TD'12 Race Discussion

[Ryan Correy]

Not to gross anyone out (though I am sure we have all seen much worse) but I'm just curious if anyone has dealt with this kind of blister-ish thing on their big toe while on the TD or other race of this nature. This is my rider's foot (Ryan Correy) and believe it or not, this is the source of most of the pain he is experiencing right now. Apparently when Ryan intersected Josh S. yesterday, Josh had the same thing, in the same spot. It's obviously a blister of some sort, but he mentioned it starting to look bruised. I'm wondering if there is something he could do to manage the pain better, as he can't put any pressure on it without a lot of pain. Pull up more on each pedal stroke? He's trying to make it to the B&B in Como tonight, but his feet are really bothering him (doesn't help that he has pre-existing foot injuries!)

 Vamtns, I'm sure this isn't the kind of stuff you were interested in learning about the TD riders, sorry! More in tune with what you are asking, here is a bit about Ryan. His very first tour was across Canada with his father when he was 13, and since then, has several races/tours under his belt (as mentioned in a previous post.. I'm a proud girlfriend, can't help it!). His motivation behind TD was to get back to his "touring roots". I think he found the solo, self-supported aspect of this race particularly alluring. It seems he was drawn to the challenge of a truly solo adventure.

[DaveH]

Not to gross anyone out (though I am sure we have all seen much worse) but I'm just curious if anyone has dealt with this kind of blister-ish thing on their big toe while on the TD or other race of this nature.

Gah, foot problems are the worst...he's having a great ride too! 

I would suggest moving his cleats as far back as possible and keeping his shoes loose.  Wear thick socks if room allows.  Admittedly, at this stage it will be highly disruptive to slide his cleats back, but it will cause less pressure on his toes.  Raising his cadence might help also.

[Ryan Correy]

Great! Thank you for the advice!

[FrancyPants]

A suggestion that may also help is to get Band-Aid blister pads if possible when in next town (drug store).  They are a cushioning gel pad that helps with pain and healing, water-proof and super adhesive (supposed to act like a new skin layer).  Best of luck to RC, running a great race.

Kudos to all the riders.  I'm in awe since 'watching' this ride.  My friend (MI) is riding in support of Alpha-1 Foundation. This dibilitating disease get in lungs (COPD, emphysema).  He's a rookie that has been riding approx. 130 miles/day, staying in top 20, near T-Race, another favorite of mine!
 

[liney]

Sure I will offer up some info on the rider I am watching the closest - his name is Fred Arden age 53....we live in the Finger Lakes Region of Western NY State....interesting things about Fast Freddy as we like to call him....well he used to be obsessed with racing stock cars and drove a pink street stock, then super stock, then sportsmen, then 358 modified - all painted in pink or pink and blue or black - long before pink was "cool" for guys....he did it b/c he had two daughters and well it just flowed from that! He was track champion at various times and various classes and then somehow that obsession turned to triathlons.....after one sprint he was hooked and of course set his sights on something big which was the Ironman - we live within about 5 hours of Lake Placid so he trained non-stop and completed the Lake Placid Ironman three years in a row.  He was actually the subject of a documentary (140.6 The Triathlete's Journey) (still available at Amazon.com - no we don't get any royalties..) and then from there with a ailing knee from a childhood accident he decided to focus on biking more and running less....this led to more road biking which led to mountain biking and let's just say that is his latest obsession. He would spend 24/7 on his mountain bike if he could! There are many great places for him to ride around our area and he has entered some local mountain biking events but was looking for the next BIG challenge.....I am pretty confident he found it in the Tour Divide!  He is an incredible endurance athlete with a strong mental will and a great deal of discipline as well as being a great husband and dad as well.  Lastly, he better get to Antelope Wells cuz I am never letting him do this crazy thing again!!!! Oh and one other interesting tidbit - he had his knee replaced 18 months ago - so I guess this kind of makes him a poster boy for knee replacement too!  

[Ryan Correy]

FrancyPants - thank you for the suggestions

Liney - thanks for sharing that background on Fred Arden. So many incredible people riding the TD!!

[Jilleo]

Wow, that blister looks infected. That's really rough. I feel for Ryan. I've been converted to the school of draining a blister before applying tape. Do so with a sterilized pin and only make a tiny puncture to stave off infection. After applying a blister pad, if you can, get some Leukotape and tincture of benzoin. You can usually ask for these things at larger drug stores like Rite Aid, which he might be able to find in Salida. Smear the benzoin tincture around the blister, apply the pad, and then apply tape all the way around the toe. Otherwise those pads come off within milliseconds on sweaty feet, bunch up, and can do more harm that good. Duct tape works too but is not ideal because it has rough edges and the adhesive can irritate skin.

As for pressure, it's probably worth it to move the cleat to take pressure off the toes. Maybe larger bike shoes with thicker socks if such a thing is available at a nearby bike shop, although maybe not ideal for the heat of New Mexico. Good luck! I met Ryan at the 2010 TransRockies in Fernie. He's a great guy, funny and determined. I am rooting for him.

[JeffOYB]

Deana Adams was also the YOUNGEST to finish the TD, at age 20. Right? Oh, and she did it VEGAN. (Oreos!) Her report of bumping into a Rainbow Gathering is wonderful. She is famous for her cheery attitude which she kept up for her whole TD. And that big gear was totally nuts, I believe she agrees -- lotsa hikeabikes uphill, as I recall.

...She's my hero.

I'm also still groovin' on John Noble and his GDR win with the aerodynamic luggage fairings.

(And thanks for the recent push for the "human interest" angle!)

Go, everybody!  : )   (The 3 fast ladies are amazing.)

I appreciate solo purity but I also love a party. I'm hoping that a Team angle gets included somehow sometime. But, possibly, more people would be a problem for trail impact -- we don't want to stress the trail.

I recall Jeff of Carousel luggage -- he could maybe be called one of the founding fathers -- a guy who provided the luggage and brainwaves to make this kind of event possible (it seems) -- mentioning that he developed his concept with the BUDDY SYSTEM in mind, with GEAR-SHARING as a key/core element of the social fun aspect of the bikepacking breakthru. Also of SAFETY. C'mon!

So maybe a 2-man team?

Heck, anyone can propose an event mode that they like and set the blog up for it.  : )  The main thing would be to go light on the trail, I'd think. I also really like sticking with low overhead and KISS. I lose track of the rules -- and, more importantly for evolutionary notions, the rationale behind them -- but mail-ahead care packages seem cool, for instance. At any rate, the folks organizing TD know their stuff! Like, trail magic seems great at first glance but many people have experienced the whole range of what it can do to an experience and they know their stuff and so I think the rules that have been set up are very sensitive to the overall quality of what goes down even if their subtlety goes over my head sometimes.

PS: Thinking of Ryan's Gross Toe, I recall an ultrahiker mentioning that feet often/commonly swell in even one long day, like, a few shoe sizes. What these folks go thru is boggling!

[Cosmo K]

Definitely...thanks for the stories.  I love hearing some background on those racing!

[Ryan Correy]

Thank you for the advice, and the kind words! I will pass on your support to Ryan

Wow, that blister looks infected. That's really rough. I feel for Ryan. I've been converted to the school of draining a blister before applying tape. Do so with a sterilized pin and only make a tiny puncture to stave off infection. After applying a blister pad, if you can, get some Leukotape and tincture of benzoin. You can usually ask for these things at larger drug stores like Rite Aid, which he might be able to find in Salida. Smear the benzoin tincture around the blister, apply the pad, and then apply tape all the way around the toe. Otherwise those pads come off within milliseconds on sweaty feet, bunch up, and can do more harm that good. Duct tape works too but is not ideal because it has rough edges and the adhesive can irritate skin.

As for pressure, it's probably worth it to move the cleat to take pressure off the toes. Maybe larger bike shoes with thicker socks if such a thing is available at a nearby bike shop, although maybe not ideal for the heat of New Mexico. Good luck! I met Ryan at the 2010 TransRockies in Fernie. He's a great guy, funny and determined. I am rooting for him.

[mbeardsl]

DM made a wrong turn, looks likeTB/MF and a couple others may catch up a little...

Also looks like Cjell Money has moved into ~7th in the virtual NoBo/SoBo grouped race.

[DaveG]

Seems like there is always a great race up front - Matt Lee vs. whoever that particular year... Ollie and Craig this year. My personal favorite though was last years battle between Kurt R and Jefe B. And you had northbound Paul right there in the mix too. How amazing was it when it looked like the winner could be riding a SS? Throw in a few call-ins from Deejay and Justin's amazing quest to avoid reroutes and it really was an amazing TD last year. Now this year is shaping up to be a record breaker in many ways, and a classic nail biter till the end. Football, basketball, soccer, or hockey can't touch the thrill of watching the TD.

[bldrbiker]

Through a mutual friend, Ollie and his girlfriend Heidi ended up stayed with us in Colorado for the 3 weeks leading up to the TD.  Ollie (and Heidi for that matter) are two of the nicest people you will ever meet, not to mention Ollie is one of the strongest riders I have ever ridden with.  All of us here in Boulder who rode with Ollie before the TD expected him to do well, so this is no surprise.  His setup was dialed, and his fitness and attitude are impeccable.  Climbs like a goat, and descended the most technical front-range trails on his rigid with aerobars faster than most of my friends do on their FS setups!!  

I laughed hysterically when he told me he was going to go do the Gunnison Growler the weekend before TD.  Then I found out he placed top 10 on his rigid bike!

Great to ride with (Pure comic relief!), but as others have noted, you don't dare try to put a wheel ahead of him!

As for the rules, we had indicated that we wanted to meet him and say hi at Boreas Pass, and he thanked us, and said it wasn't allowed.  I have nothing but the utmost respect for his character as far as the race rules are concerned.

Oh, and dude can crush some Ice cream.  No joke.   

I have been around MTB racing for a long time, and couldn't be happier for such a good person to be doing so well.  Go Ollie Go!!!!

[suezim]

I guess I will weigh in on Cjell Money, the Manalope, one of the few northbounders.  I'm his mom.  His real name is Taylor Zimmerman and he was born and raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota.  He even has some North Dakota blood in him, college at North Dakota State in Fargo.  He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail a few years ago and thought this would be a great way to do the continental divide trail.  I'm sure the Appalachian trail is in his future.  He doesn't own a car so biking is his main mode of transportation.  He has biked through India, Thailand, Indonesia, South America, Central America, across the US.  To prepare for the race he biked up to Mexico from Costa Rica.  His dad and I are not quite as adventurous but love following his travels.  Within a week he will become an uncle for the 2nd time.  
Even though his hair is too long and messy for our taste, we think he is the greatest thing since slice bread!!!  As his parents we may be a bit biased.
Interesting fact, Cjell designed and sewed his own back pack and tent for the Pacific Crest hike.

I'm sure he loved meeting all the southbounders as he pedaled north.  He has very few left to pass on the trail
He is doing a great job on the race and I hope as he finishes in Banff there will be people there to congratulate him. (we decided to stay in Minnesota for the birth of our grandchild).

I have really enjoyed reading the comments on this forum every day.
You have to admire all the riders.
The girls are awesome and unbelievable.
But, of course, my favorite is Cjell Money.

Go Cjell!!!

[RonDog]

Only real way to have a 'record', in its strictest sense is to get on the track in a velodrome and go for an hour or two or three weeks straight. And then its down to willpower + horsepower vs. weight and bike tech and nutrition. Almost formulaic.

Or how about stationary bikes?

[northofbeyond]

Looks like Craig and Ollie are at the Hopewell Lake Campground.

[spcabin75]

suezim
Thanks!  I really enjoyed your comments.  I read cjell's blog the other night it was just fantastic!  My son Gregory is a lot like yours, does not own a car only bikes, environmental issues are his passion and vocation (Oregon State Univ).  Just spent a year in China and is now moving thorough Laos.

[bikingbakke]

Tori, who did it last year, is a long term close friend.  She departs for round 2 next Tuesday SoBo with some friends after doing it last year more solo.  Started riding later in life, took a little while to pick it up, then was unleashed upon earth with an incomparable drive - solo touring and travel in the blood.  Decided to forgo office life a few years ago in search of more riding, more living life.  Her writeups from last year are neat to match to the areas where people are now, and since she wrote daily, add something gritty that isn't apparent with those blue dots.  Like Craig, has a comedic interpretation of almost everything she sees and everyone she meets in life.  Bottom up from just after Tour d' Afrique finishes (how's that for a double header?): http://www.observatori.ca/2011_06_01_archive.html She's also embarking on making ideal bike touring bags now after all her travels.

I've ridden bikes with Craig for probably near 10 years.  He started with dirt bike racing before discovering a V02... he climbs everything and anything.  At times it's like watching someone twist the throttle on a dirt bike.  I've never really seen it replicated - loose rocks, snow covered off camber wet root steep climbs, frozen ice streams with branches and snow, etc.  Pure power at hand, but dainty in feel to keep the traction.  It's amazing how he never seems to have to dab or dismount.  Ollie's earlier call in about Craig descending like an animal, combined with prior comments about Ollie's descending, paint that side of it.

Craig doesn't just ride hard.  He has the patience to mentor people into riding so well.  He's complimentary of anyone who's having a great day, and if discussing his own day, sticks to how fun or cool the trails were over how he finished in front of most other participants.  He donates bike parts selflessly.

He rides lots, and go figure, doesn't seem to fade from it.  We'd go ride in fall/winter/spring and I'd continually get burned by not bringing lights for the way home... the funny part being we'd meet at 9am at a local cycling friendly cafe... cyclocross bikes taken true crosscountry all over the place.  Always wants to add another loop, explore what's "just down this trail I think it branches off to some sweet single track".  

Crazy Larry, whom most of the riders met at the Grand Depart, is another special guy.  What you see now is essentially Larry 2.0 after backtracking from earlier "difficulties" and the tougher side of life.  Perpetually helpful, perpetually friendly, full of energy, caring of others, loves biking, and gives most of his time, effort and money on earth to others.  A bit different, but don't ever let the first chat fool you - world would be a better place with more of him.  

I love all the stories of who do these things... just finishing this thing puts people in a fitness/determination/adventurous section of the population that's very very thinly populated.  Respect to everyone riding...

[mtbcast]

Calls tonight: Max Morris called in from Rawlins. Achilles injury is back, but he can still turn the pedals. Icing ankles and keeping moving! Fixie Dave Nice called in from Pinedale. He struggled today but is going to rest and hit it tomorrow. Tracy Burge called in from Butte. She’s over her flu and seems to be in pretty good spirits. Kurt and Caroline called in from Buena Vista. This calls a bit choppy so glean what you can. They sound like they’re doing okay, though Caroline apparently has a cough. And Robin Borstmayer called in from Steamboat. He had breakfast with Matthew Lee and family at Brush Mountain Lodge but then went off route for a bit and had to get back on route. They just got the bike repaired and are staying there tonight.

Also got a call from Fred Arden but it went near silent after "Hello! This is Fred Arden!" Obviously some phone issues.

[spcabin75]

Hunan China