During the very first leg -- the kayaking leg! -- of this year's Spring Fury adventure race, I noticed some awesome flowers as I was getting out of my kayak to go punch a checkpoint some yards inland. Amid the lake reeds, standard spring wetland fare such as skunk cabbage and May apples, there were …
Category: adventure racing
The Cheerful Spring Fury
Saturday, May 7, 2011 2:55 a.m. Wake up without alarm, in anticipation of alarm about to go off at 3:00 a.m. Walk the dog, feed dog and self. Caffeinate self. Get ready to head out to Pinckney State Recreation Area for Infiterra Sports' Spring Fury 10-Hour Sprint Adventure Race. In adventure racing, anything short of …
Cold Water Doesn’t Really Feel So Bad
Exactly three hours and thirty minutes into this year’s December Chill adventure race, I had to wade through a creek, knee deep. This was a significant improvement over last year, when I went through ice on a swamp merely fifteen minutes into the race. And the weather was warmer today, too: about 30F and maybe …
Invasive Species, or the Summer Quest Adventure Race
We are fast running out of summer, which means the time for frivolities is running out, too. I did manage to have time for one more adventure race this summer. This was was the shortest I've done, a mere four-hour sprint called the Summer Quest. After the twenty-eight-hour race a month ago, I was wondering …
Continue reading Invasive Species, or the Summer Quest Adventure Race
March Madness adventure race
I almost hoped I hadn't signed up for this race in December because I have so much work I was feeling guilty and distracted about taking a whole day from work doing real work. But it was spring break, after all, so what the heck.March Madness is Infiterra Sports' fun early spring sprint adventure race: …
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 …
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 