Last Tuesday, I posted a recap of my experience at this year’s RUSH Race & Urban Scavenger Hunt. I’m still feeling the effects of the RUSH- sore limbs and aching feet are the standouts- but it was all worth it to place 6^th out of 132 teams!

So how did my partner, Kristie Yung, and I do it with zero training and only a vague clue of what we were getting ourselves into? Here are 10 things I learned about the RUSH and how you too can get in the top 10 (sorry, we’ll be taking the number one spot next year):

10. Pick a partner you know and love

It will be easier to yell at her when she starts freaking out about not knowing the whereabouts of a Chinatown monument (aka one block away from where you’re both standing). Bonus points if your partner has a food allergy because then you only get to eat half of what’s required in a food challenge!

9. Check the RUSH blog, Twitter and Facebook…the night before

Do it like a university student and cram the night before! We actually learned a lot (like going to Richmond would be involved) and learned too much (like the Thriller dance skills we never used because the checkpoint was not in our chosen route)- just like in university.

8. Know which skytrain line takes you where and what’s nearby

We picked the fastest route based on the clues, Google Mapped parks by skytrains (virtually all the checkpoints we chose were outside) and used our knowledge of each area to figure out where checkpoints would be (there were 3 checkpoints in Minoru Park alone).

7. While on transit- strategize!

Waiting on transit is pretty much the only time you’re going to get to solve the clues and plan your route, all while not wasting any precious seconds standing on the street looking confused. Go over the clue book as soon as you get it, figure out the mandatory checkpoint areas first, and run from there (no seriously, RUN).

6. Fundraise for the BC Lung Association

Kristie and I raised over $500 for the BC Lung Association, which not only made us feel good, but earned us a Charity Checkpoint Pass as well. This meant that we only had to do 9 out of the 10 required challenges. I thought this was an awesome way to encourage all teams to raise as much as they could for this great charity.

(Also: The winning team finished the race in just over 3.5 hours and they had two passes and a Gold Rush pass that got them to the head of any line. You be the judge of what helped them win).

5. Own a smartphone

As long as you have access to the Internet (none of this wi-fi business) and the Google Map app, your smartphone will be your greatest weapon in winning this race. That or you could use it to temporarily knock out the team running in front of you with a good shot to the back of their heads…not that I’m endorsing this or anything.

4. Be generous…just not too generous

We wished other teams luck whenever we ran by them and offered help whenever we could. Of course, we only did it as long as it was strategically beneficial to us. Never underestimate the power of good karma and selfish intentions baby.

3. Prepare for unexpected weather

You do live in Vancouver, BC after all! At different points we were running in the rain, in the sun and in cloudy weather. I’m pretty sure I also drowned on land for a bit between Nanaimo Station and Gladstone Secondary.

2. Remember it’s supposed to be fun

This isn’t so much advice as the truth. The RUSH is the single most fantastic competition I’ve ever been in. The challenges are exactly that- challenging- but each has the right amount of fun to really make you look back on this experience with a smile- win or lose.

1. Be prepared to run

You thought having fun would be first right? Nah, too cute. Honestly, you can train or not train for the RUSH, but being able to run gives you a serious advantage. And when you finally cross the finish line and tumble on to the floor in exhaustion from all the running and RUSHing? Well, that’s pretty great, too.

See you all at the RUSH next year!

Related posts:

1. Reach Magazine, Herro Hachi and THE WOLFPACK
2. RUSHing for A Good Cause