Have Dental Floss, Will Travel

Laurie started adventure racing in 2002, when a couple guys from the local rock gym picked her up to fill in as their requisite team estrogen.

She raced her way through that season with various pairings of teammates before joining forces with her boyfriend-turned-husband to form Team Crabapple Pie (perhaps in honor of the crabapples she likes to throw at Bill during their outings in the woods?)  They’ve been racing together ever since.

Nowadays, Laurie bounces back and forth between adventure racing and running.  In 2009 she qualified for Boston, and now she’s training for a 26-hour AR along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

So, Laurie, why AR?

Because I look badass with booboos.

Because it’s a good excuse to eat peanut M&Ms by the pound.

Because training for an AR is generally (but not always) more fun than training for a road race.

Because getting dirty is fun.

Because the people I’ve met through adventure racing tend to not be assholes.

Because it’s a good excuse to play in the woods.

Because there are a zillion legit ways to train for an adventure race, so it never gets boring.

Because if you can get through an adventure race with your partner/spouse, you have proof that you certainly married the right person.

Because you can sit around and drink beer at the finish line.

Because you can camp at the start line.

Because races range from 3 hours, to 12 hours, to 24 hours, to a week, to longer, so there’s no whining that AR is too easy or too hard, too long or too short

Because you can go hours and hours without seeing another team out there, so you never know if you’re in first or in last, making it easy to shake some of the competitiveness and enjoy the ride (try doing that in a 5k).

Because first-timers tend to be encouraged instead of stared at.

Because some people show up on bikes that cost more than my car, and others show up on the Huffys they had in junior high.

Because what else are you going to do with your free time?

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Don’t forget to enter to win free team entry to a sprint race this season!

Okay, okay, so maybe the Eco-Challenge video clip wasn’t the best way to turn you on to the sport of adventure racing.

As one seasoned adventure racer wrote in the comments, Geez, Abby, I am scared of adventure racing thanks to this video! Class V rapids, people getting serious booboos, that one dude getting airlifted out by his PFD straps looks dead … it is back to 5ks exclusively for me

So, let’s start this wooing over, shall we? And rather than my own ramblings about the sport, let me introduce you to Bill.  Bill discovered AR in college and has been racing ever since.  When he and his wife started dating, he convinced her to give the sport a try, and now they’re a powerhouse duo in the Philly area.

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