New York

I try to live by the following motto: Break a sweat every day.
Lately that has been easy just by doing nothing in the high heat and humidity in the city, but I try to break a sweat each day via some sort of physical activity.

I am obsessed with tennis and play 4-5 times a week, and my favorite sweat breaking activity is kickboxing. Punching and kicking real 100lb heavy bags brings on the sweat fest more than anything else I do.

Aside from these sports, I’d always thought it’d be amazing to do a multi-sport event, like a triathlon.
The running I could maybe handle. I do run because I like the results I see and it justifies my addiction of athletic shoes. I have done 5K’s and I can get through trail runs (treadmills make me crazy–so boring) but I am far from a natural runner. Due to this fact and that swimming for me really just means me laying on a floatie–my dream of participating in a triathlon is not really plausible.

Knowing this about myself has only made me work harder to find a multi-sport activity I can proudly participate in.
I don’t want to walk or push a stroller (besides, I’d have to borrow a kid for that) and stair climbing for charity is a great idea, but I want to combine some sort of running/biking with it.

In the mid 90′s I was introduced to what in another life just might be what I’d dedicate my life to: Adventure Racing. The extreme athletic image, the physical shape of the participants, running and biking in nature, teamwork–getting sponsored and therefore obtaining lots of swag…I was instantly obsessed.

It is very simple in theory. Adventure Racing combines adventure sport disciplines, usually including navigation, trekking, mountain biking, white water paddling, climbing, sea kayaking and swimming in order to cover a variety of outdoor terrain. In nearly all organized Adventure Races, teams are made up of four people and must include both men and women.

Adventure Races typically take between five and eleven days with no designated rest periods so it is up to the participants to choose when, or if, they rest. Check points are set up along the route and when there is to be a change of events such as canoeing to climbing, teams will exchange their equipment at these points, taking what they need for the next leg.

The first Adventure Race that really sucked me into this multi-sport lifestyle was Eco-Challenge. A multi-day expedition race, this was a Mark Burnett (pre-Survivor) production and it aired on the USA channel for 9 seasons. It consisted of seasoned professional adventure racers as well as the average “joe” that raced non-stop, 24 hours a day, over a 300 mile course. The locations over the years varied, including Borneo, Utah, British Colombia, Australia and Fiji. As awesome as this race was, the last year it ran was 2002 and that is why I cannot participate in it… (um yeah, thats why…).

photo credit here

photo courtesy of adventure.mountainzone.com

Perhaps the most famous and challenging Adventure Race in the world is the Patagonian Expedition Race in Chile.
Like Eco-Challenge, teams of 4 compete in treacherous natural terrain that very few, if any, humans have ever witnessed in person. The route is kept secret to the participating teams until the night before the race is to start which is when all maps and route instructions are supplied to the teams.

taking a look at the map courtesy of sportrock.ning.com

As the website states, the Patagonia Expedition Race is a true expedition. Racers receive minimal assistance as they traverse through the pristine southern Patagonia by means of trekking, climbing and related rope work, kayaking, mountain biking, and backcountry navigation. They often cover hundreds of kilometers without seeing a soul.

trekking Patagonia photo courtesy of www.mountain.ru

paddling Patagonia
photo courtesy of funsporting.com

OK, so its doubtful that I will make it into this race. The cutoff for registration has just passed. … maybe next year.

Primal Quest is another adventure race that follows the same pattern as Eco and Patagonia. Their latest race, covering 600 miles, took place in the Badlands of South Dakota in 2009.

The cost of entry to most high profile adventure races such as these three can vary, but will at least run $10,000 USD a team. Prizes though, especially in the more major races such as Patagonian, can exceed $150,000 in cash.
While the races are unsupported (meaning no-one there to bring you water or help carry your gear), medical personnel and volunteers are present to assist in emergency cases.

Check out this link showing a preview of the Badlands Race on DVD.

Primal Quest Badlands DVD Now Available!.

A 2010 race date/location for Primal Quest hasn’t been named yet due to lack of funding. Dammit. Just as I was about to register…

OK, so these three races seem just out of my reach. What can I do? In my search for more attainable races that wouldn’t cost me thousands of dollars (and tons of laughs at my expense), I discovered the Warrior Dash. This race covers nearly 3.3 miles and includes 13 obstacles that must be dominated by the participant, such as mud crawling, fire leaping, beer drinking… wait? What? Wow.

As the website says–this will be the “craziest freakin’ day of your life”!

Now I am not sure about that, but what I am sure about is that Warrior Dash has race routes all over the US including eight in 2010 and so far two already scheduled for 2011. I am participating in the North East route in Windham, NY this fall with my kickboxing instructors and friends. We will be a team of 30 and willing and ready to do whatever we need to do to fulfill our Warrior ambitions! Although we are a team, we compete individually and although it is a race, its more of an event.

Unlike the high costs to race in other Adventure Races, the Warrior Dash costs just $65 to register and all finishers get a Warrior Helmet, a medal to wear proudly around your neck and a t-shirt!

Here are some pictures from the Warrior website to give you an idea of the type of day I will likely have. Check the website for even more pictures and information on the races and where you can register yourself, unless of course you are already registered for one of the other races I have mentioned above…

Happy Adventure Racing!

With Spring officially here and the snow finally melted, I’m ready to get outside! Lets hike!

Growing up in the Pacific North West, it was hard NOT to hike. The outdoor co-op company REI has it’s headquarters in Seattle, the mountain ranges are populated with gorgeous waterfalls, canopied by enormous evergreen trees and thick with rain forests and mountain lakes–some not yet reached by humans. The year-round moderate temperatures in the area allow for enjoyable hiking in every season (just be prepared to spend some money on the Gortex gear as it does rain; a lot.).

Seattle with Rainier in the background flickr: jim914109

University of Washington with mountains at sunset.

In Seattle, where I lived, one can look in every direction (on a clear day of course), and see snow capped mountains encircling the entire city with the gem of the state, the highest elevation point in Washington towering above all the rest: Mt Rainier–nearly 15K feet at the summit. While impossible to hike to the top of Rainier causally as much planning is required due to the conditions and elevation gain– it is not uncommon to go on a day hike in and around Rainier or in other areas just outside of Seattle and reach an elevation gain of 4000 to 5000 ft. Aside from Rainier National Park there are dozens of other hiking spots that are easily climbed in just a few hours including the still active Volcano Mt. St. Helens and one of my favorite spots, Mt. Si which tops out at 4166 ft and is 8 miles round trip.

Mt Rainier flickr: pjink11

Oregon and Vancouver BC make up the rest of the NW and also have their share of hike destinations including Mt. Hood and Crater Lake just outside of Portland, Or and endless trails in Whistler BC –a couple hours drive from Vancouver. Both Ski resorts in the Winter, Whistler and Mt Hood boast nearly as many visitors in the summer for hiking and mountain biking as they do in the Winter due to their reputation for reliably sunny skies and accommodating village environment with lodging, restaurants and nightlife .

Crater Lake

Mt Hood

Whistler

In contrast–here in my new state of New York–the highest point is Mt. Marcy in the Adirondack Mountain Range at 5134 ft. The Adirondacks, in the NE part of New York, boast many lakes and hiking trails, was the nation’s first preserved wilderness and the closest distance for Manhattanites escape the concrete forest and experience the “real” outdoors.

Lake George is one of the highlights in the Adirondacks (popular not just for hiking but also fishing and swimming) and other spots I’ve had the time to discover in the area are Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics and Stowe, VT.

Stowe too is a ski mecca in the winter but caters to the spring and summer crowd with Gondola rides to the tops of the peaks and well kept trails with names like Hogback Mountain and Emily’s Bridge to bring you down.

Stowe, VT

While the elevation gain of these North East locations cannot be compared to the West Coast, one benefit out East is traveling far distances is not required to find hiking opportunities in many different states. The states in the NE are much smaller in size and are in closer proximity to each other than are the states out West, so East Coast hikers generally hike different spots more often.

For example, driving from New Jersey to Vermont takes about 4 hours, but the different routes and states traveled during that drive all have varying trails and scenery (not to mention historical and cultural landmarks). The same time span traveled in the West Coast may get you to the edge of a bordering state, but likely you will still be within the same state you started in.

So which area has better hiking? West or East? Of course it is based on personal preference. If elevation gain is your thing and you don’t mind a little soggy hiking, head West. If covering more area quicker without sacrificing beauty is more appealing–come out East. Either way– go, hike!

the author, hiking Whistler, BC

For more information on any of the trails or locations mentioned, please leave a comment and I will get back to you!

All pictures by diana ellefson except where mentioned.