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ANOTHER ASSAULT
By Tam Thompson

Austin Subaru Urban Assault Race

Get Ready For The Second Annual Urban Assault Adventure Race

L ast year, local bridge designer Brian Kuehy took his wife, Stephanie, on an “adventure date.” She had no idea what she was in for; the date turned out to be a little racey, literally. Brian had signed them up for the first-ever Urban Assault Race (UAR), a unique event that combines elements from adventure racing, road cycling and a good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt for teams of two throughout the streets of downtown Austin and the nearby area. Racing with his wife provided a welcomed break from the pressures and stress of Kuehy’s usual competitions — he’s a semi-professional mountain bike racer.

“For me, it was a completely different thing to race with Stephanie,” Brian says. “We had to do things like ride piggy-back together on one bike and climb a rock wall. It was really a wonderful bonding experience for us.”

At first, however, Kuehy was admittedly a bit concerned about his wife’s lack of experience in endurance sports and how it might affect her.

“My main worry was traffic,” he says. “Stephanie’s not used to riding in traffic and it’s pretty dangerous to ride downtown, so we had a little talk about how to ride beside cars, how to signal, how to work your way across traffic and how to make a left turn.”

They both participated in the race more for the experience than for competitive reasons. “It was the first time I’d ever done anything like that,” Stephanie says. “I didn’t have any real biking experience; I didn’t train for it at all (other than just riding my bike around the neighborhood a few times) and during the race I was riding in tennis shoes and toe clips. The closest thing I’d done previously was walk. So, for the race, we entered as ‘Team Wanna Finish.’”

But the allure of participating in something she’d never done before and having her husband with her for help and support was what drew her to the race.
“We were definitely there to have fun, and we did. All in all, it was a wonderful experience,” she adds. “Despite the fact that I got tired towards the end, pedaling in my lowest gear, Brian was there with his hand on my lower back, pushing me. Up on our refrigerator, we still have the picture of us finishing, with our arms wrapped around each other. In fact, we sent it out with our Christmas cards last year,” she says.

“It was a great experience,” Brian reiterates, “finishing arm-in-arm, knowing we went through the whole thing together. I was really proud of Stephanie for being able to finish, and being able to ride our bikes around town and just be together was great. Other people in the race were trying to go fast, but we just took our time. Austin’s a beautiful city and it was fun to be able to venture out on bikes to different points, see some new locations and share some of my favorite trails with my wife. We really savored the experience and enjoyed it to the fullest.”

Like the Kuehy’s, Lisa Hensz, an office manager at a physical therapy clinic, also competed in last year’s race, but she and her teammate, Kristi Welch, had considerably more experience going in.

“Previously, I’d done the Women’s Adventure Race (WAR), which was so much fun, and I’ve done the Danskin Women’s Triathlon several times,” Hensz recounts.

“Growing up, I ran track and cross-country in high school, but I just recently got into adventure racing after two of my friends and I did the WAR last year. We absolutely fell in love with adventure racing! Then I did Josh Kravetz’s boot camp clinic to get ready for last year’s UAR, and it was awesome. I learned a lot from it. The biggest thing was that I finally got comfortable riding a mountain bike on trails.”

Hensz and her teammate — collectively known as “Team Focus” — had so much fun in the UAR last year that they’re doing it again this year.

When asked what she likes most about the UAR, Hensz has a quick response.
“The fact that you don’t have to be the greatest athlete to do it and finish is a real draw. Going into it, I thought, ‘How can I compete in this? I’m not top caliber.’ But then I realized that my team was probably not going to be first or last. I enjoy adventure racing because it’s a team sport with individual aspects to it.”

When asked what her team’s goal is for this year’s race, Hensz smiles. “We don’t know what all’s going to happen, so our goal is to just do it, to finish and, most importantly, to have fun. I just got into these events recently, and I really like the variety of doing lots of different things in one race.”

Despite the camaraderie and team-building that are customary in the UAR, Hensz also can’t help but smile when she recalls the funnier moments of last year’s race.

“One of the funniest things that happened last year was the very first special test. There were all these numbered tennis balls in a field, and you had to find yours. People were going around in circles, looking for the one with their team number on it.

“Then, after the running and mountain biking sections, we hit the water leg. I was tired by then, and I remember asking myself, ‘Why am I doing this, why am I putting myself through this?’ But then I saw people doing the funny board walk, where a team had to have their right feet on one board and their left on another, pulling ropes to move them, and I just cracked up — it was funny!”

Hensz has become a big fan of the clinics that Kravetz holds prior to the UAR. “I’ve enjoyed Josh’s clinics,” she says. “He’s very knowledgeable and very patient. I learned a ton in the first one I went to, and it gave me a lot of confidence on the bike. I’m really looking forward to going to this year’s UAR clinic since I know it’ll be a blast,” she says.
“At the clinic last year, I met some new friends, people who had the same interests. There’s a lot more to adventure racing than just plain running, biking and paddling — it has a whole social aspect. Now I’ve gotten to where I prefer these types of events. Kristi and I have a lot of fun when we train together, doing mountain and road biking, running and some swimming. The only paddling we’ve done was in the clinic, but we’re planning to do more this summer. I’m excited about the summer!”

This year’s Austin Subaru Urban Assault Race will take place June 20. Racers will start and finish at Pure Austin (formerly Powerhouse Gym) at Fifth Street and Lamar Boulevard. Race director Josh Kravetz estimates that there will be approximately 250 teams, and promises, “the challenges will be more physical obstacles, and they’ll be less hokey. Last year, we had things like karaoke at Stubb’s and piggy-back foot-races carrying waiter’s trays with cups of water on them at Little City Coffee House.”

The course is open to traffic, which means competitors must obey all traffic laws as they choose the order in which to do each checkpoint and bike to those checkpoints. There will be course monitors watching and any traffic tickets that racers receive will disqualify them from the race.

“We’re targeting the urban athlete this year,” Kravetz says, “people with careers and families who are looking for a unique event. We have a Father’s Day category and an online quiz that gives you a chance to earn an early start in the race.”

When asked how this year’s UAR differs from the Urban Challenge race, an annual Austin event held each fall, Kravetz responds, “Urban Challenge is more focused on trivia and public transportation. This is the first race to integrate strategy, teamwork, athleticism and technology. This isn’t as much of a scavenger hunt — this is more physical, with no trivia questions.”

This year’s UAR race clinics will teach aspiring Urban Assaulters skills and show them various shortcuts that they can use to find their way through downtown quickly. “We’re having a gear expo at the clinics so that people can try out the latest gadgets from Nike Timing, Cannondale and other sponsors,” Kravetz says.
Sponsors of the race include Subaru, New Belgium Brewing, Chipotle Gourmet Burritos, Pure Austin, Whole Earth Provision Company and austin FiT magazine, among others. Beneficiaries of the race include the Sunshine Camps, which provide outdoor lifestyle camping experiences for kids.

Already, Kravetz is looking toward the future. “Our goal is to take the race to other cities, and expand it to a reality/sports show while keeping it an accessible race that you don’t have to quit your job or do killer workouts for. In fact, focusing too much on one sport might hinder you in the Urban Assault — you need to be well-balanced and open-minded.”

So if a unique challenge that features a wide variety of activities, all within downtown Austin, appeals to you, check out the UAR online at www.urbanassaultrace.com. You don’t have to be an Eco-Challenge veteran to do it — a few rides around the neighborhood will be sufficient training. Take the plunge, sign up, and get ready to have as much fun and adventure as you can handle!

It seems the only question left to answer is: Will the Kuehy’s do the race again? A very pregnant Stephanie chuckles, “well, since my due date is May 30, we won’t be able to do it this year, but we’re definitely thinking about doing it next year. I would totally recommend the Urban Assault Race to anyone; it’s not that expensive, and anyone can do it!”