Filed under: KingsBridge Train | Tags: 24 hours of summer solstice, albion hills, chico racing, hot august nights, kingsbridge train, summer solstice
Well, it is pretty quiet here at the KingsBridge team campsite at Albion Hills. Most of the racing team has gone home with just a few of us staying the night and then driving home to Ottawa, Deep River, and Burlington, Vermont. It is pretty safe to say that we’re all a bit wiped out as well… But in a good way.
Speaking for the team – we had a great weekend here at the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice. I think everyone came away from the racing with some new lessons about how hard we can push ourselves and that we all really love riding our bikes. Our goal this weekend was to have fun. And we did this in fine form. There were many laughs, stories and generally smiles all around during the racing. We really came together as a team and the team support was overwhelming.
Have to say the course was in excellent shape even with the crazy amounts of rain. The Chico Racing team did a great job of keeping the trails safe and the event itself seemed to run without any wrinkles.
As for our racing? Well, we did really quite well. We finished 28th out of 86 corporate teams. Pretty darn good for a team of riders of varying race experience and mountain biking skills. What really made the difference this weekend was the tireless support of Don and Doe. These two were fantastic – cooked us food, kept us hydrated, helped us stay relaxed, and provided their amazing RV for us to take over. Thanks Don and Doe for truly making our racing experience so perfect.
There were definitely highs for every member of our team. Nick raced for the first time and he did a night lap (yes, he had lights). Steve tested his body at every level and pulled in some amazing lap times. James was our young superstar setting the bar high for us with his technical skills and his amazing night lap without lights (his lights burned out…). Skip recovered from a mechanical to race some fast laps all the while keeping us organized and on form. Andy was a rock – he was either sleeping or riding – both he can do very well. Shane kept up his super smooth riding style while battling a cold and recovering from poison ivy. Vicki got her first taste of 24 hour mountain bike racing and is rambling about racing a 24 hour race solo in the future…
What’s next for team KingsBridge? Well, there is talk of entering a team in the Hot August Nights race…
Filed under: Uncategorized
The rest of the KingsBridge crew arrived last night and we’re now well set up with it seems like a billion tents, gazebos and an RV. We had a pretty chilled out morning while the guys put their bikes together and then it was riding time!
We did a full lap at a pretty chilled pace just to check out the course. I have to say the course is in super condition – especially considering all the rain that hit us earlier in the week. This course really has it all. It is not uber-technical but it is challenging. Flow is the word. It is all about maintaining momentum and really let the bike do its thing. Easier said than done.
There is lots of twisty climbing followed by twisty descending. There is a decent mix of singletrack and doubletrack – giving some relief from the twist and turns. The doubletrack does have some steepish climbs. But when you put it all together it makes for a solid race course. Perhaps the most challenging climb is just before the 1 kilometer to go sign.
But once you hit the top you’re rewarded by some flowy singletrack and the finish line/transition zone….
So all in all it will be a fun day of riding tomorrow. The campground is starting to fill up with riders, supporters, and sponsors. Looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere here this weekend with 3,000 people. Racing kicks off at noon tomorrow so send team KingsBridge some fast vibes and keep your fingers crossed for dry conditions.
Here is a shot of the crew sporting our new KingsBridge kits – thanks to Champion Systems.
“Yes, this is what I need. I’m sorry I didn’t notice I was missing it sooner. Thank you for being so responsive. If this is an indication of Kingsbridge’s level of service, I’m impressed. Thanks again and good night. I won’t bother you again tonight.”
This email arrived in Steve’s inbox last night and we just wanted to take this opportunity on our blog to show-off a bit. Okay, make that brag. See one of the things that really does separate us from other disaster recovery and business continuity planning companies out there is that we really do deliver on our customer service promises.
We know that once we reach a business deal with clients, it is the work that we do after Phoenix is installed and the business continuity plans are built that really matters. After we’ve worked with you to develop plans that are going to see you through some stressful and trying times (well, we honestly hope you don’t experience any “disasters”), we’re still around to answer questions, provide additional training, and help you update your plan as needed.
Customer service and reliability are two key aspects of our business. We do this well because we have to. This is what sets us apart. We’re four guys. Yes, four guys. So we need to do our jobs well in order to get you the plans and service that are going to keep you up and running.
So if this means we need to answer emails at 11:00 p.m. on a Thursday night or check our email when we’re on “vacation” – we’ll do so. Because at the end of the day, we need you just as much as you need us.
Now, all this might sound like a lot of bragging and back-slapping, but hey – why not? We do a good job – no make that an excellent job and we want you to know. And believe us, we’ve got more testimonials just like the one above – we just don’t want to brag too much…
So, it is Friday afternoon – perhaps you’re going to leave early. The sun is shining and the kids want to go to the waterpark. Cool. Go. We’ve got your back. This is what we do.
Filed under: KingsBridge Train | Tags: business, business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, business impact analysis, Continuity of Operations, COOP, cyclo-cross, disaster preparation, disaster recovery software, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, Phoenix software, plus 3 networks, tabor, vicki thomas, world championships
For the past three years, KingsBridge has sponsored an Ottawa bike racer. Vicki is a cyclo-cross racer and this past season; she represented Canada and raced at the 2010 World Cyclo-Cross Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. Some of you were fortunate enough to have met Vicki in our DRJ Spring World booth in Orlando, the rest of you will have to wait until the DRJ Fall World to meet her. Vicki has a website where she writes daily about her training, racing, and life as a bike racer. We thought you’d enjoy reading about her life and seeing the other side of KingsBridge. So in the next few days you will start to see Vicki’s Ottawa Cross blog posts appearing on the KingsBridge blog. But before this happens, we thought you should hear from Vicki herself and let her introduce herself… So without further adieu, here is Vicki….
Wow – with an introduction like that, I’m not really sure where to start! But here goes… Well, as you read, for the past three years, I’ve been very fortunate to be sponsored by KingsBridge. The support that Skip and his staff provide is truly overwhelming – thanks to these guys I’m able to travel to Belgium for the winter months and live like a professional bike racer.
Now, you might be sitting there wondering “what is cyclo-cross”. Cyclo-cross is one of the most difficult forms of bicycle racing. It is a winter sport, with the season starting in late September and ending in mid-February. Woodland trails, open meadows, mud, and short, steep hills are the main features of a cyclo-cross course. Normally the circuit is 2.5-3 km in length, and the race duration is around 40 minutes. Cyclo-cross is also the most popular discipline of bicycle racing in North America. The United States championships are held over four days to accommodate racers and fans. In Europe, spectators arrive upwards of four hours early and will pay 20 dollars to watch the race.
So, this is what I do. I race my bike in the cold winter months through mud, sand, rain, snow, and ice. And I love it! There is nothing quite like a cyclo-cross race. The races are short at 40 minutes so every minute is pretty darn action-packed. Throw in 20,000 spectators at a typical race in Europe and you’ve got a very exciting atmosphere.
I’m based in Belgium from November to February where I focus solely on racing and training for cyclo-cross. Being in Belgium allows me to compete on the European elite circuit and the World Cup circuit. My goal this season is to once again represent Canada at the 2011 World Cyclo-Cross Championships in St. Wendel, Germany. To get there I spend a lot of time out riding my road bike (to get in base miles and fitness), my mountain bike (to work on technical skills), and my cyclo-cross bike (to work on cyclo-cross specific skills).
To keep my sponsors, fans, and family up-to-date, I created Ottawa Cross as a way to let everyone know what is going on. During the off-season, I typically write about my training, goals for the year, and general musings on the bike racer life. During the race season, I write race reports, updates on training and recovering, and pretty much anything else that is going on. I try to be honest as possible on my website – I don’t believe in sugar-coating things. If things are going great – then you’ll know about it. If things are going not-so-great – then you’ll know about it!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading about my bike racing life. Enjoy the ride and please don’t be shy to comment on my blog posts – I love getting feedback and finding out who is reading.
Filed under: Knowledge | Tags: BP oil spill, business, business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, Continuity of Operations, COOP, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, disaster recovery software, gulf oil spill, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, sharepoint
The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a horrible natural disaster that the area might never recover from… This much is known. So many people have asked why we haven’t written anything on our blog about it and why we aren’t using it when it comes to business interruption scenarios. The answer is simple, it is such a massive incident that most people can’t wrap their heads around it and would simply say “we aren’t a petroleum company, so it doesn’t apply”. While that is true, I was reading an article today on the fact that BP share prices have dropped for the second day in a row. Half way down this article, there is a perfect Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery piece that ties back to handling the media that has been written about here and here. Read the following and see how it all ties together:
On the corporate front, BP shareholders would prefer to sacrifice the company’s Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg rather than CEO Hayward over the ongoing crisis, the Times of London reported in its Wednesday edition.
Citing an unidentified person close to the British company, the Times said shareholders had more confidence in Hayward’s ability to supervise BP’s response to the crisis than Svanberg, who has been largely invisible.
“The mood within the company and among shareholders is clear — they are supportive of Tony, who they feel has done his best in a very bad situation, but they are unimpressed by Svanberg,” the London newspaper reported the person as saying.
A BP spokesman dismissed the claims that former Ericsson boss Svanberg, who took over the role of chairman in January, would consider stepping down.
All of this is taking place against the backdrop of rising public anger and an unfolding ecological catastrophe.
This means, that not only will BP loose an immense amount of money, but they might also loose their Chairman during the darkest hours of their existence. This leads to managing public perception and ensuring you (or your company) don’t fall prey to the hounds in the media. You will notice that during this excerpt, there is no mention of “who” was decided to be the face of the issue, no mention of “why” the CEO would speak instead of the Chairman and now “an unidentified person” is kicking the Chairman to the curb.
How does this impact my company?
When you are doing your planning (or recovery), make sure your highest-ranking official is either the face of the incident or clearly state what they are doing to save the company (running operations, meeting with shareholders, meeting with clients/suppliers). It is very likely the Chairman Svanberg is a better business person and will be better for running the recovery of BP. If they are largely “invisible” as mentioned above, they and possibly your company will meet the same fate.
For the full article read more at: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/shares+tumble+government+probes+Gulf+spill/3131036/story.html#ixzz0qNGWPOd7
About KingsBridge
KingsBridge offers private businesses and government organizations a unique combination of industry knowledge and cost-effective disaster recovery / business continuity solutions. KingsBridge products and seminars provide the tools to assess possible threats and create tailored plans which mitigate risks and minimize losses in the event of a disruption to business. Kingsbridge is headquartered in Ogdensburg, New York, with offices in Ottawa, Canada and Burlington, Vermont. For more information visit us at www.DisasterRecovery.com
