Navigating Solo: What a 5-Hour Adventure Race Taught Me About Trusting My Own Compass

Adventure racing is a test of pure strategy and speed. You travel miles of wild terrain by foot, bike, or kayak, hunting for hidden checkpoints using nothing but a topographic map and a classic magnetic compass. Seconds count, and every decision matters.

Years ago, while training for an ultramarathon, I met a couple on the trails who introduced me to the sport. The sheer excitement of it hooked me. I joined the Southern Michigan Orienteering Club to learn the precise art of land navigation, eventually diving into my first official race with Lost Arrow Sports. After years of racing alongside family and friends, this weekend marked a major milestone: my very first solo race.

I signed up for the 5-hour division of the Michigan Adventure Race in Muskegon. Standing at the start line, I mapped out a clear strategy: bike north to the first trekking section, clear the northern checkpoints, ride back south to the next trekking zone, and finish on the water.

The wilderness, however, had its own plans.

The Muskegon terrain was brutal, unforgivingly hilly trails that slowed my pace to a crawl. By the second checkpoint, I was turned around. By the third, I was completely lost in the woods.

Instead of panicking, I treated those rough miles as a warmup. I found my bearings, locked back into my strategy, and began pulling in checkpoints one by one, even when they were buried at the bottom of sandy ravines or perched on top of steep peaks.  I fell a few times, but brushed myself off and kept going. The final kayak leg threw high winds and incredibly choppy water at me. My arms felt like rubber at the end.

I crossed the finish line at 4 hours and 40 minutes, securing 16 out of 20 checkpoints and taking 2nd place in the solo female division.

Stepping into the woods completely alone was scary. But crossing that finish line proved something invaluable: when you trust your own internal navigation, you are capable of handling whatever terrain life throws at you.