Very nice Santa Claus -- well, my even nicer wife and her parents -- got me an early Xmas present: a brand new kayak. I got it early because I will need it in The Chill, Infiterra Sports' early December adventure race. My friend Gina and I went to Huron Meadows Metropark yesterday to launch …
Author: Mika LaVaque-Manty
I'm a professor of political science at the University of Michigan. I'm a philosopher by training, and I teach political theory.
Summer Groove in October
In my quest for new things beyond running, I did my third adventure race on October 10. This was a nice combination of "sprint" (i.e., less than 24-hour) and longer races: its cutoff was 15 hours, but it started at 3 a.m., which at this time of the year meant at least four hours of …
Newport Marathon trip, Day Five
Here is the final installment, including appearance credits, of the Newport Marathon trip vlog.
Newport Marathon trip, Day One
Here's a vlog from my trip to the Oregon coast with my marathoning buddies Marc and Lorne. Marc is a retired computer nerd from Portland, Lorne is a bureaucrat nerd from Edmonton, and I am a tweedy academic. Wild times are here again.
Adventure racing, part two: Spring Fury
My first adventure race, December Chill, was a bit chilly. My second one, Spring Fury, quite hot. Michigan spring can be unpredictable, weatherwise; this time, warm and sunny were on offer. Considering the possible alternatives, I'm not complaining, even though burned my lips pretty bad and had lots of dehydration-induced leg cramps during the race.But …
Adventure Racing: The Chill
The Chill was my introduction into adventure racing. This annual event takes place in early December, which can be disappointingly balmy or annoyingly rainy and muddy in Southeast Michigan. This year, the weather cooperated with the race's name, though: it was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit in the beginning, with the day's high expected at 27 …
Into the Not So Wild 