The Gorge is a unique and scenic geological area designated and managed by the US Forest Service as a national natural landmark. The Gorge was sculpted by the Red River, Kentucky’s first National Wild and Scenic River, and is home to over 100 natural stone arches and other geological features that make it a world-renowned climbing mecca. Over 60 miles of designated National Recreation Trails wind through the heavily wooded and rugged topography of this spectacular forest area. It is located adjacent to Natural Bridge State Resort Park.

The longest-running adventure race in Kentucky, the Fig has earned its reputation as a classic. For 2009, it has earned a spot on the list of regional qualifiers for the 2010 USARA National Championship.

USARA Adventure Racing National Championship Qualifier

The top four teams in the combined 3 and 4-person co-ed division will be invited to compete in the 2010 USARA National Championship race in Pennsylvania. Be one of the first teams to qualify! The top team going to Nationals will have $500 of their entry fee paid by the Fig and Nationals sponsor Zanfel, and will win a set of coveted Regional Champion jackets!

Quick Facts:

How Much:

$125 per racer – through 10.6.10

$150 per racer – after 10.6.10

Hurry – registration closes 10.30.10!!

*Non-USARA members will need to purchase an $8 single-day membership or $35 annual membership

What For:

Entry includes waterproof maps from MyTopo, insurance, professional ropes crew, USARA sanctioning and Regional Qualifier status, great door prizes from Pedal Power and other sponsors, post-race party with food, and long-sleeved race shirt (guaranteed only for entries received by 10.6.10).

What Is The Course Like?

A 2 to 4 hour course which will cover 6 to 10 miles of hiking/running terrain and 15 to 20 miles of biking trails. Competitors should be prepared for single-track mountain biking, hilly terrain, rope elements and mystery events. This course is geared to people looking for a challenge, but that will not take them outside the city limits. A great first-time urban adventure race course for a team or a really hard workout for the experienced individual.

WHat happened to the “old” urban adventure race?

It has a new home and a new name – Lewis & Clark Ozark Adventure Race. It is the big bad uncle of the “old” Lewis & Clark Urban Adventure Race. The Ozark Adventure Race will be a challenging adventure race in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas which will cover 50 to 70 miles of rugged terrain.

Two divisions:

• Teams – Two person (Men, Women and Co-ed).
• Individuals (Men and Women).

Registration fees:

$55 per person before 9/1, $65 per person 9/1 to 10/14 and $75 per person from 10/15 until race day.

See TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS section below for more information

Important dates

• Sep. 3, Oct. 1 and Oct. 29- 2009: Lewis & Clark Outfitters (Springdale location)

7:30 pm – 8:30 pm: 3-part Adventure Racing Land Navigation Series. Must sign up by calling Lewis & Clark Outfitters Springdale location – 479-756-1344

• October 10, 2009: Lewis & Clark Outfitters (Springdale location)

10:00 am: Advanced Adventure Race Workshop.

• November 5, 2009: Lewis & Clark Outfitters (Springdale location)

7:00 pm: “Last Chance” Adventure Race Navigation Workshop.

• November 7, 2009: Lewis & Clark Outfitters (Springdale location)

8:00am – 9:30am: Race-day Registration and Packet pickup. All members must be present.9:45am: Pre-race meeting

10:00am: Race Start

2:00pm: Awards Ceremony and Giveaways

Teams:

Two person -Three categories:(Men, Women and Co-ed)

Individuals:

Two categories: (Men and Women)

No support crews are allowed.

Participants can be under 18 years of age to compete but must contact the race director for approval and must have a parent or guardian’s signature.

Directions

Lewis & Clark Outfitters (Springdale) is located just north of the Northwest Arkansas Mall in Springdale, Arkansas. The address is 4915 S. Thompson (71B) Springdale, AR 72764. 479-756-1344. Please click here for a map.

Accommodations

The Cosmopolitan Hotel of Fayetteville (formerly the Radisson) is our host hotel and is offering a special rate of $85 per night. Call 479-442-5555 to reserve your room and mention the Lewis & Clark Adventure Race to receive the special rate. To insure space, please call by November 1.
Prizes – 2008, 2009 TBA

Teams:

Three categories:(Men, Women and Co-ed) each member of the top three teams in each category will receive custom awards, plus these prizes:

• 1st place: Teva shoes and $10 Lewis & Clark gift certificates
• 2nd place: Teva shoes
• 3rd place: Columbia fleece jacket

Individuals:

Two categories: (Men and Women) top three in each category will receive custom awards, plus these prizes:

• 1st place: Gregory Reactor Pack and $25 Lewis & Clark gift certificate
• 2nd place: Teva shoes
• 3rd place: Columbia fleece jacket

Volunteers

If you would like to be part of this year’s Urban Adventure Race, and can not race, volunteering is the next best thing! Please e-mail or call (479-756-1344) Mandy Blackwood, Volunteer Coordinator, if you are interested in volunteering. For additional information, contact the race director.

officially sanctioned event

The 2009 Urban Adventure Race is an officially sanctioned event by the United States Adventure Racing Association. USARA.

Teams are required to navigate a series of checkpoints using only a map and compass to guide them while transitioning between several disciplines such as: Trail Running/Trekking, Mountain Biking, Paddling and Orienteering.

These teams will have to push the boundaries of human endurance and teamwork just to finish. Winning will require extreme willpower, mastery of all disciplines, and a little luck.

Official race photos can be found at Bobcat13 Photography.

2010 National Champions Race FREE in 2011

The 2010 Coed USARA Adventure Race National Championship team will receive free entry to all 2011 Regional Qualifying Events. ** Limited to 1 free event per promotion company **

Registration Information

The top 4 teams from each regional qualifying race qualify to compete in the USARA Adventure Race National Championship. This is a roll down system: If one of the top 4 teams does not accept, the slot will roll down to the 5th place team, etc. until 4 teams accept. Teams have 14 days from the day the USARA sends the National invitation to accept and submit a deposit before the slot rolls down to the next team.

Masters Division

The masters division at the USARA Adventure Race National Championship is open registration (masters teams do not have to qualify). All members of masters teams must be 40 years old by December 31, 2010. Contact the USAR

A to register your Masters team.

Collegiate Division

Collegiate teams wishing to participate in the USARA Adventure Race National Championship do not need to qualify. Collegiate teams have open registration. All members of collegiate teams must be enrolled in at least 1 college class during the year of the championship. (Example taking at least 1 spring, fall or summer class during 2010 would qualify you to compete in the collegiate division at the 2010 Championship). Team members may be undergraduate or post graduate students and do not need to attend the same university. Collegi

ate teams will receive a lowered entry fee of $500.00. Contact the USARA to register your collegiate team.

For more information or to register for Nationals contact USARA:

Phone: 979.703.5018

Email: info@usara.com

This year’s race will have you venturing into a bit of familiar terrain but mostly you will explore areas that no race has taken you before. The course will challenge racers of all ability levels from first timers to experienced teams with strategic route planning, tough singletrack, and interesting terrain. Course design will feature a modified rogaine format which will allow teams to collect optional CPs at their discretion. The team with the most points at the end of the 12 hour race will be crowned SHAG champions.

Course Highlights:

• Linear/Point to Point Format
• No Friday evening check-in
• Rogaine Style Course (equally challenging to beginners and top navigators)
• River Paddling
• Single Track Mountain Biking
• Strategic route planning
• Includes new terrain

• The Black Beard will consist of 25 miles of mountain biking,
• 8 miles of coasteering (non technical running along the coast), to following the coastline by running on shore, swimming (less than 100 meters) or wading as needed
• 7-8 miles of orienteering,
• 8 mile ocean paddle (on the sound),
• 80′ rappel off of the hotel roof (optional with time penalty)

Pre-race check-in: Athletes must check in Friday evening between 7 pm & 10 pm, at the Oceanfront South Comfort Inn, our race headquarters. (There is no race day check-in) Athletes must bring with them their rappelling harness, locking D & ATC for gear inspection & mandatory skills test. (This is a race, not an adventure racing academy. AAS staff are not there to coach you on rappelling skills. If you lack the necessary skill set to rappel safely, do not attempt to do so) Athletes must bring a photo ID & a USARA license to race check-in. If you do not have a USARA license, one can be purchased at race check-in. A 1 year license cost $35.00… a 1 day license cost $8.00.

We supply, kayaks, paddles, PFD’s and colored topographical maps. Athletes are permitted to use their own paddles/PFD’s but, they must transport them too & from the kayaking portion of the race.

This race is unmarshalled. Athletes are expected to obey all state, local & federal laws at all times. GPS are not authorized… including the wearing of any watch that has GPS capabilities. See below for your mandatory packing list.

This race is a USARA Points Series Race

Packing List for Black Beard Adventure Race – Click here

CATAGORIES: solo, 2 person, 3 person, 4 person Coed/Male/Female

(Mountain Biking 25 miles, Coasteering 8 miles, Ocean Kayaking 8 miles (in the sound) Orienteering 7-8 miles, Rappelling (optional with time penalty).

Eeerrrrrrr Maties. Reports that the ghost of the dread pirate Black Beard has been pillaging & looting up & down the Outer Banks for years. If yee courage enough, yee might find him & win the reward.

Every athlete that completes the race will receive the custom AAS finishers medal.

BLACK BEARD HOTEL
Race headquarters Start/Finish

Oceanfront South Comfort Inn
8031 Old Oregon Inlet Rd
Nags Head, N.C.
(252)-441-6315

Black Beard 8 hour adventure race prices.

We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule any race or event at all times.
There are no refunds due to severe weather, including hurricane, tornado, earthquake , any other natural weather effect. This also includes flooding, forest fires or unseen occurrence that would deem the conduct of the race to be unsafe.

New this summer will be the Starlight Experience, a themed lighted walkway along the Frontier Trail. Accompanied by music, a diverse mixture of colored lights and displays will transform the Frontier Trail into a canopy of lights and colors that will be themed to the changing of the seasons. (The Starlight Experience will be presented every night the park closes at 10 p.m. or later, Saturday, May 23 through Sunday, Sept. 6.)

This year, the Magnum XL-200 roller coaster, the world’s first 20-story-tall roller coaster, will celebrate its 20th anniversary! The Raptor inverted roller coaster (1994) will also observe its 15th anniversary in 2009.

Cedar Point Amusement Park – Promo Video

Roller Coasters

Is there anything better than screaming down a 420-foot-tall hill at more than 120 mph? You can do that and more at Cedar Point. Featuring a world-record-breaking collection of 17 roller coasters, Cedar Point offers white-knuckle fun for everyone. From the towering 42-story Top Thrill Dragster and the terrain-hugging Maverick roller coaster, all the way to the kid-friendly Jr. Gemini and Woodstock Express, Cedar Point is a paradise of adventure. In 2007, Maverick was voted the “Best New Ride of the Year” by Amusement Today’s panel of experts in the newspaper’s annual Golden Ticket Awards. In 2009, Jr. Gemini and Woodstock Express will celebrate their 30th and 10th anniversaries, respectively. The Cedar Creek Mine Road (1969) and the park’s oldest existing roller coaster, the wooden Blue Streak (1964), will also celebrate noteworthy anniversaries this year, 40th and 45th.

Rides

While Cedar Point is known around the globe for its world-record-breaking roller coasters, the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort’s impressive collection of rides is popular with guests of all ages. From being launched to the top of the 240-foot-tall Power Tower or kicking the sky on the swinging maXair and anything in between, Cedar Point features a wide variety of rides that are sure to thrill. Cedar Point also offers an assortment of thrills a little closer to the ground. The park has three antique carrousels, a steam locomotive train ride, bumper cars, spinning rides and more.

Fun For Kids

Cedar Point has four areas that kids can call their own: Kiddy Kingdom, Camp Snoopy, Gemini Children’s Area and Planet Snoopy that was introduced last year. Located along the Main Midway, Kiddy Kingdom has more than a dozen exciting rides, including an antique carrousel, 4 x 4’s, helicopters and bumper cars. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Camp Snoopy is home to the Woodstock Express roller coaster, Camp Bus, Lolli Swings and much more. The Gemini Children’s Area includes a mini-version of the Power Tower and the Gemini roller coaster – just for kids! Planet Snoopy is located just off the Main Midway and features seven rides and attractions that will delight the little ones. And you never know when you might get a hug from Charlie Brown or everyone’s favorite beagle – Snoopy!

That’s Entertainment

Cedar Point’s award-winning live entertainment presents an assortment of shows that will please the whole family. This summer Snoopy’s Big Bow-Wow, a smile-making ice-skating show with intricate skating routines, lively music and Snoopy, returns to the Good Time Theatre. In the Extreme Sports Stadium, All Wheels Extreme awes everyone in the audience with bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, gymnasts and dancers performing flips, tricks and unbelievable stunts in this high-energy “big air” show. Signed, Sealed, Delivered showcases the music of the ‘50s and ‘60s in the Centennial Theatre, while Got Country features your favorite country tunes in the Red Garter Saloon on the Frontier Trail. In Frontiertown, Live Music at the Palace in The Palace Theatre offers up its own brand of entertainment. At the end of the day, the Hot Summer Lights nighttime spectacular fills the sky with flames of fire while the new Starlight Experience illuminates the Frontier Trail with colored lights and themed displays.

Soak City Waterpark

If you like water, you’ll love Soak City. Spanning an impressive 18 acres, this huge waterpark features two relaxing inner tube river rides; more than a dozen thrilling water slides; a gigantic 500,000-gallon wave pool; Splash Zone, a multi-story interactive play area with more than 100 different wet and wild water gadgets that spray, squirt and drench guests; two kids’ areas; and much more. In addition to all of the fun it has to offer, Soak City also features shaded and sunny lounge areas, an adults-only swim-up refreshment center, changing facilities, food and drink locations and a merchandise shop for those forgotten items. Private cabanas with dining table, chaise lounges and chairs are also available for rental. Admission to Cedar Point is not required.

Challenge Park

Located between the towering rides and roller coasters of Cedar Point and the cool refreshing waters of Soak City is Challenge Park – an activity complex that features the RipCord Skycoaster, two high-speed go-kart tracks, two challenging 18-hole miniature golf courses and Skyscraper, a thrilling ride that spins riders in a circular motion 16 stories above the ground at speeds of 55 mph! Guests can take a break in the arcade with state-of-the-art games and refuel at a food stand with hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. Challenge Park is open to the public and admission to Cedar Point or Soak City is not required. Each attraction has a separate fee.

Castaway Bay

Families looking for a fun-filled getaway will want to check out Cedar Point’s Castaway Bay year-round indoor waterpark resort. This Caribbean-themed resort features 237 rooms and suites – including family-oriented units and a 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark loaded with water activities for all ages, including a water roller coaster, slides, kids’ areas, a wave pool, whirlpool spas and more. Additional amenities include a day spa, fitness center, state-of-the-art arcade, restaurants, retail shops, adjacent marina and space for birthday parties, meetings and group events.

The History of Cedar Point

Summer fun at Cedar Point began in the summer of 1870 when a small beer garden, bathhouse and dance floor opened on the peninsula. Celebrating its 140th season, Cedar Point is the second oldest amusement park in North America. The history of thrill rides at Cedar Point began in 1892 with the introduction of the peninsula’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway. The addition of the 25-foot-tall, 10-mph scream machine was a precursor of things to come. Cedar Point’s unmatched mix of entertainment that includes rides, roller coasters, live shows, games, special attractions and family fun has made it a summertime tradition for nearly 14 decades. More than 3 million guests visit the park each and every summer.

For more information: Click here.

This is no ordinary adventure race. It’s a journey. Don’t forget your compass.

Nationals Regional Qualifier

The Sheltowee Extreme II and SXT South 24-hour are regional qualifiers for the 2010 USARA National Championships. The top four teams from the combined 3 and 4-person co-ed divisions will qualify for the championship race held in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. The winning team will receive a $500 sponsorship to Nationals*, courtesy of the race and sponsor Zanfel, and also the coveted “Regional Champion” jackets.

Additionally, registered teams can earn points at this race toward their national ranking. The top-ranked team receives a FREE entry into the Nationals race. Go to www.usara.com to register your team today!

Q&A

Q. Do I have to have a support crew?

A. No. In fact, support crews are not allowed. You may not receive assistance from anyone other than another racer or the race staff except while in a designated transition area.

Q. Can I use a GPS or other tracking device?

A. You may not use a GPS or any other electronic tracking device that receives information. You may use a SPOT or similar device that transmits but does not receive information about your location.

Q. What about cell phones or walkie-talkies?

A. You are required to carry a cell phone with you, but it must remain turned off throughout the race, except in the case of an emergency. Walkie-talkies and similar 2-way communication devices are prohibited.

Q. Do team members stay together throughout the race?

A. Yes. All team members must stay within 100′ of each other throughout the race and must visit every checkpoint together.

Q. How experienced do I need to be to do this race?

A. The Sheltowee Extreme 48-hour and Sheltowee Extreme South 24-hour are not for novice racers. Solid navigation skills, including night navigation, are a must. There will be mountain biking on intermediate level singletrack trail. There will not be any whitewater paddling. The Sheltowee Extreme South 6-hour is a beginner-friendly event that will expose racers to all of the traditional elements of an adventure race, but will not require map plotting. Good decision-making and strategy will be important, but navigation will be more suited to novice racers.

Q. How far is each discipline?

A. We’ll disclose more information about the courses as details are finalized.

Q. Where does the Sheltowee Extreme South start and finish?

A. Scout Camp, Whitley City, Kentucky

Q. What about lodging in the Whitley City area?

A. There are several fine options for lodging in the area.

Q. Where does the Sheltowee Extreme II start and finish?

A. Stoney Cove Recreation Area, Cave Run Lake, Hwy 826, Morehead, KY

This recreation area is located immediately south of the dam, at the northern end of the lake. You’ll turn from Hwy 801 onto Hwy 826 toward the Corps of Engineers office and Cave Run Lake Dam. Just after you cross the dam, you’ll turn left into Stoney Cove Recreation Area. Here’s a snapshot from Google Earth and here’s a map with written directions and the same information that follows about lodging in the area.

Q. What about lodging in the Cave Run area?

A. The nearest chain hotel, Comfort Inn & Suites, is just a few miles from the start/finish, on Hwy 801 at the interstate (606-780-7378 or 800-228-5150). Nearby, locally-owned options include Brownwood B & B (606–784-8799) and Cave Run Lodging (606-783-1234 or 888-276-8759). There is also camping at Twin Knobs Recreation Area, which sits on Cave Run Lake, just a few miles from the start/finish.

Q. Where and when will we stage gear?

A. This will be disclosed in a racer communication sent no later than one week prior to the race.

Q. How long do you expect the winners to take to finish the race?

A. The courses have not yet been finalized. However, our goal is for the 6-hour racers to finish in 4 – 8 hours; the 24-hour racers to finish in 20 – 26 hours; and the 48-hour racers to finish in 42 – 48 hours.

Q. Will I need climbing shoes?

A. No. There will be no technical climbing in this race for which advanced climbing skills or shoes would be needed. You may be required to do some rock scrambling and similar non-technical climbing.

Q. Will I need to plot checkpoints?

A. Only in the 24 and 48-hour races. You will be required to plot UTM coordinates on a 1:24,000 scale topographic map. Wondering how? Here’s one tutorial: http://www.maptools.com/UsingUTM/quickUTM.html

Q. Will I need to use my compass?

A. Yes. Definitely.

Q. What is the magnetic declination for this area?

A. Roughly 5 degrees Westerly (-5), though this varies over time, so you should check again for the precise location during the week prior to the race.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a product review so I thought I would review my very favorite of all nutritional products, EFS Sports Drink. As most of you know I have Celiac Disease (or is it that I am a celiac? I never know how I’m supposed to say that) and follow a strict gluten free diet. I also have a wonky (yes, I said wonky) stomach that is pretty unforgiving during workout and race conditions. So, for years I gagged down Hammer HEED. I thought it tasted good, but in hindsight I think that was because I have such a positive cheery outlook : ) After three irondistance races I could not even look at another bottle of HEED. Don’t even get me started on the melon flavor.
Anyhow, along came my team sponsorship. One of our team sponsors is First Endurance. As part of our sponsorship we were asked to use the product for training and racing and review them. I was upfront with the powers that be about my wonky stomach and the fact that I could not endorse or blog about a product that I couldn’t use. They were very understanding and passed on Robert’s, (one of the founders of First Endurance) email address. He was very quick to respond and very helpful. All EFS products are gluten free (yay!) and several pro’s that are sponsored by the company are gluten free. (yay!)

So, here’s the low down on EFS drink. It’s yummy. Not in a, hey hon, try these gluten free brownies, they don’t taste as much like cardboard as the ones we usually have. It’s actually palatable, heck, I crave the stuff. I know, I’m weird. As far as my wonky stomach goes I have yet to have a bad stomach day that was due to my EFS. I had one that was due to pretzel bits getting dropped in my drink, I had one that was due to eating dairy before a workout (a huge no-no for me), but my trusty EFS has done me right.
My favorite thing is not having to swallow those stupid electrolyte pills. Here is the comparison of electrolytes:

I’m much too nice to post the competitor names, but lets just say one was already mentioned  in this review .  The flavors are Lemon Lime, Fruit Punch, Orange and Grape.  My current favorite is Orange, but a few months ago it was grape so I guess I just like them all.   I generally use a 2 scoop bottle (200 cal.) for every 1.25 hours I’m out on the bike.  On the run I will put 1 scoop in a small flask (100 cal) and sip it by the hour.  If I’m going longer  I will substitute in some EFS Liquid Shot.

One thing to note is that the EFS sports drink is an all carbohydrate drink.  I used to use drinks with protein during distance training and racing but found that my stomach just doesn’t like it.  I do much, much better on a carbohydrate only drink.  Throw as many articles you want at me about distance racing and need for protein, I just know that my stomach doesn’t like it so I save my protein for before and after workouts.

**Note that First Endurance is one of my sponsors.  I do buy their product, but they do support our team!

So how on earth am I going to do a Half Ironman in just under 2 weeks?  I have no idea.  I could swim and bike and call it a day…but could I?  I don’t want the season to end, but I also don’t feel much like racing when I know I’m not anywhere near healthy.  It’s a struggle.  But if this is the worst of my problems, I shouldn’t be complaining, right?

See you in Cedar Point!

The Cranky Monkey was a blast. I have never raced at Fountain Head but ride there all the time. I consider it my home course. Because this is such a technical and probably most challenging course out of the three race series (other locations were Shaffer Farms and Wakefield) the field was smallish. There were 23 racers in my category and I figured I’d try and get in the top ten. After a few rain scares the race went off as planned. There was a prolog on the road to split up the field somewhat before hitting the single track and I got into the single track relatively close to the front so I didn’t have to worry about passing only being passed. I rode fairly well. I didn’t feel like I was crushing it but making good time. I had a few mechanicals along the way with my chain and I lost my saddle pack and had to stop and get it. I also had a couple of minor wrecks. Clipped a tree once and took a slow tumble of the bars at another point. I figure I lost about 4 minutes along the way. On the final lap I had two other riders who I kept passing and then losing because of chain issues and eventually finished about 40 seconds behind them. I still managed to take fifth which was very welcome.

The pre ride of the REV3 Epic Adventure race was indeed epic. I met up with Spiller and Manning at Down River Canoe in Bentonville. We were pre riding the first 12 hours of the race planned for April 2011. We started with a 2 mile prolog and then rode about 70 miles with just under 6000 feet of climbing. The ride had some of the longest hills both up and down. The scenery was fantastic. Towards the end of the ride I wasn’t feeling too good. I had not done a good job with nutrition and the heat was getting to me which was strange because I never usually have a problem with that.

The only mechanical we had was a blow out of Spiller’s rear tire. He had just reverted back to tubeless and the tire blew off the rim. The bang was so load we thought he had been shot by one of the locals. The tire completely blew off the rim. Luckily it happened while riding up hill. Very scary seeing as we had been doing near forty miles an hour down some hills earlier in the day. If the blow out had happen at that point, it would not have been pretty. Gives me the chills thinking about it.

At the river Spiller and Manning continued on in a canoe and I bailed. I headed out to reenergize with a burger and good night’s rest. Spiller and Manning continued on to do a 20 mile night trek finishing up at midnight putting in an impressive 100 miles in for the day.

Hopefully I’ll get the nutrition right in two weeks when I head to Wales to do the Brecon Beast, a 100k ride through the Brecon Beacon.