Try this

On Sept. 13-14, the renowned Untamed Virginia adventure race comes to the Richmond area. This year's 30-hour competition will cover 100 miles, testing racers in mountain biking, trekking, riverboarding, paddling, ropes and orienteering (not to mention sleep deprivation). The course is kept secret until the day before the event, and teams are expected to be self-sufficient. They can receive no outside help. Teams of two, three and four will be permitted, but only the threeand four-person coed division - the Premiere Division - will receive prizes and official honors.

Untamed Virginia is a brutal test of endurance, but this year, race organizers have added a twist. If you've always thought you'd like to try an adventure race, but 30 hours seemed too long, you now have an option for testing the adventure racing waters. This year's event will feature a "four-hour dash" that will run concurrently with the 30-hour course. The dash will share the same race finish line and general finish time as the 30-hour course, allowing racers from both courses to compete on some of the same terrain. The dash will have solo, two-, threeand four-person categories.

To find out more about all of the races, and to register, go to www.untamedva.com or call (877) 486-8263.

Calendar

Sunday: Yellow Jersey Century bike ride. Starts in Ashland at the Randolph-Macon College parking lot across from the Ashland train station at 6 a.m. and will head east. The ride benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Each rider should wear a yellow jersey and make a minimum donation to the LAF of $25 the morning of the event. There will be two rest stops supplied with Gatorade, water and food around mile 40 and mile 70, with a store stop option later in the ride. Rest stop donations needed, email Dan Schmitt at dtschmitt@hhhunt.com with any ride questions and to find out the route.

Wednesday: Bring your mountain or hybrid bike to Dutch Gap to explore the conservation area with Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation. Find out how the lagoon was created, look for blackberries, then stop at the Peninsula. The trip runs from 9-11 a.m. It's $4 per child and parents attend for free. Preregistration is required. To preregister or for more information, go to www.chesterfield.gov or call (804) 706-9690.

July 12: Volunteers will take part in the first James River Runoff Rundown as a benefit for the James River Association, a Richmond-based nonprofit whose mission is to safeguard the James River from the headwaters to the Bay. The idea of the Rundown is simple - river enthusiasts from across the Commonwealth will paddle, boat, tube, sail or otherwise cover small sections of the James River. Your contribution could be a lazy 2-mile float at Scottsville, an intense whitewater kayak through downtown Richmond, a fishing trip with your friends in a skiff below the Varina-Enon Bridge or a sunset cruise to the Chesapeake Bay. The goal is to have the entire length of the James River - all 340 miles - traversed in one day. To read more about the event, learn how to become a River Runner, sponsor a River Runner or become an event sponsor, visit www.runoffrundown.org.

Seasons

Continuous: Open season on coyote, groundhog, striped skunk and nutria (trapping only). - Andy Thompson