I’ve been looking for some tough nylon pants to wear while adventure racing that would hold up to the demands of bushwhacking through saw palmettos. I also wanted them to be light enough to wear during the summer and quick drying. I came across Rail Riders after searching on the internet and decided to order the Men’s X-treme Adventure Pants along with the Men’s Eco-Mesh Shirt. I waited anxiously for the shipment to arrive. Since I hadn’t ordered anything from Rail Riders before, I ordered a couple of different sizes and in-seams. When the package finally arrived, I ripped into it and tried on the pants and shirt. Ana was in the kitchen making dinner and when I came out and she saw me, she couldn’t help but laugh. My ego was crushed. Here I thought I was looking like Mr. Adventurer and instead I looked like I should be swabbing the decks of some pirate ship.
Even my mom, who was visiting for the week, couldn’t contain herself. Nothing better than getting laughed at by your mother. I took a look in the mirror and was instantly reminded of the “Puffy Shirt” episode on Seinfeld.
While the puffy shirt, I mean Eco-Mesh shirt is out, I ordered a pair of the Bushwhacker Weatherpants. I like the material of the Rail Rider pants and think that they will work great, but I wanted to try a pair that wasn’t pegged at the ankle like my 90’s MC Hammer Pants. They are light weight and look to be extremely durable. As summer is right around the corner, there’s no way that I can wear the Under Armour tights that I’ve used in the past.
Once I get the Weatherpants in and use them for awhile, I’ll let you know how they work out.
I ordered a pair of the Weatherpants for Ana, but they ended up looking like mom jeans so she decided to pass.
The House of Pain, also known as the Pangea Atomic 30-hour Adventure Race, is quickly approaching and we are not ready. I haven’t trained as well as I would have liked. We haven’t canoed down any Class II rapids. I haven’t practiced nighttime navigation and we haven’t decided on the gear we need to pack. But, I did get an awesome pack–the AS-2 from Out There USA. After the Atomic, I’ll do a write up on the pack. I think it is a little too big for the Atomic but I wanted something that I could use for the 2015 Sea 2 Sea in February. That’s right Ana, we’re doing the Sea 2 Sea 🙂
So, here is a pic of what I’ve decided on to date not including food, gels, and fluids.
The longest race we’ve done so far has been 10 hours so we are jumping in pretty deep to do the Atomic. The thing is, we don’t know how to pack for a race of this duration. In an attempt to adhere to the Adventure Racing Manifesto:
If you’re not hungry, you’re carrying too much food. If you’re not thirsty, you’re carrying to much water. If you are warm, you have too many clothes. If you’re not wet, scratched, and bruised, you took the long way. If you are not frightened, you have too much gear. If you are not tired, you’re going too slowly. If you are not drop-down sleepy, you’re getting too much rest. And if you finish the race on schedule, it was too easy anyway.
We’re trying to pack as light as we can, but not stupid light. The race is in Blue Ridge Georgia and the average weather is High 80F, Low 50F with a record high of 94F and a record low of 29F. The average monthly rainfall is 5 inches but the recorded rainfall to date is almost 0 inches, so I’ll bet my chafing ass that all 5 inches will be coming down the weekend of the race.
I’ve looked online for packing lists to get an idea of what to bring and here are a few links worth checking out:
With all of those sources, I put together my list of what I think will work for us. My biggest concern is hypothermia. I was stationed at Eglin AFB when 4 Army Ranger candidates died due to hypothermia. According to the Associated Press, “the water temperature was 52 degrees, just above the 50-degree threshold set in 1977 after two soldiers died from hypothermia during Ranger training. The air temperature was in the 60’s after several days of chilly weather.” In other words, it wasn’t frigidly cold. Wet clothes, little food, fatigue and exposure and hypothermia becomes a real threat.
So, with all that in mind, here is our evolving gear list:
If you have any suggestions, please leave us a comment. We’d love to hear from others, especially if you’ve done the Atomic. One thing I’m going to try that I’m not sure about is, rather than getting a large dry bag for my backpack, I plan to pack all of my extra clothes in a small dry bag that I’ll leave in my pack. The rest of the contents can get wet without damage. I know some racers shove their entire pack in a dry bag during the canoe portions. I’ll have to think more on that.
I’d like to thank Hien from the Canyoneros and also Emily Korsch for their gear suggestions.
A big thanks to FunkyPotato for uploading the Eco-Challenge, Argentina on YouTube. These videos are so old that you can’t find them anywhere except on his YouTube site or perhaps in VHS format on Ebay. You still have a VCR to play a VHS tape on, right? Ya, thought so.
Take some time and curl up in front of the iPad and watch one of the greatest adventure races ever held.
While Stu was at his wife’s baby shower, Ana and I had our long day workout today. I think we got the better end of the deal, actually. A room full of women talking about pregnancy, birth, and how to cope with crying children…hmm count me out. Sorry Stu, I’ll drink a beer in your honor tonight. Anyway, we had to revise our training plan for the 30-hour Atomic Adventure Race that is coming up May 31st because we aren’t fast enough to make the mileage I had originally planned. Ana’s parents are kind enough to watch the boys while we go train and there just isn’t enough time to do everything I had originally planned. So, the new and improved training schedule is below:
But, what I really wanted to post on was something that has been bothering me for weeks now. Today’s plan was to canoe 1hr, run 7 miles, then bike for 24 miles. But the day was cut short so we only ended up biking for 10 miles. After we finished and I got in the car I could smell something like ammonia or nail polish remover whenever I breathed through my nose. I’ve actually noticed this after every long training day and many times after doing a 45 minute cross training session. Now, I don’t smell like ammonia, I smell like other things less pleasant that I like to call, “The Smell of Man” but that’s another issue. No, what I was experiencing was that when I inhaled through my nose I could smell ammonia, as if someone had placed a smelling salt under my nose. At times it’s so strong that it takes my breath away and I have to breathe solely through my mouth. Crazy, right?
When I got home I decided to Google it and here is what I found on Wikipedia: Ketosis: When glycogen stores are not available in the cells, fat (triacylglycerol) is cleaved to provide 3 fatty acid chains and 1 glycerol molecule in a process known as lipolysis. Most of the body is able to use fatty acids as an alternative source of energy in a process called beta-oxidation. One of the products of beta-oxidation is acetyl-CoA, which can be further used in the citric acid cycle. During prolonged fasting or starvation, or as the intentional result of a ketogenic diet, acetyl-CoA in the liver is used to produce ketone bodies instead, leading to a state of ketosis.[citation needed]
During starvation or a long physical training session, the body starts using fatty acids instead of glucose…[LOTS OF MULTI-SYLLABLE WORDS]…
The ketone body acetoacetate will slowly decarboxylate into acetone, a volatile compound that is both metabolized as an energy source and lost in the breath and urine…
Also, when the body is in ketosis, one’s breath may smell of acetone. This is due to the breakdown of acetoacetic acid into acetone and carbon dioxide which is exhaled through the lungs. Acetone is the chemical responsible for the smell of nail polish remover and some paint thinners.
Catabolism: Is the set of metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units to release energy.[1] In catabolism, large molecules such aspolysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids and proteins are broken down into smaller units such as monosaccharides, fatty acids, nucleotides, and amino acids, respectively…[MORE BIG WORDS]…
Cells use the monomers released from breaking down polymers to either construct new polymer molecules, or degrade the monomers further to simple waste products, releasing energy. Cellular wastes include lactic acid,acetic acid, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and urea.
So, basically I’m smelling acetone because my body is breaking down fat or I’m smelling ammonia because my body is breaking down proteins. Either way, it appears that the cause of the smell is due to a glycogen deficit because I’m carbohydrate deficient. The recommendation is to consume more carbohydrates.
Again from Wikipedia:
Foods with high carbohydrate are often highly processed or refined foods made from plants; including sweets, cookies and candy, table sugar, honey, soft drinks, breads and crackers, jams and fruit products, pastas and breakfast cereals.
I’m sold, no arm twisting here. For the sake of my health, I promise to eat more highly processed refined foods, especially sweets, cookies, candies and soft drinks.
In all seriousness, catabolism and/or ketosis doesn’t appear to be an issue unless someone has Type 1 diabetes, but don’t take my word for it, I’m just some stranger on the internet. Go talk to a real doctor. The coolest thing though is that acetone produced by ketosis has been suggested as a cause for spontaneous human combustion. It’s on the internet so it’s got to be true, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_combustion.
For those that don’t like to read–who needs all those words anyway–you can click on the link below and see a short video of our course. I recommend clicking on settings and watching at 0.25 speed to slow down the video.
For those that actually enjoy reading my blogs, well you are obviously above average in intelligence and attractiveness so you shall be reward by a blog post full of information and wit. It’s full of something for sure.
The 2014 Pangea Dixie Conquest was hosted at the Bayard Conservation Area, a beautiful area that is above water 364 days out of the year. However, once a year the entire area turns into a swampy mess, and that’s usually when Greg schedules the Dixie Conquest. This was the toughest race we’ve done so far. It took us 9 hours of constant effort to cover the 36 miles by running, biking, and canoeing. And I’m pretty sure we could have cleared the entire course with just a canoe. I have never seen a race as wet and swampy as this one and I have pictures to prove it…oh wait…no I don’t because we forgot the GoPro. Boo! But that’s okay because I can just hijack the Canyoneros YouTube video…
For those not familiar with adventure racing, clearing a course means that a team has found all of the checkpoints and checked in prior to expiration of time. This is our 4th race and the first time that we’ve been able to clear a course, a big milestone for us.
For those interested, here are the course maps and instructions:
Jeff Leininger, course designer, had the teams gather in a small circle prior to the start of the race. In order for us to get our first set of maps, each team had to find 4 hidden Easter eggs and turn them in at the Start/Finish table. This was a great way to break up the racers and a lot of fun.
Foot 1:
We gathered our eggs and were off with the front of the pack. Our original plan was to first go to CP2 then CP5, but when we saw the leaders heading off towards CP1, we decided to follow. I actually don’t like following other teams except in the beginning of a race. For some reason I have the hardest time getting oriented right at the start and I’ll usually follow the herd for the first checkpoint or so. This first foot section was straight forward and we didn’t have any issues finding the CPs. Our order was 1, 3, 4, 6, 5, 2 and then back to the Start Finish where we got our bikes and paddles and headed to the Boat TA.
Boat 1:
Since canoeing is our worst event, our plan was to go SE towards CP8 first so that we could maximize our points. If we decided we were taking too long on this section, we would bail out leaving CPs 13, 14, 15 and 7 behind. Given the pre-race forecast of high winds and rain, this approach made sense. But, when we got to the Boat TA, the water was calm so we decided to go for it all and headed towards CP7. On the way, we got to canoe under a number of piers where we had to duck to make it. You can tell Ana is a little nervous as she’s already in full tuck mode.
One thing that worked well for us on this race was measuring distances between the canoe checkpoints and converting the distances to estimated times between CPs. Had we not done this, we would have had a much harder time finding the CPs. This was my first time using the Scale Master Pro Digital Plan Measure. This tool is awesome.
You can set up a custom scale and then just roll out your measurements. I’ve found it to be extremely easy to use and very accurate. If you don’t have one, get one. And if you’re going to get one, do so by clicking on the pic above and Amazon will send me a quarter. You’ll get an awesome tool and be supporting the awesomest adventure racing team at the same time.
After CP7, we hit CP8, 9, 10, 11 without any problems. CP12 was further into the creek than we imagined and we were passed by Team BikeWorks / Gecko when I took an offshooting creek. We quickly got back on track and found the CP. For CP13, 14, and 15, we planned to beach near the trail by CP13 and do the remaining CPs on foot. We never saw the trail from the water but beached where a number of other canoes were and bushwhacked south until we found the trail. We quickly picked up the CPs and made our first major blunder returning to the canoe. We couldn’t remember where we came in and so the plan was to find the trail leading to the water and then follow the shore to the canoe. We found the trail but there was no way to follow the shore south without a major swim. So, we headed back to the loop and picked a point of reentry. This detour probably cost us 10 minutes. Back on the canoe, we “raced” back to the Boat TA having cleared our first canoe section without capsizing…double bonus points. Team BikeWorks was right behind us and they caught us at the take out point. I swear they had an outboard or something.
Bike 1:
Finishing Boat 1, we were given new maps at the Start/Finish TA and began Bike 1. We first attacked CP16 and I made a big navigational error that cost us another 10 minutes. CP16 was along a utility line easement and I had measured the distance from where the trail branches away from the easement (Point A) rather than where the easement crosses an adjoining trail (Point B). We started down the easement at Point B and so we paced out 300 meters placing us 120 meters shy of CP16. The clue was “Cypress Swamp” which was useless since I couldn’t tell a cypress if I ran into one. Don’t the race guys know there are two types of trees in Florida, pine trees and everything else. Anyway, we almost gave up on CP16 but stuck around a little bit longer and finally found it. I felt relieved as I really wanted to clear all the CPs.
We then hit CP17, 18 and 19. We found these without any problem although I believe they were not marked correctly on the map. Post race analysis showed that they were plotted about 150m more westerly than they actually were (see the Canyoneros blog post). Since I assume my measurements are off, we started looking for a creek once we got close to the estimated attack point. This worked well for us on this race. At CP18 we ran into BikeWorks again. They decided to bushwhack or swampstomp from CP18 to CP19 while we decided to bike around. Both paths proved to be about equal as we ran into them just as they were coming out of the swamp on the trail just north of CP19. From CP19 we hit CP22, 20, 23, 24, 26, 25 and 21.
Our path choice proved to be a bad decision because the path from CP26 to CP25 was completely underwater. It was a 700m trudge through knee-deep algae filled muck that had us cursing for 15-20 minutes. After finally reaching the fork, we stopped and had to clean our deraillers, chains, and brakes of swamp slime before we could proceed. A better route from CP19 would have been CP24, 26, 20, 22, 25 and 21. Aah, the beauty of hindsight.
Right after clearing CP25 the Canyoneros came upon us as I was struggling to figure out which way to go on an unmarked fork in the trail. Eventually I will realize that not every trail is marked on the map and to not be distracted by this. The Canyoneros sped off to the west and since I didn’t know where they were going, we went off to the east until I got my bearing. Luckily it didn’t take long as we ran into the train tracks and had to turn around. Crisis averted, we collected CP21 and were off to Foot 2.
Foot 2:
Our plan for Foot 2 was to hit CP27, 28, 31, 29, 32, 34, 35, 33, 30 and then exit to the main road for a quick run back to the Bayard TA. We stuck to this plan and cleared most of the CPs without much issue. CP28 was a little difficult as we went up the wrong creek and had to backtrack to find the CP. The whole course was flooded so it was pretty easy to chase up the wrong creek. My biggest mistake on this section was right after punching CP29. We were supposed to head back the way we came from CP31 and then follow a new trail to CP32. However, we ran across another team and for some reason instead of stopping to consult my map at the intersection I just followed them. They were heading to CP 30, which we were saving for last. Once I realized this, we had to make a decision to continue on to CP30 or backtrack to stick to our original plan. We decided to backtrack and probably lost 5-7 minutes here. The other major blunder on Foot 2 was at CP34. We found the CP without any issues but I got turned around coming back to the trail. I think my brain was exhausted by this time and I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the trail from the CP. Another wasted 5-7 minutes here.
CP35 was true adventure racing for us. Ana usually punches the card so that Stu and I can review the map before taking off again. Once we spotted the marker for CP35, Ana went to punch it. After a few seconds she called for us to come over because she needed help. We came over and saw that the marker was across a creek that had turned into a river due to the flooding. I took the punch card and started to go across the creek and it kept getting deeper and deeper. The water was up to my armpits and my feet were sinking in the mud and I’m thinking, “Dear Lord, I don’t want to be eaten by something!” I’ve watched ‘River Monsters” and I could imagine Jeremy Wade fishing for whatever had decided to eat “that poor adventure racer from Niceville, Florida.”
Finally, I was able to grab hold of a cypress knee and pull myself out of the water just as another team found a much shallower way to get to the checkpoint. Well, I bet you can guess which way I took to return to the other side. It was fun. I don’t want to do it again. We collected the remaining CPs and hit Banyard TA where we transitioned to bikes for the mad dash to the Start/Finish.
Finish:
At Bayard we turned in our punch and I see the Canyoneros finishing Foot 2 as well. Oh crap! Race On! We scramble to get our bikes and head out. I want to beat these guys to the finish but I don’t have my maps arranged and shortly after hopping the fence to get on the trail to the Finish TA, I have to stop when I come to a fork in the road and am unsure of which way to go. I hear Hien in the background yelling at me, “Why are you stopping!” and I yell back, “Because I don’t know which way to go! I haven’t been here before!”
Once they pull ahead I say screw it and decide to follow them in. There’s no way we’re going to pass these speed freaks anyway, so we just follow. We’re pedaling our hearts out to stay with them and they’re pedaling their hearts out to make sure we don’t pass. It was funny in a twisted kind of way that I can laugh about now but not then with my legs cramping. Well wouldn’t you know it, they took a wrong turn and I followed them right into it. My teammates had stopped at the correct turn but I didn’t know it. Too bad I didn’t just follow those stupid red arrows pointing us back to the finish line. In the end, the Canyoneros beat us by a few seconds but we didn’t care, we had put on a good race and had about as much fun as possible. We met some really cool racers and had a lot of fun laughing it up with them while trying to perform our best. We learned a lot and improved from last time. Who could ask for more?
Post Race:
During this race we learned some new adventure racing terminology that we thought to share for the novice racer:
“Large Pine” or “Large Oak” = average sized pine or oak that will look like every other pine or oak in the vicinity of the CP
“Faint trail” or “Old trail” = forested area that will not look like a trail by anyone’s imagination
“Clearing” = swamp
“Creek” = swamp
“Cypress swamp” = swamp
In conclusion, I was really pleased with the way the team performed. We stayed better hydrated and fueled during the entire race. We didn’t capsize. We pushed pretty hard throughout, except when we got chatty with the other racers, and some of our navigation was pretty decent. Below is a capture of the split times for the teams above us. Yes, I know, it is a kaleidoscope of colors but take a moment and let your eyes adjust to the rainbow and I think you’ll be able to see what I was trying to capture. Each team has its own color and each section is arranged in order of time (least to greatest). So, Primal Instinct (Purple), finished 8th overall, completed the foot 1 with the 4th best time, Boat 1 with the 9th best time, Bike 1&2 with the 8th best time and Foot 2 with the 7th best time. See, now wasn’t that fun and easy? Team Jax was first in everything but those guys are on crack so I don’t really count them 😉
Two weeks ago I sprained my ankle playing Ultimate and since then I have lacked motivation to train. To try and get out of my funk, I did what any other red-blooded American would do, I went shopping. Bring it on, Amazon. Check out the new kicks I got…
All I can say is that these shoes are AWESOME. After doing every race in my Brooks Glycerin 10s–which are great running shoes–I knew that I wanted the added traction of trail runners. Strap a pair of these on and you’ll feel like you could run up the cliffs of Dover. The Salomon Speedcross 3 is an adventure racer’s shoe for sure, light-weight, superior traction, speed lacing system and, well, just look at them!
The best thing about new gear is that it makes you want to go and try it out. So, if you’re lacking motivation, bust out that credit card and buy something. You’ll be supporting our consumer driven economy and whipping your sorry butt into shape at the same time. And that’s what I call a double win.
I plan on using these during the Dixie Conquest on Saturday. Saturday! Man, I am dreading this race. It is 10 hours long and, like I said, my training has been lacking. After the race, I’ll write up a longer review of the shoes and let you know how they did. Thursday I might even give a brief write up of the pack we just purchased in preparation for the 30-hr Atomic. It’s SWEET!
For those of you that may not have heard of Ultimate–the greatest game ever–here are some highlights from the 2013 MLU Season.
Anyone who follows this blog knows that we have a few issues with paddling our canoe. There aren’t many instructions that I have found online about how to get 3 people to paddle a canoe well. But, I did run across a few videos that I wanted to share. These are slow motion videos of some of the best kayak racers. Since we typically use kayak paddles when racing, the technique should do well for us.
If you check around 3:13 you can see some tandem kayak action and around 3:40 there is some 4-person kayak action. I’m definitely no expert in paddling technique so I can’t offer any “real” commentary on the video but I think that just by watching it, you can pick up a few key techniques.
You can definitely see how torso rotation plays a key part in developing power. I also noticed how for most paddlers, the returning arm (the one that just finished the stroke) comes to a return point straight out in front, perpendicular to the body and then it crosses the body as the other arm finishes the stroke. Yeah, you like my technical jargon there? Basically, my advice is check out the videos, see how the pros do it then go try to mimic the same movements. If you’re half as good as us, you’ll probably dump your canoe within 30 seconds.
In adventure racing, as well as life in general, a great teammate is hard to find. But, I must be lucky indeed because 18 years ago I married the greatest teammate for my life’s journey, a soft-hearted spanish girl that saw something in me worth sticking around for.
I didn’t have much to offer her. There I was, a pack-a-day cigarette smoking enlisted guy in the Air Force, an F-15 aircraft mechanic that routinely ended my day exhausted and covered in hydraulic fluid or jet fuel. Foul-mouthed and with no direction in life, my ideal breakfast was a 6-pack of powdered donuts, a Mountain Dew and a couple of cigs. And there she was, a college graduate–top of her class–that worked her way through school, had motivation to succeed and enough energy at the end of the day to always go for a run or workout.
We were an unlikely pair and while we struggle during our years of dating, our days together since our marriage have been wonderful. Like a great teammate, she always gives every ounce of effort she has for the success of our team. When I am frustrated, she always gives encouragement. When I am bone-weary, she’s there to lighten my load.
Perhaps she knew that one day I’d give up cigarettes, start exercising and become a world-renowned adventure racer–still working on that last item. More likely, 20 some years ago she saw something in me worth loving and I was smart enough to realize that I had just happened to meet the greatest person in my life and how wonderful my life would be if she was in it.
Ana, I love you with all of my heart and I am so glad to be running life’s race with you. Everything that I have accomplished is due to you, your love and your encouragement. You have always been, and always will be my #1 teammate and I am very thankful that you chose to share your life with me.
Here’s to a wonderful 18 years and many, many more!
Now get out there and train damn it, we’ve got races to win!
Lately, I have been traveling a lot due to work and to pass the time I often download books on my Kindle Fire. I just finished reading, The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of My Feet. For a long time I hesitated on purchasing this book because, well honestly, I thought the title was stupid. But, since Amazon doesn’t have a large selection of books on adventure racing, and my flight was rapidly approaching, I went ahead and ordered it.
The book turned out to be really good. What is most interesting to me about the book is that it isn’t written by one person. Rather, the book is a compilation of short stories from many different adventure racers. Inside are articles from Ian Adamson, Mike Kloser, Robyn Benincasa, Robert Nagle–the heavy hitters in the sport of adventure racing. But, there are also stories from unknown racers. For some, their story focuses on their very first expedition length adventure race. Other racers, who have been doing events for many years, talk about why they love the sport.
I recently finished watching all of the Eco-Challenge videos I could find on YouTube and many of the racers write about these races, offering insights that weren’t captured on the shows. While many of the stories focus on the Eco-Challenge races, there were enough variations in point of view to keep the book from getting stale. I would say though that this book is better read in segments rather than straight through. I think if one was to read it straight through, the stories might get a little tiresome. But, for an in-flight book or as a bathroom reader, it works perfectly.
While traveling I don’t have much motivation for working out so the book really helped getting my butt in the gym or out on a run. When I found myself not wanting to train, I would read a short story from the book and it would get my pumped to go. So, for $8 bucks on the Kindle, I would definitely recommend it. Pick it up, thumb through it, get motivated and go race.
What does this mean? Nothing really. The really cool blogs probably get 1000 hits per day. But, we hope we’re providing some interesting Adventure Racing content to the 5 people that regularly checkout the blog.
As a thank you, here’s a link to a short vid that chronicles Tecnu Adventure Racing’s 3rd place finish at the 2013 Adventure Racing World Championships, held over 10 days in December of 2013 in Costa Rica. These guys are amazing. Grab a cold brew, sit back for 20 minutes and enjoy…
Once I get the Weatherpants in and use them for awhile, I’ll let you know how they work out.
. This tool is awesome.
is an adventure racer’s shoe for sure, light-weight, superior traction, speed lacing system and, well, just look at them!
. I just finished reading, 
. For a long time I hesitated on purchasing this book because, well honestly, I thought the title was stupid. But, since Amazon doesn’t have a large selection of books on adventure racing, and my flight was rapidly approaching, I went ahead and ordered it.
teamdisoriented.com 