The 2BD is fast approaching, and will be held at Nemacolin Woodlands on January 28-29.  Much thought and effort has been put into this year's event, and we want to share some of the changes with you with the hope that you will be convinced to join us!

Stage 1--Biathlon, ROGAINE style.  Teams/Racers will be given 1 hour 30 minutes to complete as many laps as possible while shooting at clay pigeons on each lap.  Points will be awarded to each racer at the rate of 1 point per lap completed (1 mile), 1 point per shooting stand visited, and 1 point per "bird" hit. The team/racer with the most points wins.  The points accumulated will be carried forward and count toward the overall race standings.

Bonus Stage--Climbing wall presented by Red Bull.  Teams/Racers will be given 7 minutes to ascend the climbing wall as many times as possible. Points will be awarded for each successful ascent and will be based on the difficulty of the lane ascended.  This stage is not mandatory and a team may climb with one, or both teammates present. The points earned will be carried forward and count toward the overall race standings.

Stage 2--Night Time Navigation--ROGAINE style test of navigation skill. Racers will be given 3 hours to collect as many as 11 control points placed over a 12 mile course.  CPs are placed on terrain features and racers will use pre-plotted topographical maps and their own compasses to locate and retrieve them.  CPs will be given point values based on the distance traveled and the difficulty of locating them.  There will be two "Premiums" in this event.  One will be a bonus CP, and the first team/racer to reach this CP will receive 3 bonus points.  The other is a mystery CP and the first team/racer to reach it will receive a cash award.  Points collected on the Night Time Navigation course will be carried forward and count toward the overall race standings.

Stage 3--Duathlon--Athletic test of speed and endurance.  Teams/racers will complete a 1.75 mile run, a 11.5 mile bike, and a 4.5 mile run.  The run may be completed on skis--weather permitting--and the bike will primarily be on paved and plowed surfaces--but off-road riding is permitted. This course is not marked and route of travel is controlled by CPs.  Within each leg, the CPs may be visited in any order, but the legs must be completed in the order stated above (i.e. run, bike, run).  Maps will be released the day before this event and teams/racers will have several hours to preview the course to determine the best route of travel.  There will be two "Premiums" in this event.  One will be a bonus CP, and the first team/racer to reach this CP will receive 3 bonus points.  The other is a mystery CP and the first team/racer to reach it will receive a cash award.  Points for this stage will be based on finish placement and will be added to all other points received to determine the overall race winner.

Be sure to check the GRR blog  for more information regarding schedule and accommodation options--and visit the GRR website for registration information and options.  We look forward to sharing a great winter weekend with you!

Photography--Chuck Kozora would like to introduce his new website--http://chuckkozora.photoshelter.com/--by offering the following:

Until February 17th you can receive 30% off any purchase over $5.00.  Use the following code--GRR JAN2012--when purchasing to receive your discount.  Please consider supporting Chuck's work, he has had a profound influence over GRR in the past few years--and has many beautiful photographs!

TURFF Race Report by Team Off-Constantly

 After weeks of rain, team Off Constantly arrives Downtown on a cool, foggy Saturday morning.  With a forecast of warm & sunny, looks like it’s going to be a great day for TURFF 2011.

At the start, we rush to pick up our map package.  Larry hands me the map and runs off to collect the prologue punches; we had already spotted many of them from the transition area.  I start planning our route.  It seems too simple – the route for the running leg is obvious.  I thought “where’s the challenge in that?”  The challenges would show themselves later.  We blow off the run/paddle control.  Larry’s a casual runner, and I’m a slow, aging, creaky ultrarunner, so let’s not bite off more than we can chew.

Off to the Convention Center, then up the trail to the Armstrong Cork Bldg.  The duplicate Alcosan signs and tiny street names on the map slow us down for a minute at control #2, but we’re soon zig-zagging through the street grid on our way to Penn Avenue’s Doughboy statue, then up from Lawrenceville into Bloomfield.

Larry’s always running a few paces ahead of me.  “Are you doing OK Mike?” he asks a few times?  Yeah I’m fine, just slow - osteoarthritis in the knee, what feels like an embarrassingly low VO2 max, always sweating like a pig… and him 20 years younger than me, much stronger & more energetic… hey man, sorry, right now I feel like I’m slowing you down, but I’ll reel you in eventually, ha ha!

 Crossing the Bloomfield Bridge, I’m reminded of why I enjoy human-powered adventures in the city.  When driving, this is just another bridge, as I’m focused on the bumper of the car ahead of me.  On foot, on this sunny day, we had a beautiful, hazy far-off view of Downtown and Troy Hill from an unusual vantage point; to the left, an Oakland and Shadyside vista; looking down, a huge, remote valley that’s unseen by motorists.

Bloomfield Bridge, Polish Hill, going down Herron Ave… damn, this takes us down to the wrong bridge, the one by the brewery… I feel bad for leading us astray, along with the friendly out-of-town couple who are tagging along with us because we know the city so well.  D’oh!  No, don’t backtrack, there’s a public stairway right down there that will take us back up into the neighborhood.  As we come up Dobson onto Brereton St, our intended route, another team going the opposite way assumes we know what we’re doing, and they head down the way we came from.  Bad assumption, guys!

Downtown, heading back to the transition area at the Point, we’re running along Liberty Avenue.  A few ladies from a small restaurant cheer us all on.  It ain’t Bloomfield during the Pittsburgh Marathon, but for this little race, it’s pretty cool!  We’re passed by a few teams, including Team Spang.  In an interesting twist, my company has hired Tim, who’s now my new boss.  I’m competing with my boss in an adventure race.  Crazy!  We joke about whether it’s bad form to beat your new boss?  Oh well, not much chance that could happen….

Transition, Ft. Pitt Bridge, great ride all through the South Side, lots of people out, sun is shining for a change.  Hot Metal Bridge… the 5-pointer is straight ahead.  Do we go for it?  No, there are too many points in Schenley Park – 5 controls, 15 points - we better go to the park first.  But how to get there?  Larry’s leading, and he’s heading towards Panther Hollow.  HEY!  NO – THIS WAY!  I know that Bates Street is more direct, and I start down the ramp to 2^nd Ave, making Larry follow.  My plan is to take Bates & South Bouquet to Schenley Plaza and come around by Carnegie Library.  Slowly climbing the Bates St. hill, Larry pushes me to turn onto the Blvd of the Allies.  Yeah, you’re right, let’s do it!  Checks and balances – pushing and pulling each other, we find the best route.

 Larry lives in Shadyside; we’re now in his back yard.  He knows the park well by bike.  I’m a trip leader for Venture Outdoors, specializing in urban hikes – both history and fitness-oriented hikes.  I know every stair, trail, and monument here.  We’re in the zone, quickly moving from one control to the next, without using the map, without thinking.  Westinghouse Memorial?  Got it.  Catahecassa Monument?  Check.   We arrogantly discuss the best way to get to the 5-pointer near the Glenwood Bridge. 

 Flying back down Bates St, we take the lane as we enter a narrow construction zone.  The light turns red, Larry passes the cars, I wait in line at the light.  Is he a little reckless?  Am I too cautious?  Yes on both counts.   Hot Metal Bridge, 12 minutes to go.  It’s obvious that we’re out of time, so our argument about the best route to the 5-pointer seems silly now.  At least we have a few minute cushion – we don’t need to race hard on the way back.  Good thing, the trail is now crowded.  One racer passes us going outbound.  Are you crazy man?  Time’s up!  Another racer skids sideways as a careless walker steps in front of him.  No harm, no foul.  I’m feeling good, but Larry is slowing down – maybe not eating and drinking enough?  Regardless, we roll across the finish with two minutes to spare. 

Awards ceremony… no thoughts of a medal…race for the fun and adventure of it, stay and cheer for the winners, be happy with mid-pack, do the best we can, beat a few people along the way, “3^rd place men goes to Off Constantly”, WHAT?!?  In what Bizzaro World do we win that award?  Way to go, man!

 Looking at the results later, I see that the keys to this race were to not overreach for extra controls, and to navigate to, from, and around Schenley Park efficiently.  That’s the promise of adventure racing and orienteering – that slower racers can win with good strategy and good decisions.  That sounds good in theory, but it was great to actually experience it in person.  I’ve done enough races to know that sh%# happens.  But every once in a while, good sh%# happens too!

 -Mike Cornell

TURFF 2011 was a huge success!  Over 120 competitors, perfect weather, and a great venue in Downtown Pittsburgh at Point State Park and the Venture Outdoor Festival.  Big "shout outs" to Jon McCune and Lenny Lucas from 2008's GRASS championship team "Big Lead Pipes".  This duo cleared 53 points in 2:57.  Hot on their heels was soloist Eric Ash, who also cleared 53 points and finished less than a minute behind.  Other standouts include Co-Ed winners "Team Spang"--Tim and Edna Spang--with 38 points after suffering a 6 point penalty for exceeding the time limit, and All-Female winners"Van Ashfield"--Amber Ashcroft and Suanne Camfield.  (Records indicate that this was Van Ashfields first GRR event.) Also of note was Stacy Gelhaus of Philadelphia.  She won the female solo division with a score of 34.