by Jess Evans
April 10, 2018

When a race director sets the race time frame to 8 hours, or 12 hours, or 4 days (96 hours), that is the maximum time you have to get as many checkpoints as possible and get to the finish.  Those times are not negotiable – which can be pretty nerve wracking.  There have been a few times where I have missed the cut off time for an adventure race, but it has been rare.  Always an hour before the cut off I begin to get this foreboding feeling of the looming deadline.  As I gauge if I can get a few more checkpoints, the fear of being late rises steadily in my mind.  If I am with a team, I resist the urge to press my teammates to start heading in.  But I really want to start nagging… “Let’s get back. Forget about that checkpoint.  We need to get back!”

My most recent late experience was Frigid 2017.  I was racing it as a solo, working on my navigation skills.  Earlier in the race I had gotten myself turned around and missed a checkpoint I should not have missed.  I gave up on it and headed for the northern section of the course picking up checkpoints as I went.  When 1 hour before cut-off time hit, I turned south towards the finish.

I moved along quickly and came to a point where I could continue south to the finish or veer to the west and pick up that one checkpoint I missed earlier.  I weighed my options, and then took off at a break-neck speed down the creek valley to the re-entrant where my missed checkpoint hung.  I knew I could get it this time because I was approaching it from a better angle.  As I turned the corner up the side re-entrant, there it was on the hillside.  I was making good time, but the minutes were ticking away.  I moved quickly up the hill, punched my card, and stopped for a few seconds to think through the fastest way to get back to the finish.  Traveling on the trail was the fastest route for me, so I took off for the trail at the top of the hill.  I hit the trail and increased my speed.  My legs pumped under me with all the fear of being late to the finish.

Suddenly, I skidded to a stop!  I was confused.  I was at a crossroads and did not know which trail would get me where I wanted.  Panic rose up in my chest.  Which way?  I chose a trail and went for it.  With the trail twisting here and there, I realized this was not the most direct route.  Time was wasting away!  I knew the direction I had to go and jumped off the trail into the woods, going up and down hillsides – slowing my pace on the rough ground. As I approached the building, I saw that I was literally 1 minute from being late.  I ran into the building, trying not to be rude to those racers who were finished and lolly-gagging in front of me as I ran between the tables to where Dallas sat.  “Move out of my way!” I bellowed in my head.

Reaching out my hand desperately, I handed my punch card to Dallas.  He clearly did not feel the immense urgency that was pulsing through my veins.  He sat calmly behind the table jotting down my finish time without a care in the world.  In a casual voice he said “you are one minute late,” as if it was no big deal.  “Noooo!” was my anguished cry internally.  That last checkpoint and my reckless flight back to the finish were worthless.  One point taken away for being late!  But… there was a sense of pride that I had given it my all.  Wow, I love adventure racing!

by Jess Evans
April 5, 2018

Now that race season has begun (according to me), let’s see what is in store for the extreme adventurer and the regular adventurer in the AR world.  April is the time of year to start introducing those new racers to the sport.  Adventureracehub.com has 15 races and 2 clinics on the list for April and most of those races have small enough race courses to appeal to the younger or new AR crowd.  But the seasoned racer has plenty to grin about as well.

I would consider any race between 3 hours and 12 hours good starters for novice racers and just plain fun for experienced racers.  This is coming from a racer whose first Adventure Race was a 12-hour, but I would say my view point is pretty solid.

For the novices out there who are skeptical of their racing abilities, read my earlier blog post Beginner Racers.  It should give you some encouragement that YOU can do this.  You may also want to join one of the adventure racing clinics scheduled for April to develop and sharpen your skills.

For the experienced racers, the shorter races are a time to practice increasing your navigation speed and your physical speed.  Try to memorize part of your map and then head out on the course… see how far you get without needing to check the map again. Remember, a 12-hour race is a sprint, so start acting like it.  Don’t hold back!  There are at least two 24-hour races in April, if you like an overnight challenge.  Staying out all night in the woods is a favorite pastime of mine, and adventure racing makes it all the more easier to do.

Now that it is warming up, it is race time!

by Jess Evans
March 29, 2018

As a beginner racer, I think the most important part of the race (besides enjoying yourself) is getting to the finish on time.  Time management is critical in adventure racing, and I think that beginner racers struggle with that the most. When I first started racing, I was focused on the race deadline.  Picking up checkpoints was secondary.  Now, getting back on time is important, but I know myself better and how far I can go in the allotted time.  Much to my chagrin, there have been a few times when I missed that deadline, but that has been rare.

When I took my 11 year old niece on her first 4 hour adventure race (The Flow in Frankfort, KY), my goals were 1) for her to have a good time, 2) for her to experience each leg of the race, and 3) for her to finish the race on time.  I knew she would feel excited about adventure racing if I could accomplish these three goals.  I decided after we had received the maps that we should spend no more than 1 hour on each discipline. As the race progressed, I adjusted our expected checkpoint capture as I saw her energy level wane. At the first transition area, we stopped for a little lunch and watched other teams enter the TA. At the second TA, her mother was volunteering.  We rested and chatted with Mom for a bit.  We finished the race with about 20 minutes to spare and all mandatory checkpoints.  We also had a few other non-mandatory points to brag about, but those were points we could easily pick up along the way on our journey through the course.

Some people may think that for a 4 hour race you need to train for many hours to complete it.  Not true. My niece and I completed The Flow, and the most she had ridden her bike at one time was 4 miles!  She broke that record in this race.  The secret for beginner racers or teams with young and inexperienced endurance racers is to focus on the minimum requirements and get those done at a reasonable pace and in the allotted time.  Adventure Racing is a methodical scavenger hunt which requires time management skills and self discipline.

This race was a challenge for me too, because I had to silence my competitive voice and pay close attention to my niece and her needs as we trudged through hot humid weather in Kentucky. In the end, she had a huge smile on her face and asked if we could do that race again.  The Flow, directed by 361° Adventures, is an excellent race for beginners and young racers.  This year The Flow is April 14, and registration is open.

by Jess Evans
March 23, 2018

This is an exciting time for Athena Adventures as we prepare to put on our first adventure race.  Luckily, we have the experience and knowledge of the 361°Adventures brothers giving us guidance.  I have spent many hours in the mountains and in conversation with my friends at 361° Adventures to bring a breath-taking, challenging race to you all.  You’ll have plenty of biking and trekking on ridges, down into valleys, and along mountains.  There will be some awesome views of the mountain ranges in the distance and the backside of Pikes Peak.  We have purposely kept the elevation at the lower range of the mountains to make it more accessible for all altitude acclimation levels.  (Read my Exercising at Elevation blog from earlier this month.) There will be a small paddling section, just to give you a taste of paddling on a mountain valley reservoir, but most of the race is gravel roads and trails.

The race takes place in mid-May.  Registration is open at 361adventures.com/pikes.  Review the gear list to make sure you have what you need.  We are supplying the canoes, but you may bring your own paddling gear.  If you have a third teammate, you will need to bring your own middle seat.  We have a group campground for everyone to camp at if you do not mind roughing it.  If not, the race start is very close to Woodland Park, Colorado which has other campgrounds, motels, and B&Bs.  The City of Woodland Park is very excited to have us in their neck of the woods during that weekend.  There will be a picnic after the race onSunday, May 20.  We are very conscious of dietary needs, and hope to have something for everyone.

If you are new to adventure racing, or concerned about the length or elevation, shoot me an email at info@athenaadventures.com . I may have some advice or ideas that will help you. I am looking forward to seeing you all in Pike National Forest, Colorado!

by Jess Evans
March 20, 2018

To date, I have only done 2 expedition races – both in 2017.  For years I was certain that expedition racing was way out of my league and only for those who really like to suffer. Well, I have changed my mind.  Either I like to suffer, or they are totally awesome!  I think I would not have tried it if 361° Adventures had not made their 2017 Breakdown into a 4-day expedition race.  Racing with a company I was familiar and comfortable with made all the difference.  They also held a little question and answer session about expedition races to give us novices some perspective.

I raced with “Only MOSTLY Lost” at the Breakdown EXP (Jason, Owen, and Robert).  I found I had great camaraderie with my teammates and that the pace was very doable.  As in all races, you have your tough times and your good times.  The lake paddling in a two-person pack raft on a cold morning was not fun and very cold.  Having someone from another team jump out and scare me in the middle of the night was not fun. (I think my teammates were trying very hard not to laugh once they saw the startled and annoyed expression on my face.)  Then there were the conversations, the laughs, and the end of race excitement as we found out we were near the top of the pack.  It was a very good first expedition race experience.

My experience at the 6-day Cowboy Tough race was equally enjoyable.  I raced with the 361°  Adventures team (Jim, Doug, and Shawn).  My teammates were THE BEST!  We were very detailed in our pre-race planning meetings making sure we were ready for all conditions.  I am not sure how many times we went back and forth on carrying a sleeping bag.  I am certainly glad we carried them.  Having 3 hours of good sleep a night really helped my morale.  There were certainly those miserable moments too – riding my bike against a stiff Wyoming headwind while I could see my teammates could have easily upped the pace if I was not so slow, was mentally tough.  But we finished in good spirits and with a lot of great memories.

If you have a chance to do an expedition race, you should do it, but I think you should make sure you are racing with people who share your goals on the race.  In neither race were we out there to win it all.  We were out there to enjoy it, remain friends, and finish.