Aubrey's Adventure Extravaganza Bike-O
At the other end of the spectrum, today was the celebration of Aubrey Grant's 1st birthday. Also known as Teeny Tiny, she made her parents proud by hosting her first adventure race for her friends and family. For sure, this was the race to do this weekend. The course had been well tested, the maps were top quality, the format was fresh, and the race director had put as much time into it as she could, given her busy day care schedule.
When the maps and instructions were distributed, you could feel the tension in the air. In a 2.5 hour rogaine-style bike and foot navigation event, there is no time to mess around.
My biggest concern was the Male Open team of Mick and J-Lu - and they proved me right, taking the overall win.
Our team had experience on our side. Aubrey's grandfather (Mrs. Tiny's Dad), who nicknamed himself "Slow Mo", raced with me. He didn't have a lot of off-road biking experience but he learned as he went, and he was tough and positive throughout - an excellent teammate.
We enjoyed our tour along the Grand River Trail to Bingeman's Park although it probably wasn't the most efficient route choice for us to maximize points. We were a little surprised at how hilly the riverside trail was. At least it was scenic and shady.
We were passed by Mrs. Tiny and her rookie teammate, who just missed winning the whole thing!
The checkpoints were ribbons, and we had to photograph them.
No adventure race can happen without dedicated volunteers. The Grant family came through big time! We were able to drop our bikes in Bechtel Park and look for checkpoints on foot. We liked this part since Slow Mo is a strong hiker. Note that Mr. Reeder was taking a lunch break when we passed through the bike drop.
More dedicated volunteers.
We headed into the forest and bushwhacked, stomped through a swamp and waded a river. Slow Mo got the full experience of adventure racing in a short period of time!
We stopped to smell the trilliums.
It's always nice to see the Race Director out on the course. In fact, it was the first time we'd seen her all day since she was napping during the race briefing.
If we didn't return within the 2.5 hour time limit, we would be disqualified. We had to push a little to sneak in a final checkpoint but Slow Mo and I hit the finish line with 3 minutes to spare. Yahooo!
'Bent and his team cut it the closest - and 'Bent cut in front of a car to reach the finish line. Ahem. Let's just say it has been a subject of discussion.
Mrs. Mick, also on 'Bent's team, became a stronger mountain biker as the race went on, according to reliable sources. Here she is chatting with race winner J-Lu.
The post-race party was excellent with BBQ, homemade salads, two different cakes, good company, great race prizes for all, and a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday".
Thanks to Aubrey for hosting a 5-star adventure event - and thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Tiny for helping her and securing us a coveted entry. Fun day! :)