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Now THIS is a real man's mountain bike race.

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Originally posted by: sward666
Originally posted by: pyonir
depends. What kind of underwear is it?
Click to expand...
It's Fausto's thread. WTF kinda underwear you think it is?
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This thing right here
Is lettin all the ladies know
What guys talk about
You know
The finer things in life
Hahaha
Check it out

Ooh dat dress so scandalous
And ya know another ni**a couldn't handle it
See ya shakin that thang like who's da ish
With a look in ya eye so devilish

Uh
Ya like to dance at all the hip hop spots
And ya cruise to the crews like connect da dots
Not just urban she likes the pop
Cuz she was livin la vida loca

BRIDGE
She had dumps like a truck truck truck
Thighs like what what what
Baby move your butt butt butt
Uh
I think to sing it again
She had dumps like a truck truck truck
Thighs like what what what
All night long
Let me see that thong

CHORUS
I like it when the beat goes da na da na
Baby make your booty go da na da na
Girl I know you wanna show da na da na
That thong th thong thong thong
I like it when the beat goes da na da na
Baby make your booty go da na da na
Girl I know you wanna show da na da na
That thong th thong thong thong

That girl so scandalous
And I know another ni**a couldn't handle it
And she shakin that thang like who's da ish
With a look in her eye so devilish

Uh
She like to dance at all the hip hop spots
And she cruise to the crews like connect da dots
Not just urban she likes the pop
Cuz she was livin la vida loca

BRIDGE

CHORUS (2x)

Whoaaa
That dress so scandalous
And I swear another ni**a couldn't handle it
See ya shakin that thang like who's da ish
With a look in her eye so devilish

(Whoa)
Uh ya like to dance at all the hip hop spots
And ya cruise to the crews like connect da dots
Not just urban ya like the pop
Cuz she was livin la vida loca

(Whoa)
She had dumps like a truck truck truck
Thighs like what what what
Baby move your butt butt butt
(Ooh)
Uh think to sing it again
Cuz she had dumps like a truck truck truck
Thighs like what what what
Baby move your butt butt butt
Uh think to sing it again
Come on
Come on
Come on
Come on

Yeahhhh yeah

CHORUS (3x)

Whoa
Uh alright
Uh whoa yeah
Ooh
Whoa
(Like it when the beat goes da na da na)
(Baby make your booty go da na da na)
(Girl I know you wanna show da na da na)
Baby
(That thong th thong thong thong)

(I like it when the beat goes da na da na)
(Baby make your booty go da na da na)
(Girl I know you wanna show da na da na)
(That thong th thong thong thong)

.......to fade


😀
 
Originally posted by: Fausto
Originally posted by: pyonir
You're going to die.
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Nah. I'm to mean to die. 😀

Seriously though: 5-6 hours at altitude in NC at the height of the summer on rocky, narrow trails......what could go wrong? 😛
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Huh??
Even at the top of Mitchell, you'd hardly be considered "at altitude". I live at about 7K
I did the road version of that ride when I was in college. Was a fun ride.
 
Originally posted by: Armitage
Originally posted by: Fausto
Originally posted by: pyonir
You're going to die.
Click to expand...
Nah. I'm to mean to die. 😀

Seriously though: 5-6 hours at altitude in NC at the height of the summer on rocky, narrow trails......what could go wrong? 😛
Click to expand...

Huh??
Even at the top of Mitchell, you'd hardly be considered "at altitude". I live at about 7K
I did the road version of that ride when I was in college. Was a fun ride.
Click to expand...
6,000 feet is enough to feel it if you live at sea level. I've been to CO enough times to know this to be fact.
 
Originally posted by: Fausto
Originally posted by: Armitage
Originally posted by: Fausto
Originally posted by: pyonir
You're going to die.
Click to expand...
Nah. I'm to mean to die. 😀

Seriously though: 5-6 hours at altitude in NC at the height of the summer on rocky, narrow trails......what could go wrong? 😛
Click to expand...

Huh??
Even at the top of Mitchell, you'd hardly be considered "at altitude". I live at about 7K
I did the road version of that ride when I was in college. Was a fun ride.
Click to expand...
6,000 feet is enough to feel it if you live at sea level. I've been to CO enough times to know this to be fact.
Click to expand...
You should start smoking - 6000 feet wouldn't make any difference then.

Hey BTW, our sweetheart is in trouble again.
 
Wouldn't a real man run you and your mountain bike off the road with his Ford F-150 while swilling a budweiser and firing a rifle into the air? I mean honestly. 😀
 
Originally posted by: Fausto
Apparently the 5th edition of this beast is coming up at the end of July.

The question is: do I hate myself enough to pay $60 to kick my own ass? 😛

5th annual off-road assault on mt. mitchell

"55 miles and 12,000 ft. of climbing in the rugged Pisgah National Forest surrounding the tallest mountain of the east coast. Contact Todd Branham of Blue Ridge Adventures at 828-606-5107."

"have no illusions that you will escape some type of injury on 55 miles of rough terrain.....whether abrasions or mental breakdown. everyone suffers in one way or another"
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Sounds like a party. 😀
Click to expand...

I'll pass.
 
those NC guys seem to be pretty hardcore

i think this race might be harder.

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica (April 26, 2004) On the heels of the highly successful 2003 La Ruta de Los Conquistadores, the 2004 edition has been announced for November 12-14, 2004.
La Ruta de Los Conquistadores is no ordinary mountain bike race. Each year riders confront the daunting task of retracing the historic steps of Spanish conquistadors across Costa Rica in this killer 3 day stage race that covers over 300 miles and 30,000 vertical feet of climbs spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the beaches of the Caribbean Sea.
Not only do riders face-off with competitors from around the world, but they must pit themselves against Costa Rica?s unforgiving natural environment, which includes endless hike-a-bike through mud that will peal the skin from the riders? heels, brutal climbs up smoldering volcanoes, long tricky descents through coffee plantations, and so many climate changes that riders may suffer heat stroke and hypothermia on the same day!
?It?s more like an adventure race than a world cup event,? explains Román Urbina, creator of La Ruta de Los Conquistadores. ?There are sections that can?t even be navigated by 4X4s or motor-cross bikes. The riders have no access to external support and must rely on their own tenacity and the help of other competitors.?
La Ruta de Los Conquistadores is not only a psychological pressure cooker, but most riders agree that their bikes are never quite the same after a tour of duty at La Ruta. (The route eats bike parts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Each year, countless articles and television spots appear in dozens of languages featuring La Ruta de Los Conquistadores and the heroes who brave its many faces. Race organizer Roman Urbina predicts 2004 will be an even bigger media event, drawing on the wide international appeal of La Ruta de Los Conquistadores.
3 days, 300 miles, and 30,000 vertical feet of nasty climbs, set in the harrowing wilderness of Costa Rica. Whether the athletes are getting paid to suffer or amateurs willing to dig deep, La Ruta de Los Conquistadores promises to be a dramatic and visually compelling event that should not be missed by cyclists, couch-bound sports enthusiasts, print and cable media alike.
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:Q

race diary from 2002:

Pre race

?You?re kind of quiet Matty,? commented a friend who knows me well.

There?s an undercurrent of nervousness running through me. The kind that makes your stomach not feel quite right. In just a few short hours I?ll be joining 400 others, taking on the "World?s Toughest Mountain Bike Race." We?ve convened in the surf town of Jaco. There?s a constant buzz of excitement among the riders. The drive from San Jose enabled us to see the mountains we?d be climbing on Friday. Costa Rica by bus is an adventure in itself. Yellow lines?stop signs?all are optional down here. Thankfully, I don?t get carsick.

It was great seeing return riders, those who became fast and life long friends after sharing in the pain together. First time riders sought tips and other insights from those of us who were more than willing to share stories from La Ruta?s past.

Time to go to bed now. 3:30 a.m. comes quick. Months of training hopefully pay off tomorrow. There?s a part of me that?s still questioning why I?m here vs. at home in New York City, having a glass of wine on my roof deck. But I just need to shrug off the doubts and anxiety and get psyched to beat this thing.

Day 1

Today was possibly my most frustrating day on a bike. La Ruta 2002, in it?s 10th Anniversary, began in the stunning coastal town of Jaco. Wake up call was at 3:15 this morning. And the race gun went off right at 5:00 a.m. The race followed the new start that was promised to be easier then in the years past. Well?that was a lie. Section One was quite possibly the hardest stage of any in La Ruta's history. After exiting Jaco in a torrential downpour we hit a dirt road, where we were promptly covered head-to-toe with mud. The road quickly took a severe turn for the steep. For the next several hours we slogged upward, pushing our bikes through thick, heavy, wet clay. The foot-and-a-half deep mud stuck to the tires making it impossible to push. For at least a half hour I simply put my bike on my back and played sherpa.

Then I entered my hell. I was riding well and moving quickly when I came to a ?T? intersection. Arrows were pointing in both directions. So, I followed the pack. Bad move. Over an hour and a half later, wading through ankle deep mud, we realized we were going the wrong way when I noticed a group of Costa Rican riders coming back from in the opposite direction. There were almost a 100 of us back there. Once we got back to the intersection, we were only ½ hour to the first aid station. I pulled in 3 hours later than I should have-and absolutely fried physically and mentally.


And I had Stage 2 to look forward to-traditionally the most difficult stage in the entire race. Trying to make up for lost time I pushed it and completed the stage in 2 ½ hours. But, it was to no avail. Continuing on I got pulled off the course at around 1:30 p.m. After 8.5 hours of slugging through mud, in intense heat, having crashed no less than six times on steep muddied downhills, I was forced to call it quits. As it turns out, I didn?t get disqualified as a result of getting lost-but it?s an empty frustrating feeling.

But that unfortunately didn't end my day. The group I was traveling with and I show up to the hotel we're told we are to be staying at. It was 8:30 at night. I needed food. I needed ice. I needed sleep. But there are no rooms for us. We went to two other race hotels and we were told the same thing. Finally, at 10:00 at night I rented us 2 rooms at a hotel near the start of the race. This is not how to spend your recovery time with 2 days still left. Do I sound pissed off? I am. A part of me is thinking of bagging this whole mess and heading to the beach. But there's the competitive side that wants to get back on and face day two.

This is Costa Rica, not the US. Things are not run with similar precision. This is a reality and a part of racing down here. If you can't get past these obstacles- then don't show up. So, I look forward to tomorrow. A ride over a volcano awaits me.

Day 2

Today was a good day. I had no idea what was in store when I slowly made my way to the shower at 4:45 a.m. My stomach was still in knots, rendering me unable to eat last night or this morning. My riding companion, Paul Warburg, wasn?t doing much better. Both of us privately wondered why we weren?t staying in bed because everything hurt.

Today?s stage was a ridiculously long climb up and then a nasty decent. I like to climb, so riding up into the mountains surrounding San Jose was breathtaking. The views over the plush valley below helped me forget about how tired I was.

I rode the day with my new found friends at the back of the pack-those of us just wanting to finish. For us this in not just a race, but also more of an adventure ride challenging our will and hearts. One of the benefits of suffering among others? is you quickly become good friends who constantly encourage one another and look out for each others? well being.

The climb was a mix of road, gravel, cow-path and rock garden. 45k up. The last 3 were the worst of the day for me. For those few minutes I basically lost my sh1t. A sudden shock of fatigue, dizziness, sweats and nausea hit me hard. I got off my bike to walk. It was raining pretty hard, and I wasn?t sure I could go another step. Luckily it?s at these times when your head just ignores the physical crumblings until the private hell you are visiting passes. For me it was a water bottle of warm sugar water that did the trick.

The decent down the volcano Irazu was intense-a lot of fun. Steep, fast and technical with lots of mud, puddles and loose rocks of varying sizes. My arms were screaming at times from holding onto the brakes for so long.

One of the huge benefits of today was the weather. There was almost constant cloud cover in the morning, which helped keep the temperatures manageable. It only rained for a short time while I was around the top of the stage. At about the time of my decent the clouds cleared to allow views of the amazingly beautiful valleys below.

Just had a huge dinner with friends and getting ready to go to bed. One more day to go. And tomorrow is a long day. But, after the misery of day one, today?s ride was a great way to raise everyone?s spirits.

Day 3

Then one of the many typical ?La Ruta stories? happened (anyone reading this who knows someone who?s ridden La Ruta will have many stories of their own)? Paul and I are on another decent. Applying any pressure to the brakes was not an option as Paul?s died on the Day 2 decent down the volcano and I didn?t feel like riding alone. Well, we came around a corner on a dirt and muddy section where massive puddles had formed. Cars were backed up just ahead of a one lane metal bridge crossing a deep river gorge. We were carrying a lot of speed as we hit the puddles, when Paul?s front tire sunk into more than a foot of thick mud sending him over his handlebars. He made a great recovery landing on his feet? but then began to slide. For nearly six feet Paul surfed the mud- heading straight toward a cliff dropping nearly 80 feet!! No joke? Paul came three inches from falling to his death. I turned white as I watched one of my best friend?s life come near to its end! After about 30 seconds of collecting ourselves we both started laughing. Just another day at La Ruta!!!

?Just keep spinning? it?ll be over that much more quickly,? is what I kept telling myself as I suffered up the second climb. Again, thank God it was raining. That climb already sucked, no need to ruin any of my joy with more heat and humidity. I really hope everyone who rides La Ruta takes some time to enjoy the country and the beauty Costa Rica has to offer. While I truly hate the second climb on day two (mainly because I just want to go to bed for a week by this point) this might be my favorite section in terms if it?s view. Just stunning. One of my favorites of all the places I?ve traveled. So? mix of more hike-a-bike and hard pedaling brought us to a very fun and rewarding downhill. But the longest part of the day is still ahead.

Race Director, Roman Urbina, likes to put racers mental capacity to the test. La Ruta is as much about ones mental strength as it is physical. Awaiting next are miles upon miles of railroad trestles, bridge crossings, paved road and these damn plantation roads that are made up of fist sized rocks- the kind of riding that gives you no break from the pain. This riding isn?t really hard? unless of course you just crossed the rest of the country of Costa Rica, climbed 30,000 vertical feet in the process. It just messes with your head. Crossing the bridges as you?re 50 feet above rushing water below can be a horrifying experience. Luckily, I figured out what worked for me on the bridges and just put my bike on my back and walked easily across. Other struggled though.

Have you ever rode bike on railroad tracks? Don?t. It really hurts. It helps to have been here before though. As I knew that they seem to stretch on into eternity and knew how much it would hurt everything. And that riding in a straight line, something I do every day without any worries, would be such a challenge.

Once you leave the tracks, there?s about another 8 miles to the finish. The road is a dirt muddy wet road along the beach. The beach is white and secluded. I was tired when I got here. My legs ached. I felt like going no further. Even knowing I was near the end gave me no motivation. I was hungry but not able to eat. But like the rest of the riders, just found a way to keep moving the bike forward. This part of the ride is typically under water, adding to the hell that La Ruta is, but this year there were only a few puddles.

Then you hit the road. Just a few more minutes of riding were left. Paul and I crossed the finish together, ending on the beach. Cheers from crowd let you know you were home. It felt good to be done. A country now behind me. Time to have some beers with friends and celebrate a tremendous accomplishment.

I will write a final after-thought entry in a few days. Time to go to the beach now and let the ocean heal. Then maybe a little more celebrating?
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:beer: to anyone with the 'nads for this sort of thing
 
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