themorningride

Belgian Toothpaste

2008-11-15T18:56:00.000-05:00

We put too much effort (i.e., fun) into grimy rides this time of year, so I thought we could collaborate on something new:www.belgiantoothpaste.com

Boston

2008-10-29T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hockey is a big deal here apparently.

Low Impact TMR

2008-10-10T10:44:00.004-04:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/md/ellicott-city/408846838985"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Low Impact TMR&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/md/ellicott-city"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Ellicott City, Maryland&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This proposed "Low Impact" TMR received a unceremonious thumbs down from our training advisers. Some of the thoughts/comments:

It's hard/impossible to do a real recovery ride with a group
In order to do a recovery ride, you have to have something to recover from. (Doh!)
MikeZ refuses to go slow...ever
Fixies 'pedal themsevles', so none of us are actually getting any exercise at all

This loop does minimize the climbs, however, and is almost the exact same length as the usual route.

Mike

Re: Glamis

2008-06-12T02:25:00.001-04:00

I'm in the follow car navigating while madi drives. Easy to navigate when we are on this road for like 80 miles.

Just passed the US border patrol station on hwy 78. They waved us right through.

Merrill

''''

Re: Glamis

2008-06-12T02:15:00.001-04:00

Alex did the 10.7 miles in 30 mins!

185 miles in the bank in the first 9 hrs and 13 min.

Temp 84f

''''

Re: Glamis food.

2008-06-12T01:48:00.001-04:00

Ok, so PAD were too fast and got in early so no cakes for me. Team KAL is on the course out of glamis. Alex is riding a 10 mile climb up to 1000 feet starting from below sea level

Merrill 0147 Thursday

''''

----- Original Message -----
From: Hoekstra, Merrill-P64393
To: 'themorningride@googlegroups.com' <themorningride@googlegroups.com>; 'blog@themorningride.com' <blog@themorningride.com>
Cc: 'M2Outdoor@aol.com' <M2Outdoor@aol.com>
Sent: Wed Jun 11 21:50:03 2008
Subject: Glamis food.

Mama D is getting pancakes ready for Pat and everyone else coming in. Word on the course is that Patt will gain weight on the trip.

Merrill
0048 hours eastern, glamis, CA

''''

Glamis food.

2008-06-12T00:50:00.001-04:00

Mama D is getting pancakes ready for Pat and everyone else coming in. Word on the course is that Patt will gain weight on the trip.

Merrill
0048 hours eastern, glamis, CA

''''

Re: Passed pay at 100

2008-06-12T00:20:00.000-04:00

PAD passed the lowest point on the course around 1145p, but I am in the RV so I am not sure. Lowest point is -179 feet near the salton sea.

They also will pass within 19.5 miles of Mexico when they get to is at glamis, CA. Glamis is also the sand toy (motorized) capital of the world. I wish it was light! Patt and adam (pad) should be here around 2am.

All times eastern. It is 1217 am Thursday now.

Go AFC!

All the euro teams we have met think we are crazy to be using fixies. I told them it would not be a challenge to ride their whole continent since most of it could fit in CALI alone. The brits have a good sense of humor.

Merrill

''''

----- Original Message -----
From: Hoekstra, Merrill-P64393
To: 'themorningride@googlegroups.com' <themorningride@googlegroups.com>; 'blog@themorningride.com' <blog@themorningride.com>
Sent: Wed Jun 11 19:17:30 2008
Subject: Passed pay at 100

5 hours
Patt decends 3000 feet in 10 miles

Passing ocotillo wells.

Elev 600?
Temp like 90 something

Merrill and goat in the RV

''''

Re: [themorningride] Passed pay at 100

2008-06-11T22:34:00.000-04:00

Pertinent Excerpt from 'Route Section of Gear Book' on RAAM/Route page:

A series of moderate climbs away from the ocean takes the Racers into the shadow of Palomar Mountain near the crest of the Laguna Mountains. Then, not unlike a blast furnace, the temperatures rapidly climb into triple digits during the steep, dizzying, twisty, 3500-foot descent of the "Glass Elevator" into the Anza Borrego Desert. Desert conditions could get even more difficult below sea level along the southern shore of the Salton Sea, as rising humidity levels make a mockery of the "at least it's a dry heat" West Coast mantra.

Brawley, California, is the RAAM first- day desert oasis with a Time Station and full services between two hot 90-mile sections. These sections take Racers over san dunes and through Colorado River Valley agricultural communities to Blythe and the Interstate Highway I-10 bridge to Arizona.

On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 10:17 PM, Hoekstra, Merrill-P64393 <Merrill.Hoekstra@gdc4s.com> wrote:

5 hours
Patt decends 3000 feet in 10 miles

Passing ocotillo wells.

Elev 600?
Temp like 90 something

Merrill and goat in the RV

''''

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Passed pay at 100

2008-06-11T22:17:00.001-04:00

5 hours
Patt decends 3000 feet in 10 miles

Passing ocotillo wells.

Elev 600?
Temp like 90 something

Merrill and goat in the RV

''''

Some data

2008-06-11T20:50:00.001-04:00

40 miles 18.8 AV including 13 mu parade route in 45 mins approx.

Includes at least 12 miles climbing and probably 3k feet. Both Keith and Alex were flying.

I'm going in the RV next 100 mu, so news blackout coming up.

Cheers from santa ysabel, CA!

Merrill

''''

Fwd: [themorningride] Uphill for 8 miles

2008-06-11T20:31:00.001-04:00

We are cutting keiths distance short a little as he has been riding uphill for 8 miles. Very steep the whole time.

Merrill

Fwd: [themorningride] The start

2008-06-11T20:30:00.001-04:00

Team AFC is ready to start RAAM2008!

Racers are in the shoot. AFC. Will be the second 4 person team starting the parade route.

If you hear of some hit crashing a tri bike its because I adjusted it for him before his team staged. Poor guy, we are riding fixies!

Merrill

Pics from YDT

2008-04-17T07:22:00.001-04:00

Some pics from the west coast contingent of TMR...

W

--
--
mike west
mikewest@wodell.com

Tour du Columbia '97 - the untold story

2008-02-22T21:37:00.003-05:00

A blast from the past. YDT and Ms. Dubya in their early Glory. Four teams, 12 hours, lots of good beer! I'm sure Dave will help me with all the names. The TMR has progressed (matured?) to late night centuries pre-dawn ice rides, but TdC was a blast. Not that triathlon thing, the real one! :)

Shawn/Kelly we miss you!

MC Off-Road Spotting!

2008-01-31T09:45:00.000-05:00

Chapeau to MC for joining in on the fun riding the trails in the dark this morning.
There's nothing easy about Avalon in the dark. Logs, roots, rocks, and a bit of ice make for a technical challenge and a great way to improve bike handling.

Just below 32F

2008-01-29T08:44:00.001-05:00

We weren't sure if the trails would be frozen (i.e., ridable), but Krash, Maero, and I took off at 5:45 to find out. Perfectly crunchy, with some patchy ice made for fun conditions. Krash's recently perfected vision (Lasik) seems to have made him more aware of the various logs on the HoCo side. Perhaps poor vision actually makes it easier to attempt and clean an obstacle? Maero cleaned everything - on a single speed to boot. Either SS's are miraculous devices, or only really skilled/strong riders own them. I have yet to observe a SS off-the-back. For good measure, Maero ended the ride with some nice single speed wheelie action.

By 6:30 or so, we got some wet snow which turned to rain towards the end. By now, I figure the trails are getting unridable. With warming temps, it may be a while before I see the trails again.

W

Avalon at night - on a road bike

2008-01-23T07:45:00.001-05:00

A ride report from the AFC guys. Avalon trails + dark + snow/ice...on a road bike???

Adam and I decided to bike in Patapsco tonight. We started around 6:20 pm and headed into patapsco from rolling road across from the park & ride. Adam was on his Trek Mountain bike and I was on my Soma road bike with knobbies. We went down the first trail and across the water and then up the hill by the bathrooms and went to the top and finally down back to the bike trail, then around the pond. We went from there around to the other side of the park to where the playground area is, and up the road trail there to the big hill up from the playground, got to the top and continued straight. We then got lost somewhere and ended up on what we used to call the 14 mile loop when we ran at UMBC. We continued to be lost and then find out where we were for the next half hour or so. I almost went down after a hard rut, and grabbed a hold of a tree and stop my momentum dead. Adam was amazed at the grab and hang on ability to stop from what would have not been a fun crash. We crossed many streams some include more ice then we would have liked, but we never crashed into any streams. We did crash a few times though due to ice on roots and the trail at times, but we still had a lot of fun. Adams light finally died before we crossed the swinging bridge to come back to the house. And he used his minute headlamp, and my headlamp and we made it out pretty well. Never got cold. It was a challenging to say the least and am proud to have achieved the route on a road bike even though it was definitely not the right equipment it worked rather well once I took a lot of air pressure out of the tires. We did decide however that we need to get some good headlamps for that kind of riding, but we had a strong bright moon.
THE GOAT

Monday PM Ride Report

2008-01-21T17:01:00.001-05:00

2.5 hours of steady, Arctic bliss. Small patches of mud (!) even though temps were in the 20's. Any warmer, and it would have been a mudfest. Madi impressed with some Mel-inspired moves. Mike got revenge on the trail that wet him last Thursday. :) 20-20 Krash (thanks to Lasik) was happy to be back out. It was surreal to have no issues with cold. 3 riders all dressed just right made for a sweet day.

The 'trail of death' is much less intimidating in the daylight than it is with a single 10W beam. I did cheat a bit - making a quick on-bike, fork travel adjustment. Krash went for the last stream crossing, but what appeared to be clear water was solid ice. His front wheel hit and slid out from beneath him. Some Batman-like reflexes saved him, and we portaged to be safe.

I need a cheap camera (video, perhaps) to keep in my camelback. Today would have made for some nice pics.

W

Monday AM Off-Road Arctic Edition

2008-01-21T10:07:00.001-05:00

6.4 degrees F when I rolled out the door.

I started with warm Accelerade and got a few good pulls on it before the valve froze up. The entire bottle was full of thick slush by the time I made it home.

It was a lot of fun. Just me and my ipod. With the relatively full moon reflecting off the snow it was nice out there. I was not happy when my fully charged phone battery started giving me the "low battery" beep 20 minutes into the ride. Must have been the cold. I feel more tranquil on a solo ride knowing that I can call for help on my cell phone if I get into trouble. Given the single-digit temps I even put a pack of matches in my pack before heading out the door.

The ride was fun. it was a little more slick out there than yesterday, especially on the Cascade rock garden and the Ridge trail. I ran the tires pretty low and took it easy. The creeks were freezing up so I walked most of those. I thought my tires would break through on the first one, but no dice. I managed to get a foot out onto a rock as the bike slid out from under me.

After an hour my toes were completely numb and my upper legs were burning from the cold, but otherwise I was comfortable. I wore knee warmers, leg warmers, bib shorts, 2 long sleeve Craft base layers, one Craft sleeveless wind undershirt, long sleeve jersey, Craft winter vest, balaclava, heavy mittens, and on arm warmer strategically placed to keep my junk warm. Some lycra boxer briefs would have helped to keep my upper thighs warm. They only had the thin layer of bib shorts covering them.

Even with winter shoes and warmers my toes froze up in a hurry. The thawing process sucked. My toes changed went from white to blue to pink.

I ended up with an hour and a half doing one big loop on the HoCo side. It was a good workout and test of winter clothing. Mostly, it was an excellent session for working on bike handling with the packed snow, ice, and frozen ruts. Good stuff. I was loving the 2.35 tires at ~ 20psi.

I think that was the coldest temperature I've ridden in, though I've certainly been colder on the bike.

my legs hurt

2008-01-19T15:18:00.001-05:00

and it's all your fault.

Saturday PM Ride

2008-01-19T14:55:00.001-05:00

32F or so. XX, MC, W, and an under-the-weather JK did a reverse TMR loop. (MikeO, we missed you!) Will they ever fix Oella Ave?

W

Is this a better place for ride reports?

2008-01-08T05:26:00.000-05:00

Who knows...