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Endurance, navigation skills tested in orienteering
event
NASHVILLE Clutching a compass and a
topographical map, Eric Brown lifted his dri-fit shirt to reveal bandaged
nipples. The Terre Haute resident
said he learned his lesson the hard way — that racing in an orienteering
event in the woods could mean enduring some painful and bloody chafing. Brown was one member of 39
teams that arrived at Yellowwood National Forest in Nashville for Conquer the
Crossroads 2004 on Saturday. An event organized by the
Indiana Crossroads Orienteering Club, the activity was a test of endurance
and navigation deep in the woods of Brown County. It is a Rugged Outdoor
Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance (ROGAINE) event, which
takes place over several hours and is open to people of all ages and skill
levels. Eight teams had signed up
for a six-hour course; 31 teams were in it for a longer haul, 12 hours. The goal was to gather as
many points as possible by stopping at various checkpoints in the muddy
wilderness. There were 45 total, and it was up to the teams how many they
wanted to collect. The teams that gathered the most points would receive
prizes. Participants trailed onto
the grounds as early as 6 a.m. Many came from as far away as Texas and
Ottawa, Canada, said race director Erick Lord. Racers sipping hot drinks
gathered in their groups — of two to five members — to plan routes through
the dense, tree-lined trails and along ridges. The blue lake adjacent to
the sunny starting point at the forest's east-side shelter was calm. The air
was brisk, and a woodpecker loudly drilled into a high treetop. Despite the nipple
precaution, Brown and his teammates, Michael Helman and Patrick Gentry, said
they planned to be "stress-free" for the day, just enjoying the
chance to be outside. Although they were
tackling the shorter course, running, hiking and crawling were certainly on
the agenda, said Indianapolis resident Helman. "You have to take
into account the terrain change," Brown added, as his team fueled up on
Kudos bars and juice. He called such rugged
outdoors experiences "a reality check." Wearing a kilt and
knee-high socks, Gentry carried bottles of Gatorade on the sides of his backpack.
"You can see what you
can push yourself to do," said the Indianapolis resident. At 9 a.m., Lord signaled
for participants to start their trek. Some carried walking
sticks, and several wrapped their maps in protective plastic as they headed
off into the 125-square-kilometer area. Six hours after the start,
Brown described the day as a wonderful experience, but one that left him with
a full-body ache. "I hurt all
over," he laughed. "It was a great event, though. It was a
beautiful day and we went through beautiful countryside." Brown complimented Lord's
organization of the event and said he thought it was exceptionally well
planned and well executed. Brown, who also runs
marathons, said his team scored more than 200 points, which was about what
he'd expected. "Orienteering is
really more of an adventure than a race," he said.
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