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Author: Adam Bratton Read Time: 3 mins  In the basic terms, an Adventure Race (aka: “AR”) is a scavenger hunt style event where participants collecting as many “checkpoints” as they can in the shortest amount of time possible.
Adventure Races are very different than your typical neighborhood 5K or hometown marathon … it is a multisport endurance event that requires both physical and mental skills to navigate through varied terrain under your own human power … IE: Exactly what Human Powered Movement is all about. A few overly simplified examples give further context ... In your Easter Egg Hunting days, you’ll remember the zig-zagging scramble to find eggs faster than the other kiddos. Or maybe you remember the good ol’ days of treasure hunts with Pirate themed treasure maps. More recently, Mark Wahlberg’s latest movie entitled “Arthur The King” chronicles an AR team that is followed and help by an equally adventuresome dog. Below I've outlined additional AR info and laid out my top 8 reasons why you should give this Adventure Racing thing a try and how it might just change your outlook on endurance events. Author: Adam Bratton Read Time: 3 mins  What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of Northwest Arkansas?
Likely Wal-Mart, Univ. of Arkansas, the Quapaw & Caddo Native American Tribes, and for all you cycle seekers out there, you’ve most definitely heard of the massive mountain biking scene that has exploded over the past decade in Bentonville. What you might not know is that the Buffalo National River, the first designated “National River” in our country, weaves, and winds for 135 eastbound miles in Northwest Arkansas and it’s an absolute jaw dropper of a river. Last March, I was fortunate enough packraft this amazing ribbon of water with an adventure buddy, and Commercial Outdoor Photographer, Samuel Martin and the images bring me back to this magical place every single time I flip through them. Here’s some background on the Buffalo and a visual recap to get your own daydreams fired up. Guest Contributor: Patrick McGrady Read Time: 3 mins - Short Film: 5 mins  When you surround yourself with people who do fun stuff … like a ride from NC to PA (“Why I Bikepacked 650+ Miles Through A Hurricane”), or are the videographer for a 100 mile race (“Belt Buckles & Beer or Cobwebs & Concussions: A 100 Mile Quest”) you get a certain itch to launch your own adventure. In June of 2023 I started formulating a plan to bike from San Diego to San Francisco and call this project “San to San”. Bikepacking up the California coast whilst filming the experience was the challenge, and completing a fulfilling project and making a film out of it was the goal. Every day certainly had its own physical and mental ups and downs, but looking back now, it was one hell of an adventure! It’s hard to sum it up into words, but here are the snippets from each day.
Author: Adam Bratton Read Time: 4 mins - Short Film: 5 mins  Exactly one year ago, I had just completed a 650+ mile solo bikepacking trip through a hurricane from Charlotte, NC to my hometown of Montoursville, PA. Reactions to that adventure from the HPM community varied. Many were inspired to knock out their own multi-day beatdowns while others responded along the lines of “Yeah, I could never do that”. This Journal and Short Film aim to address the latter and provide inspiration to get you started on your own adventure, in your own way. Join me as I take my boys, ages 5 and 7, on their first bikepacking trip … in our backyard.
(For the record: Yes, you 100% can do more than you think. Stop making excuses, set a goal, and work feverishly to achieve it!) |