| ACORN'S RESORT THUMPER ADVENTURE RACE RESULTS |
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| LAKE ADVENTURES 3710 Farnum Creek Rd, Milford, KS 785-307-1901 extremekansas@yahoo.com |
| 2011 Heartland AR Series BonkHard Chill AR Wild Hares Adventure Race Extreme Break Up AR Smithville Adventure Race Chadron Adventure Race Run, Row, Rock & Roll AR Warrior Challenge Psycho 43 (Championship) |
3/12 3/13 3/20 4/02 4/09 4/23 5/21 5/28 8/11-14 8/27 9/18 11/05 |
| 2/19 3/19 4/02 5/07 5/21 6/18 9/17 11/05 |
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- March 20th, 2011—Acorns Resort Thumper 12 Mile Adventure Race
The night before the race a thunderstorm drenched the ground and made the lake look like ocean surf. Hindsight had told me earlier that
afternoon that forecasted winds on race day of 17 mph and lake temps of 44 degrees would result in great stress and possible medical
emergencies on Sunday, so the UTM adjustments to “close in” the canoe course were made. Teams may not have been happy with the
additional portage to compensate for reduced canoe mileage, but getting what you sign up for and trained for makes the rewards of
finishing it that much greater . . . right?
The next morning riding across the grassy dike to the deer stand and up the pasture hill to the beach to set more CPs, I am feeling
empathy for the Thumper racers. Since the course, when it is dry, was relatively “tame” (as far as terrain and rideability), a couple wilder
checkpoints were added for full flavor . . . the ones you have to want really bad if you’re going to clear the course. The last minute change
to allow teams to leave bikes at CP 15 en-route to CP 16 seemed reasonable.
Every race is an experience all its own . . . the course, the weather, the teams and new challenges every time. The preparation for the
race is pretty exciting, but when teams start arriving—the real excitement begins. I finally get to meet the people that have been lined up
on the race roster next to team names like “Already Lost” and see familiar faces that have become friends over the race seasons. The
anxious energy of the teams pre-race means it’s time for me to pretend to be calm. This last part has improved over the years but is still
definitely a work in progress.
Teams plot their maps and some take advantage of the offer to check/correct plotting. Since this race is beginner/family friendly, the scale
is much larger to make terrain association easier and sense of distance more realistic for 1st timers. Even though plotting UTMs is not
technically difficult, until you have successfully plotted points and found them on a map, it’s not as easy as it should be. Then it’s race
announcements and go time.
If you ever get a chance to watch an adventure race, you will be amazed at the things you see. Normal looking people somehow do things
that appear superhuman. The look on their faces is remarkable too—a cross between . . . “I can do this. I want to do this. This is really
hard. Is this possible? Why am I still so happy when I kind of want to cry or scream? I could be sitting on my couch. This is really feels
great and it really hurts. If my teammate won’t quit, I’m not going to either. I really didn’t know I was this strong. I'm never doing this
again. I am going to do this for the rest of my life. Ok, I’m just going to do it”. Racers have plenty of moments in time during a race when
they really can see all they are made of.
There are great stories to tell about every team that raced on Sunday, but since there were almost 30 teams—I’ll just mention a few. The
kids in this race really impressed me. Several teams consisted of families with children 8-16 years old. 3 miles on foot, 8 miles on a bike
(single speed mostly) and a mile on canoe/portage—while navigating through approximately 300 acres of woods, pastures, ravines. It’s
not something that many 3rd-10th graders would believe that they could ever do . . . let alone really enjoy doing while competing and racing
with adults. They all finished the race--that is an accomplishment worth being really proud of. Their parents and grandparents out on the
course with them have apparently instilled a sense of adventure in these children that some adults will never find. These families are in it
together to the finish.
Then there are teams that show up for their 1st race nervous how they will do. I can tell before the race that they will do great--they are
smiling, motivated, have the gear, clearly lead active lifestyles and are here. They are happily surprised when they finish the course before
cut off. But they still can't be convinced that they can go 25, 50 or 100 miles? The teams that have done several previous events feel like
friends now--and watching them face the challenges and triumph is always especially rewarding. And seeing Emily (my daughter) & Geo
finish was definitely worth a million dollars.
So Monday night after work, it's time for me to go clear the course of flags. I'm tired and would rather sit on the couch. So instead of taking
the bike, I take the dogs and we walk it out--because if I feel like it's something I have to do, then it's time to slow down and smell the
roses. As I walk the dirt road to the deer stand, I see all of the bike tire tracks and I start smiling. Then over the pasture and down to the
beach--Shilo is playing in the big waves (the wind is doing the ocean surf thing again) as I make my way to CP 16. All through the sand
there must be a thousand footprints. For years I've known that this area has as much to offer the "experiential" tourist as the lake
recreating and hunting does. I'm glad that some other people were able to experience it while redefining their limits on a Sunday
afternoon in March.
Yes, Dorothy, there is happiness in your own back yard (and alot of other people's backyards too).
See picture album1
See picture album2
(thanks to the Golden Girls!)
See picture album2
(thanks to the Golden Girls!)