Michele, Peter and I finished the mega drive from Atlanta just in time to pick Jeff Woods up from the tiny little airport that serves the North Woods. Then we checked in at the race headquarters and grabbed some dinner at a popular local restaurant -- well, the parking lot was full, so we figured it was a good bet. Peter and I sampled some of the fresh catch from the Great Lakes we could view just out the restaurant window. We said "hello" to friends Enduraventure, who were dining at the same spot and took the last pieces of bread from the salad bar ... ARGH! ;-) It was good to see them and some other familiar faces way up north.

We got the maps and most of the points at check-in today. We'll get the rest tomorrow at the pre-race meeting. Until then, we certainly will be doing our best to guess the order of CPs and the disciplines. I'm sure we'll be surprised when all is revealed tomorrow.

Better get some sleep, as I'm sure tomorrow night will be restless.


- Paul

Well, since it is top secret, we can't tell you everything, but we can tell you it is in preparation for the MiX next week. Were hoping that with the right conditions and our secret weapon we can breeze to a great finish! Look for photos and race updates at Checkpoint Tracker starting next Monday. Until then, we'll be running aorund town collecting the last little bits of gear we need and making the long 15+ hour drive from Atlanta to the Michigan upper peninsula.

- Peter

Depending on who you ask, they might say nothing is more important. For me, this past weekend, helping a fellow racer out was the answer. The Ranger Run has become a yearly tradition for me, and I have done the duathalon the last two years. This year I had my sights set on competing again and I was hoping to beat my time from last year.

This is a relatively short event, less than 27 miles total, with more than 21 miles biking on fire roads. The biking is sandwiched by 2 runs, a 3.1 mile and 2 mile segment. I finished the first run and got out onto the bike section in second place, pedaling hard to try and catch the rider ahead of me. Very soon I heard someone coming up behind me, and slowly pull by. As he went by I noticed his rear tire was low and he proceeded to mention it. I asked if he had a tube or pump, he had neither. I started reaching under my saddle to unzip my little bag and pull out the spare I had. He declined the tube, and said he'll take a chance and see if it gets worse. After a couple minutes more, it had gotten low enough he took me up on the offer of the pump. Without thinking I pulled over beside him and told him to grab it out of my pack, I wished him luck, said I'd see him at the finish one way or another, and continued on.

Less than 15 minutes later I was somewhat suprised when I heard another bike coming up behind me, it was the guy with the flat! I was impressed, he had pumped it up, got back on, and made up all that time. I struggled to try and keep up with him, but I just didn't have the strength.

I finished the riding leg in second place, and held on during the last run to come in second overall. Looking back, had I not volunteered my pump I might have gotten first. Maybe someone else would have loaned him a pump. Who knows. All I know, is that if I knew then, what I know now, I still would have stopped and volunteered anything I had.

Even if it ment not winning.

-Peter