Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR)
High Spirits at Duncan
Doug Doyle - Team Spirit Canada / 18.05.2004
At the Advil Outdoor Adventure Show in Vancouver in February Team Spirit met up with Bryan Tasaka, Race Director for Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing. He had that excited look of a man who was primed and ready for the new year and was telling us he was going to be raising the bar for his already successful and popular adventure races held on Vancouver Island. Then he made the suggestion that Team Spirit would be challenged by his race and we should sign up for the race series. Ok, it wasn\'t a suggestion; it was more like an overt gauntlet being thrown at our feet!
I couldn\'t let this pseudo-invite/dare go unchallenged so I immediately confirmed that Team Spirit Canada would be at the first MOMAR race for May 8, 2004 in Maple Bay. I didn’t stop to consider my other team mates concerns that Bryan\'s races are one day events and as we usually race in multi-day, expedition style races. A one day sprint like this would surely leave us crying like babies in an anaerobic state of debilitation.
Maybe I should have retracted as May came onto the horizon a lot more quickly than it should have - our collective training time was spent mostly talking about racing rather than actually getting out on the bike/kayak or running. Besides, this was the only opportunity for Team Spirit to get together prior to the Explore Sweden race and sort out any issues leading up to that event.
Bryan\'s events are well organized and fun (this features high on Team Spirits’ list of features we require from a race). The MOMAR series attracts first time adventure racers as well as full on sponsored and legendary multi-sport athletes from across BC and the western US.
His course design caters to all levels of ability and experience and usually involves paddling, biking and trekking with some mystery events thrown in at various stages. Courses normally run between 30 - 45 kilometers long, but he also enjoys incorporating a vertical component to the race to ensure your lungs are tested to capacity and give you cause to vehemently complain.
Race for the Line – The Start that is!
Race day dawned early and greeted us with sunshine and hardly any wind, perfect for the first discipline of the race, kayaking. As usual, Team Spirit arrived late and as we drove into Race Central at the Shipyard Pub in Maple Bay, we saw Dave Norona riding up the road, warming up on his bike with some other athletes. Uh oh! Time crunch!See All Event Posts
