Druce Finlay
I grew up rock climbing in the Red Rocks. A sandstone wonderland outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. By the time I was 10 I was already climbing 5.11, a very difficult level. I made a lot of friends (my parents friends mostly) that I still have to this day. At 13 I moved to Twentynine Palms, Ca. and spent the next 7 years climbing up in Joshua Tree National Monument, a world famous getaway for rock climbers. The rock climbers we're fun, we would always race back to the car at the end of the day, it became part of the routine. Sometimes this would be a 10 mile effort, because as climbers we chased the newest, most intriguing walls, no matter how far away from the beaten path. So with time my ability to move fast over the land became better and better. Like any kid in the U.S. (at least in my generation) I also grew up on my bike, eventually, by age 15 my bmx was replaced with a mountain bike and over the years some endurance skills developed. When I was 19 my dad invited me on my first adventure race, a 150 mile race at Lake Mead (outside of Las Vegas), with good navigation we took second and I was hooked, throughout the race we had a lot of ups and downs and I did not expect such a good finish.Since then I have done many many races and enjoyed many good climbs!
Last November our team went up to the Sierras, just outside Yosemite National Park and competed in a 300+ mile adventure race called the Motherlode. We had a great race and a great time, we nailed 3rd, we we're stoked! My father and I just completed a stellar event called the Everglades Challenge. A 300 mile ocean kayak race from Tampa Bay to Key Largo. We did very well, 4th overall and 1st in our category. Although this was a race it was also about the scenery and beauty of challenging oneself in the ocean. The wind and waves can get big, setting the standard and it's up to individuals if they want to brave the seas or wait it out for calmer conditions. I am currently training full time and plan on racing a 400 mile adventure race in Australia in May, 2010. According to the Australian race officials this area is the true "outback" and most dangerous area in the country, with snakes, crocs and poisonous jellyfish! We will keep our wits about us and wear tall ankle gators. This race will have 2 snorkeling sections in the Great Barrier Reef! The team is very excited about that. Also, as assistant Race Director of the Desert Winds Adventure Series I am helping plan our first Expedition race in September called the Desert Winds Expedition. After that, I hope to make it to Spain for the World Championship AR. Somewhere along the way you can usually find me snacking on a Primal strip!
I run into all kinds of terrain, grasslands, rivers, lakes, oceans, mountains, deserts, jungles, you name it, we see it! My personal favorite is usually an intense canyoneering section in the desert (after all I'm the "desert child, a sweet nickname given to me by the Navajo people). Add in the thrill of competition and you have yourself an adventure race!
What I do can be very spiritual too. I moved back to Vegas to work as a Union Ironworker at age 18 (a family trade going back 4 generations) ..... I stumbled across a unique perspective one day, these buildings take thousands of man hours to complete, in fact everything made, even a toothpick, has to be designed and built to work. Nothing that works blows together by pure chance. It was like getting smacked in the face, a world as complex and beautiful as ours must have been designed and built to work. Since then I have called God the "big builder in the sky," and this world the "evolving masterpiece." I like to hear and see, so every time I race or get to go somewhere and see or hear something special I feel lucky!
In my experience, anyone who spends a solid amount of time outdoors, away from the city, wants something tasty and nutritious to snack on. Primal Spirit Foods delivers!
