Funderstorm Raids the Rib

Having successfully (well, moderately) completed the half distance at GHO's semi annual Raid the Hammer/Rib, the girls decided that it was time to take it up a notch and try out the full length distance of what is billed as Canada's "toughest half-marathon." Teams of 3 have up to 8 hours to orienteer their way through a 25km course complete with great snacks and fun tests like "The Lasso," "In, Over, and Out" and the girls new personal nemesis, "walk the line." Who was the Funderstorm's third? Enter Ursula, aka the Energizer Bunny, who may not know how to use a compass but sure is good at hauling ass through the woods!

Both SP and T/T were somewhat concerned for this race. T/T is not a huge fan of the running, and SP is not a huge fan of getting lost in the woods. Once the race started, however, their fears quickly abated as CPs were knocked down one by one and feet stayed dry for the first five minutes of the race.

With only the most minor of setbacks, the girls whizzed through the first 2/3 of the course, cracking jokes and counting the number of falls into the mud. The fun and games deteriorated however, at "Walk the Line." In this section of the race, teams had to follow a dotted line on the map finding unmarked CPs along the way, and using only the Nature's curves the contour lines for guidance. CPs 18 & 19 were easily located, but 20 proved to be another story. After two times round the course and an unmentionable number of profanities (SP) later, CP 20 was left unpunched.

Things continued to go downhill from there en route to CP21. Things got even sketchier when what appeared to be an innocent water crossing nearly turned into an opportunity to practice swiftwater rescue and the tripod crossing. With morale a bit low, CP 22 was eventually located and the girls headed back to the Rocky Ridge Ranch with only one more CP left to punch.

By the time the race was over for the girls, most of the winning teams had already packed up and gone home. But there was still burgers and cookies left, and many stories to trade with other teams that were pulling up the rear.

Despite the "walk the line" incident, the girls were the first all female team to complete the full course. Minutes later, however, the GHO girls appeared, having not had quite as much trouble walking the line as Funderstorm. Nevertheless, a good time (for the most part!) was had by all and it was definitely a learning experience. Being unquestionably the toughest navigation test that the girls have faced to date, it perhaps did not go so badly after all.

The Funderstorm spirit award (which some of you may know is nearly equivalent to an Oscar, and waaaayy cooler than a Juno) certainly goes out to Ursula, who kept on trucking and saying happy things right through to the end of the race. The girls look forward to teaming up with this speedster again later in the season. T/T definitely took the award for most spectacular falls, while SP was honoured for wearing out the F word in the general vicinity of CP20.

Next week SP and T/T will test their mettle at the Diamonds & Dirt all female adventure race in Michigan. Here's hoping that the lessons learned at Raid the Rib will pay off in Brighton next Saturday!

Pre-race photo. All bundled up in preparation for a rainy day.

This is Ursula, still smiling after a long haul (some necessary, some just for the heck of it) through many, many swamps.

Some Mexican Photos...

Navigating the Whitewater on the Antigua River (and trying to stay in the boat).



Group photo in Gulf of Mexico.




Team Flat Tires celebrates the end of a long day.





Our new Mexican friends in Neuvo Jacal.






On the trek to Pico de Orizaba.

Cuervas Peligrosas! (Mexico 2008)

It's been about two weeks now since SP and T/T returned from their winter sojourn down to Mexico for Frontier Adventure Sports & Training and Esprit Rafting's "Pico 2 Playa Expedition Training Week," but the memories are still fresh and the scars from the no see 'ums still visible.

The adventure began on Friday, March 14th, when the girls departed from Toronto to Veracruz, Mexico. Although camp didn't officially start until Sunday, the girls wanted a day to acclimatize and drink some beer at Caliente in the zocalo in Veracruz. Friday night the girls had a chance to meet up with several other camp participants and a great time was had as they all tried to navigate the Spanish dinner menu and ward off street sellers.

Saturday morning, SP and T/T went out for a little jog to loosen up their legs. As luck would have it, there was a road race taking place in Veracruz that morning, so after running against the race for a few kilometres, the girls decided "what the hell," and joined in on the race. Although SP was worried that they might get arrested for banditing, no such criminal charge occured. Despite their stellar times, the girls refused to accept medals.

By noon the campers had congregated at the Hotel Veracruz to begin the 5 hour trek to Tilachachuca, where they would be staying for the first night. The drive was scenic, the banter entertaining, and the ice cream, as always, was delicious. After a dinner and map marking session, the girls spent the remainder of the evening repacking their gear into tiny (way too tiny) dry barrels.

The first training activity for Sunday was a 3 hour trek up to the base camp at Pico de Orizaba (4200m). Having never been in elevation before, SP couldn't help but exclaim "mountains are big," as her lungs and innards began to explode. Lunch at the base hut was followed by a 2 hour downhill bike ride to the village of Nueva Jacal. As SP, T/T and Denise arrived into the village, swarms of children began to trickle down off of the hills. Although the girls were initially a little worried, as it turned out, all the kids wanted was to exchange their manual labour for some "dulces" and have their photos taken.

Monday involved a 40 km bike ride from Neuva Jacal to Villa Hermosa. About 14 km of this ride was downhill, and the other 26 or so was up. This was the day in which the girls redefined what a hill meant to them. Did I mention there was lots of hills? There was also lots of flat tires. And chips. Mmm, Mexican chips are good. The 7 hour slog in 40 degree heat was celebrated with a cold beer and a bucket shower in front of an appreciative male audience.

Tuesday was trekking day. SP and T/T were paired with Erin and Anthony for a 22km hike from Villa Hermosa to Amatitla. There were lots of hills (who knew Mexico was so damn hilly) and lots of stops for chips and ice cream. There was also an impromptu shower under a water tower and a bath in the river. Arrival at Amatitla, a coffee plantation, was celebrated with more beer and delicious lime popcorn. T/T entertained the group this evening with her always a riot love fortune card game.

Wednesday the legs had a chance to rest as the group ran 25km of whitewater in 2-person inflatable kayaks from Amatitla to Monte Blanco. The girls enjoyed this tremendously, although SP fell out of the boat 6 times, providing endless entertainment for the other groups. Today was a good test of the trust factor between SP and T/T: SP had to trust that T/T wasn't going to fling her out of the boat off of any more rocks, and T/T had to trust that SP would finally learn her lesson and lean into the rocks (how very counterintuitive!). The camp at Monte Blanco was a great reward mid-week, as it had indoor beds and showers (albeit cold ones).

Thursday was a combination of trekking, biking, canyoneering, rappeling and ascending, taking the group from Monte Blanco the much beloved village of Jalcomulco, where SP made everyone relive last year's memories by drinking on the bridge after the temasczal ceremony. After a year of Jalcomulco dreamin' , the girls were not disappointed. The roosters were just as loud, the juice ladies just as friendly, and the bridge just as inviting (although there were some cockroaches this year). It was then that the girls decided that they had to return to Jalcomulco for the big disco on Saturday night.

Friday was an epic ride from Jalcomulco out to the Gulf of Mexico, some 78 km away. After lots of hills and many more bike breakdowns, the group was thrilled to have made it to their final destination and celebrated with a swim in the Gulf of Mexico. T/T had a near miss this day with a motorcycle that left her with some cool body souvenirs that made SP jealous. The swim was followed by cold beer (of course!), a mariachi band, a drive back to Veracruz, a lovely dinner and a few more drinks in the zocalo.

Saturday morning the group gathered for one last breakfast together before trips to the airport had to be made (sniff sniff). For SP, T/T and their sidekick Tom, however, the adventure was hardly over. At the airport, the trio rented a car and braved the Mexican highway to drive back to Jalcomulco. Jim, the consummate host, arranged for a lovely street dinner, a few drinks at Esprit's awesome new bar, a Jalcomulco pub crawl and a long, long night at the disco. The sleepy village of Jalcomulco had been transformed for semana de santa, with a stage and band being brought in. After a long night of dancing, a short sleep in a hammock, and a sleepy drive back to the Veracruz airport, Funderstorm's Mexican adventure was over for yet another year.

It was a truly awesome week with too many amazing experiences to ever recapture. SP is already counting down the weeks until Mexico 2009.

Updates from the Funderstorm

Both SnackyPants and Toots-in-Tights are hoping that 2008 is a big year for racing. In fact, T/T has dubbed 2008, "two thousand and race." The girls are currently choosing their races for the year and working on a race calendar. While it may be slim pickins for adventure races right now, the girls have found lots of other ways to stay in shape and get ready for the 2008 race season.

On January 19th, SP headed down to Michigan (she's thinking about asking for dual citizenship, since this was the 4th trip down in six months) for the Witchy Wolf Run - a 15 mile night trail race run under a full moon in the middle of nowhere, Michigan. Alerted to this race by a fellow Michigan adventure racer, she thought it would be a good and crazy way to start off 2008.

As it turned out, January 19th was the coldest night of the winter thus far, with the thermometer reading -17 without the windchill. There were about 100 other crazies out there with nothing better do do on a Saturday night than run around in the cold. Standing at the start line waiting to the race to begin, the reality, and the cold, began to sink in. With the race starting 25 minutes late, there was lots of time to question the sanity of this decision, as well as to wonder why the hell there was a guy wearing shorts. Once the wolf howled however (the official start to the race), SP began to warm up and the race turned out to be a rather pleasant jaunt through snow-covered backroads with the occasional bushwhack and river crossing. The race was pretty low-key, with no mile markers, four aid stations that had only water, and 1 aid station that had beer. Had the beer station not been only 1.5 miles from the finish, SP would loved to have partaken. Much to her surprise, SP won her age group and was awarded with a unique prize - a big ol' chunk of wood painted with a wolf on it. All in all, it was definitely a unique and worthwhile race. For just a $28 entry fee, competitors got a long sleeve technical shirt, a personalized 2008 Witchy Wolf dog tag, and lots of yummy homemade chicken noodle soup at the end of the race. So next January, if you are looking for something crazy to do, consider a drive up to Omer, Michigan (smallest city in the state) for the Witchy Wolf Run. A 2-person relay option exists for those not keen on racing the full 15 miles.

Funderstorm's next big adventure is a mere 45 days away! Both girls are incredibly excited to get out of the cold when they head to Jalcomulco, Mexico for FAR's expedition training camp from March 15-22. Stay tuned for more details!

Adieu to 2007 and Welcome 2008!

With less races to choose from at the end of the year, Funderstorm was itching for something fun to do to cap off 2007. Something that they could say, "that was the craziest thing I've done all year" about. Enter Crazy JF, whose identity has been protected, who the girls met skiing at the beginning of December. Apparently, JF's idea of fun is go hiking on the Bruce Trail, all night long. So, despite their apprehensions, SP and T/T joined JF and three other equally crazy people for an all night hike on a very rainy and slushy December evening. The girls thought it would be great training for their upcoming trip to Mexico and a great way to get rid of some of the cookies they ate over the holidays. As it turned out, it was also a great way to get rid of some pesky toenails too.

The group met in Kilbride with the goal of hiking through the night. Departing just before 9:00pm under a steady drizzle, the girls immediately discerned that this was not going to be a walk in the park. Now, we're not going to bore you with all the details of the 7 hours spent hiking through the slushy Bruce Trail. Needless to say, it was fun, in that crazy kind of wanting to punish your body way. In true form, SP brought along many a tasty treat to enjoy out on the trail, while T/T instructed no one to laugh while she was trying to climb hills. Both girls thought it was a great experience to log some good miles on foot and practice their sleep deprivation. They also feel fortunate to have found some training partners crazier than they are and look forward to more all night treks in the upcoming months. It was, as they had hoped, a great way to round off a fun-filled and adventurous 2007.

Here's to an even funner 2008!

Our Wish Lists...

Now that we've given you some suggestions for the adventure racer on your Christmas list, here's a rundown of the cool gear that we hope Santa stuffs in his sack for us!

First up on Toots-in-Tights' list is a pair of Salomon Nordic Pro Training Gloves. New to Salomon's line-up for Winter '08, these gloves would be great for all the winter training that T/T plans to do in order to get ready for Mexico in March.

To complement the gloves, T/T, who has been both naughty and nice this year, most certainly deserves a pair of Montbell Thermawrap Pants. After all, there is no use having warm hands if your butt is freezing. Not only would these pants keep her warm at the Snowshoe Raid later this winter, but the sleek black colour will be easy to complement with any jacket.

In her stocking, Toots-in-Tights hopes to find a pair of Pearl Izumi Calien Toes. What the heck is that you ask? Well, if you've ever tried to mountain bike in subzero temperatures, you will know that most bike shoes are not meant for snow. Slip a pair of these on overtop of your bike shoes, and you'll be good to go. They'll match nicely with the gloves and pants.

The item that SnackyPants is probably hankering after the most is a pair of CW-X Insulator Expert Tights. Everyone she has talked to about these pants give them rave reviews. Although she loves the navy colour, she realizes that this would necessitate the buying of new jackets, so to keep things simple, she'll stick with black.

Second, since she is the only person in her running group without one, SP has finally given in to wanting a Garmin Forerunner. Not wanting to suffer from information overload, she's going to stick to the 201 model, which can calculate both pace and distance, making it a useful training tool.

Although perhaps unrealistic unless Santa works for Salomon, SP is chomping at the bit waiting to get her hands on a pair of the new Salomon XT Wings shoes. She is admittedly a sucker for anything that Salomon slaps their name on. Don't they sound fast?

Lastly, in order to combat winter boredom, SP is thinking of taking up snowshoe racing. To to this, she'll certainly need a pair of Atlas Racing Snowshoes. She's not yet put this on her list officially however. The last time she did a race that involved snowshoes, she ended up flinging them into the woods in a fit of rage. She blames this on the particular pair of snowshoes, however, not the sport itself. Some snowshoe training is scheduled for this weekend though, which SP hopes will give her a better idea of whether or not this sport is for her.

So that's what we want? How about you? What gear items are on your list?

Funderstorm Christmas Ideas

Are you stumped about what to get your favorite adventure racer for the holidays? Funderstorm has come up with a few ideas that will solve your gifting dilemmas.

First up, The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of My Feet. This book, published in 2005 and full of adventure racing stories from the sports' top athletes, is sure to please any racer. At $13.00 CAD at Chapters, you really can't go wrong. Funderstorm highly reccomends.

If your favorite racer is too busy training to read an entire book, how about a magazine subscription? Although the only publication dedicated entirely to adventure racing is now defunct (RIP Adventure Sports), Trail Runner is now the official publication of the USARA. In addition to several pages devoted to AR each month, the magazine also has a great race calendar and tons of tips for adventure racing training. Our only warning is that since this magazine is only published bi-monthly, the recipient may spend days waiting at the mailbox for it to arrive.

Reading not their thing? Not too many racers wouldn't be happy with a gift pack of their favorite gels and energy bars. Thanks to an ad in Trail Runner, SnackyPants recently discovered Zombie Runner, a great site with an excellent selection of nutrition and running-related products. Canadians will marvel at the selection of training, racing and recovery products that we are being denied north of the border. Check out the cool new Clif Shot Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider recovery drinks. Mmmmm!

If cross-border or online shopping isn't your thing, check out Running Free in Markham. Owned by adventure racers and featuring a wide selection of related products, you are sure to find something there that will please your racing pals. You can't go wrong with a pair of Salomon XA Pro shoes or a Simon River Sports paddle. Believe me, it doesn't matter if they already have one of these items - most racers horde gear like fat kids horde chocolate.

Got a bigger budget? Well if you live in an area where winter puts a damper on the racing season, why not consider a bike trainer? The CycleOps Fluid 2 Trainer is one of top-selling trainers and for good reason. Featuring a smooth, quiet ride and easy attachment to your existing bike tire, this trainer will let the racer on your list be prepared for the 2008 season. This puppy will cost you about $400 CAD or slightly less in USD, but is definitely money well spent.

Does that racer on your list have difficulty figuring out which way is North? Aside from being able to tell time (duh), the Suunto Vector has a digital compass, an altimeter, a barometer, about five different alarms and comes in many cool colours, like pink and baby blue. We're not sure what the barometer is for, but if knowing barometric pressure will ever help you through that nasty bushwhack, then you are all set. SnackyPants has this watch in black, but Toots-in-Tights calls the colour "stealth," which sounds way cooler. The large face takes a little getting used to, but it's worth the size not to get lost in the woods anymore. Buy it from Moosejaw, because they are hilarious.

Lastly, if you don't find anything on this list that appeals to you, check out the following sites, where great adventure racing gear can be had for reasonable prices:

http://www.pricepoint.com/
http://www.argear.com/
http://www.moosejaw.com/
http://www.altrec.com/
http://www.backcountry.com/

Funderstorm loves to talk gear, so drop us a line if you have any questions, and until then, happy shopping!

What We've Been Up To...

While the summer racing season might be winding down, Funderstorm is lucky that Ontario is home to a full calendar of fall and winter races. The girls have been as busy as ever getting lost in the woods and testing out their cold weather gear.

The last week of October, both girls ran the Trek or Treat night trail run. They were supposed to run the 10km course, but inadvertently ended up on the 8km course instead. There wasn't supposed to be an 8km course, but when an earlier runner ran through the tape designed to indicate which way NOT to go, things got a little confusing. Discussing boys, future races, and how they could do their part towards achieving world peace, the girls did not notice that they were going the wrong way, until they started wondering why they hadn't seen any kilometre markers. Fortunately, they weren't the only ones to do this, minimizing their embarassment slightly. As it turned out, they did exceptionally well in the 8km course, but could not accept their prizes without blushing slightly at their mistake. It's pretty funny when adventure racers get lost on a marked trail. The girls really enjoyed the course however, and it will definitely be on the calendar for next year.

This past weekend, Funderstorm Raided the Hammer in Burlington. Along with Jo Anne, a seasoned runner but newbie bushwhacker, the girls ran around the woods for nearly 4 hours searching for checkpoints and scrambling up and down hills. The weather cooperated entirely and while there were 2 CPs that proved a little more tricky to locate than others, most of the controls were found with cooperation and eagle-like sight for orange and white flags. Kudos go out to the organizers from Don't Get Lost who clearly understand the value of pizza after a race. Mmmmmm pizza.

This weekend, the girls are attending the Tree Huggers annual AR Wrap Up party, where they will attempt to better the wilderness at Albion Hills before swapping stories about the season with other racers.

We're kind of a big deal....in Michigan

Proving that their American performance in July wasn't just a fluke, last weekend Funderstorm showed Michigan how to adventure race Canadian style with another win in the all-female category and an impressive 15th/77 overall placing at the GRAAR Fall Adventure Challenge. Although both girls felt ready to puke by the end of the race, they felt that this was well worth the sacrifice for their prize of another pair of Salomon XA pros. SnackyPants in particular was thrilled to add another member to her ever-growing Salomon family. Now if only someone could convince her to wear them instead of lining them up in order of prettiness and making them pose for pictures...

The 4-6 hour sprint race was held at the Fort Custer State Recreation Area near Augusta, Michigan. A popular event, the race actually sold out twice: once when it was capped at 50 teams, then again when it was capped at 75. Those Michiganers really like their adventure racing. Due to the large number of teams, the race featured a wave start, with the open teams, who were competing for cash, and the all male teams starting an hour before the coed and all-female teams.

The race began with a 4-6 mile paddle lake paddle with two CPs, which were relatively easy to locate given the fact that there were many other boats on the water. The paddle section proved yet again to be the Funderstorm's weakness, and was their lowest overall split (54/77). After the paddle, teams hopped onto their bikes for the first of three biking sections along a marked trail that had CPs on it at undisclosed locations. The all singletrack riding was fun and fast, and Funderstorm quickly made up for time lost on the water by passing many teams. Toots-in-Tights was particularly aggressive, shouting "on your left" with growling confidence, and not being afraid to tailgate anyone who wouldn't comply.

At the bike drop, teams were given an orienteering map with 7 CPs, which could be collected in any order. Although only 3 CPs were mandatory in order to finish the race ranked, the girls were confident that they could locate them all. With the exception of one particularly tricky CP which saw the Funderstorm team dynamic tested a little bit, the girls found most of the CPs with ease, and began to lap all male teams who had started the course an hour earlier. Many other teams expressed surprise at the fact that the girls were running the Orienteering course; apparently, a brisk walk is often the preferred method of travel in Michigan.

As the first female team to complete the O-section, the girls wanted to keep their lead but were followed closely by "The Janes." The second bike section saw an exciting chase between the two teams, one that left Funderstorm thoroughly out of breath, but also which gave them a 6/77 ranking in this section. When they realized at the next TA that their passport had flown out of its case in their haste, they were devastated. But, with the Universe always on their side, an all male team appeared with passport in hand. Starting this second O section at the same time as the second place all female team, the girls were ready to hustle, racing in their bike helmets and shoes. Since both girls tend to fall quite a bit on foot, they feel that bike helmets are a necessary and useful precaution to take. They found all three CPs quickly then hopped back onto their bikes to the finish. Racing with an all male team, the girls used these guys to set a fast pace to the finish line, where the last challenge of the race was for each team member to climb a portable climbing wall, ring a bell at the top, and rappel back down. Although T/T tried to use scare tactics to motivate SP on the last bike section, remarking that "I think the Janes are right behind us," these fears were unsubstantiated, as the girls beat their nearest competitors by 34 minutes, finishing the race in 4:21. Full race results can be viewed at:

http://www.graar.org/fallrace2007.html

Both girls were pleasantly surprised by the congenial atmosphere of the Michigan racing scene. Many teams recognized the girls (in their pink shirts) from the SMAC XL race in July, and The Janes offered their congratulations in the form of a shot of tequila. Although there was one shout of "Go back to Canada," during the race awards, it was genuinely in jest and the girls felt very welcomed by this group of enthusiastic and supportive racers. The girls hope to complete their 2007 Michigan trifecta with a trip down to Dexter, Michigan for Infiterra Sports December Chill 8 hour sprint race.

Can you say mud? ARC Barrie race report

After a balmy start to the fall that has seen Ontario recording all time temperature highs, it appears that Mother Nature finally ran out of sunshine and warm weather, just in time for the last ARC race of the season. Weather conditions were less than ideal for Funderstorm as they initiated a new teammate, Wanda, into the FS fold. It was a bad sign that it started raining about 2 hours before the race start, and even more smarting that it didn't stop raining until just after the race ended. During the race - rain - all day. Now rain during an adventure race isn't such a bad thing if it is nice and warm; in fact, rain can be a welcome reprieve during summer races. But when it is oh, around 6c, rain is less appreciated. In fact, this combination of precipitation and less than ideal temperatures caused around half of the teams entered into the Enduro race to drop out of the race midway through the course. Was Funderstorm one of these fairweather groups of racers? I don't think so...

The race started on foot from the homebase location at Horseshoe Valley Resort. After a short run to a marshalling point (to ensure racers didn't trample the golf course) all teams had to collect five trekking CPs scattered throughout Copeland Forest before returning to the base/TA for a biking section. Funderstorm found themselves off to a rough start when they realized that Copeland Forest is full of ridges, making CP1, located on a ridge, trickier to locate than expected. After searching many, many ridges, the elusive CP was finally located (and punched in the head for being difficult) and the next few CPs proved less sneaky to find. That was until CP4, located on the west shore of a small lake. While searching for this CP, SnackyPants unwittingly made her team trudge through an unnecessary kilometre of swamp in the wrong direction. Sorry guys. She hopes that at the very least the temper tantrum that ensued provided good entertainment.

The girls were soaked about 10 minutes into the race, and realized that changing into anything dry was futile, so they opted for a quick transition for what could be best described as a push a bike / slip 'n slide section. For around 8km, the girls slipped and slid up and down the singletrack trails in Copeland Forest. By about the third kilometre, there was far more pushing than riding, as the day long deluge had turned the trails into inches of muck. Many laughs were had as tumble after tumble ocurred trying to stay upright. Toots-in-Tights took the prize with a record 17 falls, all entirely graceful and one managing to score a 9.8 from the Russian judge. This section could only be described as humorous.

Since ARC wisely decided against a paddle section in this race, after the bike, teams ran across the road to the main location of Horseshoe Valley Resort and into the forest for a 1000 ft zipline. Although muddy, wet, and a little less lithe at this point, the girls thoroughly enjoyed this special section of the race. A quick run back to the finish followed where the girls were greeted with pizza and a refreshing (albeit cold) shower.

Unaware that many of their competitors had opted not to complete the race, Funderstorm had pushed (relatively) hard throughout the course in an attempt to stay ahead of the other all female teams. It was a nice surprise to find out that not only had they won the all-female category but that they had been one of few teams to suck it up and finish the race.

Both SP and T/T were very impressed with Wanda, who joined the girls at the last minute and who was promised that the biking "wouldn't be technical." Wanda showed great tenacity throughout the race and was officially awarded the Funderstorm spirit award, an honour likened in street cred to an Emmy.

Next week: Funderstorm goes international at the GRAAR Fall Adventure Challenge. This race, which sold out weeks before event, features the largest all-female category that the girls have yet to contend with. Will Funderstorm race to victory two weeks in a row? With a lineup of excellent prizes, they are sure to be bringing their "A" game to Augusta, Michigan.

Funderstorm Recommends...

"Funderstorm Recommends" is a new addition to the Funderstorm blog, because we've had lots of questions about what equipment the girls use to train and race with. How do you get the "fun" in Funderstorm? Well, it all starts with the right gear.

Right now, the girls are both singing the praises of their Cannondale Roam bike shoes.* Why? Well, the SP and T/T appreciate hybridity, and it's not all bike shoes that are comfortable and versatile enough to also run and paddle in. Although the girls have been sporting these shoes since the start of their adventure racing career in 2003 (and they are both still on their first pair -how's that for durability?), it wasn't until their race last weekend that the Roam was truly appreciated. To avoid saving transition time, the girls decided to start the run and paddle section in their bike shoes. After realizing that they were at least as stable as their running shoes, after the first lap they both decided not to bother changing shoes at all. Over the course of the day, the Roams racked up a solid 12-15km during the run sections, with nary a blister or bruised toenail to show for it.

It is rare that an adventure race contains a bike section that is entirely bikeable, and hike-a-bike or bikewhack sections are the rule rather than the exception. The Cannondale Roam may perhaps be the ideal bike shoe for adventure racing. It looks and feels as good as a trail runner and has stood up to 5 years of less than delicate treatment. Neither of the girls can remember where they got theirs, but as a regular model in the Cannondale lineup, they should be available at any store carrying the line.

*Note: Cannondale is currently not a sponsor of the Funderstorm, but they would not be averse to the idea.

Two Cents From Toots-In-Tights

It's about time that the other half of the Funderstorm made an e-appearance. Although race reporting is best left to the pros (SnackyPants), it takes two (or sometimes three... or four...) to tango. If by tango you mean run/paddle/bike through the woods looking for checkpoints for hours and hours, trying to "eat the pain". And eat it she does - along with her own selection of strange snacks (to be discussed in a future post). Her favourite race sections always involve biking and bushwhacking; probably because she doesn't feel like she's worked a hard day unless bruising is involved.

Funderstorms the Ten

This past weekend, the Funderstorm was officially unleashed at Sean Roper's inaugural Storm the Ten 10 hour adventure race relay. The girls thought that this would be a laidback, easy race to get back into the swing of things before their fall racing season gets underway.

Wrong.

It was hard. Much harder than anticipated. Locating the race at a ski hill should have indicated that there would be some climbing involved, but the girls were perhaps overly optimistic that "it wouldn't hurt too much."

The 10km course involved the following: running down a set of stairs and across a beach, kayaking to the other end of Kelso lake, dragging kayak up a hill, running (uphill, of course) to the bike TA, biking up the ski hill then through the woods to the run TA, dropping off the bike, running a loop on the Bruce Trail, getting back on the bike, riding down ski hill with teeth clenched, dropping off bike, running back to lake, paddling back across lake, then, to add insult to injury, running up loooonnnnnggg set of stairs to tag off for the next lap.

All that in 10km? I'm tired just thinking about it.

Funderstorm's initial strategy was for each member to do two laps at a time, so as to have a longer break in between laps. This idea didn't last very long however, as it was determined that there would be a need for snacks, peeing, changing clothes, and complaining about the course in between each lap. Despite gripes about hills, sore muscles, and lack of escalators, the dynamic duo managed to peel off 8 laps in 9 hours and 34 minutes. This performance, which bested many of the teams in other divisions as well, secured them second place in the tag team division, ahead of both the coed teams in that category, but unfortunately behind the apparently infatiguable Tree Huggers. In the opening lap, SP also posted the fastest female time, but it was mainly just so she could take a rest.



Next up: ARC Barrie on October 13th

Brewing of the Funderstorm

September 22nd marks the official North American debut of the Funderstorm at the Storm the Ten 10 hour adventure race relay. The girls have formerly raced under many monikers, most recently as "I left my heart in Jalcomulco," a tribute team to the good times had at adventure racing camp in Jalcomulco, Mexico, as well as "SnackyPants and Toots-in-Tights: Mission Michigan," a name designed to reflect unsubstantiated potential spy connections. It was, in fact, on the way to said race in Michigan that the Funderstorm began brewing. The name came out of what was designed to be a mere slip of the tongue, but, with further reflection, appears to be universal intervention in the search for the ultimate team name. En route to Michigan, the word thunderstorm was misinterpreted as funderstorm. Like a flash of lightning or burst of thunder, the Funderstorm as you now know it was thus conceived.

Originally going to be held back for unveiling in 2008, the girls decided that there were enough 2007 races left for the Funderstorm to be unleashed. Both feel quite thankful to the Universe for sending this name their way. A team logo and uniforms are currently in the works.

Funderstorm "brewing" is SP/TT lingo for training. Training for the unleashing of the Funderstorm continued this past weekend as the girls visited Kelso conservation area to scope out the scene for Storm the 10. Paddling was first on the agenda, as it has been pinpointed as the girls, um, least good discipline. Despite questionable weather and boat rental staff who thought they were crazy, the girls practiced all they learned from Ben a few weeks back (except paddling backwards, which they think is stupid and hard). After a successful paddle session, boats were traded for bikes as the girls chased new Funderstorm sidekick Tom around the MTB trails at Kelso. Chagrined to find out there was no ski lift to carry them back up the hill once they rode down, they sucked it up and rode back up the ski hill.

Stay tuned for more brewing reports.

Biking Weekend Extravanganza

Determined not to let summer go out without a bang, Funderstorm et al spent the Labour Day long weekend bikin' and boozin' in the training playground of Collingwood, Ontario. Home to some of the provinces sweetest singletrack, SP and T/T had a great time giving their brakes a workout, and practicing their flying dismounts. There were, of course, some minor mishaps. On Sunday in the Northwest Passage section of Kolapore Uplands (read: far from any parking lot), a bolt on SP's seatpost snapped in half. Yes, that's right: BROKE. Although known for their ingenuity with zip ties and duct tape, the girls were unable to fix said seat, and as a result SP had the fun experience of biking back to the car standing up. She told us, "it was much easier than I thought it would be, but I'm pretty sure everyone got tired of looking at my ass." The offending seat bolt was quickly replaced at Squire John's, where, due to having the Universe on her side, SP was also able to pick up a new pair of Cannondale Roam bike shoes, which she has been searching for desperately on ebay. She felt this more than made up for the fact that her seat had broke. The evening was spent at Blue Mountain Village on a patio with some drinks, then later on patio chairs with some shockingly expensive Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Monday found the team lacking motivation to get out the door, but they meandered their way to 3 Stage just before lunch, and had a lovely afternoon of riding with only one flat tire to show for it. This made for an excellent opportunity to find out if there is really anything inside a CO2 cartridge. Turns out there is, but a lack of instructions on the side of the can made for some entertaining trial runs. One nasty hike-a-bike section in which many curse words were uttered and muttered did not mar the experience of biking at Kolapore and 3 Stage. These trails rated so highly that another training weekend is being planned for later in the fall, where oohing and aahing over fall colours can mix with the delightful smell of apples, which T/T likened to a Glade air freshener. Below are some photos taken on Monday at Three Stage.

Funderstorm Paddle Training

For most people, paddling is perhaps the most undertrained adventure racing discipline. Unfortunately, this is most certainly the case for the Funderstorm. With no boats to their name and only erratic access to bodies of water large enough to paddle in (bathtubs don't count), the Funderstorm quickly realized this season that their paddle skills were, er, underdeveloped. After a particularly frustrating paddle session at the FAR Esprit race in which their inflatable kayak refused to hold up its end of the bargain and deflated, coupled with said boat doing random donuts throughout the excruciatingly long paddle, Funderstorm decided that something needed to be done about this. So, one lovely Sunday afternoon on the Toronto harbourfront, the girls hired a paddle instructor to get some tips for proper paddling. By the end of the three hour session, the girls had a much better idea of how to assemble their paddles properly, how to use paddle sections to develop better abs, and how to paddle not only forward, but backwards as well (though this skill seems to have limited usage). Below are some photos taken at Centre Island, where Funderstorm and Ben (paddle instructor) stopped to practice a beach launch. It is the Funderstorm's hope that squabbles in the canoe are now a thing of the past, at least as far as they pertain to whose fault it is that the boat isn't going faster.

Funderstorm Tour Dates 2007

Below is a listing of scheduled Funderstorm tour dates where you can catch one or both members of the Funderstorm in action. They prefer not to sign autographs but will happily pose for photos!

2007 Tour Dates

March 4 - Chili Half-Marathon (Burlington)

March 9-19 - Jalcomulco, Mexico Training Camp

March 25 - Around the Bay 30km Road Race (Hamilton)

April 22 - Paris to Ancaster Bike Race

April 28 - Albion Hills 5 Peaks Trail Race

April 29 - Tri-City Urban Adventure Run (Waterloo)

May 5 - Frontier Adventure Challenge Huntsville

May 26 - Emergency Services Adventure Race (Barrie)

June 22-24 - Quest for a Cure (Petawawa)

July 7 - ARC Bracebridge

July 20-22 - SMAC XL Adventure Race (Brighton, Michigan)

July 28 - Frontier Adventure Challenge @ Esprit Rafting

August 11-12 - Angry Seagull 24-hour Adventure Race (Guelph)

August 25 - Nocterra 5 Peaks Night Trail Race (Bolton)

September 1 - Paradise Lake Trail Race (St. Clements)

September 22 - Storm the 10 Adventure Race Relay (Milton)

October 13 - ARC Barrie

October 19-20 - GRAAR Fall Adventure Challenge (Augusta, Michigan)

October 26 - Trek or Treat Night Trail Run (Vaughan)

November 11 - Raid the Hammer

December 1 - Infiterra Sports December Chill (Dexter, Michigan)

Funderstorm celebrating a win at the SMAC XL

10 hour Adventure Race in Michigan.

Meet SnackyPants

As the legend goes, SnackyPants burst forth out of her mother's womb and asked for a pair of running shoes. In her youth, she was apparently one of the only children known to wear out a Jolly Jumper and is still not allowed to have any sugar after noon. Later on in life, she chartered her excess energy into more ambitious athletic pursuits, including soccer, horseback riding, and long distance running before being inspired by Eco-Challenge and decided to give adventure racing a try. For the first four years of her adventure racing career, she raced on a co-ed team, in which she viewed her role simply to "shut and keep up." Unsatisfied by not playing a more active role on the team, she adopted the title of Director in Charge of Snacks, which eventually led to her current moniker, SnackyPants. Believing that the calories burned in adventure racing is an excellent excuse to indulge in all of one's favorite foods guilt-free, her favorite racing snacks usually involve the irresistable combination of peanut butter and chocolate, though she is also known to be partial to anything involving salt and nuts. She likes to make sure that everyone is eating adequately and has even been known to share her snacks with other teams who ran out of food or who simply had less tasty options available.

This year, after an inspiring week at Frontier Adventure Racing's Mexico Training Week, SnackyPants and Toots-in-Tights decided they no longer wanted to follow the boys around anymore (not to be confused with chasing the boys, which is another matter entirely), and decided to try racing as an all female team. As lead navigator, SnackyPants devoted much of her spring training to figuring out the mathematical calculation for declination, taking online map symbol quizzes, and competing in orienteering races. Although still new to the role as navigator, SP enjoys decision-making and the thrill of finding CPs in right place. She loves swamping but does not like leeches and swears she will retire from adventure racing if she ever finds one on her legs. She falls off her bike a lot and has been known to photograph her injuries.

In addition to an action-packed adventure racing schedule, SnackyPants still finds time to enjoy other sports, regularly competing in road and trail running events and the occasional mountain bike race. Calling racing "my form of crack," she is currently undergoing psychological testing for her apparent addiction to race-induced endorphins and amino acid supplements. Her long term racing goals include trying out some expedition-length adventure races, ultrarunning and maybe an Ironman or two.

She is a Taurus, is usually missing at least one toenail, and believes that "naps are for the weak."

Meet the Funderstorm

Okay, so you may be wondering, what is a Funderstorm? Well, a Funderstorm can be compared somewhat to a thunderstorm, but instead of wreaking havoc what with the thunder, the lightning, the rain and all, a Funderstorm brings fun. And excitement. And a barrel of good times. Is this too vague?

The Funderstorm is more than just a concept or a philosophy, more than a way of living or guiding principle (although it is all that too). To clarify, the Funderstorm is an all female adventure racing team, composed of two core members, Sally Heath (aka SnackyPants) and Stephania Varalli (aka Toots-in-Tights). This blog is dedicated to spreading the love and sharing the word about their adventures as they train and race, laugh and cry, swear and heckle and generally get up to no good as they travel the province and beyond in search of good times.

In future blog entries, you will have the chance to better get to know the Funderstorm and what they've been up to. You'll laugh at their mishaps, celebrate in their victories, and cringe at their ever accumulating injuries.

So that, in a nutshell, is the Funderstorm. The question is: are you ready for it?