In this Issue:
• Quote for the Day
• In Search of Epic
• Save our CA State Parks
• Badwater Bloggers
• Major Taylor Statue Dedication on May 21
• Furnace Creek 508 Application Available Now
• Check out the new 2008 AdventureCORPS gear
• 508 Veterans, Order a 508 Jersey and Vest now
QUOTE FOR THE DAY
"If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing." - Kingsley Amis
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IN SEARCH OF EPICA Rough Rider is a cyclist in search of an epic experience.
"Epic" is defined as "heroic; majestic; impressively great" and "of unusually great size or extent."
What does it mean for a ride to be epic? Here are some thoughts on the subject:
First and foremost, an epic ride is one that is a memorable adventure, literally. It may result from one or more of the following factors:
Click here for the full story, on the www.xo-1.org blog.
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CA STATE PARKS FACE DANGER OF BEING TERMINATED
Governor's budget proposal would close 48 of 278 parks, including scenic Topanga spot.
Excerpt from the article by Pete Thomas in the LA Times on April 4, 2008:
I'm not 10 minutes into an afternoon stroll through Topanga State Park when I spot two deer browsing in a meadow.
They turn my way and freeze for several seconds, as if to gauge the threat, then resume foraging as though I'm invisible.
Moments later, on a shaded portion of trail, a gray squirrel perched on a ledge chirps raucously and causes me to jump.
I've invaded its privacy. It lifts and shakes its bushy tail, like a fly-swatter, threatening to wallop me with it.
So I venture forth, into the sunlight, where I encounter a park resident smiling through her many freckles.
Lori Callahan, whose home borders the park and who considers it her backyard, explains that anyone who appreciates the park's green splendor is worth meeting.
"I encounter people from all over the world," she says. "Last week I met people from Australia, and the week before Austria. I've met people from France and, recently, New England."
I'm hesitant to spoil her mood, but ask anyway:
"So how do you feel about Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to close this great park, and 47 others?"
She pounces on the question as a cougar would a rabbit.
Full story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/scimedemail/la-sp-outdoors4apr04,0,4709782.column
Want to help SAVE OUR STATE PARKS? Click here:
http://www.savestateparks.org/
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BADWATER BLOGGERS
Many of the entrants in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon have blogs or websites about their plans, training, thoughts, and more. Here are just a few of them:
Alene Nitzky:
http://alenegonebad.blogspot.com/
Jen Segger-Gigg:
http://challenge-by-choice.blogspot.com/
And here is Jen in the news:
http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/pique/index.php?cat=C_Sport&content=sbajaadventurerace1514
Scott Weber:
http://www.coachweber.com/
Jamie Donaldson:
http://altitudeultrarunner.blogspot.com/
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CHAMPIONS TO DEDICATE MAJOR TAYLOR STATUEGreg LeMond, Edwin Moses will be featured speakers at May 21 unveiling
WORCESTER, Mass. -- Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and three-time Olympic medalist Edwin Moses will be featured speakers at the public unveiling of the Major Taylor memorial from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, at the Worcester Public Library.
LeMond, who won a world championship in cycling 90 years after Major Taylor did, and Moses, who dominated the 400-meter hurdles in track and field for a decade, were each named "Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year" at the height of their athletic careers in the 1980s. The statue of the "Worcester Whirlwind" created by sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez is Worcester's first monument to an African-American. The dedication ceremony will be followed by a reception with refreshments in the library's Banx Room.
Preceding the noontime ceremony, the Seven Hills Wheelmen and the Charles River Wheelmen's Wednesday Wheelers will lead a 30-mile bicycle ride starting and ending at the library.
At 7 p.m. at the library, the Clark University History Department and Higgins School of Humanities will present a panel discussion on "Race, Sports, and Major Taylor's Legacy." Boston Globe columnist Derrick Z. Jackson will be moderator for these scholars, historians and authors exploring diversity in sports and society, then and now.
For more information about the events of May 21, click here:
http://www.majortaylorassociation.org
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FURNACE CREEK 508 2008 APPLICATION AVAILABLE NOWThe 25th Anniversary FurNace Creek 508 will be held October 4-6, 2008. All the info about the application process is now on the website, including the actual application.
Although the application is a little more detailed, and we are using a selection process to determine the race field, this probably won't change things too much for most applicants. The vast majority of applicants will get in.
We are NOT requiring people to "qualify" to enter, nor do we want to turn away, or turn off, any legitimate, enthusiastic would-be 508 racers. If you hope to compete in The 508 this year, PLEASE apply!
http://www.the508.com/entry/index.html
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NEW 2008 ADVENTURECORPS GEAR
We are very excited about the new 2008 gear we've designed and which will be produced by our new garment supplier, Hincapie Sports. All of the new AdventureCORPS gear may be ordered when registering for the Fall Death Valley Century and Double Century via Active.com on June 2, as well as when 508 applicants confirm their entry in the 2008 Furnace Creek 508 in early May.
The new gear may also be ordered by anybody else with a mail-in order form. All orders must be received by June 2 to insure delivery in October.
Check out our new Death Valley jersey, Rough Riders jersey, Furnace Creek 508 jersey, Furnace Creek 508 vest, and AdventureCORPS arm warmers here:
http://www.adventurecorps.com/store/2008/index.html
Order form:
http://www.adventurecorps.com/store/2008/2008GearForm.pdf
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508 VETERANS, ORDER YOUR JERSEY AND VEST NOWIf you are a veteran 508 Official Finisher from 1989 through 2007, you may order a 25th Anniversary Furnace Creek 508 jersey! (2008 Official Finishers will receive their free 2008 jersey at the finish line, so if you will be racing the 508 this year, do not order one!) Orders must be received by June 2 and jerseys will be delivered in October. If you've worn out your original 508 jersey, or just want a fresh new one to celebrate your previous Official Finish, and the 25th Anniversary of the race, this is your ONLY chance to get one. We don't normally make the current jersey available to previous finishers, but we're doing so this year in honor of the 25th anniversary of the race. Order one now! Click here: http://www.adventurecorps.com/store/2008/2008GearForm.pdf
Thanks for your support and participation, everyone! We look forward to seeing you out there soon!
Yours in sport,
Chris Kostman
Chief Adventure Officer and Race Director
Copyright 2008 AdventureCORPS, Inc. Copies of this Internet posting may be made and distributed in whole without further permission. Please forward to a friend with the little envelope icon below!
