LOVE/hate...this is the new balance

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

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!

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!!!

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

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!

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.