doing some socializing I lined up for the 8:30 start. 

A few announcements later and a shotgun blast - we were off on the course in a mass start.  We rode for what seemed an eternity on the dirt road leading out from the campgrounds at Bass.  Finally, after thinning out a bit, we dumped in on the trail.  Everything just seemed to be flowing well at this point, the trail was in good shape and the weather was near perfect.   I felt great.  My legs were fresh and I was ready to take on the BT Epic!  I hung with a good group for a few miles until one of the guys flipped over the bars (he was okay) and caused us a bit of a slow down on a downhill.  We kept motoring on and ran into another rider down on the side of the trail.  Not sure who it was, but she was bleeding pretty well from the knee and looked a little shaken up.  There were half a dozen people around her and yet nobody had a first aid kit.  As I came by I heard them asking for one so I stopped and handed mine off.  Back on the bike and I managed to hook up with another guy and we put the hammer down on the next sections.  We managed to catch back up to the original group we were riding with and we tagged along with them until we hit aid station 1

Not sure what distance that was at, maybe 10, but I was still feeling good.  I felt so good I yelled out my number, thanked volunteers and kept right on going.   From here it was a small stint on paved road with a little incline, then back to the trail.  I love going back and forth with other riders and just having a good time on the trail.  I managed to have a little spill on this section.  I came up a switchback and dropped my front tire off the downhill side.  I got a really good look at the leaves when I face planted.  To save face, I casually sat up and proceeded to take a break.  After eating a bit, I jumped back on the bike and took off.  Some sweet single track brought us to the next aid station, Berryman campground.

                I loaded up my bottle and got some spare food at this aid station, but it was not without incident.  I had the bright idea of tying my drop bag string so nothing would fall out on the trip to Berryman in the trucks.  Turns out, this is a horrible idea as I couldn’t untie it at the campground and those stupid bags are really strong.  I did eventually break into my bag, and was on my way in about 5 minute’s time.  The next section was very fast with some nice smooth downhills and short little climbs.  This section really seemed to fly by and next thing I know we were climbing the jeep road and hit the next aid station.  

                I spent around 5 minutes here eating a Payday and talking to some friends from OT100.  Next I was headed off down the dirt road and eventually another section of trail.  This was a longer section of dirt road leading to a section of the trail that contained the infamous “Three Sisters” hills.  I had been dreading this all day as I have never ridden these hills and no one really had anything good to say about them.  I reached the trail and took the left, then leaned in for a nice right sweeping turn and the front tire washed out on me.  I didn’t go down and kept riding, but thought something was off.  Went into the next turn and the front tire washed out again, confirming my suspicions of a flat tire.  After cursing the rocks I jumped off the bike and set to work.  I wasted about 10 minutes changing the tube just making sure I wasn’t going to pinch it again so I didn’t have a repeat of the OT100.  After I got the wheel back on the bike, I took off to conquer those hills.  It turns out I didn’t really conquer the hills like I had hoped.  These hills are no joke steep and had some very technical switchbacks.  I rode what I could ride and walked what I could walk and made it through all three hills and down into Bass River campgrounds.  After all that my legs were feeling a bit drained, but I was still in good spirits until I pedaled out into a field and a headwind.  Damn you Mother Nature!  Who puts a headwind in a mountain bike race?  Personally, I blame the race directors and there sadistic sense of humor.

                After about a half mile on the gravel/pavement I came up to the last aid station that was conveniently located about 300 feet from the finish line…. and BBQ… and beer… and warm clothes.  I was so close, yet so far.  Instead I gnawed on some gummy bears and got the scoop on this last 8-9 miles of trail.  At this point I have to mention that I have no watch, cell phone or odometer, so I have no idea what my pace is.  I ask a volunteer as I am heading out if he knows what time it is and he responds with 1:35.  1:35?  I’m five hours and five minutes into the race and have 8-9 miles left to go to the finish.  As long as I don’t do anything dumb, I know I will break my 7:00 hour goal.  Even more, there is a small chance I could break 6:00 hours.  BT Epic had other plans though.  Coming up out of the aid station was a monster of a paved climb.  After suffering up that there was another ridiculous climb, but this time dirt.  After we dropped into the trail there was a nice bit of single track that included this really nice rock ledge.  I glided over the edge with ease.  I was so excited about clearing this that I turned around to consider a rerun.  It was my own folly that caused me to smack a small rock off the side of the trail.  I went over the bars and got up with a much smaller ego.  After some expletives I rode off.  A mile later I hooked up with two guys named Matt (could have been one, but pretty sure there were two of them dressed exactly the same) and joked around with them while pushing as much as we could to the finish.  At this point I knew I was going to be close to 6 hours, but figured I would be a few minutes over and had accepted that.  We hit the top of the last hill and one of the Matts gave a warning that this section was really washed out last time he rode it, but that didn’t seem to matter as those guys took off towards the finish.  Not to feel left out I jumped in right behind away we went.  That final downhill was a blast and way too short.  We popped out and made the quick left into the finish.

I dropped my bike by the food tent.  At that point the biggest thing on my mind was getting BBQ.  Two years ago there was no food left when I finished so the thought of a hot plate of meat at the finish line kept me hustling throughout the race.  I saw a few of the Team Seagal guys and asked if they knew what time it was – 2:28 PM.  Had I actually broke six hours?  Someone pointed out I could go to the timing stand and see live results.  Low and behold, I had finished in 5:56!  I was pretty excited to have crushed my original goal by an hour…and still got BBQ and beer.

Adventure Racing Gear 101 by Captain Ahab

Since Robert Bart has been getting ready to start Adventure Racing he has asked TeamBOR many good questions that I thought would be good topics for a blog.  He recently asked us what kind of bikes do we prefer, which running shoes do we wear, what kind of pack should he buy and so on. 

So let’s start out with what kind of bike do we prefer for Adventure Racing.  Well Adventure Racing usually requires a mountain bike.  I have never been in a race where road bikes, hybrids, or cyclo-cross was allowed.  So that’s easy; a mountain bike.  However, what kind of mountain bike best fits AR.  That depends on what kind of rider you are, but in my experience I have seen a great deal of racers using aluminum hardtail 29ers with 3x9’s or 3x10’s.  This is also what I prefer.  Why?  Well aluminum vs. carbon or steel; I’ve broken my carbon frame and I truly believe aluminum is more dependable and if I need to shave grams it can come off my fat gut.  Carbon is also at the hands of volunteers loading trailers some times; you may end up with some chips.  Your bike is also going to get wet, super wet, even inside the frame and steel rusts.  Let’s see…hardtail; why; cheaper, simplicity, weight, and hill climbing ability, but if you have a good full rig with a rear lock out go for it, but I personally have had too many technical issues with full suspension.  29er…definitely 29er…it’s faster, rolls over objects better, higher ground clearance, yes you lose some turning ability from a 26er, but the speed you gain is so much more of an advantage; plus the big tires should make your hardtail float if it falls out of the canoe.  Yes, my 29er floats!  You could go with a 650B, but as I own one of each of the 26er, 650B, and a 29er hardtails, I can tell you that all the media hype of the 650B being the best of both (26 & 29) worlds is well media hype.  In my opinion it is a trade-off between the 26er and the 29er; you lose more than you gain.  Now let’s talk gearing.  Here is where it is truly up to your ability.  Man (or Woman) of Steel, get a singlespeed since there is not much to break and is lighter.  Take a step down to a 1x11 or 12, but I wouldn’t pick a 1x9 since I personally have one and think it would kill me in an AR, but if you have the legs then get it!  Next let’s talk about my nemesis 2x10…I kinda want to curse right now because I hate my 2x10.  It always seems to be cross chained no matter which ring I am in.  I want to ride big front ring / big rear ring while climbing and I should be able to, but it is too crossed.  I can do this on my 3x10 in middle front ring and big back ring and it should be about the same gearing, yet I haven’t totally checked yet.  I will check and get back to you all.  That big 3^rd ring adds some weight but if you hit pavement you won’t spin out and if you have legs still, you can haul some booty.  The middle front ring is your workhorse, keep her there as long as you can.  That lil ring I love to call “Granny” well she is my best friend long into the race when my legs are thrashed and all I have left is spinning.  Granny always gets me to the finish line if necessary.  After this you can get into all the crazyiness that make up a mountain bike. Brands, Cross-Country vs. Trail vs All Mountain, Shimano vs Sram, bar width, saddle comfort, pedals (refer to pedal blog), tubed or tubeless, and the list goes on and on.  This is where you find out what works for you by trial and error, expensive trial and error, fun, expensive, trial and error.

Running shoes…oh how we hate running shoes! The necessary evil. I am speaking for our team now, but I believe everyone would agree for road running the lighter the shoe the better, as long as your feet don’t hurt.  My Brooks Glycerin 13 have lasted a couple years and just now are starting to hurt.  I would consider them medium weight.  I would definitely get another pair; they are expensive but the quality is there.  You can get Saucony and Asics too that are good road running shoes for cheaper.  However, you won’t be running on pavement much in an AR.  I have tried a few shoes in AR. North Face Gortex Hedgehogs are heavy and the soles tend to crack, but they have good traction and are warm and dry until you step into a deep puddle and then your feet are wet for all eternity.  Just say no to Gortex! Multiple (packed) pairs of good synthetic or wool socks will get you by.  I have two pairs of these Hedgehogs and have retired them to walking the dogs and later grass cutting shoes.  John Naas will appreciate that in this situation North Face has failed the teenage girl.  Asics trail shoes were actually not too shabby, but you have to deal with those pesky laces and the heal backs blew out rather quickly.  Saloman’s don’t have traditional laces. Instead they have “speed laces”, which make transitions super-fast and easy.  So go Saloman!  Now which one?  I have three pair of Saloman’s.  I have two XR Missions that I use to trail run in.  They are light and comfortable and have average grip, but they wear out quick; too quick!  The back of the heal always comes off!  I use my Speed Cross 3’s for AR.  They are narrower, and lower, which I kind of don’t like, but the traction on them in mud while bushwhacking is remarkable.  However, they are slipper than grease on wet rocks and roots, so be careful not to bust your butt.  The Speed Cross are built better than the Missions.  I just wish Saloman would make their shoes with a little better quality so they would last longer, but I think they are the AR shoe for now.

Packs!  You have to have a pack?  Yes!  Have you seen Dora leave on an adventure without her Back Pack?  Make sure your pack holds at least one 100oz or 3 liter bladder.  You should select your pack by the length of the AR.  I have done short sprint 2-5 hour AR’s that my Camelbak Mule was perfect for, but it’s too small for an 8 hour.  Speaking of Camelbak, their quality is excellent and they have all kinds of cool features, except most of their packs lack front food pockets, minus the Octane.  I run an Outthere MS-1.  It is perfect up to a 24 hour race.  I love the light weight, simplicity, and front grab bags.  I think their quality could be better though.  I am thinking of getting an AS-2 for longer races, but I am worried about quality and the AS-1 that I have been shoving gear in on my teammates back confuses the hell out of me.  Too much going on there on that pack.  We actually talked about giving each pocket an address so he can yell out, “put in pocket C4!”  So 8-24 hours equals 18-22 liters of space.  Make sure your pack has exterior attachment points for helmets, shoes, and paddles.  I am keeping my eye on the Osprey 22L that Kevin Minton is running and thinking of it’s big brother instead of an AS-2.  I will let you know what I decide when I cross that bridge.  Furthermore, make sure you pack fits you and has a good chest and belly strap.  The pack needs to ride high on your back for running and riding.  You will hate life if it keeps getting stuck on your saddle.  It also needs to be snug to your belly and chest for running so it doesn’t bounce the life out of you.

So Robert, I hope this helps you out a little.  You can always check out our gear lists on http://www.teambor.com/gear.html and remember if Captain Ahab can’t break it, then it is approved!  Now I have to go and update the gear lists I bet.  –  Ahab.

So the chain ring update is the 26er 1x9 is a 34 x 11/34, the 650 2x10 is 38 (big)x11/36 and the 29er is 32 (middle)x11/36.  I thought they were only 2 tooth difference, not 6, so that is why it cross chains and makes me feel like I need to drop to granny.

2015 Burnin at the Bluff by Captain Ahab

2015 Burning at the Bluff by Captain Ahab.

TeamBOR headed to the 2015 Burnin at the Bluff as two 12 hour teams and a solo 12 hour racer; Dave Cortivo (Beastmode) and Captain Ahab (Capt. Ahab) as the alpha male team, Amanda Lappe (SheRa), Dave Beattie (Ninja), and Neil Dickhaus (Compass) as the coed team, and Kevin Minton (Keith, Grannyless, or Sasquatch) as the solo “I got this sht” racer.  I don’t know all the team categories we entered but Dave and I were Burnin Virgins, yet all of us were Burnin Virgins, so I was greatly confused. I estimated the course to be 12 miles, but then read online it would be 13ish.  I then estimated that Kevin could manage a 10.5+ average mph (1Hr14m/lap) if he was doing one lap, but since he was all alone I knew he would drop it down between 9.5 (1Hr22m/lap) and 8.5 (1Hr32m/lap) mph averages.  I was betting if I could ride hard I could pull a 9.5 mph average or “balls out” a 10.5, but I knew I got to rest in between laps.  I figured I would then slow to 6.5 avg mph and have an overall 8.5 average mph.  I based that off my BT Epic experience.  I thought Amanda would be behind me, followed equally by Dave B, Neil D, and Dave C.  I thought all of them would be around 7.5 average mph (1Hr44m/lap) on their first laps and then would drop to 6.5 (2Hr/lap).  I know that since I am an Adventure Racer all that technical jargon should have been metric, but since I am an American the metric system doesn’t register in my mind as of yet. 

So the race starts out with an awesome run and straw jump through thick smoke grenade action.  Beastmode, Sasquatch, and Ninja are in the lineup, while the rest of us jealously watch.  They take off and I am still confused on the route.  Me, SheRa, and Compass talk estimates and I exaggerate to them like normal so their times will seem slower so they ride harder.  I also do this in AR so they think they have less time and speed up.  It is mean, but it works as long as I keep the time right in my head.  We get ready and wait.  Around 1HR26m Kevin emerges from the woods and I help him get food and drink and he is back on the course in a hurry.  Then at about 1HR40min (Sorry if I get the times wrong, we will append this when the results are posted.) Ninja pops out of the woods and SheRa takes off, I yell at her to hurry because I was gunning for her.  It seems like an eternity before Beastmode pops out and Neil tells me I can catch Amanda.  I thought it had been about a 2-5 min gap and knew I would have to work hard to catch her.  I told Neil that I may not be able to.  So I decide I am going to go “balls out” since everyone else is killing it.  I fly down the street, almost miss the trail, nearly hit the camera man, and on the second switch back barely hold onto trail and have to unclip.  I ride hard and can hear my breathing over everything else.  I keep a watch on my bike computer.  No Dropping below 8.5 mph.  I keep seeing 12.5-14.  I am happy.  I hit a big double track hill and start doubting if I am on course.  I slow and start to think about turning around.  Then I just go for broke up that hill hoping for the best.  I come around a corner and slide out and boom I am down.  I hit my lower abdomen on the bars and thank God it wasn’t my boys.  I see a water hole ahead and know I am gonna crush it and see SheRa in front of it.  I pass her at about 7.5 miles in.  I start hauling again and it gets rocky and I start bombing the rocks.  Some badass goes to pass me and I lose my line and get my front wheel stuck between two rocks and go over the bars.  I get a little cut on my shin and press on, but my rear tire is rubbing the frame.  I stop, re-set the wheel and ride on, but with no such luck; the wheel is bent!  I get off and start stomping and kicking it.  Amanda catches me and asks what’s going on, I tell her and take off.  I ride 3-4 miles with the tire rubbing.  Another camera man asks if I have another wheel.  I told him I would fix it at camp.  I make it back to the transition at 1Hr23min.  Cortivo takes off and I go into repair mode.  True wheel, break nipples, think about stomping it again, true wheel, bump air, get food, water, electrolytes. 

Beastmode is back in a hurry, I don’t even catch his time and I take off again.  That stinking switch back gets me again and I go off the trail.  I can feel my rear wheel bottoming out and think I need to add air, I will stop over there, crap it’s flat at only 2 miles in.  Ok, fix flat fast, ride, crap need more air, add another CO2, feels squishy still, crap lift ass off seat over every bump, rock, root, insect.  I pick it back up and go walking over the rock garden.  Somewhere within the reach of the end my back tire washes out and I scream like a two year old girl skinning her knees.  I figure everyone heard that.  I re-injure my cut up knee.  I get back at 1Hr40ish. 

Beastmode surprises me with a third lap.  I thank him in my mind, so I can add air to rear tire, get food, drink, and clean out my wounds.  I am now a little jealous of SuperKate’s 10-stitch shin, because I can see it requires no stitches and just needs to be cleaned.  I am thankful I don’t have a Mickey Collarbone and get ready for the next lap.  I figure this time I am going all the way to the finish so I better ride better.  Kevin gives me the ride smart, have fun speech which really helps.  I take a caffeine infused Stinger and ask him if that is considered doping since I don’t drink caffeine anymore.  Neil tells me that Dave will not complete another lap.  I told him I was already happy with what he put forward.  I wait and wait.  I am now getting nervous.  Neil told me Dave would be back at 5pm.  It is now 5:30ish and Dave comes running out of the woods pushing his bike with his chain around his neck!  He runs all the way around the transition area as the announcer and everyone else is cheering him on.  I think, “that was bad ass!” “I wonder how long he ran?”  I take off with Kevin’s speech in my head.  I think that I will slow down just some, take care of Samantha and stop raping her and maybe she will take care of me and keep me vertical.  We make sweet love and ride on.  I seriously doubt I can take another fall.  I now have my AR pack on, and although it is heavy and is making my back hot, it gives me comfort that I have my tools, tube, pump (no CO2 left), water, Gatorade, electrolytes, and food with me.  Plus my pack is usually with me and I feel naked without it. I pass Kevin as he is doing yoga on the side of the trail.  I keep my speed up until that rock garden and walk it.  I keep reminding myself, me and Samantha, ride strong, ride smart, have a good lap, no mechanicals, have fun!  I get back in the dark around 1Hr30m or 7pm, and my teammates are cheering me on.  I race to the TA, where Amanda fills my pocket with CHeeze-its, hands me two Snicker’s bars and kindly opens one.  I get a Gatorade in my cage and take off.

  I hit that trail hard and remember the switch backs.  The second one nearly gets me again.  I tell myself again ride smart, and I go into BT Epic mode, which is eat and drink early and often while walking up-hill if you can’t ride uphill and eat and drink and ride like a beast on the flats and downhills and no matter what keep moving.   I am pretty sure that the water hole is about half way so I know if I make it there in good time, then I can take it easy to recover some.  I have until 9:30pm to finish.  I know I have it as long as I don’t bonk, crash, flat, or break something.  I ride with Samantha and tell her I will get her wheel fixed, she says no she wants a new one.  I agree to buy a new wheel and then she demands a wheel set.  I give in and even make the stupid promise that we would try out tubeless if she just holds on.  Jesus rides above us on a cloud and star painted full suspension 29er and instead of making fun of me like at the Epic, he is kind and cheers me on but keeps telling me to ride safe.  I tell Him thanks for everything, but I kind of like it when He is mean to me.  He laughs and shows off and rides across the lake.  I make it to through the rock garden by walking and come out on the field.  I take a quick break to pee and think of walking and peeing, but remember in the Epic that didn’t work out so well for my shoes.  I look up at the stars for just a moment and capture a mental image and carry on.  I now am getting passed a lot and am wondering if Kevin rode another lap and would pass me.  Everyone is responsible and asks if I am ok, but I don’t think anyone is sincere until Jeff Sona (I am pretty sure it was Jeff, but it was dark) asks and tells me we were almost finished. I walk up the big hill and ride hard to the TA and finish and request beer.

SheRa and Capt. Ahab take a partial epic running victory lap. We all had a fun evening and morning of telling each other our stories and get yelled at by other campers that they were trying to sleep.  Back at the TA the music and party roll on way after we go to bed and I lay there rushing with caffeine and think I should have went back to the party.

I rode the 2014 BT Epic in 6Hr43m and if I remember correctly it was 56 miles.  I guess I could re-read the blog.  I rode Burnin at 6Hr16min at 56.3 miles.  I am still hoping for a sub-6 at Epic this year.  I was really amazed and proud of how well everyone did.  SheRa and Ninja had fast clean laps with no mechanicals or crashes.  Kevin to my knowledge had no mechanicals, although he may have broken some ribs while soloing 5 laps or 70 miles!  Neil had two flats and then navigated back via bushwhacking…AR Style Points!  Beastmode ran a freaking 5K carrying a bike and still came in around 2hr30min!  Like Amanda said, “No one is going to quit!” – Ahab.