Gut Check 212

Gut Check 2010

THANK YOU ALL!!!  All in all you raised $5750.00 for the CCFA with Jay Stevens being the top fund raiser for the 3rd year in a row.  Jay brought in $1,460.00 in donations this year…Thank you much Jay.  Jason Harms, who completed the Hell & Back in 68:08 and has Crohn’s disease, brought in $630.00 for the CCFA.  Thank you much to Jason and his wife June for hanging out at the finish line to greet most of the finishers.  We had some great weather this year and the times and number of finishers reflect that.  This thing keeps growing because of all of you and I am grateful for all of your participation in this event.  Misery loves company so come back next year with a few friends. 

Congratulations to an amazing ride by both of our Hell & Back participants, Mike Dunlap and Jason Harms. Congratulations to Bruce Martens for taking home the yellow jersey for the men’s solo division in record time.  Congratulations to Jessica Walker who collected her second yellow jersey breaking the record she set last year by almost a day.  The leapfrog teams both had a great time…leapfrogging is the civilized way to do the Gut Check and allows you time to enjoy things like rodeo’s and ribs in Faith.

Well I’ve rambled on long enough…I hope to see you all back again next year…Oh yeah I was a little off on the full moon thing…must have read last years almanac.  Thank you all for making this event better every year.

Josh

Hell & Back Update

Hell & Back participants, Mike Dunlap and Jason Harms, rolled away from the SD/MN border Wednesday August 11th at high noon.  Here is an update of their status as of 10:00AM (MT) August 12th:

• MIke Dunlap
  • Redfield – 5:35PM 8/11/10
  • Gettysburg – 10:30PM 8/11/10
  • Faith – 5:48A 8/12/10
• Jason Harms
  • Redfield – 6:14PM 8/11/10
  • Gettysburg – 1:05AM 8/12/10
  • Faith – 8:16AM 8/12/10

These guys are flying!!!!!

Gut Check 2010 Race Information

Checkpoints:

All riders or their SAG need to call or text my cell phone (605-431-2695) at the following checkpoints:

1. Faith
2. Gettysburg
3. Redfield
4. Finish

“Hell and Back” riders call or text my cell phone at the following checkpoints (I assume you’re both starting at the MN/SD border..if not just switch the points around):

1. Start
2. Redfield
3. Gettysburg
4. Faith
5. Wyoming border
6. Faith
7. Gettysburg
8. Redfield
9. Finish

When you call it will most likely go to voicemail.  Leave the following information:

1. Rider name
2. Checkpoint
3. Time & Date

If you are unable to get cell service just write down the information and get it to me when you can.

If a rider decides to drop (it happens). Call and leave the following information: (No name calling or threats please)

1. Rider name
2. Reason for dropping
3. Mile marker or location where they decided they had enough fun
4. Time & Date

Mergers:

You solo riders have trained a lot for this event but sometimes things just don’t work out and you realize that maybe you didn’t train enough (I’ve been there…twice).  Instead of dropping out completely find another rider or two or three or… that has had enough of the solo gig and form a Leapfrog team.  Leapfrogging is the fun and civilized way to traverse the state.  If you form a merger I ask that you call leave the following information:

1. Riders merging
2. Location of merger
3. Time & Date of merger

Road Construction Info

Hwy 212 Road Construction:

1. US-212 between milepost 166.00 and 179.00.
   1. Report: Road Work: Fresh oil; loose rock; flaggers; pilot car from Thursday, July 29, 2010 to Friday, August 6, 2010.
2. US-212 between milepost 187.00 and 208.00.
   1. Report: Road Work: Fresh oil; loose rock; flaggers; pilot car from Thursday, July 29, 2010 to Friday, August 6, 2010.
3. US-212 between milepost 218.00 and 225.00.
   1. Report: Road Work: Pavement repair; traffic routed to opposing lanes; travel delay 5 minutes; lanes reduced to 1 from Monday, July 12, 2010 to Friday, August 27, 2010.
4. US-212 between milepost 282.00 and 297.00.
   1. Report: Road Work: Loose rock; paving; gravel surface; speed limit 55 mph; flaggers; travel delay 10 minutes; pilot car from Thursday, August 20, 2009 to Friday, September 24, 2010.
5. US-212 between milepost 338.00 and 347.00.
   1. Report: Road Work: Miscellaneous construction on the shoulder from Monday, April 12, 2010 to Friday, September 17, 2010.

DETOUR….Again..

Please follow the following link to a map of the detour between Faulkton and Redfield.  It is the same detour we had last year in that area but it’s paved this year…I promise.  This detour only adds about 3 miles onto the race whereas the D.O.T. detour would add about 20. 

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/9-_SIE5AbYj4ff

The Day is Near

Hope everyone’s summer is going well and your rides all feel like there down hill with a tail wind.  We’ve still got about week left for registration so gather up some buddies and put together a leapfrog team or something.  See you in August.

SPOT Personal Tracker

I just wanted to let you all know about a great product that I’ve been using for a few months now that allows friends, loved ones and possibly emergency personnel to see where your at in real time while your riding, hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, driving……For some fun slip it in your teenagers car…just for fun of course.  I plan on using mine for GC2010 so my millions of fans can track my progress (or lack thereof) across the state.  If you get one get SPOT-1 because SPOT-2 doesn’t seem to have the bugs worked out yet.

http://www.findmespot.com/holiday/

The SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger provides a vital line of communication with friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when you need it. Using 100% satellite technology, SPOT works virtually anywhere in the world, even where cell phones don’t – all with the push of a button.

SOS / 911: Use this function In the event of a life threatening or other critical emergency to notify emergency services of your GPS location and that you need assistance. The GEOS International Emergency Response Center alerts the appropriate agencies worldwide – for example contacting 9-1-1 responders in North America and 1-1-2 responders in Europe.
Read more

HOW IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT will acquire its exact coordinates from the GPS network, and send that location along with a distress message to the GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minutes until cancelled or until the batteries are depleted. The Emergency Response Center notifies the appropriate emergency responders based on your GPS location and personal information – which may include local police, highway patrol, the Coast Guard, our country’s embassy or consulate, or other emergency search and rescue teams – as well as notifying your emergency contacts about the receipt of a distress signal.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Even if SPOT cannot acquire its location from the GPS network it will still attempt to send a distress signal – without exact location – to GEOS, which will still notify your contacts of the signal and continue to monitor the network for further messages.

9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICES POWERED BY GEOS Search and Rescue

Help: In the event of a non-life threatening emergency, you can use this function to notify your personal contacts that you need assistance. Additional SPOT Assist services can be purchased and programmed to your Help button as well. When activated with SPOT Assist, the Help button will notify professional services either on the land or water. SPOT has partnered with national service providers to offer non-life threatening assistance.
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HOW  IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT acquires your location from the GPS network and routes it along with the HELP message through the SPOT satellite network every five minutes for one hour or until cancelled. Your contacts will receive an SMS text message including coordinates, or an email with a link to Google Maps™ showing your location.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Even if SPOT cannot acquire its location from the GPS network it will still attempt to send a HELP message – without exact location – to your personal contacts.

Check-in/OK: This feature allows you to let your friends and family know that all is OK with a pre-programmed message along with your GPS location. With a push of a button a message is sent via email or SMS to up to 10 pre-determined contacts and your waypoint is stored in your SPOT account for later reference. Your stored waypoints can be easily integrated into a SPOT Shared Page or SPOT Adventure account.
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HOW  IT WORKS:
Once you have activated your SPOT Messenger and set up your account, you can change your contacts and customize your message at any time. When you push the Check-in/OK button, you send one pre-programmed message to your contacts. Your contacts will receive an SMS text message including coordinates, or an email with a link to Google Maps™ showing your location.

Custom Message: This feature allows you to let your friends and family now receive a custom message along with your GPS location with a push of a button. Use this feature as a secondary OK message or transfer your personal help alert to this message function if you are using a SPOT Assist service on your Help button.
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The Custom Message functions exactly like your Check-in/OK message You can also have access to your waypoints in your SPOT account so you can review your route at a later date. Or link your SPOT account to SPOT Adventures and save a map of your adventures using your SPOT waypoints, and enhance the story with photos and a blog.

HOW  IT WORKS:
Once you have activated your SPOT Messenger and set up your account, you can change your contacts and customize your message at any time. When you push the Check-in/OK button, you send one pre-programmed message to your contacts. Your contacts will receive an SMS text message including coordinates, or an email with a link to Google Maps™ showing your location.

Track Progress: This feature allows you to send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress in near real time using Google Maps. With your SPOT account you have the ability to set up a SPOT Shared Page which allows you to show your SPOT GPS locations to others on a Google Map.
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HOW  IT WORKS:
Once activated, SPOT acquires and sends your GPS coordinates to your SPOT account automatically every 10 minutes for 24 hours or until canceled. SPOT tracking must be reengaged to continue. Creating a SPOT Shared Page allows you to share your GPS route with your friends and family easily in near real time on the web through a personal link. You can make your Shared Page private or public. Your choice! Just share that url with your friends and family and they can easily track your adventures. You can also link your SPOT Messenger to SPOT Adventures, a social portal, where you can set up a profile and blog with others sharing their SPOT adventures.

Happy New Year

It’s still January so I can still wish you all a Happy New Year.  The registrations for GC 2010 are starting to roll in.  Seven months is plenty of time to get yourself ready…Hope to see you at the SD/WY border on Friday the 13th.  Ride Safe.

Josh

Mike Across America

Gut Check participant Mike Dunlap has qualified from RAAM 2010!  Visit his site http://mikeacrossamerica.com/ to find out more about RAAM and how you can help Mike accomplish his goal.  Congratulations Mike.

Rule Update

The following is an update to the GC rules regarding drafting:

“Drafting behind a motorized vehicle or a cyclist that is not a registered Gut Check participant  is prohibited.”