Adventure Race tests navigation skills Published June 8, 2010 By Connie Hempel 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- It wasn't just about who could bike, trek or paddle the fastest, they had to have good navigation skills, too. About 30 teams competed in the first-ever San Angelo Loco Lizards Adventure Race June 6 with half of the teams comprised of civilian and military members from Goodfellow and other bases around Texas. Teams, made of two to three people each, had to navigate together through the trails of Middle Concho Park by trekking three miles, mountain biking seven miles and paddling two miles up Lake Nasworthy to find 19 check points. While teams were aware of these three sections, there were special tests - scavenger hunt, bike roping and bike tire change - at the start and in between each section of the race that remained secret until the day of the event. "The special tests were team building-type tests that added an element of adventure to the race," said race coordinator, Christina McBride. Mrs. McBride and her husband, Lt. Col. Jeffrey McBride, 312th Training Squadron commander, have participated in adventure races for about 11 years. She said that along with teamwork, adventure races also promote health and fitness, and get people to do things they wouldn't normally do. "A lot of people associate working out with their job and getting ready for the (physical training) test, but we're trying to make it fun for everyone to get outside and enjoy working out," said Mrs. McBride. Although there were competitors with experience in other athletic competitions like triathlons and 5k races, most of the participants haven't done anything like this before. "This is a little different than your run-of-the-mill 5K or triathlon," Mrs. McBride said. The weekend prior to this race, Army Cpl. Jordan Monroe, who's stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, competed in the Capital of Texas Triathlon. "This was a lot different than a triathlon," he said. "We definitely had to use our Army training during this race to navigate through the course." Cpl. Monroe and his teammates, Army Capt. Austin Huckabee and Todd Huckabee, formed the Tres Gringos team and were named the Fastest Team, completing the race in three hours and 22 minutes. Mari Dunn, 17th Comptroller Squadron, teamed up with her husband, Kelly, to form the Dunn Together team. Mrs. Dunn said she's a strong runner, but was unsure about the bike part of the race since she's not a strong mountain biker. To get ready for the race and build up their mountain biking skills, they participated in the five-week Adventure Race Survival Training at Middle Concho Park. Training for the event paid off for team Dunn Together as they took third place in the Co-ed Team category, finishing the race in just over four hours. Second Lt. Thomas Beasley, 315th Training Squadron, said he enjoyed the entire race even though his team wasn't able to find all the checkpoints. "We made an error in navigating and couldn't find one of the checkpoints, so instead of taking 30 minutes to go back and find it, we went ahead to took the 30-minute penalty," he said. Despite the time penalty, Lt. Beasley and teammate, 2nd Lt. Michael Park, 315th TRS, still placed 2nd in the Military Category. Military Team Category winners were: Top Military Team with three hours, 46 minutes was Team Awesome: 2nd Lts. Matt Holland, Lucas Gagliardi and Lincoln Miller, 315th TRS Second place with three hours, 25 minutes was TCBD: 2nd Lts. Thomas Beasley and Michael Park, 315th TRS Third place was a tie with four hours, 31 minutes between Boats and Hoes: 2nd Lts. Cara Pozun, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and Lillianne Grove, 315th TRS; and Boots and Utes: 2nd Lt. Danielle Pozun, 315th TRS, and Marine 2nd Lt. Erika Godinez.
