Marathon Training & Racing from
Joe Bowman
All 50 States & DC under 3:00
Since the trails around Highlands are my playground, I thought I'd have some fun with the SOAR 2008 adventure
race...AND FUN I DID HAVE!!  This is a 6 year old race, the proceeds of which go to the Special Operations Warrior
Foundation, an amazing charity whose mission is to college educate the children of fallen special operations
military personnel.
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Pace

Time
Line
7:00
Highlands bike police lead group to rolling start
7:02
Police pull off; group launches
7:02:15
Group of 6 led by 2 studs goes the wrong way
7:02:15:30
I yell "Wrong Way!! (why start the day off bad)
7:02:16
Leaders don't listen
7:02:16:01
Now in lead group...adventure racing is pretty cool!
7:30
Finish climb to CP1
7:31
Bomb down gravel in lead...5 reluctant followers
7:35
Through handlebar high grass (not marked)
7:37
Carry bike across creek; shoes wet for rest of race
7:55
VERY hard carry/push/climb to Rattlesnake Knob
8:00
 At CP2...dropped 3 guys...great push
8:02
See the 2 wrong way studs trying to backtrack to CP1
through CP2...can't be done.  Adventure racing is FUN!
8:09
 Through CP3 and 1st official acknowledgment that our
group of 3 is leading the race
8:30
 Dropped off the back on the bike on a medium-hard
gravel climb; legs jumping around
8:45
 At CP4 to start run
8:46
 Find out I'm back in 1st place...buddies went the
wrong way...ugh
8:50
 Buddies are headed back in the right direction
9:15
 3 Amigos are at CP5 atop Scaly Mt
9:30
 Pick up snake and removed from trail
9:45
 Through CP6 in a great mood
10:45
 Good running to CP7 and back on the bikes.  BIG
lead; take our time in the transition
11:30
 Think we're on top of CP8 but can't find it
12:15
 Give up looking and continue on
12:19
 Ride right up to CP8...go figure
12:50
 Through CP9; big climb going to CP10 and I'm off the
back; tell guys I'll see them on the lake
1:15
 All alone (in 3rd)...CHAIN BREAKS!!  Did I say
adventure racing was fun?!?
1:17
 Have chain tool; don't know how to use it!
1:20
 Decide to run and push bike...legs are trashed.  
Here's the push section...(hit topo and look at the
Glenn Falls section)...ugh
2:10
 Notified canoe portion has been cancelled...oh yeah,
it's raining now and there's a bit of lightning
2:30
 Make it to bike drop off after a brutal 5+ mile bike RUN
...but still in 3rd!
2:50
 On rappel ropes for the 100ft drop
3:05
 Cross finishline...still yaking and SMILING
Here are some pics from the
race.  Me and my two
new-found friends Chris and
Michael basically ran the race
together until two hours to
go...see the time line for a bit
of humor.
Chris and his family stayed
with us the night before, so
our relationship wasn't brand
new, but we had only known
each other for 12 hours.  
Chris does team adventure
races with a buddy of mine
and that's how we got hooked
up.  Michael was new to both
of us, but we made one heck
of a 'team.'