Karen wins GOLD SPRINTS

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Crucial Read for Athletes

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2009 in Review

P Testing at Bootleg (pic-Bitton)

K and J Launch 7 Summits Youth Challenge

It’s been a another year of global adventures, in pursuit of great times and gracing the podiums of the hardest races we can get to.

Team SOLE on TV in Brazil

SUP'n Mead

K rippin RimNordic

Karen in Sweden

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P and K Tearing up Brazil

P at Silverman

K on the podium, as always

2010 Plans

Team SOLE is lining up a giant 2010.

We’ll plunge into the Ultra Distance and Multi day International Mountain Bike challenges, starting with the TransAndes Challenge, across Patagonia. We’re done several expedition races in this region and look forward to going back.

Next up will be full on prep for Everest.

It will be onto many more cycling and adventure races, in preparation for the Adventure Racing World Championships in Spain. It’s our time to make our best run at the top of the podium of the ‘biggie’. Then, of course, back to Brazil and a few other adventures along the way.  Very exciting this year is the 1st annual Desert Winds Expedition race, set for the southern Nevada region, in September.  All international adventure teams need to come out and check it out.

Team Oskalunga International land 3rd- Updated

97 hours of pain relieved by Cerveja

It was not too pretty, but we clawed out way onto the podium once again. 3rd place at Ecomotion  Brazil

A rather sizable early mistake on a big trekking section put us behind the 8 ball.

Team LONTRA and Adventure Camp (having the other 50% of SOLE) were moving at screaming pace. We spent much of the race just off the heals of the leaders, and running with the Spanish and other Brazilian teams.

Mikael Lindnord and Lico  were incredible teammates, and it was a blast. Seeing this interior of Brazil by bike and feet and kayak was fascinating. Our support team: General Barabara Bonfim (the BEST ever), Jordan Romero, Carlinhos, and Cesar. These guys delt with horrible roads, broken bikes, support car problems, sleep deprivation and more dust than you can imagine.

We’ve all finished sunburned, many wounds of different sorts, but we’re all still standing.

Details coming ASAP

Some sites to check out:

Sleepmonsters and Webventure (in  Portuguese)

COOL PICTURE!, and another!

In it’s 6th year running, Ecomotion has established itself as the
pure expedition race surrounded with flair, color and prestige,
something only the likes of EcoChallenge ever did match. Ecomotion
travels around Brazil, where there are enough locales to run unique
expedition races for 100 years, and never cross the same region
twice. Brazil is it’s own world.

Last year’s dynamic 4-some Team SOLE would not run together, on
account of sponsorship coordination issues.  Instead the duo of Ian
and Nora of NZ would run with Team Adventure Camp and Paul Romero and
Karen Lundgren and on a last minute offer, we create the Oskalunga
International consisting of Mikael Lindnord of Sweden and the famous
fast man, Lico, from Brasilia, the founder of Team Oskalunga (a name
refering to the mysterious tribe of slave refugees deep in the heart
of Brazil).

A small handful of internationals would join the line up from the
likes of Russia, Argentina, Spain, Chile and Uruguay.
Minas Gerais is a state north or Rio de Janiero, and it’s known for
hardened people, rough savannah terrain.  It was diamonds and gold
that drew the settlers to this unfriendly terrain, away from the
beautiful beaches and lush jungles that we imagine of Brazil.
Diamantina is the race headquarters and an amazing strange sight in
the middle of nowhere. Built on a steep mountainside, it’s streets
and buildings are of old world Portuguese style, and cobblestone
streets from centuries past demanding only the best footing just to
get around town.

The vibe is bursting at the seams with college students, live music
and dancing everywhere, and that hypnotic trance that comes with
capoiera (the local fighting dance). It reeks of Ecomotion.

About the race- Imagine a region that was 100% mountains, and the
road builders knew only to build roads straight up. Climate- bone dry
with oppressive heat. Rivers run steep and fast.  Toss in 50 trucks
and a few hundred adventure racers. You have Ecomotion 2009.

The race would be 85% leg, and most notably 6 bike sections that
consist of non stop giant climbs, requiring only the best climbing
abilities followed by an equal number of technical, single track
downhills, that have never seen bikes before. River paddling through
some treacherous white water AT NIGHT, something only found at
Ecomotion.

Per standard protocol in this day and age, the field blasts out as if
from a canon. The field of top teams in Brazil have stepped things
up. Selva, Competition, Lontra, Cosa Nostra, Adventure Camp,
Oskalunga International and a few others run like the hair is on
fire. The race would be, well fought in the front by the
aforementioned teams and Lontra leading most of the race.

14 race sections would test the support teams to the maximum with
trecharous roads and dust. The heat and scorching sun had every set
of lips blistered, and any exposed skin bright red. A looming and
controversial dark zone toward the end of the race would be big
decision maker as the lead team missed it by only 11 minutes.  All
the the top teams would gather again for a restart on the last
morning of the race. Race times would be frozen, so while it looked
like a restart, Lontra would ride it’s way into Diamantina with a
lead not to be touched by Adventure Camp (2nd place), Oskalunga
International (3rd place) nor the others.

Lontra earning itself a race entry fee into the World Championships
taking place in Spain in October ‘10, and an entry to the Explore
Sweden MONSTER  of ‘10.  Ecomotion is a qualifier for the Adventure
Racing World Championships. www.ecomotion.com.br

Technical Briefing Done. we have the course

Technical Briefing is complete. We have maps, plans, two trucks, 1 ton of food/supplies, 4 GREAT assistants, and one weather forecast calling for rain. Sweet.

Carlinhos drove all the way from Rio

Lico and Barbara- 2 days from Brasilia

Mikael- 1 day from Europe

Cesar-from very south of Brazil…Porte Allegre

P and K and J-….from Big Bear California.

It’s a giant effort to assemble a team like this. So much has to go right JUST to arrive at a place like this.

FAST/fit squad.

Racing under: Team Oskalunga Interntional

www.ecomotion.com.br

Challenge #1. Transport from Airport

Don’t worry, we will be running the torch and colors of Team SOLE, and with all the might we can muster.

We are told, this will be the toughest 90 hours of our life. Wet, steep and brutal.
Stay tuned.

Walking town

More Brass back to Team SOLE Base Camp

Paul on lead lap of the 12 hours

Manu, our guest athlete we’ve been coaching for 5 weeks WINS pro women.
Karen and Paul line up with Paul/Tyler of Intense for an attempt to repeat our ‘08 win of the 4 person relay. Luck did not go our way, and a mechanical failer and other issues dropped us to 4th place.

Karen nails fastest lap of ALL women.

Unofficially Paul ‘thinks’ he get’s fastest lap. by personal/wrist top watch timing I clocked a sub 43 minute, but it was awarded to the amazing Eric Bereman (sp?) of Steven Kinney Designs team, with a 43 and change. That dude is fast as heck.

Jason, Heather and all the folks at So Cal Endurance do an amazing job. This event was huge, was run damn smooth and we highly recommend it.  Congrats Jason and Heather.

Paul races SILVERMAN

Silverman- the toughest Ironman distance in N.America, arguably the world.

Lake Mead/Las Vegas, Nevada

Paul signs up last minute, and completes. 12:40

Details to come

SILVERMAN

K and P- Win Bootleg Canyon 6 hour SOLO MTB

A full sweep for Team SOLE and Intense Bikes.

The infamous 12 hours of Bootleg was reduced to 6 hours…because this bike park and trails and just so incredibly technical.

Paul was returning as last year champion….Karen and Casey never did this race….

It was a full sweep of Team SOLE and Intense Bikes.

Paul at the Notorious Bootleg Canyon

Paul wins overall and Mens Pro

Karen wins Womans Pro, Manu takes 2nd!! despite some mechanical issues.

Casey Willliams, wins Junior and would have been 3rd place pro Mens…

All 3 of us on Intense Spiders (FRO and 29er).

Autumn Race Schedule

6 Hours of Bootleg Mountain Bike Race- SOLO (Paul- defending champion)

24 Hours of Fury Mountain Bike Race- SOLO (1st annual event)

12 Hours of Temecula Mountain Bike Race- SOLO (Team SOLE/Intense defending champions)

Ecomotion of Brazil- The most prestigeous expedition race in the world.

2 truck loads of suffering