Weekend Warrior - 3/16 - i should log off

Racing in Florida’s Wilderness

February 16, 2012 By Jillian

Florida is best known for amusement attractions and beaches, but a little known fact is that Florida has an incredible abundance of wildlife. That’s a fact I’m becoming well aware of as we do more adventure racing in Florida’s wilderness.

A few weeks ago, at my second adventure race in Florida, I learned a universal truth about Florida. Holidays in Florida involve the beach or Mickey Mouse and usually a lot of sun but in the wilderness of Florida…there will always be alligators. We heard of its position in the river not long after we capsized in the mangrove swamp. Thankfully I didn’t know about the gator until after we spent ten minutes thrashing about in the ankle deep water and waste deep mud.

Needless to say, we’re slowly getting used to adventure racing in Florida’s wilderness. Florida’s terrain makes for a different kind of adventure race where the topography isn’t the challenge. Dickinson State Park, the home of this race, is known for manatee sightings, alligators, birds, and any number of other animal and plant species. While Florida beaches may be white sand fit for a postcard, the interior of the state is a bit like a beautiful bayou. Flat, grassy and filled with water during the rainy season. More than the topography, the vegetation becomes the main challenge. Sawgrass is indeed sharp!

This race we added a member to our adventure racing team and for the first race ever we were a trio. It turns out being a trio is significantly different than being a duo. Where two were a well-oiled machine, three just couldn’t get the mojo flowing. Perhaps we should have clued our new compadre into adventure racing 101 BEFORE we loaded him and his equipment into the car on the morning of the race.

Oh well.

We never quite reached our sweet spot on this race, even the orienteering, which is usually our strongest point felt inadequate and more than once we looked at the map several times before realizing a “cut through”/ “trail” or creek didn’t go through. So much for bushwhacking it to save time.

The real bummer on this race was bike checkpoint 17. There’s always one that gets you, but checkpoint 17 really threw us for a loop. Instead of cutting our losses and getting out of there, we spent more than an hour looking for it, convinced it was just behind the next bramble bush. We weren’t the only ones, we saw several other teams bumbling around the woods for checkpoint 17, many of whom we assume gave up rather than press on. I guess there should be some honor in pressing on, but there wasn’t. Add to that a critical map reading error and well… it wasn’t our best finish.

Fortunately we were able to take a step back from our lack of mojo and appreciate the race for what it was- a day in the wilderness. (And our worst ever Adventure Race finish…)

IF YOU GO: John Dickinson State Park is located just north of Jupiter, Florida. It’s a great day trip from South Florida – located a bit inland there’s plenty of biking, hiking and canoeing available. Expect to have a day in the quiet and plenty of animal spotting. The park also has a number of horse trails and rentals are available on site. Alligator spotting is free!

Photo Credit: Photo 1 courtesy of flickr user allspice1 via a creative commons license, Photo 2 courtesy of Pangea Adventure Racing

The Winter of Discontent

December 13, 2011 By Jillian

When the weather turns cold I tend to want to hibernate. There’s nothing like a cold wind to keep me inside. Fortunately we don’t have to deal with that anymore now that we’re living in South Florida. Unfortunately, the winter gear catalogs are coming to the mailbox each day and I find myself fighting my desire to order a new thin weight fleece or running gloves. There’s a lot of great winter gear out there these days, so no need to throw on four sweatshirts. Find winter gear that fits well to avoid chaffing and don’t skimp on good wicking materials- sweat against your body along with those layers is a recipe for a skin disaster.

The cold weather shouldn’t keep you inside. Layer up and follow a few of my favorite tips for outdoor adventure in the cold (even if your cold is in the 60s instead of the 20s!)

Protect your head – We lose a lot of body heat through our head- by some accounts up to 40%. Wear a wicking hat to keep the sweat off your scalp and don’t be shy about using a scarf to protect you from the wind.

Protect your skin– If it’s really that cold and blustery, cover everything! Wind chapped lips can keep you from enjoying your mountain bike just the same as wind chapped hands. Vaseline is your friend in the winter!
Adjust your medications– Cold weather makes it more difficult for your body to exchange gases- ie its harder to breathe! Covering your mouth to warm the air a bit before it enters your lungs can help, but don’t forget to warm up and cool down- it’s not just your muscles, but also your lungs that need the warm up! I use my inhaler much more in the cold weather.
Don’t overdress– Sure layers are important, but remember that if you’re active your body will heat up. Wear a windproof layer on the outside to cut down on the Dress appropriately, it’s hard to run with an extra fleece.
Don’t forget your feet– Summer weight socks may not protect your toes from the cold. Think about doubling your socks or get heavier weight socks for winter activities.
- Shower immediately– Ok this may be too personal, but don’t hang around the house in your sweaty layers. Wet, moist skin is a breading ground for bacteria. Add winter’s multiple layers and you could be looking at a serious skin infection.

How do you adjust your adventure activity for winter?

Back to Adventure Racing

September 22, 2011 By Jillian

“Gator!” I yelled as the reptile came into view. Unwilling to believe me, Danny replied with a sarcastic and drawn out, “right”. Insisting more vehemently, I pointed to a thick branch sticking out of the placid water. Indeed it was a gator. A baby gator of no more than 20 inches, but nevertheless a gator.
Seeing a baby gator from the safety of a canoe isn’t a big deal. Realizing that 20 minutes before you were slogging barefoot through waist deep water in the same waterway, dragging your canoe behind you… well, that is a big deal, especially to a girl from Philadelphia where the only dangerous reptiles live in the zoo. From the moment the baby gator was spotted I swore come hell or high water, I was not getting out of the boat again until dry land.

And so went our first adventure race since coming back to the United States. Twenty-one months overseas and three season away from the sport we had forgot all of its joys… the bug bites, the small creatures, the thorns, scratches and random bruises you wake up with the next morning… all for the glory of a few points and the satisfaction of completing another adventure race.

As it turned out we didn’t do too badly for our first race back. In fact, we placed in the top 50% of finishers and second (out of three) in our division. Given that most of the competitors were on 3 person teams and we were only a co-ed 2 team, we were pretty pleased with our finish.

We are constantly surprised by the small differences we come across here in Florida. Had we taken a second to think about it, we probably would have acknowledged that not only the terrain, but also the fauna would be different at this race. That realization came when we read our first clue that included a hint about “saw palms”.

To a Yankee, as Danny keeps calling me, all palms are essentially the same. They don’t exist in my world; therefore anything resembling a palm tree is simply referred to as a palm tree. Similarly Floridians don’t understand that there are different types of snow. If only Bubba had rattled off the different types of palms instead of shrimp, I would have found that checkpoint a lot sooner. Then there was the clearing we crossed, half way through realizing the thorny bushes weren’t just thorny bushes, but actual cacti hidden in the brush. I think I froze for a good 30 seconds before moving carefully forward.

Adventure racing is never without its challenges. That’s what we love about the sport.

Travel Running

September 13, 2011 By Danny

Growing up I was never particularly athletic but at some point, something changed, and I became a runner. I’ve now run three marathons and have logged thousands of miles. The weird thing is….I don’t much care for distance running; it generally hurts, takes up a lot of time, and makes my clothes smell.

Lately I’ve gotten back into running but only for short distances, usually 5-10 kilometers (3-6mi) at a time. I enjoy exercising, but going out and running non-stop for 2 hours excites me about as much as a dental appointment…just because I do it, doesn’t make it fun. Before this weekend, the furthest I’ve run in the past 3 years was approximately 8 miles. A far cry from those 26.2 mile marathons I used to race.

This past weekend Jillian and I traveled to Chicago to run the Chicago Half Marathon. The race was 13.1 miles along the lake shore and mostly skipped the sites of Chicago that most tourists would be interested in seeing. The run was almost completely flat and didn’t provide for a large amount of spectators. Other than running the same race as Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno, and the Chicago deep dish pizza provided at the finish line, it was amongst the least exciting races in which I’ve ever taken part.

But it was probably my favorite.

This time I didn’t train hard and I really didn’t know how quick I’d do the run. I was at the start line with four other family members who were mostly in the same boat as me. Jillian’s sister, Becka, helped pace me for most of the race, but after that I was on my own. But at the start I was with people. At the finish I found all those fellow runners again. My five AM wakeup call was a team effort and the night before had the feeling of a couch-surf mixed with a chocolate-fueled teenage slumber party. Pre-race we joked about laxatives and how poorly we’d do rather than race splits and pace groups. Post race we all enjoyed bagels and football together and when I was restless it wasn’t too difficult to convince others to join me and the big dog Hendrix for a walk along the lake. This race was my favorite because for the first time it was vacation first, race second.

If it hadn’t been for the race I think most of us wouldn’t have been traveling this weekend, somehow though the race brought us together and it was worth the trip all the way around. On the pavement, I pushed harder than I ever had in the past, but once I finished it was time to relax and enjoy the pizza! I don’t expect I’ll ever again train for a big race again but because of this weekend I do expect to sign up for far more of them.

And if anyone is curious, I ran the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 6 minutes. That’s means each mile took me, on average, about 9 minutes and 40 seconds. I didn’t train particularly well. My first marathon, exactly twice the distance I ran this Sunday, for which I trained 6 months to run, saw me finish in an even 5 hours…you do the math!

Adventure Racing 101

September 6, 2011 By Jillian

Imagine biking through the woods to find a checkpoint marked on your topographic map. Your partner is using the compass to find West while you’re busy scouting the terrain for the creek marked on the map. 100 yards ahead you spot it, a small white and orange kite propped against a tree.

Adventure racing can best be described as a competitive scavenger hunt for adults. Split into multiple disciplines, the race involves locating checkpoints marked out on the course. You may be required to obtain some of the check points on bike, others on foot, still other by boat or better yet rappelling. There may be certain challenges you have to complete along the way, possibly logic games, an obstacle course or even a rock wall or fireman’s carry. Your equipment generally includes a compass, food and water. Beyond that it’s your own wit and skill to guide you to the checkpoints. And it’s fun. Ridiculous, I haven’t had so much fun since I was 12 riding my bike to the lake fun.

Adventure racing as a sport is growing at an incredible rate. More cyclists, triathletes and runners enter the sport each year, looking for a new challenge. Adventure racing takes skill and endurance. The short sprint distance races may range anywhere from 4-6 hours while longer races may last many days and cover expansive territory. Adventure racing camps will teach you the basic skills if you’re looking to do a longer race, but for those of us who are more of the “weekend warrior” type, here’s what you need to know. We’ll cover choosing gear in an upcoming post.

The Teams

Teams are usually 2-4 people depending on the company that is putting on the adventure race. They’ll likely have several divisions, mens, coed and possibly womens. Choose your partner(s) wisely, you’ll want people that not only have skills to supplement your weaknesses, but also people you can work with and trust. Nothing takes the fun out of something faster than having the wrong teammates.

The Events

You can almost guarantee that every adventure race is going to at least have an orienteering and mountain bike component. Orienteering is the on-foot section of the course (here’s where you get to run around the woods with a map and compass). Generally you should be prepared to cross terrain without a path, with only your compass and topographic map to guide you. The mountain bike section will likely be limited to trails, but we’ve been at some races where we’ve had to hike our bikes up and over the hill, so read your map carefully. Frequently there is also a paddling section, usually canoeing or kayaking. This section usually isn’t that technical, but it will save you a lot of aggravation on the water if you paddle a few times with your teammates before the actual event.

The Skills

Orienteering. You should be comfortable using a compass before the event and comfortable reading a topographic map. Neither is difficult to use, but you’d be surprised how many people have difficulty with a compass once they’re lost. Make sure everyone on your team understands how to use a topographic map and understands the legend.
Mountain Biking. You should be comfortable riding a mountain bike and have the endurance to complete the biking portion. Sprint races will often give you an estimate on the distance for the mountain bike section- make sure you can complete it.
Endurance. This is probably the most important skill you need to have. And yes, endurance is a skill – you have to understand how to pace yourself and how to maintain your energy levels. Even a four hour race requires pacing and endurance, so if you’ve never completed endurance event before, think about what you’ve used in the past to get you through a long run or ride.

We’ll get more into the endurance and gear aspects of Adventure Racing in the next few weeks. Check out the US Adventure Racing Association for more information on the sport and check out events in your area!

Racing in Florida’s Wilderness

The Winter of Discontent

Back to Adventure Racing

Travel Running

Adventure Racing 101

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