Photo by Kwadwo Kwarte.

A few weeks ago I joined the online group for my local trail running club because I decided that once I get back into training (starting tomorrow as a matter of fact!) I’d like to mix up my normal street runs with some trails. I have always loved the North Face ad that stares at me from my running magazines and challenges me to “run my self-doubt into the ground.” I have a couple friends who are big into adventure racing and one that is now training for a fall Half Ironman because the JFK 50-miler just wasn’t brutal enough for him. I’ve been intrigued by his photos on Facebook–he’s dirty, sweaty, trekking through mud, in one there are icicles on his eyelashes, but his number is securely pinned to the front of his gear and he simply looks like a badass. And he loves the race.

I know little about adventure racing and perhaps that’s why I want to try it. What better way to learn than by doing? I also had the chance to meet Jim Harman who owns EX2 Adventures which puts on a range of stellar endurance, triathlon, mountain biking, trail running, team, and relay events in my local area. He absolutely lives for adventure and his enthusiasm for it is contagious. So contagious in fact that now I’m going to be heading to Rocky Gap at the end of this month for the 4th annual Greenhorn Adventure Race, though I’ll be doing the new beginner course. Continue reading →