Get Your Rally On! First Article In A Series

Anxiety and Anticipation 
  My friend Connie is a little preoccupied these days.  She’s prepping for a major ride next week and this one is a first for her.  She’ll be attempting to ride 5000 miles in 5 days as she tackles the Iron Butt Rally 2010.  She’s been working out, checking her gear, making lists for packing.  Randy, the love of her life and master mechanic, is busy as well.  He’s got her bike on the lift in his garage: putting new tires on, making sure the extra fuel cell he designed and installed is working to his expectations.  He’ll go over the bike, part by part, to make sure it’s running safely.  Then he’ll prep his own bike to make sure he’s ready to go, even though he's not actually participating.  Randy will provide maintenance support for Connie prior to the start, afer the first leg of the rally and then meet up with her at the finish line.  I can say with total confidence that no other rider will be in better hands.  Connie is always quick to say that she could never do these kind of rides without Randy's support.  She's speaking of their partnership as a couple, not just his crazy-good mechanical skills.  
 
  The Iron Butt Rally, sponsored by the Iron Butt Association, is considered to be the ultimate competitive motorcycle endurance ride.  It is one of the last amateur competitive motorcycling events.  The rally consists of checkpoints located around the United States.  Riders will start in Denver, Colorado on Monday, August 16 and finish up in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Saturday, August 21.  

  Here’s how the rally works: Points are accumulated by arriving at checkpoints (pre-determined destinations) within the allotted time and by visiting optional bonus locations between the checkpoints.  In order to be considered a finisher of the event, riders must be present at each of these checkpoints within a two hour window.  It is not a race, but rather a test of planning, preparation, strategy and tactics, riding skill, and endurance.  This is what really appeals to Connie’s competitive side while also giving her a sense of freedom and release.  Driving her on (pun intended) is the possibility of picking up the optional bonus destination points which can boost her final standing.  The ride takes place regardless of weather conditions – rain, sleet, snow, desert temperatures, thunderstorms and the occasional hurricane.  At the end of this adventure the successful riders are rewarded with… a handsome trophy and the admiration of their fellow riders.  That’s right, no cash prizes or brand new cars await the victors.  Remember, this is an amateur competition.  A trophy or a wooden plaque and a sense of accomplishment – that’s what motivates these riders. 

  Connie rides out on Wednesday this week to meet up with fellow Iron Butt riders in Denver.  She'll have lots to do prior to start of the rally next Monday.  Randy will leave on Friday to meet Connie in Denver for the pre-rally bike inspection.  He'll be allowed to respond to any concerns about her bike and it's modificatons, like the fuel cell and line to the main gas tank.  Then he steps aside as Connie receives her checkpoint list.  She'll be on her own as she plans the route she'll take and programs her GPS.  Her rally begins when she rolls out just a couple of hours later. 

  I'll be up at 2:30 a.m. tomorrow in order to see Connie off for Denver.  I'll post pictures of the bonvoyage ceremony after I go back to bed and then get up a few hours later.  

Here's team Gabrick in action - Randy let Connie take his bike last summer when her own bike went down for the count just days before she was due to ride in The Great Lakes Gold run.  How's that for True Love?!     

Heat, Humidity and Hockey

Ice, Anyone?
August in hockeyland is typically cold and desolate, despite the humid heatwave we're experiencing here in Minnesota.  For me, this is the hardest month to get through while waiting for the season to begin.  There's just nothing going on, or so I thought...  
 
The Wild signed 37-year-old John Madden, winner of three Stanley Cups - most recently in June with the Blackhawks, to a one year deal.  He's a defensive forward that will remind you of a former Wild player I'm fond of.  Chuck Fletcher's take on John: "The things [Madden] does really well are always areas you're looking to get better in -- defensive play, killing penalties, faceoffs."  My feelings for Wes aside, this signing makes me wonder about the chances of Casey Wellman making the team out of training camp.  On the other hand, I'm pretty sure this means that Sheppard is all but outta here.  Unless James acquired mad hockey skills and sense over the summer I can't imagine that he'll make the team given the signings during free agency.  Now, Madden is no spring chicken and I know some folks are already moaning about the acquisition of yet another aging grinder.  Please, people - remember that the Wild's current lack of cap space plays a bigger role in who they could sign than the desire to make the flashy signing.      

So, recapping the Wild's activity this summer here are the centers that will more than likely anchor our four lines this season: Mikko Koivu, Matt Cullen, Kyle Brodziak and John Madden.  For me, it's not worth speculating about the rest of the players until training camp and into pre-season this year.  I don't think we're in it for the Stanley Cup next June, but I don't think this is going to be a wasted season either.  I do admit to being concerned about Cam Barker's value compared to having given up Nick Leddy.  I think Dave and I are on the same page regarding the ultimate cost of that trade.  Man, I can almost smell the ice...it's only 47 days until pre-season games start.


Until then, I leave you with this video.  Stay Cool!

Birthdays and Bad Ass Motorcycles

Connie – this one’s for you:




My dear friend and best next door neighbor EVER celebrated a birthday last week.  It was significant in that she turned 50.  It was insignificant in that Connie neither looks nor acts like a 50 year old.  I attribute this to passion.  Connie is a passionate person.  She’s dedicated and determined to bring her team in at 100% success rates at work.  She’s loyal to the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, sharing in the triumphs as much as she cries over the lost games.  Connie is an avid dog lover/owner who, like me, would donate a kidney to her ‘kids’ if possible.  She has drive and determination like very few people I’ve known in my life.


Connie pours her heart and soul into everything she does and that kind of energy level needs a release valve.  Everybody has one, that’s not unusual.  Some of us are just more highly strung when it comes to our release mechanisms.  Connie’s release comes in the form of motorcycles.  Victory is her brand and her current ride is one Bad Ass Motorcycle to be sure.  This machine is both sexy and snarky at the same time.  It’s built for long distance riding and that is Connie’s true passion.  We’re not talking leisurely drives to Stillwater on a Sunday afternoon.  No, No…Connie needs a sense of accomplishment in addition to being on the open road.


On her milestone birthday Connie saddled up and hit the open road to revel in turning 50.  Her birthday present to herself: racking up 1536 miles, from start to finish, in just under 24 hours.  I call this kind of riding freakin' insane.  She chalks it up to completing yet another BunBurner ride.  These kind of rides are nothing new to Connie, in fact she’s done a number of them, along with a couple of 1000 mile rides which are referred to as SaddleSore rides.  The names for these rides aren’t titles Connie and Randy came up with just out of the blue.  The Iron Butt Association (IBA) sanctions these, and many other long distance rides.  Their motto is “World’s Toughest Riders” and I’m living next door to the poster biker chick for the IBA.  I’ll write more about this distinctive association in the coming days.  And you all have to know that Randy also rides and is THE master motorcycle mechanic – hands down.  But just for today I wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite biker chick friend. You make 50 look fabulous!

Connie and her Bad Ass Motorcycle