Shared by Harold Schliesske, as Guest Blogger.

On March 11, 2023, Sky Meadows State Park and Rev3Endurance joined forces to host the Frozen Foot Challenge, one of 25 races that are part of the Virginia State Parks Adventure Series. More than 130 racers took part in either a four- or eight-hour adventure, visiting as many checkpoints as possible within the given time limit through a combination of trail running and bicycling. The checkpoints, designated by either lettered points on a topographic map or, for extra adventure, by UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinates, were spread throughout the park's trail system and surrounding roadways.

At the top of Piedmont Overlook Trail. Note my deflated (empty) water bottle. Give me some fruit snacks.

It was our team’s first ever adventure race. My wife has enough 5K and 10K race medals to make Mr. T jealous. But for her slightly less adventurous husband, this was my first race ever. After signing up, I had to look up exactly what an adventure race was. Pre-race uncertainty was high and, at multiple times leading up to race day, I found myself wondering “What have I gotten myself into?” Well, we were about to find out.

After a short pre-race meeting with Robert Kurtts, the Rev3Endurance race director, and a few words of encouragement from the Sky Meadows State Park Chief Ranger Visitor Experience, Erin Clark, more than 130 racers disappeared with surprising speed into the meadows, woods and roadways of Sky Meadows. I thought I would share with readers a few standout observations from this first-time racer in hopes of easing the aforementioned uncertainty for others finding themselves in a similar position.

Running up South Ridge Trail. The photo captures the terrain and slope well. Through some magic I don’t fully understand, there seemed to be many more uphill sections than downhill.

1. People Power: As someone who enjoys my solo runs, I wasn’t sure racing among 130 people would add to the enjoyment. I was quickly struck by how friendly and supportive fellow racers, Rev3Endurance staff and Sky Meadows staff were. Almost every time we crossed paths with a fellow racer along the trail, my wife and I were greeted warmly with words of encouragement. For the first third of the race, we even informally joined forces with a solo racer, which made the miles pass more quickly and added another set of eyes to look for checkpoints. It was a new experience to feel a sense of camaraderie among a group of strangers that, through a shared interest, were brought together on a cold and windy Saturday morning.

2. Layering Is Key: Comfort and safety in freezing and near-freezing conditions, especially during high-output activities like trail running and cycling, require knowing how to properly layer your clothing. For me, having a windproof outer layer that I could quickly vent via full-length zippers was my most critical clothing decision. During strenuous ascents, the combination of “pit-zips” and a full-length chest zipper enabled me to quickly dump excess heat without turning into a sweaty mess. On the descent, the ability to zip up during these lower-output parts of the course enabled me to stay reasonably warm despite the cold and windy weather.

3. Time on Feet: My normal daily run is just under six-and-a-half miles on hilly asphalt and can be done in less than an hour. I figured the nine or so miles we’d be running as part of the four-hour race would be a piece of cake. I was wrong. By hour three, the cumulative time on feet, rocky terrain, and seemingly endless uphill sections were wearing me down. It felt more like 15 miles than nine. If I could do it again, I’d spend less training focused on mileage, and more time focused on trail runs that include plenty of elevation gain.

4. Sweet and Salty: I underestimated how thirsty and hungry all this adventuring would make me. I packed a liter of water in my vest along with a few carbohydrate-dense snacks and figured this would be more than enough. By the two-hour mark, they were all gone. During our first transition phase, where we returned to base to check-in on our progress, I was immensely thankful to see Rev3Endurance had sweet and salty snack foods and electrolyte drinks ready for the incoming racers. The enthusiasm with which this grown man devoured brightly colored fruit-flavored gummy snacks reminded me of my elementary school lunches, when my mom would pack them as a special treat. They hit the spot perfectly and had me quickly re-energized.

My wife punching our passport at checkpoint H at the intersection of South Ridge and North Ridge trails. Each checkpoint is a brightly marked PVC pipe that has a special hole punch inside it. You punch the corresponding letter on your passport to prove you made it to the checkpoint.

After three hours of trail running, 30 minutes of bicycling, 22 checkpoints stamped into our passports and two checkpoints that somehow eluded us (I’m talking about you, AA and J!) this exhausted husband-and-wife duo crossed the finish line and safely made it into the upper 50 percent grouping amongst our fellow four-hour adventurers. As my wife put it, “somewhere in the meaty part of the curve; not falling behind, not showing off.” Thank you Rev3Endurance, Sky Meadows State Park staff and the countless supporting staff and volunteers that made this event possible. There is an amazing amount of skilled work and planning that goes into putting on an event like this and it did not go unnoticed.

We made it! Checkpoint A was next to Turner Pond and was the start/finish/transition area. Rev3Endurance’s attention to detail was evident throughout the race, to include the finisher medals that were designed to look like a chain driven bicycle sprocket with integrated bottle opener for post-race refreshments.

As someone who went into this not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised at how much of an adventure it really was. It was not your typical “walk in the park,” as our endurance was certainly tested. But I am proud to say that we were up for the challenge. If you have ever been curious about adventure racing, I hope that reading this will inspire you to try it. There is no shortage of opportunities to test your limits in the Virginia State Parks Adventure Series. Upcoming similar events are planned at Seven Bends State Park and Shenandoah River State Park. My wife says that we should not wear this T-shirt until we complete all the events listed on it.

The adventure continues; this race T-shirt inspires us with more 2023 adventures.