Great Ames Adventure Race

Jason and I participated in a paddle, bike and run adventure race today.  This is our fourth year competing in the Great Ames Adventure Race (GAAR) and our fourth year winning our division and placing among all top finishers!  This is an ideal race distance for me, where I can be competitive and have fun!

Making my way through the run
portion of the GAAR race.  We ran
on pavement and gravel trail.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, with race start temperatures in the 50s and ending in the mid 60s.  The sun was just starting to rise as we paddled around the lake and you could see the morning fog lifting off the water.  The race starts in waves, with around six boats entering the water at a time.  We started in the fifth wave and took off like a shot.  We moved quickly, quietly and efficiently in our wooden racing kayak around the lake, passing people who started several waves ahead of us.  We have good cadence and stayed in sync for the 2.7 mile paddle.  We haven’t been able to practice a lot lately so just a few minutes into the paddle my arms and shoulders burned.  I took one quick break and then focused on the mantra “move, fight for it, move.”

We transitioned to the bike 24 minutes later.  In the tandem category, each participant bikes and runs at their own pace.  The times are averaged to give you a team time.  The bike route takes you through the edge of the city and then onto county highways for 15 miles.  The organizers do a good job of staffing all major turns on the race route and providing some traffic control on left hand turns on the highway.  I quickly found myself alone on the course.  Jason had soared on past me along with another competitor.  Without someone just ahead to chase, it was hard to push myself just that much extra.  Also, there were gusty winds coming from the north and west so my times felt incredibly slow.  I have also had a terrible cold this past week and barely exercised so I knew the race was going to feel challenging.

Staying in sync during the paddle
portion around the lake.

As I approached the final few miles, a few more competitors caught me but I kept them close as we reached the transition.  After 53 minutes on the bike, my legs were feeling pretty tired.  I quickly changed shoes, dropped off my helmet and took off for the run portion. The final leg of the race was a 5k run on pavement and gravel trail through the park.  I honestly felt like I was shuffling the first mile.  My strides were short and stiff and I could feel a small twinge in my hamstring.  As the run progressed, I started to relax and feel my legs wake back up.  I chased and passed a competitor which gave me a small boost of adrenaline.  I crossed the finish line 25 and half minutes later.

I finished the race in 1 hour 42 minutes.  I was pleased overall with my performance, given that I had run less than three miles the entire week because of my cold.  I had felt much better by Saturday and decided to make a final race morning decision whether to compete.  I had just enough energy and endurance from all the run training I’ve been doing to make it through this race.  Jason finished ahead of me and our team average was good enough for first place in our division.  Our individual times were right at or near the top of the individual male and female race finish times.  That made me feel better considering our times were slower overall than last year.  However, we realized that all the race finish times were slower than last year. The wind in the bike section caused everyone to lose a few minutes on previous times.

I'm just finishing the
15 mile bike leg of the
GAAR.  It was windy!

A few of my race highlights included: seeing a dad compete with his two young sons, including carrying one on his shoulders the entire run portion; reaching the southbound part of the bike ride where finally the wind was pushing me along; chasing down and passing a competitor on the run; seeing so many people walking their dogs in the park; having Jason cheer me on from the final few meters from the race finish and finishing the race! (And getting post-race snacks too).

I really enjoy paddle, bike and run events!  Just when your body is getting tired of doing one activity, you quickly transition into something different.  It really brings endurance to the forefront of the race.  If someone excels on the bike but is a mediocre runner, if they keep consistent effort throughout the entire race, they may still finish near the front.  It’s about finding strength inside and pushing yourself when you think it’s been tapped dry.

Competing in an event like this also helps break up on the monotony of half marathon training.  By keeping activities like biking and paddling (and strength training) in my routine, I don’t overstress the same muscles and joints needed for running.  All around, I have more fun exercising and more race opportunities.

I will add a few photos to this posting as they share race photos.  In the meantime, feel free to share your favorite ways to exercise or favorite race experiences.  Have you done or would you consider doing a multi-sport race?  I love talking race strategy!

Miss FitGab