Adventure Racing Links.

September 2001

Barb Dutrow and Carl Gable teamed up with three other runners in the Colorado Outward Bound Relay to raise money for the victims in NYC.

The inaugural Discovery Channel World Championship Adventure Race was held in Switzerland in early September. Team Santa Fe members Todd Kurth, Kim Bear and Jan Bear participated as Team Zimmer Orthopedics.

Read all about these races in Team Santa Fe at the Races section.

October 2001

24 Hours of Moab
October 13th & 14th, 2001
Daphne Young

Outrageous race! Hundreds of racers and all kinds of bikes and gear were present. This was my second year to participate in the 24 Hours of Moab. Last year we raced in the 4 person coed pro/am division and placed 4th, this year we raced in the same division but were up against the best of the best they were all in town for the "World Championships Mountain bike race" the week prior so apparently they all stuck around. As a newly put together team we tied up for eighth place, we had faster times and more laps but the competition was just a bit than we expected. We tried and as far as I was concerned we had a wonderful race. We had a couple of mishaps such as one of my teammates separated her shoulder and re-fractured some ribs, one of our teammates forgot to wake a rider when they decided to change the order of riders so we lost some very valuable time and of course we all took a few tumbles here and there which didn't help as far as time goes, every second and minute counts when the clock is running.

I really like this race because it is not your typical mountain bike do a loop get back and your done; it's 24 hours long. The terrain is amazing from gravel road to single track/sand combined with slick-rock to sand so deep you have to carry your bike and of course the infamous "nose dive hill" about a five foot downhill rock jump! Some dare to attempt it and actually make it and others, well, either the EMT's become there friends or they like me get off and carry it down and carry it back up the other side. There are places you can actually let it rip and make up for lost time for the areas to most of us are un-rideable.

As for the race I would recommend it to any technical rider, I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner there's just to many sticky parts involved all threw out the course. It gets in the upper 70's during the day and into the teens by night and it is so dark. The stars are brilliant and no moon or clouds to be seen which makes it pretty cold by the earliest of morning.

I ride my titanium "obed" Litespeed, I've had this bike now for three years and it just it the best investment I have ever made. I wouldn't say that I am the most gracious rider around, I have taken some major tumbles, flown down hill sides, hit trees, couldn't un-clip my feet and just fall over and my bike just stays so intact. I have had to re-adjust the handlebars a few times and loosen my clips but I wouldn't ride anything else, it's as solid as it comes.

As for any long race there is a time that comes in your head that says "why am I out here?" and then when it's all over, someone asks..."is this our team for next year?" we all look at each other and say "ya...lets do it"!

Be sure to check out our ongoing feature - The Racer's Story.
This segment teammate, Slate Stern, trains for North Pole adventure