As an avid user of the trails at Sky Meadows State Park, I am excited to see our park join in the fun of the 2023 Virginia State Parks Adventure Series. Thanks to our new partnership with Rev3Endurance, we are proud to host the Frozen Foot Adventure Race on March 11, 2023. This will be a new and exciting opportunity to explore the park and surrounding areas by bike and on foot, with the added challenge of hitting specific checkpoints and competing for time. Are you up for the challenge? Am I?

The Virginia State Parks Adventure Series includes races of varying difficulty for beginners and experienced racers alike.

An adventure for everyone

As an experienced trail runner, I’ve often run the park trails here at Sky Meadows, including our designated 5K course, as part of trail races or just meandering on my own. I’m also familiar with biking on our multi-use trails but am certainly less confident with my feet off the ground. Fortunately, the upcoming Rev3Endurance Frozen Foot Adventure Race offers opportunities for different experience and ability levels.

Exploring the park is an adventure whether on two wheels or on two feet.

Like many of the events of the Virginia State Parks Adventure Series, the race at Sky Meadows offers different distance options as well as the choice of racing solo or as a team. There is something for everyone, even “first-time racers dipping their (frozen) toe into the adventure racing world,” according to the event description.

Plan ahead and prepare

I think that the best way to feel confident on race day is to feel prepared. I will admit to being a little scared by the prospect of adventure racing. But “adventure” is in the name, so I think it’s supposed to be “fun.” To ensure a fun adventure, I plan to follow some good advice from Virginia State Parks and to recreate responsibly. I am a strong proponent of practicing Leave No Trace, the first principle of which tells us to “plan ahead and prepare.” Here are some of the ways we can apply that principle to a new experience such as adventure racing:

1. Know Before You Go: By reviewing general park information such as maps and parking fees ahead of time, you will have an idea of what to expect on race day. I’m hoping that my familiarity with the park, due to working here (and visiting for over a decade prior), will provide a level of comfort during an otherwise challenging activity.
2. Understand your own skill level and ability. Personally, to “recreate responsibly” and to try for a positive experience with adventure racing, I am opting for the shorter “beginner” distance of the four-hour race. I’ll leave the eight-hour option to those of you who are more skilled and experienced. I also know that I am a fairly strong runner, but not as skilled at biking. Knowing this, I want to plan some longer training rides as part of my preparation.
3. Manage your goals and expectations. Another way I plan to increase my confidence for this race is to register as a team with my spouse, Harold. Having a teammate at my side to support and encourage each other seems like a way to improve the chances of success. We just need to agree ahead of time on our goals. What do we expect to get out of this? A good goal might be to have fun enjoying a new experience together. For us, success might not mean winning. It might mean finishing the race without anyone yelling or crying.Teammates in running and in life, on a famous section of the Appalachian Trail north of the park.
    
4. Know the rules: By reviewing the race rules for the Frozen Foot Challenge ahead of time, I know that my teammate and I “must always remain within 10 meters while on foot and 30 meters while on bike.” I’m happy to know that leaving me behind will not benefit him in this case.
5. Make sure you have everything you need on race day. Bring enough water and snacks for the duration of your adventure. Dress for the cold weather and in layers for getting warm during the activity. Have the proper equipment for bicycling gravelly terrain, including a bike helmet. Bike rentals and advice are available from the friendly folks at Element Sports, a local retailer and a Virginia State Parks Get Your Gear, Then Come Here partner.

Shout out to Element Sports, a long-time partner of the park. Here they are participating in “Fall Farm Days: Rest and Rejuvenation Weekend.”

Play and stay

Another way to plan ahead and prepare for the adventure might be to secure sleeping arrangements for the weekend. For Sky Meadows State Parks, it’s important to know that our only lodging facilities are our hike-in primitive campground. If you are up for the extra challenge of “roughing it” before the race, you would need to plan extra time for getting to and from the campground (perhaps serving as a nice pre-race warm up.) Our campground is open year-round, for those adventurers seeking to really experience the outdoor elements.

“Bikepacking” into the campground is a great way to transport your gear and your children.

The adventure continues.

So far, my spouse and I are in the planning stage of entering the world of adventure racing. Stay tuned to this blog to find out how the experience goes. My hope is that careful planning and preparation will make for less anxiety and more confidence for a fun and memorable bonding experience. If all goes well, maybe we’ll even catch the adventure racing bug and sign up for more events in the Virginia State Parks Adventure Series.

We all win when we have adventures in Virginia State Parks.

The series includes 25 events this year providing an abundance of opportunities to run, bike, swim and paddle all over the Virginia State Parks system. There are distances ranging from eight miles to a 50K ultra marathon, with plenty of options to “mix it up” with multi-sport events such as triathlons. There are options for solo racers, teams or relay-style teams, so you can compete with (or against) family and friends. The more you race, the more chances you’ll have to earn points and prizes such as cash, gift certificates and an Annual Pass to Virginia State Parks. As if there needs to be an extra incentive to explore more parks in more ways! If you ask me, spending time getting outside in a Virginia State Park is its own reward.