Tomorrow's Morning Ride

Worried about the impact of the 400 hot dogs and 800 beers you're likely to consume over the Independence Day holiday week? No? Me either...

Nevertheless, here's a perfect way to kick start your holiday celebrations!

WHAT: GMARA Mountain Bike Ride in Waterbury, Vt.

Celebrate your independence Saturday with a rad (Yeah, we said rad…we’re old school) mountain bike ride in Waterbury, June 30th, 8:00 a.m.

The 2 hour ride (approx.) of Waterbury’s Perry Hill/ C.C. Putnam State Forest trails will begin at the Park and Ride just off of I-89 in Waterbury and is the perfect prelude to a festive Independence Day weekend.

Sponsored by Team Runs with Scissors, the ride will kickoff with a short, but steep, climb up Waterbury’s Perry Hill. After that, it’ll be nothin’ but righteous single track!

WHERE: Meet at the I-89 Park and Ride, Waterbury

From I-89-Exit 10-Go NORTH on Route 100 (Left if from Burlington; Right if from Montpelier)-Turn Right onto Stowe Street at Traffic Light at Bottom of Blush Hill (Best Western on Left)-Take Immediate Left (200’) onto Lincoln St. and Follow Signs for Park and Ride (0.2 mile)

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A big race coming to the Northeast?

So as I was perusing some other AR websites out there (most notably Checkpoint 0), I ran across mention of a big race coming the the Northeast next year:

http://www.untamedne.com/

Called the Untamed New England race, it is billed as a 60 hour race. Not many details are available, but there are a few on the race directors blog, including the price (very affordable for a race of this type at 375 bucks/racer including 2 nights lodging) and the proposed dates (around the weekend of June 21 2008).

This date does conflict with the current date for Primal Quest, but lets face it, PQ is a 5-10 day race, this is a 2-3 day race, and for those of us unsponsored folks out here, this race is something we might actually be able to do. I don't even know if I could get enough vacation time to do PQ, much less the entry fee!!

In any case, we'll be keeping our ears to the ground for more info on this race. Will we do it? Who knows, but for sure if it's in VT, or anywhere else nearby, we'll probably be involved one way or another...

Grambo

THIS JUST IN....

Speaking of riding, here's an important message from Rick over at the Stowe Mountain Biking Club. Thanks for pitching our Saturday morning ride, we hope to see you there!

************************************************************************************
Re: SMBC Perry Hill Rides

Here's an update on the mountain biking opportunities in the area and complete information on the Thursday night ride...

Rides:

Thursday June 28, 5pm - Perry Hill - Meet at the tunnel - (that would actually be the parking lot off route 2 - halfway to the skating rink) Ride is being hosted by Jimmy Z's Pizza - We will meet there later for pizza and beer. Jimmy Z's located 1/2 way between Stowe + Waterbury.

Saturday, June 30, 8am - Perry Hill - Meet at the I-89 Park and Ride
Sponsored by Team Runs with Scissors.
Nice name - don't send your kids!

More information has been posted on www.stowemtnbike.com club forums.

It seems that there's a group of adventure racers that are starting to get involved with us and are taking an active role organizing some rides. Welcome aboard and for the rest of us, check out their site: http://www.teamrunswithscissors.com

Trailheads Wednesdays at 5pm - Saturdays at 10am - Youth riding program. We have extra bikes for those without. Meet at iRide bike shop. For more info contact Brian Kaplan at 498-4578 or Rick at 793-9246

Work Days - all members are required to put in a minimum of 4 hrs per season. If you don't do trail work, consider helping out in other ways; organize rides, events, help with Trailheads or be creative.

Sunday July 1 - Laurens Loop + Sterling Valley zone - 10am - Meet at iRide parking lot. Bring the usual; work gloves, water, snack or food, bug juice and be prepared to put in a couple of hours. Crew Chief: Mike Regina midugina@stoweaccess.com

Sunday July 8th - Perry Hill, Waterbury - 10 am - meet at the tunnel - Bring the usual; work gloves, water, snack or food, bug juice and be prepared to put in a couple of hours. Crew Chief: Mike Ponte mike@ponteography.com or contact George at 5 Hills Bike Shop 244- 7330 or george@bike29.com

More complete schedule online: http://www.stowemtnbike.com/Default.aspx?tabid=252

Volunteers Needed -- Please contact me for details; Rick rick@stowemtnbike.com

Trail Work Coordinator - We are in desperate need of someone to help coordinate trail days.

Trailhead Leaders - Ride with the kids on either Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings.

Crew Chiefs - Lead work crews

Let me know if you have any information, ideas, questions or just want to ride!

See you on the trail!
Rick

A Big Slice of Humble Pie

The race was very fun...and humbling.

That's how I'd describe last nights Onion River Sports weekly mountain bike race. There were about 27 adults racing.

Here was my plan: Start mellow, learn the course, finish fast.. After all, I'm an adventure racer. Distance is what we do.

Here's what happened: Started mellow, learned the course, got stuck behind some slow 1 and 2 lap riders, crashed hard once (almost in a frog pond), finished mellower...and DFL.

There are a few caveats (read: excuses) on the DFL: Not everyone did the full 3-lap "Expert" division and there were a couple DNFs. It was wicked hot and humid. And, I started with little water.

Nevertheless, I was the last rider to cross the finish line. Even the old guys kicked my ass. It was humbling to have the entire racing field--already well into their post race chips and beer--cheering for me. But it was nice of them too--they're a welcoming bunch.

I finished the approximate 11 mile course--which was really cool--in 1 hour, 22 minutes, 42 seconds. Check out the results and see for yourself. Humbling, indeed.

I'm glad I did it. Frankly, it's exactly the kind of training we need to do for adventure racing. Sustaining an aggressive, race-level pace for an hour our more is where it's at. Good stuff.

I'm looking forward to participating again in a few weeks. If for no other reason than to salvage what's left of my dignity.

Next time, I'll ride it like I stole it!

J

Some pics...

For all of our fans out there, here are some long awaited pics from the NEARS 12 hour race...

Here are Justin and I at the start, plotting out the CPs and TAs for the canoe and trek sections of the race:


















And here are Jason and Justin, running to the canoe following the start (I am nowhere to be seen as I am actually in the lead, which is unusual):


















This lovely photo shows us in the canoe (I believe we are the 3rd canoe from the left), paddling on the picturesque Harriman reservoir. It really was quite beautiful, even though we were being passed by the folks with all kayak paddles (which was everyone):



This one shoes the 1 transition area (trek/canoe to bike) where we refilled on water and food, ate some PB and banana sandwiches (thanks Meg!), received maps and plotted the remainder of our race, basically 5 biking CPs. We are not in the pic, nor is our support person Ma Hadley, but the table in the left center with the water jug on it is ours...


You'll see a pic of us laboring up a hill over on the right side of the blog, and finally, here we are rolling up to the finish line, viewed over one of the wierd painted bears that were scattered around the area. As we noted before, it was a cool race, and as we always do, we made a couple mistakes, and learned from them. Good times....

GMARA Mountain Bike Ride
Sponsored by Team Runs with Scissors
www.teamrunswithscissors.com
Saturday, June 30th

WHAT: GMARA Mountain Bike Ride in Waterbury, Vt.

Waterbury, Vt. – Celebrate your independence Saturday with a rad (Yeah, we said rad…we’re old school) mountain bike ride in Waterbury, June 30th, 8:00 a.m.

The 2 hour ride (approx.) of Waterbury’s Perry Hill/ C.C. Putnam State Forest trails will begin at the Park and Ride just off of I-89 in Waterbury and is the perfect prelude to a festive Independence Day weekend.

Sponsored by Team Runs with Scissors, the ride will kickoff with a short, but steep, climb up Waterbury’s Perry Hill. After that, it’ll be nothin’ but righteous single track—Cru Jones, Helltrack Style, baby! (Okay, that was BMX…but you smell what we’re cookin’.) You may also remember some of this single track from last year’s Bitter Pill.

Finally, big shout out to the Stowe Mountain Bike Club and VMBA for maintaining this bitchin’ network of trails.

WHEN: Saturday, June 30th, 8:00 a.m.

WHERE: Meet at the I-89 Park and Ride, Waterbury

From I-89
-Exit 10
-Go NORTH on Route 100 (Left if from Burlington; Right if from Montpelier)
-Turn Right onto Stowe Street at Traffic Light at Bottom of Blush Hill (Best Western on Left)
-Take Immediate Left (200’) onto Lincoln St. and Follow Signs for Park and Ride (0.2 mile)

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V2K!

Yeah, yeah, we know. We did some hardcore slacking last week: No posts, little training, lots of fattening summer food and beer.

What do you expect? It is, after all, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. The days of soda, pretzels and beer. Oh, and chili dogs! (All things considered, I think it may be time to permanently scratch "crazy" from my summer to-do list.)

After a week of slacking--ranging from moderate to extreme on the irresponsibility scale--it's back to regular "training." One of the great things about adventure racing is that just about everything that you do outside can be considered training.

On Saturday, I enjoyed a pleasant morning at Montpelier's Onion River Sports club days event, where GMARA's race director Tim Curtin and I pitched the August 4th Bitter Pill race and adventure racing in general to passersby. Word on the street is the Bitter Pill this year is going to be AWESOME with about 18 teams having already registered.

Speaking of GMARA, club members can now receive a 10% discount on purchases at Onion River. Cool!

But that's just one of the many reasons to shell out the $25 to join the club for the year. Visit www.gmara.org to see all the reasons, but one giant one is the free rentals--yes, FREE--from the Eastern Mountain Sports stores in Rutland and South Burlington!

Finally, any minute now our site visit clock--located at the top of the right menu bar, just above that sexy team photo of the week--should rocket past the 2000 visit milestone. We want to thank all of you who have visited our site and do hope you'll continue to enjoy our mirth and levity for the months and years to come. Weirdos.

TGIM? Well, maybe not. But it was a beautiful day for a run. This weekend was nice too. Early Saturday morning I set the summer baseline for the Haselton to Mansfield Summit to 108 via the Long Trail north route--my favorite hike on Mansfield. Made the approx. 6.5 mile trip in 2 hours 33 minutes, including 5-10 minutes at the top and about 10 minutes at Taft Lodge (spent mostly in the outhouse). It was really cool. I left the gondola parking lot at 5:30 or so and didn't see another human being until about a quarter-mile from route 108. There wasn't even a single soul at Taft Lodge. Weird, but very cool. It was definitely the first time I'd ever had the summit entirely to myself. Very cool, almost reverent, moment. The view was stellar. I took some photos and will post them soon. IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM GMARA Hello all! We wanted to be sure you knew about this year's Bitter Pill, and that the early registration deadline is June 22nd - this Friday! Be sure to register soon if you want the discount. This year's race is shaping up to be another great one. This past weekend during some final course design we bushwhacked out to a pretty amazing spot. This is *not* just an off-road triathlon, so brush up on those nav skills - we're putting you *deep* in the middle of nowhere, and you'll love it! (Or hate it. Maybe both.) If you've competed in other races but not ours, you may be surprised by how off-trail you can get here in Vermont. Here are the details: Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association wants to show you what Vermont outdoors is really all about. Challenge yourself to one of the toughest, wildest, muddiest 12-hour races anywhere. Past years have seen everything from pouring rain and swollen rivers to baking heat. Accelerated cutoffs mean even beginners can finish with the pack and have a great time. Luckily, our course designers make it their mission to get you lost and damaged - if you don't want to work for it, are you sure you're in the right sport? What: Trekking, swimming, canoeing, mt biking, navigation When: 12 hours, Saturday, August 4th, 2007 Who: Teams of 2 or 3, coed or single-sex.Cost: $240 for 2, $330 for 3 - $20 discount per GMARA member. Price increases June 22, so register soon! As always, we'll be holding a navigation clinic at registration the night before and don't forget our famous post-race party: food, drink, massages, hot tub, and prizes prizes prizes!More info: http://www.gmara. org/bitterpill Previous results and photos: http://www.gmara. org/races. html Looking for a dose of Adventure? We've got your prescription: The Bitter Pill!** Hope to see everyone on race day!-Tim, Race Director, The Bitter Pill 2007--GMARA.org: Bringing Adventure to the Great Outdoors! tim@gmara.org(GMARA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation)

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A good race, overall

As J notes below, at the NEARS 12 hour last weekend we raced a good race overall. My analysis of the results has us in 19th place overall out of 24 teams (we finished in 12:03, minus 1 checkpoint). Not stellar, granted, but it was a very competitive field, and with some improvement (detailed below), I think we could easily knock 45-60 minutes off of our overall time, which would have put us close to the prizes in our division. Areas needing improvement (as I see it) include:

1. Kayak paddles: Probably the easiest improvement we can make, and one that would gain us some time, maybe 5-10 minutes per paddle leg for a total gain of 10-20 minutes. We were the only team using actual canoe paddles, and it cost us. We were around the 2nd team in the water, and were passed by 5 or 6 teams on the first paddle.
2. Navigation: Overall we did well navigationally in this race, but there were 2 snafus early on that I will take credit for, as chief navigator. On CP3 (first trek CP) we had a plan, and then for some reason decided to change it. We still found the CP, but probably wasted 10 minutes. And, somehow, we mis-plotted CP5. I plotted the UTM, Justin double checked, and I triple checked, but we still wasted probably 30 minutes wandering around looking for it. Thankfully, when we returned to the road near the cemetery to re-group and sort things out, a team (I think the Downhill Derelicts from Barre) pointed out the CP, which was remarkably easy to find when you plotted it right. In retrospect it would appear we plotted using the wrong grid line. Next time, we will draw the grid with red pen, I think...
3. Fitness: As always, we could have moved faster. I know for me, there were at least 2 spots where I was dragging. One was climbing the hill to CP6 (I felt much better after a Clif bar and some water), and the second was on the beginning of the bike leg. I think I was dehydrated, and hadn't drank as much as I should have at the TA. Anyway, the ride to CPs 14 and 15 had me feeling awful, and moving slowly (you'd think I had a hot pocket for breakfast or something). Fluids and a powerbar got me going, and I was OK the rest of the race. But clearly, improved fitness probably could shave at least 15 minutes off of both the trek and bike. More training...


So, adding it up, with and extra 15 minutes from kayak paddles, and extra 30 minutes from fewer navigational errors, and 15-30 minutes due to better fitness, I think we could have a shot at actually winning some prizes!!!


On the bright side, we did some stuff very well. We were the 2nd or 3rd team out of 24 out of the first TA and into the canoes, and after we sorted out the CP5 fiasco, I think we navigated very well. As chief navigator, I know after hitting CPs 6 and 7 with no issues, my confidence level was greatly increased, and we navigated the rest of the race spot on, locating 8 and 9 off trail in the woods, and not having any issues with the bike section. In fact, in both the trek and the bike we must have looked like we knew what we were doing, because a number of teams followed us quite frequently, and we even had to show a couple where they were on the maps. So, in the end, I would say we are definitely making progress. On the fitness improvement end, I got out for an hour ride yesterday (stiff, but good), and am headed out for a longer ride this afternoon. Can't wait for the next race...

Grambo

NEARS 12 Hour Update

Our race this weekend went well. But before we offer you the highlights, we want to thank our support team member, Ma Hadley. She did a perfect job and went above and beyond the call of duty. We are very grateful. Thank you.

I'll let Grambo fill in some of the details, but here's my overview of the race:

Friday night we checked in at Molly Stark State Park and then went to race registration, filled out all the waivers, and grabbed our loot (a bag of free stuff and T-shirts from race sponsors). After registration there was a pre-race briefing where we received some tips and a map to the starting point at a boat access on Harriman Reservoir (also known as Lake Whitingham). After returning to the park, we managed to get most of our gear ready and hit the sack around 10:30 p.m., I think. We had to be up at 4:15 a.m. Saturday morning. I don't know about the other guys, but between the heat, humidity, bugs and the usual pre-race excitement I only slept about 3 hours.

The cell phone and altimeter alarms sounded promptly at 4:15 a.m., we made some coffee, had some breakfast--bagels with peanut butter and bananas.--and departed camp at about 5:20 a.m. for the pre-determined start point. When we arrived at the start, there was a long line of teams and their support vehicles. The gate was locked! Race organizers, who apparently didn't realize this particular access doesn't open until 8:00 a.m., had to scramble to reroute us to an alternate start across the reservoir. No big deal.

We followed their directions to a marina in Wilmington on the other side of the reservoir where the race director announced the race would start at 7:00 a.m. rather than 6:00 a.m. Cool. We took advantage of the extra time to set up our plotting table and prepare the gear.

At about 6:50 a.m., they held a quick briefing and handed out the maps for the first half of the race. Grambo and Turtle went to working plotting the check points (CPs) and transition areas (TAs) on the map. It was clear we were paddling first so I grabbed the PFDs and paddle--more on this single paddle in a moment.

Once the plotting was finished, we grabbed out packs and paddling gear and ran about a quarter of a mile to the boats and set out on the first leg of the paddle--an hour jaunt across Harriman Reservoir, which according to our support team is the largest body of water entirely within Vermont.

When we reached our first CP we beached the boats, checked in with the race staff and set out on the trekking portion of race. The trek was 10 miles through some remarkable, and occasionally very rugged and very muddy terrain. This portion of the race went well and with one minor exception our navigation was spot on. After nabbing all the CPs and passing a random equipment check we went back to the boat, where there was another equipment check. Weird.

The second paddle consisted of two CPs and was slightly shorter than the first, it took us just under an hour. These paddling sections combined to form the longest paddle we've had in any adventure race. It was great. BUT, we did learn a very valuable lesson: kayak paddles are essential in a supported race. We had one, most teams had one for each team member. It's a wicked advantage. We won't make that mistake again. But I digress...

When we got to the TA, where we switched to our bikes, we carried the canoe a few hundred yards up a dirt road to a parking lot where the support teams were set up. Mrs. H was ready for our arrival. She had taken the time to layout all our gear and make us peanut butter and banana sandwiches. And let me tell you, that sandwich saved my life. Delicious.

We checked in, received the maps for the rest of the race and went to work plotting the remaining CPs, eating and hydrating, filling our camelpaks, changing our socks, preparing the bikes and whatnot. In total, we spent about 25 or 30 minutes at this transition. We probably should have spent less time there, but we needed to take our time and get our heads straight for the remainder of the race--and it's a good thing we did.

The biking section was a lopsided mix of road and trail riding. While we road a few cool trails, most of the bike ride was on roads. It was brutal. More hill climbing than we're used to, that's for sure. While we didn't move through the biking section nearly as energetically as we did the previous disciplines, our navigation was still spot on. Unfortunately, we were running out of time.

When we were closing in on the last CP before the finish, we realized that we were not going to make it to the finish before the course closed at 7:00 p.m. As a result, we decided to skip the last CP and race for the finish. And it was a race.

In order to be ranked, you have to cross the finish line before the course closes. Unfortunately, we crossed the finish line at 7:02 p.m. Bummer. But, that's the way it goes.

In the end, we covered approximately 50 miles of terrain in what was probably the most physically demanding and consistent race we've done. Our overall execution and management was good--we were consistent--a definite improvement over previous races. Now we can focus more on endurance and maintaining a steady speed over the entire race.

Most importantly, we had fun. And that's what it's about: The challenge, having fun and getting better.

The post-race awards dinner was good and free beer was provided by Long Trail Brewing Co. Yes, free!

Thanks again to Ma Hadley for her support!

Almost here...

Well, in 24 hours we will be slogging our way through the NE 12 hr AR at Mt. Snow!!! Very exciting, and a little nerve racking. This race will involve some more complicated navigation than any previous race, as we will be required to plot all of the CPs using UTM coordinates. We've had to do some minor plotting before, but never for the entire race. This will be an interesting new element for us, especially as we will be plotting during the race, not before the race or on the way to the starting line, as we've done before. Enough to make the chief navigator (me) a bit nervous, but not to worry. Both myself and the boys have been doing lots of reading and discussing of UTM plotting, route choosing, map strategy, etc, and between the 3 of us I think we'll do just fine. Interesting, though, in that for previous races I have "worried" about the actual physical racing (biking/hiking/etc). However, we've done enough races now that I know we can do it, no big deal, so I have moved on to worrying about the navigation. Progress, I guess. And, thanks to the GMARA guys (who raced this last year) for giving us some tips, like bringing a table to plot on. We probably wouldn't have thought of this, and would have been plotting on the ground. Thanks, fellas!!!


So, wish us luck, and look for an update, maybe Saturday night, definitely by Sunday, with a full race report to follow next week...

Grambo

The Final Countdown and Our Secret Weapon

We know how anxious you all are for the start, and more importantly the finish, of this weekend's 12 hour race. We are too!

So, just so you join us in counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until the race gun sounds, we've posted the nifty countdown clock on the right. Ah, yes, the miracle of modern technology...

The team has also concluded its comprehensive, worldwide search for a support team member. It was a thorough search, and we've selected someone who will no doubt provide us with the edge, motivation and, uh, supervision we need to succeed. Our secret weapon.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are very pleased to announce that joining us for this race will be--drum roll please--Turtle's mom!

That's right. We're bringing Mom. I told you we had a secret weapon. I bet those nationally ranked teams in the race will be motherless. They probably hate freedom and apple pie too.

Seriously, we're excited to have her on the team and very grateful that she is willing to spend her weekend with us maniacs. Thanks, Ma Hadley. We owe you one!

Our wives are particularly pleased to hear that we will have a "chaperon" at this race. "Maybe you'll drink a few less beers the night before," said mine.

Yeah, maybe.

WEEKEND NOTES & IMPORTANT JUNE 9th RACE UPDATE

The Mrs. and I took the critter on her first overnight road trip this weekend. All went well. I enjoyed a 6.5 mile Saturday morning running through Holyoke, MA.

I've pasted below the race update we recently received from the organizers of the June 9th New England Adventure Racing Series 12 hour race at Mount Snow. It reveals quite a bit about the race and it's likely challenges. (Dudes, read it carefully.)

The race is just 6 DAYS away. I'm starting to get fired up!

We're still searching for a support team member. Please let us know if you're available and willing...it'll be fun.

JG

****
June 2, 2007 Update

Forward to your teammates and support crew.

Schedule of Events:
Friday, June 8th

• 6-8pm Team Check In (all team members must be present) Please don’t wait until the last minute
  · Sign Waiver and fill out Medical form (for both racers and support crews)
  · No Gear check (gear checks will happen on course)
  · Pay for extra dinners ($12 per person)
  
  8:30pm Race briefing (all team members, and support crew) Maps to Start handed out.
  
  Saturday June 9th
  4am – Breakfast for hotel guests
  5am – 5:45am Assemble at Start
  6am Maps and Directions handed out. Begin plotting course.
  6pm All teams off course.
  7pm Post Race Party at The Lodge at Mount Snow. Pasta, drinks, beer, dessert, the whole works. Free for racers. $12 per person for support/family/friends.
  
  
  Directions to The Lodge at Mt Snow: Here’s where your navigational skills begin! The LODGE AT MT SNOW (not Mt. Snow ski area) is 8.5 miles north of Wilmington on RT 100. For more detailed directions see The Lodge at Mt Snow website. http://www.thelodgeatmtsnow.com/
  
  USARA License: All team members must be members of USARA. You may purchase a single day event for $8 or a year membership for $35 which includes a subscription to Trail Runner. We highly recommend doing the yearly memberships on-line at usara.com (your membership will go through faster) www.usara.com/membership.aspx
  
  Paddles and paddling gear: You will NOT have to carry your paddling gear.
  
  Plotting and UTM: You WILL have to plot most if not all your checkpoints and transition areas. Know how to use a UTM plotter and bring your plotting tools with you to the Start. You will be plotting (1:24 000 scale) after you get your maps at 6am. (Any additional maps handed out during the course will be pre-plotted for you)
  
  Support Crew: Your support crew should be able to navigate… imagine arriving at a TA and having to wait for your support crew. One vehicle per team, no exceptions. Post Race dinner is available to your support crew for $12 per person.
  
  Missing or Misplaced Checkpoints: If your passport has a missing punch, your team will be dropped to the bottom of the list. If your passport has a misplaced punch, it will be considered missing unless you report the miss-punch to the finish line officials at the time of your finish (Not the nearest TA). It is up to your team to punch in the correct box. This is a National Qualifier. No exceptions.
  
  Mandatory Gear List:
  MANDATORY GEAR – Racing Ahead, LLC’s 12-hour Events
  MANDATORY INDIVIDUAL GEAR - to be carried at all times by each person
  whistle
  compass
  knife (1.5” or greater blade)
  headlamp w/ fresh batteries
  emergency blanket
  wool or synthetic hat
  synthetic top layer
  container(s) in which to carry at least 2 liters of water per person
  
  MANDATORY TEAM GEAR - to be carried by someone on team at all times
  Waterproof Marker
  water purification system (adequate for treating water for all three competitors for extent of the race)
  first aid kit (contents below)
  REQUIRED GEAR FOR SPECIFIC LEGS (individual)
  PADDLING (Supplied if needed)
  PFD - must be Coast Guard approved type 3 minimum, non-inflatable
  Paddle – canoe or kayak
  MOUNTAIN BIKING
  Mountain Bike in good working order - NO Road or Cross Bikes
  bike helmet
  ADDITIONAL TEAM GEAR FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING ONLY
  repair kit (team) including allen wrenches, patch kit, chain tool, tire levers, tube
  tire pump/CO2 cartridge inflator (team)
  FIRST AID KIT CONTENTS:
  2 - 4x4 gauze pads
  1 roll 1” waterproof medical tape or equivalent amount of duct tape
  2 ounces betadine or 4 antiseptic wipes
  antibacterial ointment
  3” ace bandage
  moleskin/compeed (enough for all three competitors)
  3 doses of anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, etc)
  3 doses of anti-histamine (benadryl, etc.)
  tweezers
  (EPI Kit - if known anaphylaxis)
  
  Suggested Gear:
  Center seat for canoe (3rd person cannot sit on thwart)
  A means to waterproof your maps and instructions (waterproof map case)
  Fleece top layer or rain/wind jacket (check weather)
  Altimeter
  
  SUPPORT CREW IS EXPECTED TO HAVE ALL OF THE SAME FIRST AID ITEMS IN LARGER QUANTITIES THAN THE TEAM WILL CARRY, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MEDICAL AID AT THE TRANSITIONS AS WELL AS REPLENISH ANY USED ITEMS IN THE TEAM FIRST AID KIT.
  
  Racing Ahead, LLC 12-hour AR – Rules & Regulations
  • Teams will be of 3. The Co-ed category is the PREMIER category.
  • Teams may continue if one person withdraws, upon race official approval. The other two competitors follow all rules of full teams. Teams of 2 finishes are considered Unranked/Unofficial.
  • If two competitors withdraw, the third competitor may not continue alone.
  • Voluntary withdrawals must occur at transition areas.
  • Mandatory gear must be carried at all times, no exceptions. This includes the Race Instructions and Tyvek Punch Card in a usable condition, and a visible race number or race jersey (given at registration). Race Bibs must be worn on outside of clothing at all times. Mandatory gear for specific legs need only be carried as specified by organizers for that leg.
  • Only one support vehicle of reasonable size (no longer than SUV – Excursion or similar) is allowed per team.
  • Support Crews must be at least 1 person, and no more than 3, and all must sign a waiver at Registration.
  • Teams will change gear at a designated Transition Areas (TAs).
  • Teams may have access to TAs pre-race to stage gear, food, water, clothing, etc... these locations will be revealed at Registration.
  • Only Race Staff, and Teams will have access to the TAs. Spectators, family, friends will NOT be allowed in TAs during the event.
  • Spectators are allowed at the START/FINISH areas, and may not be in physical contact with a team that has NOT finished the event.
  • Once the race BEGINS, gear, food, water, clothing etc. can be changed only at the designated TAs. Teams may NOT access their vehicle during the event.
  • Teams may help each other during the race. If a team is in trouble, other teams are encouraged to help them. A time bonus may be awarded to the helping team if the race directors see fit.
  • Teammates must stay within 100 feet of each other.
  • A team’s arrival time at a CP/TA (checkpoint/transition area) will NOT be recorded until all 3 members are present.
  • Competitors must complete whole course, passing through all CPs in order, have their passport signed, or punched etc. at each CP (checkpoint).
  • When arriving at a CP, teams will either give their passport to race staff to sign, punch their passport with an orienteering punch in the proper CP#, or record specific information about the CP location on the passport.
  • Teams will NOT know whether a CP is staffed or un-staffed until the team arrives there.
  • When arriving at a TA. A Time IN will be recorded.
  • When leaving a TA, A Time OUT will be recorded.
  • First complete team of 3 to cross the finish line with the fastest time including penalties and a complete passport will be the winner.
  • Teams may choose any route to CPs as long as the route does not trespass on private property or travel on sections designated in the passport as illegal.
  • Teams must obey traffic laws at all times (biking with traffic, waiting at traffic lights etc.).
  • Teams must use the mode of travel specified for each leg. (e.g. teams cannot cycle during the hiking leg)
  • Human powered travel only (no motorized vehicles of any sort - hired or otherwise).
  • Use of all electronic devices other than watches and altimeters is illegal (e.g. GPS-global positioning systems including handheld and wrist-worn, radios, cellular phones, etc.
  • Respect the environment - no littering - carry out all that you carry in.
  • At Transition Areas, teams may receive medical support from Race Medical Staff without penalty.
  • No personal boats allowed in the race.
  • Boats may not be dragged on the ground.
  • No fires.
  • Penalties will be added on to team’s total time at the end of the race. (100 foot rule, misplaced punches on the punch-card, missing gear, etc)
  • The Race Organizers reserve the right to assess time penalties or bonuses to teams as they see fit.
  • Race organizers (and Race Medical Staff) reserve the right to decide whether or not a person or team may continue for health, safety, or other reasons (e.g. inadequate time remaining to finish entire course).
  • Race organizers reserve the right to change the rules or the course at any time.
  Consequences for failure to follow the above rules will result in a penalty or a disqualification at the discretion of the race officials.--
  

Racing Ahead, LLC
info@racingahead.com
Phone 603-284-6368
Fax 775-252-3501
Center Sandwich NH 03227
www.racingahead.com