2002 Jeep Kentucky Adventure Race - Race Report

*note* This is an old race report that I wanted to include in my blog archive. This was my first attempt at doing an Adventure Race. What a great experience and fun way to be introduced to Kentucky. Hard to believe that it was that long ago now. Adventure Racing is probably the most enjoyment that I've had doing endurance sports. And some day maybe I'll find a team that wants a runner, sometime triathlete with weak rowing and climbing skills... you never know. Enjoy. *end note*

Jeep Kentucky Adventure Race - 2002

I made my way to Kentucky after a summer of mowing lawns, little exercise and one triathlon. Athletically it had been a depressive season. To make things worse, my first impression driving into Lexington, Kentucky were not that great. But to my relief, I found two groups of athletes:

A. dedicated triathletes at the University of Kentucky
B. the Todd’s Road Stumblers - a running group that meets on Saturday mornings

With a new scene and the social urging of Tyson Carroll, Eric Atnip and Beth Atnip I started a slow path to fitness. This adventure of fitness took a rather quick turn back into competition.

Team New Balance:
The local New Balance store was looking for a team to put into the Jeep Kentucky Adventure Race. Eric ended up getting in touch with the store manager and began to put together a team. The team needed four members which most likely was not going to include me, but one of the guys ended up not being able to participate. This open space was filled by me! The team members were now: Eric Atnip, Tyson Carroll, Dave Kundig, and myself.


Getting to Know Kentucky and Mountain Biking:
Everyone on the team had spent the summer competing in triathlons. This meant we needed to practice off road riding and riding as a team. While I originally had low expectations for Kentucky, these practices allowed me to experience Kentucky. I soon discovered that the outdoors in Kentucky are B-E-A-UTIFUL! There seems to be limitless possibilities of outdoor activity within a short drive of Lexington. To practice for the race we made frequent trips to Capital View Park (Frankfort), Carter Caves and Cave Run. These trips were for training purposes, but they became my weekly escape and rejuvenation. It is amazing how beautiful scenery, exercise and a few friends can change a person’s attitude.


Our Introduction to Adventure Racing:
For the four members of Team New Balance, this would be our first adventure race. We felt confident that we had the physical ability to be competitive, Tyson and Eric coming off Ironman Wisconsin, Dave returning from a summer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and I, well that has been discussed. The areas we felt a little uncertain were: paddle sports, caving, team cohesiveness and navigation. What we discovered was some of these things work together.

The Race:
The start of the race went well as a short run lead into the mountain bike. The biking went fairly well considering the rough course due to the rain, the race the day before and Tyson using a brand new bike. The special challenges also gave little hindrance because the climbing was easily set up and Eric can pull a jeep without much help (got to love those big guys!). It was after the special challenges where our race truly began.

Navigation, Directions and Teamwork?
Wanting to make up time off the bikes we decided to use our finish and close some gaps. We took off running, gear on our backs but heads in the clouds. Running through the course, it became somewhat difficult to keep the team together (mistake #1). Moving quickly through check points we knew we had the caves just ahead. At one point we came to a junction where we took a left without too much thought or reference to our passport (mistake #2). The thing that got my attention were two guys just below the junction in a river bed, unfortunately I didn’t say anything. This was mistake #3 because you should never assume someone just happens to be in a river bed washing off?

As we continued up the other side of the river bed we quickly lost our way (we were way off course). This is where adventure racing and team competition really takes on its life. Wrong turn after wrong turn ultimately put us nowhere near our course. It also started damaging our team morale. As Tyson tried to put us back on course, Dave and I proceeded in frustration and Eric kept things as civil as the occasion allowed. Eventually we made our way back to our missed junction and passed the check point. Then we made another wrong turn (mistake #25 by this point)?! This time we were a little smarter and turned around making our way back to the caves. All said and done, 50 to 55 minutes passed from the time we first missed the cave entrance check point until the time we entered the caves.

Our Finished Adventure:
We used the caves to catch our breath and regain composure. At the exit of the caving section, Team New Balance began to shine. Check point after check point we found ourselves passing teams and gaining on the lead team. By the time we made the canoeing section we found ourselves back in first place, with the canoeing and a short rock scramble left.

Team New Balance did cross the finish line in first place, but it was a bitter-sweat feeling. We knew that a better race could have been run and there were two person teams and individuals that crossed that line before us.

Lessons Learned:
The sport of adventure racing is not a triathlon. Skills are needed, fitness is essential but so is knowledge of topo maps and team cohesiveness. There are also times in a race, even a sprint adventure race where you need to stop and evaluate the next move.

Thanks!! None of this would have been possible without the help of the New Balance Store-Lexington, Kentucky and the New Balance Company.

Into Thin Air - Book Review and Thoughts

When I came to page 95 of Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster I saw this quote:

"Unlike your routine life, where mistakes can usually be recouped and some kind of compromise patched up, your actions, for however brief a period, are deadly serious." by A. Alvarez, The Savage God: A Study of Suicide

That quote got me thinking at that time so I took out a piece of paper and put down some notes. Here were my thoughts then:

You can't make excuses in extreme sports because mistakes take lives. Maybe this is one of my attractions to endurance sports because it allows me to go up against others and myself. Then at the end of the day - the excuses I have don't matter. The mistakes that I've made in a race can only be traced back to my own training decisions or race execution. There is no one above or below me on an organizational chart that I can shift the blame to.

In the business world this happens all the time and drives me crazy. What is even worse is that at times results and rewards in the business world don't reflect the aptitude of a person's past. Just look at Bob Nardelli, the recently departed CEO of Home Depot, he did little for shareholders yet he leaves his job cashing in. I don't believe we would see Nardelli performing well in the endurance sports arena.

There are incredibly more risks associated with climbing Everest than competing in a triathlon but racing a triathlon at the least creates an environment where an athlete's mistakes are immediately realized. The is no way to hide behind words and you definately don't get rewarded for doing nothing prior to the event.

One of the biggest lures of endurance sports is that it creates as level of a playing field as there is.... therefore, there are no excuses.

My final thoughts on Into Thin Air

Those were my feelings at that point in the book, but as the book went on I began to wonder if I was right. To say that the book becomes one of the saddest and intense books I've read is an understatement. The scene on Everest has all the drama of a modern day sitcom; the wealthy lady with all her toys and bags, the hippies, the dreamers, the outlaws, the rivalries and even some sex scandals. It is amazing to think that all these things could go on while a climb is taking place or getting ready to take place. My perception leading into this book was that everyone would be so focused upon getting to the summit that their own abilities to climb and helping their teammates with their own climb would be the only concern. I was wrong.

The one thing that this book did discuss some but I would like to read more about are the Sherpas. Those people have a story that shows to me that all things are not really equal in climbing expeditions. The sherpas are hired help and they help people achieve their dreams of getting to the top of the world. Even if it means they drag a climber up there by a rope. Amazing.

As I finished this book, I could really feel the heaviness that Krakauer has in response to the climb. He even talks about how he hadn't come to terms with the lost lives at that point. The ending of the chapters and the letters he shares in the epilogue are very real reactions and show the varied responses that individuals had to the book.

There has not been a day in my life that I've thought about climbing Everest. The closest thing that I've done would be hiking up Pikes Peak - hardly an experience that would allow me to understand the sport of mountaineering. After reading about their situations on Everest and having to make decisions like walking by another climber that is near death in order to maintain your own life - I'm pretty sure the thought of climbing Everest won't be on my goal sheet anytime soon.

If you are interested in reading a compelling and tragic story, a story that is well written and emotional - then I'd suggest you read this book. You won't be dissapointed!