Will Race for Carbs: Race Like a Kid- The Urban Assault Ride

Monday, July 25, 2011

Race Like a Kid- The Urban Assault Ride

Remember back in the day when you had a playdate with your best friend? You know, back before jobs, mortgages, kids. . .responsibilities. Remember when your biggest concerns were what you were going to play and getting back home before dinnertime? Then you grow up and all of a sudden having fun takes a backseat to real life. And that is kinda the way it needs to be if you want to have food and electricity. But once in a while it is nice to take the day off from adulthood and just be a kid again, which is exactly why I loved the Urban Assault Ride!

Here is a breakdown of our race and the many reasons it was so awesome!!

Check this guy out. Awesome and disturbing!

For this race you need a partner and a team name. I have found these two things give adults an excuse to play dress up. There was a plethora of wigs, spandex, and puff painted shirts. Susan and I were no exception. Our team name (provided by Susan's fiance, Nathan) was "The Preacher's Kid and the Deviant" because, well, I am a preacher's kid and Susan is a deviant (Well not actually. I believe she was diagnosed as borderline deviant =)). We didn't go in a full on costume, but we did make shirts!


We've got spirit, yes we do!

The basic goal of the race is to ride to 7 given and two mystery locations in Denver/Wheat Ridge. At each location you collect a bead and you return to the starting point once you have obtained all 9 beads. So before the race you and your partner need to do some strategic planning (aka Google Maps) to find the best route. It is also helpful if at least one person in the team has sense of direction. How was our sense of direction? We got lost before the race even started! Yup, we are that good. I let the far more intelligent Dr. Soto do all the navigating and we only ending up in the wrong place a few times. Overall, I am going to call it a success because we are not currently roaming the streets of Denver looking for my car.
This race made riding bikes fun again! There is a reason kids ride bikes all the time: it is fun!! I really do love riding my bike but sometimes I suck all the fun out of it. How fast? How far? How hard can I push myself? I have to keep improving!! That is good sometimes, but you know what else is good? Riding next to your best friend, chatting, and enjoying getting from point A to point B (even if you do get lost). We probably rode 25 miles that day and never once did I say or hear "on your left!"
As adults we like to pretend we are refined and worldly. We enjoy going to the theater (I actually do) and talking about politics (I actually don't). But in reality, I think adults have more fun playing the games they enjoyed as children (How else can you explain adult Kickball Leagues?). The geniuses in charge of Urban Assault must know this and that is why you had to complete an obstacle to get your beads. The obstacles were both ridiculous and fun. We had to jump into a pool (fully clothed) to retrieve beer cans, ride a tricycle, do a three legged race, catch a sling-shotted (I don't think that is a word) shoe, bike with our partner on the handlebars, ride a slip and slide downhill, and put together a puzzle. For the record, the tricycle was my favorite!