featured team - april 2006

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Team Ambition

Hometown:	Des Moines, IA
Team Members:	Tom Farr, Sarah O'Brien, Todd Eschweiler, and several other "fourth partners"
Website:	n/a
Years racing / number of races participated in:	The team has been together for about a year and has completed five races in various configurations (2, 3 and 4 people). Todd had completed numerous marathons, and Sarah completed a duathlon last year. We also run in races, such as: Living History Farms Off-Road Race, Sycamore 8, Drake Half Marathon, and Des Moines Half Marathon, where there are no formal team entries but we compete together.
Favorite team training regimen:	Our most consistent activity is biking, usually on trails, although we have gone running, orienteering, paddling and climbing as a group. One combination we have tried twice is going to a local lake, run around once, bike around once, then into a canoe for some paddling time.
Favorite foods/drink during an adventure race:	Water (of course), Gatorade, and Red Bull for drinks. Peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, Power Bars, and Snickers for food.
Best advice or tip our team can pass along to others:	Make sure that your goals and abilities are a pretty good match between the team members -- any major disconnect will probably lead to frustration. Be willing to accept adversity and enjoy the activity for what it is -- many races will go the way you want or expect, but some don't. Try and keep your team connection and momentum going with team training events on a regular basis -- even if you can't all make it, go with who can.
Best adventure race memory:	Probably when our name was called to place third in the coed division at the inaugural SOAR race in 2005. We did our best, and it was unexpected, so even more rewarding. Second would have to be standing in a clearing and watching a large herd of deer stampede by, flushed by all the competitors in the woods -- and realizing that anyone who decided to stay in bed on that cold, rainy day wouldn't ever have a chance to see that sight.
Worst adventure race memory:	The singletrack, or should I say alleged singletrack, at our first race where the race director admitted that parts of the trail were too "technical" for even experienced mountain bikers. It was filled with crashes and pushed bikes in rough terrain. Second has to be the water segment from a race in November 2005 -- large lake, cold, overcast, windy, choppy waves -- real hypothermia weather. After we got off the water, our two female teammates just stood and shivered until they could get some dry clothes on.
Team motto or quote:	Don't have one yet!
Next race you'll see our team at:	Life Quest, May 20, 2006 -- near Sioux City, Iowa
Contact Information:

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