Black Hills Bike Tour

This past fall break I spent four of the most beautiful days in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was my second trip there this year and I saw one of the most amazing sunrises in the Badlands...

Here we are at a trail head with the Lucky Chicken that has become a Bike Tour Tradition. He goes with us everywhere so that we don't experience any bad wrecks or problems with our bikes.


Here we are on the side of the road checking out good ole George Washington's Profile....
On the way to Mount Rushmore we get a glimps of the beauty the Black Hills hold.
Here we are riding on the outskirts of the Badlands right next to a HUGE Prairie Dog Town.Yes, The chicken rides along with the Riders not the Support Vehicle.



Watch out for Dale he likes to go FAST... like upwards of 40 MPH fast!!!!

Here I am with Dale the Lead Mechanic at Outdoor Adventures in the process of getting the bikes ready to be loaded.

Gotta tear em' down so they all fit!Ya I got it pretty hard when it comes to working... haha the views tend to be extraordinary!

Market to Market

From the Historic Old Market in Omaha a course takes 86 miles to the Haymarket in Lincoln and was the setting for the inaugural Market to Market Relay... In the first year 150 teams of 6 to 8 runners exchanged the baton 23 times and made the epic journey from Omaha to Lincoln in just a single day... An early start would be needed and a post race shindig would be at hand. With beautiful weather to accompany each team they would experience an amazing journey and view the landscape of Nebraska firsthand and as we all know wind would be their biggest enemy on this day...

Well I wish I could say I ran the 10 miles each participant would have to finish I chose to grab a bike and be a medic at the back of the race to make sure no one got lost or hurt while participating. I spent over 5 hours on my bike trekking my 40 some miles at the back of the pack. Gladly and under Gods watchful eye no one had major injuries or setbacks.

The Lincoln Journal Star sent out a Photographer and here is something they put together...

http://media.journalstar.com/comments/?mid=M48f1c61776b2b

Also here are some of the post race comments by participants!

I am still profounding dumbfounded, you and your staff are absolutely amazing!! That event I participated in yesterday was by far the absolutely most organized and well put on event I've ever participated in my 11 years of running.

I've run small 5k races that were completely screwed up and a fiasco. I've been to Boston Marathon, Chicago, Honolulu, Carlsbad and many other places...what you guys pulled off yesterday was without a doubt equal if not more incredible to what these top notch races pull off.

An 86 mile race from Omaha to Lincoln...unbelieveable, a well mark course the entire way! Volunteers at every single checkpoint for 86 miles! I am speechless! ;)
-Gary Dougherty - Team Ndorfnz Nebraska Orthopaedichttp://www.ndorfnz.com

Great job on the race. Great volunteers, great route, great organization.
-Bob Glissmann
Team World-Herald

Hi, I just wanted to thank the two of you, the rest of the organizers and all the volunteers for a GREAT job. For a first time event, this was very well organized. We had a great time.
-Mike McKain

I just had to take a moment to send a thank you to you and all of your "staff". Yesterday was one of the funnest days I've had in quite awhile. There were moments (during the middle of my runs) when I thought I would die and cursed myself for getting into this, but the moment I saw the group of people waiting at the exchange point, it all went away. Your volunteers did an outstanding job directing traffic and runners. The directions were great and the ending was just right. Again, thank you and all of your volunteers for taking on this momentous effort and giving us a day we will not soon forget.
-Judy Sather

It really was a great event and an honor to be part of such a well organized event especially in its first year. It will be very interesting to see it grow in the next few years... who knows I may even take part even though I am no runner, it would be a great experience.