Team Ragged Glory – Adventure Racing, Multi Sport, Friends

Team Ragged Glory Fossils’ 2011 @PlanetAdv Sprint traveled a route of 28.8 miles, 18.2 on bike and 10.6 on foot.

Here’s the MapMyRun diagram of our routes from Eric’s GPS logger.

Eric Henricks, representing Runners Forum Team Tenacious, joined Doug Theis and Nancy Gawrys of Team Ragged Glory to compete in last Saturday’s Planet Adventure Sprint Adventure Race in Brown County. One day before the race we completed our roster by recruiting veteran endurance and AR icon, Dave Tanner.

Nancy arrived at our house at 0615 to load her gear and we headed to Doug’s south side home with our perennial favorite team photojournalist, Gail Henricks, and our trusty AR dog, Stella. As we left Doug’s house en route to I-65 we got a call that roads approaching the Maumee Scout Camp from the east were impassable due to flooding. We turned around to take IN-37 to Bloomington and called Dave to tell him he didn’t have to drive himself to the race as we would now collect him at his Bloomington home.

I was anxious to get to the race early enough that we wouldn’t risk making the mistakes that sometimes occur when one is rushed. Unfortunately, Once we got off IN-446 onto Tower Ridge Road Tanner was navigating from the back seat with an inadequate map while I was pushing the envelope with our van. We made a few wrong turns and the van was forced to go through some wash out rutted gravel roads a little faster than one would like. More than once I had to reassure the team that “I got this”. I may have knocked something loose under the van as now I think I hear a louder exhaust noise than I heard last week.

We arrived at 0900 along with about 30 other teams and assembled our TA, then checked in with the race director, who gave us three topo maps, a punch card and a set of race instructions. We were told that one of the checkpoints had been eliminated to keep the race from going over the 10 hour time limit as trail conditions had deteriorated significantly from when the race was originally designed. We also learned that we would not get the map for our first two checkpoints until the race started at 1000. One of our team would have to run to a designated place a quarter mile away to get that map and bring it back to the rest of the team who would then figure out where those first two checkpoints were and how to get to them. Of course we selected our fastest runner, Nancy, and she did not fail us.

CP1 was just under a half mile away on the lake shore through the woods and we had to get there on foot. While most of the teams went one way we went a slightly different way to make sure we didn’t get caught in some sort of flood plain. We arrived at CP1 in about 5th place I estimate. We then ran back to the TA to get on our bikes and head for CP2 which was 3.5 miles away on one of the trails of the Hickory Ridge trail network north of the scout camp. Again, we went a different route than most of the other racers in order to ride more on gravel roads than on muddy trails. This proved helpful as we were the first team to arrive at CP2. CP3 was 5 miles away at the north end of the southern part of Combs Road that leads from Maumee over the ridge towards Elkinsville. Along the way we were passed by four teams that were riding faster than we could manage. One of the streams we had to ride through in this section was well above the bottom brackets of our bikes and flowing quite quickly. Gail took a great picture (attached) of our alpha female leading her three hurting men by a good 50 meters on the bikes as we approached CP3. If you look carefully you can see the box turtle we had to avoid hitting in the road.

We departed CP3 on foot in fifth place for a trek to CP5 two miles away on Browning Ridge. CP4, to have been reached by canoe, was deleted due to flooding. Navigation in this section was a bit tricky and we soon found the teams that had beaten us to CP3 were now all following us to CP5 and to CP6 another mile beyond that. Another mile and a half after CP6 got us back to our bikes in second place as one of the teams following us, Team Dark Side, sprinted past us in the last 100 meters. I guess the other teams decided not to follow us. Team Dark Side were strong cyclists and they disappeared from our view down the road never to be seen by us until the race was over. In fact, we saw only a couple more competitors after that point.

We had to ride another ten miles on a variety of roads and trails to visit two more CPs before returning to the TA to start the final trek section. We learned we were 18 minutes behind Team Dark Side. The race directors estimated this 5.5 mile trek circling Lake Tarzian would take 1.5 hours, but it took us 2.5 hours to get through it. One of the stream crossing we had to make was nearly waist deep and flowing fast enough so that we had to hold onto each other to make sure no one got washed away. As Dave was pulling me from the creek I for a moment feared I was going to pull him in the water with me since I outweigh him and he didn’t have a good grip on the shore. When we finally finished we weren’t surprised to hear that Team Dark Side had finished an hour before us. We were happy enough with second place, so were ecstatic when we were told we were being kidded and that actually we had finished first. Team Dark Side arrived a few minutes after us with another team just minutes behind them.

I think it’s great that AR allows older folks who aren’t as quick as they once were to still be competitive if they keep their navigation accurate. And I am grateful for the team fellowship of the sport. Our team would have been incomplete if any one of us hadn’t been there, as each person made a valuable contribution to the effort.

Dino Series‘ Tecumseh Trail Marathon is a tough race. 26.2 miles of trails through the hills of South Central Indiana. December weather. Frequently changing conditions. Team Ragged Glory members Steve Kincade, Nancy Gawrys and I (Doug Theis) made the decision to run it together and give it our best. We even laughed about bringing our on-foot towing system that we use in adventure races so we could have a little fun with some of the other racers.

In the days leading up to the 2010 Tecumseh, Nancy had to bow out because of a scheduling problem. And the weather forecast became threatening. The temperatures looked like they would hold steady at around 30 degrees. The weatherman called for 2-4″ of snow and sleet starting at 8am, 2 hours before race time.

Steve and I talked the night before the race about what we should do. We decided to make the decision the morning of the race. Neither one of us was thrilled with the weather forecast. I was especially worried about getting cold and wet. Since the race is a point-to-point, there isn’t much chance to bail out if you get in trouble.

On Saturday morning at 5am, the sleet/snow combination was falling steadily. The radar looked like it would be a full day of precipitation. If Steve wasn’t running, it would have been over right then for me. The bed was nice and warm. We could stay in Indy and run with Nancy early, then help her with her move. I was assembling a sophisticated list of reasons to skip the race.

But I called Steve, and he was willing to do it, and guilt is a powerful thing. So Steve picked me up and we drove down to the finish line at Yellowwood Lake to check in and board the buses for the start line. The roads were slick but passable. The snow and sleet were steady, and as always, looked a lot worse from the inside of a warm vehicle traveling 50 miles per hour.

We got to Yellowwood and checked in. Brian Holzhausen of Dino announced that the roads were too treacherous for the buses. This development transformed the race into an out-and-back on the south half of the course. This is the hillier half of the Tecumseh trail. I got a little comfort from the idea of being able to bail out or turn back early, once again planning how I could quit. I decided to carry a pack and take extra clothing to better protect against the cold.

We saw many adventure racing buddies at the start line: Eric Henricks, fellow TRG member, many of his Team Tenacious partners, Phil and Kim McNealy, and Angelia Kniesly were all there. The gun sounded and were were off.

The sleet had fallen for a couple of hours before the race. It caused the snow to stick to the trees. The course looked like something from a story book. The first section was narrow single track, so we were able to run with our faster friends until the trail opened up. the pine forest at the north end of the trail was looked like a painting in a museum.

The course was soft and surprisingly dry. Aid stations seemed plentiful and a few had hot drinks. Fig newtons and Cheezits tasted like steak and lobster. And although it was a little dicey when the leaders turned around and created two-way traffic, the decision to make the course an out-and-back was the right call. The turnaround seemed to come quickly. Halfway done, we headed south to complete the course.

Steve and I finished in 6 hours 15 minutes. I would guess we walked about 55-60% of the course, including most of the uphill and much of the last four miles. Crossing the finish line with Steve was awesome. I’m proud to have completed it. This was my second longest on-foot event ever, and the experience was beautiful and amazing.

Afterward, I told Steve that I would’ve never showed up if he wasn’t there. He said likewise. The power of a team is that 1 plus 1 equals more than 2. A person could have no finer teammate and friend that Steve Kincade.

Lessons learned:

I wasted a ton of worry on this race. It reminds me of Mark Twain’s quote: “There has been much tragedy in my life; at least half of it actually happened.”

I carried a pack with extra clothes that I never used. I would do it again. The extra weight was worth the peace of mind that I was prepared if conditions changed or if one of us got in trouble.

I can do nearly anything when I’m on a team.

Forty nine teams braved the rain to race the 11th annual Indianapolis Adventure Race on September 11, 2010. The event that Greg Arnold started has grown into a tradition of adventure racing excellence that also generates thousands of dollars in charitable donations.

Dave Tanner, Nancy Gawrys, and me (Doug Theis) raced together, representing Team Ragged Glory for the 10th consecutive year for this even.. Indiana University’s Bradford Woods property in Martinsville, Indiana was the place. The race had plenty of challenges for a sprint: flatwater paddling, hike-a-boat, river paddling, paint ball, a tough couple of bike sections, and a beautiful orienteering section on foot in the Bradford Woods deep stuff. The last checkpoint had us paddle boarding, and it was great fun.

Thanks to Nancy and Dave for a great race. We finished 7th overall and 4th in the coed division. Ryan Burke handled the transition to race director seamlessly. Thanks to the volunteers, and congrats to the Tenacious Lemmings, John McInnes, Mike Garrison, and Jayne Prater for a big win.

18 teams and 62 racers hit the trail on Friday night for the 10th Planet Adventure 24 and 36 hour expedition races in Paoli, Indiana. Nancy Gawrys and I (Doug Theis) volunteered this year because we couldn’t stand the idea of missing this race.

At 9pm, the maps were distributed to the teams. Racers would start with a run, then a paddle, then a bike ride to Abe Martin State Forest with a six-point orienteering section on foot. After the first o-section, they would do a long bike with both roads and trails to the second o-course on foot at Natchez. The second o-course included a rappel. After the Natchez o-couse, the final bike leg would take them back to the start/finish line at Paoli Peaks ski resort.

The heat on Friday was oppressive. Nancy and I set a couple of controls late in the day and helped prepare for the 1am race start.

More to come.

Last weekend, six members of Team Ragged Glory packed up and headed to Nashville, Tennessee to give the Columbia Muddy Buddy race a try. The windshield time with TRG, the race itself, our hosts and their hospitality made for a super fun weekend.

Here’s a shaky pre-race interview with Julie Nor and Steve Kincade:

The Muddy Buddy is a “ride and tie” style race: two people, one bike, and four transition areas where the racers navigate an obstacle (high wall, balance beam, rope climb, and low crawl) and switch from mountain biking to running. At the end of the race, teammates must crawl together through a mud pit to cross the finish line together.

The race was fast, the course was hilly, the mud was spectacular, and the event was extremely well managed. Hats off to the Muddy Buddy operations people and all the volunteers.

Here’s a YouTube video of the mud pit:

Bob Mueller and Julie Nor took first in their division: coed 76-85 (the sum of their ages) in 53 minutes flat. They were the ninth overall finishers and the second coed team to cross the finish line. Click on the picture of Bob and Julie for more photos.

Steve Kincade and I (Doug Theis) took first in our division: male 96 and over with a 1:02:53 finish.

Our host Andy Gullahorn and his teammate Mark Deering (The Captain and Tennille) took 16th in their division: male 56-65 with a 1:04:56 finish.

Nancy Gawrys and Maddie Gawrys-Strand took eighth in their division: female 66-75 with a 1:13:50 finish.

Results are here.

Cool memories: Driving down in the rain, the ticket that Nancy got on the way to the park, seeing fellow Indy AR guy Greg Grossart before the race, the downhill mud slide in the second leg of the race, the Gullahorns’ amazing property, and fish tacos with awesome conversation in the afternoon.

I told our host Jill that Team Ragged Glory is “one big love.” Thanks to the Gullahorns and all the members of TRG for a fun weekend.

For the last two years, the first race of the Team Ragged Glory (TRG) season has been the Planet Adventure Sprint. Last year, Nancy Gawrys and I (Doug Theis) raced as a two-some because the other TRG members weren’t available. This year, we had planned to race again as a two-some. But a few weeks before the event, one of our old adventure racing buddies, Eric Henricks, said he was looking for a team.

I first met Eric at the Planet Adventure 30 Hour Challenge in 2001. Eric and his crew often join TRG for training runs in the winter. Eric typically races with his group of buddies as team “Friends.” Team Friends is very similar to TRG; they are friends first, and they believe in the same casual have “fun/stay safe/finish” approach to racing. TRG and Friends also race at roughly the same pace, and we often see (and help) each other multiple times during a race. Nancy and I decided that racing with Eric would be fun and a nice team cross-pollination. So Team Ragged Glory Friends was born.

The 2010 PA Sprint was held on April 24th and consisted of two courses: a six-hour and a twelve-hour course. Eric had an evening commitment, so we decided to race the short course. The race was at the Mounds State Recreation Area, south of Richmond, Indiana on Brookville Lake. No Planet Adventure Race had ever been at Brookville Lake, so we were looking forward to the new venue.

To prepare, we traded a few emails about responsibilities. Eric would be primary navigator and sit in the back of the canoe. Nancy would carry the passport, and I would be responsible for the big picture of the course and any tie-breaking decisions. We did a little practicing with our bike towing system the day before the race. We felt ready to go.

The weather for the two weeks leading up to the race was unseasonably warm and dry. But the forecast for race day was rain and possible thunderstorms. As we drove to Brookville Lake, rain pelted Eric’s van. I was a little worried about staying warm and being on the water with the risk of lightning. As we arrived, the rain slowed down to a sprinkle. Things were looking up.

We received maps 1.5 hours before the starting gun. Both courses would be scored first by cutoff times, then by the number of controls found. For every minute a team arrived late at the finish line, a one control penalty would be assessed — a costly mistake. On the six-hour course, we would start with a four-mile paddle, followed by a 13 miles on the roads with our mountain bikes. We would ride back to the start/finish line, and then set out on foot with a separate orienteering map. The number of controls found on foot would be critical to doing well in the race.

The staff held the pre-race meeting, we made final preparations, and the gun sounded. We started with a half-mile run to the canoe put-in. Although we weren’t the first to the canoes, without saying a word, we grabbed a canoe, put the boat in, and were first in the water. We quickly settled in to a smooth pace and never looked back. The water was like glass, and we paddled in front of the pack all the way to the canoe take-out.

As we dropped our paddling gear and climbed on the bikes, we saw Citgo, one of the fast teams on the 12 hour course, paddling in to the checkpoint. That motivated us to get on the bikes and get going. The first part of the bike section was a steady uphill climb. We opted to take a slightly longer route to avoid a few climbs. Although we missed our first turn because the road was slightly different than on the map, we rode well. Eric got a flat about halfway through the bike course, and although we had a tough time getting his slicks off the rim, we worked well as a team and got back on track. We rode back to the start/finish line and arrived just a couple of minutes before Team Cris and Rach, more of our adventure racing friends. We knew the orienteering section would be where the race was won or lost.

We had about 3.5 hours to get as many of the 16 controls as we could. The orienteering course was large and full of brambles. We found the first control fairly quickly and opted to shoot bearings and go directly from control to control. This strategy is not Eric’s favorite, but the maps were not very detailed and we decided that it would be a reasonable approach. It turned out to be a great decision. Even though the underbrush was thick and bramble-filled, Eric’s bearings took us directly to ten controls, covering about eight miles in three hours. We spent about half an hour on our eleventh and last control, but could not find it on our way back.

We overestimated the time it would take us to get back to the finish line, and arrived 30 minutes before the cut off. All five short course teams got in on time. As the staff scored the passports, we learned that TRG Friends came in first place with our 10 controls on the orienteering course! Cristal Garrison and Rachel Noir came in second with four controls on the O-course. Congratulations to them on their fine finish.

The win was not only gratifying, but it seemed easy. Racing with Eric seemed as natural as it could be. I felt like we had raced with Eric for years. We worked well together and had a great time. And the weather was nearly perfect for the six hour course. Eric’s van is also the perfect adventure racing vehicle — makes me want one.

Eric’s comments: “I really liked our collaborative approach to the race with everyone engaged in decisions regarding primary areas of responsibility, canoe configuration, bike route choice, and resolution of uncertainties during the trek. I look forward to our next endeavor!”

Nancy’s comments: “For me, it is always a little more mentally challenging preparing for a race with a teammate I have not raced with before. It brings another unknown element into the race. From the moment we all got together for the race, I knew that this was going to be a special team. I love our similar competitive drives, importance of friendship, and overall love of the sport. I just want to say thank you to both of you for a fun day in the woods.”

The twelve-hour folks had a good bit of rain and strong winds. Citgo won the twelve-hour course, and Dino came in second place. James Nichols of Tailwynd put on another great event. Paula Pearson did a fine job managing the volunteers, and Mike Garrison’s course design was top-notch. A big thanks to the race staff and volunteers for another great event; it could never happen without you.
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Many of my friends have asked me how an adventure race works. Here’s a description of adventure racing and a recap of an adventure race that my team and I completed last weekend.

Adventure racing is a team event that combines road/mountain biking, canoeing, trail running/hiking, orienteering/navigation, rope work and surprise mystery events. Teams consist of three: coed, all male and female. All team members must start and finish together, covering the entire course together. The actual distances, course layout and order of events will not be disclosed until race day.

Teammates are required to stay within 100 or so feet of each other at all times. Each team carries a passport that they punch, write on, or get signed at each checkpoint along the way to prove that they completed the course.

Greg Arnold, Indiana’s father of adventure racing, started what is now known as the Indianapolis Adventure Race in 2000. The first year was a training event. The second year, Greg held the first-ever competitive adventure race in Indianapolis. Michael Sapper took over the event in 2001, continuing the tradition and enhancing the race into one of the area’s favorites. The 2009 race was the 10th anniversary event. It’s one of the oldest adventure races in the Midwest.

For the 2009 race, Michael and Indy Rootstock (another Indianapolis adventure race team) delivered another challenging course, designed to favor patience and accurate navigation.

Ninety minutes before the start, we received race directions and three of the six maps we would be using:
1. A Zionsville map
2. A map of northwest Marion County in Indianapolis
3. The Eagle Creek West orienteering map

The race directions gave us an idea of the order of the race disciplines. We would be paddling, then navigating on-foot, biking, navigating on-foot again, biking, rappelling off the Eagle Creek dam, more biking, doing an unknown special test, still more biking, visiting a climbing gym, and more biking to the finish line.

Sixty minutes before start time, Michael held the pre-race meeting. He described in more detail the course we would be following:

• Before the race began, racers would be bused to Lions Park in Zionsville. We would receive the fourth map (Lions Park/town of Zionsville) at the start of the race.
• We would start with a two-mile run to seven checkpoints in and around the park.
• After returning to the park, we would paddle/drag the canoes five miles down Eagle Creek to the mouth of Eagle Creek Reservoir. It turned out to be about half paddle, half drag/portage.
• We would orienteer on-foot from Lafayette Road and Traders Lane back to the start finish line at 56th and Raceway, picking up controls in the deep woods on the west side of Eagle Creek Reservoir along the way.
• After returning to the start/finish line, also know as Transition Area 1 (TA1) we would bike to the second on-foot orienteering section.
• Receive the fifth map, then orienteer on-foot finding another few controls in the woods around the southwest end of the reservoir.
• Bike to the Eagle Creek Reservoir dam.
• Rappel down the north face of the Eagle Creek dam, unhook, and drop the last 15 feet into the reservoir, then swim to the side.
• Bike to Northwestway Park for a special test.
• Bike to Climb Time Towers for a special test.
• Bike back to the finish line, picking up two more controls along the way.

Finish times were expected to be around 6.5 hours for the winners. The course would close after 11 hours. Estimates on total distances per discipline were:
• 8-9 miles on-foot
• 5-6 mile paddle
• 31-32 miles of biking

We spent our remaining minutes preparing our route choices, finished marking the maps and packing our mandatory gear. Then we climbed on the buses and headed to Zionsville.

At 8am, the gun sounded and fifty teams were off. Team Ragged Glory progressed well through the course, steady and in the top 10 for the paddle and navigation sections of the race. Bob handled the three separate on-foot navigation sections flawlessly. We transitioned well. The rappel off the dam was spectacular.

We received our sixth and final map at the special test at Northwestway Park. The test required one person on bike, one person on foot and one on scooter for a 1.5-mile loop around the paved walking trail. Bob rode the bike and towed Nancy who ran while I rode a Razor scooter. Then after another short bike leg, we climbed a thirty-foot climbing wall at Climb Time Towers for the final special test.

Team Ragged Glory completed the course in eight hours, forty minutes. We ended up finishing fourth out of 50 teams, a great ending to a beautiful day.

What we did well:
• Bob’s navigation was perfect. He studied the Eagle Creek West O-map on the bus ride to Zionsville. His route choice was fast and accurate.
• The early boat drag was both physically and mentally challenging; experience helped us not spend too much energy in this section.
• Towing on bike and on foot improved our overall speed.
• Our transition speeds were excellent.
• Splitting the maps, passports and race directions among all three team members helps for faster overall speed and better accuracy.

What we could have done better:
• Looking at the map instead of following other teams like lemmings (sending Nancy) up the hill at the first (wrong) checkpoint on the paddle.
• Moments of trying to “race” a few teams on the paddle/drag section rather than keeping our pace steady and under control (our race, our pace)
• Staying out of Bob’s wheel on the bike tow.

Team member comments about Team Ragged Glory’s fourth place finish:

• Bob Mueller: Our team executed well and teammates were on the same page.
• Nancy Gawrys: We set goals to tow on bike/on foot and to transition fast. We accomplished them.
• Me: In-race decision-making, team dynamic and Bob’s navigation were all nearly perfect.

That’s how an adventure race works. Every race is a little different. Volunteers are a huge part of making these complex events a success. Our thanks goes out to every volunteer.

Want to give it a try?

Doug Theis
Team Ragged Glory
September 24, 2009

Photography by Gail Henricks