18 Hours - Scouts Honor

5 foot nothing Marianne on Matt's 36'r

Start of 2011 18 Hours Scouts Honor from Richmond ASR

18 Hours Scouts Honor Into the Woods from Richmond ASR

Hey folks,

Richmond ASR is prepped and ready for the 8^th Annual 18 Hours Scouts Honor. 

We have a few things to pass along to everyone before you get here this weekend!  

***TEAM CAPTAINS: PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE WHO WILL ATTEND THE RACE, INCLUDING SPECTATORS AND PIT CREWS***

-Important Race Stuff-

Getting here:

-          We are located here:

O   Heart of Virginia Scout Reservation 
                  1723 Maidens Rd                        
                  Maidens, VA 23102

If that link doesn’t work, just go to our website www.18hoursscoutcamp.com and look at the bottom of the page!  Dude, GPS is cheap!

Ground Rules:

I have 4 ground rules:

1.      Don’t bring your alcohol or controlled substances!  Pretty self explanatory since this is Boy Scouts of America land. 

2.      Please do not bring your pets!  Seriously… another BSA land rule.  We can’t have dogs on the property! No exceptions!

3.      DON’T BURN DOWN THE CAMP!!  - This is the first time we have allowed fires in fire pits and the camp is graciously allowing this due to the weather!

(More on this below)

4.      HAVE FUN!!! If you take away our fun you will be kindly asked to leave!!!

Camp Time:

This year has an interesting twist!  Sunday is the beginning of daylight savings time.  That being said, when you arrive at camp you will be on “camp time”.  When you arrive at camp, DO NOT CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS!!!  I really feel bad for those of you who use your cell phones as a clock!  It’s going to be a blast watching folks who woke up late for their lap because their cell phone fell back an hour!  So, we came up with a solution!  We will have an old school clock at the start finish line indicating camp time.  So, the race will start at 4pm “camp time” and will end promptly at 10am “camp time”.  Even though your cell shows something different… don’t pay attention to it!

RaceTime Line In "Camp Time"

Camp opens for racers Friday @ Noon

Pre-Race Meeting – Saturday @ 3 pm (15 minutes max)

Race Starts – Saturday @ 4 pm

Breakfast begins in the mess hall – Sunday @ 9:30 am

All Laps Must Be Completed – Clock Stops – Sunday @ 10 am

Awards Ceremony – Sunday 10:30 – 11 am

Arrival / Departure times:

The camp opens for racers on Friday @ noon!  We need the camp to be cleaned up and vacated by 3pm for the next users.  If you need to stay later, please speak directly to staff!

Last Minute Registration Changes:

A few of you have requested registration changes within the last week and I have gladly combined solos to make a duo or a 4 person team.  After today, we will not be able to accommodate any kind or change to your registration.  We will be at the scout camp all week to prepare for your arrival so please, don’t even ask.  No exceptions!

LARGEST TURNOUT YET

This year sets a new all-time record (while ASR has promoted the race) for number of pre-registered riders!  Not only are we setting a new record for number of riders but we also have an enormous number of first time racers and racers from out of state!!!  I have to say that North Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania will be well represented this weekend!

Another group that I can’t leave out is our local riders from Virginia.  Year after year, you have supported us in our attempt to keep endurance lap racing alive in central Virginia and we appreciate the support!

Amenities and Camping:

-          Lodging accommodations will be handled at the registration table. Don’t be shy to ask for directions to the lodging… it should be very well marked!

-          The yurts and sleepy hollow cabins have special vehicle instructions.  Please ask the person at registration for details!

-          Camping is available anywhere you don’t see a “no camping” sign.  It’s pretty straight forward!

-          Camping is distributed on a first come first served basis, we don’t have a separate solo pit area.

-          Trash cans and restrooms with showers will be provided.  Also, please do not destroy the bathrooms! We pay for them to be maintained during the race so if you see something that needs maintenance, please let one of the race officials know.

-          Fires are allowed in a fire pit – like the one you bought from a camping store or Target.  I imagine that most people will bring metal dishes and charcoal grills but please, please follow the rules:

      #1 – DON’T BURN DOWN THE CAMP!!!

      #2 – DON’T LEAVE A CAMPFIRE UNATTENDED AT ANY TIME!!!

      #3 – DON’T BRING YOUR OWN FIREWOOD

o   There are plenty of limbs and logs lying around to burn and the scout camp has issues with wood boring bugs!

#4 – IF YOU’RE CAMPFIRE CAUSES ISSUES, YOUR TEAM WILL BE DISQUALIFIED AND YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE!

-         ***All pets (dogs especially), alcohol and everything else that is illegal is not allowed on the Heart of Virginia Scout Camp Reservation. ***

- I just thought it was worth mentioning again!!

-         Remember to bring $10 for extra breakfast tickets for your support crew! Breakfast will be served beginning at 9:30 am Sunday morning and will extend throughout the awards ceremony.

-          Pack it in, Pack it out!!! Please take your trash with you when you leave camp!

Race Stuff

-          Chip timing will be provided by Run Ride Race- Our local timing experts!  These timing chips are very expensive!  Do not lose the chip!  You will be forced to pay for a replacement!

-          Registration will be located in the mess hall.  When you come in to the camp hang a right and follow the gravel road transition area.  We will have plenty of signage up to follow so you won’t miss it!  If you arrive on Friday, please park in the parking lots until the course is marked and the areas for camping are designated! 

o   Please don’t park in the grass until markings are located!

-          Race day registration will cost $120, breakfast $10; we still have a few types of lodging available!

-          The course will be open for pre-rides on Friday @ noon!! This is private property so please do not show up at any other time to ride!

-          At registration your team captain will be issued the timing chip.  This will be located in the registration packet to be picked up prior to the race on Saturday!

-          The racer meeting will begin promptly at 3:00 pm on Saturday (in the mess hall) and will end with plenty of time for you to get in those last minute preparations.

-          -          The race will be a “true 18 hours” race.  The race will begin at 4pm and the race will end promptly at 10am.  The most laps completed before 10am will win each category!!!  All laps will be completed at 10am!  We will start the awards ceremony shortly thereafter!   This effort is to get everyone to the breakfast/awards ceremony and on the road.  We have some people traveling quite some distance and they need to get on the road promptly after the race. 

-          Only registered racers will be allowed on the course during our event!

-          Short cutting on the course is strictly prohibited.  If you are caught, you and your team                 will be immediately disqualified! 

-          In case of catastrophic failure or a natural disaster; the Race Director will promptly end the race.  If this happens, the results will be based upon the time the race was called and the final results will be based upon the last completed lap before the race was called.

Relay Format

-          The 18 Hour Scouts Honor is similar to other endurance lap racing events.  Only one racer for each team is allowed on course at a time.  You will transition by swiping your timing chip with Run Ride Race at the end of each lap.  ***Please note that you MUST confirm that the lap was counted by the timer*** ASR will not be held responsible if your lap was not accurately timed.  YOU MUST CONFIRM THAT THE LAP WAS ACCURATELY RECORDED WITH THE TIMER!! You will swipe your chip and continue through the transition area to your waiting rider who will continue the race for your team.  Every racer must complete at least one lap but we will also allow riders to complete multiple laps if desired. 

Race Course

-          The course is approximately 8.5 miles and will be marked this week.  There will be a water stop on the race course if you choose to run without a hydration pack!  Take advantage of this amenity during the race.  Nutrition products are provided by First Endurance!  We will provide EFS liquid shots at the checkpoint after 10 pm.  These shots are great for endurance athletes!  Personally, I use these products religiously throughout my training and racing as a solo endurance racer and you should definitely give them a try!  The EFS liquid shot are easy to eat and contain:

  400 high-quality calories
Over 1500mg electrolytes
1000mg of amino acids – very important!
No Gelling Agents
Reseal able, refillable, fully recyclable!

 To learn more about First Endurance click: https://www.firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-liquid-shot.html

-          A light charging station will be provided at the transition area.  Please feel free to charge your lights at the race!  We will have a couple plug strips available but please mark your lighting equipment with your name so it doesn’t go mising.  The light charging station is brought to you by Princeton Tec!

      http://princetontec.com/

-          And finally, I need to beat the dead horse!  Please, please leave your alcohol, illegal substances and pets at home!  I can’t stress this point enough!  You do not want to get called into our woodshed to have this discussion. J

A Little History…

We sure have come a long way since Cycles Ed and Cobblestone Bicycles started this race at Poor Farm Park.  The 18 hour seen blistering hot temps; cold as all get out (November race of 2007)… and many, many years of beautiful summer weather!  If you see Cycles Ed (can’t miss the handcrafted single speed 69er) on the trail, thank him and wife Jody for being the founders of the greatest 18 hour race ever and supporting endurance mountain biking!  You guys are awesome!  Thank you!

 Please come prepared for an awesome race at a beautiful venue.  We hope to make this a memorable experience for you!  It’s going to be a great solo race for the $500 bucks! We have some big names toeing the line for the big cash!

Team Captains; please make sure your friends/teammates see this message! 

As always, please feel free to contact me for any reason!  I will be at the scout camp beginning Thursday evening and away from my computer so get those questions in early!

See you soon!

Billy and Richmond ASR Crew

Billy Moffett

18 Hours Scouts Honor - Race Director

Richmond ASR - Mountain Bike Team Manager

bmoffett@richmondasr.com

www.18hoursscoutcamp.com

www.richmondasr.com