Why I Love Adventure Racing

[Doug Theis]

About ten years ago, one of my running buddies, Leslie Shafer (now Thompson) told me about a race her boyfriend had done the previous year. He and a team of three others raced together through a course on foot, in canoes, and on bikes for about four hours. They didn’t know the course until about an hour before the race. They had to examine the maps and plan their routes in the hour before the race. They had to carry some mandatory gear, including a first aid kit and water. It sounded cool.

Leslie asked if I wanted to give it a try, and I said yes. We did the race with a couple of friends and had the time of our lives. And that was my introduction to adventure racing.

Since then, Leslie, Steve Kincade, Bob Mueller, Julie Shimer, Nancy Gawrys, Greg Arnold and Dave Tanner and I have raced in different combinations as Team Ragged Glory. We’ve done about 30 races ranging in length from 4 hours to 30 hours, in the deeps woods and in downtown Indianapolis. We’ve finished races triumphantly and we’ve quit races because we’ve been cold, tired and hungry. I’ve loved every minute and here’s why:

• Adventure Racing is a thinking person’s sport. It takes planning, teamwork and in-race decision making to be successful.
• Adventure Racing is a coed sport. Although many races allow for all male and all female teams, the team dynamic of a coed team offers a very distinct experience that’s hard to put into words. Coed teams are more balanced and more fun.• You get to hang out with your closest friends the entire time.
• Adventure Racing demands that you have a certain level of competence in a number of different disciplines: orienteering, hiking/running, mountain biking, and canoing (usually with kayak paddles). Training for these usually means hanging out with your friends more!
• You get to find out who you really are when you’re cold, tired and hungry.
• You burn enough calories during a race that you can eat whatever you want (again with your closest friends) when you’re finished.

These pictures were taken by Mike Skirvin during the 2008 Planet Adventure Sprint Race, held October 25 in Cloverdale, Indiana. The race progression was as follows:
• A mile run from the start line to the canoe put-in on Lake Cataract
• A two mile paddle to Lieber State Recreation Area
• A four mile orienteering loop on foot in Lieber SRA
• A two mile paddle back to the canoe take out
• A 15 mile hilly mountain bike ride on-and off-road to Wasatch lake and on to the lower Cataract Falls
• A four mile adventure run around the lower falls
• A 80 foot zip line across the creek
• An eight mile ride back to the finish line

Team Ragged Glory finished 9th out of 37 teams in 6 hours and 36 minutes. Team Citgo/Gray Goat won the event, finishing in a blistering 5 hours, 9 minutes. And once again, my teammates, Bob Mueller, Nancy Gawrys, and I had a ball playing in the woods.
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[Doug Theis]

Permission granted. Nice to meet you. We're racing in the PA Urban Sprint in August and Indy AR in September.

[Matt Metzger]

Also, can I have your permission to use a picture or two on our website?

[Matt Metzger]

Hello Doug, you are the reason that I signed up for Smaller Indiana! I was doing a search for adventure races in Indiana an saw your page. It looks like you enjoy adveture racing as much as I do. If you happpen to want to participate in a race in September...please consider coming up to our race. Metzger Outdoors.

[Nicki Laycoax]

I just joined, so I'll do my best to make it!

[Rae Kridel]

Nicki, if you come to the Hole in the Wall lunches, you'll not only get to hang out with Doug, 'cause he's at almost every one, but you get to hear stories of his adventure exploits.

[Doug Theis]

Hey Griff. Thanks for the comment. I've known the Gray Goat guys for years; I live about five minutes away. I bought my beat up old FSR from them in 2001. Crank on!

[Nicki Laycoax]

I need to start hanging out with you on a regular basis.. You are so cool!

[David Mark]

I apologize for not knowing about you guys. I'm new to the scene. Team Citgo was founded by my brother and he recruited me this past year, so I'm getting to know the other teams slowly. I'm looking forward to catchng up.

[David Mark]

If I were patient, I'd see you already know Team Citgo! Thanks for mentioning this in your post. That's very considerate!

[Doug Theis]

We were there. I didn't race; I had a broken finger. Nancy and Steve raced and picked up a third about mid race from another team. TRG is one of only two teams that have done every installment of the Planet Adventure 24 hour race.