TD`13 Race Discussion

[caseygreene]

ROAD CLOSURE IN NM:

Racers,
We just got word that the Silver Fire has closed Forest Service Road 150 which runs between The Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Areas. The closure is between the Beaverhead Work Center and Hwy 35. This will require a massive road detour to the west. Roads to the south are still closed as well, including those on our Southern Tier Route.

We are looking into detours for ACA tourists, but racers should wait for an official TD detour (they may be the same).

thanks
- casey

[annais]

The Red Caboose Ralph Yukon Krauss has hit Ovando.  The reason for the lateness of his arrival was due to continual chain trouble which apparently he got rectified in Seeley lake.  Will post a photo tomorrow but he is going to continue to Lincoln!  You go Ralph!

I'll second that, Go Ralph!

[Donald]

Eric, I know you're a good person and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed talking with you at that campground just outside Eureka that early morning.  Friends laugh every time I tell our story! I'm sure you realize in retrospect that the IV thing reflects a judgement lapse.  When you're ready, I'd encourage you to offer an apology to folks and especially to Matthew.  Folks, people are flawed and make mistakes all the time, it's how you deal ith it that counts. Eric reminds me of a slightly older version of one of my teenage sons. I hope the world accepts both of them just as they are.

In the contest for the smuggest, most patronising, condescending and inappropriate remarks in this forum, I think we are now in a position to declare an undisputed winner.

[Blackhound]

That is bad news for Mike Hall Casey.  All being well he should win but no course record to go with it!

[mikepro]

For those you who may not be aware, Eric Foster re-set his own dislocated knee cap out in the Canadian wilderness during his rookie attempt at the TDR last summer.  He pedaled another 4 or 5 days after that before pulling the plug.  At least, that's what I remember.

Just because the IV guy made an ill-advised attempt to market and make sales on this forum, does not necessarily mean the rider himself is of the same mindset.  Perhaps some guilt by association, but go easy people.

[legendontour]

Hi its Mrs NH here ....

It's day 11 and those of us doing the "alternate TD" (aka "left at home to single-handedly wrestle two toddlers") are doing it tough

Silence, Isolation and loneliness not a big issue; the question "why" has been 987 times and I cannot even be alone in the bathroom.

Food remains a problem; in honour of the TD, Miss 3 has decided to eat like a grizzly bear and Mr 5 is refusing to eat anything that is not authentic "TD racer food" ... Can some helpful riders please confirm that carrots and broccoli are legimate racer food?

Distances travelled; well let's just say a 3 year old takes her own sweet time to stop and smell the roses especially on the way to the bath

Sleep; suffice to say that I envy MH at this point ...

I should mention that I am relying heavily on smartphone technology (sorry Toby) There have been frantic messages to Montana at all hours of the night (eg. Where are the spare batteries for the nightlight, how do I pay the electricity bill) The messages have only been one way though. I can't say that NH's racing has benefitted greatly from kindy updates or skype calls with toddlers whose only contribution is to tell him that a snowboard would be better in the snow than a bike

So it's true what they say.  The Tour will be physically and mentally exhausting and push you to the limits of your endurance ... And that's just the wives..

[larelsail]

Hi its Mrs NH here ....

It's day 11 and those of us doing the "alternate TD" (aka "left at home to single-handedly wrestle two toddlers") are doing it tough

Silence, Isolation and loneliness not a big issue; the question "why" has been 987 times and I cannot even be alone in the bathroom.

Food remains a problem; in honour of the TD, Miss 3 has decided to eat like a grizzly bear and Mr 5 is refusing to eat anything that is not authentic "TD racer food" ... Can some helpful riders please confirm that carrots and broccoli are legimate racer food?

Distances travelled; well let's just say a 3 year old takes her own sweet time to stop and smell the roses especially on the way to the bath

Sleep; suffice to say that I envy MH at this point ...

I should mention that I am relying heavily on smartphone technology (sorry Toby) There have been frantic messages to Montana at all hours of the night (eg. Where are the spare batteries for the nightlight, how do I pay the electricity bill) The messages have only been one way though. I can't say that NH's racing has benefitted greatly from kindy updates or skype calls with toddlers whose only contribution is to tell him that a snowboard would be better in the snow than a bike

So it's true what they say.  The Tour will be physically and mentally exhausting and push you to the limits of your endurance ... And that's just the wives..

Love this!! Wish I could think of such a clever, but honest way to describe the last two weeks in our house....nevermind the weeks leading into LP's departure for Banff!

[JRA]

Due to cycling's sordid and well publicized history with drugs and other dishonorable attempts at performance enhancement, some of us are hypersensitive.  I admit that I am.

Yet if cycling's reputation is ever to be repaired, hypersensitivity is necessary IMO, particularly from those of us within the cycling community.

  

[annais]

 Mrs NH - your post made me laugh! I have (hopefully) attached a photo of my brother and one of the meals he ate on Day 9. He followed it with banana cream pie.

Not much help on the 5yr old nutritional front I suspect ...

 

[Angler]

Some heavy rain in the Blackfoot today.  Recvd 1/4" in 10 minutes around 1 pm and looks like another will be here shortly and will reach to Lincoln.  RIDE RALPH RIDE!!!!!!!  He's gonna get smack in the middle of it.

[BobM]

Mrs NH - your post made me laugh! I have (hopefully) attached a photo of my brother and one of the meals he ate on Day 9. He followed it with banana cream pie.

Not much help on the 5yr old nutritional front I suspect ...

 

Did he kill it with that knife?  Yeah, when you're exerting like that you HAVE to go with whatever sounds good.  Eating is hard sometimes.

[Donald]

Due to cycling's sordid and well publicized history with drugs and other dishonorable attempts at performance enhancement, some of us are hypersensitive.  I admit that I am.

Yet if cycling's reputation is ever to be repaired, hypersensitivity is necessary IMO, particularly from those of us within the cycling community.

  

The point about the TD is that it is unregulated and it is pointless trying to enforce regulations that don't exist. As regards this IV episode, if there was one, it took place outside the race and so did not break the self-supported rule.

Not everyone would agree with you about the history of cycling. I think the recent history is one of fake moral categories and sordid moral posturing attended by mass hypocrisy. The war on drugs will never be won. We would be better off without it.

[annais]

Did he kill it with that knife?  Yeah, when you're exerting like that you HAVE to go with whatever sounds good.  Eating is hard sometimes.

I strongly suspect the knife is for illustrative purposes only and he ate it with his bare hands.

I think he and the other three guys he's hooked up with (Ethan, Robin & Walter) are eating whenever and whatever they get the opportunity. Good luck to them all!

[bdstew]

Mike Hall, is now over 200 miles a head of Jesse.

Whilst that must be depressing for Jesse, spare a thought for the guy who was second in last years around the world cycle race.

When Mike finally climbed off his bike in London after circumnavigating the world in 91days 18hrs, the guy in second place (Richard Dunnett) was still in India and had 4,350 miles to go (Took him an additional 33 days to finish)

[Donald]

Mike Hall, is now over 200 miles a head of Jesse.

Whilst that must be depressing for Jesse, spare a thought for the guy who was second in last years around the world cycle race.

When Mike finally climbed off his bike in London after circumnavigating the world in 91days 18hrs, the guy in second place (Richard Dunnett) was still in India and had 4,350 miles to go (Took him an additional 33 days to finish)

In fact, it's a tiny bit depressing for everybody. Whatever happens in the rest of this race, everybody knows that 200+ miles a day is achievable. But right now, only one person can achieve it. It means a "competitive" ITT (1.5 x record) might soon be 20 days! When the middle/back of the race staggers into Steamboat/Salida not only will the uber-cool guys in the bike shop have the pleasure of telling them the race is won, there will also be the unspoken question, "Why are you even bothering...?"

[mtbcast]

Liam Crowley called in from Steamboat Springs. Matthew Liggett called in from Flagg Ranch. And Forest Baker called in but the call was too broken.
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td13/

[IV Guy]

Wow! Well let me first start off by saying that I did not expect the criticism that I received from my post last night in which I was half asleep...lol, but I thank you all for it and welcome it... So that should answer a few questions: I am alive, I did not die months ago on the job in the line of duty. I am not a Grotesque Quack, I am a Paramedic/Firefighter of 9 years.  The business is relatively new so a website is in the works, we are trying to do it right the first time; our business HAS been approved in the state of Arizona! So we are the first company offering this unique service (legitimately). My company offers the same service(s) as The Hangover Heaven out of Las Vegas, NV which is owned by an Anesthesiologist committed to finding a cure for the common hangover; our staff is under the direct Medical Control of an ER Doctor so no, we are not in any violation of any medical practice regulations.

Curing the hangover is not our purpose, and treating a hangover is not our primary focus although we are capable of doing so. Having been an athlete my whole life, we want to focus on the Athlete.  Being a Professional Firefighter in Arizona, I know the importance of being hydrated (especially in our summertime) and run countless of calls on patients that end up taking an ambulance ride to the hospital due to being dehydrated.  Guess what??? They end up with an IV in them, 2-3 litres of fluid administered, sometimes electrolytes and vitamins, and a huge medical bill. So my company offers the same services to anyone that feels they are dehydrated, at a fraction of the cost, before they get to the point of the level of dehydration that is considered an emergency. Oh so wait a minute, we are being proactive and not reactive...hmmm.

Please allow me to touch on the topic of my rider, Eric Foster before I get too into my answering of questions. If any of you have attempted or have finished the TD, then I think we can agree to allow Eric to focus on the TD, so please do not expect Eric to "respond" or "explain" himself on his decision to receive IV Therapy.  This is all outside of the "Self Supported" race. Once the race starts, there is no interaction between Eric and anyone from our staff that doesn't comply with the TD Race Rules. As far as the World Anti-Doping Agency (which this race is not sanctioned by) any type of Intravenous access is prohibited because of the reason Intravenous Access was being used for. BUT, under IV Infusions number 3, line #3. it states: This treatment will not enhance performance other than to return the athlete to a normal
state of health. None of what we are doing is considered enhancement. This is not EPO; this is not anabolic steroids; this is not doping of any sort; this is not magic. It IS Normal Saline 0.9% (the same salinity of our blood); it is salt water. Salt and water (H2O) are two of the seven cellular requirements for cell life.  These are both naturally occurring in our body and when deficient in any of these requirements, we do not function at our best.  So we are only bringing the athlete back to their full potential. I personally view this no differently than a rider deciding before the start of the Divide or any other long race to go get adjusted by their chiropractor, or getting a massage, or even closer because there is a needle involved: getting treated by an acupuncturist!

I do not want this to be too lengthy so part 2 of this post will be following. Thank you, & go Eric and Robin! ...and any other athletes still on the trail!

[JRA]

The point about the TD is that it is unregulated and it is pointless trying to enforce regulations that don't exist. As regards this IV episode, if there was one, it took place outside the race and so did not break the self-supported rule.

Not everyone would agree with you about the history of cycling. I think the recent history is one of fake moral categories and sordid moral posturing attended by mass hypocrisy. The war on drugs will never be won. We would be better off without it.

I wasn't attempting to enforce anything.  I was offering an opinion - nothing more.

And the culture of doping in professional cycling goes back decades, long before any of the more recent higher profile incidents.
The "war on drugs" takes on a much broader context than just racing clean.  I agree that the "war on drugs" will never be completely won.  That being said, I'm not in favor of just looking the other way when it comes to competitive sport.

[Briansong]

In fact, it's a tiny bit depressing for everybody. Whatever happens in the rest of this race, everybody knows that 200+ miles a day is achievable. But right now, only one person can achieve it. It means a "competitive" ITT (1.5 x record) might soon be 20 days! When the middle/back of the race staggers into Steamboat/Salida not only will the uber-cool guys in the bike shop have the pleasure of telling them the race is won, there will also be the unspoken question, "Why are you even bothering...?"

This was my exact thought as I was looking at the sub13 day expected times a few days ago. I'll be 53 next year and "felt" a 24-25 day time was great. Now it feels like I would be a "lapper"

[Canbaroo]

Hi its Mrs NH here ....

It's day 11 and those of us doing the "alternate TD" (aka "left at home to single-handedly wrestle two toddlers") are doing it tough

Silence, Isolation and loneliness not a big issue; the question "why" has been 987 times and I cannot even be alone in the bathroom.

Food remains a problem; in honour of the TD, Miss 3 has decided to eat like a grizzly bear and Mr 5 is refusing to eat anything that is not authentic "TD racer food" ... Can some helpful riders please confirm that carrots and broccoli are legimate racer food?

Distances travelled; well let's just say a 3 year old takes her own sweet time to stop and smell the roses especially on the way to the bath

Sleep; suffice to say that I envy MH at this point ...

I should mention that I am relying heavily on smartphone technology (sorry Toby) There have been frantic messages to Montana at all hours of the night (eg. Where are the spare batteries for the nightlight, how do I pay the electricity bill) The messages have only been one way though. I can't say that NH's racing has benefitted greatly from kindy updates or skype calls with toddlers whose only contribution is to tell him that a snowboard would be better in the snow than a bike

So it's true what they say.  The Tour will be physically and mentally exhausting and push you to the limits of your endurance ... And that's just the wives..

Mrs NH, You've brought tears to my eyes.... your boy is doing just fine! He's very quick, especially getting past you at the door. I'm +30 on his age and I'm going to make a run for it next year, I just hope I'm not too late!

My son, who is Nick's age, left home in 2000 and hasn't made it back yet.  We get the occasional email  ... all are tagged

"All men dream: but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was all vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible."

T.E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom