More Photos Below!Gallery
A neighborhood Adventure Race — that’s what I’m talking about! 8 of us had a casual blast today thru 4 challenging stages within a mile of home. It was the 2nd annual one for our little gang of fellow-employees, etc.
A wide variety of action rewarded a range of skillsets. Comebacks and upsets! We didn’t know until the party afterward how we all stacked up. Yes, we even celebrated with a gig from our kids’ neighborhood rock band as well. Did we pay thru the teeth for this fun? Ha! It’s an occasion for a potluck, man!
So, we started with a 7-mile mtbike race then we did a multi-part “Crazy Possum’s Obstacle Course (archery, barn rapelling, go-carting, heavy weight carrying, calisthenics), 2-mile run, 3-mile very technical canoe.
The top 3 finished this 1:30 hr event within THIRTY SECONDS! …CLOSE! (And we didn’t know our times until the picnic afterward when we tallied up all the stages.)
Another interesting aspect was (I must say) that I was kickin’ butt in the lead until the final *100 YARDS!* Our canoe team capsized after going under an overhanging limb. Doh! An upset in two ways! But bad luck is just an opportunity for good cheer, am I right? The hounds on our heels are to be commended for their frothing eagerness and laughter as they exploited our mishap, as well they should’ve.
(I also note that a race canoe by itself isn’t faster on a twisty course than a tourer. Near the end I finally gave some technique tips to my energetic but first-timer bowman and that really helped — so it was neat to see that technique is really the key. I’d been counting on hull-speed alone. Also, a hogged race hull (ends lower than middle) doesn’t like the corners nearly as much as a tourer with a bit o’ rocker. Whew!)
A final quirky thing (about me, I know it’s tiresome) was that I wore the same “fancy lad” outfit to the Tweed Ride the previous night as I wore in the race! …Regular clothes are fine for racin’, peoples!
(Also, the winners of the bike leg both used old bikes and were old farts. While several others were young and some used rigs like new full-sus 29’ers. A couple found that commuter tires just weren’t right for mud.)
Here’s a link to a bunch more pics. It’s a Facebook link. Can you see them? I think it’s Public, but who knows. I’m not yet totally familiar with how FB works. But see if you think we had fun: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3942677935203.2170607.1527606092&type=1
(A bit awkward with the all-day sausage-fest right before Mother’s Day, but we tried to make it up to them by drinking in their honor — and vowing to cater to every whim tomorrow! Right guys?)
Beginning of the end…
Run!
Rappel.
Mud.
1st two bike finishers. I get a kick outta the contrast in outfits, also the age of the bikes — the 80’s and 90’s want their bikes back!
Here we go!
