Put some adventure in your life

It's Hammertime: Virgin-friendly adventure race brings your inner child into thegreat outdoors

On the longer courses — six and 12 hours — navigation is a key part of anadventure race. Judy Jones finds and punches a checkpoint, proving she's beenwhere she's supposed to be.
Mountain bike your way to happiness! It's one of the three major disciplinesfeatured in an adventure race. Jeff Hankins and Pam Rea zoom down thebeginner-friendly trails at Huntsville State Park.
You never know what special test may arise over the course of an adventure race.Patricia Bourassa and her teammate attempt to fill a pipe without letting thewater escape through tiny holes.
Texas Adventure Racing owner and Huntsville Hammer race director Wade Woehrmannholds up finisher medals — for those lucky enough to complete the Hammer.
Do you ever see images like this from triathlons? David Sandoval, Melissa White,and Kevin Bowen can attest to the fact that adventure racing makes fitness fun.
Unlike triathlons, adventure racing is a team sport at its core. Sure, you canrace solo, but why? Jennifer Riley, Wendy Rea, and Ryan Rolston gear up for theHuntsville Hammer 2010.
Lake Raven, Huntsville State Park's resident paddling paradise, is an excellentplace to kayak. Gabe Haarsma and Helena Finley zoom through the lake's coolwaters.
Lake Raven won't be this peaceful, come the Huntsville Hammer.

Let's go back to the good ol' days of your youth for a moment. Remember when you were a kid — your energy unlimited, the great outdoors your oyster? Remember when you could play all day and never get enough?

Fast forward to, well, right now. What if we told you that you could recapture your inner child and swap lives with him for one day? It's possible.

What do you get when you combine your adulthood with a day in the woods and — gasp! — childlike fun?

You get adventure racing — the best day you've ever spent doing your body good, that's what.

Or, in other words, this Saturday's Huntsville Hammer adventure race 70 miles north of town.

Now in its eighth year, the locally run and locally hosted Huntsville Hammer makes the season between warm summers and cool winters one to look forward to. With three race lengths — two hours, six hours, and 12 hours — featuring the disciplines of mountain biking, kayaking, trail running and orienteering, it's easy to understand why the Hammer is one of the most anticipated autumn races in the Houston area.

"We are probably the biggest adventure race in Texas," said Wade Woehrmann, race director and owner of Texas Adventure Racing, the Houston-based race company that hosts the event. "The race has uncannily found its way to a beautiful fall day every year, and the location is hard to beat."

"We are probably the biggest adventure race in Texas," race director Wade Woehrmann said.

Nestled in the lush and leafy forests of Huntsville State Park, this beginner-friendly adventure race — think triathlons, but add kayaking, add teammates, go off-road, and subtract swimming — has something for everyone.

"There's a large portion that it's their first time out," Woehrmann said. "It's a great race for beginners because it's close to town. We have the sprint leg, which is a flagged run, so there's no navigation needed. There will be several fun special challenges throughout the race."

"Special challenges" is adventure racer code for "mystery events" — unconventional skills tests outside the biking, paddling, and running genres that'll really make you wonder whether you're having too much fun to call this "exercise."

For Houstonian Leanna Gatlin, the Hammer will be her first adventure race.

"I did running races and triathlons before starting adventure racing this year," said Gatlin, who trained with a local adventure racing club, Houston Fit Adventure Racing, this fall. "I'm looking forward to being in the woods, playing and having fun. I expect to have fun, be tired, and possibly scared."

But there's nothing terrifying about running around in the woods, is there?

Not for beginners, anyway. "Seasoned adventure racers will find themselves challenged," Woehrmann said. "The race director does have to temper his penchant for setting out challenging courses, though."

We're not scared if you're not.

With almost 200 racers already registered for Saturday's competition, this year's Hammer should prove to be one of the largest to date.

Are you ready to take your exercise out of the gym and off the road? The race begins at 8 a.m., but you'll want to be ready to go by the pre-race meeting at 7:30 a.m.

Race day registration will be available. Why not put a little adventure in your life?

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pucker up

Growing pickleball franchise smashes into Houston with 2 locations

Two men play pickleball on a Picklr court.

Photo courtesy of The Picklr

A Picklr court campus similar to the ones soon to open in Houston.

Pickleball is one of the hottest sports sweeping the nation, and one of the biggest names in the game is setting up two new facilities in Houston. Picklr is scheduled to open indoor sports campuses in Cypress and The Woodlands in the coming months.

“Bringing a pickleball facility to Cypress will not only provide a fun and engaging recreational outlet for residents of all ages, but will also foster a sense of community and promote a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Steve Nguyen, owner of The Picklr Cypress.“This facility will serve as a vibrant hub for social interaction, skill development, and friendly/competitive competition, enhancing community bonds and offering a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy.”

Although the game is approximately 60 years old, pickleball saw a massive spike in popularity following the pandemic when people were looking for fun group activities with easy points of entry. Though a racket sport like tennis, it is far easier and slower thanks to using perforated balls, smaller courts, and lighter paddles. This means the game is open to players of all ages, and was originally most popular with retirees. Now, there are roughly 5 million players across America, with players under 24 making up the majority. Houston even has its own professional team, the Hammers (not the Texas Hammer; that's this guy).

The court in Cypress will be located in the old ASI Gymnastics building at 8920 Barker Cypress. It's a relatively modest facility with only six courts including a practice court. By contrast, The Woodlands location will be much more opulent. At 66,517 square feet, it will have 20 courts, 4 private event spaces (one with an exclusive viewing area), as well as a shower, changing room, dry bar, and kitchenette. Picklr The Woodlands will be located at 16590 Interstate I-45 South.

These locations are the first for Picklr in Houston. They have twelve locations all throughout Texas, including in Round Rock and McKinney, and many more nationwide. Picklr locations operate on a membership model similar to a gym. Memberships run $159 a month for adults and $89 for minors, with unlimited access to open play, league play, and tournaments , as well as four free clinics a month. Additional coaching is available.

There is currently no set opening date for the two Houston-area Picklrs. Players interested in learning more may sign up for updates at ThePicklr.com.

pickleball openings