Minneapolis Tri-Loppet

Okay, this was not part of TMMAR or even an adventure race but it was fun as hell. The Mpls Tri-Loppet is an 8K kayak, 5k rund and 11k mountain bike race in Mpls. Saturday's race was had 350+ competitors and turned out to be a mud-bath on the mountain bike part. I was very impressed with the level of competition in the race....some fast dudes (and dud-ets).
My one take-away....if you are going to compete solo you need a fast(er) kayak. the 75lb poly-plastic kayak was good but stroke for stroke was much slower then a narrower and lighter kayak.

Primal Quest 2008

One of the biggest races of the year is over half-way done and the legendary Team Nike is out in front. Primal Quest
What an addicting sport. This year SPOT GPS allows you to track each team individually and provides real time updates on the race. How cool!

back to work.....

First and Third!----Great Race.

Whoops. I mean second a fourth. Team Midwest Mountaineering and Team Midwest Mountaineering Too actually ran an great race. We competed together as a six person team and had a near flawless day on navigation. One minor intersection we copied the wrong sign down which resulted in a fifteen minute penalty that dropped us from the 1st (Two Person Coed) and 3rd Four Person Coed) to 2nd and 4th.

Enough of that......I am over it and unlike Red Wing it only took me a half day vs. a few weeks.



This was a great race. Excellent job to William and Nicole who joined the TMMAR group this week and Nicole’s first ever AR race!

Race Overview:
-Wet Start to Kayak
-Orienteer
-Kayak
-Orienteer
-Cycle
-Mystery Challenge (Azimuth & Pace Counting)

3 hours 47 mintues with adjust time of 4 hours and 2 minutes.

Oh yeah.....a great find by William: FAT Squirrel

Introducing TMMAR Too

We have finally added a second team to the Team Midwest Mountaineering AR group. This two person team brings our core members up to six which is key for maintaining a healthy and competitive group.

This Saturday we'll be racing a two-person coed and four person coed teams. Our goal is to run as six but we'll have to see what the day brings. Weather forecast for Saturday should be interesting:

Race options

Without having to fly/drive across the country the best option for an additional USARA Qualifying race is the Sep 6 - Sep 7 Thunder Rolls Adventure Race - 24hr Illinois City, IL

The 6th annual "Thunder Rolls", 24 hour adventure race will follow the trails, waterways, and migration routes of Chief Black Hawk and the Sauk and Fox Indians of the 1800's. This traditional style, unsupported, expedition style race will involve canoeing, trail running, bushwhacking, coasteering, mountain biking, navigation and ropes. Teams of 3 will travel 100 miles through two states. Expect a great North Face Fleece top, racer gifts, and after race pizza. The race is a USARA Regional Qualifier and in the CheckPointZero National Series. The cost is still only $450 / team for the 24 hour race.

Redwing 12 Hour

What a few days can do for the mind (and body). Okay...I don't think anyone on the TMMAR would disagree that Saturday's race was a huge dissapointment with a 4th place finish. Each of us were pumped and ready to compete.



I won't go into the days details but we started off fairly strong and left the first TA in second place. Our major struggles took place on the second set of orienteering where spent three additional hours of CP hunting up and down the bluffs of RedWing. What should have taken 2 hours ended up taking nearly five. Those extra three hours depleted most of our water and food which led to a couple of us (yours truely) coming close to bonking.
After a quick pit-stop on the road to 'borrow' some water from a few hoses attached to the friendly residences of RW we were back on the path to finish.
Following a short single track, gear inspection we were off to the last leg of orienteering with a short traverse and 80 foot rapell and then back to HQ for the finish and post race BBQ.

Try It!