The Human Factor
I still remember making my first turn my junior year in high school cross country.
Just as falling is a part of trail running, making a wrong turn is a reality in trail racing. I still remember the first time I made a wrong turn over 20 years ago since it still stings. And hundreds of races later, I’ve made wrong turns in two of my past three trail races. In fact, four wrong turns and about three “bonus” miles. And every one of these wrong turns was 100% my fault. It’s simply part of the sport.
Flavors of wrong turns
Each of these wrong turns fit into a different category:
Follow the wrong leader: The “follow the wrong leader” occurred when I let simply turned off my brain and followed the runner in front of me (along with the person behind me). Since it was early in the race, I figured they could see someone else in front of them. I assumed they must be more familiar with the course than I as I had never taken a step on the race course prior to the race – wrong!
Ignore your gut and keep going: Another wrong turn occurred on a section that I had even pre-run. When I made the mistake, I questioned it immediately, but I “ignored my gut and kept going” for another six minutes. All because I had gotten distracted at the turn - admiring the couple on a park bench instead of keeping my eyes on the trail.
No man’s land: Trail races, especially longer races, can get strung out. Being in the second half of a race when there were no other runners or volunteers to direct me – I was in “no man’s land” and flat out missed a turn. Luckily, I had my pacer with me who quickly recognized I was about to complete a loop a second time in a row. I was surprised when she corrected me. It never occurred to me that I had just completed this same loop! I can’t imagine how far I would have went before someone would have corrected me!
Overcoming adversity
But what sets runners apart is how they handle adversity. Just as we get up after we take a digger on the trails, we must have the mental resolve to correct our route and continue on the trails after going off course.
I won’t lie, I have taken mental blows in races when being blindsided by these unexpected challenges. Although I was extremely frustrated after losing 12 minutes after one wrong turn, I persisted. And I’m glad I did - I went on to not only finish but be the first to cross the coveted finish line!
Just as we get up from a fall on the trails, we need to shake it off and keep going when we make a wrong turn while racing. I captured an embarrassing digger earlier this summer - luckily only my ego was injured.
Expected wrong turns
Now I have entered the world of adventure racing where wrong turns are part of the race. That’s because teams use a map and compass to find their way on an unmarked course. Even the best accept this, and how they overcome these mistakes is what sets teams apart. I usually have the luxury of racing with IRONBULL president Tim Buchholz who has over 100 adventure races under his belt with half of them wins. Yet I haven’t been in a single race without some sort of realignment. And taking on this mindset has helped me overcome my recent blimps and turn lemons into lemonade.
Try adventure racing
If you want to try a sport unlike any other, find some friends (or go solo) and join us at the Rib Mountain Adventure Race – Winter Edition. We’ve designed a fantastic course that we can’t wait to reveal. But more importantly, we’re excited to bring new racers to the sport! Here’s some basics on adventure racing from Silent Sport Magazine and other beginner resources.