2011 Usery Mountain Madness

Back by popular demand - The 2011 Usery Mountain Madness will open for registration shortly! There will be improved race routes, online registration and opportunities to win great raffle prizes. Thanks to your generosity, Madness Adventure Racing was able to donate over $1500 dollars to charity. With your support, we are hoping to do even better this year. Keep checking the race page at www.catchthemadness.com and remember to train hard ... race easy.

SAS Extreme Heat - Dreamy Draw

Madness is exited to announce will be running 4 teams in this years SAS Extreme Heat - Dreamy Draw August 14th. What is cool about this? All four teams are coed and each team has a teammate new to AR. Stay tuned to see how the teams fare.

MADNESS RACE REPORT - 12 Hours At Night

Madness Adventure Racing ventured out to scenic Prescott, Arizona for the 12 HOURS AT NIGHT mountain bike relay this past weekend. As the name of the event implies the idea is to complete as many 8-mile laps as possible in 12 hours in the dark.

The course was located at Pioneer Park and Brownlow Trails and was comprised of smooth wide fire roads, twisty single track, good steep climbs, and a couple of well lit tunnels. Those who have run Gilmore Adventure Races should have recognize portions of the course from past races.

Dave Sewell of Go Adventure Recreation and Rick Eastman of Sierra Adventure Sports partnered on this year's event. The race was well organized and staffed. The 12 Hour volunteers were exceptional! Not only were they genuinely friendly, they maintained a cheery demeanor with no sleep. GO Adventure Volunteers Rock!

Madness ran two 3 -man teams and took a 3rd place finish in their division. Madness Gargoyles (staffed by Ryan, Mike, and Jon) completed 14 laps for a total of 112 miles. Madness Alexander Building (staffed by Dave, Don, and Sterling) completed 12 laps for a total of 96 miles.

Madness Adventure Racing would like to thank our sponsors for their support at the 12 Hours at Night:

§ Alexander Building Company and Gold Medal Gardening for financial support

§ Gargoyle Performance Eyewear for the glasses to keep us safe and looking cool

§ Nuun Nutritional Supplements for keeping the electrolytes balanced

§ ZeroGoo for a race fuel injection system that keeps the reservoir clean

§ Skyline Signs for the excellent graphics, vehicle magnets and sign board work

§ Hi-Tec Footwear for traveling from point A to B in comfortable kicks

§ ATAC for producing a quality jersey

GOAR 12 Hour at Night

The GOAR 12 hours at Night MTB Relay Race in July 17th. Madness Racing has two teams entered into this event and our primary expectation is to get a feel for this type of race and have fun doing it.

Night Training Rides

We will be kicking out a page for a few of night training rides. If you have not ridden at night lately, it may be a good idea to make one or all of the night rides.

Distance & Times

The course is an 8 mile loop. Based on last year's lap times I am estimating our teams will range from 13 to 17 laps. A 2-man team may ride 56 to 64 miles and a 3-man may ride 32 to 48 miles total.

Visit the 12 hour site for more information.

Remember ... Couch potatoes don't get bragging rights - only coronary heart disease.

Trail Run - Saturday 5.8.10

A couple of us are going to do a trail run around Pass Mountain in the morning beginning about o545. Park fee is $6 per vehicle so plan on meeting off site at Zaharis at 0530 to carpool into the park. We'll head into the park at 0540 and would like to be on the trail by 0545. Plan on about 1:30 - 1:45 to complete the run. Call Mike if you have questions.

EVENT REPORT - 2010 USERY MOUNTAIN MADNESS

Planning for the Usery Mountain Madness event started in October 2009. As a team, we could not have imagined the twists and turns in the road ahead of us. We met amazing people from organizations who supported this event and we made new friends along the way.

Proceeds from the UMM fund the mission of the 100 Club of Arizona which provides financial assistance to families of police officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line-of-duty. The 2010 Usery Mountain Madness Adventure Duathlon is dedicated to the memory of Officer Chris Marano - Department of Public Safety and Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler - Gilbert Police Department.

April 17^th was a typical Arizona spring day which is perfect for a race. The sky was blue and temperatures were forecasted to reach 90 degrees. There was the customary pre event hustle and bustle of registering racers and passing out swag. In the end 62 individuals comprising 31 teams were on hand for the inaugural running of the UMM.

Both the Insane and Sane courses were kicked off with stirring renditions of the Star Spangled Banner performed by Country Music Star Doni Flanigan. Doni was in town for the Country Thunder Concert in Florence. As an avid supporter of public safety and the 100 Club, we were glad to have Doni as part of this event.

With the words, "Runners take your mark... Get set... Go!" the racers were off. The sprint style start required teams to travel on foot for a half of a mile. At the transition area they picked up their mountain bikes and hit the trail. Long coursers rode 10 miles and short coursers 6.5 miles of fast single track and jeep trails. Along the way teams participated in the first of four mystery events - the Blind Ball Toss.

After completing the first bike leg, racers returned to the transition area for a shot at the second mystery event - the Mad Mad Model. This event proved to be difficult and could be more aptly named Model Mayhem.

Back on foot, teams were required to trek to the third mystery event. Long coursers took the high road over Pass Mountain and out to the scenic Sunset Vista, where they faced the Mind Trap. The short coursers took the low road on a pristine desert trail that led back to the staging area where they also faced the Mind Trap. All teams continued to the transition area where racers pick up their bikes for the final leg of the event.

Although the racers were familiar with the bike course, the final ride proved to be difficult. As riders churned out the final miles of the course, a pit stop at the fourth mystery event challenged teams to devise a tennis ball catapult. There were many creative solutions to launching a tennis ball, some more successful than others. On final approach, racers bypassed the transition area for a dramatic dash to the finish line.

With a majority of racer completing the course, the awards ceremony commenced. Door prizes, finisher ribbons and the charity raffle were the order of the afternoon. The grand prize for the raffle was a full build mountain bike valued at over $1000 dollars. The bike was generously donated by Travis Jones, owner of the local bike shop Two Wheel Jones. Anticipation was high as the time for the raffle drew near. The ticket was drawn and everyone hoped to be the lucky one. The winner of the grand prize was a soldier who recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was excited to win the bike and very deserving of this good fortune.

After considering the message our team wants to convey to everyone involved with this event, it comes down to this... THANKS!

Thanks for a great team effort - whether you're a regular on our crew or an event volunteer, every bit of time and effort supporting the UMM mattered and was appreciated.

Thanks to the sponsors - solid companies owned and operated by solid individuals who are very deserving of your business and referrals.

Finally, thanks to the participants - your drive to compete and willingness to support this cause made this event happen. By all accounts, the 2010 Usery Mountain Madness Adventure Duathlon was a success. We hope you enjoyed the day. Make plans to join us again next year. It just goes to prove...

It's not bad to be a little mad!

RIDE REPORT - UMM Short Course Pre Ride

What a beautiful day to be outside. The group pre ran the UMM short course minus the mystery events. There were a few stops along the way; one to try out a bike tow system, one a pit stop at the parks fine toilet facilities; one to let Ryan pull cactus out of my butt and one because Steve wasn't sure what, "Turn left at the trail junction" meant. We kept a good pace and even with the stops the overall time was 2h 5m.

Couple of thoughts on event prep:

Multi Trail Use - Emphasis must be focused on the multi use nature of the trails. Most of the single track is very fast. Safety must be paramount to competition. This is the first event of this nature at Usery Mountain Regional Park and our ability to come back and do this again next year will be based on the success of this venture. Courtesy and communication are the rules of the day.

Trail Warning Signs - The recommendation will be to put 'warning signs' on sections of the trail where there are blind corners, 90 degree turns and other hazards. This will warn participants as well as other trail users of potential dangers.

Transition Bags - The course will feature a bike finish. This means that participants will need to return to the TA to retrieve any gear they might leave. We may be able to assist both participants in retrieving gear and volunteers' with wrapping the Transition Area up after the last rider leaves by providing a plastic bag with a team number on it. Participants would stow their TA gear in the bag with their team number. Volunteers would transport the bags back to the Staging area and teams could retrieve them there, saving a trip back to the TA.

Tentative plans call for a pre run the long course in two weeks. Unlike today, I will need to avoid anything from the Wendy's Drive Thru the night before and probably stretch before taking on the long course. As always, suggestions on ways to improve the process are always welcome.

Mike B.

UMM EVENT PREPARATION REPORT

As preparations are in full swing for Usery Mountain Madness, a status report is in order. UMM is 32 days away and as April 17th approaches, it is getting busy.

Event Venue - The event venue and course routes are locked down. Jennifer Johnston, the Usery Mountain Regional Park supervisor and Daniel Bray with the Forest Service, have been wonderful to work with. Did you know UMM will be the first of its kind in the park? All eyes are on this event for a number of different reasons.

Event Web Site Update - The event site was updated with forms, event info, FAQ's and maps. Check it out at www.catchthemadness.com. Click anywhere on the splash page to open the site. A Raffle Prize page and a Volunteer page will be posted on the site this week. Please forward any suggestions for site additions or corrections to mbellows.madness@gmail.com.

Advertising - With the event about four weeks away, we are pushing registration. Check with your race buddies, AR contacts and couch potatoes friends and remind them of the event. There are quite a few links when you Google or Bing the event. Keep going back to the site as it is being updated regularly. We are running this event on very narrow margins and need to assure the charities benefit from the time and effort put into making this idea a reality.

Raffle & Door Prizes - We are hosting a raffle the day of the event. Tickets can be purchase at 1 for $5 or 3 for $10. A huge thanks to the folks who have donated prizes. Travis Jones, the owner of Two Wheel Jones Bike Shop and all around good guy, donated our Grand Prize which is a 2010 Haro Flightline Expert Hardtail (18"). This bike retails for over $1000. On behalf of the 100 Club, Rachel St. Moritz donated a new Fetish MTB frame that retails for $500. Team sponsors include Gargoyles Eyewear, Hi-tec Shoes, Alexander Building Company, Gold Medal Gardening, Skyline Signs, Nuun, Polar Water Bottle, Atac Jerseys. Event sponsors are Hammer Nutrition, Road ID, Two Wheel Jones, Adventure Cycles, and Hydrapak. They have come through with a boat load of door prizes. Check out the website for the list. We really need to maximize the generosity of our benefactors. Please let folks know about the raffle. Tickets can be pre purchased with registration or the day of the event.

Volunteers - Over the next few weeks we will be coordinating event volunteers. As you well know, events like this are not possible without volunteers. Follow up with your contacts and find out who wants to help. Have volunteers contact me by email.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting the 100 Club and Mesa Benevolent Funds through this effort.

USERY MOUNTAIN MADNESS EVENT INFO

EVENT: Charity Adventure Race
RACE DATE: Saturday, April 17, 2010
LOCATION: Usery Mountain Park
FORMAT: Duathlon / Mountain Bike & Trekking

DESCRIPTION
This is the first annual Madness Charity Event benefitting the 100 Club of Arizona and the City of Mesa Police and Fire Benevolent Funds. The event will be a team based duathlon involving mountain biking and trekking.

SPONSORS & BENEFACTORS
Madness Racing
Madness Racing originated in 2005 as a group of guys racing for a challenge and evolved to a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. Madness Racing supports local charities and is dedicated to helping individuals change their mindset on health and fitness through a mix of camaraderie, challenge and charity. Helping the individual helps the community and this is what makes Madness truly contagious. www.madnessracing.com

100 Club of Arizona
The 100 Club of Arizona is a benevolent, nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organization committed to standing behind the men and women who stand behind the badge. The mission of the 100 Club of Arizona is to provide financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line-of-duty, and to provide resources to enhance their safety and welfare. www.100club.org

Mesa Police & Fire Benevolent Funds

The Benevolent Fund is an employee based nonprofit organizations that provide financial assistance to City of Mesa employees in times of crisis.

EVENT FORMAT
This event is a duathlon that adopts aspects of adventure racing. Designed with a beginner friendly format, the courses will challenge every skill level. Disciplines include Mountain Biking and Trekking with a variety of "mystery events" throughout the course. Both the long and short courses will conform to the same format.

Distance: The estimated distance for the long course is 28 miles. The estimated distance for the short course is 16 miles.

Start: The start will be sprint style and divided into two start times, one each for the long and short course.

Order: The race will consist of a series of mountain bike and trekking loops. At designated checkpoints throughout the course, riders / runners will have to complete mystery events and / or punch a race passport in order to proceed. Mystery events may consist of physical tasks such throwing hoops over cones or cognitive tasks such as solving a puzzle. A timed open orienteering section may be presented at the end of the event for point accumulation.

Teams: Solo (male, female); Two Person (male, female, co-ed); Three Person (male, female, co-ed); Four Person (male, female, co-ed); Open Team Relay.

Finish: The top three finishers in the designated categories will receive a medal.

EVENT ACTIVITIES
Event activities will include participant Hotdog & Hamburger Cookout, Sponsor's Tables, Charity Raffle and Door Prizes. Other activities may be planned after discussion with benefactors and race sponsors.

REGISTRATION
Only one entry form per team is required. Mail a hardcopy of the entry form and fee to the address on the bottom of the entry form. Confirmation of team registration will be emailed to the team captain. Each team member needs to complete a medical waiver form, which is to be carried during the event. Please print and fill out the waiver prior to event. Copies of both forms are available by blog links or by emailing the race coordinator or director.

REGISTRATION CAP
Participants: 100 person cap

PARTICIPANT RESTRICTIONS
Participants must: be eighteen (18) years of age; or be 14+ years of age with a signed parental permission form; or be 14+ years participating on the same team as legal guardian who is an adult. All participants must sign a liability and medical waiver to participate.

EVENT FEE
Long Course: $50 per person
Short Course: $40 per person

NOTE: Event Entry Fee includes the post race BBQ for participants. Usery Park charges a Park Entry Fee of $6 per vehicle which is not included in the race entry fee. A $10 late registration fee will be applied to the event registration fee after April 1, 2010.

DONATIONS
Madness Adventure Racing will donate a portion of the entry fees to the following organizations:

Arizona 100 Club
Mesa Police Benevolent Fund
Mesa Fire Benevolent Fund

The individual benefactors may choose to use this event as a platform to conduct additional fund raising activities (i.e. pledge drives, raffles, etc.). Madness Racing will not be responsible for conducting these activities. Additional donations obtained as a result of these activities are the sole responsibility of the individual organization that raised the money.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Course Design
The course is being designed with a priority on safety. The Usery Mountain Park trail system has a variety of terrain ranging from trails with significant elevation gains to single track that pass through the numerous washes that run through the park. The trails are well maintained and in most places wide enough to allow trekkers or riders side by side.

Medical & Aid Stations
Medical and aid stations will be strategically placed through the course and an event safety monitor will maintain contact with participants of both long and short course on both biking and trekking legs. Each mystery event station will also have supplies in the event of an emergency.

Environmental Impact

All participants will be required to practice the Outdoor Code which states a person will leave an area in better condition than he or she found it. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from the event.

Weather Conditions
Weather conditions are expected to be mild with low temperatures around 60 degrees and high temperatures reaching 85 degrees. Spring rain showers may occur but are generally not accompanied by lightning. Unless dangerous weather conditions exist, the event will proceed as planned rain or shine.

Information Requests
Requests for additional information can be directed to:

Mike Bellows: mbellows.madness@gmail.com

Scott Thomas: sthomas.madness@gmail.com