Team LBF Picked as Race Favorite...Crap!

Filed by Untamed Adventure Staff at 5/26/2008 1:47:00 PM
We solicited feedback from a variety of adventure racing "insiders" and can share a bit of their insight into the Untamed New England race roster. We asked them which were teams to watch, how things stack up, and this is what they said . . .On Littleton Bike and Fitness (Littleton, NH):This team is the concensus favorite to top the Untamed New England podium. First off, they're a fast team with Jenny "What is lactic acid?" Johnson leading the charge. They'd be a competitor for the victory in almost any race, but the fact that this event takes place in their backyard (Littleton is just minutes from the host hotel) stacks the deck in their favour. They might even set their maps aside for stretches of the course, who knows...Quote: "Everybody that has a teammate that has beaten Danelle Ballengee in a solo Ultra Endurance race please raise your hand."___________________________On Team ABC / Capital Bikes (Annapolis, MD):This team figured prominently in most expert picks, which slots them in at the #2 position for our purposes. One teammate, Tamela Lynch, is local to the Franconia region, and familiarity with a region is always a big plus. The concensus is that the more paddling in the race, the better for this team (team captain Bill Vickers owns a paddle shop in Maryland and they excel at that aspect of racing). One unknown for this race is how recovered Team ABC is from injuries sustained earlier this year, but our panel thinks a healthy team is certainly one to watch.Quote: "If there's a ton of paddling Bill Vickers and ABC/Capital Bikes are a good choice."___________________________On Team Running Free (Quebec, CA):The most experienced Canadian team in the race, Running Free is also favored to earn a podium spot (we're tucking them into third position). With success in prior years at Raid the North (one of Canada's highest profile events), and a long list of other race achievements, don't be surprised to see this team shine in this rugged course. Some have even suggested them as a dark horse to win the race.Quote: "Every time I race in Canada I'm truly amazed at how much higher their average fitness level seems."___________________________Truthfully, as one reviews the Premiere Division (3 and 4 person coed) nearly every team looks competitive; Berlin Bike (CT) earns podium finishes on a regular basis and NYARA (NY) has a wealth of experience to rely on. Team A-List (VA/MD), while racing their first event over 30 hours, have a lot of race wins over the years and could be a dark horse to upset some of the more established teams despite this being their first truly multi-day race. Calleva (MD) is another strong team from the mid-Atlantic and a popular dark horse pick amongst our panel. Team Summit Achievement (ME), GMARA (VT), BreatheMag.ca (Ontario, CA) and Gung Ho (PA) have strong rosters and could excel on race day. UltraBambi (NH), despite their youth, won 2nd place at Untamed Virginia 2007 and shouldn't be taken lightly. A late registrant to the race, Aquan / Racing With Giants from California, wasn't included in the roster we circulated to our insiders so we don't have any formal predictions regarding them. I suspect, to make a trip from the West Coast to a race like this, you've got to be race-ready and this team could surprise everyone as we rarely see West Coast teams on the Atlantic side of the country.In fact, the one main take away from our conversations with the "insiders" is that this is the strongest field for any event we've ever organized. I'm sure it's self-selecting; a 60-hour event is bound to attract the higher caliber teams and scare away the rest. We think it's going to be a lot of fun to see how it all plays out.While we focussed on the 3 and 4 person coed teams (the premiere division for this race), there are some very strong teams in the "Open" division where teams of 2-people and single-gender teams are permitted. Team Wicked Pissah / Fitness Together (MA) stands out as one of these teams to watch; they've got lots of big race experience and know what the New England mountains can dish out. Wishful Thinking Fools (VA), in the 2-person category, will also be strong and we understand they've been making annual trips to the White Mountains of New Hamsphire for some time now . . . so this race will be, strangely, not so foreign territory for these two Virginians.Honorable mention has to go to the brendacohenjewelry.com team (PA); we know from experience that they're the team most likely to stash some home brewed beer in their gear bins. Them, along with Ride Too Fast (VA), could win the "most smiles" award bestowed by race checkpoint staff. We'll have to see how that contest shapes up!Finally, lest we lose sight that this is about fun and experiencing the outdoors and testing personal limits -- more than it is about who crosses finish lines first -- we'll close with a quote from one particular insider known as Dr. Evil to many in the New York orbit:
"Regarding the NYARA male team, I just don't want to hear any stories about a team puppy pile in the woods in order to stay warm while sleeping."Here's to a fun race everyone!