Running should be fun. In the spirit of that idea Veronica and I signed up for the Great Urban Challenge, a race similar to the Amazing Race. Teams of 2 are given 12 clues at the start of the race - clues that lead to different locations around the city, each with different challenges to complete. Each team had to complete 11 clues (1 skip) in any order and return to the finish as quickly as possible.
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| Great Urban Race |
It was a bit of a last minute decision as we signed up on Wednesday for the Saturday race, which left us with little time to come up with team costumes. We got together Friday evening for a costume design / team strategy / margarita meeting. We had opted for the name “Team Nguyen” (pronounced “win”) and needed costumes to go with it. Veronica put her design skillz to work designing race shirts and I put my engineering skillz to work constructing AWESOME Asian hats out of paper.
The shirts turned out fantastic. She had started out with monsters that reminded me of the internet joke several years ago about killing kittens… Something only people with sophomoric senses of humor would appreciate, anyone with any maturity would think it just stupid. We of course laughed and the joke made it on to the shirt.
The shirts turned out fantastic. She had started out with monsters that reminded me of the internet joke several years ago about killing kittens… Something only people with sophomoric senses of humor would appreciate, anyone with any maturity would think it just stupid. We of course laughed and the joke made it on to the shirt.
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Team Nguyen Every time you pronounce it wrong, a kitten dies. |
The hats were also, of course, awesome.
This was the first time for either of us to participate in a scavenger hunt / clue solving race so we didn’t have much idea on how to prepare. We drew a 4 mile radius circle around the start, figuring that would be about the race limits (based on the 4-8 mile estimate given online) and took some educated guesses as to where the race might try to take us. We made sure we had the supplies we would need – water, camera, a couple of maps, then set our alarms to make sure we were up in time for the 11 am check in… then headed to the bars. We were well rested and hydrated for the race the next day…
RACE DAY
The next morning we were ready bright and early, and, with the help of some feel good pills (thank you Advil), we were feeling like a million bucks. First order of business was to fuel well for the race, 3 cinnamon rolls later, check. Then we headed downstairs with our gear, matching shirts and awesome hats. The hats were awesome.
In the elevator down from my apartment we were greeted by a couple and the man commented on how our hats would be nice in the sun. We quickly explained the race and got the “ah” that meant he didn’t really understand or care. As we got off we heard a mumbled “and that’s what happens when you do drugs”.
This was the first time for either of us to participate in a scavenger hunt / clue solving race so we didn’t have much idea on how to prepare. We drew a 4 mile radius circle around the start, figuring that would be about the race limits (based on the 4-8 mile estimate given online) and took some educated guesses as to where the race might try to take us. We made sure we had the supplies we would need – water, camera, a couple of maps, then set our alarms to make sure we were up in time for the 11 am check in… then headed to the bars. We were well rested and hydrated for the race the next day…
RACE DAY
The next morning we were ready bright and early, and, with the help of some feel good pills (thank you Advil), we were feeling like a million bucks. First order of business was to fuel well for the race, 3 cinnamon rolls later, check. Then we headed downstairs with our gear, matching shirts and awesome hats. The hats were awesome.
In the elevator down from my apartment we were greeted by a couple and the man commented on how our hats would be nice in the sun. We quickly explained the race and got the “ah” that meant he didn’t really understand or care. As we got off we heard a mumbled “and that’s what happens when you do drugs”.
20 yards into the 2 mile run from my apartment to the start line we ditched the awesome hats in the bushes – aerodynamics were not part of the engineering design process the night before… (Don’t worry, we picked them up on the way back.)
The race start was at Finnegan’s on the river. It was a great location, pool, bar, live music setting up for the party that would be happening when we finished later that afternoon. We checked in then found a good spot to sit and wait and watch the other competitors roll in. There were some pretty good costumes coming in – it was quickly apparent our matching shirts wouldn’t be winning the prize – we now had to finish top 25 to qualify for the national event in NO.
During this time we also discussed how we both brought important things to the table and we should be in good shape for a race like this. We were both solid runners, and we decided with Miami’s terrible public transportation, running was going to win. Veronica had a better knowledge of the city and speaks Spanish, which in Miami might be very helpful. It also turns out she has a nose like a blood hound. I had more competitiveness than I know how to deal with in a healthy manner, and well, that was about it, though it would also turn out that I had a slightly better sense of direction, we only stopped to ask for directions once…
The 12:00 race started right on (Latin) time as we were allowed to open the clues right at 12:15. Veronica and I quickly secured a table and began working on the clues. We had decided we would work all the clues first, then plot a route starting at the furthest clue and working our way back towards the start. I was able to look up a couple of the clues on my cheap phone (any kind of smart phone would be a huge advantage) and we texted a couple of friends for support though we were able to solve the clues on our own before we verified with the answers coming back from the support team. We plotted our route and jumped up ready to go. We were the only ones still at the start area 30 min after receiving the clues. Opps.
The clues seemed to be clustered mostly north, the furthest being up towards Margaret Pace Park, so we crossed the river and started running that direction. I proposed keeping a block or two off Bayshore drive, where the clues were located, just because the inner roads were a little straighter. She agreed but pointed in the opposite direction… A brief discussion later and we were off (She let me win the discussion AND I was right!)
As luck would have it we rounded the corner and Veronica realized we were right by the library – one of the clue locations, so we decided to hit that clue before heading further North. We raced inside only to see we weren’t the first ones there, and several teams were leaving before we completed the artistic challenge – I let the graphic designer handle that one. We got our proof of completion and raced out, again heading north.
A mile further and we were in the area of the DRB (Democratic Republic of Beer). No problem homing in on that location, we may have been here a time or two… The “biggest beer selection in Miami” clue was probably the one we solved quickest that morning. Inside we found our next challenge – smelling beer to identify the flavor. My lack of a sense smell meant Veronica was up again. After sniffing the beers like a drug dog and bemoaning the fact that she wasn’t allowed to taste them, she identified all three correctly on the first try. She demanded extra cool points for that one - I guess she earned them... We grabbed our proof of completion, a 10% off coupon, promised to be back to use said coupon, and were out the door. We also found out we were the first ones to the challenge there – a good sign.
Next stop was less than a mile further up Biscayne, the unscrambled clue read “The Scoot Skate and Bike Shop” and we stepped in to identify 6 parts of a bike. I handed the tri-athlete (Veronica) the paper and pencil but was able to identify the simple parts they had labeled. We did get one wrong on the first try, but corrected on the second try (WHEEL, not TIRE). Got our sheet signed, grabbed a free coozie for later, and were off. We were also the first through the bike shop – good stuff!
We headed across the street and back south towards Margaret Pace Park before realizing the next clue was actually a little further North, we spun around and headed back up the street. Several teams were headed south from the bakery we were pointed towards – this worried me slightly, but I was quickly reprimanded by Veronica for expressing any doubts on how we were doing. We headed into the bakery looking for a cartoon character whose picture we were given. He was in the comic on the wall, but the information we were looking for, name and birthdate, weren’t apparent. We spent several minutes looking at the comic strip on the wall hoping for a clue, then started looking for someone to ask. Just then another team came in and headed straight to the back. We discretely followed and sure enough, name and birthday. We scribbled the answer down and sprinted out. 2 blocks later I realized we also needed a photo, so we sprinted back, got our photo and headed south again.
The race start was at Finnegan’s on the river. It was a great location, pool, bar, live music setting up for the party that would be happening when we finished later that afternoon. We checked in then found a good spot to sit and wait and watch the other competitors roll in. There were some pretty good costumes coming in – it was quickly apparent our matching shirts wouldn’t be winning the prize – we now had to finish top 25 to qualify for the national event in NO.
During this time we also discussed how we both brought important things to the table and we should be in good shape for a race like this. We were both solid runners, and we decided with Miami’s terrible public transportation, running was going to win. Veronica had a better knowledge of the city and speaks Spanish, which in Miami might be very helpful. It also turns out she has a nose like a blood hound. I had more competitiveness than I know how to deal with in a healthy manner, and well, that was about it, though it would also turn out that I had a slightly better sense of direction, we only stopped to ask for directions once…
The 12:00 race started right on (Latin) time as we were allowed to open the clues right at 12:15. Veronica and I quickly secured a table and began working on the clues. We had decided we would work all the clues first, then plot a route starting at the furthest clue and working our way back towards the start. I was able to look up a couple of the clues on my cheap phone (any kind of smart phone would be a huge advantage) and we texted a couple of friends for support though we were able to solve the clues on our own before we verified with the answers coming back from the support team. We plotted our route and jumped up ready to go. We were the only ones still at the start area 30 min after receiving the clues. Opps.
The clues seemed to be clustered mostly north, the furthest being up towards Margaret Pace Park, so we crossed the river and started running that direction. I proposed keeping a block or two off Bayshore drive, where the clues were located, just because the inner roads were a little straighter. She agreed but pointed in the opposite direction… A brief discussion later and we were off (She let me win the discussion AND I was right!)
As luck would have it we rounded the corner and Veronica realized we were right by the library – one of the clue locations, so we decided to hit that clue before heading further North. We raced inside only to see we weren’t the first ones there, and several teams were leaving before we completed the artistic challenge – I let the graphic designer handle that one. We got our proof of completion and raced out, again heading north.
A mile further and we were in the area of the DRB (Democratic Republic of Beer). No problem homing in on that location, we may have been here a time or two… The “biggest beer selection in Miami” clue was probably the one we solved quickest that morning. Inside we found our next challenge – smelling beer to identify the flavor. My lack of a sense smell meant Veronica was up again. After sniffing the beers like a drug dog and bemoaning the fact that she wasn’t allowed to taste them, she identified all three correctly on the first try. She demanded extra cool points for that one - I guess she earned them... We grabbed our proof of completion, a 10% off coupon, promised to be back to use said coupon, and were out the door. We also found out we were the first ones to the challenge there – a good sign.
Next stop was less than a mile further up Biscayne, the unscrambled clue read “The Scoot Skate and Bike Shop” and we stepped in to identify 6 parts of a bike. I handed the tri-athlete (Veronica) the paper and pencil but was able to identify the simple parts they had labeled. We did get one wrong on the first try, but corrected on the second try (WHEEL, not TIRE). Got our sheet signed, grabbed a free coozie for later, and were off. We were also the first through the bike shop – good stuff!
We headed across the street and back south towards Margaret Pace Park before realizing the next clue was actually a little further North, we spun around and headed back up the street. Several teams were headed south from the bakery we were pointed towards – this worried me slightly, but I was quickly reprimanded by Veronica for expressing any doubts on how we were doing. We headed into the bakery looking for a cartoon character whose picture we were given. He was in the comic on the wall, but the information we were looking for, name and birthdate, weren’t apparent. We spent several minutes looking at the comic strip on the wall hoping for a clue, then started looking for someone to ask. Just then another team came in and headed straight to the back. We discretely followed and sure enough, name and birthday. We scribbled the answer down and sprinted out. 2 blocks later I realized we also needed a photo, so we sprinted back, got our photo and headed south again.
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| Clyde, born 1940 |
The next clue had been a math question involving Miami Heat player jersey numbers that pointed us to Margaret Pace Park for a “nautical challenge”. Once at the park we couldn’t see any GUR staff until we saw another team racing across the park to where the staff were standing. We followed and from a distance I saw a sign with what looked like knot tying instructions. Please be a bowline! Sure enough… I had my knot tied, untied, and our sheet stamped before the other team had figured out what they were supposed to do… I love knots.
As we again headed South back towards the second cluster of clues we saw a little dog racing around barking at us. We stopped and tried to get him to come over to shake his paw (scavenger hunt photo), no luck so we asked another couple if their dog could model. The dog didn’t know that trick, but we faked it and were off and running.
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| Dolce... |
The next clue we were headed towards was a sculpture that we figured was located in Bayfront park – a little pre race recon I had done… We had to weave our way through ultra music fest goers as we made our way down Bayshore drive, ducking into a gas station to look for a donation item – no luck. We did manage to stop a group of fest goers and get them to take a picture in a conga line with us. Two scavenger hunt photos down.
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| Conga! |
We got to Bayfront park not knowing exactly where the statue was. We did see a couple looking for their nautical challenge and informed them they were about a mile south of where they needed to be. We ended up asking a parking attendant where the statue we were looking for was and he pointed the way. We got to the statue and soon realized it was a tribute to the sculptor we were after NOT by the sculptor. Uh oh, wrong statue in a park with several spread out statues (we were still hoping it was this park.) We decided Veronica would head a block up to a CVS to buy the donation item and I would search out the statue.
As luck would have it the correct statue was my next guess. I filled out the clue’s poem and sat in the shade and grabbed a sip of water and waited for Veronica to finish shopping. Typical.
When Veronica got back we snapped our proof photo (I made us take several worrying about the “with the sculpture completely visible” wording). And we headed another block over to the sculpture where we were to make our donation. Luckily Veronica had recognized the picture and knew right where it was. We run past it regularly on our group runs, but I would never have remembered… When we got there, there was no GUR staff in sight. Another team ran up and said they had been looking for 10 minutes and couldn’t find anyone so we should just snap photos and call it good. Just as we were lining up for our photos we saw the GUR staff yelling from across the street. Pretty sneaking hiding a donation location in a restaurant across the street from the clue… Donation done, 7 clues down, we headed west.
As luck would have it the correct statue was my next guess. I filled out the clue’s poem and sat in the shade and grabbed a sip of water and waited for Veronica to finish shopping. Typical.
When Veronica got back we snapped our proof photo (I made us take several worrying about the “with the sculpture completely visible” wording). And we headed another block over to the sculpture where we were to make our donation. Luckily Veronica had recognized the picture and knew right where it was. We run past it regularly on our group runs, but I would never have remembered… When we got there, there was no GUR staff in sight. Another team ran up and said they had been looking for 10 minutes and couldn’t find anyone so we should just snap photos and call it good. Just as we were lining up for our photos we saw the GUR staff yelling from across the street. Pretty sneaking hiding a donation location in a restaurant across the street from the clue… Donation done, 7 clues down, we headed west.
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| Found the sculpture! |
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| Donating to habitat for humanity! |
We hadn’t pinned down the location of the next clue yet – “the Miami Café off SE 1st Street where you would be sure to find Picasso, Van Gough or Rembrandt grabbing a bite to eat.” Come to think of it, the artists might have been important in that clue… Again, luck struck and it was only a block up from where we were and the GUR staff were waiting outside making it easy to spot. I had a rock hard brownie shoved in my face, photo taken and we were off again looking for the next challenge.
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| Mmm, stale brownie. |
The next clue was the Gusman Theater that Veronica had deciphered by completing a word search and using the un-circled letters. We weren’t sure of the theater’s location and instead of stopping to Google it, we raced around 1st street and then up to 2nd street until Veronica thought she remembered where it might be – not on 1st or 2nd street... Inside the theater we had to act out a short skit, alternating reading lines from different movies. I of course managed to grab the long one, so finished by reading lines to myself. There were no acting offers. We snapped a photo of the peacock, accepted our coupons for free 80’s movie night this summer, and set off for the last challenge location.
We had 2 check points left to complete, one at Brickell park and one taking a photo pretending to dive into a fountain, we had picked to skip CP4, which said come in and learn a few stress relieving techniques. It sounded slightly time consuming (which would be stressful), though it turned out to possibly be one of the fastest challenges from what other teams told us, oh well. We decided to head across the bridge back to Brickell park instead of side tracking to a near by fountain – a good choice as the bridge went up shortly after we crossed.
At Brickell park we were challenged to build a paper airplane and land it on a target. Veronica started folding before asking how to make a paper airplane, uh oh. I grabbed a sheet and started constructing a supper craft that would fly straight in the heavy wind. Veronica had learned how to fold a plane and landed her’s on the target before mine even looked like a plane, yeah, I heard about that one… Off we went towards the finish.
We still had to take one last photo to complete our tic-tac-toe scavenger challenge. We could side track several blocks to Mary Brickell Village for the fountain shot, but Veronica was sure there was a fountain in the hotel right by the finish so we headed that way. Right once again, we asked the valet to take our photo, and TIC-TAC-TOE! 11 clues completed we just needed to get back to the finish.
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| Tick-Tack-Toe Complete! |
A few more blocks and we were through the finishing arch, amazed to learn that we were the first ones to finish, and after we survived the clue check in one piece we won! We had run 8 miles for the race (plus 2 to warm up and still had 2 more to get home) so we were ready for some beer and food by the pool side as we waited for the other teams to get in. It was an awesome experience and I think we learned some good lessons to take with us to nationals in New Orleans in November!
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| We won! |
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| We won, I swear! |
A big thank you to the support team (Lila, Stephanie & Kevin) – we’re going to need you guys a whole lot more in November!!
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