Yesterday a friend posted this link on Facebook. Please take a look. It's pretty darned fun!
Crazy, no? And impressive. And suicidal. And all manner of adjectives. Even if you think the cyclists have taken complete leave of their senses, you can't help but admire their skill.
Now, what does this have to do with adventure racing? Nothing. Everything. First, let's figure out what an adventure race is. Wikipedia has a pretty good definition.
In short, an adventure race is a treasure hunt for grownups. You don't know the course until the race begins (at which point you are given clues about where you need to go and what you need to do there), and you have a passport that either needs to be punched or signed. You ARE told what you need to bring with you, usually a backpack of various items and a bicycle. You will do a little orienteering, some map-reading, maybe a little canoeing, and lots of cooperating with your teammates.
What's really cool about adventure racing is its flexibility. Some races are short and great for families (Amazing Adventure series), some are longer and a bit more of a challenge (Winter Rogaine), some are in the middle of the city (Urban Sprint), and some are downright crazy (30-hour Challenge).
What does this have to do with that insane video at the top of this post? Several things.
So what are you waiting for? Go out and do an adventure race!
(Pics are from the Carmel Amazing Adventure race, July 2010)
VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.
Crazy, no? And impressive. And suicidal. And all manner of adjectives. Even if you think the cyclists have taken complete leave of their senses, you can't help but admire their skill.
Now, what does this have to do with adventure racing? Nothing. Everything. First, let's figure out what an adventure race is. Wikipedia has a pretty good definition.
"Adventure racing (also called expedition racing) is a combination of two or more endurance disciplines, including orienteering (if an orienteering map is used) and/or navigation (when non-orienteering maps are used), cross-country running, mountain biking, paddling and climbing and related rope skills. An expedition event can span ten days or more while sprints can be completed in a matter of hours."
In short, an adventure race is a treasure hunt for grownups. You don't know the course until the race begins (at which point you are given clues about where you need to go and what you need to do there), and you have a passport that either needs to be punched or signed. You ARE told what you need to bring with you, usually a backpack of various items and a bicycle. You will do a little orienteering, some map-reading, maybe a little canoeing, and lots of cooperating with your teammates.
What's really cool about adventure racing is its flexibility. Some races are short and great for families (Amazing Adventure series), some are longer and a bit more of a challenge (Winter Rogaine), some are in the middle of the city (Urban Sprint), and some are downright crazy (30-hour Challenge).
What does this have to do with that insane video at the top of this post? Several things.
- Both are unusual challenges that most people don't think about doing.
- Both give you sense of accomplishment.
- Both push you out of your comfort zone (always a good thing!).
- Both are a heck of a lot of fun.
So what are you waiting for? Go out and do an adventure race!
(Pics are from the Carmel Amazing Adventure race, July 2010)
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