This Race is a
Real Adventure!
7/16/03
Northville resident Bob Finger has been involved in many racing competitions in his life, from sprints to endurance races. But the recent “Adventure Race” he just completed might be the most unique and exciting contest of it’s kind that I’ve ever seen.
“We entered in the 3 person co-ed division,” Bob informed me. The Adventure Race, promoted by Outdoor Athlete and Michigan Sports & Fitness Magazine, also offers other categories such as the 2 person male, 2 person female, 2 person co-ed, and 3 person versions of these teams as well.
The race opens up with a 3 mile “fast run” down hard pack trails. The trails turn to swamp which leads into a lake so the race turns into a swim, but it’s not your normal swim. “When we end up in the water, we’re required to wear life jackets, so swimming for a ¼ mile can be very interesting when you’re wearing life jackets and full race clothing including shoes!” “In addition, you have canoe paddles strapped to your back, because the canoe section directly follows the run and swim,” Bob pointed out.
Landing canoes and carrying them up a small hill leads to a transition area to get mountain bikes. The bike section featured 11 miles of very nice, although sometimes sandy trails. “During the race, teams were required to ride down a zip line for about 200 feet from a tall tree to the bottom of a hill,” Finger stated. “We were strapped into climbing harnesses and attached to a pulley, then sent down the line with someone waiting to catch us.”
The completion of the race culminates with an “orienteering section” which requires the use of a topographical map and compass to find a series of small flags located in the woods.
Even though Bob Finger’s team ran out of time and didn’t get the requisite number of control points before the cut-off time, at least his team made it to the finish line with a few minutes to spare. Not arriving on time could mean disqualification, per the instructions of the race director, so The Finger Team can take heart knowing they had the guts, the will, and the determination to finish the race on time even though they didn’t win.
And for Northville resident Robert Finger, it turned out to be quite an adventure.
(c) 2003 Novi
Information Network
www.novi.org
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Bernie Fratto is a freelance writer, radio personality, and
motivational speaker. His passion for sports comes in part from
his experience as a former Cincinnati Red farm- hand. "Behind
every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings"
said Fratto. "These athletic endeavors often serve as a
metaphor for the game we call life."
Bernie is also the voice of Novi Wildcat Hockey
and host of Wildcat Face-off, a local
radio program dedicated to youth sports in Novi.
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