Monthly Archives: February 2010
Canoe Race Anyone?
Hey, I just received an email randomly from some people I don’t even know. I almost sent it to the junk folder when the subject caught my eye: “Gasconade River Canoe and Kayak Race.” I had heard about the Missouri River 340 which is a 340 mile race from Kansas City to St. Charles. I’m pretty sure I’m not ready to take on that beast, but The Gas 60 might be a nice “little” river race to test the water (pun intended).
It appears that there is an Asian theme to their logo. I’m not sure if a rice hat is on the mandatory gear list or not, but I’d be willing to get one. The race is on May 22nd. Anyone else wanna do it? We don’t have a canoe or anything, but surely we could rent one or borrow one. Seriously, anyone wanna do it? Anyone? Bueller?
Biking for Baby Food Update
Not that long ago, I posted about how you can help Bob help babies. Well, he has created a separate website just for his charity ride to raise money to help buy baby food and formula, and you can check it out right here.
Seriously, you need to go there and help motivate Bob to ride even more laps to help even more babies in our community. And as an added bonus for being a do-gooder, you might just win a new bike if you donate. Go check it out!
Grunt if You Love Orienteering
Our next test of skill and manliness is coming up shortly. Bob Jenkins and myself will be heading to Hawn State Park on March 7th for the Gateway Grunt Orienteering Race. This is a 16 Km race with 26 controls, and we are allowed to skip 2 controls throughout the race. It is basically the same format as the Rockwoods Range Goat that Bob and I competed in back in February of ’09 and the Possum Trot that I competed in back in December of ’09.
The race is being put on by Carol’s Team and the St. Louis Orienteering Club. Carol’s Team is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) and easing the suffering of the disease through the development of communication aids, so this race is helping support a great cause.
If you want to join us, we’d love the company (Brandon? Ronda?). There is also an Intro to Orienteering Session for beginners, and there is a shorter version of the Grunt called the Runt (9.5 Km). And if you don’t feel like doing either of those, there is also a Green course (5.2 Km) and an Orange course (3.5 Km). So, let us know if you’d like to tag along. You know it’s going to be a blast.
Help Bob Help Babies
We all know Bob. We all love Bob. I mean, what’s not to love? He’s handsome, charismatic, funny, kind, and hygienic (usually… well, sometimes… if you’re lucky). And now we have one more reason to love this man.
You see, he’s riding for a reason at the 24 Hours of Syllamo race on April 10th. I’ve already pledged what I could (what can I say, I’m poor), so see if you can help him out by forking out a donation. Or better yet, pledge to donate some money for every lap that Bob does to motivate him to complete even more laps (each lap is 10.5 miles with around 2400 feet of climbing and descending EACH lap!).
Be sure to check out his post right here to see what it’s all about, and help him out if you can. If you don’t, look at how Bob will feel:
Please don't make Bob cry - Help him out.
The ABC’s of Adventure Racing Gear Part V – Stuff We Use and Recommend
Well, we’re back with the final installment in our series of adventure racing gear reviews. If you missed the other parts, here they are: Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV. Now, on with the show…
U is for Underwear – Patagonia Active Boxer Briefs
This could be the most essential piece of clothing that you’ll ever buy. I mean, let’s face it. You want to take good care of this area, right? I thought so. These boxer briefs are great. They fit perfectly, there are no seams to chafe you, they wick moisture better than anything else I’ve tried, and they dry uber-quickly. I wear these on all of my long training rides or runs and on all of my races.
V is for Vibram Five Fingers
What the…??? These might be the weirdest looking “shoes” in the world, but they are great. First, I’d recommend reading Born to Run. This is an awesome read, and it will help explain why these shoes are so great for you biomechanically. I love to lift weights and do some metabolic conditioning in these shoes, and they are perfect for when I do some TRX suspension training. I also do some trail running in them. However, don’t buy a pair and immediately start doing all of your training in these. You’ll hurt yourself since you’ve been wearing heavily padded shoes your entire life. Slowly start working these into your training, and you can thank me later. On top of all of that, they are a great conversation starter. You’ll get stopped many times to explain what they are. Check ’em out.
W is for Water Bottle – Camelbak Podium
Ever had a water bottle leak all over your backpack? Yeah, me too. It’s not fun. Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore if you switch to these water bottles. They have a locking mechanism that guarantees no leaks. I usually carry two of these with some e-fuel mixed in them in my pack along with a hydration bladder full of plain old H2O. This combo has worked amazingly well for me to keep me hydrated and cramp-free. And I’ve never had a Podium bottle leak – EVER. They even make an insulated version for your cold-weather training and racing, or if you hate when your water gets too hot during the summer. So try out a bottle or two for mess-free hydration.
X is for XT Wings by Salomon
Your feet are your most valuable tool during an adventure race, so making the right shoe choice is crucial. Every foot is different so make sure you try on several different kinds of shoes. My favorite is a pair of Salomon XT Wings. They are light enough for racing yet beefy and sturdy enough for bigger guys and every day training. The traction is great, they breathe well, they’re durable, and they look great. I LOVE the lacing system. You don’t need to tie these shoes. You simply pull them tight and lock them in place. This is perfect for quick transitions between the biking and running legs. Try out a pair and see for yourself.
Y is for Yakima Bike Racks
No matter what you drive, there is probably a Yakima rack that will work perfectly for you. I have the Yakima Double Down 2 Hitch Mounted Bike Rack, and I love it. It folds down easily, and it holds the bikes securely. When not hauling bikes, the top part of the rack folds down so it isn’t sticking out needlessly. No complaints at all with this rack.
Casey has the Yakima Swing Daddy Hitch Mounted Bike Rack that holds four bikes. As the name suggests, this rack swings completely out of the way so that you can access the back of your vehicle easily. It, too, allows you to fold the top part of the rack out of the way when not hauling bikes. It’s a great rack.
Z is for Zip Ties
Zip ties, sometimes called cable ties, are essential for adventure racing. You don’t really know you need them, until you need them. Did that make sense? There are thousands of uses for zip ties. We helped a lady finish a mountain bike race by zip-tying her pedal back onto her crank. My brother recently broke the zip ties holding his bike cables to the top tube. I had a couple zip ties in my pack, and he was back in business in no time. If you break a buckle on your pack, zip ties can help you out. Seriously, why wouldn’t you carry some of these. They weigh practically nothing, and their uses are unlimited. Pack some zip ties on your next training session or race, and rest assured you’ll be prepared.
Well, that wraps up our ABC’s of Adventure Racing Gear and Equipment series. We hope you enjoyed it and found it useful. Let us know if you have any recommendations for gear in the comments section. We’re always willing to try out something new.
Team Virtus 