Wired for Adventure

:: Subaru Action Asia Challenge ::

The results are out! Team Banana Boat II comprising of adventure junkies Sebastian Teo and Joshua Kwa crossed the finishing line in a time of 6:39:23.

Ok, so how did we over-optimistic-look-good-with-nice-gears-only-but-train-only-once adventure racer wannabes compare with the other very-fit-and-aggressive-with-nice-gears-too-but-train-very-hard competitors?

Well, considering the fact that we suffered major cramps, went to Holland (where was the MIA official??) and strolled up the slopes of the Benjamin Shears Bridge (to admire the view la, you think what.. fatigue meh??), we came in a respectable 9th position in our category. Had we come in 15 mins earlier we would have gotten third. Yes, it was THAT close. In comparison to our 2004 race, though we came in 24th overall (as compared to 40th overall this year) and in a not-too-far off timing of 6:22:25, this year’s race was much longer (60km) and more challenging. I guess our strong triathlon background helped quite a bit.

Although we both lamented about how additional training could have allowed us to keep in pace with the race leaders, nothing was more fun than to jump off bridges, abseil down and zip line off the Shears Bridge, kayak down the S’pore river while amused tourists look on, mountain bike and trail run in darkness, crawl into drains, cycle down the new Pasir Panjang highway and do a base jump off the light tower of the National Stadium (ok, I’m kidding about this).

It did reinvigorate a sense of adventure in me again. Stirred up a passion for all things wild and crazy. The boyhood dreams of doing things Action!-packed, things that give you the adrenalin rush… be it running around with arms stretched out like Superman, jumping off tables & chairs while wielding a water pistol like a SWAT team member, putting on my Zoro costume complete with paper mask and sword, standing at the edge of the balcony ledge daring myself to look straight down…

Haha… adventure runs in my blood, doesn’t it? The race was great in that it taught us many lessons on race strategy and proper race conditioning. It gave us a greater hunger for competition and an appetite for new challenges. However, in adventure racing, nothing is certain until you cross the finishing line. No amount of preparation can prepare you for the finish. There’s always an element of surprise that's ready to spring up on you. For us, the surf board paddling turned up as a surprise and proved to be our weakest discipline. 4 teams (including 2 womens team!) surpassed us towards the end b’cos we couldn’t quite figure out how to get the white board moving on water.

What an irony how life is sometimes like that. We work hard, prepare well and yet stumble at something totally unexpected. You can never fully anticipate how life will turn out for you. BUT in the midst of running the race, I know I can still smile and enjoy the journey b’cos I know for sure that my life is anchored in a GOD who knows my every surprise, every obstacle and every ending. He is the constant in a world of uncertainty. My reliable partner in life’s adventure race.


So I guess I'll continue racing.


Embark on an adventure with me, somebody?


Fishmonger