I was determined to find my way into adventure racing in the Midwest. It didn't take a whole lot of Google action to find Fat Otter Adventure Sports. The next race on their docket was the Fat Otter Fall Sprint, which would combine mountain biking (a recent new favorite of mine), paddling (in an unknown craft), and orienteering (usually way harder than expected). I was pretty excited to give the race a try but couldn't wrangle a partner. Luckily, for me, the organizers needed volunteers. Luckily, for them, I was happy to help.
My first task was to set the mountain bike checkpoints. In the process I stumbled upon a couple rather large rocks with some interesting info. Nuclear reactors. They're everywhere these days.
My second volunteer task was to man the first checkpoint, where teammates swapped running and biking. Have you heard of Dandies? When they're not racing, they're making vegan marshmallows.
Racers review their map before heading out to find the biking checkpoints. Waterproof map carriers are key. Even if they look incredibly dorky.
Volunteer #1 (I was #2, of 2) checks racer first aid kits to make sure no one is skimping on pain killers to shave an ounce or two from their pack.
It was a great day of racing and really fun to learn more about how adventure races operate from more of a logistical standpoint. I would have loved to be racing, but I know there will be plenty of opportunities in the not so distant future. Specifically, I have my eyes on the Frozen Otter. 24 hours, 64 miles, middle of winter, only four people have ever completed the course... Sign me up!
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