Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Tuesday Update


Photo by Brendon Purdy RAAM - Brett Descends
More Kansas (6/23)
Mid-Kansas (6/23)

Crew readies bike (6/23)
Kansas Sunrise (6/23)

Today marked the half way point as Tem Strong Heart passed through TS#25 in Pratt, Kansas (mile 1500!) at 5:50PM CDT this evening.

Update 10:30PM CDT: Checking in on Team Strong Heart finds them 27 minutes behind Team Surfing USA on the road but with their (TSUSA) 30 minute time penalty that gap is erased and it is more or less a dead heat! The race is on!

TSH is now between Maise, KS and El Dorado, KS and are heading for TS#27. Hot conditions were encountered this afternoon as TSH reports temperatures topping 100F! Current conditions in Maise, KS: 82F, clear, with a steamy 72F dew point! Temperatures will hover in the 70's overnight not offering a lot of relief from the heat. Tomorrow will be another hot day with highs well into the 90's with very humid conditions as the make they way into Missouri.

Update 2:30PM CDT: Just took a call from Andy as he and Brett just ended a shift. The weather is hot, Andy reports 98F!, and the racing is good. Andy and Brett have experienced one flat tire each otherwise it sounds like all equipment is functioning well. TSH has now been racing for over 1400 miles and 68 consecutive hours!

Update 1:30PM CDT: Team Strong Heart has taken the lead! Team Surfing USA has incurred a 30min time penalty which puts Team Strong Heart into the lead. TSH is currently between TS#23 in Plains, KS and TS#24 in Bucklin, KS. Current conditions in Bucklin, KS: 93F, clear, with wind S at 13mph. TSH is feeling a little humidity too with the dew point at 63F.

Update 7AM CDT: Checking in this morning there is a text message stamped 6:51AM from Andy saying they just passed the first (last place) soloist. TSH is now between TS#21 in Clayton, New Mexico and TS#22 at Elkhart, Kansas. To get to Elkhart they will leave New Mexico and ride across the pan handle of Oklahoma. Elkhart sits on the KS/OK border. Current conditions: 66F with calm winds. The temps will climb into the 90's on the route today.

Check the leaderboard sees that Team Strong Heart has trimmed the gap to the leaders (Team Surfing USA) to 37 minutes at the last time station!

Update 12AM CDT: The team has now passed through TS#19 in Cimarron, NM. I think it is Andy and Brett who are on the road now. They took the shift following Steve and Tim's arrival in Taos, NM. Kansas is on tap for tomorrow. TSH should see temps into the 90's with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Winds will continue to be from the south.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

GO TSH GO!!! You guys are amazing.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.
Vincent Lombardi

jorgehuevo said...

keep it up, we are doing the 200 paul bunyan ride, and everybody is going to be wearing the strong heart uniform, in suport of our felloww strong hearts in the road

jorge

Eric said...

Way to go! Keep pushing guys- You got them in your sights now. Very exciting.

Anonymous said...

TSH Rocks gentlemen! Keep on reducing the time differential! You guys can do it!
Tim, we're pulling for ya lad, keep up the good work, tis a bit easier this time with a four man team.
Many many thanks to the fine and hard working support team, you guys all are the best! Keep hangin' in there we enjoy the daily information.
May Allah watch over you all and keep you safe as you travel.
Please keep and freeze any road kill you see and send it on over to me..., meat is getting so damn expensive these days......Armadillo makes great shis ke babs.....
Thinkin about ya Tim, godspeed to you all.
Wild Bill in Florida....(Tim's uncle)

Kim said...

Way to rock RAAM TSH; keep up the amazing performance! Everyone back home is pulling for you (and suffering a decrease in productivity which can be directly connected to an increase in checking the RAAM leaderboard).

This must be a walk in the park for you Brett, with a whole posse to share the work. You had an exceptional solo finish in '07, and TSH is looking to finish mighty fine in '09!

Take good care,
Kim (Brett's SIL)

Anonymous said...

Just read TSH is in the LEAD!!!
WAY TO GO riders and crew.....keep on ridin and work up a good lead ladies and gents, luck be with you all and hopes for a strong finish in first place.
Remember, if you're not the lead sled dog, you're looking at a bunch of .......well, you know......so here's to no more of those .......!!
TSH ROCKS!!!
Uncle Bill

Gordon said...

Well done gentlemen! Although I had no doubts that you would pass Surf USA (the charts reveal that you've been creeping up on them at 2.4 secs per mile since Chama). You never know when a penalty is around the corner so stay sharp and push hard when it starts getting cool. I further suggest you drink some Cream Soda and Heed, a very tastey beverage!

Anonymous said...

TS 29 Was a great stage time lads! that's another 14 minutes up on Surf.

Kim said...

In the lead with a minute to spare; well done TSH! Only hope you are having half as much fun racing as we are watching the excitement unfold.

Kim

nerdman said...

What did you guys eat in Pratt?