Team Torti

Top 10!

2010-09-20T14:07:00.003-05:00

A lot has happen to the team this past year, and a summary report is being formulated... But in the mean time what you need to know is we are ranked in the top 10 adventure race teams in the country by the USARA standings! Also we are headed to both USARA and CheckPointTracker Nationals in October! Hell yeah! Go Team Torti!

Congrats to the happy couple!

2009-10-10T13:33:00.003-05:00

Teammates Megan Matty and Andy Brazle are gettin' hitched today!

Real photos to come...

50 days until nationals!!!

2009-09-17T14:55:00.002-05:00

USARA NATIONALS are 7 weeks away!

Nationals Training Race

2009-09-14T11:45:00.006-05:00

The qualifier team (Megan, Tyler, Fletcher) are heading down to Little Rock, AR this weekend for a final preparatory race before nationals. Raid the Rock. This race has a good reputation for being a challenging mid-length course (~40miles) and we are looking forward to it. There is a deep field with some very tough teams, so we'll see how we do. Megan has the captain's duties for this race, and with her fiance Andy and another crew member Chris (supported race!), we should have a great race! The plan is to update the Facebook fan page & twitter via text messages of our progress throughout. Wish us luck!

Website is up!

2009-09-14T11:40:00.002-05:00

We're slowing getting the site up so you can follow the team better. It has info on our background, race history, contact info, as well as links to photos, merchandise, and of course this blog. Coming soon are interactive bios of the racers, and slideshows of the team. Sponsors will be updated as they are obtained. Thanks and happy racing!

www.teamtorti.com

New Sponsor!!

2009-09-14T11:35:00.002-05:00

Dr. Jesse Walden over at Quest Performance Center is the most recent sponsor of Team Torti! Check him out for all your sports therapy/rehabilitation. He is trained and licensed in both chiropractic and active release therapy.

http://www.questperformancecenter.com/

Mascot?

2009-08-28T13:55:00.003-05:00

Kansas State Reptile ~ The Ornate Box Turtle!

Torti Photostream

2009-08-28T13:46:00.002-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/teamtorti/

A lot of these photos are on the blog, but from now on here is where all Torti documented activity will be archived. Soon to be link accessible from the website!

Ten Tired Turtles

2009-08-28T13:39:00.003-05:00

Big T...little t

What begins with T?

Ten tired turtles in a tuttle tuttle tree!

Thanks to the guys at worth1000.com for having this available.

Hopefully I will have the Seuss orignal up soon!

Lucky New Jerseys...

2009-08-14T19:54:00.024-05:00

Time to catch up again. Jerseys are in and look great! But not only do we now look stylish, we win events.

Tyler, Nikki, and I went up to Omaha for the inaugural Wild Hares 12hr last Saturday (aug. 8th) for a brutal pounding in the heat. With temps in the triple digits and nothing but sun, all the teams struggled to keep down their cheerios during the race.

We, of course, came up the night before for meeting, maps, etc. Doing the ritual plotting exercise that has become second nature (Nikki's first time), we strategized our best route and approximate distances. All this while being documented by Tyler.

Next morning (4am) we awoke, dressed and dropped bikes at their designated location before ariving at the percieved starting line, Hitchcock Nature Park. It seems to be a common theme this season to bus racers to another starting point to throw them off. It happened again.

We began the race on foot at Dodge State Park along the Missouri River. It was an seven point orienteering section that was about 10 miles. We started in first, but were gradually overtaken by the Proformance teams. A second guess later (& poor map reading) had us finish this section as last on the water.

Believe it or not, we made up a lot of time on the water. The canoe seat and kayak paddles made a huge difference! After catching 6 or 7 teams on the 10 mile float down the Muddy MO, we transitions fairly quickly to the urban orienteering section. These CPs were easy and designed as such, but still 100 degrees in the city is even hotter. We stopped at the host hotel for fluids (mmm...Pepsi). We caught up with several more teams during this leg and were making up time on the deep field.

The rest of the race was to be on bike. We headed up the levee and under the highway via drain pipes. This is when we stumbled upon the first of several sick teams. But, the RD was waiting on the other side of the highway with icewater! We quickly made our way to Lewis and Clark State Park. By the way, we were in Iowa at this point!

L&C was the trails section. And given fresh legs and cooler temps, it would have been a blast. They were fast, windy, hilly trails and before the end we needed a break to cool down. We stopped at and overlook in the shade and took in the view and breeze. When we had finished this section, we had overcome another 3 or 4 teams, but we didn't know how much longer we could make it in the heat. After a half hour cool down, we headed on making our route decision point-to-point. Things got rough between CP 21 and CP22 and we almost turned for the finish line, but through positive interaction with another team and an awesome local (who provide us cold bottled water), we pushed on. We crossed the finish line sans CP24 (the one furthest out of the way) in 12 hours and forty minutes. 1st place 3 person coed! (6th overall)

Munchies, awards, hose showers, and a 3 hour drive back to KC followed.

One Hundred Days and Counting...

2009-07-29T12:07:00.001-05:00

It's 100 days until Nationals and I/we have so much more training and racing to do in the mean time. Next up Wild Hares 12hr on August 8th!

Top 20!!!

2009-07-17T22:00:00.002-05:00

As of today, Team Torti is ranked 20th in the nation! http://www.usara.com/current_rankings.aspx

Lots of racing left, how long do you think we can stay there?

Any sponsors want to help?

Lake Ray Roberts

2009-07-14T09:50:00.004-05:00

Click for a glimpse of the area we will be racing at Nationals!

Other big news from this Spring/Summer

2009-07-13T12:01:00.002-05:00

Jake & Jessica Larsen had a little boy (Jack) in May
Megan is now engaged (late June) to longtime boyfriend Andy Brazle
We have new/prospective teammates Nikki Gillen & Chris Stauffer

The big announcement...

2009-07-13T11:57:00.007-05:00

WE MADE NATIONALS!!!

Were not in Kansas anymore...just Nebraska

2009-07-13T11:19:00.008-05:00

After many hours and calls, I finally filled the roster for the Run, Row, and Roll less than 10 days from the race. An up and coming race director and fellow Kansan, Charmion Harris joined Jake and I for the duration of the course. She was planning on sitting this race out after finding out that it was three member teams only, but she gladly filled our hole and challenged her team to "keep up."

June 19th

2:30pm - lonely drive up Missouri and across Nebraska (no phone reception)

6pm - met up with Jake at race HQ and got race packet(s)

6:30pm - got Subway (seems to be a race tradition)

7pm -plotted map and organized gear

8pm - drove part of course

10ish - bed

June 20th

5:15am - rise and shine

6am - bike drop

7:30am - prerace meeting

8am - start

We began this race with a mysterious "red neck subway" (horsetrailer) ride to the start. We exited in mass to a 3-4 mile run to our first "challenge." Build a raft from innertubes and a 2x4 ladder that matched a diagram. With that successfully done, we took two paddles and floated/walked it ~1.5 miles down the Little Blue River. After loading the "raft" back into another trailer we ran another half mile to the bike transition. We picked some time and spots during this first wheeled section. But the flat and rolling hills, pavement and gravel quickly became dirt and grass tracks into canyons you wouldn't expect to find in the Midwest (especially Nebraska). I think the barefoot running through the river caught up with me, because hike and bike with my cleats caused some wild calf/achilles cramps. Also the wet sand started chewing my feet up pretty bad. Oh well, no pain... Anyway, the other team events were fun (archery, stationary calf roping, mud plinko) as well. We continued on throughout our difficulties and the rain, having an awesome trekking section. One more long ride, and a total of just under 9 hours later we finished to a BBQ sandwich meal! Yum!

I was so brain dead after this race though, that I left my bike shoes at the finishe line. Thankfully, Jim Craig (angry cow adventures owner) got them back to me quickly (and clean!).

Before and after with Jake, Charmion & the Lake Adventures crew.

"We're on a MISSION from God"

2009-07-07T12:31:00.017-05:00

Mission AR...that is.

Tyler, Megan, & I successfully endured another qualifying race.

Here is the race rundown...
-Friday we arrived just in time for meal & meeting (timezone change - oops!)
-Cheap and gimpy TA tent (good times - ask anyone of us)
-No prerace strategy, map, or coords. (maps were handed out at starting line)
-Began race in Thunderstorm at 6am
-Road muddy singletrack until bikes would no longer roll
-Subsequent brake problems from mud (Megan's back brakes went out - ask her about her raspberry and road rash)
-Missed CP7 because of brain fart (novice plotting mistake)
-Canoed up and down the Ohio (yes, the big river) while towing our bikes in an inflatable raft
-More fast biking (no brakes - reverse towing: Tyler & I were Megan's brakes down a couple big hills)
-High ropes (Megan volunteered to be blindfolded)
-Awesome night trek/orienteering (Powerhiking...nuff said)
-Marinara Meatball sandwiches at midnight (check out that alliteration)
-NO CRAMPS! (I love you e-caps!)

Photos of our fun...

A Tale of Two Races - part II

2009-07-06T11:47:00.025-05:00

What can only be said of the LBL is ouch!

We knew going into it, that we would be up against some of the toughest competition in the midwest and in some regards U.S. We didn't quite realize, however, the magnitude of the course Jason from BonkHard Racing had in store for us...

Arriving the evening before the race, we (Jake, Tyler, Megan, and Fletcher) checked in at both race and motel, dinned on typical prerace pasta, set up gear, and attended the "meeting." We learned of a provisions drop about 2/3rds of the way through the course, of which we were later very much thankful. Received 2 huge maps and as well as 3 pages of coordinates/notes, and a handful of other helpful warnings.

When then spent the next 3-4hrs plotting and checking coordinates, copying & laminating maps, and packing bags. Post 12am sleepytime. Tommorrow, our first race together as a new team!

Early morning bike drop, breakfast, & potty...We lined up with nearly a hundred other competitors at the start and at 8am, it was go time.

3...2...1...GO!

The race started with a running/trekking section that was 3-5miles and took us to our bikes. We then headed counterclockwise along some of the sweetest singletrack I've seen, before heading over every surface imaginable on our first 35mile+ biking leg.

Midway through this section (about 5hrs into the race) I began having heat cramps in quads which slowed us down considerably. I hyperhydrated, unlayered, and took a couple tows as we pushed through them. We eventually made it to the next TA, and on to another Trekking section (9-10miles).

We make steady and quick work of this trekking section, posting a time only slower than the top 5 teams (without running). Thanks to Google for helping us embelish our maps the night before!

We then entered the lake. With two canoes and a singleblade paddle a piece, it was a fight to make up time against the field (mostly sporting doubleblade kayak padddles). We slowly watched most teams disappear around penisulas as the light gradually faded to night. Just after dark the wind picked up. So much so, that we had to rake our canoes to keep the bow pointed into the waves (2-3' swells). Very Scary!

We survived the 5+ hours on the water (did I mention this was only Tyler's 2nd time canoing?) and got warm by the fire before embarking on another 12-15miles of biking. The cooler temps and extra hydration seemed to have curred me of my cramps, because I flew through this section. We quickly made it to the refueling drop and transitioned for the night orienteering.

This prooved to be a lot harder than we expected, probably due to exhaustion, pain, etc. We struggled to get as many as possible by 6am, so we could push to the end. I think we got half and some chaffing. We then planned a condensed route back to the finish to avoid a few tough hills.

We skipped a checkpoint, but were making great time on bike. Then all of a sudden we were reminded of a couple things mentioned the night before. "There will be several routes, but not all of them have been cleared." We almost instantly hit thick clay/mud roads and a tangle of fallen trees (a major ice-storm had hit this area earlier in the year) that we bike-whacked for several miles until we rejoined the major trail/road system again. Within minutes we met up with teams that had left the TA at the same time as us. So much for a shortcut.

We were pushing hard to the finish, every minute feeling more like we wouldn't make the cutoff. We finally caught a break, finding the paved hike&bike trail and making up some major ground. We were within 5-10miles of the finish with a little over an hour, when we hit trouble again...

Jake's bike hit a large root at just the right angle and nearly through him over the bars. Thankfully he was okay, but the front brakes were completely jammed. We struggled to knife out the brake pads and we cautiously raced to the finish sans some stopping power.

It was a great feeling to know we made it with time to spare (~27hrs & 90+ miles) Baked potatos and sour cream never tasted so good. After loading up bikes and gear, we cleaned up and went for a meal. Gotta love crackerbarrel! And then we pushed all the way back to KC, nearly sleeping at the wheel. What a rush! I'm never doing that again...

New Stuff Coming...

2009-07-06T11:36:00.002-05:00

So...I haven't been able to put words or thoughts down on paper or screen very regularly this spring, but that is about to change. I have a lot announcements to make and new things to share, and before I can do that I need to catch up the race reports from earlier this year. So...I will be posting at least once a day for the next week to try to make up for lost time.

Up next...

A tale of two races cont'd.

A Tale of Two Races

2009-04-20T08:01:00.020-05:00

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." -Dickens

This could be said of almost any adventure race, but I find it fitting to recap the last two in which I participated.

The first race of the pair was the Milford Extreme Spring Sprint AR. Now every sprint race prior to this that I have participated in has been in the 3-5hr range. This race was upwards of 6-8 hours for the majority of the field. The teammates that I had gathered for this race were relative newbies to AR and did a fine job of pushing each other to a third place finish. The raceday went down as such:

We arrived and had only minimal time to check-in, stage bikes, pack, and plot coordinates (10 minutes with maps prior to race start).

The race started with a fast 1mile sprint to CP1 and then to the bikes. We took a quick trail into the woods, nabbed this point, and were first on the bikes. Having never raced together before, our pace line into 25 mph headwind was scattered, but we continued to jockey for first through CP2 & Cp3. We were the first to start the orienteering section and headed directly to the climbing tower.

The tower was our first physical challenge as we had to climb ropes up the outside of the structure using mechanical ascenders within the 30 minute time limit. We hadn't attended the training camp, so our knowledge of ropes was less than stellar. I fastened in looser than I should and end up over extended and supremely tired by the time I reached the top. Having learned alot about how to setup the harness system from my near failure, I helped my teammates (Jake, Max, & Julie) get situated.

After our team ropes challenge, we set off on the rest of our orienteering loop. This is where having only mere minutes to plot the CPs cost us...they were slightly off. We searched the shoreline of the lake for quite some time before pulling out the map and replotting. After doing so, we made our way along the cliff line and stumble across the CP. We then dove out of sight of before nearby teams could see. We trekked field and shore to the next 2 CPs and then headed back toward the bike drop. It was about this time that the slight cramps started...

At the bike drop, we were informed of the paddle section in which we needed to collect song titles and bands. This actually proved the hardest section of all. The 25mph winds were by this time even gustier. Between the wind, a broken boat, and some paddling inexperiencce, I am surprised we stayed as dry as we did. That being said Jake, me and the broken boat nearly got capsized as we got banged against the shore.

The exhaustion of the boats (also the long portage) was followed by a final ride to the finish by way of CP6. This was probably my favorite section barrelling down gravel Kansas backroads. We finished with worn out smiles on our faces in 7:38:06. Then after a photo and an apology to our supportive guest (Max's wife), we went for some post race grub (BBQ sandwiches & Beer, mmmm).

Exhausted, but satisfied.

To be continued...

LBL Team is set!

2009-03-17T07:30:00.003-05:00

As of a little over a week ago, we finalized our team for Bonk Hard Racing's Land Between the Lakes Challenge. Megan and myself will be joined by our new team members Jake and Tyler for their first ever 24hr race. Night and distance will be daunting, but even with our relative inexperience, I think we will have a successful go at the course. I see this adventure as a chance to push ourselves and each other to finish as best we can, while bonding our team together for future race opportunities this season!

Back in the Saddle

2009-02-23T11:27:00.002-06:00

Well...it's been awhile.

Since USARA Nationals I have been put through the ringer with physical therapy, the holidays, and many extra hours at work. I struggled regularly with leg (knee/shin) pain and have slowly been reducing this through rest and rehabilitation.

To test the waters, though, I have participated in a few Possum Trot Orienteering events. I took 20th in the SMP Score 'O' without any formal training for nearly 2 months.

I am now on a path to salvage this AR season by ramping up my training and gathering new and addtional teammates. We are registered with the USARA and our first official event of the year is the Milford Lake Spring Sprint on March 22nd. Hopefully with a few more weeks of training and that race behind us, we will be ready for the LBL Challenge.

More regular updates to come...

Welcome to the Big Leagues!

2008-11-17T11:22:00.032-06:00

(USARA National Championship Race Report)

Roadtrip:

It began on a beautiful fall morning...well actually it was grey and rain chased us from KC down to Fayetteville, AR. Louis and I survived the first leg of the roadtrip with only one instance of missed exit and near fatal sideswipe. Megan joined us from there. We traded off driving, studying and sleeping while anxiously anticipating the race ahead. The fall colors abounded and the further south traveled the more vibrant they appeared. We, of course, had to stop for some BBQ in memphis on our way through. Interstate BBQ has some of the best brisket, pork and BBQ spagetti I've tasted! We then pushed all the way to the Nashville suburbs before packing in for the night. The second day we made good time, but lost and hour transitioning to the eastern timezone. We arrived in Blue Ridge, GA around 2:30pm after a short google maps detour up an amazing backcountry driveway. After checking in at the hotel, we found our way into the quaint mountain downtown to check in with race officials.

Check-in:

Banners surrounded the local art center and we were permitted the opportunity to view some great artwork while being shuffled through the line of awaiting race teams. We snagged some great swag from sponsors such as merrel, zanfel, nuun and others. All in all, we were getting pumped! We were then tolded to follow directions to the bike drop (Back in Tennessee!). We left our bikes, helmets, and extra gatorade with race volunteers just up the road from the Ocoee Whitewater Center, realizing we would be paddling down to get them later...

Pre-Race:

We had only enough time to dump the rest of our gear at the hotel before sprinting off to the prerace meeting. It was held at the local highschool performing art building. It was here we picked up our first groupies. A few of the race volunteers noticed us wearing the team jerseys and told us that we needed to provide them with extra ones. Later, one of them called us "[her] team." In the meeting we learned about the local wildlife, weather, and how to use the electronic punch system (dipper). Then we were given our maps and infomation packets with strict instructions not to be late in the morning (5:45) or else. We grabbed some pasta to go and Megan & I began plotting the coordinates, while Louis started packing. Only problem...a doctor named House (more on this later). Lights out around midnight...

Go time:

...4:15. Finish packing, eat, dress, stretch, get downtown. It's dark, cold, and crowded as we arrive at the park square, but we pass the scenic rail train as it is preparing for the day. hmmm. Anouncements are made, and yes we will be riding the train! We loaded up and left the tardy teams behind (6-7 miles down the road) for a 7am start near the river. The sea of racers burst forward at the sound of the shotgun start. We had 3 prologue CPs (2-3 miles) before we reached CP1 and the boat put in. We started and stayed midpack most of this early section, but were blown away by the speed of the podium contenders! The next five hours found us jockeying for spots through rapids and around dams for about 15 miles. We high centered several times, but never dumped. Just as we took out, though, it started to sprinkle. We confirmed that there were 15-20 teams behind us and then began the drudgery of carrying the whale-sized, fiberglass Old Town 3/4mile uphill. By the time we actually dropped the canoe, the rain was mounting for a full on shower. We ended up passing two teams during the next section on foot, only to be passed 7 miles in when I was treating wet, blistering feet. We soon regained ground as we instituted our tow system helping me keep as faster pace during the last mile and half to the bike transition. Ahh...the bikes. This was by far the toughest/longest section of the race and most of it was completed after dark. We made our way to the first of many wheeled CPs quickly, but that was the beginning of the end. After spending over an hour and a half looking for the next check point, we moved on. We began to make good time again, and then we took a wrong turn (we didn't know it at the time) and made even better time on an awesome downhill trail of sweet curvedness. When we came across pavement, we realized our mistake and began the extra 7-10 miles of nearly all uphill riding. It was at this point that Louis first started having leg cramps and we were subjected to hike-a-bike on much more than a 5-10% grade. We took a short food break in sopping wet gear (it had been raining non-stop for several hours at this point) until another directional dysfunctional team came across our path. We learn, however, that thanks to Dr. House (TV induced plotting) we had mismarked 2 of the CPs, one of which we thought we had already passed. This news both disappointed and reinvigorated us to get moving again as did the chill from the wet & cold. We leap-frogged back and forth with this team from Texas gathering four more CPs, more cramps, frustration, and exhaustion. As a team, we reached a point where we realized in order for us to cross the finish line together we needed to shorten the course. And we did. Starting around 1am we took backroads and county highways back to the beloved Blue Ridge city square. Together, the three of us hobble up the Art Center steps and across the finish line at just after 3:30am. We smiled for the camera, put on dry socks, downed some pop and candy, and eventually made it to the Waffle House to ease the cravings for biscuits & gravy.

Recovery:

Man did that breakfast hit the spot. We barely made it back to the hotel, before collapsing in a heap of sleep for several hours. Later that afternoon we went out one the town before enjoying yet another frigid race experience. The post-race celebration was in an outdoor house stable and training facility! But...they had heaters, fire, and warm fleece blankets as well as formerly American brew to warm us. It was a nice dinner and a great opportunity to meet other racers and teams (shout out to Berlin Bikes & Team Fortitude). Congrats to the winners, but early to bed and early to rise because we had a 16 hour push of driving the next day. The return travels were fast and everyone seemed excited to continue our efforts as a competitive midwest AR team into next season. From what I can tell, I am the only member of the Torti with a lingering injury which will hopefully be healed soon.

To recap: We qualified and competed at USARA Nationals, finishing 52nd out of 70 teams in our division. We raced for over 20 hours and about 70 miles of mountainess terrain with approximate milage splits of 15 miles of paddling, 10 miles of running/trekking, and 45 miles of biking (1/3 of which was hike-a-bike). And yes...we loved it!

Sorry this took so long to post, but feel free to ask/talk to us more about our adventure! We would love to share the gory details. Peace.

Tentative Team Schedule for 2009

2008-11-14T11:10:00.006-06:00

It's always hard to return from a race induced high especially with an injury nagging at your recovery training. I have been diagnosed with Plica Syndrome, which is an irritation to tissue surrounding the synovial capsule of the knee. I start PT asap and hopefully will be on my way to recovery within 4-6 weeks. Hopefully I will not need surgery!

Even with the immediate rehab program, I am projecting a pretty challenging race schedule for the coming season. It tentatively looks like:

Bonk Hard Chill 12hr AR (February 7th) - MO
Lake Ray Roberts 12hr AR (March 7th) - TX "Q"
Land Between the Lakes 24hr AR (April 4-5) - TN/KY "Q"
Mission 18hr AR (May 15-16) - IN/KY "Q"
Dusk-2-Dawn 8hr AR (July 18-19) - KS
Berryman 36hr AR (September 25-27) - MO "Q"
Texspedition 3day AR (September 25-28) - TX
Golite USARA National Championships (October 22-24th?) -TX?
Lewis & Clark 18hr (November TBD) - AR

"Q" - National Qualifier

This, of course, is subject to change due to team availability, injury, and subsequent race additions and does not include any of the trail runs/races, orienteering meets, or MTB events we may participate in collectively or individually. I hope we can count on continued support of our 2008 sponsors and eagerly anticipate more racers and supporters in the coming year!

Photos & Results

2008-11-12T11:51:00.009-06:00

So...I promise the race report is coming and will arrive in all its glory (and length), but this is not it. Instead a link to the results (We took 52nd out of 71 teams in our division) and photos.

We made it...!?!

2008-11-08T16:33:00.002-06:00

Team Torti finished (but far from clearing the course). Everyone is sore, but satisfied. Over 20 hours in the rain and cold made for a brutal race. We are resting, enjoying the mountain community, headed home early tommorow. I full race report with results coming soon. Thanks for all your support.

Host Hotel Panorama

2008-11-04T12:25:00.003-06:00

Click the title to see the panorama of the Blue Ridge Area from the host hotel (Comfort Inn & Suites of BR)

Shirts are made!

2008-11-03T09:43:00.002-06:00

The team jerseys are finished and printed on Brooks Podium LS Shirts. Performance Activewear out of Shawnee, KS, did an awesome job and gave us a great deal. If you are ever in need of team, club, or corporated apparel, check these guys out. A link to their website is in our sponsor list. Thanks Gene!

1 week and counting...

2008-10-31T11:30:00.011-05:00

That's right. This time next week we will be traveling the backcountry of Northern Georgia looking race checkpoints. The last official news is that the race will be a rogaine style event, meaning the race will not follow a definitive course. We will have 30hrs to collect as many checkpoints as possible in any order and make it back to the finish line. This is good because it adds to the strategy and skills needed to do well, eliminates the pacing of traditional races, and allows for more teams to finish. This is bad because it will challenge us to stay consistant and motivated, and make it easier to get lost in an unfamiliar and semi-hostile environment, especially since the race association is emphasizing the recommendation to be prepared for bear encounters!

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, they can be found in three distinct regions of the state, including the North Georgia mountains (Blue Ridge Mountains).

Fortunately, they add that "there are no recorded bear attacks on humans in Georgia, and no fatalities. There have only been two documented fatal black bear attacks in the Southeastern United States."

And although we take this bear safety issue seriously, we cannot afford the weight a suit like this one would add. But, we are concerned because the number of bear related thefts is up this time of year.

Endurance Fowl on NPR

2008-10-28T09:31:00.005-05:00

This awkward looking shore bird (Bar-Tailed Gotwit) has set a new continuous flight record ~7200 miles (Alaska to New Zealand) non-stop. It isn't a tortoise, but it can be another Team Torti mascot.
Fly on! (click title to go to npr article/story)

Track us at Nationals...

2008-10-28T08:10:00.003-05:00

So...anyone who is interested, can follow our progress and get nationals race updates here:

http://www.usaranationals.com/race_hq.aspx

Two Weeks!!!!

2008-10-24T16:06:00.004-05:00

Well...we will be lost in the Georgian wilderness by this time two weeks from now. Look for an update about tracking our progress during the race soon. Also, take time to view our awesome sponsor's/donor's sites (I finally got links posted in the sidebar!).

Fall Fell...But the chill couldn't stop the chillin'

2008-10-20T11:44:00.005-05:00

With slight hesitation and concern about possible injury before nationals, I entered, ran and finished 17th at the Fall Fell 7 Mile Trail Race. My Time was 1:12:19. Not great, but not bad. Same as my last 10K!

Up next...Nationals (Blue Ridge Mountains)

2008-10-16T15:25:00.002-05:00

We will soon be off to conquer these...

More photos...UTM plotting

2008-10-16T15:23:00.002-05:00

Milford Lake Extreme Photos...

2008-10-16T15:14:00.005-05:00

Milford Extreme...Cramps!

2008-10-13T11:40:00.003-05:00

Well, we did it. We finished (kinda/barely) the Milford Lake Extreme AR. This surprisingly was the toughest 50 miles of racing I have endured. The course/race was great and well organized. My only personal complaints were inflatable kayaks, and not any technical/offroad riding. The coarse was definitely not the hardest and it showed early as we easily fought for 2nd place, the majority of the race. It was between 30-40 miles that we made a costly navigational error (probably brought on by early stages of bonkage) that put us back an hour or more and into 6th. It was also at this time that we started having serious hydration/cramping issues. My bro, Louis, cramped so badly during one of the last biking legs that he was forced off the course. I fought through several episodes and was eventually reduced to my smallest gear set and hiking. There would be no more running or powering through tough gears. Although it ended in frustration and exhaustion, I had a blast and am so thankful for my team and their efforts. Megan, you are a machine! Thank you for joining us!

Highlights:
-The town party at "The Tropics" bar & pizza shop for pre-race meeting (Classic)
-Catching team Inertia at CP 5 (the pond)
-Running through the awesome ORV hills
-Bushwhacking Kansas fields until my legs bled
-Crossing a lake inlet by crawling across fallen tree
-Sticking it to my wasted legs by finishing with the 12 hour limit
-Circumnavigating the entire lake

I can't wait for Georgia and peeing like a race horse all the way there! I will hydrate...I will hydrate...I will hydrate. (obviously, nutrition is the key)

Peace,

one more sponsor!

2008-10-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

Thank you Barry Haley, owner of FBC (Fayetteville Bicycle Company) for his sponsorship! He runs a great shop here in town and if you live in the Northwest Arkansas area you should definitely check them out. The race approaches! We are going to have so much fun this weekend!! I'm with Fletcher--no injuries, be competitive, and have fun!

Inaugural Events

2008-10-07T10:45:00.009-05:00

Inaugural races are par for the course this season...

Louis and I did the POD TROD (http://www.psychowyco.com/id66.html) a few weeks ago where we placed 1st & 8th respectively in this mp3 mile trail race. The premise was that we would be narrated through the trails of Clinton State Park via prerecorded podcasts on mp3 players (ipods). It was a fun fast event put on by the KC Trail Nerds and directed by Gary Henry.

Coming up this weekend is the first ever Milford Lake Extreme AR! (http://www.acornsresortkansas.com/raceinfo.html) Our nationals team is participating as practice for the big stage in November. My goals are to be competitive, challenge ourselves and stay injury free. Should be a great race...

Another Sponsor - gentlesedationdentistry.com

2008-09-11T11:45:00.002-05:00

My Uncle Dave & Aunt Cheri added to the team coffers this past week. Check out his dental practice online by clicking the posting title!

Training & Sponsor Updates

2008-09-05T07:53:00.002-05:00

So aside from the shin splints, training has been going well. I have been running 10-15 miles weekly between the treadmill and trails and biking about 50-60miles (which will increase drastically during my short running hiatus).

In other news, Dimensional Innovations (www.dimin.com) has provided a generous contribution to the team, joining Hamel Masonry and Dr. & Mrs. Stumpe as sponsor/donors. I will eventually figure out how to add a links section to this blog, but in the mean time these in-post links will have to suffice. Check these guys out, they design & build cool stuff (and, oh yeah, I work there).

Stress Fracture?...maybe...not

2008-09-05T07:33:00.002-05:00

So I have been dealing with shin pain for the past month in conjunction with a slightly more intense training routine. At first I thought it was just shin splints, but the pain started to feel different from what I remember shin splints feeling like in the past. So, I began researching symptoms and solutions for this area of injury. From everything I read, it sounds more like I had tibial stress fractures. This concerned me at first because of the time needed for recovery, but once I saw that youtube video of the girl at the CC meet whose leg just snapped in half due to stress fractures I was down right horrified. I scheduled an appointment with a sport medicine, orthopedic doctor an was x-rayed and examined yesterday...

Long story short: No visible fractures

I was told, however, that I excessively overpronate and that this along with the aggressive training has caused the pain. He wrote me a script for orthotics and told me to cut back on my mileage temporarily. I hope this week off from running and a new pair of shoes is all it take to get back on schedule for Nationals!

LOVE/hate...this is the new balance

2008-08-20T15:37:00.002-05:00

I don't watch much TV but i like those commercials...and it is true for me now! I haven't really been in training for something in a long time and while it hurts, it also feels really good to be pushing myself right now! So thanks Fletcher for giving me a chance to be a part of this, it will be fun!! My weekly workout right now consists of a good mix of biking and running with a day of swimming in there to help save my poor old body ;) Go team Torti!

Mill Creek Streamway Trail Ride

2008-08-19T12:08:00.011-05:00

So I did my first long ride this past Saturday, 22 miles. I spent a couple hours and biked over to the local recreational path. I had never ridden it before, but found it to be a beautiful, winding trail along Mill Creek. I put in at 95th St. (~mile 10.5) and rode it up past Johnson Dr. (mile 4), and then made the return trip. Aside from a few steep climbs, it was a good course for putting some time and distance in the saddle. And, believe it or not, I didn't run over any of the runners or steal Gatorade from their aid stations.

The Team is Complete!

2008-08-14T07:49:00.003-05:00

As some of you know, the original team is unable to compete together at nationals this year. But our search to fill the female slot is over! Megan Matty from Arkansas has joined the Torti!

Attack of the Ticks!!!

2008-08-12T21:39:00.004-05:00

So I (Fletcher) somehow thought it would be a good idea to go for another trail run tonight with the nerds on a bum ankle (mistake 1). Then I made it to the park without bug spray (mistake 2). Though, at this point, there is no additional swelling from the slight sprain during the Psycho Night race, I'm sure my ankle will thank me with stiffness in the morning. The bugs, however, were not nearly as forgiving. It would seem my every leg hair beckoned to them; the tiny wandering dots black & brown. SEED TICKS!!! It wasn't until I finished the 4.5 mile loop that I discovered just how many. Thousands...

I grabbed some baby wipes from another runner, but there were just to many, so I subjected myself to the stink of Shawnee Mission Lake. Nearly falling, I slid down the slime covered boat ramp and into the water. 10 minutes of scrubbing and flailling produced adequate results. I quickly loaded up and went home. Little did I know that 90 minutes of showering and grooming, along with half a package of baby wipes would be necessary to rid myself of the beasts. (I even used rubbing alcohol and a scotch brite pad!)

All I can say is: Lesson(s) Learned...

Psycho Night 10K Trail Run

2008-08-10T17:07:00.005-05:00

I (Fletcher) did a night training run with the KC Trail Nerds this past Friday, and posted a moderate time of 1:12:49, which was a perfect time and distance for my base training. I have found training with the nerds to be a fun challenge! The run was especially enjoyable because of the cool night air (mid 70s in August!). The course was an out and back with a lollipop loop midway (The infamous Wyandotte Triangle). I encountered roots, rocks, logs, frogs, bugs, one deer, and lots of MUD!!! This short and varied trail had it all, and was certainly a blast! Thanks again to the crew from KC Trail Nerds for putting on a great run!

Welcome to the world of the Torti!

2008-08-10T16:23:00.008-05:00

We are a Kansas City area adventure race team. Team Torti was formed in September of 2007 and raced under a different name at our first race, the Lewis & Clark Ozark Adventure. Through our grueling attempt at our first 18 hour event, we realized we weren’t half bad, but definitely tended to the "slow & steady" side. That reference to the classic tale of the Tortoise and the Hare is the origin of the current team name. We just found it funny in the exhaustion of the race to pluralize tortoise into torti (just like fungus & fungi!).

For those who don't know, Adventure Racing is typically a coed team sport which requires navigating a course with a map and compass utilizing combinations of non-motorized disciplines. Teams are responsible for travelling together through a series of check points. Disciplines often include: trekking, mountain biking, paddling (canoes, kayaks, rafts or other water craft) and fixed-ropes (ascending and/or rappelling). An adventure race is anywhere from 4 hours to 10 days in length. Teams may vary in size and gender, but four person coed is the standard race category.

It has been a couple months since we were handed a runner-up qualifying spot at USARA Nationals after posting a valiant showing in the Sunflower 24hr in Lawrence, KS. Although some of the team personnel has changed, we are still looking to make a strong statement about racers from KS at Nationals this November. And, we are now on the search for Sponsors to help us make the jump from the local to national stage. Stay up to date on our training and find out about all our great sponsors by visiting our blog on a regular basis and join the Team Torti Facebook Group.