After winning the United States Adventure Racing Association 2008 Collegiate Nationals in May, Joshua LaSov is already training for his next race in November.
"You always have to think, 'OK, do I take this trail to this coordinate because it's shorter but more hilly or do I take this trail to this checkpoint where it's a mile longer but less elevation change,'" the Towson senior and adventure racer said. "With adventure racing it's a mind puzzle where you have to strategically plan these things out."
He has been competing in these types of outdoor sports one would find in an adventure race his whole life but it wasn't until freshman year when he started competing in actual races and challenges.
He formed an adventure racing team with two other people at Towson when he was ending his freshman year called, "Team Satory," meaning enlightenment. "They approached me and asked if I wanted to do an adventure race and at first I was like 'not really ,that sounds like a lot of work,' but I did it anyway," LaSov said.
They placed 14th out of about 100 teams, convincing them to stick with the sport and continue to get better.
"I'm racing these guys who are triathletes who come over to this sport and I just destroy them," LaSov said, who explained the difference between triathlons and adventure races. "When it comes to decision making on your feet and being able to read a map it makes it a lot trickier."
The six-hour USARA Championship, held in Austin, Texas gave LaSov and his teammate Alisa Pitt, a "good workout," he said. "The hardest part was probably the last mile, where I had to carry a wet kayak on my head to the finish, it was probably about 30 to 35 pounds."
The pair finished the race in three hours and 14 minutes, putting them about 40 minutes ahead of the second place winners, according to LaSov. The race consisted of a five to six mile trail run followed by an approximate 12-mile technical mountain bike trail. The course continued with about three to four miles of road biking that lead to the paddling section on the Colorado River.
After two-person kayaking for eight or nine miles, which LaSov said he actually felt seemed a little less, there was a roughly 20-foot ladder to climb. The finish line was then in grasp, after hiking one last mile.
According to Pitt, also a senior, the two of them are more endurance based then speed.
"I thought this was a great experience since we didn't expect to win," she said.
Pitt has grown up competing a number of outdoor sports including mountain biking, skiing, and horseback riding. She had done a number of triathlons but had never been involved in an adventure race before this one.
"I didn't know what to expect," she said. "I was a little nervous but moreso excited to see how we would place." She said that she really enjoyed racing with Josh and that he really knows how to pace himself.
When LaSov was looking into this race last year he was unable to find a partner. This year he was able to walk into the Bike Club at Towson and find Pitt who claimed she hadn't heard of adventure racing but was willing to try. LaSov said, "She was an awesome race partner. She has so much heart when she races."
In winning this race, they received a $3,000 sponsorship with AIX group, free year supply of Merrell shoes, Suunto watches, free entries to an adventure academy, many other free prizes, and a free entry to USARA 24-hour national championship race, where just to get accepted to this race, a number of regional race winnings must be met, according to LaSov.
"I don't think without the contribution Towson made we would have been able to go to Texas," LaSov stated.
For this race, Towson was their biggest sponsor and the two of them were also able to do a lot of fundraising to help pay for hotel costs, rental car fees, racing gear, and other expenses. "I think we could've raised the money but it's nice to have your school support like that."
The national championship race will take place in Georgia and LaSov will be competing in this three-person co-ed race with his local racing team.
RSS Feeds
Be the first to comment on this article!