It's now Tuesday morning and I'm still a bit fuzzy around the edges from all the hard racing on the weekend. I'm gonna take a couple of days to compose my thoughts on the race but overall I'm happy with how I raced and proud to have been part of a great team effort!
For now, here's the Team ride video I promised...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Ready for Action!
Well, it's here ... Worlds that is! Tomorrow ... in exactly 13.5 hours ... we will all be lined up at the start and off and running ....
This is a quick post as i'm heading to bed but here is a photo of Team Canada ready for action - go Canada!!!
This is a quick post as i'm heading to bed but here is a photo of Team Canada ready for action - go Canada!!!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
So here we are ....
Most of Team Canada is here in Australia now ... scoping out the course and prepping for the weekend ahead. The team meets today at 2pm for a team ride of the course ... and then we head out to dinner tonight as well! Team Canada will be in full swing by the end of day today :)
I got here on Tuesday, met my parents (who are here celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary as well as supporting me at Worlds) at the airport, and we slowly made our way to Canberra. My first outing on the course was yesterday and here is my first take ...
The race takes place in Stromlo Park, just outside of Canberra. The loop starts out with a short flat section and quickly turns into a series of singletrack switchbacks which lead you up a long 1000ft climb up to the top of Mount Stromlo. Once at the top the trail winds around a bit before heading back down, again all on single-track, a rocky twisty descent. The trail is pretty cool, very rocky (big rocks and baby head rocks) and the corners are bermed so you can 'ride the rails' onthe way down. It's very fun but because the corners are so sharp you can't really get up too much speed. About 3/4 of the way down Mount Stromlo the course starts winding back up again and takes you backup to the top of the mountain again, still on single-track. The course dumps you at the top, on the opposite side of the mountain, and because the course is so exposed (no trees, only bushes) you can see the other riders on the top as well. Kinda cool .... then down you go again, this time slightly more technical with a fun steep rocky descent. I plan to ride that section a few times today :) The course ends by taking you through a bmx type section where you can gain a lot of speed if you work your bike... a fun ending.
The course is mostly single-track, which I love ... but will make passing tricky. It's great that they made a seperate course just for the Solos, otherwise it would be mayhem :)
That's it from me for now, another outing on the course today and I'll come back and post the stats (climbing, distance, etc) from my garmin!
Monilee
I got here on Tuesday, met my parents (who are here celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary as well as supporting me at Worlds) at the airport, and we slowly made our way to Canberra. My first outing on the course was yesterday and here is my first take ...
The race takes place in Stromlo Park, just outside of Canberra. The loop starts out with a short flat section and quickly turns into a series of singletrack switchbacks which lead you up a long 1000ft climb up to the top of Mount Stromlo. Once at the top the trail winds around a bit before heading back down, again all on single-track, a rocky twisty descent. The trail is pretty cool, very rocky (big rocks and baby head rocks) and the corners are bermed so you can 'ride the rails' onthe way down. It's very fun but because the corners are so sharp you can't really get up too much speed. About 3/4 of the way down Mount Stromlo the course starts winding back up again and takes you backup to the top of the mountain again, still on single-track. The course dumps you at the top, on the opposite side of the mountain, and because the course is so exposed (no trees, only bushes) you can see the other riders on the top as well. Kinda cool .... then down you go again, this time slightly more technical with a fun steep rocky descent. I plan to ride that section a few times today :) The course ends by taking you through a bmx type section where you can gain a lot of speed if you work your bike... a fun ending.
The course is mostly single-track, which I love ... but will make passing tricky. It's great that they made a seperate course just for the Solos, otherwise it would be mayhem :)
That's it from me for now, another outing on the course today and I'll come back and post the stats (climbing, distance, etc) from my garmin!
Monilee
Friday, October 1, 2010
Australia here we come
The last week has been a busy one getting everything ready for the long journey to this year's 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championships. Sitting in the airport waiting to leave I finally have a few minutes to get my thoughts down. Much to my relief, the bikes are tuned, packed and loaded on the plane with all other gear required for a 24 hour solo. Special thanks to Chris at Cyclepath Calgary for all the work he put in to get them ready.
With most of Team Canada heading down over the last couple weeks before the race I get a sense of excitement and anticipation from those I have spoken with. I am looking forward to our group ride and dinner on Thursday.
Wish I could type more but they are calling my flight to board. See you all in Australia soon.
Cheers,
Solo Steve
With most of Team Canada heading down over the last couple weeks before the race I get a sense of excitement and anticipation from those I have spoken with. I am looking forward to our group ride and dinner on Thursday.
Wish I could type more but they are calling my flight to board. See you all in Australia soon.
Cheers,
Solo Steve
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
WSC cartoon - Getting ready for Canberra
That's right, I'm wearing a skin tight broccoli superhero suit.
I couldn't find my Team Canada kit.
I couldn't find my Team Canada kit.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Squamish XC Files - Ride down from Elfin Lakes
Hooked up with newly crowned Canadian 24hr Solo Champ and all around savage and good guy Cory Wallace for some riding in my home town of Squamish,BC.
Took him up to Elfin Lakes high up above town and into the beautiful alpine that surrounds us here in mtb paradise...perfect day up there...from the dudes place in downtown Squamish it's about a 2.5hour climb up to a wicked backcountry hut surrounded by a couple sweet little lakes,glaciers, mountains and just plain awesome views of Garibaldi Provincial Park.
We ranted about plans for the World's,treeplanting skills which will cross over nicely to the 24hrs plus details on the race and so on...getting stoked to be part of the gong show...both of us are sticking around longer in Aussie and are considering hitting the whacky Crocodile Trophy later on in October...why not?
Enjoy the ride, the views and some Stone Roses too...
Dude out.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Exposure Lights Lit up the Night
It's been a month since the Canadian 24hr Solo Championships in Canmore and I've had time to reflect on what went well and what needs work leading up to the World's 46 days from now. I've concluded that my physical preparedness is always an easy one- it always can be worked upon. I think, like a lot of us 24hr racers, I'm never really satisfied. Perhaps that's why I seem eager to put myself through this again. I believe I can continue to grow and improve on last performances. That desire for improvement will likely only come to a halt when the day comes to hang up the bicycle and take up lawn darts.
I'm pretty happy to say that one of the things that worry me most about 24hr racing is something I have a little more control over- my equipment. It seems like it's something I can control a little more. I know there are unknowns and crashes and random mechanicals that appear to break the laws of physics, but I really believe that a good choice of equipment can make a huge difference. That's the reason I ride the bikes I do and the reason I wear the clothes I do and now I'm proud to say, run the lights I do.
The Canadian Championships was the first opportunity I had to race with Exposure Lights attached to the bike and my head and I must say, it was the least stressful night riding I've had to date. I was running the Maxx-D on the bike and Diablo on my head-in my mind, a perfect combination. There are a few points I'd like to stress about Exposure Lights. Firstly, the ease of operation. The self-contained units are simple- good tactile feedback on the on/off switches, ease of mounting with the quick release mount on the handlebars, solid yet moveable swivel on the helmet mount-everything a fatiguing rider can appreciate. Secondly, the obvious; they're really bright. The Maxx-D I ran on the medium setting of 700 Lumens while the Diablo's medium setting put out 400 lumens. I found the output smooth, diffuse in pattern and more than adequate to keep the pace high during the night hours. I never felt like I had to slow down for lack of illumination. That sensation was the lack of carbs being ingested at 2am...Finally and maybe most importantly, my pit crew didn't need to worry about the lights. Normally, the setups I've been running required battery change and re-charge of spares. With Exposure Lights, this isn't necessary. The 10hrs of the Maxx-D and Diablo (with the piggyback battery attached to the Diablo) gave us lots of time to get through the night. My crew only had to move the Maxx-D from bike to bike, and with the bomb-proof quick release bracket, that only took seconds.
With the most important race of the year just around the corner, I only want to worry about being physically prepared. Thanks to the folks at Exposure Lights, I'm one step closer to that goal.
One last point about the lights- they sure look a lot better than I do in most of the pictures from the race.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Shaun's 24hr Solo report
I moved this post directly over from my personal blog, hope it's worthy...
***Eye safety warning*** - the race was hot, like 30 degrees at the start line and a bunch of hard-hours-racing kind of hot, don't let my glaringly white chest blind you. End of eye safety warning.
I've taken a longer than normal amount of time to think about my recent failure at the 24hr Solo race I did just over two weeks ago. I use the term 'failure' because I only completed 19hrs of the event and of course that has irritated me... a lot. Basically I quit racing at 0730hrs in the morning, Doreen told me not to and that I would regret it, she's usually right about these kinds of things.
It took quite a few days after the race to put things into the right perspective post-event. As the days slipped by and the fatigue and injuries started to feel better, I eventually stopped seeing the result as a complete failure and managed to see it from a bigger picture perspective, a more positive view. As it turns out it was almost a 'need to happen' in order for me to learn a few more things about myself and this style of racing in general, and that will help me improve my game moving forward.
So what did I learn, or re-learn from this race...
I hope to answer that question by covering three different questions that Evan has asked me over the last week or so. For whatever reason, and I'm still scratching my head on where he comes up with this stuff, he asked me specifically about discipline, fear and toughness.
The first notable question early last week that made me sit back and think was "Dad, what's discipline?" I gave him a definition and then explained a few examples of what I have experienced in regards to discipline. Now, to be sure I'm not leading anyone astray, particularly Evan and Keegan when they come back to read this, here's Wiki's definition of self-discipline:
"Self-discipline refers to the training that one gives one's self to accomplish a certain task or to adopt a particular pattern of behavior, even though one would really rather be doing something else. For example, denying oneself of an extravagant pleasure in order to accomplish a more demanding charitable deed. Thus, self-discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be a synonym of 'self control'. Self-discipline is to some extent a substitute for motivation, when one uses reason to determine a best course of action that opposes one's desires."
I learned real discipline during the 13yrs I spent in the military. From the time I joined as a young Infantry soldier until the time I departed as a Special Forces Warrant Officer, I was constantly aware of the demands to maintain high levels of personal discipline. The ramifications for not delivering on that character trait were often rapid and left no room for interpretation, lack of discipline usually had negative repercussions.
A simple but defining moment of discipline that stands out during those military years would occur on my Patrol Pathfinder Course... Back in the day when I was in 2 Commando I decided I was going to do the toughest course in the regular army. The Pathfinder course was 70 days of non-stop hardcore arse kicking, a 90+ percent failure rate, a real suffer-fest. A third of the way into the course and I had already redefined 'hard' several times and another moment of clarity was about to present itself on a particularly red-hot summer day. As I was in the pushup position while wearing an extremely heavy army backpack, watching my hands sink deeper and deeper into the boiling tarmac with every pushup, my thoughts ranged from 'this is outrageous' to 'my hands are sinking into the boiling tarmac from all this weight' and on to 'I wish the instructor would stop spitting on my face while he's screaming in my ear'. Then the moment of clarity snapped into focus 'You aren't going to break me, you'll have to kill me first' and with that I had my definition of discipline required for that moment. If you want something bad enough you simply won't break. A couple of guys quit on that red-hot day, I'm sure a few more of us got stronger from it. When we finally got to stand up I just stared at my hand prints in the parade square, as the sweat dripped off my nose, and I focused on the big picture of steeling up for the remainder of the program. Far harder things would occur on that course but that moment stands out in my mind as a 'make it or break it occasion' and luckily I didn't break. Less than 10 Pathfinders passed selection that year, I learned a lot from that selection.
A 24hr solo race is a bit like a Pathfinder course, you don't eat enough or sleep enough during those 24hrs, the pace is grueling and you have to be strong-willed, you have to be disciplined. I had taken that aspect of 24hr racing for granted, I didn't give it the respect it deserved, I wasn't disciplined and I paid the price. Admitting that to my boys after the race was a tough moment but a valuable lesson.
Evan's second question came a few days later "Dad, what are you scared of?" My stock answer to this is always "You guys getting hurt" but the truth is I'm scared of heights, though the boys don't know that yet. It's an irrational fear and I'm not sure why I'm scared of heights. I've faced my fair share of height related scenarios and never failed. I've parachuted out of planes or helicopters nearly 370 times, as part of spec-ops I've rappelled and fast-roped out of helicopters on to multi-storey rooftops countless times, I've hung upside down on the outside of multi-story buildings in order to blow the window for a room entry multiple times, I've climbed up and down elevator shafts in the pitch black, etc, etc, etc - I've faced my irrational fear of heights too many times and in too many different ways to count and each time I didn't like it but I got it done.
So what else am I scared of? Letting my boys down. They are getting to an age where they know the difference between trying your best and quitting. After the race I had to tell them I quit earlier than I should have. It doesn't matter if I had good reasons at the time, I didn't give it 100% at the time and I had to fess up to that. We have a saying in our house 'It doesn't matter if you win or lose as long as you try your best and you have fun', it might sound corny but we say that sentence a lot and we try to instill it in the boys. During that race I didn't practice what I preach, I didn't give it 100%, I didn't do my best, I've told my boys that won't happen again.
The last question Evan asked was just a couple of days ago, he said "Dad, what makes you so tough?", well that's not an easy question. Am I tough? What is tough? How do you explain 'tough' to a 6yr old, and where does he come up with these tough questions? I tried to answer it by talking about strength through adversity - facing really hard challenges and beating them, sometimes being beaten by them, but always getting tougher by facing those challenges.
I've got loads of stories to tell the boys about 'tough' when they are old enough to understand a bit better, but right now they are old enough to understand 24hr solo races are tough. So I talked about a few of my 24's and how tough they can be. So they asked questions about how tough this race was and why was it tough. I had to tell them it was one of my toughest races ever because I wasn't taking on enough calories, my injury was bugging me and eventually the race was tougher than I was. They know I faced a hard challenge and got beaten by it but that I learned a few things and I'm now tougher because of that.
2.5 weeks after the race and I'm feeling good on the bike again. My nagging injury has almost faded and I'm looking forward to the World Championships in Australia. My 24hr solo world is feeling a lot better than it was a couple of weeks ago.
It's funny what a 6yr old can teach you. Just a few simple questions led to a lot of introspection and I'm better for it.
Testing my self-discipline, facing adversity and wondering about my racing toughness were a few of the reasons I initially got into 24hr solo racing. Years later my 6yr old is reminding me of the things that started me down the solo rabbit hole and I'll keep that in mind when I stand on the next start line.
Before I sign off, here's the important stuff...
As always, thanks goes out to George for coming down to work my pit. Thanks goes out to Deadgoat Racing for the support. Thanks goes out to all the people who cheered me on. And of course the biggest thanks goes out to Doreen for doing what she does - love ya' honey.
***Eye safety warning*** - the race was hot, like 30 degrees at the start line and a bunch of hard-hours-racing kind of hot, don't let my glaringly white chest blind you. End of eye safety warning.
I've taken a longer than normal amount of time to think about my recent failure at the 24hr Solo race I did just over two weeks ago. I use the term 'failure' because I only completed 19hrs of the event and of course that has irritated me... a lot. Basically I quit racing at 0730hrs in the morning, Doreen told me not to and that I would regret it, she's usually right about these kinds of things.
It took quite a few days after the race to put things into the right perspective post-event. As the days slipped by and the fatigue and injuries started to feel better, I eventually stopped seeing the result as a complete failure and managed to see it from a bigger picture perspective, a more positive view. As it turns out it was almost a 'need to happen' in order for me to learn a few more things about myself and this style of racing in general, and that will help me improve my game moving forward.
So what did I learn, or re-learn from this race...
I hope to answer that question by covering three different questions that Evan has asked me over the last week or so. For whatever reason, and I'm still scratching my head on where he comes up with this stuff, he asked me specifically about discipline, fear and toughness.
The first notable question early last week that made me sit back and think was "Dad, what's discipline?" I gave him a definition and then explained a few examples of what I have experienced in regards to discipline. Now, to be sure I'm not leading anyone astray, particularly Evan and Keegan when they come back to read this, here's Wiki's definition of self-discipline:
"Self-discipline refers to the training that one gives one's self to accomplish a certain task or to adopt a particular pattern of behavior, even though one would really rather be doing something else. For example, denying oneself of an extravagant pleasure in order to accomplish a more demanding charitable deed. Thus, self-discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be a synonym of 'self control'. Self-discipline is to some extent a substitute for motivation, when one uses reason to determine a best course of action that opposes one's desires."
I learned real discipline during the 13yrs I spent in the military. From the time I joined as a young Infantry soldier until the time I departed as a Special Forces Warrant Officer, I was constantly aware of the demands to maintain high levels of personal discipline. The ramifications for not delivering on that character trait were often rapid and left no room for interpretation, lack of discipline usually had negative repercussions.
A simple but defining moment of discipline that stands out during those military years would occur on my Patrol Pathfinder Course... Back in the day when I was in 2 Commando I decided I was going to do the toughest course in the regular army. The Pathfinder course was 70 days of non-stop hardcore arse kicking, a 90+ percent failure rate, a real suffer-fest. A third of the way into the course and I had already redefined 'hard' several times and another moment of clarity was about to present itself on a particularly red-hot summer day. As I was in the pushup position while wearing an extremely heavy army backpack, watching my hands sink deeper and deeper into the boiling tarmac with every pushup, my thoughts ranged from 'this is outrageous' to 'my hands are sinking into the boiling tarmac from all this weight' and on to 'I wish the instructor would stop spitting on my face while he's screaming in my ear'. Then the moment of clarity snapped into focus 'You aren't going to break me, you'll have to kill me first' and with that I had my definition of discipline required for that moment. If you want something bad enough you simply won't break. A couple of guys quit on that red-hot day, I'm sure a few more of us got stronger from it. When we finally got to stand up I just stared at my hand prints in the parade square, as the sweat dripped off my nose, and I focused on the big picture of steeling up for the remainder of the program. Far harder things would occur on that course but that moment stands out in my mind as a 'make it or break it occasion' and luckily I didn't break. Less than 10 Pathfinders passed selection that year, I learned a lot from that selection.
A 24hr solo race is a bit like a Pathfinder course, you don't eat enough or sleep enough during those 24hrs, the pace is grueling and you have to be strong-willed, you have to be disciplined. I had taken that aspect of 24hr racing for granted, I didn't give it the respect it deserved, I wasn't disciplined and I paid the price. Admitting that to my boys after the race was a tough moment but a valuable lesson.
Evan's second question came a few days later "Dad, what are you scared of?" My stock answer to this is always "You guys getting hurt" but the truth is I'm scared of heights, though the boys don't know that yet. It's an irrational fear and I'm not sure why I'm scared of heights. I've faced my fair share of height related scenarios and never failed. I've parachuted out of planes or helicopters nearly 370 times, as part of spec-ops I've rappelled and fast-roped out of helicopters on to multi-storey rooftops countless times, I've hung upside down on the outside of multi-story buildings in order to blow the window for a room entry multiple times, I've climbed up and down elevator shafts in the pitch black, etc, etc, etc - I've faced my irrational fear of heights too many times and in too many different ways to count and each time I didn't like it but I got it done.
So what else am I scared of? Letting my boys down. They are getting to an age where they know the difference between trying your best and quitting. After the race I had to tell them I quit earlier than I should have. It doesn't matter if I had good reasons at the time, I didn't give it 100% at the time and I had to fess up to that. We have a saying in our house 'It doesn't matter if you win or lose as long as you try your best and you have fun', it might sound corny but we say that sentence a lot and we try to instill it in the boys. During that race I didn't practice what I preach, I didn't give it 100%, I didn't do my best, I've told my boys that won't happen again.
The last question Evan asked was just a couple of days ago, he said "Dad, what makes you so tough?", well that's not an easy question. Am I tough? What is tough? How do you explain 'tough' to a 6yr old, and where does he come up with these tough questions? I tried to answer it by talking about strength through adversity - facing really hard challenges and beating them, sometimes being beaten by them, but always getting tougher by facing those challenges.
I've got loads of stories to tell the boys about 'tough' when they are old enough to understand a bit better, but right now they are old enough to understand 24hr solo races are tough. So I talked about a few of my 24's and how tough they can be. So they asked questions about how tough this race was and why was it tough. I had to tell them it was one of my toughest races ever because I wasn't taking on enough calories, my injury was bugging me and eventually the race was tougher than I was. They know I faced a hard challenge and got beaten by it but that I learned a few things and I'm now tougher because of that.
2.5 weeks after the race and I'm feeling good on the bike again. My nagging injury has almost faded and I'm looking forward to the World Championships in Australia. My 24hr solo world is feeling a lot better than it was a couple of weeks ago.
It's funny what a 6yr old can teach you. Just a few simple questions led to a lot of introspection and I'm better for it.
Testing my self-discipline, facing adversity and wondering about my racing toughness were a few of the reasons I initially got into 24hr solo racing. Years later my 6yr old is reminding me of the things that started me down the solo rabbit hole and I'll keep that in mind when I stand on the next start line.
Before I sign off, here's the important stuff...
As always, thanks goes out to George for coming down to work my pit. Thanks goes out to Deadgoat Racing for the support. Thanks goes out to all the people who cheered me on. And of course the biggest thanks goes out to Doreen for doing what she does - love ya' honey.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Monilee's Candian 24hr Solo report
Summary:
Place: 2nd
Details of ride: ~275Km, 18,000 feet of climbing, and 18 hours on the bike
Details:
The drive up was amazing - great scenary and great company. I drove up thru Vancouver to pick up Kate - amazing friend and support crew extraordinare - and her roomate Lila. The drive flew by - we were catching up and just enjoying the great views along the way. Road trips with good friends always fly by ...
The weekend was relaxed .. Kate and I woundered around town, found some good food, did some shopping, and went up to the site to set up the pit and get in a ride. We found the course in pretty good shape - about 18km and 1450ft of climbing per lap. Loads of single-track but most of it was not really technical ...but super fun none the less. It wasn't a course that played to my skills but it was a fun and challenging course - worthy of Canadian Nationals. I love Canmore!!
Race day brought warm weather (about 30C) and blue skies ... so we got the ice scarfs going right away. The first few laps flew by ... stomach was holding together pretty well and eating was on track. Kate was giving me double feeds (2x per lap) so my drinks were always cool and I never ran out of liquids. Around lap 4 my stomach started to feel funny but i couldn't quite place it. Looking back eating Perpetuem in the heat was the wrong call ... later in the race we figured this out and I switched to a combination of Heed and Gu .. the perfect combination to get me to the finish line!
After 10 hours of racing I ws right behind the leader - about 8 min back. But my stomach felt funny so i decided i should take a quick break. After an hour i went back out and my first lap felt great. I think i ate too many salts though ... my second lap was painfull. I had to stop. Unfortunately I was sick for a few hours before Kate convinced me to shower and offered chicken broth which was amazing ... i was back in action after 4 hours off the bike.
I had some catching to do ... 2nd and 3rd were both ahead of me. I like to chase though so off I went ... my legs felt great and i ws turning out the laps. I passed 2nd and 3rd in my first lap out and continued to gain on them. 1st was too far ahead so i knew it was out of the question ... but i still pushed hard.
All in all it was a good race - a great effort despite the stomach.
Thanks again to Samammish Valley Cycle for keeping my awesome Norco's up and running - and of course, thanks to Kate for her amazing support!
Place: 2nd
Details of ride: ~275Km, 18,000 feet of climbing, and 18 hours on the bike
Details:
The drive up was amazing - great scenary and great company. I drove up thru Vancouver to pick up Kate - amazing friend and support crew extraordinare - and her roomate Lila. The drive flew by - we were catching up and just enjoying the great views along the way. Road trips with good friends always fly by ...
The weekend was relaxed .. Kate and I woundered around town, found some good food, did some shopping, and went up to the site to set up the pit and get in a ride. We found the course in pretty good shape - about 18km and 1450ft of climbing per lap. Loads of single-track but most of it was not really technical ...but super fun none the less. It wasn't a course that played to my skills but it was a fun and challenging course - worthy of Canadian Nationals. I love Canmore!!
Race day brought warm weather (about 30C) and blue skies ... so we got the ice scarfs going right away. The first few laps flew by ... stomach was holding together pretty well and eating was on track. Kate was giving me double feeds (2x per lap) so my drinks were always cool and I never ran out of liquids. Around lap 4 my stomach started to feel funny but i couldn't quite place it. Looking back eating Perpetuem in the heat was the wrong call ... later in the race we figured this out and I switched to a combination of Heed and Gu .. the perfect combination to get me to the finish line!
After 10 hours of racing I ws right behind the leader - about 8 min back. But my stomach felt funny so i decided i should take a quick break. After an hour i went back out and my first lap felt great. I think i ate too many salts though ... my second lap was painfull. I had to stop. Unfortunately I was sick for a few hours before Kate convinced me to shower and offered chicken broth which was amazing ... i was back in action after 4 hours off the bike.
I had some catching to do ... 2nd and 3rd were both ahead of me. I like to chase though so off I went ... my legs felt great and i ws turning out the laps. I passed 2nd and 3rd in my first lap out and continued to gain on them. 1st was too far ahead so i knew it was out of the question ... but i still pushed hard.
All in all it was a good race - a great effort despite the stomach.
Thanks again to Samammish Valley Cycle for keeping my awesome Norco's up and running - and of course, thanks to Kate for her amazing support!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Ready for World Solos in Australia
With 24 Hours of Adrenalin Canadian Nationals behind us we are now ready to move on to Australia. Congratulations to Cory Wallace and Carena Dean for well executed races and their 24 Hours of Adrenalin Canadian Championships. For me, Canmore was a great opportunity to log more training miles and get one last test of pit strategy before concentrating on the upcoming World Solo Championships.
Things went very well with my pit crew doing another fantastic job of feeding me, maintaining my bikes, and pushing me back out to do another lap. Thanks to my wife Colette for being the best pit boss I could ever ask for and to Craig, Stephanie, Tyler, and Dylan for helping out with all the little things that allow me to keep riding. Both of my Giant Anthems performed flawlessly all weekend thanks to the staff at Cyclepath Calgary. This race allowed me to try out our new Exposure lighting systems for the first time in race conditions and they were fantastic, no wires is a wonderful thing. The GU gels and chomps were a welcome addition to my race weekend diet as well.
Overall the event was a terrific weekend with all of the staff, volunteers, spectators, and other riders making it a wonderful experience. Everything from the setup of pit row and registration to the organization of all the volunteers and the finish was very well done. The new single track on the course was challenging and enjoyable, it will be nice to have a permanent course with such great trails. As usual, Crazy Larry kept everyone on their toes in the transition area and making it such a great feeling every time around. It is always nice to ride a 24 hour solo in Canmore thanks to great team riders, all night long the words of encouragement kept coming from everyone I met on the course.
Saturday morning we managed to get the five Team Canada in attendance together for a quick photo shoot with our new kits. It is a great group of guys to be heading over to Australia with and I am hearing that we may soon be joined by a couple of ladies as well. Let’s all go show the Aussies that even though the event isn’t in North America this year we can still give them a run for their money.
Things went very well with my pit crew doing another fantastic job of feeding me, maintaining my bikes, and pushing me back out to do another lap. Thanks to my wife Colette for being the best pit boss I could ever ask for and to Craig, Stephanie, Tyler, and Dylan for helping out with all the little things that allow me to keep riding. Both of my Giant Anthems performed flawlessly all weekend thanks to the staff at Cyclepath Calgary. This race allowed me to try out our new Exposure lighting systems for the first time in race conditions and they were fantastic, no wires is a wonderful thing. The GU gels and chomps were a welcome addition to my race weekend diet as well.
Overall the event was a terrific weekend with all of the staff, volunteers, spectators, and other riders making it a wonderful experience. Everything from the setup of pit row and registration to the organization of all the volunteers and the finish was very well done. The new single track on the course was challenging and enjoyable, it will be nice to have a permanent course with such great trails. As usual, Crazy Larry kept everyone on their toes in the transition area and making it such a great feeling every time around. It is always nice to ride a 24 hour solo in Canmore thanks to great team riders, all night long the words of encouragement kept coming from everyone I met on the course.
Saturday morning we managed to get the five Team Canada in attendance together for a quick photo shoot with our new kits. It is a great group of guys to be heading over to Australia with and I am hearing that we may soon be joined by a couple of ladies as well. Let’s all go show the Aussies that even though the event isn’t in North America this year we can still give them a run for their money.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
2010 Canadian 24hr Solo Championships
Looks like another 24 hr race has come and gone. This past weekend was the 2010 Exposure Lights 24 hour Canadian Solo Championships in Canmore Alberta. Firstly, it was another well organized event put on by Stuart and the Crew of 24 hrs of Adrenaline. Thanks to all the Crew. Canmore is such a fabulous venue and a highly recommended event to take part in. I think I may even do it again next year. From the stadium area, to the Rocky Mountains surrounding the venue, to the bears on the course, to some of the best singletrack trails in western Canada, what more could a person want?
This list of Canmore attributes seems obvious 2 days after I've dismounted my bike, but I have to say, they didn't cross my mind from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday. This year's course was a tough one. A ton of technical singletrack, whether you were heading up (which seemed often) or rippin' it down. It was fairly unrelenting right from the start, as was the pace. There were at least ten guys out there with the hammer down including a couple of fellow Team Canada mates, Leighton and Shaun. They all had one thing on the mind I think- The jersey with the maple leaf on it. With less than 12 weeks to the World Solos, I think I gave this one a good go. I ended up a couple of places beyond were I was targeting, but at the end of the day, I came away with no injuries, no lasting aches and pains, some miles in the legs, but most importantly, some new friends- thanks Dennis, Steve, Leighton and Shaun.
It's hard writting about a 24 hr race, because what really happened? Well, I rode my bike, sometimes it was fast, sometimes it was slow, sometimes it was not at all. In the end though, 24 hour racing seems to answer the age old question about the nature of time and whether our perception of it is linear. You start, you pedal, time passes and you finish- sounds like a straight line to me. I think I'm glad about that as I sit on the couch with the PC on my lap. If it weren't true, I'd still be pedalling- ouch!
This list of Canmore attributes seems obvious 2 days after I've dismounted my bike, but I have to say, they didn't cross my mind from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday. This year's course was a tough one. A ton of technical singletrack, whether you were heading up (which seemed often) or rippin' it down. It was fairly unrelenting right from the start, as was the pace. There were at least ten guys out there with the hammer down including a couple of fellow Team Canada mates, Leighton and Shaun. They all had one thing on the mind I think- The jersey with the maple leaf on it. With less than 12 weeks to the World Solos, I think I gave this one a good go. I ended up a couple of places beyond were I was targeting, but at the end of the day, I came away with no injuries, no lasting aches and pains, some miles in the legs, but most importantly, some new friends- thanks Dennis, Steve, Leighton and Shaun.
It's hard writting about a 24 hr race, because what really happened? Well, I rode my bike, sometimes it was fast, sometimes it was slow, sometimes it was not at all. In the end though, 24 hour racing seems to answer the age old question about the nature of time and whether our perception of it is linear. You start, you pedal, time passes and you finish- sounds like a straight line to me. I think I'm glad about that as I sit on the couch with the PC on my lap. If it weren't true, I'd still be pedalling- ouch!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
We got out last night to pre-ride the course for this weekend's 24 Hours of Adrenalin in Canmore and found it to be fantastic. Magi Scallion and the Nordic Centre have created miles of new singletrack and the course is going to awesome. Great work.
We are all packed up and ready to head out to Canmore to setup and looking forward to another challenging event. I encourage everyone to come out to the Nordic Centre in Canmore to watch the event and cheer on your friends this weekend.
Cheers,
Solo Steve
We are all packed up and ready to head out to Canmore to setup and looking forward to another challenging event. I encourage everyone to come out to the Nordic Centre in Canmore to watch the event and cheer on your friends this weekend.
Cheers,
Solo Steve
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Summer Sale on Exposure Lights - all the details on Facebook!!!
Exposure Lights is having a huge summer sale on their awesome lights...the best prices ever for most wicked lights on the market!
Find them on Facebook and get the coupon codes to get set-up!
Don't wait, catch this deal and get out and rip it up!
Kelly
Find them on Facebook and get the coupon codes to get set-up!
Don't wait, catch this deal and get out and rip it up!
Kelly
Monday, July 12, 2010
24 Solo on the horizon
Three posts down, Kelly listed out the stats for the BCBR and as he said it was excellent racing. That's my second year doing the event and it really does showcase some of the best singletrack in the world. Kelly is lucky to live in Squamish because the trails there really are awesome!
Stats don't tell the whole story of course, a placing isn't reflective of an experience and no matter where you placed in a category (as long as you were pushing yourself hard) at BCBR you were guaranteed to improve you handling skills, technical lines and redlined pain absorption. Kelly was ripping it up out there and I'm looking forward to watching him represent down under.
Two posts down, Scott talks about the mental aspect of 24 Solo racing, I like to think one of my strongest attributes for Solo events is my mental game, my wife calls it stubbornness. As long as I designate a mission profile for an 'A' race I'll execute accordingly at my highest level, the trick for me is placing the correct priority on any event. If it's an 'A' race I'll march through 300 Spartans swinging a battle-axe and continue forward until I reach my target destination, leaving Spartans scattered behind me. If it's a 'B' race I tend to be less intense and can sometimes relax a bit too much, I'll rely more on experience to take me through the event rather than the 'take no prisoners' attitude of an 'A' race. Mental prep work prior and mindset on race day generally decide my results. No doubt, Worlds is an 'A' race and I plan on taking a pretty big battle-axe. Battle-axe's don't make the race any less fun, racing is always fun (in a perverse way) swinging an 'A' race battle-axe just makes racing a whole lot more intense.
As for Canmore in two weeks, I had a bit of a setback at BCBR when I took a massive wipe-out halfway through the event, smashing my leg up quite badly. Pain meds, ice and anti-inflams were my friends for the remainder of the event. My racing partner said I should pull the plug but it's hard to pass on those kinds of trails and testing yourself against quality racers. I'm glad I raced the remainder of the event but it cost me in recovery time. I had to take a full week off the bike while I hobbled around the house complaining about my injury, even if nobody would listen. Finally getting out on the bike yesterday for 3hrs made me realize the leg is still hurting but not so bad that I can't lineup, it will let me race at Canmore just not at a level I would like. As the hours unfold in the race I'll see what the injury has to say for itself and then I'll either slow down... or ignore what it's trying to tell me... my wife calls it stubborn but I call it racing. ;-)
Stats don't tell the whole story of course, a placing isn't reflective of an experience and no matter where you placed in a category (as long as you were pushing yourself hard) at BCBR you were guaranteed to improve you handling skills, technical lines and redlined pain absorption. Kelly was ripping it up out there and I'm looking forward to watching him represent down under.
Two posts down, Scott talks about the mental aspect of 24 Solo racing, I like to think one of my strongest attributes for Solo events is my mental game, my wife calls it stubbornness. As long as I designate a mission profile for an 'A' race I'll execute accordingly at my highest level, the trick for me is placing the correct priority on any event. If it's an 'A' race I'll march through 300 Spartans swinging a battle-axe and continue forward until I reach my target destination, leaving Spartans scattered behind me. If it's a 'B' race I tend to be less intense and can sometimes relax a bit too much, I'll rely more on experience to take me through the event rather than the 'take no prisoners' attitude of an 'A' race. Mental prep work prior and mindset on race day generally decide my results. No doubt, Worlds is an 'A' race and I plan on taking a pretty big battle-axe. Battle-axe's don't make the race any less fun, racing is always fun (in a perverse way) swinging an 'A' race battle-axe just makes racing a whole lot more intense.
As for Canmore in two weeks, I had a bit of a setback at BCBR when I took a massive wipe-out halfway through the event, smashing my leg up quite badly. Pain meds, ice and anti-inflams were my friends for the remainder of the event. My racing partner said I should pull the plug but it's hard to pass on those kinds of trails and testing yourself against quality racers. I'm glad I raced the remainder of the event but it cost me in recovery time. I had to take a full week off the bike while I hobbled around the house complaining about my injury, even if nobody would listen. Finally getting out on the bike yesterday for 3hrs made me realize the leg is still hurting but not so bad that I can't lineup, it will let me race at Canmore just not at a level I would like. As the hours unfold in the race I'll see what the injury has to say for itself and then I'll either slow down... or ignore what it's trying to tell me... my wife calls it stubborn but I call it racing. ;-)
Jungle Night Rides
With all the heat out here in Squamish I've been nightriding more...a great way to get used to doing it again and also to test out the team's new Exposure Lights.With the worlds best singletrack network on my doorstep a nightride here is un-like any other...there are over 200 trails in our trail system in Squamish and I can put together any type of ride I want to challenge my nocturnal riding skills.A perfect training ground for me for the big race down under this fall.I ride for fun and don't have a training plan, I just ride my bike for as little or as long as I feel like everyday on awesome singletrack - who needs to train when the terrain here is so demanding yet inspiring?Spending time with my group of riding buddies, hanging out at the local cafes and ripping some sick trails is what I like to call "training".Make no mistake though, I'm heading down to Australia to compete and push myself - the holiday comes after the race!
Thanks to Exposure Lights I'm back out on my local trails after dark having fun.All of the people who check out my lights can't believe how rad they are..."What, no wires?"...."Hey, that things so bright, do you mind putting it on low when you follow me - I can't concentrate!"..."These suckers are so LIGHT!"...I am blown away by how slick these lights are, so beautiful to look at and yet packed with so much performance - how could anyone go back to using lights with wires again...not me that's for sure.
Here is a short video I took with my GoPro helmet cam on a ride a couple of nights ago with a friend of mine here in Squamish.Went out for about 2 hours of fun in the jungle...big trees, huge ferns,silence,fresh air and singletrack...my buddy Mike was in full tuck mode trying to drop me on this little trail that goes back towards his place...he got a bit of a gap on me but my lights had him lit up all the way down.Kept the vid short, working on my production style and having fun documenting some of the trails and rides I do here.
Stay tuned for more fun coming out of Squamish as I prepare for the World's!
Dude out.
Thanks to Exposure Lights I'm back out on my local trails after dark having fun.All of the people who check out my lights can't believe how rad they are..."What, no wires?"...."Hey, that things so bright, do you mind putting it on low when you follow me - I can't concentrate!"..."These suckers are so LIGHT!"...I am blown away by how slick these lights are, so beautiful to look at and yet packed with so much performance - how could anyone go back to using lights with wires again...not me that's for sure.
Here is a short video I took with my GoPro helmet cam on a ride a couple of nights ago with a friend of mine here in Squamish.Went out for about 2 hours of fun in the jungle...big trees, huge ferns,silence,fresh air and singletrack...my buddy Mike was in full tuck mode trying to drop me on this little trail that goes back towards his place...he got a bit of a gap on me but my lights had him lit up all the way down.Kept the vid short, working on my production style and having fun documenting some of the trails and rides I do here.
Stay tuned for more fun coming out of Squamish as I prepare for the World's!
Dude out.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
14 days to the Canadian 24hr Solo Championships
As I sit watching some early morning coverage of the Tour de France, it's a little over 14 days to the start of the Canadian 24hr Solo Championships in Canmore, Alberta. It's funny how perspective on race duration can change so quickly depending on what you're doing at the moment. Last weekend, I was in the middle of a XC race and suffering the high intensity pain that occurs from start to finish of XC races and was thinking to myself "in a few weeks this won't even make a dent in the duration of a 24 hr race." While today, watching stage 8 of the TDF, I am so happy that I'll only be riding 24 hours. What this tells me about 24hr racing, that I'm sure every 24 hour racer knows, is that success in the race is at least 70% mental, while only 30% physical. This also makes me feel a little better with only 2 weeks to race day, as it's the time in the race preparation when you start to analyze (and maybe doubt a little) what you've done to date to prepare physically. Questions like, "did I build a big enough base in the early season?", "have I worked on my climbing enough?", "have I raced enough to feel comfortable at high speeds?" start cropping up all the time. With the doubts nagging, I think I'm happy about the 70/30 rule. It calms me knowing that I've likely done all I can on the training front and it's time to start preparing mentally. I think that's what today's training ride will now be about. Don't get me wrong, I'll still complete my climbing intervals in the 35 degree heat, but instead of thinking about how I'd rather be on a lounge chair in the shade, I'm going to focusing on the mental space I'll need to be in during the 24hr Nationals. I think I'll even do some visualization- seeing myself cruising the climbs, flowing relaxed in the single track, running through the timing tent to the noise of the cow bells, completing the pit transitions smooth and efficient and most importantly, having a great time riding one of the best 24 hour courses on the planet.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Some good training for Worlds
A couple Team Canada members participated in the recent BC Bike Race 7 day stage race this past week. Racing hard for an entire week was really great training and will set the riders up well for getting ready for the World's which is under 3 months away!Way to go boys!
Solo Master Men
Steve Swenson - 62nd place
Teams of 2 Veteran 80+
Shaun Taylor - 5th place
Teams of 2 Open Men
Kelly Servinski - 4th place
Solo Master Men
Steve Swenson - 62nd place
Teams of 2 Veteran 80+
Shaun Taylor - 5th place
Teams of 2 Open Men
Kelly Servinski - 4th place
Friday, June 25, 2010
I get to ride my bike
At the end of the day, I get to ride my bike- a lot. I guess that's the beautiful thing about endurance racing. If you love to ride a bike, by default, you're going to do a lot of it. And a 24 hour race, well, you get to ride all day long.
So, that is now and I didn't feel much different about it at the beginning. How did racing on dirt start for me? My first mountain bike was a Diamondback Apex, circa 1989 and I remember how fast it was. The power transfer to the wheels doesn't get any better than a fully rigid steel bike. Ya, by today's standards it's pretty heavy and the shifting was imprecise and the brakes didn't really work that well. But man was it fun. And finally, no more riding the road bike over rocky and rooty trails just to get out in the woods. After a couple years learning to ride the Diamondback, it was time to start racing it cross country and after the first race, which I luckily came 2nd as a beginner rider. I was hooked.
I continued to race for a few more years and enjoyed it as much as the first time. Life in my mid 20's then got in the way and I transitioned slowly to endurance running. It was a more convenient way to spend time on the same trails I used to ride my bike on. But it wasn't the same. I missed going fast on two wheels. Fast forward a few more years and here I am- Riding my bike-a lot.
The last few years have been an upward advance in the endurance racing world for me. Starting off with some top 5 finishes in a variety of 6, 8 and 12 hr races, last year I decided it was time for 24 hrs of racing my bike. I finished a couple, including the 2009 WSC in Canmore, Alberta where I finished 5th in my age group and 9th Canadian rider. After that race I realized more than ever, 24 hour racing is what I'm meant to do. As a result, and with a little help from my sponsors including Exposure Lights, I have three on the schedule for this year including the Canadian 24 Hour Championships in Canmore and of course, the 2010 WSC in Canberra, Australia. I'm really looking forward to heading down there with my wife (and pit boss) Lisa for a few weeks of travel, seeing Australia, and most importantly, getting to race my bike for another 24 hours. The really great thing is, I get to do it alongside a bunch of fellow passionate racers. I feel pretty honoured to be in their company. So far, Team Canada is looking to be a talented and experienced bunch. I hope I can hold up my end....
Scott Legere
So, that is now and I didn't feel much different about it at the beginning. How did racing on dirt start for me? My first mountain bike was a Diamondback Apex, circa 1989 and I remember how fast it was. The power transfer to the wheels doesn't get any better than a fully rigid steel bike. Ya, by today's standards it's pretty heavy and the shifting was imprecise and the brakes didn't really work that well. But man was it fun. And finally, no more riding the road bike over rocky and rooty trails just to get out in the woods. After a couple years learning to ride the Diamondback, it was time to start racing it cross country and after the first race, which I luckily came 2nd as a beginner rider. I was hooked.
I continued to race for a few more years and enjoyed it as much as the first time. Life in my mid 20's then got in the way and I transitioned slowly to endurance running. It was a more convenient way to spend time on the same trails I used to ride my bike on. But it wasn't the same. I missed going fast on two wheels. Fast forward a few more years and here I am- Riding my bike-a lot.
The last few years have been an upward advance in the endurance racing world for me. Starting off with some top 5 finishes in a variety of 6, 8 and 12 hr races, last year I decided it was time for 24 hrs of racing my bike. I finished a couple, including the 2009 WSC in Canmore, Alberta where I finished 5th in my age group and 9th Canadian rider. After that race I realized more than ever, 24 hour racing is what I'm meant to do. As a result, and with a little help from my sponsors including Exposure Lights, I have three on the schedule for this year including the Canadian 24 Hour Championships in Canmore and of course, the 2010 WSC in Canberra, Australia. I'm really looking forward to heading down there with my wife (and pit boss) Lisa for a few weeks of travel, seeing Australia, and most importantly, getting to race my bike for another 24 hours. The really great thing is, I get to do it alongside a bunch of fellow passionate racers. I feel pretty honoured to be in their company. So far, Team Canada is looking to be a talented and experienced bunch. I hope I can hold up my end....
Scott Legere
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Squamish Dude
I hail from the singletrack paradise of Squamish, BC and will be racing in the Elite category.
I have been racing since '91.My background is in traditional xc racing but I have fallen in love with stage racing and I have competed in the TransRockies twice, TransAlps twice and LaRuta once.In under a week I will be doing my first BC Bike Race to help prepare for the World's in October.Highlights include two top 10 overall finishes at TR ( 4th in '05 and 7th in '07) as well as a career best in the Test of Metal this past weekend -placing 8th overall in the best field ever for the event that was won by our top Canadian rider Geoff Kabush.
The concept of a national team for the 24hr World's is a unique and exciting one. I had the opportunity to work with VANOC as a manager of the Welcome Center at the Athletes Village in Whistler for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.This dream job gave me a chance to see first hand how special it is to represent your nation at the highest level. I will bring those experiences along with me for the ride in Australia and enjoy it to the max.
Till then I am fortunate enough to have the best training ground in the world to prepare for the event here in Squamish, BC.Thanks to Exposure Lights for their huge support of Team Canada as well.
I am stoked to represent my country for the first time and experience a new adventure on two wheels.After the race my wife Erin and I will be hanging around in Australia for 6 months to chill out, visit friends and hit some races.
Dude out.
Kelly Servinski
Friday, June 18, 2010
cut-off jeans
Leighton’s introduction to mountain biking started when he moved to Canmore in the early 90’s. He had no idea what bib shorts were and refused to wear a helmet. He slowly conformed over the next few years. Leighton’s first race still involved cut-off jeans in the citizen cateory of the Killer Bees Race in Canmore in 1997. Needless to say, racing was very casual for the next few years because of work commitments and family.
In 2000 he stopped biking completely and only in 2005 was he enticed to come back to the sport when a friend asked him to ride in the Trans Rockies. Stage racing proved to be very satisfying and he went on to race the Trans Rockies and BC Bike Race the next few years.
After racing his second stage race, Leighton decided to try the 24 Hours of Adrenalin 2006 ,which was only one week after Trans Rockies. With little rest and less preparation, he managed to win his first 24 Hours of Adrenalin. He was able to repeat this win the following year as well. The World Solo Championships in Laguna Seca, CA, was an extremely hard race and it didn’t go as well as he had hoped, placing 10th overall. The following year, in Canmore, AB, at the Wold Solo Championships again, he was able to better his result and get 7th and in 2009 placed 4th and was the top Canadian.
Leighton is looking forward to racing in Australia and representing Canada with a great group of fellow Canadian riders.
Leighton Poidevin
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
So why Team Canada?
I've had the opportunity to serve Canada as a member of the Canadian
military and I've also represented Canada internationally in a variety
of competitions. I've always gained more if I can represent something larger
than myself. Team Canada - 24 Solo is much larger than me so I gladly jumped on-board.
The concept of Team Canada grew simply - to better represent a 24hr Solo
racing contingent at the World Solo Championship in Canberra this October.
With nothing more than a concept in place the ideas started to move back and
forth amongst the team members, one of the ideas eventually led to this
website. The goal of the site is to provide the team athletes, support crew
and fans a location where everyone can stay up to date on what's going on as
we approach Australia and of course what's happening at the race site and
during the actual race.
Already we have a fantastic sponsor onboard, Exposure Lights out of the UK
has been generous enough to provide the team with their MaXx-D and Diablo
lighting systems. If you haven't held the product in your hands you can't
fully appreciate how well these things are engineered. Shiny, black,
precise, I can imagine these in a Star Wars movie. If Darth Vader raced 24hr
Solo's he would almost certainly have a MaXx-D on his handlebars and a
Diablo mounted on his Vader helmet.
I'm looking forward to see who posts up next, whoever it is I bet they can't
use the word 'magnanimous' in their post-up. Dare ya'.
Till next time... Shaun
military and I've also represented Canada internationally in a variety
of competitions. I've always gained more if I can represent something larger
than myself. Team Canada - 24 Solo is much larger than me so I gladly jumped on-board.
The concept of Team Canada grew simply - to better represent a 24hr Solo
racing contingent at the World Solo Championship in Canberra this October.
With nothing more than a concept in place the ideas started to move back and
forth amongst the team members, one of the ideas eventually led to this
website. The goal of the site is to provide the team athletes, support crew
and fans a location where everyone can stay up to date on what's going on as
we approach Australia and of course what's happening at the race site and
during the actual race.
Already we have a fantastic sponsor onboard, Exposure Lights out of the UK
has been generous enough to provide the team with their MaXx-D and Diablo
lighting systems. If you haven't held the product in your hands you can't
fully appreciate how well these things are engineered. Shiny, black,
precise, I can imagine these in a Star Wars movie. If Darth Vader raced 24hr
Solo's he would almost certainly have a MaXx-D on his handlebars and a
Diablo mounted on his Vader helmet.
I'm looking forward to see who posts up next, whoever it is I bet they can't
use the word 'magnanimous' in their post-up. Dare ya'.
Till next time... Shaun
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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