It all started with a few phone calls.  We qualified, the money rolled down to us, we might as well go…  But, the race is in Texas.  How much will it cost, how will we get there, how will our bikes get there?  All valid questions, and ones I am sure racers across the country struggled with.  Jeremy couldn’t make it.  Jen Moos and I were hemming, hawing and ultimately leaning toward skipping it this year.

Then I called Mark Lattanzi.  ”Hey Mark, its Shane.  How are you?”…blah, blah, blah.  ”We qualified for Nationals, and are looking for a third.  It’s in Texas this year, wanna go?”   He replied, “Actually, that is one of two races let this year I wanted to do.  Let me think about it.”  Me, “It’s in Texas.”  Mark, “I know, that’s one reason I want to do it, I haven’t ever raced in Texas.”

(Before I get any hate mail from the Texans - the race, Texas and Texans were all great.)

Obviously he decided to do it, and with a phenomenal navigator and stellar woman how could I say no?

We arrived within 30 minutes of each other the day before the race at DFW airport.  Grabbed a rental car, grabbed some Texmex (mandatory, right?), and drove up to check-in to the hotel.  Spent some time getting out bikes reassembled and we arrived at pre-race registration shortly after they opened.

Pre-race is always a great time.  High stress and speculation is coupled with the great feelings of seeing old friends and catching up.  We did all of the above, and were off to dinner.  Caught a great Italian meal across the street from the Four Horsemen motel, and drove back the the event hotel.  Pre-race meeting - we’ll get our maps at 5:00 am and start the race at 7:00 am, a few questions and back to the hotel.

Time to pack, repack and adjust plans.  The deluge of rain put a lot of the course underwater, necessitating multiple changes.  The bike drop was cancelled, and we would see a central TA during the race.  So, we set the car up to act as our TA site, did final prep on our gear, and racked out.

Friday morning came early (we set alarms for 4:00).  Some coffee in our bellies and we were out the door.  By 5 o’clock there was general mayhem as everyone was looking for some real estate to set up their plotting/planning areas.  They gave us our maps and rules of travel and we went to work.  We managed to get everything plotted and work out the vast majority of our routes with time to spare.  Back to the car, final prep to our TA locations, drop the bikes and…

Let’s race!  We jogged about 300 meters downhill to the scoots, hopped on and roared off - or more accurately we rode off with nearly 200 other racers.  Lights on, stay together, and move through the largest sustained peleton AR has ever seen.  A few teams took off and over time we moved to the front and then started closing the gaps from one group to the next.  38 kilometers later we arrived at the boat TA along with Berlin Bike in about 6th.  Into the boats, and time to paddle.  Grrrrr, one heck of a wind had the Race Director mandating that we hug the coastline.  With the wind and waves coming at the side of the boat, the stern was getting pushed pretty hard.  Lots of left side only paddling for the guy in the back (me).  But, that all changed hours later on the return part of the paddle!  We paddled well together moving quickly across the water and knocking out the points.  The terrain around CP4 wasn’t depicted quite the same on the map as on the water, so that slowed us a bit.  We figured it out, punched it and portaged to CP 5.  Paddled back around, wind to our back and then side and returned to the TA.  Although they were a bit of a time suck off the water, we were definitely happy with our decision to carry 3 four piece kayak paddles.

Back on the bikes and still in the top 6 or so.  Bike to the first trek section.  Just how many plants with spikes, thorns, barbs and prickers are there?  How can they all be in the same place?  Why would anyone put CPs in the thickest parts of them?  We got the points, tore our clothes, and moved on.

Bike here, bike there and time to orienteer.  Mark absolutely crushed it.  Period.  Mere seconds off the fastest time (there is a story there, for another time).  Back on the bikes, hop in a pace line and more riding.  Drop the bikes and trek to CP 15, a point with a clue of “…low red wall.”  Low translated to about one brick above water!  Back to the bikes and toward the TA, getting there in the top 5.

In and out quickly, except for the excessive time spent on the jammed buckles on my Sidi shoes.  Hint, go straight to the knife to clean the junk out!  Restocked on food, fluids and some dry clothes, off we go.

Off the road and on to a horse trail.  This was a cross between swampy double track and wet cement.  Miserable, especially for Jen’s driveline.  I had bad chainsuck, hers was terrible.  Mark had a Rohloff and his driveline was unfazed.   That’s going on the Christmas wish list!  Mark seamlessly guided us to the points, and we caught up with Dart Nuun.  They had a map issue, so we rolled together for about the next 5 hours.  We worked well as a 6 headed mob, and reeled in the points.  Hung up on the one near the construction area, found it, punched it and moved on.  More riding through wet cement, more points and we parted ways with Dart Nuun (great racing with you guys!!!).  Next stop was the TA for the final trek and we were still in the top 5 or 6 teams.

It was good to be on foot and work some other muscles.  We had a solid plan and knocked out the points quickly.  When we returned to the TA we learned that three teams were in front of us, and the final trek section was cancelled.  There were also a lot of very fast competent teams just behind us - time to put the hammer down.

Back to the slop.  We ground it out, constantly looking over our shoulders and pushed to the finish.  We arrived at the finish line, and went in to the final punch.  While inside, I was informed that one of the teams in front of us hadn’t cleared the course.  Unofficially, we were 3rd!!!  I told Jen and Mark, we were ecstatic!!!  We got our pictures taken at the finish line, cleaned some gear and went to clean up.

We came back later, grabbed breakfast and watched teams coming in.  It was great to be a part of the energy at the finish line of such an epic event.  The rest of the day was gear work, napping and eating.  The awards ceremony was excellent, and for an avid racer a great way to get your fix listening to everyone’s stories.  Although we all raced to the same checkpoints, the journeys we had from start to finish are the cool parts.  And every team had a different and interesting tale to tell.

Ultimately, we rode about 112 miles, paddled over 5.5 hours, and were on our feet for approximately 8 hours.

A special thanks to our sponsors, we couldn’t do this without you.  Jen and Mark, you are both such incredibly gifted athletes.  This was definitely a pinnacle race, we worked extremely well together and had a great time.  2009 USARA Nationals are in the books, and we took 3rd.  A great cap on the year, and a phenomenal way to debut the ImOnPoint.org race team.  Look for us next year…

See you outside!

Shane

shane Race Reports, Uncategorized

At about 2 am, seven hours into a 24 hour race, I nearly capsized our canoe.  This was not a “Oops, we misjudged that” near miss.  No, this was me laughing so hard, that the boat was unstable and nearly went over.  The 2009 Bushwack 24 hour Adventure Race was one of the most fun races I have ever done.  The course was great and the racers I shared the experience with put it over the top.

Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from Ronny of Odyssey Adventure Racing.  He planned on racing in Bushwack Adventure’s 24 hour Bushwack race and was interested me joining Hollie and himself.   Fast forward  a few weeks later and I was knocking out a multi-event training weekend in Roanoke with both of them.  The three of us meshed together as a team really well, the training was great (talk about living in a perfect place to train!) and we knew regardless of the official outcome, we were going to have a great race.

Ronnie reached out to through his vast network, and found us our support crew.  Thanks again to David and James for all your hard work.

Some map recon, scheming and planning…We were ready.

Race day arrived, and we all made our drive down to Raleigh for the 7 pm start.  We linked up, met the support crew and got checked in.  This was a Rogaine style race, different CPs had different values.  If you couldn’t clear the course, you really needed a good plan for which points you did and didn’t get.  However, we only received the points for the first third of the course.  We plotted out points, came up with our plan (and back-up plan) based on the information at hand, and were ready to go.

Here is the race:

Prologue, use ariel imagery maps to navigate to a set of nearby ponds.  CPs will be in the vicinity of the pond.

Awesome singletrack - essentially a bike-o section on an intricate trail system.

Great lake paddle with a nuclear power plant nearby.  The lighting from the facility, coupled with an overcast evening gave a surreal feel to this paddle leg.  Lots of points stashed away in various coves.  We were having a great time, when the conversation turned to race bibs.  Apparently, they want those bibs back after the race.  I was laughing as I described how I have accumulated a collection of them from his events.  The more we talked the funnier it was.  Hollie was laughing, I was howling and we nearly flipped the boat.

More biking followed by river canoeing.  This quickly became shallow water canoe racing.  For some unknown reason, there was a massive water release downstream just before the race.  What should have been several feet of nicely moving water turned into one inch less water than the draft of our Old Town canoe.  This was an exercise in getting in and out of the boat quickly and often.  We also perfected a “paddle and scoot” drill to get off of the rocks we were just barely hung up on.

Great trek/Orienteering section.  There was an O section during the later part of the paddle.  Great points, and definitely forcing teams to make decisions.  We had already missed one of the early paddle CPs and the ropes section (could be completed along the paddle or at the end).  So, Ronny came up with a solid attack plan for the section.  We moved quickly, adjusted the plan to grad a few more points and got back the our boats.

More shallow water canoe racing and back to the bikes.  Some riding and we were on another trek/O course.  Ronny crushed it once again, with Hollie and I as his wingmen working through the woods and picking off points.

The final bike leg to the finish area, a quick trip down to the ropes (crazy high points value) and we were done.  Final standings - 3rd in the coed elite and more fun than anyone has a right to have racing.

Hollie and Ronny - thank you for inviting me to join you.  We truly made some great memories.  To the Bushwack AR crew, great event, epic sections, tons of variety and lots of swag.  It was obvious that a lot of time and effort went into the course design and event execution.

To all our sponsors - wow.  We couldn’t race at the level we do without your assistance.  A special thanks to Spokes, Etc bike shop for getting my wheels essentially rebuilt in a few hours.

See you outside!

shane Race Reports, Uncategorized

We raced as IMONPoint.org and I am still catching up on everything I missed over the last week. Look for our race write up soon.  Until then, out the USARA Nationals website: www.usaranationals.com/home.aspx and the IMONPoint.org site.

shane Uncategorized

March 23, 2001
10th Group Wins Inaugural Water Infiltration Competition
Story and Photos by
Master Sgt Jim Culligan 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group

Recently a four-man team from 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) earned the title of champions in the first ever Special Forces Waterborne Infiltration Competition held in Key West, Fla. The competition was designed to test the waterborne infiltration skills used in the Special Operations units. Sgt. 1st Class Rolf Jensen, Sgt. 1st Class Bill Hoopes, Master Sgt. Jim Culligan and Capt Brian Petit completed the five-event course in nine hours and seven minutes.

Nine teams from four Special Forces Groups competed in the event, with the fastest overall time determining the winner. The competition consisted of six events: nighttime static-line airborne jump into the ocean, 1,500 meter surface swim, 15 nautical-mile kayak navigation course, 20 nautical-mile Zodiac Rubber Raiding Craft navigation course, 10-mile ruck-run and an obstacle course. Time started when the team exited the aircraft and the stopped when the four-man team completed the obstacle course.

“We planned our strategy and executed our plan”, said team captain Hoopes. Hoopes started the team off with a perfect “spot” as the C-130 lumbered over the dark, oceanic drop zone and the four-man team waddled off the ramp with swim fins already strapped to their feet. The team splashed into “Shark Drop Zone”, discarded their parachute equipment and had to locate each other in the water before beginning the mile surface swim to shore. The next leg of the competition was the kayak navigation course. Teams were required to plot their points and map a route taking into consideration wind, tides and obstacles, such as shallow reefs. All teams were equipped with two, two-man Klepper kayaks. The Klepper kayak has been historically used for military application by many Nordic countries and was adopted by the Special Forces units because it is light, silent, low-profile, easy to hide and it can carry hundreds of pounds of equipment. Jensen powered the 3rd Battalion team in this event and built a lead that the team would never relinquish.

Following the kayak, teams were required to transload their combat gear into a Zodiac Rubber Raiding Craft and plot another route to five navigation points in and around the “cayes” or small islands of Key West. This event tested the ability of teams to navigate to pinpoint locations in the dark of night with minimal navigation aids. “There are no terrain features out here. You must rely on your compass, your map and channel markers.”, remarked Staff Sgt. Shane Hagerman, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG (A) team.

Teams then transitioned to the ground phase of the operation: the 10-mile ruck-run. This event tested the team’s ability to continue on land after seven to ten hours on the water. Loaded with 70-plus pounds of gear, the teams pounded down the streets of Key West in the early morning hours. Jensen and Petit (both former Best Ranger Competition contestants) pushed the 3rd Bn. team to stay on the winning pace. The camaraderie of the Special Forces teams was evident as competitors hooted and hollered for each other as they passed by in the out-and-back course. The final event was the obstacle course. Cargo nets, barbed wire, high walls and rope climbs proved a great challenge after the night’s air, sea and land events. Veteran combat diver and Command Sergeant Major of 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG(A), Vic Allen, grunted through the obstacle course and crossed the finish line with his three team members. Fellow soldiers cheered the team who finished seventh overall.

After a few hours sleep, the competitors gathered for a barbecue and awards ceremony. Major General William Boykin, commanding general of US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School presented trophies and coins to the competitors. The three 10th Group teams soaked up the warm Key West sunshine before returning to the snowy Mountain Post.

Next task for these Special Forces soldiers:
Winter Warfare Training in the Colorado Rockies.

shane Thoughts on AR

Jen Moos, Mark Lattanzi and myself are off to the USARA Adventure Race National Championship
October 22-24, 2009 in Pilot Point, TX. This will be the debut race for the On Point Foundation (ImONPoint.org) race team.

Pilot Point Texas - here we come!

See you outside (in TEXAS),

Shane

shane Next up for the team……, Uncategorized

This gets me thinking about our teammates about to do the day of endurance this weekend.  The incredible scenery reminds me of Colorado - Brian and Shannon I am jealous!!!

UltraRunning from Matt Hart on Vimeo.

shane Thoughts on AR, Uncategorized

From the 25-26th of September I will be off racing with Ronny and Holly from Odyssey Adventure Racing.  We will be completing as a 3 person, coed elite team in the Bushwack 2009 Adventure Race down in the Raleigh/Triangle area of North Carolina.  This should be a great event, Bushwack Adventures and Don Childrey have a reputation of hosting great events.  On top of that - Ronny, Holly and I managed to get a great 10 hour training day in a few weeks ago and our teamwork was excellent.  Look for us racing as Odyssey Adventure Racing.

See you outside,

Shane

shane Next up for the team……, Uncategorized

Teamhalfwaythere.com will be working closely with the On Point Foundation.  Check them out at: www.ImONPoint.org

Here is who they are and what they do:

Our Mission:

Helping service members regain control of their lives through education, rehabilitation, services, and equipment.

ARE YOU ON POINT?

“On Point” is a military term referring to a person who takes the lead in a patrol or tactical movement. This lead individual carries the mission of guiding the rest of the unit and assumes the responsibility of protecting all that follow. That individual is known as being ON POINT!

Service members have always worked around the clock, devoting their life to duty. The attacks of 9/11 brought forth a new era for service members, along with the high price they would pay to protect our way of life. All service members have made sacrifices while some have paid the ultimate price in defense of our county and community. With the shifting economy and the ever present strain carried by our men and women in uniform it is time for us to be “ON POINT” and take responsibility for our service members.

On Point Foundation was formed as a nonprofit in 2009 by three former soldiers. With combined military experience of over 30 years, 20 years overseas experience, and 11 operational deployments - these three service members have now focused their dedication, knowledge, and love of country to “helping those who protect us”.

When deployed overseas and engaged in combat we put our trust in other organizations to protect our family and our way of life at home. These organizations do not violate our trust! The soldiers that founded On Point wish to honor and take responsibly for many service members, not just the members of the Armed Forces. We define service members as personnel - past or present - of the Armed Forces, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and federal agents.

On Point is dedicated to providing honest and valuable services that can truly make a difference in the lives of the people we sponsor.

shane Next up for the team……, Uncategorized

For Adventure Racing, I had a set of criteria I wanted to meet.  Durable, light, and comfortable.  These bikes may spend a portion of a race in the bottom of a canoe, be pushed through thick underbrush, and be ridden like an XC race machine.  After a lot of research and a few test sessions, I concluded that the Salsa Dos Niner was a perfect fit.

I have been riding, training and racing on a Salsa Dos Niner for just over seven months.  I am right at six feet tall, so already a good candidate for the 29er wheel craze.  I really like the way the bigger wheels roll over obstacles and take the edge off of small bumps, roots, washboard and trail chadder.  The Dos Niner is a softail (a shock in the back, the chainstays flex up and down, there is not an actual pivot, nor is there the associated pivot hardware).  Those big wheels coupled with the 1″ Relish shock in the back really makes for an efficient, fast and smooth ride.

Bottom line.  I like the bike so much I am seriously considering getting a Selma as my singlespeed training tool!

See you outside,

Shane

shane Gear Reviews

Overtrained and overraced.

So, the last two races were pretty miserable.  Thankfully I had great teammates to pull me through.  Lessons learned: don’t race at 100% plus, have completely debilitating lower body cramps (curled up on the side of the road - see the Odyssey One Day write up), throw your back out a few days later, take Percocet and Flexiril and think that is an adequate recovery and taper for a race 2 weeks after the blow up race!

Did I mention how lucky I am to have the teammates I have!

shane Thoughts on AR, Uncategorized