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Teammate Finder

Grass Roots Racing — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:06:32 GMT

Teammate Finder

It is unanimous. Despite the growing popularity of the solo category at Grass Roots Racing events, most racers prefer the camaraderie of having a teammate. Face it—this is what Adventure Racing is all about! If you, or someone you know, is looking for a teammate—please feel free to post any information you have at this site.

Things to consider including are:

Who you are—age gender etc..
Your “race goals”—to place on podium, to finish the course, etc.
Where you live and train.
Your experience in Adventure Races and other races.
Race or races that you need a teammate for—these do not have to be limited to GRR events.

You may feel free to copy and paste this information to our facebook group page as well.

Thanks! And good luck!!

Frank

February Update

Grass Roots Racing — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:53:00 GMT

February Update

The Superbowl special was a HUGE success with over 60 racers taking advantage of this great deal and registering for at least one race in the GRASS 2012. We are strongly encouraged and have been busy planning for an exciting season of racing. But for now we want to update you on some upcoming events that we feel you may find interesting:

2/25-26—The weekend of the 25^th is busy with two events taking place. One is a well organized Land Navigation Challenge produced by Soggy Bottom Boys Racing in Virginia. If you can make the drive, this event will give you the opportunity to choose a 3, 6, or 12 hour course and test your skill against some of the best on the East Coast.

The other is a fundraiser for children in Honduras being held at the Titan Traverse Climbing Wall at Westminster College. It’s called Climb-a-Thon and you can find more information at their facebook page (search Climb-a-Thon).

2/29—On the 29^th, Alexis Rzewski of the WPOC and Raccoongaine fame will be conducting an Orienteering workshop at 7:00pm at REI Settlers Ridge. Bring your compass and lots of questions!

3/1—Early registration for the 2012 GRASS has passed, but it is still possible to take advantage of lower rates for the SORCAR. Until March 1^st a team of two can register for this season opener for the low price of $75. Solos can race for only $50. This race is newly designed for 2012, so you do not want to miss it!

4/21—SORCAR—Season Opener Raccoon Creek Adventure Race. This year’s event will be a 3 hour ROGAINE with plenty of twists that will test your strategic decision making capabilities. This race will be a great start to an exciting season, so join us by visiting the SORCAR race page to register.

5/6—Pittsburgh Marathon—Many of you have probably already registered, and many of you have probably found out that this event is now sold out. Regardless, you can all run this race for a reason and join Bethann and myself as we fundraise for the Salvation Army. Doing so will entitle you to run for free, and enjoy many other privileges at the marathon. If interested, contact Donna.Fencik@USE.SalvationArmy.Org for more information.

That’s it for now! Looking forward to seeing you all soon!!

Frank and Bethann

LHAC Registration is now open!

Grass Roots Racing — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:42:20 GMT

Registration is now open for the LHAC, potentially hosted by Nemacolin Woodlands Resort! Register your team of two for only $50. Or register as a solo for only $35. But hurry--this offer expires Sunday Feb. 5th at 9pm!!

This race is the last in our four race series and is a great introduction to longer race formats used in the sport of adventure racing. Go to active.com for on-line registration, or click here for a mail-in registration form: LHAC Mail-in registration form . This page will serve as the spot for race updates so be sure to check back as we get closer to race day!

MAD Registration is now open!

Grass Roots Racing — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:24:59 GMT

Registration is now open for the MAD--Moraine Adventure Dash at Moraine State Park! Register your team of two for only $50. Or register as a solo for only $35. But hurry--this offer expires Sunday Feb. 5th at 9pm!!

This race is the third in our four race series and features the most technical mountain biking of the races we produce. Go to active.com for on-line registration, or click here for a mail-in registration form: MAD Mail-in registration form . This page will serve as the spot for race updates so be sure to check back as we get closer to race day!

TURFF Registration is now open!

Grass Roots Racing — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:09:02 GMT

Registration is now open for the TURFF--The Urban Race For Fifty at Point State Park! Register your team of two for only $50. Or register as a solo for only $35. But hurry--this offer expires Sunday Feb. 5th at 9pm!!

This race is the second in our four race series and is a great introduction to the sport of adventure racing since it takes place in an urban environment. Go to active.com for on-line registration, or click here for a mail-in registration form:TURFF Mail-in registration form.

This page will serve as the spot for race updates so be sure to check back as we get closer to race day!

SORCAR Registration now open!

Grass Roots Racing — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:52:49 GMT

Registration is now open for the SORCAR--Season Opener Raccoon Creek Adventure Race at Raccoon Creek State Park! Register your team of two for only $50. Or register as a solo for only $35. But hurry--this offer expires Sunday Feb. 5th at 9pm!!

This race is the first in our four race series and is a great introduction to the sport of adventure racing. Go to active.com for on-line registration, or click here for a mail-in registration form: SORCAR mail-in registration form . This page will serve as the spot for race updates so be sure to check back as we get closer to race day!

GRASS Registration now open!

Grass Roots Racing — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:07:47 GMT

Registration is now open for the four race series known as the GRASS! Register your team of two for only $200. Or register as a solo for only $140. That's four races for one low price! But hurry--this offer expires Sunday Feb. 5th at 9pm!! Go to active.com for online registration, or click here for a mail in registration form: GRASS mail-in registration

Two Below Duo and Photo Offer....

Grass Roots Racing — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

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!

Updated schedule for Two Below Duo

Grass Roots Racing — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:02:10 GMT

Updated schedule for Two Below Duo

January 28-29

Saturday January 28

8:00am: Packet Pick-up and Pre-Race Meeting—Nemacolin Woodlands Shooting Academy—Follow Route 40 to 321 Pike School Rd. Markleysburg, PA 15459

9:00am: Start of Stage 1—Biathlon—Run/Shoot. Racers will start on a (1) minute interval—(4) teams/racers will leave at a time. Run loop is approximately (1) mile—over half of which is cross-country. Each racer is allowed (2) shots per lap. Teams/racers will have (1) hour and (30) minutes to complete as many laps and to hit as many “birds” as possible. Score will be based on number of laps completed (1 point each) + number of shots fired (1 point each) + number of “birds” hit (2 points each).

10:30-11:00: Racers will be given maps for Sunday’s duathlon. All CP’s will have been placed—without punches. Racers will have until 4:30pm Saturday to review course by car, on foot, or by bike. After 4:30, course is closed and any racer found on the course will be disqualified.

2:00-4:00: Bonus points—The Climbing wall at the Adventure Center (outdoors) will be open. Teams/Racers will have the opportunity to climb for bonus points. (2) points will be awarded to any team/racer that reaches the top and rings the bell within (5) minutes of starting. Maximum points awarded are (2) per team or solo. Free climbing (i.e. not for points) is allowed if time permits.

5:00pm: Start order for Night Time Navigation revealed at Nemacolin Woodland’s “Wildside” off of Route 40—report indoors of the facility.

5:30pm: Night Time Navigation Pre-Race meeting—Wildside—Maps and clue sheets will be distributed. Punch cards will be distributed at start.

6:00pm: Start of Stage 2—Night Time Navigation—Teams/Racers will be started on a (1) minute interval with leaders going first. Teams/Racers will have (3) hours to collect as many Control Points as possible. There will be approximately (12) CP’s with a total point value of (21). Total “straight-line” distance of the course is 12 miles.

9:00-9:30: Finish of Stage 2—inside Wildside. Food and beverages are available.

10:00pm: Stage 1 and Stage 2 results and awards.

Sunday January 29

10:00am: Transition Area for Stage 3 opens—outside of Wildside—North East end of parking lot (near golf course). All gear must be staged here.

10:30am: Pre-Race meeting for Stage 3. Don’t forget your maps!

11:00am: Start of Stage 3—outside of Wildside. Start will be mass. Points will be awarded based on finish placement.

1:00pm: Finish of Stage 3—outside of Wildside. Teams/Racers may report inside of Wildside after crossing finish line. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

2:00pm: Stage 3 and Overall race results and awards.

2BD 2012--Accomodations

Grass Roots Racing — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:14:13 GMT

2BD Racers,

As you know, the upcoming Two Below Duo is a two day stage race taking place at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. With that in mind, we have done some research and found a couple of housing options for you and your families so you can avoid a lot of excess driving:

1.) Pamper yourself by staying at Nemacolin Woodlands. A Townhouse can be had for a 2BD special price of $325 per night. These have plenty of space for 4, and are very luxurious with Kitchens etc. A room in the Lodge—which could sleep up to 4—is $215 per night. These are significant savings over the normal prices for these accommodations. Just ask for the "Grass Roots Racing" rate when making reservations. For more information go to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

2.) The Lodge at Chalk Hill is very close to Nemacolin, and a bit more economical with rooms in the $80 per night range. Kitchenette Suites—with room for four—are in the $150+. For more information go to Lodge at Chalkhill

When reserving a room be sure to mention Grass Roots Racing and the Two Below Duo. If you have any difficulty reserving your room for the above mentioned prices, please do not hesitate to contact us at grassrootsracing@rootsrace.com

Looking forward to seeing you at the 2012 2BD!

Frank and Bethann

Happy Holidays and Two Below Duo Registration

Grass Roots Racing — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:23:27 GMT

Happy Holidays GRR Racers!

We have been very busy here at GRR, but wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

While we have your attention, we would also like to update you on all the latest news regarding the 2011 GRASS results, the 2012 Two Below Duo, and the 2012 GRASS.

2011 GRASS Results: The 2011 Grass Roots Adventure Series was a very exciting one. The early leaders—Warren’s Momma’s Makin’ Meatloaf (Eric Fadale and Chris Darling) showed promise and seemed poised to take the series. However, the MAD was dominated by fellow Warren racers—Brandon Kellogg and Chuck Keeports of Team Allegheny Cyclery—and the two never looked back after winning that race. With another exciting and dominating performance at the HVAC Series Finale, Keeports and Kellogg clinched the series but only after sprinting to the finish line with only 2 seconds left on the clock! Our hats are off—once again—to the community of Warren for their support and for adding so much competitiveness to our events.

Here are the GRASS winners and their prizes for the upcoming season:

First place Overall—Allegheny Cyclery—Brandon Kellogg and Chuck Keeports. 205 Points. Free team entry to the 2012 GRASS.

Second place Overall—Momma’s Makin’ Meatloaf—Eric Fadale and Chris Darling. 148 Points. Half price team entry to the 2012 GRASS.

Third place Overall, and First place CO-Ed—Team Spang—Tim and Edna Spang. 136 Points. Half price team entry to the 2012 GRASS.

First place Male Solo (and 11^th place overall!)—Eric Ash 56.5 points. Half price Solo entry to the 2012 GRASS.

First place Female Solo—Janet Gregory (HVAC was only race!) 22 points. Half price Solo entry to the 2012 GRASS.

Congratulations to all that competed in one or all of the GRASS races, and we look forward to seeing you all next year.

2012 Two Below Duo January 28-29: The 2BD is returning to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort with a newer, more exciting format! Once again the race will be a 3 Stage event but results will be based on points using the following format….

Stage 1—Biathlon—Run/Shoot: Racers will run a 1 mile lap and take two shots at two clay pigeons per racer. There will be no limit on the number of laps that racers may run, but there will be a limit of 8 shots/clay pigeons. The stage will be run in a ROGAINE format in that there will be ninety minutes given to complete as many laps as possible and to take 8 shots per racer at 8 clay pigeons.

Points will be awarded as follows:

Running: Teams must travel together at all times. Racers will be awarded (1) point for each lap completed. Racers may complete as many laps as possible, but will be penalized 1 point for each full minute that they exceed the 90 minute time limit. Racers may stop at any shooting station but can only stop once per lap.

Shooting: Racers may take 8 shots within the 90 minute time limit. No more than two shots can be taken per lap and both shots must be taken consecutively at one stand. Racers are not required to shoot, but 2 points will be awarded for each shot taken.

Clay Pigeons: Racers will be given 8 targets to shoot—2 per lap. There will be 4 stands from which to shoot these targets, and racers may choose which stand to use. This decision may be based on traffic and ease of target. Racers are not required to shoot at, or hit targets—but 3 points will be awarded for each target that is hit. The shooting instructor at the stand will be the judge and will determine whether a “bird” is hit. Again—there are no penalties for misses, only awards for hits.

Stage 1 will start at 9:00am at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Shooting Academy. To reduce congestion, teams/solos will be started on an interval—with two teams/solos starting every minute. Racers will have 90 minutes to complete course based on starting time.

Stage 2—Nighttime Navigation: Stage 2 will start Saturday evening at 6:00pm at Nemacolin’s “Wildside”—meet and start indoors. This event will be a ROGAINE, and racers will have three hours to collect as many control points as possible. A plotted topographical map will be provided, and CP’s will be located on terrain features. CP’s will carry varying point values and the racer that collects the most points in the shortest time will be the winner. Points for this stage will be awarded according to the number of points collected on the course combined with overall placement for the stage. A short awards ceremony will take place afterwards for Stage 1 and Stage 2 awards. Pizza will be provided, and refreshments and other food will be available to purchase.

Stage 3—Duathlon—Run, Bike, Run: Stage 3 will start Sunday morning at 10:00am at Nemacolin’s Wildside— meet and start outdoors. This race will contain very simple navigation with 11 control points. Control Points will be placed in obvious locations and a Nemacolin map will be provided. Racers will be responsible for plotting CP’s on their map by transferring them from a plotted “master map”. Map plotting will take place indoors. The stage will start with a fast 1.75 mile run/ski. Racers will then transition to a 10 mile bike leg, and then back to a final 4.3 mile run/ski. For this stage, all control points are mandatory and there is no cut-off time. Points will be awarded based on placement, and a final awards ceremony will take place afterwards inside the Nemacolin “Wildside”.

Registration for the Two Below Duo is only $125.00/team or $70.00/solo until midnight Jan. 1. After that, registration is $150.00/ team or $85.00/solo until January 27^th. Sorry—we cannot accept race day registrations for the 2BD.

Register by mail using the website mail-in registration form, or register on-line at active.com by using this link: Two Below Duo Registration

2012 Grass Roots Adventure Sprint Series: We hope to have registration for the 2012 GRASS open shortly. As stated earlier the schedule should be similar to the 2011 season with the following races slated to be on tap:

April 21,2012 SORCAR--Season Opener Raccoon Creek State Park

May 19, 2012 TURFF--The Urban Race for Fifty

August 18, 2012 MAD--Moraine Adventure Dash

October 20, 2012 HVAC--Hidden Valley Adventure Challenge Season Finale

The costs should also be similar with solos racing all 4 races for around $175 and teams for around $250—early registration. However, we would like to take this opportunity to announce a very special offer. We have packaged the Two Below Duo and the GRASS for a low, low price of $200 per solo, and $300 per team of two. For a team of two, that is at least a $100 savings! But you need to act quickly. We need your registration no later than January 15^th! If interested in taking advantage of this offer, simply write to grassrootsracing@rootsrace.com, and we will send you the registration form.

That’s it for now! Looking forward to seeing you all in January at Nemacolin!!

Frank and Bethann

Adventure Racing Daily Planner

Grass Roots Racing — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:53:14 GMT

Announcing the Adventure Racing Daily Planner

Just in time for the Holidays. Chuck Kozora and Grass Roots Racing joined forces to produce the 2012 Adventure Racing Daily Planner. Full of inspirational photographs, training tips, and important local race dates. This planner is perfect for keeping important appointments and can be used as a training journal as well. Available in both hard and soft cover. Go to Adventure Racing Daily Planner to preview the book and to order.

HVAC 2011

Grass Roots Racing — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:48:48 GMT

HVAC 2011

The Hidden Valley Adventure Challenge took place this past Saturday—October the 15^th. This event was comprised of two legs—trek and bike—and covered approximately 40 total miles. The navigation was very technical, with most CPs located well off of trails. Racers were given topographical maps of the area with the CPs plotted, but were not allowed to use supplemental trail maps.

The race started on foot with a 9 CP trek course that covered a potential 15 miles. Of the 9 CPs, racers were required to retrieve 1-6 in order. This left CPs 7-9 as optional CPs. Each CP was worth one point. Racers climbed the steep ski slopes out of the “Hidden Valley” to locate CP1 at the junction of a stream and trail. Most found this CP quickly, but were then stymied by CP2—hill, top. The CP was located Southwest of CP1, and there were several roads that took you most of the way there. The problem became which road to use, and then how to locate the CP once you left the road.

CP3 was also a tricky one. It again was located Southwest of the prior CP—and was quite close. The problem was that a deer exclosure (electric fence erected to keep deer away from saplings) was between racers and CP3. The race directors intent was to have racers “box” their way around the exclosure by following it and traveling south, then west to CP3. Some racers chose to enter the exclosure, while others got very confused and travelled the wrong direction. Either way—this CP became a “game breaker” for many racers.

The rest of the CPs were also quite difficult and the majority of the racers chose to collect only the mandatory 6. Two teams—Allegheny Cyclery/Snot Rockets and Cobra Kai—and one solo—Alexis Rzewski—managed to collect all 9 CPs within 4 hours—give or take. This left them with approximately 4 hours to collect as many CPs as possible on the bike leg.

The bike leg was again 9 CPs and had a total of 25 possible miles of riding. Again, racers had to climb up the steep ski slopes to the ridge where several CPs were located. Several more were over on the next mountain at Seven Springs Ski Resort. These CPs were off-trail, but were connected to each other by a myriad of trails at the resort. Some of these trails made up the Seven Springs 24 hour bike loop, while others were old jeep and ATV trails. Navigation was tricky, so many racers chose to stay in the closer confines of Hidden Valley and Forbes State Forest. Those that did make the journey were treated to some fun riding, and the opportunity to accrue more points.

Back at the Finish Line, racers were slowly trickling in. Many were calling it quits well before the 8 hour time cut-off. They were happy with their scores and even happier to indulge in some much needed food and cold beer. As the clocked ticked down, and inventory was taken, it was clear that a couple teams were still braving the course. Team Allegheny Cyclery/Snot Rockets (Brandon Kellogg and Chuck Keeports) were the missing team that everyone was focused on. They had 9 run points, and were last seen successfully collecting CPs at Seven Springs. As the clock closed in on 8 hours, it was clear that they were going to be late and would suffer a severe penalty. Just past the two minute mark, someone saw them at the top of the mountain. As they barreled down the hill, time ticked away. When they finally blasted across the finish line, they had only one second to spare! A very exciting finish to a nearly perfect course run!!

At the end of the day, we all were winners for spending a beautiful day in this part of the state. However, here are the results of the race:

Overall Place Name Pts. out of 18 Time

1^st (Team) Allegheny Cyclery/Snot Rockets 16 8:00

2^nd (1^st Solo Male) Alexis Rzewski 14 7:09

3^rd (tied/2^nd Team) Wrong Way 13 7:02

3^rd (1^st Co-Ed Team)Team Spang 13 7:02

4^th (2^nd Solo) Dave Battista 13 7:34

5^th (3^rd Male) Cobra Kai 12 7:23

6^th (2^nd Co-Ed) Bee Ringers 12 7:35

10^th(1^stSolo female)Janet Gregory 10 7:41

TURFF Race Report by Team Off-Constantly

Grass Roots Racing — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:11:00 GMT

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-Results

Grass Roots Racing — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:48:23 GMT

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.

TURFF-Results

Grass Roots Racing — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:46:00 GMT

TURFF 2011 Results

TURFF Update #1

Grass Roots Racing — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:23:00 GMT

May Update

Grass Roots Racing — Thu, 05 May 2011 01:29:00 GMT

May Update

GRR Racers,

The month of May is a busy one for us here at race HQ. On tap we have the Kid’s Pittsburgh Marathon (which we will be contributing to) combined with the Adult’s Pittsburgh Marathon (which we will be running) in one action packed weekend. Then the very next weekend it is the TURFF (which we will be hosting) combined with the VO festival—and the Kids Adventure Race Obstacle Course (KAROC—which we will be overseeing). Combine this with the usual “Spring Rush” in our “day jobs” and you will understand why this update is 4 days late.

May 7—Saturday—Rosaryville MTB-O: This event is made possible due to a “reschedule” that took place because of the March rains. There will be two courses that measure approximately 7 and 14 Kilometers. Entry fees are cheap ($6-$15 depending on when you register and whether you are a member). This is a great opportunity to brush up on map and compass skills. Go to Quantico Orienteering Club for more information.

May 14—Saturday—Pittsburgh Marathon Kids Marathon: Here’s a chance to get your kids hooked on fitness. The Pittsburgh Marathon is working with many sponsors to make an event that will be exciting for you and your kids—we are expecting over 1,000. GRR will be there with a signature event that will send the kids on a scavenger hunt trough the festival grounds searching for orienteering flags and punches. Those that succeed in finding all of the CPs will be awarded with a GRR tattoo.

May 15—Sunday—Pittsburgh Marathon: “The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles and 385 yards), that is usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon (the namesake of the race) to Athens.” (Thank you Wikipedia)

In Pittsburgh it is merely a matter of crossing a lot of bridges and dealing with the wrath of some fabled neighborhoods (Bloomfield comes to mind). Bethann and I will be running in this race (as surely many of you will) and will be running as “charity chasers” for the Salvation Army. We will both line up at the back of the pack and will then keep track of all of the runners that we pass. We both decided to do this only one month ago and have been diligent in building up our mileage. Frank completed a 23 mile run last Sunday and Bethann will do 20+ miles on Thursday. We realize that we will not finish anywhere near the top (those days are long gone), but are looking for supporters that will consider standing behind us and committing as little as one penny for each person we are able to pass. We feel that we have done much to support all of you in your race endeavors, and are hoping you will consider doing the same for us. You can do this as an individual, or as a team, or as a group of racers. However you decide to do it, we truly appreciate any contribution you can make toward our effort. Simply email us with a commitment if interested.

May 21—Saturday—TURFF: This race is one of the GRR favorites. As an urban event it is accessible to all who have either a road or mountain bike. As a ROGAINE, it is accessible to all that can race for three hours. This race will include running, biking, and paddling in a format that will require racers to pick a strategy to maximize their point total. Should you focus on running? Or biking? Or is paddling your best option? You won’t know until you toe the line with over 100 racers on Saturday. To register go to TURFF and decide whether to use the mail-in or on-line registration processes. But realize when you are there that much has changed since we made that website posting:

1) The TURFF will NOT have a climbing prologue. This race has grown to a place where it is impractical to have a climbing prologue within the constraints that REI has set.

2) The TURFF will not start at Southside Works. The new starting line is at Point State Park. This is also the site of the Venture Outdoors Festival. The Festival is scheduled to start at 11:00am and that is the reason for number (3).

3) The TURFF will start at 8:00am. It will finish at 11:00am. Those that have registered for the race and have a conflict with this start time should contact GRR immediately.

4) As a ROGAINE racers will have total freedom to accumulate points in whatever order they wish. The only caveat is that the paddle points can only be retrieved between the hours of 9:00am and 10:00am.

5) There will only be 50 points on the course. 24 points can be retrieved on bike and 26 can be retrieved on both run and paddle.

6) The bike course is approximately 18 miles to retrieve all points. The run course is approximately 7 miles to retrieve all points. The paddle is approximately 1.5 miles to retrieve all points.

Anyone that has any questions or concerns regarding this race should contact us at grassrootsracing@rootsrace.com immediately.

Hope to see you all at TURFF—and beyond!

Frank and Bethann

SORCAR Race Results

Grass Roots Racing — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:56:00 GMT

Photo courtesy Jason Snyder jcsphotographs.com

GRR Racers and fans,

Here are the results of the 2011 Season Opener Raccoon Creek Adventure Race.

SORCAR 2011 Results

SORCAR Race Reports

Grass Roots Racing — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:50:00 GMT

Below are two race reports:

One report written by a veteran team that has slowly—yet steadily—risen in the results category, and has finally closed on the ever elusive first place finish.

One written by a team of young racers that has earned the respect of the entire field but has struggled with bad luck—bad luck that may or may not be a result of their ages.

Please read these reports carefully as a test will follow in the form of the rest of this season’s races.

Momma’s Makin’ Meatloaf Finally Takes a Win

Photo courtesy Jason Snyder jcsphotographs.com

Race Report by Momma’s Makin’ Meatloaf (Chris Darling and Eric Fadale)

Mama's Makin Meatloaf went into this race knowing that this may be one of the toughest race fields we had ever faced—with the combo teams of Welsh/Angove, Kellogg/Keesport, the Batty Boys (last years GRASS winners), and the ever dangerous rockets known as Fizbo Sheaf. We knew rain would help equalize the biking portion of the race for us as biking is not our forte. We had made the decision pre-race that if we couldn't get to the bike ROGAINE within 40 minutes, we would power by it, because we needed the time to finish the run portion—which (race director) Frank had mentioned would have weighted point values. As the parade ended and we were quickly swallowed up by the faster bikers, my teammate Eric began writing his retirement letter to me in his head. I think we were passed by a little girl on a big wheel and, at one point, I told Eric that it was impossible for me to bike slow enough to stay behind him. After skipping the bike ROGAINE, we punched CP number five and hit the pedals to try to quickly end our bike leg. Climbing the final road to TA on the bike leg we saw Kellogg/Keesport chasing us up the hill. When we got to TA we saw that we were the third team in behind Fizbo Sheaf and the Batty Boys. Thanks to the power of duct tape I was quickly able to assemble the clue sheet (race officials had “cut up” the clue sheet making it into a “puzzle” to be assembled by racers) and we were off. We were initially hoping for a sweep, knowing we were down at least 4 points to the fastest bikers and needed all the points we could get. I did carry a compass, but it was only to be used if master navigator Eric Fadale lost his and needed to use mine. I know my job, hold onto the punch card, tow if necessary.

Out on the run course we saw Angove/Welsh early then ran into Fizbo Sheaf around point 9. After crossing the beaver dam, we quickly realized that point 3 was at the top of the cliff and only worth one point, so we skipped it and continued back the creek bottom through the light briars to point 13, next it was off to points 12,2,11, and—finally—point 1, which I tripped into the point (down a deep ravine) and looked like I was going to need a life line to get me back up. With sub 3 minutes we jumped on the power line and began our run back to the finish. I had forgotten about that last little valley between us and the finish, but with 20 seconds to spare we made it back to Frank (at the finish line). We had left only points 3 and 5 out on the run course and knew they were both only one pointers, so were hoping for a good placing overall. When we heard our name as the winning team, we were beyond excited. We have raced for 12 years and this is our first ever win. We had been at the front 3 times last year and watched as Batty Boys chased us down at Hidden Valley, and John Ralston and Dan Snyder clicked their heels as they ran past us at the season finale.

We thought the format was great, it's nice for everyone to finish together. For anyone interested our run orienteering route was 7,4,14,6,10,8,9,13,12,2,11,1.

Thanks Frank and BA for a great season opener.

Chris Darling MMM Adventure Racing

Fizbo Sheaf Struggles With More Bad Luck

Photo courtesy Jason Snyder jcsphotographs.com

Race report from Fizbo Sheaf (David Shaffer and Cory McCleaf)

Any adventure racer that has ever competed has a post-race story. Isn’t that why we race adventure races? They’re never the same and they never go quite as planned. But, while every team has a story about a missed checkpoint or mis-navigation (we have enough to share if you don’t), anyone that has ever talked to Cory or I knows that our “stories” usually involve something bigger. We even found out that other teams sometimes need to include OUR stories as part of THEIR race accounts because they are that noticeable.

We can tell you about the SORCAR last year, where we were roughly three minutes behind Batty Boys with only a few miles to ride before Cory bonked hard—causing us to finish over 20 minutes behind them. Or TURFF, where we faced four flat tires in the final three miles of the race, forcing us to a finish almost 25 minutes after the three-hour cut-off. At HVAC, I misread a reentrant on the map and got us lost in the woods for over 45 minutes—bush-whacking until we could finally find our way out. MAD was fun, too—fun enough for two stories. That’s when I convinced Cory it would be much faster to run through four foot tall brambles for ¾ of a mile than to follow a slightly longer trail; that’s also when his bike exploded causing him to crash twice (we finished that race with he and I switching off running his bike and riding mine over the last two miles). And of course everyone knows about what happened at WARSF. Yes, we are the team that bolted down the starting hill to a quick lead only to flip our canoe ten feet out, forcing us to play catch-up the entire race.

These mistakes are something we like to joke about often, saying that it is our trademark to make it harder for ourselves than it needs to be. So it was pretty surprising yesterday at SORCAR 2011 that Cory and I completed the bike loop in first place, with zero mistakes and with all five checkpoints collected – even ahead of Batty Boys, last year’s series champions. It was even more surprising, then, that with five minutes left before the three hour time limit, Cory and I were roughly 400 meters from the finish with all but three checkpoints collected (good enough for 31 total points between the bike and run—a total that would have won the event). It turns out that when we (Fizbo Sheaf) do not have a crazy post-race story there’s an actual chance of us winning the event. And yet, if you check the race results when they’re posted, you will notice that we did not win. Fizbo Sheaf was disqualified from the race for receiving a ride from a very friendly neighbor back to the Start/Finish. Yep, with five minutes left, I gave us a story.

I want to set the story straight. After the race, I was telling people I held the map upside down, or I read it wrong, or I read my compass wrong or any assortment of other excuses. I was making it up. I honestly had no idea how I could have navigated so poorly that, with Cory and I only 400 meters from the finish, I convinced us to run over a mile in the wrong direction. It wasn’t until we were driving home that I had my “Ah-ha” moment. Follow on your map if you wish.

We collected CP 14 with eight minutes left, and returned to CP 4, which we had just previously collected on our way to the Finish. I did not recognize the checkpoint for some reason and did not remember collecting it only moments earlier – Cory did. He said, “We got this one earlier.” In my head, “earlier” registered as right when we started the run and so I looked at the map and creek where CPs 3 and 13 were located (which were the 2^nd and 3^rd CPs we collected). I can only guess it was the adrenaline of only having five minutes left that made me unable to make the connection that CP 4 is neither a 3 nor a 13.

But, bear with me, if you are standing in that creek (3 and 13) looking downstream, you run up the hill on your right to get back to Start/Finish. If you are standing in the creek next to checkpoint 4, again looking downstream, you run up the hill on your left to get back. If, for some reason, you have a major brain fart and decide that you are in a different creek than you actually are, you can see how you might run up the wrong hill in the exact wrong direction of where you want to go. (editors note: with the myriad of streams coursing through this park, a mistake of this type is actually commonplace.) Then, every time you look at the map, you see where you think you are and start to force the road you’re physically standing on to fit a road on the map that you think is it (even if it clearly is not). And so you’ll run west (you checked your compass) until finally you are forced to admit you’re lost and knock on a door and try to explain to a very nice woman that you need to know where you are—on an adventure race topo map. She obviously cannot read it, so she cannot point to where you are on the map. So you cannot take a bearing and run the short 1.5 miles back to the Start/Finish line, which would prevent a DNF.

And that is how, with five minutes left and 400 meters to run—a win essentially in hand—I all but ruined any chances that Cory and I have of a series podium this year. I’m not making excuses—I made a crucial mistake that cost us the race. And I’m not blaming the event or it’s organizers—Cory and I had a great time up until or error, and really think the event was terrific (a huge congrats to everyone that finished—and to Frank and Bethann for a fast but challenging race, even with the uncooperative weather). If nothing else, I’m putting this in writing so that I know that you know why Fizbo Sheaf finished in a car at 12:30pm with very disappointed looks on our faces. And if this wasn’t clear enough, ask me about it at TURFF. We’ll definitely be there, as Pittsburgh is one of our favorite cities to get lost in. At least, I hope I’ll be there. There’s always the chance that Cory decides he’s had enough stories and finds a new partner.