Well, if you’re ever feeling particularly good about yourself...maybe you got a promotion, or can fit into a pair of jeans that have been more than a little snug, or maybe you just think that you’re all that...do an adventure race...that starts at 4:30am...in the rain...with teammates who are faster/better than you at everything...and you’ll quickly be put back in you’re place.

This past Saturday, I competed in my first adventure race. For those of you who don’t know what an adventure race is, here’s an excerpt from the race’s website:

WHAT IS THE LEWIS AND CLARK URBAN ADVENTURE RACE?

An urban (less city and more wooded) adventure race that will consist of orienteering, mountain biking, trekking, canoeing, rappelling, and mystery events. Three-person co-ed teams will navigate using a map and compass to Checkpoints (CP) along the entire course. The course will cover wooded and urban terrain in Northwest Arkansas. Support crews are not allowed.

WHAT IS THE COURSE LIKE?

Approximately 40 to 60 miles. Competitors should be prepared for single-track mountain biking trails, flowing water, hilly terrain, rope elements and team building events. Sounds cool, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Little did I know that I was in for the most humbling, physically grueling experience of my life.

As I stated above, the race got under way at 4:30am. Yes, you read that correctly and for anyone who has ever had the pleasure of seeing me first thing in the morning, you can imagine how pleased I was to wake up at 2:45am to get there. To quote my brother, "She is not in any sense of the phrase a ‘morning person’". Anyway, I actually got there in time, and without killing anybody, and off we went. I was on a team with my friends Erika and Trey, competing against 36 other 3 person teams. Our first leg of the race was a run (umm, there’s a really good reason why I’m a cyclist and not a runner), followed by mountain biking on trails in the dark. It was like something out of a war movie...darkness, people in helmets, yelling, confusion, lights flashing everywhere (they were attached to the bikes), not to mention rocks, roots, trees and drop-offs to really make the ride interesting. Thankfully, we got through that mess without injuries and in a good time.

We then headed out on the roads outside the city limits towards the White River to start the canoe leg of the adventure. Keep in mind that it hasn’t rained here in weeks. So our 6 mile canoe trip went something like this...paddle, paddle, get out, carry the canoe, paddle, paddle, get out, carry the canoe, paddle, ...etc. Needless to say, we were soaking wet and it was only hour number 3 of our journey. It was during this portion of the race that I learned that I actually suck at canoeing as my teammates put me to shame with their efficiency. I also learned during this part that when you sneak off into the woods to pee, everyone can see you and knows exactly what you’re doing if you’re wearing a bright pink shirt.

After canoeing, we were back on our bikes for a couple hours (with me pedaling madly just trying to keep up with my team) as we rode to different points around Fayetteville. It was at this point that the skies opened up and the downpour started. However, it didn’t bother us too much since we were already drenched from our time on the river. Eventually, we came to the rappelling section off of one of the taller buildings in Fayetteville. Now, I’ve rappelled before without incident, but for some reason, I freaked out. It didn’t look that bad when I was standing at the bottom, looking up, but by the time I climbed the 10 flights of stairs to the 10th floor, things were looking a little scarier. I walked over to the railing (you know, the one designed to keep people from actually going over it), and looked down...gulp. I then turned to the poor soul who was trying to explain to me what I was supposed to do. He went on about the proper technique and how I was supposed to hold the rope to stop and to go, but after being on the course for 7 hours at this point, all I could manage was a blank stare and a "What?". I was just too tired for anything to make sense. So, he patiently explained everything again and over the edge I went. It actually ended up not being so bad, but I still hugged the guy holding the rope at the bottom.

After I stopped shaking, we got back on our bikes for a few more miles until it was time to start the trekking portion of the race. We covered about 10 miles on foot throughout the city. This part went fairly smoothly, except that we were exhausted and I was again struggling to keep up with Erika and Trey.

The trekking portion ended at the finish line and our total race time was 10 hours and 1 minute of constant physical/mental struggles, covering 46 miles. That’s right folks...since I was the weak link of the team and always behind; I saw Erika and Trey’s asses for 10 hours. Lucky me.

All in all, we did really well…placing 7th overall. Not to shabby for my first (only?) adventure race! Also, we were only one of two teams that had two girls and only one guy. All the other teams had two guys and one girl, and many teams had quite a bit of experience...and we still beat them! But before I get all high and mighty, I have to admit that we only did so well because my teammates were awesome!

So, will I do another one? Hmm...let’s see...I’ve spent the past couple of days feeling like I was in a car wreck and my legs are so bruised it looks like someone took a baseball bat to them...Sure, why not? On second thought, maybe I’ll just go back to riding bulls!