The Lockdown Adventure Race was announced at the end of March as an elapsed 96 hour adventure race (about 21 hours of activity) to be completed before the deadline of June30 midnight. Rootstock defined and set requirements for the seven stages that could be done in any order, plus geocaching. I began planning. Each stage went on a sticky note and I moved them around and around until my schedule was planned.
Life got in the way and what was planned way back in April only came to fruition on June 27th with just enough time to squeeze in my 3 days. COVID put a kibosh on social gathering and my hubby doesn’t race, so I sought out a teammate that was in my bubble of acquaintances and could endure the distance and effort without much squawking. Well, I only came up with Chicken. So Chicken it was.
We managed to pick up our first 2 geocaches. 
Day 1 Stage 6 – 2 hours of non-run and non-bike. I rustled through my basement to resurrect a contraption that I used in an adventure race back in the year 2003: the kickbike. Chicken and I headed for the River Trail. A rails/trails conversion linking East Peoria to Morton IL. Chicken was very excited as he knew he was going to significantly contribute to this stage. Definitely different from riding a bike or skateboard, this sport requires great knee lift and hamstring/glut strength to really power it along. Ambidextrous, I am not, and had to really work to power and coordinate this contraption with both legs equally. The trail gently slopes up from the river valley to the farmland on the bluffs and we kicked the 6 miles to Morton. Chicken pulled his weight- alerting our presence to everyone we passed. Coming back we had it a bit easier on the downhill slope and picked up speed. I think Chicken squawked a few extra times just out of excitement. 
I paddled in a jersey from my niece’s Dragon Boat Team- Blazing Paddles based in southern Florida. We took in the river edge sites of Peoria and East Peoria paddling downstream and then returning.
Chicken enjoyed the ride, but wasn’t much help with either effort or navigation. He wanted to visit the mallards and geese near the shoreline.
The next transition was loading the boats and unloading my bike. Chicken took the bars since he was used to that spot, and we Hammered toward home to wrap up our 5 hour multisport stage.
Chicken tried his luck at the championship disc golf course with not very good results, visited the Keebler tree, mourning his friend’s abduction, and won the challenge with a slow moving vehicle.
Why did the Chicken cross the street? Cuz he was feeling brave, even standing on the double yellow line. I won’t tell him this road was abandoned years ago. 
Today was the day to finish off our geocaching. Chicken had a knack for these bison tube type of caches and we polished them off (NO Chicken! don’t eat that!) with time to spare for just riding! Chicken had a hoot! Swooping and squawking the whole way. 
Chicken had the most timely historical marker in mind. Peoria, IL is the home of Richard Pryor. As the plaque says “ a world-class comedian and social critic who used his art to break down stereotypes and reflect on racism and other social issues in an unflinching manner. His unusually personal and insightful art was a powerful window into his own vulnerable soul, but also a window into a society that still struggles to extend equality and dignity to all of humanity.”
Every day is Hammer Nutrition day..I couldn't go on and on for hours and days without their great product line. Heed and Perpetuem fuel me with Fizz or Endurolytes providing the electrolyte boost. Hammer Bars (cranberry is yum!) give my tummy a bit of substance and Recoverite, Tissue Rejuvinator, BCAA and AntiFatigue Caps help me recovery quickly.
Day 1: Stage 2 is a three hour bushwhack. Chicken and I started off representing our local orienteering club- IRVOC (IL River Valley O Club). With COVID messing with our O-meets- the format changed to allowing 1 week to run a course, then the controls would be removed beginning at noon on Sunday. We started at 12:41 Sunday…umm, so we just had to imagine some of the controls and add other ones to satisfy the requirements of the Lockdown. (like hilltop, reentrant, creek, spur...) Chicken is already making an impact on our team. Before control 2 I was forced to stop for raspberry picking and eating. Yea, I see how this will go.
We managed to pick up our first 2 geocaches. 
Day 2: Stage 5: Five hour multisport. I had logistic problems with paddling and recruited a friend to transport and paddle with me (for water safety reasons also). So home was transition1 but transition 2 was at the IL River. Chicken and I “Hammered” 2 mile run to start the stage, followed by the transition of loading and ‘portaging’ the boats to the river.
Chicken enjoyed the ride, but wasn’t much help with either effort or navigation. He wanted to visit the mallards and geese near the shoreline. The picture only makes it look like I’ve hog tied him, ready to toss him overboard with a brick weight.(yea, really! I wouldn't pitch the squawking red mess overboard!)
Day 3: Three stages today: Stage 1 Run-Trek 3 hours. For this leg, I travel in the colors of my local mountain bike club- PAMBA. We trail care for seven local parks and 70+ miles. “Build, Ride, Maintain, Socialize” Today I am hiking the east side of Wildlife Prairie Park but I’m staying away from the bison, elk, bobcats, eagles, etc….
with more time to go- I travelled the west side and did a bit of trail care clean up as I went. Chicken wasn’t much help, just hung around instead.
Chicken tried his luck at the championship disc golf course with not very good results, visited the Keebler tree, mourning his friend’s abduction, and won the challenge with a slow moving vehicle.
We bagged 2 geocaches during our trek. The poison ivy is really flourishing this year!
Stage 4: Off Road Ride 3 hours. I’m riding in the colors of my mountain bike team – Little Ades Bicycle Shop. It’s a great shop, in Pekin IL. Lots of different ride styles in the folks that work there, so they have a broad range of knowledge. I’ve headed just 2.3 miles from Wildlife to Kinsey Park- our newest trail system.
With very few technical features it’s built for beginners but also for experts who challenge their skill with speed and climbing on trails with names like Ruby Slippers, Twister and Flying Monkeys.
Stage 7: This is one hour of strength and our required dark stagewhich I started at 10PM. I had different plans to incorporate 3 hours of trail care as the strength and trek after dark but I knew Chicken wasn’t going to do his fair share of the work, and we had to move a couple of stages around to get the paddle transport that I needed. So to the home fitness room it was… Ivy Rehab helped me through a mountain bike shoulder injury- so upper body strength is dedicated to Mike.
Off to bed for an early start to get that last stage completed before 12:41PM tomorrow.
Day 4 Stage 3: The final stage needed to be done before 12:41PM. The requirement is a 4 hour road ride visiting specific locations. (bold) Today I ride in honor of my local cycling club – Peoria Bicycle Club – founded in 1881.
Chicken wanted to be Team Captain for this final stage and I agreed only if I could have 2 vetoes to his wishes during the ride. Off we went. I know of only 2 stone fences in the area, one further out of our way than the other so we headed 5 miles east to Metamora, IL: A wonderful little town with history of the lawyer and future President Lincoln and a great mountain bike trail in Black Partridge Park. This stone fence borders a cool little cemetery. The roundness of each stone gives you a hint that the last glaciers rolled a bunch of rocks here and left them behind.
Onward to the abandoned – car dealership at the corner of Nofsinger and Rte 116. It still had cars when I moved to this area 15 years ago.
Chicken said head south looking for a ruin. I was stumped for a while not sure where we’d find a ruin along these beautiful, tidy farms. I thought of finding a junk car or the mangled guard rail on the highway. Chicken said keep going. Just north of Washington, IL- there it was- property for sale and a once majestic barn, now beyond repair.
Onward to the first of two bridges. Of four road bridges over the Illinois River in Peoria , this is the only bridge that is both safe and allows bikes. Safe is relative- now that the interstate bridge through town is closed for repair this bridge is more heavily trafficked.
Chicken had the most timely historical marker in mind. Peoria, IL is the home of Richard Pryor. As the plaque says “ a world-class comedian and social critic who used his art to break down stereotypes and reflect on racism and other social issues in an unflinching manner. His unusually personal and insightful art was a powerful window into his own vulnerable soul, but also a window into a society that still struggles to extend equality and dignity to all of humanity.”
COFFEE!! Chicken wants extra credit for hitting more than one coffee shop. The first is Zion Coffee Bar in the renovated Warehouse district. I said no to getting a cuppa java here. My first veto. Well, how about 3030 Coffee in the historical Anheuser- Busch triangle building. Second veto, we still have a long ways to go on the clock. And uh-oh, I’m out of vetoes.
Peoria is in the middle of a long stretch of paved/limestone rural and urban trail reaching 46 miles between Toulon IL and Morton, IL. Chicken and I rode urban trail sections in East Peoria for kick biking and Peoria for this road ride. Along this trail is the Dan Fogelburg Memorial. (Chicken says extra credit for a second historical marker)
The urban trail actually goes through the historic 220 acre Springdale cemetery in Peoria. It’s popular with runners and cyclists and has a published walking tour for the strolling folks. There are many interesting tombs and tombstones here from the solid granite box with no markings (behind the bike to the right), to the ornate mausoleums. My favorite stone is in Babyland- the lamb and the blanket.
Near our turn around on the trail is the second bridge. An amazing arch over a 5 lane thoroughfare that the engineers were given only a 40 minute window for closing the roadway to place the spans. They did it in 20. Wow! The panoramic photo takes in Junction City, the golf course turned city park, to the trail in both directions. I’m proud of my hometown for being so park and pedestrian friendly.
And finally-
Chickens reward for waiting: a cup of coffee at CxT Roasting alongside the trail in a reclaimed IL Dept of Transp. Maintenance building.
We had only about 90 minutes to retrace most of our steps back over the River and home before the 96 hour deadline. Still, I couldn’t stop Chicken from visiting some other interesting sites around Peoria – he has a thing about winged creatures…go figure- wing envy. The Red Headed Wood Pecker on the Peoria Heights water tower, and the dragons guarding the turreted estate on Grandview Drive overlooking the IL River. The one, Pres. Teddy Roosevelt said was the ‘world’s most beautiful drive’. Forever remembered with naming the local radio station- “WMBD”. And the Cedric, the dragon downtown.
Gotta hustle Chicken! Down the trail over the river, and through East Peoria – Chicken wants one more extra credit…and I’m out of vetoes. The Fondulac Bridge. This climb SUCKS! (but a neat view) It was built in 1958 with a clearance of 60 feet over the modern I-74 interstate. It is very unusual, as the west end of the bridge literally slants down to a lower ground.
Hustle, hustle, hustle, dang I wish your little red legs could help me pedal. Down a big hill, up a big hill, pedal, pedal, pedal. At least the weather was tolerable- soooo humid, but cloudy and a sprinkle now and then.
Whew! We made it home with 14 minutes to spare on the 96 hour clock after a 5:07 ride time.
Challenge done! The Lockdown AR has been accomplished. I’ve so enjoyed spending these days out of doors, with Chicken and exploring the very interesting, beautiful, natural and historical sites around the Peoria area. I loved representing some of my local clubs and vendors, but I’m linked to a few more clubs so I could have used more stages.
You’re welcome to come visit and explore! Look me up. Chicken says he’s retired and taking up trailer camping.
