Abby and I hit the woods once more for our final tune-up before Untamed New England. Including a 15 hour test run on our Cradle of Liberty course (running in a mere two weeks!), this marked our seventh race of the season since March 1. While we have both been feeling some fatigue from racing, course design, graduate school, home improvement, and a little thing called work, we came out of NYARA’s Longest Day feeling ready to hit the wilds of Northwestern Maine for four days in June. We have some things to fine-tune in regards to training, but generally we felt strong and sharp, kept the fatigue to a minimum, hit our navigation, strategized well as a team and continued to move well up until the 24^th hour (literally finishing with a few minutes to spare).

With Bruce out of action for this one, we teamed up with good friend Brian Reiss and Joel Ford from ARMD. From the opening run through rolling meadows to the final plunge down a ski slope to the finish, we clicked on all cylinders, all helping out and communicating well…

…Except for the moment when Joel and I looked back after nearly 10 minutes of paddling to see empty water; Abby and Brian, who had been punching a control and dealing with some gear, didn’t realize where we were headed, and I neglected to specify. Assuming they saw us head off across the lake, we were stunned to see them paddling in the opposite direction, following a team of two who had passed by not long after we reached the control. After fifteen minutes of moaning and yelling to no avail, they finally realized we were not the boat they were pursuing and turned around. Thankfully, this blunder, which shall be added to Venzini’s list of “classic blunders”, didn’t come back to haunt us at the finish).

We saw rattlers, I believe I saw a bear watching me in the night (only eyes, but rather high off the ground, rather large, and much further apart then deer’s eyes tend to be), we had beautiful ridge traverses as only the Catskills offer, I swam for a CP after nightfall, surrounded by angry bullfrogs. The course, as always with a NYARA race, was epic, adventurous, and challenging, and we often found ourselves joking that the mandatory controls were harder than the optional ones. The competition was fierce with SOG, Untamed New England, NYARA (I and II), Rev3, and Calleva all battling it out for the podium.

When the dust had finally settled, we were stunned to find ourselves on top with SOG in second and Rev3 coming in third. Going into the final section of the course, we weren’t sure we’d crack the top three though we felt we had a chance. Finishing first wasn’t even a possibility in our minds. While we did manage the win, we have to congratulate SOG for an amazing race. They set a blistering pace, and when all things are said and done, they ultimately collected a few more controls than we did. We managed to score five bonus points, however, by clearing a particular section that allowed us to make up for their superior speed and secure the win.

Huge thanks to the folks at NYARA and all of their volunteers. Ann Marie, Charlie, and Denise did a marvelous job planning and running a huge and complex course. We have several races and many months until October, but we’re already excited for our next trip north to the Catskills for the USARA national championship.

For a more complete report, check out: Abby’s Report, Brent’s Race Report

Three more races in the books for team GOALS ARA. First up was the second edition of the Rev 3 Epic in northern Virginia. Abby and I were joined by Bruce and the semi-retired GOALSer Jeremy for 26 hours of fun along the Shenandoah. We had a tough day with some physical issues, but thankfully we moved well and nailed our navigation and route choice. The race has quickly become a big draw with great media attention and one of the larger fields of participants in the northeast. The competition was accordingly strong, and the race proved to be quite a battle from start to finish with the Rev3 gang coming out of the woods at eleventh hour with the most checkpoints and the big win. Odyssey/ImONPoint turned in a strong showing for second, and we managed to beat out several other great teams for third in the premier division.

Next up was GOALS ARA’s annual spring sprint, the six hour Savage Adventure Race, this year held in Nockamixon State Park for the first time. New GOALS ARA director, Brian Reiss, put together a fast and fun course, and Bruce and Chris teamed up with Ann Lombardi, from the extended GOALS network of racers and volunteers. From the sounds of it, the biking was terrific, and the bushwhack up to the boulder strewn summit of Haycock Mountain was an epic climb for a short sprint in the relatively tame wilds of eastern PA. Four hours and twenty three minutes after starting, Bruce, Chris and Ann took first in the premier division while finishing second place overall.

This past weekend, Abby and I hit the trails once more with Brian Komoroski, a friend of ours from the GOALS circuit who raced with me once last year. We drove out west with our good friend Bill Donohue for American Adventure Sports’ Yough Xtreme, my fifth year in a row competing in the 10 hour sprint in Ohiopyle. While I know the trails and woods well, the physical challenge of Doug Crytzer’s races never gets old, and it turned out be a great day of training and racing with Brian and Bill who raced alongside us for much of the day. That said, we will surely remember this year’s Yough as the “Race of Tires”.

We should have known it would be a trying day when we were driving out west along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and one of Abby’s tires somehow escaped the roof rack and went zipping down the turnpike, coming to rest alongside the cement median. Abby darted across three lanes of interstate traffic to retrieve her tire as I was tying my shoes, preparing for the game of Frogger myself, but thankfully she made it back safe! We then proceeded to find ourselves with four flats during the race (one of which resulted from a cleanly sheared-off valve), a fifth if you count the tube we changed twice (only to find that the spare was faulty when it wouldn’t inflate), and the discovery that our third tube somehow had the wrong valve on it. It’s probably been four years since we have had a bike in the house with a schrader valve, and yet a schrader tube somehow made it into our gear. We probably lost 45-60 minutes between change time, waiting time, crash time resulting from a broken valve, and begging time, but thankfully karma was on our side; four different teams helped us with tubes and extra CO2 cartridges (with the good folks from Gung Ho helping on two separate occasions) and we somehow still held on for a comfortable second place finish in the premier division, though we ultimately did lose several spots in the overall rankings. That said, even without the flats, there was no way we were catching Brian, Julia and Kristin from SOG, and a hug congratulations to them for the victory.

All in all, the past month has been a good one for racing, and we are getting ever closer to the brand new Cradle of Liberty 24 hour race in early June and a trip north to the wilds of Maine for Untamed New England. Thanks again to our friends from SOG and Gung-Ho, solo racer John Mitchell, and the two gentlemen who helped us a mile from the finish with flat number five. We wouldn’t have crossed the finish line this past weekend without you!

CHECK BACK SOON FOR LINKS TO FULL RACE REPORTS!!

Abby’s Yough Report

Another weekend in March means another race for GOALS ARA. We often don’t start racing until April, but we have now raced in three adventure races before April Fools. With legs still a bit heavy from the pounding at the Swamp Fox and a trek up and down Mount Mitchell outside North Carolina, Abby and Brent teamed up with JP Bordeleau for Start 2 Finish’s Natchez Trace Adventure Race, a 12 hour event in western Tennessee. Unfortunately, it was not our smoothest race as we struggled with flats, scratched corneas, and most importantly some major navigational errors. All that aside we had an amazing time in Natchez Trace State Park and came back from our issues several times for a strong second place finish.

For an event that we hadn’t heard much about, we absolutely loved every moment of it (well maybe not when totally screwing up the nav or scratching eyeballs). The woods were beautiful as was the lake on which we paddled in the middle of the race. The biking was incredibly fun with just about every sort of terrain shy of major mountain climbs. The competition was strong, the race directors and volunteers friendly, and in general this was one of the better races we have done in a long time. If only we lived closer, we’d make it an annual tradition to be sure! Thanks to the folks at Start 2 Finish, and a big congratulations to team Los Locos for the win. Finally, a huge thank you to JP who didn’t see us at our finest but who was an amazing teammate despite the trials and tribulations.

Now that April is upon us in the northeast, we think we’ll take a break for a few weeks. Next up is the Rev3 Epic, but more importantly we have some final work to do in putting together this year’s Cradle of Liberty, a 24 hour race here in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. We’re very excited about this year’s brand new course and just bummed we won’t get to race it!

For full reports on the Natchez Trace Adventure Race, check out:

Abby’s Race Report

Brent’s Race Report

 

After driving hundreds of miles north to the northern extremes of Vermont and romping in the snow for our “first” adventure race of the season, Abby, Chris, and I then packed up, drove and flew south, and raced in the coastal swamps, forests, and waterways of South Carolina for our first traditional AR of the 2012 season. The three of us teamed up for Kando Adventures’ 12 hour Palmetto Swamp Fox adventure race two years ago and had a great race to start the season, working out the muscles and kinks and winning by a comfortable margin in the premier division, though we were edged out by a few minutes by a solo competitor.

This year, the competition for the top spot overall was fierce as co-ed teams Northern Lights and Howler Monkeys pushed us hard from start to finish, and we also found ourselves crisscrossing paths with a couple of solos and two person teams for much of the day. In the end, we managed to overcome a nav error on the opening paddle and a poor route decision with route choice at the end to finish strong with Northern Lights a scant seven minutes behind. We left everything out on the course and loved every moment of the race, which included a nice long paddle on the Intracoastal Waterway out of McClellanville with a couple of small foot sections along the way, two dolphin sightings, a sleepy gator, and some relentless biking along the maze of flat, dusty backcountry roads in the Francis Marion National Forest.

It was a great second start to the year, and Steve Morrone and the folks at Kando put on a terrific event with fun navigation and a nice flow to the course from the opening gun to the finish line. Congratulations to the racers from Northern Lights and Howler Monkeys, who rocked the course all day long, and all the other racers out in the swamps this past weekend.

For a complete race report check out: Abby’s Race Report

Team GOALS ARA started the 2012 season with an amazing weekend in northern Vermont. After day-dreaming about GMARA’s Frigid Infliction for several seasons, we finally made the long trip north to give it a shot, and it did not disappoint. Brent and Abby teamed up with Tracey for 10 hours of snowy fun, and it’s fair to say that everyone thought it was one of the best one day races we have had the opportunity to do. The folks at GMARA know how to direct a good race, and the novelty of skiing, snowshoeing and postholing during an adventure race (not to mention a memorable Tyrolean traverse) along with great volunteers and an amazing post-race feed made for a truly memorable event.

Considering the numerous problems we ran into and the fact that we really had little business being on skis on anything but flat trails, we were happy with our results. More importantly we had an incredible time crawling through four foot snow drifts along steep mountain sides, bushwhacking through dense Vermont forests on snowshoes and learning to ski on the fly. We can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed the race, and we’re already eager to go back again sometime soon (maybe a new start-to-the-season-tradition?). A huge thank you again to GMARA, a big shout out to our friends from Pain Syndicate for finding the elusive first checkpoint and winning the premier division, and congratulations to everyone who was out for the day in the snow. For far more information, check out our individual race reports:

Brent’s Race Report

Abby’s Race Report

2011 was a season of highs and lows for GOALS ARA. The team started slow, facing various physical issues that slowed us down early in the year, and after a better spring, we had high ambitions that melted away in the humidity and heat of Costa Rica. Disappointment aside, the team rebounded with a strong finish at USARA nationals and a desire for some redemption and fun in 2012.

A long, temperate winter here in the Philadelphia region has allowed for easier training than usual, and the team is itching to get the season rolling. And so this weekend, Abby and Brent will be teaming up with northern teammate Tracey for GMARA’s Frigid Infliction. It’s been on our bucket list for a while, but a long drive and the fact that we don’t know how to ski has held us back for several years, but with two expeditions on the horizon and hopes of making up for a slow start last year, we’re heading into the woods a bit earlier than normal.

While we hope to do well when in snowshoes and while postholing, we seriously don’t know how to ski, so for the first race of the season, we’re just hoping to make it through what is a rare winter adventure race. After a couple of weeks nursing what will surely be humbled pride, Abby and Brent will team up with Chris for a return to the swamps of South Carolina, and after a week of hiking and bumming through the upper South, we’ll be teaming up with friend JP Bordeleau for a new race (for us) in Tennessee. Hopefully March will offer us a better start to the season compared to last year as we get ready for a return to the Untamed wilds of northern New England.

After a busy first half of the season, Team GOALS ARA slowed down a bit as summer rolled around. True, we had a big five day race down in Costa Rica, but the extreme heat (and a potential case of OVER-hydration) knocked Brent and the team out after 48 hours of jungle madness. The team made an appearance at the Krista Greisacker twelve hour race in August, and Jon finally came off the DL to race with Bruce at the Shag.

After a difficult and trying season (we didn’t have any races where everyone seemed to be clicking, and in almost every race, at least one teammate seemed to be sick or sluggish) we arrived in Kentucky for the USARA National Championship. Bruce had to withdraw before the race, so Abby and Brent teamed up with Sean O’Donnell from Tennessee. Despite a variety of issues ranging from broken bike chains to horrific bike whacks that could have been avoided, we had a terrific time, steadily making up ground after losing hours in the woods bike-whacking down a mountain to finish on the podium in 5^th place for the open division and eighth overall. The course was outstanding, and we felt like it was a great way to wrap up the 2011 season.

Plans are already coming together for a return to northern New England for Untamed New England next summer, and we’re gunning for a showing more reminiscent of our multi-day-race there in 2010 rather than our struggles at the equator this June. Read Abby’s race report below for Costa Rica, and stand-by for her account of Kentucky.

Abby’s Costa Rica Race Report- Pt. 1, Pt. 2,

Abby’s USARA Champs Report-Pt. 1, Pt. 2

 

 

 

When we wrote this morning, we didn’t expect to have a chance to blog again. Twelve hours later, we’ve learned that our host lodge has internet, and we’ve also discovered that Tico Time is in full effect until the race starts. This means lots of time to rest, hydrate, sweat, hydrate some more and post pictures. The lodge is gorgeous, the little we know of the race is impressive, and we’re all eager for Monday morning to come. Maps, meetings and tree planting tomorrow. Hopefully a few more pictures as well!

Bins, bags and GOALS Gals Gone Wild on the curb of our hostel at 9 AM, as directed by the RD. In Tico Time, as we learned, this really meant 1030. Everyone seems very excited that we have two women on the team!

 

Bibs and introductions at “Toyota City” in San Jose. Four hours of eating, meeting the other teams and relaxing. Lots of relaxing!

Talking to the media. Bruce speaking to ESPN. Look for him on Sportscenter…Latin America version…The local coverage seems fantastic as was evidenced by the small army of photographers, videographers, reporters and volunteers roaming through Toyota City during the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a busy few weeks for GOALS ARA. Abby, Brent and Bruce raced in the Southern Catskills at NYARA’s annual Longest Day. This year’s event was back to the more recent tradition of 30 hours rather than the challenging midnight starts from last year. As always, Denise, Rodney, Amy and the rest of the NYARA gang put together a treat complete with an epic off trail foot section, ridgeline bike rides, passage through an eerie set of ruins atop one of the many mountains we humped, and to cap it off a trip down North America’s longest zipline (over half a mile long, 500 feet above the canopy and with speeds up to 50 miles an hour…followed by four more ziplines). We managed third place in a strong field, and though we had some physical issues (we still are waiting for that race where we all feel solid) we felt like it was  good final tune-up for Costa Rica. Check out Abby’s report for a more complete write-up.

 

After recovering, we’ve spent the last few weeks buying gear, sorting gear, selecting clothes, measuring food, packing all of the above, re-packing it, packing again. Yesterday, we all gathered in San Jose, Costa Rica, and after some last minute shopping for food, a local cell phone, and other random items, we crashed for a good long night of sleep, one of the last we’ll have this week. Today we meet the press, have our glamour shots taken, and meet the other racers, none of which are from North America or English-speaking countries (a first for all of us…though the ironic thing is: English is the official language of the race! Advantage? I’d still give it to all those folks who speak Spanish fluently). On Sunday, we get the official overview of the course and maps. Lots of maps if last year’s maps are any indication.

 

Before disappearing into the jungle, we’d like to thank our sponsors. We’ll be racing with the help of Black Diamond trekking poles, lighting from DiNotte, paddles from Werner Paddles, pants and shirts from Railriders, cushy socks from Thorlo, tires from Kenda, and of course the endless support from GOALS ARA. While we are focused on maps and rocks, trails and rapids, we tend to forget about our gear, but there are countless times throughout a race (especially a five day one) where the gear allows us to make it through. We run, bike and paddle faster, more efficiently and more safely with the constant support of our sponsors. Thank you.

 

For online tracking (hopefully), try starting with the following websites:

http://www.arcostarica.com/

http://www.sleepmonsters.com/ 

Hopefully someone will be out in the rain and mud reporting!

With Brent a last minute scratch due to lingering health issues, Chris joined Abby and Bruce for 24 hours in the woods of northeastern PA at GOALS ARA’s Cradle of Liberty. From all accounts it proved to be a challenging race, beginning on the waters of the Delaware in the Delaware Water Gap before shifting into an epic foot section along the eastern ridges of the Gap. A final bike ride back to Promised Land State Park awaited the handful of teams that persevered through the cold, rainy night, and it truly was a war of attrition, AR-style. The team managed a second place finish, behind the folks from NYARA, despite near-race-ending blisters while crossing paths with two bear cubs and a mysterious albino porcupine…or something. Check out Abby’s report for a full run-down.

Abby’s Race Report