Aftermath of City Chase

We finished....well not really.  We crossed the finish line,  but due to some unforeseen circumstances,  we didn't complete 10 tasks.

It's a bright and shiny day,  which is already better than last years race which was cold,  wet and drizzly.

We didn't arrive keener early,  as I knew that it was a lot of hoopla to start,  and you just stand around for over an hour.  We skipped the promo talks,  warm ups (this might have been a mistake on our part) and all the general boringness.  Hope on the train,  to avoid parking nightmares,  arrive with 10 minutes to spare.  We're geared up and ready to go.  Casey has been ready to go since about 6 am.  This is my second race,  so I slept fine.  Eau Claire is jammed packed with excited teams of two,  in various outfits and athletic abilities...all excited to get this show on the road.   (Unless we're in the pics,  I can't take credit for them.  Thank you City Chase photographer guy.)

Count down.....3....2....1!!!

Blast out to Princess Island path,  and realize very quickly that I haven't run in a while...what were we thinking?!  That's okay,  we're surviving on adrenaline.  We see that volunteer with the clue sheets.....  Last year Dev and I figured out one clue and took off...sort of mapping our way as we went along.  It worked fine.  This year we wanted to try a different strategy.  Map out a bunch, and head to where there a more than one close. 

We spend about a half hour,  making a plan...texting a friend to look up an address.  We decide on our plan of action and charge out of the starting gates...onto to the train...we are so gonna rock this.  WRONG!  Stupid C-Train construction.  We had jumped on a North bound train.  No problem,  just switch at City Hall....uh,  except that stop is closed and now we're sitting,  with two other teams,  at Bridgeland station...for 20 minutes.  Frustrating...nearly an hour into the race and we haven't gotten anywhere.  That's okay,  back downtown,  decide to hit a chase point that right off the train station.  Arrive,  other teams there,  no chase point.  The clues given are correct, and the place they lead are correct....online research does not give you the right address if the company does not update their sites.  Over and hour since start,  still nowhere.

Alright,  refocus...back to our original plan.  Onto the train and heading to Chinook Station.  One great thing about City Chase is that no matter where you go,  there are other teams, everyone talks and visits like we're long lost friends.  The majority of chasers are not going to win,  or even come close.  We in it for the fun and experience.  So we share clues and answers,  search out points together and give people pointers and directions.  It doesn't hurt anyone's game,  it's just fun.  Finally arrive,  head to Parkour.  Clue was No Limits,  which is just south of Chinook Station.

Challenge - each team has to complete enough events that they have a combined total of ten points.  Shoes off,  get in line.  Casey does climbing, and rolling...and attempts another one.  I do jumping on uneven box things, and vaulting...well,  vaulting is what it was supposed to look like....a spectacle is what it really looked like.

See how this dude has two hands on the vaulty thing, feet together...facing forward.  I was told a few times that I was supposed to do it like this.  Listen pal,  I had two hands on the vault,  two feet generally going over at the same time,  if I land backwards,  on my butt...hey,  at least I got over!!  Fine..Casey gets 6 points,  I have 5...we're done.  Get your race sheet punched (where the guy caught my shirt too and put a whole in it....grrrr).

Next,  two blocks away...Lacrosse.

Pass the ball,  with correct form,  back and forth three times....run to the end.  Not too bad...

Head back to McLeod trail.  Then the constant dilemma of the race.  Wait for the bus/train...or run.  Which is faster,  it it worth the extra wait for the bus in order to save our energy?  We decide to wait.  We're headed to Stanley Park,  we have deducted there are two challenges there.  The wait is longer than expected...but the bus does eventually come.

Frisbee Golf,  and if you go over par you had to do burpees.  Groan.

Survivor Style obstacle...hook your caribeaner to the rope,  thread yourself through.  Partner goes this way,  you come back.  Fun.

Not too bad,  banged those out in about half hour.  Heading back to McLeod.  Pass a guy on the way giving out Slurpee coupons,  bonus!  Potty break and Slurpee's.  Next is The Remodelers,  put together a car,  push it to knock down at least three of the bowling pins.  This was not a well planned or manned chase point.  The kids running it were not excited to be there,  the materials were stupid.  We finished it,  but made a comment about it on the race end sheet.  Even the dumb chase points can be fun if the volunteers are remotely excited to be involved.

Back to the train,  walk with another team and talk with them.  Everyone you pass along the race you say hi too...just fun.  We're headed to the Stampede Casino next.  Object,  get Blackjack.  If you don't...partner has to eat a Prairie Oyster.  Do you know what a Prairie Oyster is?!!  I played,  and hit....he was safe from the Oyster.

5 punches on our race sheet....we're half done.

Train it up to Kensington - Orienteering in Riley Park...then Wheelchair Basketball at Sunnyside Community Centre.

Now comes the bad part.  The next chase point we attempted was at G.A.P Adventures.  You roll the dice to determine what you partner will do...options are

1. Hold a Snake

2. Have a tarantula on your bare stomach

3. Eat a cricket - first pick it out from among his friends.

4. Eat a worm

Which do you think is my biggest Fear Factor?  Eating a worm....what does Casey roll....EATING A FREAKING WORM!!!  I tried,  really I did...but I was tired,  had been in the sun all day,  trying to wrap my head around crunching into this worm that is crawling,  with fangy things all over Casey's hand.  And then when I think I can do it,  I've mentally exited from the building,  I think I can take one for the team...Casey's moves a bit and the things starts flipping around in his hand.  That was the end...I lost my cool completely.  Have you ever had a reaction to something,  total melt down and it was so unlike you,  and you couldn't control it...and it took over you.  That's what I did.  So embarrassing.  Go running and screaming out of the place,  hands over my face like a fool.  Casey catches me and I'm in tears..."It's okay, you don't have to do it"  I felt awful,  and humiliated, and a little scared of the out of control feelings.  Anyway,  they didn't stamp our race sheet for that one.

Next,  Stand Up Comedy.  Go to the pool hall,  look at the five subject options,  make up a comedy routine and preform for 30 second.  Though he didn't quite have the complete melt down that I did,  Case didn't think he could do this one...so we moved on.

Body Worlds - Telus Science Centre.  This one was painting the bones of your arm,  on your arm,  then have to name three of them.  Easy peasy...I painted,  Casey was painted on.

9 down.  There's a final chase point that we could do right at Eau Claire.  We decide to do that one.  It's close to the finish line. We still have 45 minutes before the race finished,  so we'll be fine.  Unfortunately there are a bunch of other teams with the same plan.  Long line up.  Looks like a task that you get chained together,  have to go around Eau Claire Market and find the clues that will give you the code to the lock.  Great,  no problem.  We stand in line and meet John and Brian.  Great guys who are doing the race for the first time.  As is always the case when the racers get together,  we all share which chase points we've done. 

City Chase is sponsored by Blackberry.  New this year is having the Instant Messenger on your BB hooked up with the City Chase Guru.  Through out the race we've gotten IM's about different things.  None really useful,  just info on waiting lines,  and the number of teams that have finished.  But while we're in line we get a IM that the first team to show up at the Community Room get a free entry to next years race.  We know that if we get out of line,  we won't be able to finish all 10 tasks...but free entry is also attractive,  race entry fee is not cheap.  We decide to go for it...we come screaming in right behind the guy that got it. 

So that's it,  we're out of time.  We line up at the finish,  declare ourselves done,  with only 9 tasks...and accept the slight failure,  but ultimately the great success that we finished,  and finished together having had a great time.

Dear City Chase,  see you next year!