An adventurer’s journal

Editor’s note: Cara DeCarlo stays busy in her job at BP, and with her studies for a master’s degree in mass communications at LSU’s Manship School. In September, she made time for a little adventure.

It’s the only place you can bruise your rear end with dignity.

On Sept. 20, two buddies and I teamed up against 40 other three-person teams to compete in the second-annual Ocean Springs Adventure Race near Biloxi.

The course: five miles of running, 10 miles of cycling, and five miles of canoeing.

The three of us had never done an adventure race before, but we figured, “How bad could it be—we were all wearing helmets?”

Little did I know the race would be so intense. After an invigorating jog (that may have included running through poison ivy), I rode the world’s most uncomfortable rental bike, and then crashed a canoe into a pier. “Dudes,” I said, “I’m never racing another vehicle again!” But the race’s next leg was back on the bikes.

Nevertheless, the day was unforgettable. My team got to see dense forest, cool bayou, and picturesque marinas, all while stepping up to the challenge of competition. We met some great people, and we learned that control isn’t everything when you’re just there to have good time.

We also learned to buy padded bike seats.