Adventure is relative. What is extreme for one is 'soft' for another. Everyone has their own personal likes and dislikes, their fears and strengths, their comfort level, a line they won't cross when it comes to what they will do; what they consider adventure versus insanity. When it comes to endurance events that line has become less and less distinct as more and more athletes sign up for and complete IRONMAN Triathlons, double Century rides, and 50 or even 100 mile ultra marathons. The hard-core Adventure Races such as Primal Quest still draw teams from all over the world for their 7-10 day treks of survival and suffering, but the shorter Adventure Races have for the most part been replaced with Mud Run Obstacle courses livened up with huge log walls, rope swings, fire pits and even electrical fences.
Thailand is a perfect place to find your adventure. There are a couple of great one-day Adventure Races for either beginner or intermediate racers: the River Kwai Adventure Race in March, and the Krabi Adventure Race in September. Both of these events combine trail running, mountain biking, swimming and kayaking and both have separate divisions for beginner and intermediate/advanced athletes. Adventure races are nice to do together with a partner in a team competition, but sometimes you just want to race by yourself. Years ago we put on our first adventure race in Railay Bay, Thailand. The race for individuals combined kayaking, trail running, some bouldering and cave trekking, abseiling, jungle scrambling, and swimming - with two legs of the kayaking and trail running. One of the first winners was XTERRA World Champion Jamie Whitmore in 2004. In last year's race I was able to inch ahead of fellow competitor Tye Austin at the very end of the second kayak leg to have just enough of a lead to hold him off on the sprint up the beach to win. You don't have to race to find adventure in Thailand; there are plenty of other options.
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| The Railay Bay Adventure Race |
Ten years ago on my 42nd birthday I expanded my 'adventure threshold' with my first experience with waterfall abseiling. This activity, which is rappelling down the center of a raging 75 foot waterfall, in the water, was a birthday present from my wife and was set up by Mountain Designs Thailand, the only company offering something like this in Thailand. Subsequently we took travelers from our TBF Travel guided adventure vacations waterfall abseiling and most of them loved it! Over the years of traveling with first time visitors to Thailand I have experienced many different 'adventure thresholds'. For some people climbing aboard an elephant was the most thrilling and exciting adventure of their life, while for others it was ziplining through tree tops in the jungle, or exploring an underground cave that descends deeper and deeper until ending in a waterfall exit. I have seen individuals conquer lifelong fears of heights, open water swimming, confinement in tight dark places, snakes, spiders and even sharks while in Thailand expanding their adventure horizon. Somehow it seems easier to push your limits and achieve impossible feats when everyone is smiling at you and the food tastes so good.
Finding your own adventure is easier when you feel good about yourself. Maintaining your health, keeping up your fitness level, pushing yourself to try and do new things like mountain biking or sea kayaking, or sometimes doing old things that you have not done in a while like yoga or strength training, allows you to have the freedom of choice when it comes to what type of adventures you want to have. Don't limit your choices by not being healthy and fit enough to participate in the adventures you have dreamed about having. Have your dreams, achieve your goals, and live your adventure.
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