MADNESS ADVENTURE RACING

2011 Usery Mountain Madness

2010-12-27T19:48:00.001-08:00

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

2010-08-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-07T20:28:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-02-01T22:40:00.001-08:00

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

OH YEAH (3D JERSEY RENDERINGS)!!

2009-09-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Check 'em out ladies and gentlemen...

JERSEY DESIGN (2D)

2009-06-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

There's a 3D version to come, but for now, you can check out the jersey design here!! Check out the insanity! (click for a larger view)

Race Jersey Order

2009-06-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gents,

The inaugural run of Madness Race jerseys are in the final stages of design and will be approved for production next week.

Although many of you are new to the sport of Mountain Biking and Adventure Racing, everyone will tell you the endeavor is made easier when you look cool. Madness Racing jerseys will do for you what Baywatch did for lifeguarding, that's right, make you look cool.

Anyone can order. For a simple one time, upfront payment of $73.50, the nearly famous Madness Racing jersey can be yours. Whether you're puking trailside, rubbing muscle spasms out of your quads, or simple staring off into space, a Madness Racing jersey will make you look like a pro.

Remember, the number one rule in life, "It's not how you feel, it's how you look!" May I be the first to say, in a Madness Racing jersey, you'll look marvelous. So what are you waiting for, get yours today!

Three Cheers for Spencer - The Guru of Design.

Ride Report - Hawes / Microwave Tower

2009-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Walker lead the ride on a "new to us" section of Hawes called Microwave Tower. It was a 10 mile out and back ride that took about 1:20. The trail had a few brutal climbs that included "Cardiac Hill", and two more hills just like it. Scott named both hills on the way up, but I won't write words like that. My bike was having trouble (really, it was)and I had to stop on a climb or three. But maybe my legs were really tired and needed a rest too. The technical single track was well...technical. The downhill was awesome. Steve put his feet down twice, mostly because he was scared. There was plenty of wildlife. We saw several covey of quail (I almost squished one when it ran across the trail), rabbits, and squirrels. Ryan (formerly known as Kyle) said he thought he heard a javelina "snorting" and he went to look for it. When he got back his eyes were red. I think okay for guys to cry if they want to. To borrow Cosmic Rays Puck-O-Meter scale of 1 to 10, this ride was a solid "8". Embrace the Uphill!

CLASS III RAPIDS (Article)

2009-05-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Fellas. Found this online article that gives a brief description of the different rapids classifications. The Class III description sounds a lot like what we've experiences at Camp Verde. I'm not too worried. Check it out! (click here)

New Training Video

2009-05-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Lunatics. I've been working a little on my technical skills, and thought I'd share some video Tiff took of me recently. I've still got some work to do, but I'm feeling good about Buena Vista coming up. Let me know what you guys think.

CHECK MY SICKNESS! (click here, eh)

NEW VIDEO! Gilmour 2008

2008-10-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hola Fellas. Great time at the BBQ the other night. We definitely need to get our wives out training with us one of these days. So in case you missed it or want to see it again, here's your chance.

MADNESS - Gilmour 2008 from Spencerjon Bellows on Vimeo.

Duo Domination!

2008-09-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Madness Duo kept getting the best of Madness Prime at Gilmour 2008. We actually felt bad and had to keep waiting for them to catch up. Then we'd pass them (again). Then we'd let them catch up (again). This is pretty much how the entire race went, that is, until the end when we passed them once and for all. See the clip for yourself...

Gilmore 2008

2008-09-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Team Madness on the successful completion of the 2008 Gilmore Adventure Race. Madness ran four teams of two that worked together throughout the race. Two teams ran the 30-mile long course (Madness Prime and Madness Duo) and two teams ran the 17-mile short course (Madness Cubed and Madness Quattro). With the exception of a couple of minor issues, the teams ran strong.

A special shout out goes to Scott, Brent, Sterling and Don. This was their first race and they rocked it. Sterling and Brent finished third in their class and brought home the hardware to prove it! Congrats again on a job well done.

ADVENTURE IS AT YOUR DOORSTEP!

2008-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!! THIS SATURDAY!

Here's your last chance to get primed and ready for the big Gilmour race coming up in TWO WEEKS!! Be there, or get lost (literally)!! Here are the details (NEW INFO...please read carefully)

DATE: Sat. Sept 6th

CHECK IN TIME: 4:30am

WHERE: Jon's house.

ORIENTEERING REVIEW: 5:30am
Please review the following site one more time, if you haven't already:
maptools.com

LET THE RACE BEGIN: 6:00am
(approximate race time = 4 hrs)

REQUIRED GEAR:

Hydration pack (100oz recommended)
Compass
Protractor
Pen or Pencil
Headlamp
Short-wave radio
Emergency Space Blanket
Shovel
First Aid Kit
Gels, bars, proteins (aka FUEL!)

I may be adding equipment as we get closer to race day, so keep checking for updates.

COST: $10/ea (voluntary donation)

AR Fund?

2008-09-02T21:41:00.001-07:00

I know everyone takes care of their own individual gear needs, but I've been thinking about all the additional gear we could use as we continue to train and race. Items like climbing ropes and harnesses... kayaks, paddles and PDFs... bike racks, a team trailer, tarps, coolers... not to mention maps and UTM materials. The list could be endless... and fun. Plus there are the dreaded unavoidable costs associated with racing like national forest passes and fuel (sorry to use the four letter word)

Any thoughts about pooling something monthly, maybe $20 each. No requirement, just a "donation." Seriously, no pressure. I like how the group and the training are expanding and I'd like to build upon it.

Open for discussion....

MADNESS VOLUNTEERS FOR EXTREME HEAT

2008-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

It's time to give back, Madness style. Just spoke with Rick Eastman from Sierra Adventure Sports, and he would like us to bring our Mountain Bikes and send us each out to a couple of check points...sweet! We need to be at the drop off area (32nd Street + Shea Blvd) by 6:30am at the latest, so I say we shoot for a 6am departure time, which means we need to meet by 5:30am to load the bikes up into one vehicle. Let's meet at my house.

IF ANYONE BESIDES MIKE, JON + SPENCER ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING IN, POST HERE, AND I WILL ASK RICK IF HE NEEDS ANYONE ELSE. (Volunteering for adventure races usually gives you a credit towards your next race, although I'm not sure the exact $$$ amount, the last race was $55.)

SAS EXTREME HEAT - DREAMY DRAW (DETAILS) - CLICK HERE

RUNNING WATER @ HAWES?!? CHECK IT OUT.

2008-07-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Cool pic from our ride last weekend up the canals and through Hawes. As we rode the Saguaro Ridge Loop, we thought we heard water in the creek bed, but didn't believe it...until we had to pick up our bikes to cross the creek bed! Awesome!!

Get out and see it before it dries up (if it's not already too late).

NEW VIDEO!! THE MANY FACES OF MIKE

2008-07-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

During your average adventure race, assuming you survive, your face will likely undergo many transformations. Generally speaking, there's the before-the-race face, the during-the-race face, and the I-can't-believe-I-finished face. As will be demonstrated by this artful collection of spine-tingling photographs, however, you will see first hand the painful reality that is adventure racing. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And dare we say, you will want to watch it again and again.

THE MANY FACES OF MIKE from Spencerjon Bellows on Vimeo.

JULY 19TH - CHECK!

2008-07-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hey fellas. Meet at my house this Saturday morning to burn it up on the canals!! 6:30am arrival with a 6:45am departure. My address:

1013 E. Ivyglen St.
Mesa, AZ 85203
(directions)

We will be conquering the hawes/dam loop (we'll probably want to name it the dam/hawes loop when we're done). Bring sunscreen and PLENTY of H20!! We will be going approx. 30 miles, and the morning will begin at a nice and cool 88-degrees, blistering up to over 100-degrees before we're finished.

If you want a sneak peek, check out this awesome link I found mapping out several of the routes for the Mesa canal system (and scroll down...):

Mesa Canals - Biking Routes (MAP)

1st EVER MADNESS ADVENTURE RACE - DATE MOVED!!

2008-07-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Ok all you wannabe's...here's your chance to warm up before the big Gilmour race in September. Be there, or get lost (literally)!! Here are the details:

DATE: Sat. Sept 6th (NEW DATE!)

CHECK IN TIME: 5:45pm-6pm

WHERE: Registration @ Catapult Strategic Design
(DIRECTIONS!! Take 202-W to 44th Street exit. N on 44th St. 44th to big tall building BEFORE Thomas Rd. Turn LEFT at the Starbucks (between the two anatomically-correct horse statues). Take driveway back behind bldg until it ends and go RIGHT. Make a QUICK LEFT into parking lot (you should see the big round dot sign at the entrance). Park and proceed to courtyard and go inside.)

INTRO TO ORIENTEERING: 6pm
6:30pm: Break into teams
Get a head start @ maptools.com

LET THE RACE BEGIN: 6:45pm
(approximate race time = 2 hrs)

REQUIRED GEAR:

Hydration pack (100oz recommended)
Compass
Protractor
Pen or Pencil
Headlamp
Short-wave radio
Emergency Space Blanket
Shovel
First Aid Kit
Gels, bars, proteins (aka FUEL!)

I may be adding equipment as we get closer to race day, so keep checkint for updates.

COST: $10/ea (voluntary donation)

Gilmore Registration Completed

2008-07-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Madness would like to welcome to its ranks Scott, Sterling, Don, and Brent. In an organizational first, we have 4 teams competing under the banner of Madness. Representing on the long course is Madness Prime & Madness Duo (Jon, Mike & Spencer with a spot for a fourth). Representing on the short course is Madness Cubed & Madness Quattro (Scott Sterling, Don & Brent). We have 9 weeks until race day. No time to waste. Fight the Bonk. Train Hard...Race Easy.

Training - Madness Loop / July 4th

2008-07-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

What a great day to tear it up. Jon & Scott rode @ 0500 and Jon & Mike rode at 0730. The 0730 ride posted a team best of 57:00.

New Bike Jerseys???

2008-07-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hey fellow Madness-ites! I recently bought us some Nike wear pretty cheap, but this is the bike jersey I was looking at from REI, and it's on sale. Check out the front and BACK views in the pics.

It's a pretty sweet jersey, and we could eventually have out logo embroidered on the front. And it's a cool deep-orange color with the gray on the back.

CHECK EM OUT!

Let me know what you guys think.

The Art of Endo-ing (or Tae Kwen-Doh!)

2008-06-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

After yet another ENDO during last Saturday's ride, it seems I have become an expert on the matter, and I thought I might share my vast wealth of newfound knowledge...

FIRST: You need a bike to endo. No bike? No endo. Easy as that. Other recommended gear would be a good helmet and a pair of gloves. Now this may seem to be common knowledge, but you'd be surprised...

SECOND: It helps if you are going downhill at crazy speeds. As I have discovered, however, endo-ing is not limited to downhill riding or speeds for that matter. Oh yes, you can endo in creek beds, on a flat trail and if you're really lucky, you can even endo going uphill as well (requires much skill and concentration).

THIRD: How to endo. Look for a big rock and head straight for it! This one works every time. You may be tempted to steer out of the way of the giant rock as a means of self-preservation, but if you really want to be a master of Tae-Kwen-Doh like myself, you must press forward and let your front tire smash right into it, thus allowing your head and the rest of your body to follow you right over the handlebars.

Click HERE for a video demonstration

If you can't locate a big rock, little rocks that poke up out of the ground work too (trust me on this one). Also, creek beds just after a fresh rainstorm tend to collect a soft layer of gravel and sand. Plant your front tire into the soft layer of sand (fast or slow, it really doesn't mater), and over the handlebars you'll go!!

FOURTH: When to endo. 4 out of 5 Endo-ologists agree that one should endo either at the beginning or the end of your route, thus being closer to your ride to the hospital or ER. It is not recommended to endo in the middle of your 11.5-mile ride. Either way you look at it, you have a 6-mile ride out awaiting you, and there's a good chance your bike may not be functioning properly or worse yet, you could be injured (or both...yes, it's true).

FIFTH: How far do you want to travel? Generally SPEED is the answer here. The faster you go, the further your body will travel before pummeling into the treacherous terrain that awaits you. If you are going slower, you can sometimes go higher in the air with a good chance of coming back down on your bike. I've found it best to endo at medium speeds, myself.

SIXTH: Avoiding injury. Now here is truly the ART of endo-ing, and the final step. Generally, it would be bad to fall onto a rock. Rocks are very hard, rough and sometimes jagged, which can cause blunt trauma, lacerations and just good old-fashioned pain. It especially hurts if the inside of your left knee lands directly on the blasted rock that caused the whole thing in the first place leaving behind a variety of gashes and scrapes.

And if you choose the soft-sand-creek-bed technique, you may want to carefully study the area in which you will be falling into before taking the plunge. It may look soft and sandy, but just like that girl you dated in high school (you know the one), looks can be deceiving. Let's pretend you forget this simple step, and just for the heck of it, let's just say there it a mixture of moist dirt, dried grass and a nice batch of cholla cactus needles right where you will land...

I think it's safe to assume that you will be screaming a couple of words that you haven't said in a long while, scaring away potential wildlife sightings. Not to mention the precious time you'll be wasting removing each of the cholla cactus needles before resuming your exercise.

One last thing. If you desire to be master of endo like me, be sure to practice with good friends who will help should the endo experience not go as planned. Then once you are feeling better, they are usually good for laughing at you and making jokes at your expense. This is OK though, because there will surely come a day when they will experience the endo, just like you (and me).

Any other endo techniques and comments are of course welcomed. Please share if you have some additional knowledge you can give.

2008-06-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

June Training
* 21st -- We hit the MADNESS loop at 6:45 a.m., spending 1:09:10 total ride time. (a tough endo and the heat slowed today's time) Revisited our nav skills as part of the CF circuit and determined that's not a bad idea... expect to see a little more of that before Gilmore

*26th -- The next generation of MADNESS??? Jackson & Brandon both take 1st place in their individual heats of the butterfly stroke

Next full team training will be July 4th & 5th, invite others as we prepare to organize the teams for Gilmore.

6/14/08 - Madness Loop

2008-06-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

Jon returned from vacation and was introduced to the Madness Loop. Todays stats: Distance - 11.55 miles / Ride Time - 56:21 (2 stops - equipment related)/ Average Speed - 12.3 MPH / Max Speed - 25.6 MPH (Zaharis Road Return). This is a team best time. Stop the Bonk - Train Hard.

ART - Madness Loop Personal Best

2008-06-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

I rode the loop after work this morning. Distance - 11.57 miles / Ride Time - 57:49 / Average Speed - 12.0 MPH / Max Speed - 23.7 MPH / No stops. I rode hard and cut 3 minutes off the last time. Train Hard - MLB

ART - Madness Loop

2008-06-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

May 24, 2008 @ 0730

This morning's training included what has been dubbed "The Madness Loop". It is a quick 11.5 mile ride starting and ending at Zaharris Elementary School. There is enough change in terrain and elevation to keep it interesting. The weather was perfect for "tearing it up" (62 degrees with intermittent rain). Baseline statistics for this mornings loop - Ride Time: 1:03:09 / Average Speed: 10.9 MPH / Max Speed: 23 MPH / 2 short breaks.

ART - The Madness Loop & Tower of Pain

2008-05-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

May 31, 2008 @ 0800

This morning's training included the Madness Loop & a new addition - The Tower of Pain. Statistics for this mornings loop - Ride Time: 1:00:30 / Average Speed: 11.4 MPH / Max Speed: 22.8 MPH / 2 short breaks due to a mechanical issue and Spencer's endo.

The Tower of Pain consisted of 5 reps of the following: 7 stories of stairs (multiple flights), 200M sprint, 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 crunches, 200M sprint. After the 5 reps we concluded with a 1/4 mile run.

April Training (Spencer)

2008-04-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

Apr 5th - Papago park - 2 1/2 mile run and 3 trips to the top... feel the burn.

Apr 12th - Ran Usery Mountain Pass - 7 1/2 miles (1:35)

Apr 19th - Ride Hawes - 8-10 miles and one broken chain repair later...

March Training (Jon)

2008-03-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Mar 1st - 7 1/2 mile single track at Usery (6:00 start time)

Mar 8th - 7 1/2 mile single track at Usery followed by "team crossfit" (at Zaharis Elementry school) (McKelleps b/w Ellsworth & Crismon)

Mar 22nd - 10 mile single track at Usery, training team expanded to 6 of us. Feel free to invite others

Mar 29th - Race....

February Training (Mike)

2008-02-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

Feb 9th - Ride Usery at noon -- fast single track, trek up and over cats pass 2x

Feb 16th - Crossfit

2/2 Desert Rage - Saguaro Lake

2008-02-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

Race update to follow...

January Training (Spencer)

2008-01-02T08:00:00.001-08:00

Jan 5th - Usery Mountain Trials - Biked 6 , Ran 2 1/2

Jan 12th - Mountain Side Fitness (gym), 1 hr workout

Jan 26th - Usery Mountain ran the mtn pass loop - 7.5 miles