2006 GRAAR Salomon/Moosejaw Fall Adventure Challenge

Salomon/Moosejaw Fall Adventure Challenge 2006
Yankee Springs Recreation Area, Middleville, Michigan
Team Enforcers/SMAC
Phil Shrader, Ed Shrader and a special appearance by Lisa Shrader

After months of anticipation, the day had finally arrived. My first adventure race along side my husband and brother-in-law. Although I thought that I knew what to expect, I had no idea how hard of a day was ahead of me.

The weather seemed as though it was going to hold out. The drizzle that morning had stopped and the temperature was around 45 degrees. As we waited for the start of the race – which involved a “short” run to the bikes to get a map – the anticipation grew. At precisely 9:00 AM the race began with everyone sprinting past me like they were really in a race to get somewhere. By 9:02 as I jogged along at the back of the pack, I was already wondering if my 3 person co-ed team would be DQ’d if I just returned to the truck to wait the day out. I figured that they would and decided that was not an option. By this time Ed had retrieved the map and proceeded toward CPA as Phil joined me and noted that I was now hyperventilating due to the anxiety of being in way over my head. As I tried to calm down, we continued toward CPC since CPB had been eliminated due to the wet conditions. Returning to the bikes after CPC, we started riding toward the next section of the race.


My confidence was somewhat restored as we pedaled on the road toward the canoe launch at TA1 on the west shore of Long Lake. We donned our life jackets and climbed into the canoe, Phil and Ed in the paddling positions with me in the middle sitting on the bottom of the canoe. Having gotten into the canoe backwards, I then proceeded to almost tip the canoe as I maneuvered myself around to face the front. From that point on, I stayed very still. We followed our plan of attack paddling north to CP4, then proceeding on to CP2. From CP2, we, I mean they, continued to paddle south the length of the lake toward CP3 at times wondering if they had a coffee can tied to the canoe behind us. With my efficient punching of the passport at each checkpoint, we took CP3 and then CP1 and headed back to TA1 to unload from the canoe and jump back on the bikes to head out.


We waited momentarily for John and Bethany from team J&B and then headed out onto the main road toward CP5, approximately 2 ½ miles away. Did I mention that there were hills on this main road? With my wonderful husband pedaling beside me (and at times towing me), we had reached CP5 and immediately started down the single track with seven miles ahead of us.

As my team temporarily disappeared before me, I struggled to remember what I had learned on my one and only single track mountain biking session with Phil several weeks earlier. With legs that were already stressed and with the emotion of trying to keep up and “look like I knew what I was doing”, I went down on the trail, my bike slipping out from under me in the loose sand. However, I picked myself up and pushed on, meeting up with the others who were now waiting for me. Somewhere within the next seven miles, Ed punched the passport for CP6, CP7 and CP8. Although I lost count on how many times I got off to walk my bike up the hills, at some point during that course I got mad enough at the trail and the bike to motivate myself to keep going. With both Phil and Ed taking turns riding with me, we emerged from the woods 2 ½ hours later at TA2.


With another immediate transition, we removed our bike helmets and took off running through the woods toward something. Upon reaching the rest of the team, I discovered that the “something” was in fact CP9 at the bottom of the Devil’s Soup Bowl. While Ed retrieved the punch on the passport, we continued south toward CP10, this time with the advantage of a trail. At some point, I voiced my opinion, asked everyone to remember that we only needed to get one orienteering checkpoint (which we already had) and reminded everyone that I needed to conserve enough strength in my legs to return to the finish line via bike. Acknowledging my concern, we immediately continued on toward CP13 at the edge of Hall Lake. Following the edge of the lake clockwise from that checkpoint, we took CP14 and then at the top of that lake, CP11. At CP11, we headed cross country toward CP12, however, it was not meant to be. Despite the fact that we passed another team who informed us that several other teams had searched for CP12 with no luck, we continued up one hill and down another and up yet several more, until we finally admitted defeat and emerged from the woods down the road from TA2.



With the finish line calling to me, we all jumped on our bikes and headed out down the road. Soon Phil and Ed were calling to me indicating that they had figured out where CP12 was, up the road the opposite way we were currently headed. As they debated on whether to head up the road to get that last checkpoint that had eluded them, I failed to see their logic. My bike was pointed toward the finish line. I could taste the pizza in my mouth and feel my legs thanking me as I sat down to enjoy it. At this point, I believe that they actually saw the crazed look in my eyes and recognized that it was no use arguing with me. We headed out toward the finish line. With Phil supporting me, our team crossed the finish line 5 hours and 30 minutes after leaving it.

With the 1st place 3-person co-ed team taking six orienteering checkpoints to our five, we took 2nd place out of a total of four teams within our division.

My thanks go out to Phil and Ed for supporting me throughout this race. I finished the race because they kept me going and they actually looked like they were enjoying it.

Since finishing the race, many people have asked whether or not I had “fun”. While I haven’t determined the answer to that question just yet, I did experience a phenomenon that I am sure must be common among racers. As my muscles screamed at every move for two days following the race and my shoulder continues to ache from my bike fall, I have actually entertained the idea of stepping up my training to compete in yet another race – someday.

Thanks to Boks for a great race. http://www.graar.org
Thanks to Wildernut for the photos. http://www.wildernut.com