Well, things didn’t quite go according to plan for Tim and I at the Keen Adventure Sport Games in Ontario this past weekend. Our initial plan was to do the 10km Canoe followed by the 30km ride and then the 12km trail run for day one, and then day two was a 11km kayak, 25km Orienteering on Mountain Bike, and a 18km Orienteering Trail Run.

It started well with an awesome paddle on the Beaver River. This was my first time in a canoe in Ontario and I felt like it was a Canadian ‘right of passage.’ We finished this stage feeling great and excited to get on our bikes.

The next stage was the Mountain Bike and our plan to do the 30k route was changed the previous night. We were ‘peer pressured’ by Bill Logie’s race partner, Brad, to step up to the 60km with the promise that the area trails are “the best in Canada.” The race started with a gutbusting climb up the Beaver Valley Ski Resort’s ‘hill.’ My heart rate was redlining from the start as it always seems to be no matter how much I plan to take it easy. From there it was one of the most frustrating rides of my life.

The reason… the constant rain from Friday and early Saturday made the trails a slity and very slimy mess. It was like riding on a ice rink. And the mud would pile up in our drivetrain and every other space possible. We were stopping every 25′ in places and having cleaning it out. The mud is much different in Ontario. Halfway into it, I was exhausted and Tim’s cold was starting to get bad.

The conditions just didn’t let us get any flow going and it took us just under six hours to finish the course (with a few sections taken out). We arrived at the finish line at Blue Mountain cold, wet, and exhausted. The trail run was scheduled to start from another location but at that point we both had enough racing for the day and just road home for a hot shower.

The next day, Tim was sick as a dog and I didn’t feel like racing so I bailed on the kayak and the mountain bike. I did head out to the 18km Orienteering Run though and I’m glad I did because it was awesome. I was all by myself and having fun bushwacking and slogging through creeks. It was a nice change to experience the different terrain that Ontario has to offer. The rolling topography of the Canadian Sheild makes for some amazing landscapes.

Overall, it was a great experience and worth the trip out East. Sure the rain had a big affect on our race but that’s all part of adventure racing. It was interesting format having each race start at designated times. It worked well in that you could just do whatever events you wanted. And on dry conditions, these trails are some of the best I’ve been on — especially if you’re looking for fast and flowy XC style with minimal roots and rocks.

I would like to send a big THANKS to Bob Miller, Jonathan Gissler, and all the volunteers for all their hard work and effort to put on a race of this magnitude. Thanks to Bill Logie as well for letting us stay at his killer chalet and use of his fancy cars!