Apples and Bananas?

The 2009 Team Strong Heart just completed the 2009 version of RAAM (Race Across America). The team finished with the fastest time among the ten teams competing on conventional bicycles. In other words... they won!

The odd thing is when you look on the RAAM web site, TSH is listed as placing 2nd behind a 4-man team (Team RANS) that raced on recumbent bicycles. Congratulations to Team RANS and no doubt they put in a great effort to complete the RAAM Race, but it does strike me as a bit odd. Why does RAAM lump the four-man teams together, regardless of what they are riding, all the same bracket?

It only seams fair to compare apples to apples (vs. apples to bananas, pinaples, or fig nuts).

Lumping together conventional bicycles, recumbents, HPV's, unicycles, whatever... strikes me as silly. In most sporting competitions, brackets are set so peers compete against peers.

None the less the 2009 Team Strong Heart set the bar a little higher in their successful completion to the 2009 RAAM Race finishing in 6d, 10hr, 30mins. for an average speed of 19.56mph. That is awesome!

Hats off to team leader Andy Claflin and the rest of the Team Strong Heart team and crew. Each of you had a very important part in making the TSH RAAM race happen and successfully completing the mission for Camp Odayin.

Anybody up for 2010?

WE WON!!

The Great Alexandria Bike Race! Well, actually Dave H. and Melinda S. won but we really did win as a team. I have never been in a race where the team has worked as a team from beginning to end! I have been in a number of races where it really never gels but today we worked it about as well as we could and we came away with the win! That was a lot of fun! Next week, the Paul Bunyan Double Century!! For more of the story click here.

RAAM: Team Competition Starts Saturday

The RAAM team competition begins tomorrow. Look for daily coverage at www.teamstrongheart.com

Random pre-race photos from California:

Inspection Time

Shopping

Tim Case and his electronic mini-me

Costco stock-up

CC Summer Series TT #2

Part II of the CC Summer Series TT was held tonight with very favorable conditions. The temperature was in the low 80's and the wind was south at about 9mph. Once again I managed to botch up the times, but with a little self timing help we managed to straighten out everone's time but mine. The best I can figure is DW's time plus about 30 seconds.

Thanks to Dave Hemstad for operating my screwy timing system and a big thanks to those of you who came out to Time Trail. The next date for the CC Summer Series TT is July16. Don't be shy, year end prizes will be based on participation. Come on out and test yourself.

Results (in order of start):

CR--26:58

AX--26:52

MS--25:31

DW--25:45

JT--26:15*

*estimated

Team Strong Heart Arrives in Cali!

10:10PM (Central time): Andy Claflin, Team Captain for the 09 Team Strong Heart just reported in after arriving in Oceanside California. He is checked in to the hotel TSH is staying in and reports that the next set of TSH arrivals are only ten minutes away.

The remainder of the squad will pull in in tomorrow to begin final preparations. The race for the team competition starts Saturday. The team has very little time to relax while they get everything ready. Tomorrow (Thurs) they will have to prepare their vehicles and bikes for the upcoming pre-race inspections. That's only part of their preparations. They also have to shop for food, change oil, organize the RV, assign chores and duties, and the list goes on.

Stand by for more as the '09 Team Strong Heart prepares for the 2009 Race Across America!

Coffee Ride #1

The first coffee ride of the season will be this Saturday. This is a great ride because it has so many options. You can start at 7 and do the 144 or wait until 9 and join the group for the coffee express that heads downtown. From there the group will split again with some heading for home and others going for the 100 miles. Anyway you slice it, it comes up peanuts!!

By the way, Melissa is in the main pack with the pros right now in St. Paul and she is doing GREAT!!

Wanna Race?

Here's news of a race in Alexandria, MN on June 20th & 21st.

This information comes in from Mike Delaney (LSC Prez):

The Great Alexandria Bike Race June 20th and 21st is a race for citizens and licensed riders from Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin. The city of Alexandria is welcoming the cyclists to their city. Their slogan is "Alexandria-It's easy to get to...hard to leave".

Unlike the majority of the races in Minnesota you won't need a license to race. This would be a great opportunity to try bike racing and not letting all that fitness you've been working so hard on to go to waste. It's kind of like doing the Headwaters 100 race without the cold wet temperatures and a little less mileage. You'll be racing on the same roads as the elite riders.

There will be medals three deep in each gender age group. You can try the road race on Saturday and stay for Sunday's race against the clock (Time Trial).

All these races will be timed using chip timing. For more information travel to www.endurancepromotions.com

Hope to see you in Alexandria,

Mike