12 Hours of Gears

Since my fingers are the only part of my body that DOESN'T hurt today, I figured I'd take a moment to recount my second 12 Hour solo race attempt.

I had intended to sign up for the 6 hour solo race, but there was no 6 hour solo singlespeed class, only 12. And since the price was the the same for both races (a relatively cheap $35), I decided to take a shot at 12 hours.

Now, had I really looked at all the particulars, I probably would have signed up for the 6 Hour Solo Men open class. I'll explain. The 12 hour race runs from 8am to 8pm (unlike 10am to 10pm in the Fun Promotions series). The race venue is 2.5 hours from Chicago. Now, the 6 hour race ran from 1pm to 7pm. You can check my math, but leaving home at 9am sure beats the hell out of leaving at 4am. But that, indeed, is what I did.

After roughly 3 hours of sleep, I was headed north.



When I arrived at the New Fane trailhead near Kewaskum, WI 1.5 hours before the race start, there were only 3 other cars there. I sure hope I got the right place! I setup up my meager pit area, and looked around to see if I knew a SOUL here.



Fortunately I eventually spotted Ben and Molly out looking for a spot to setup the Half Acre tent for their due team of Julie and Amanda. I was more than happy to share!



I have to give a huge shoutout to Ben for being my impromptu support person. Without his help I wouldn't have been able to go my first 5 laps without stopping. At about 4.7 miles those 5 laps only took 2 hours, but it was a good start.

The trail was a pretty easy mix of reclaimed ORV trail and singletrack. They laid out some new single track through a grove of pine that was not only extremely tight and twisty with trees that would take your skin off if you hit them, but it was also VERY bumpby. This is the reason I can't bend more than 5 degrees this morning without feer of throughing out my back completely. There were about 3 long loose climbs and a couple short steep climbs. But there were 3 AWESOME screamin' fast down hills. One of which was in very tight, dry, and loose singletrack. This was a stay-off-the-breaks-and-hang-on-for-dear-life rollercoaster of a ride. I looked forward to it on every lap. Fortunately I only got held up by slower traffic on a couple laps.

I pretty much managed to stay on 25 minute laps throughout the day. My first few laps where closer to 20, and later in the day they were more like 27, but as it got later in the day I started staying in the pit longer. I had set a goal of 20 laps, and it was definitely achievable, but at 17 laps and 10 hours my body told me it was done. It had tried to tell me earlier in the day, but it was fibbing then. This time it was for real.

Unfortunately the organizers stopped updating the 12 hour singlespeeders at about 4:30, so I had no way of knowing if I was in position to lose spots by stopping or pick up spots if i just did one more lap, but I was done. As of 4:30 I was in 7th of 10, and it appeared the podium was only to 3 places, so it didn't really matter. I was just surprised to find out, though, as I checked the results, that indeed I had moved up to 5th. My 17th lap in fact put me into 5th. I would have needed 4 more laps to move into 4th, however, and there just wasn't time. So even blind to the standings, I managed to do just what I needed to to get my best finish. I'm pretty happy with that!

Congratulations to Julie and Amanda for their 2nd place in the 12 Hour Women Duo catagory!!



And to Dave Norton for his WIN in the 6 Hour Solo Men Open catagory. In 6 hours this dude completed just 2 fewer laps than I managed in 10! Not only that, but his time would have been good for 2nd in the Duo catagory. Amazing job, buddy! (Sorry, not picture :( )

I kid you not. On one of my laps out in the woods I could SWEAR I smelled rootbeer. Yes, rootbeer. In the woods. Anyway, I instantly wanted a rootbeer float. Fortunately, several hours later I was able to sate my desires at culvers with my pit and racing buddies.





Goog times. Thanks again to all those that shared it with me!

WORS #2 Treadfest

This past weekend marked my inaugural WORS race. I played it smart this go 'round and entered the Sport SS class. I would be making 3 laps of the roughly 5 mile course laid out up, down, and arround the Lake Geneva Ski Resort.

I'll just give some quick impressions of the race. I started well, given that 100 yards off the line they had us climbing straight up the ski hill. The first half of the first lap I felt almost asleep. I really didn't feel much, and had a hard time getting into rhythem.

I have NEVER seen so much congestion in a mountain bike race. EVER. The course was well laid out with lots of single track, and plenty of openings for passing, but there were just so many people on the course at one time that there was almost never a moment I wasn't on someone's wheel. Combined with a stiff gear, I had a really hard time on the short steep climbs back in the woods when there was ALWAYS a slow geared rider spinning up, or more often stopped, on the hill.

Finally I was racing a guy named Roger from Alterra Coffee for the whole race. I had planned to make my move in the clearing just before the last descent to the finish line. I didn't have to jump and was about to resign myself to finish in order when I notice he was taking the last corner too hot and might not make the chute. I put the hammer down and we came to the line in a photo finish. I have no way of knowing who was first to the line, but my momentum carried me first through the chute. It felt like a pretty sleazy pass, but I guess that's racin'. It was good for 7th of 26.

After my race I used a 70-200 L glass lens to get some pics of my team mates and friends.






More on my Flickr page

The F Word

Forclosure.

I found out this weekend that the house that I grew up in, the house that my parents took a bath on when they sold it a couple years ago, is now in forclosure with the new "owners". Procededings began in December, and if I understand correctly the current owners will have to be out by June if they can't make good on the loan.

It's so sad to think of the house that my parents loved and cared for for all those years, and that I grew up in will sit vacant with bank signs in the windows. I could say more but it makes me too sad.

In other news, It looks like Jimmy P from Dell (see my last post and comments for details) is nothing but a robot reply, on the look out for Dell bashing. Hmmmmm, do you suppose there's a lot of that going on in the blogosphere these days? I sent an email that day to customer_advocate@dell.com as requested, and I have yet to receive any response. So that's about on par with the lousy customer service I have recieved from Dell thus far. Meanwhile, my money is in their bank account, and I'm warehousing a dead monitor. Hey Dell... YOURS IS HERE!!!

Dude, you're never gettin' your DELL!!

Paula suggested I use this public forum to express my extreme displeasure with Dell and their sad excuse for customer service.

Originally I tried to convey the entire experience I've had with Dell, but the novel I ended up with would surely cause some of you to jump in front of traffic.

So I'll sum up.

I researched and settled on the Dell 2007WFP LCD monitor as it seemed to be the best for photo editing (for those not in the know I'm a part time wedding photographer).

Ordered 4/21
Delivered 4/25
Set up and no display, not even the self test.

First call to Tech support 4/25 - The advisor in India did not seem to understand that I simply wanted to exchange this monitor for the exact same model. He made it seem like that was not possible, and I would need to return it, and re-order the one I wanted. He claimed to have taken care of the return for me. Told me to wait for return shipping label.

Later 4/25 - First dude's "manager" calls ME back and says that the first dude wasn't allowed to call returns on my behalf. He said he'd get someone on the line for me and put me on hold. A few minutes later he comes on line and tells me that he can't get through so he'll call me back once he gets through. Acutally what he says is "I'll have you call me back". I clarified "you mean you'll call me back when you get someone on the line?" He says, "yes, I'll have you call me back." For real. I could not make this stuff up folks. I'm not that smart.
He comes back on the line says that the returns department is now closed, he'll "have you call me back" on Monday.

Second call to Customer Service 4/28 - This person had a shred of brain and sets up an exchange for me. Or so I think. I have no proof except an exchange number which seems good for nothing rather than people telling me that I have an exchange number. Supposedly something will happen in 24-48 hours.

Third call to Customer Service 5/1 - 72 hours later and nothing has happend. The woman tells me that it takes at least 8 business days for "something" to happen. "Please be patient."

Fourth call to "so called" Customer Service 5/9 - It's been 10 business days, and while "things" are happening all around, "some" thing has yet to happen. While most people complain about the accent of help desk advisors in India, I don't think I would have understood this woman in ANY language. She really ought to be doing those voice overs for car or bank commercials where they read REEEAALLY fast to get all thet legalease in at the end. Yeah. She'd make millions. So now I really have no idea what's going on. I've given up on the idea of something. Now I'm pretty much hoping for anything.

It's now been 15 business days since I first called for support on my DOA Dell monitor. Dell has had my money for 15 days, and I've got jack. I think I've been more than patient.

Did I mention that in my full time job, I travel all over Illinois as an IT consultant for one of the Big Three? Right now we're in a period of fast technological growth in the auto industry. Technicians are starting to consider a computer to be just like any other computer they'd buy for their toolbox. They ask ME what kind of laptop they should buy, what BRAND do I recommend? Hmmmm... well, there's lots of choices, but I'd stay away from Dell.

Like Son like Father...

Ok, I guess one could argue who started the biking thing, but my dad's definitely taken it to the next level. This summer my dad will be biking 3300 miles (Take that Paula! ;) ) across the country from San Diego, CA to Savannah, GA to raise money for the Fuller Center for Housing. Below is the letter he's sent out to his friends and collegues in an attempt to raise the $4,000 required for him to participate.

Dear friends,

I need help! (Mary says that all the time – now I believe her.)
Most of you know that I do a lot of bicycling. You may not know that for some time I’ve had this itch to bike across the country. Well I got my wish.

Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity, has started The Fuller Center for Housing, with basically the same mission of eradicating poverty housing worldwide. For details see: http://www.fullercenter.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AboutFAQ.

Mary and I support both organizations, but the big difference between them is this: only the Fuller Center is raising funds via a cross-country bicycle trip! About a dozen 18-27 year-olds (and moi – hey, I told you I need help!) will be biking from San Diego, CA to Savannah, GA from June 14 to August 8. We will also spend 6 days building houses at various sites along the way. I have committed (no – not been committed) to raising $4,000 – half for Michigan and half for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (where $2,500 will build an entire house).
This is where you come. A penny a mile would be $33.00, but any amount will be greatly appreciated. I’ll need a few significantly larger donations (or a lot of new friends!) to make my goal of $4,000.

Please send a tax-deductible donation payable to Fuller Center Bike Trip (put my name in the memo) to:

Fuller Center for Housing
PO Box 523
Americus, GA 31709-0523

Or you can donate on line at www.fullercenter.org/bikedonations If you do this, be sure to donate “in honor of Tony Campbell” (so I get credit) by checking the box at the bottom of the donation page



THANK YOU, for whatever you can do to help. It would take thousands of Fuller Centers and Habitat for Humanities to meet the need. If you are not able to help financially, please pray for the safety of the riders and the success of the ride.

In partnership,
Tony Campbell

PS The trip is paid for by registration fees and an anonymous donor. All funds raised go toward housing for those in need.

PPS If you have more time on your hands than you know what to do with, click here:
www.habitat.org/rv/contact_info.aspx.

I myself will be donating a penny a mile. I know we're all strapped for cash these days, but anything you can do to help would be put to extremely good use! And, as my pop says, if you can't send money, please keep him and his riding companions in your thoughts this summer so that he (and his shiney new bike) gets home in one piece!

I can't put into words how proud I am of my dad, not only for all the hard work he's put in to prepare for this ride, but also for the work that he (and my mom.. Hi Mom!) does every day. They're a couple of retirees with nothing else to do but travel all over the country at their whim, but they continue to give back by not only building houses for Habitat but also leading Habitat builds as members of the Care-a-Vanners, and volunteering for the Red Cross. God bless them both!

So, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll have birthday pictures up this weekend.

Time Flies..

My my... every day I keep thinking I need to post, but I need to get one of those "roundtuits"..

This past weekend I went back to the Motherland to ride some awesome trails and surround myself with friends as I moved one year closer to the infinite abyss.

I'll make sure to sit down tonight and write all about it and post pics. I will becuase it seems that I need to sit down more these days, and if I don't write things down I forget them more quickly.. What's up with that??