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Can someone explain how this is humanly possible?
I guess the classic 'explanation' is that the human mind and body is capable of far more than we think, that physiologically we're well suited to being endurance machines and that mostly we're not conditioned or used to pushing beyond a certain comfort envelope.
And then there's Mike's ability to focus, the fact that he has a very logical, analytical brain that still works when most of us would be delirious through lack of sleep and a certain level of competitiveness.
On the latter, I remember SITS five or six years back, when he was soloing and sat in a comfortable second place with four or so hours to go then blew himself to pieces trying to make up the gap on first and DNFed in the process. Most people would have settled for a podium finish, he didn't really see the point and would rather have a go and not finish than come second. That sounds a bit dour and serious, but in reality he was quite playful about it.
Plus he has the benefit of having ridden the route twice before now and knowing where and when to re-supply, which helps a lot, or so he says. He was sat in my kitchen just after the first time he did the TD and already analysing the logistical nuances, where he's gone wrong and specifically where he could make up time by knowing where to find, say, food stores that would be open, rather than having to scrabble about randomly.
I guess the bottom line is that he's physically well conditioned, which goes without saying, but has a level of mental focus that goes quite a long way beyond most people's.
And he used to be such a nice, apparently normal young man... 🙂
Well MH is now in the final State. Trackleaders is giving him a predicted finish time of 14days1hr.
Greg May's predicted time is now 19days8hrs.
And once again, Mike still seems to be on the go, after 2.30am.
Impressive. Really I'm impress
After a couple of hours break, Mike is once again on the move. Just awesome.
I reckon he wants to be the first to break 14hrs
14 hours would be seriously impressive
Crikey, Mike is now in Abiquiu, 2135.5 miles done.
If anyone can do it mike can
.....
I mean 14days 🙂
Just an HT550 to do then... 🙂
Downhill all the way from here! 2 hrs sleep should se mike good!
Mike Hall - 157 miles to Pie Town
If thats not motivational - i don't know what is!
😉
I think Tom Rowntree deserves some serious credit, the guys been flying since the start, hovering between 10-13 place overall and currently 5th place Rookie
To think last time I saw him I had to help him into his tent, due to "overindulgence" 😉
Go Tom!
[url= http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide16i.php?name=Tom_Rowntree ]Going Like a Train...[/url]
Agreed on wee Tam Rowntree, cracking effort!! Posting all his days on Strava too and judging by his previous exploits will probably provide a detailed account on his blog.
Mike Hall is around 5 hours from Pie Town. Do they sell meat pies there or is it only the American fruit variety? I checked the link for pie-oneer and saw chilli mentioned, but not meaty goodness. Are they missing a trick and is there a niche market within a niche market to be explored in the middle of the New Mexico desert?
At York Cycle Rally last weekend there was a talk by this couple who had ridden the Divide route as part of a longer tour (!!). I asked them about Pietown. They were very enthusiastic about the place but all the pies they mentioned were fruit ones. This seemed a terrible shame to me. Maybe there's a business opportunity for somebody.
Less than 300 miles left for Mike.
Tom is 11th at the moment.
So it's 0130 and Mike Hall is on the move. He's got 296 miles remaining, if he wants to break the 14day barrier then he's got 30hrs (approx) to get to Antelope Wells.
The Trackleaders projection is for 14d6hrs
That was a long sleep, by Mike's, standard. Hopefully that means he's on it now. I'm going to be glued to the dots.
Then he has to average about 10mph for those 30 hours...hope he manages it!
Yes hope so. The final stint after Silver City is quicker than average owing to a lot of road miles and smoother off road than usual for the route. Certainly hard up to Silver City though!
24 hours to go. ~236 miles to the border. While the last bit should be fast going, it's not like he's got fresh legs- even after a slightly longer sleep last night. From what I can tell he's ridden more than that twice already in the race (days 1 and 7). It's going to be close.
2500 miles covered in just over 13 days. It's amazing.
The tracker prediction has come down to just under 14 days and 4 hours. It's going the right way but that's still some big time to pull back. Still way ahead of record pace though.
...and if you zoom in on him right now, it looks like he could well be having a poo at Beaverhead Ranger Station! Unless the small square building across the car park is of particular interest for some other reason. No such thing as privacy is there.
So.........are we all in agreement TS is GM is Terry Smith is Guy Martin? Because if it is our beloved Mr Martin, he's going bloody well for a first timer! Given his injuries last year, and the size of this challenge, that fella (and Brian) must have some mighty big b&lls and phycological strength to attempt it let alone seriously compete.
Chapeau sir if its Mr Martin, and hats off to Terry Smith if it's not.
Gosh, a nail biting record time finish is on the cards - GO MIKE!
@andy8442 scroll down this [url= http://bikepackersmagazine.com/tour-divide-updates/ ]page[/url] and all will be revealed.
MH projected @ 14:03:26!
90 miles from the finish, with eight hours left to take the record under 14 days!
COME ON MIKE!
Maybe he just wants to execute a sub 14 day time with precision 😉
Whats the current record guys ?
Phenomenal effort!
Ah - spotted JK's 'record' flag - wow! COME ON MIKE!
14 days 16hrs (I think, somewhere around that), on the Trackleaders map it's shown as the "JK" flag.
Josh Kato's record from last year was 14d 11.5h I think
70 miles to go. How far out can he start sprinting?
MH projection now 14:02:35. Coming down but is it quick enough. I had a look at the ACA book and the last 35 miles are all tarmac
I make it 66 flatish miles in 6hrs - thats doable - isn't it? With a current speed of 12.4mph!!
Amazing effort, mash it Mike.
Could depend on the wind, a headwind could make a massive difference.
Go Mike! Amazing stuff...
Fantastic effort.
MH is nearly 300 miles ahead of second placed Chris Plesko who looks like he's stopped for the night as his tracker hasn't updated since midnight(ish) local time.
Just used the streetview facility on Google maps and it looks like MH is on tarmac all the way to the finish now.
Greg May is still ahead of the 20d marker so going strong.
A little under 5 hours to do a little over 50 miles and even if he doesn't make that, he's going to smash a huge chunk off the record.
KEEP PEDALLING MIKE!
The ETA at Antelope Wells on Mike's tracker has just dropped the right side of 9am with only 35 miles to go.
ETA now before 8:30am, looks like he's going to do it! 😀
ETA now before 8:30am
About 2:30 our time?
13:30 our time - 7 hours behind.
I've neveer watched a dot so intently before
I wish there was a like button on this forum. 🙂
I'm going to spend the next hour watching a creeping dot.
17.5 mile to go, 16.3mph
Riding that far, that fast is unfathomable to me
What with Lael Wilcox winning the Trans-Am and now MH virtually certain to break the 14 day barrier for the TD I'm simply in awe of how much these riders can push themselves when every cell in their bodies must be screaming out for them to stop.
The projection has finally dipped under 14 days (I was still getting 14d2hrs when others were saying it was under)
I'm putting the map on to StreetView every refresh.
Shame it's not a live view. 🙂
That's him over the 2,700 mile mark. Only 13 miles to go and he's doing 16mph.
Stay glued!
THIRTEEN POINT SEVEN MILES TO GO IN ONE HOUR & FIFTY FIVE MINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go On Mike! I need to leave work in 1 hour and twenty mins to do the school run. Get it done before then please?
According to bikepackers magazine he stopped in Salida a few days ago to have some repairs done on his bike. Don't know how long that was for.
Unless you've arranged someone to meet you at AW you have to ride back out as well!
Go Mike ...
[url=
support ....[/url]
Just saw that on bikepacking.net (not on FB anyway)
Aagh! his tracker isn't updating 😡
7.7miles @ 15.4mph....
hmm i'm stand corrected - 7.7miles in 1hr35!!!!!
Sounds totally exhausted on the you tube video. Go Mike...words like awesome are overused but his effort is just that.
Under 5 miles
The mans' a legend.
I can almost hear the breathing in my head as I watch the dot. 😕
1.3 miles to go!
Damn, no webcams in Antelope Wells!
What must be going through his head as he tries to stay awake, exhausted but so close to an epic achievement ..... counting down the minutes.
Amazing.
Just had a look on Streetview... There is nothing in Antelope Wells eh?!
Unbelievable performance
Why aren't Pivot periscoping the finish!
Seeing the dot get there isn't climactic enough!
arrrgghhh refresh damn you!!
1.3 miles!
Sprint finish!?!
21.3mph!!
21mph!
21.3 mph!
Edit: bouncing dot. Phenomenal just doesn't describe it. Totally awestruck.
And now for the more relaxing past time of watching Tom and Greg's dots...
Just wait till Mike gets told about the EU referendum vote, i imagine he'll turn round and head back the way he came.
Only Joking btw, Congratulations Mike - That is an astounding acheivement and i am personally in utter awe at his mental fortitude.
Bouncing dot!
Finished!!
WOOOO!