During my annual checkup, my doctor told me about the first  adventure racer he had ever met. He said this patient showed up with gashes all over his legs which he attributed to a briar patch and proceeded to pull out one of his “gadgets” to show the doctor the entire race course. That having been the first time my doctor had heard of adventure racing, he was quite surprised, and upon learning that I participated in the same sport, said “I always wondered if there were women out there insane enough to do that.”

Yes, we adventure racers have been called many things – insane, masochistic, over-the-top, and even a little bit nutty – but all of us have our reasons for doing what we do. Adventure, glory, success, pushing past our limits, learning about ourselves and others, fitness, distraction from the tedium of everyday life, seeing the surprise and confusion on someone’s face when we try to explain our hobby – this list only begins to explain why we wake up at the butt-crack of dawn after driving many hours and getting minimal sleep to drag ourselves through miles upon miles of mud, grit, briars, and creek crossings.

Over the next few weeks up until race day, I will be posting coverage of the 2010 Atomic AR featured teams, all of whom have their own personal reasons for joining us for this challenge. These are teams which we believe have a story to tell – whether it be as simple as trying something new or as awe-inspiring as having crossed the finish line at Primal Quest. These featured teams are meant to serve as a representation of the entire field of competition joining us at Amicalola on May 15^th to begin one of the many great adventures of their lives.