Team Laughing Dog won’t start the race until Saturday, but others are starting today!!  

The countdown timer on the website now says “10 days” until we start RAAM. Again, the butterflies….. Last night, we had our final fundraiser/thank you/send off party at Laughing Dog Brewing. If you didn’t make it, you missed out. Justin (from Trinity at City Beach) provided a smackdown BBQ of epic proportions. Ribs, pork, sausage, and brisket (yes, that...

“Less than two weeks until we leave for Oceanside”……every time I hear that phrase (and the number keeps getting lower), I feel the butterflies in my stomach. What started as a conversation around a campfire a few years ago, is about to reach fruition. Since that time, we have had meetings, arguments, and hundreds (if not thousands) of emails. We have...

Top ten changes I’ve noticed training for RAAM 1. My recycling bin used to be full of beer cans and wine bottles. Now it’s nothing but non-alcohol beers and caffeine free diet cokes. 2. I am constantly hungry. Not “I’m feeling a little peckish” hungry. I mean, “Take me to the nearest butcher shop” hungry. 3. What used to be a living room, has now...

It was Tuesday morning, around 7:00am and I was 30 minutes into a recovery ride on a stationary bike at the gym. My attitude dropped into a black hole…. Recovery rides are supposed to be on the easier side. Monday night I had participate_d in a 2 hour Competitive Spin Class (60 minutes of climbing, with 20 minutes of sprints and single leg drills interspersed...

My introduction to spinning didn’t go very well. The instructor insisted on making sure that everyone’s hand positions were where she wanted them to be….oblivious to the fact that those positions didn’t exist on a real bike. She also didn’t like the fact that I was a bit too far forward when in the standing position, and reprimanded me more than once...

This is the second part of a blog by team member Al Lemire about riding the Hammering for Hank 24 Hour Race.Team Laughing Dog is racing in RAAM 2011 and raising money and awareness for autism. I woke up with an overwhelming urge to pee. This was good, it would be my second unrination in the last fifteen hours. It was also 4:00am, meaning I had slept for three...

Al Lemire’s entertaining two part report on participating in the Hammering for Hank 24 Hour Race in September, editor It was just after midnight, and I was trying to get out of my wet and sweaty riding gear. My dry clothes were sitting neatly piled next to me. Clinging wet lycra was making it extremely difficult to get into something comfortable. The...