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Race Reports Doug Theis on 20 Apr 2009

Long time racer, first time navigator

I’ve been adventure racing for 10 years. Apart from the first race we ever did in 1999 (nicknamed the adventure shuffle by Greg Arnold), I have never been the primary navigator for Team Ragged Glory in a non-urban race.

Like many AR teams, TRG team members have different roles: Bob and Steve are always the primary navigators, and if they race together, one takes the lead and the other is secondary. Leslie, Nancy or Julie usually manage the passport and help with pace counting. I’m the secondary navigator if needed , and I have responsibility for race directions and keeping the big picture of the race in mind.

But all good things come to an end. Neither Bob or Steve could race the 2009 Planet Adventure Sprint Race in Brownstown Indiana. So Nancy and I decided to race as a coed two person team. And I would be responsible for navigating.

The weather was sunny and a cool 48 to start the day. After getting maps and directions, we found out the race progression:

-A special test to start the race
-An on-foot orienteering section of about five miles. Four coordinates were plotted on the map. Three extra coordinates were be given to plot during the race, after we completed the first special test.
-A short bike ride to a special test elsewhere.
-A big bike loop of about 25 miles with a paddle section in the middle. The bike was laid out with plenty of hills, on- and off-road riding. A large section of the bike was off-road.
-A final special test

We had 7.5 hours to finish the course. Getting back on time was critical to placing, even if we missed some controls.

This was the first time either Nancy or I had raced in a two person team. Nancy’s been training with TRG since 2004 and racing as a TRG member since 2005. We train together, we’ve raced together, so it’s very comfortable racing with each other.

The race began. The first special test had one member of each team (Nancy in our case) take their shoes off place them in a common area. The other teammates then needed to find and retrieve their teammate’s shoes to continue. That was an easy challenge, and after we completed it, we received our three coordinates to plot. We then headed out on foot to the orienteering section.

We were pretty accurate on the O-course, overrunning a few but finding everything. Back to the start line, we grabbed our bikes and headed out to the second special test. We had three chances to launch a water balloon with a slingshot through hula hoops about 25 feet away. No joy on hitting the hoops, so we had to serve a three minute penalty and move on.

The bike loop was tough. On road climbing, off road riding, and an unmapped extra trail that threw many teams off early in the bike section. Many of the climbs were too steep to ride, so hike-a-bike was what we did. We ended up taking some bad advice and missing the trail leading out of the off-road loop, so we rode the roads to the south section of the bike loop. The extra road distance added about fifteen minutes to our time.

More off road riding took us though another bike-whack and on foot to the paddle. The lake was calm and the weather was beautiful as we punched controls on the paddling section. The third special test was on the last paddle checkpoint. We were given a magnifying glass with an aluminum pie plate with twine taped across it. We were told to burn the twine completely through. After holding the magnifying glass on the twine, I remembered that matches were mandatory equipment, and that the volunteer (Kim McNealy) hadn’t told us to burn it WITH THE MAGNIFYING GLASS. So we burned the twine with our matches and moved on.

Back on the bikes, we knew we were running out of time, and my back wheel was coming apart, so we opted to skip CP11, pick up CP12 and head back to the park. On the final special test in the park, two cables were strung horizontal, parallel to and about a foot above the ground. We were given four boards to lay on the cables and use to create footing to move across the cables from one end to the other . The exercise was not difficult, and Nancy and I finished quickly. We got on the bikes as finished at almost exactly 7 hours, and just 30 minutes before the cutoff.

We ended up finishing 10th overall in the long course, and second in our division. And after ten years of racing, I had to relearn a few things as a result of being the primary navigator:

Don’t follow the crowd.
Use your odometer.
Always check and mark alternate routes.
Consider multiple attack vectors for each control on the course.
Don’t trust other racers navigation advice.
Understand what’s more important in the race – finishing on time or getting all the controls, or both.

I had a ball. It was a more focused race as the navigator, but just as fun. I love racing with my friends.

Race Reports Doug Theis on 26 Sep 2008

Indy AR was great fun

Thanks to Michael, Debbie and the Indy Rootstock clan for another fine chapter in a great race. That sneaky Sapper held an orienteering prologue the night before and made it sound like we’d be paddling from New Horizon at 4:30 the next morning, starting one boat per minute in the order of prologue finishing results. His wording, however, made us think that he was going to transport us. Sure enough, the buses were waiting and we were taken to 238 and Fall Creek for a in-and-out of the boat paddle on Fall Creek before it enters Geist. There was plenty of land nav and country biking. Bob, Nancy and I(Doug) finished 11th overall out of 54 teams. We were also awarded some poison ivy and nettle scrapes. Is our reputation as middle-of-the-pack team in jeopardy? Unlikely.

Race Reports Doug Theis on 07 Sep 2008

2008 Planet Adventure Urban Sprint – Big Fun in Indy

TRG’s three teams had a great time running the 2008 Planet Adventure Urban Sprint. I’m afraid the race directors ruined our new adventure racers – Maddie Gawrys-Strand, Jeff Boxell and Joe Madren – with one of the funnest races I’ve done in years. Now our new racers expectations may be set too high!

There were so many special tests that I lost count:
Running the entire Pogue’s Run tunnel
Stair running
Kicking a soccer goal
Jumping of the 5M board at the natatorium
Down and up the cargo net along with a swim in the White River
Disc golf putting
Free throw shooting
Horseshoes
Ladder golf
Bowling ball roll
A three story rappel
Underwater math problem solving
Jarts

The summer race directs Jay and Monty really outdid themselves. Nice job guys and a big thank you to you and all the volunteers. Indy Rootstock took the first three positions; congrats to them as well.

Race Reports Doug Theis on 16 May 2008

Planet Adventure 24 Hour 2008 Race Report by Scott Gondek

Scott joined TRG during this year’s race. Here’s his report:

For team Lost In Transition the woes started before the race ever didâ€¦

The morning began innocently enough; up early to finish packing gear, load the vehicles, and depart early enough to drop the bikes at the bike drop and get back to the start/finish with enough time to settle in and make last minutes preparations before the start. At least that was the plan. While transiting to the bike drop, we managed to miss a turn and ended up touring the course. By the time we located the bike drop and made it back to the start/finish the rest of the field was lined up and the start gun was seconds from firing. We took it in stride and decided we would give the rest of the field a chance by giving them a 30-minute head start. Our team number was, after all, â€œ1â€.
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Race Reports Doug Theis on 10 Apr 2008

Small TRG races PA08

Nancy and Steve ended up being the only two members of the four person team TRG planned to have race PA08. Julie got a bad case of poison wood in the Bahamas and I (Doug) broke my finger a week before the race. So Steve and Nancy forged on and stayed on the course for 23 hours before calling it. Bob and I crewed for them. Steve and Nancy also picked up Scott Gondek along the way; his original team made an early exit because of an injury.

The course was excellent and the weather was better. Thanks again to the race directors for a great job.

Steve and Ron Stevens of Rest and Relaxation remain the only two people who have raced in every Planet Adventure. Nice job guys.

Race Reports Doug Theis on 12 Sep 2007

2007 Indianapolis AR recap

The 2007 Indy AR gave racers a top-notch course with fun new venues:

Horizon Christian Fellowship Campus
Fall Creek
Camp Belzer
Skiles Test Park
Fort Harrison’s Lawrence Creek Trail

TRG started slow and tapered off to finish in 8 hours and 10 minutes. I’ll post a race report this weekend.

Thanks Michael, Debbie, Indy Rootstock and all volunteers for another episode of a favorite race series.

Race Reports Doug Theis on 12 Aug 2007

Race Report – 2007 Planet Adventure Urban Sprint

Planet Adventure Urban Sprint Race Report
Doug Theis
August 11, 2007

Sunshine and 95+ degree heat were the conditions on August 11, 2007 for the Planet Adventure Urban Sprint in Indy. At 8am in Broad Ripple Park, teams loaded into two buses. Just 45 minutes prior, racers learned the progression of the course:

1. A secret start, unknown until 8am: Teammates from the first bus dropped off at Military Park would run to University Park. Teammates from the second bus dropped off at Roberts Park UM Church, 401 N Delaware, would walk all bikes to University Park and meet with their running teammate. This would be the only time that teammates would be separated on the course.
2. Bike to Conseco Field House, the RCA Dome, the State Office Building, then back to Roberts Park Church.
3. Run to 101 W Washington, climb and descend 21 floors, then run back to Roberts Park church.
4. Bike to the Peace Garden, the WWII Memorial, the Monon 10th Street Trailhead, then to Douglas Park.
5. Throw a football through a tire from 5 yards taking turns until completed.
6. Kick a field goal taking turns until completed.
7. Bike to the ropes course in Rocky Ripple.
8. Walk on cables while clipped in to overhead cables, and scale a cargo net.
9. Bike to Canterbury Park at 55th and the Monon Trail.
10. Score three points in a cornhole game.
11. Bike to Conners Pub. Each team member must drink an ice water, soda or beer.
12. Bike to Marrott Park.
13. On foot, navigate and punch six orienteering controls.
14. Bike to Broad Ripple Park.
15. Put in canoe, and then paddle in White River to collect five orienteering controls. The canoe leg would include two 500 yard portages out-and-back around the dam.
16. Perform a balance special test. On three balance beams, teammates on the outside beams had to put their hands and weight on the middle persons shoulders while advancing down them beams.
17. On foot, navigate three orienteering controls in Broad Ripple Park.
18. Bike to a home at 63rd and Central and collect an orienteering control.
19. Bike to Holliday Park.
20. On foot, collect 6 orienteering controls.
21. Bike a 13 mile loop collecting multiple orienteering controls, then back to Broad Ripple Park and the finish line.

Team Ragged Glory, featuring new member Greg Huffman, Nancy Gawrys and me, Doug Theis, finished 20 of the 21 sections to finish just before the 2:30pm cutoff. We shared success on the special tests: I threw the football through the tire, Greg got the field goal, and Nancy put the beanbag in the cornhole (?!). We took a swim just before portaging the canoe the first time, but recovered well. There is some really strange black silt on the bottom of White River. What do you think that is? Nancy helped me with the navigation and we did a good job at staying steady in the heat. We were fortunate enough to race along side of former TRG racer Dave Tanner and old friends Tony Coulson and Dana Little.

Congratulations to winners and friends Michael Sapper, Michelle Folz, Greg Grossart and all of Indy Rootstock for their rock solid performance in the heat.

Race Reports Doug Theis on 11 Sep 2006

2006 Indianapolis Adventure Race Recap

OVERVIEW

Another beautiful weather day graced the 2006 Indianapolis Adventure Race, held on September 9. The race is one of TRG’s favorites. Over the years it has evolved to a mid-distance single-course sprint race that is both urban and in the woods.

Thanks to Michael Sapper and Indy Rootstock, who again hosted this race, now in the 7th or 8th year, depending on whom you ask. Greg Arnold originated the race back in 1999.
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Race Reports Doug Theis on 09 Apr 2006

TRG Finishes Planet Adventure 2006

Team Ragged Glory 171 (Steve, Bob, Nancy and John) finished Planet Adventure this morning at 7am, 25 hours after the race began. Congratulations to this new iteration of TRG!

The course was a test of bike hill-riding endurance and cold weather trekking. Thanks again to Greg Arnold, Jerry Lyons, Dave Kauffman, Barb Geiler and all the volunteers for a racer’s race.

Team Odyssey, Infiterra and Dynamic Earth raced like the wind to take the top three positions. Each of the top three teams showed class and graciousness on the course.

Terra Trekkers and Matt Van Hoosier were awarded for helping other teams on the course. Our old buddy Kim McNealy won the best trash award for hauling the bottom half of a porcelain toilet 2 miles to CP5!

TRG was the last team to complete the alternate course, modified to remove the second paddle leg because of danger associated with paddling in the unusually high water levels after dark.

All four members said they will remember spinning the endless hills of the Corydon area, the fast paddle on the Blue River during the first canoe leg, an out-and-back hike to CP15 and meeting the sleep monster in the cold early hours of Sunday morning.

Thanks to John for accepting our invitation to race. Thanks to Bob, Steve and Nancy for being the reasons that TRG continues to race Planet Adventure.
-Doug

Race Reports Doug Theis on 09 Nov 2005

TRG does 20 miles in the Owen Putnam 50/50

Nancy and Steve and I (Doug) finished 20 of 32 miles in the Owen Putnam 50/50 on Saturday, November 5. It was great to see race director Norm Carlson, Deb and Kivan Hutcheson, old buddy Dick Whicker and our long lost endurance friend Tim East. Steve’s trying to talk us into doing a 50 miler next year. It’s going to take a lot more preparation for me than what I did for this one! Thanks Nancy and Steve for dragging me for 20.

Team Ragged Glory – Adventure Racing, Multi Sport, Friends

Long time racer, first time navigator

Indy AR was great fun

2008 Planet Adventure Urban Sprint – Big Fun in Indy

Planet Adventure 24 Hour 2008 Race Report by Scott Gondek

Small TRG races PA08

2007 Indianapolis AR recap

Race Report – 2007 Planet Adventure Urban Sprint

2006 Indianapolis Adventure Race Recap

TRG Finishes Planet Adventure 2006

TRG does 20 miles in the Owen Putnam 50/50

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