Deep Ellum Urban Race

I have written about several adventure races that I have had the opportunity to run. My most recent race was the Deep Ellum Urban race and it was quite the adventure. 

Getting ready to get Started at Life in Deep Ellum

My race partner was my dear friend Dhriti Stocks, a newcomer to the sport. I was a bit nervous as to how we would work together on the race, though I did not have to be. She was a champ. It's hard to tell who will be a good partner for these sorts of things. You want someone with some stamina, some strength, some intelligence. But those things will only get you so far. The biggest asset in a partner is patience (something I do not tend to have in abundance). I was hoping she had enough for both of us.

The race started at the Life in Deep Ellum building. I wondered if the race would really just be in the Deep Ellum community or if it would take us into downtown or points farther away as other races have done. It seemed like the Deep Ellum area would be too small and would not have enough to engage as a full race. I shouldn't have given it a second thought. Deep Ellum was the perfect size.

The first clue to get us started. 

We were told there would be 3 clue sheets that we would gather along the way and that we would not be able to finish without all 3. 

Immediately we were directed to a clue on the side of the building "Blind From Birth, this famous blues musician was one of the earliest and most prominent figures in the Deep Ellum blues scene of the early 1900's."  The answer was Blind Lemon Jefferson and we were given the names of streets to find our clue sheets. 

Blind Lemon Jefferson Elm and Crowdus

Elm and Crowdus

We ran there immediately and were fairly quickly off to the races. Dhriti went to get the clue sheet from the game staff while I took a picture of the street signs and race participants.

The teams are off and running

We got the first clue sheet- yellow which had several clues that we started figuring out. I always like to get away from the crowd, so we got a point nearby and took off running.

Yellow Clue #5 Take a picture with the locations logo or signange. Chop Chop! Find all the words in the word bank provided. Cross out every letter in each word that you find. When read from left to right, top to bottom, the remaining 18 letters will spell out the next checkpoint. Rudolphs Meat Market

Rudolph's Market

On our way to our next stop we saw some people taking pictures next to the Soupmobile sign. I convinced Dhriti to stop and take a picture even though it was not on our sheet. I figured it would be on one later and I was right. We wouldn't get the blue clue sheet until later, but we had our picture for when we did.

Blue Clue #10 Take a picture. Place an x in the box with the words that go together. The 2 words left over is your next stop.
Foot-wear
Head-band
Cork-Screw
Soup-Mobile.

Soupmobile

Yellow- Clue #8 Take a picture with the location's logo or signage. Google maps is the best! The box below represents 4 streets. Solve each clue below to reveal the corresponding street name. Head to the asterisk and you'll find a pretty cool shop. Hint: North might not be up on this map.

A. Talk show ending in '94, andback in '13. Host's last name

B. I bet you CANNOT get this street name. 

C. Groundhog, Gopher, Garfield... This actor has been involved in films with all three. 

D: These chambers are in most US cities.

A. Arsenio HALL
B. CANTON
C. Bill MURRAY
D.  COMMERCE

We got two names on this before heading in the general direction. We figured out the destination once we got there. 

Belmont Ice House

Yellow #7 Complete this team activity. Figure out the pattern to spell out your next clue location.
19/1/14/4/2/1/21
S/A/N/D/B/A/R

The Sandbar was in the far corner of Deep Ellum and we had a fun little challenge. WE had to carry water in a container filled with holes to a bucket until it covered a certain line. Very survivor-esque. Not too difficult.

The Water Challenge at the Sandbar Cantina- also, what happens when you ask Dhriti to take the pictures during a race. 

We had a little difficulty finding the next clue. I had never seen this mural that they described. Eventually we did. Then we had to paint. I love to paint, but I did a horrible job on this activity.

Yellow #6 Complete this team activity
Dirk's armspan is wider than most our height. This Dirk reaches across an entire building. Find this mural and look across the street to create some are of your own.

Mavericks Challenge

What our stuff looks like on the mural grid

WE FINALLY GOT THE SECOND CLUE SHEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blue Clue 12 Must complete activity
When's the last time you just DUG around in the ground? The main mission here is to grow and harvest new life.
PEDE LEUML BRANU DRANEG
DEEP ELLUM URBAN GARDEN

When we got here we had to identify some flowers (Dhriti's botany background was very valuable). Then we had to plant some flowers in the plot specified and then water it.

Arriving at Deep Ellum Urban Garden

The little girl who gave us our clue

Dhriti planting our flower

Teams trying to solve the garden puzzle

WE GOT OUR THIRD CLUE SHEET!!!! Now we have them all and can move forward with plotting out our path for the rest of the race. There was a challenge that I thought was MATH and immediately gave it to Dhriti to do. Turns out is was not a math thing it was a substitution puzzle that we would not be able to figure out until we were in the spot indicated.

Dhriti and the "math" puzzle

So we proceeded to the next location in the race.

Root Beer Tasting at Twisted Root

Red Clue #4 Must complete the activity

It's a staple eatery, come early for seatery. They'll change your name with something of fame. 

Twisted Root

Having been to Twisted Root many times and never having been called the same celebrity twice, it was an easy guess. Once we got there there were several teams. There was a great deal of confusion as they also had clue sheets that they were giving out. We already had ours. We watched a couple of people taking samples. As we already had our clue sheets the race staff said we could just leave. I took pictures to prove we were there. Seemed to be the most disorganized part of the race until the very end.

The Traveling Man

Blue #9 Take a picture at this location. This man of steel is no superman, but at 3500 lbs and 38 ft tall this wanderer won't end up far from home. Give us your best impression and snap a pic.

Everyone knows the Traveling Man sculpture. We stopped by there on the way to the Latino Cultural Center.

Latino Cultural Center

Red #2 Take a picture with the location logo or signage.   On the edge of Deep Ellum there lies a unique building that reaches the skies if you have a Latino Mentor, this is your cultural _____. It's an orange and purple building of size.

It was not easy to get a picture with the signage (such a very long name).

We're grabbing our weenus

Red Clue #3 Take a picture with the location logo or signage It's been called a neighborhood bar. It's also a great place to meet a doctor. Squeeze your weenus and smile for the camera.

Ok, so we had to call someone to get the answer to this clue. I had no idea that a weenus is the flap of skin over your elbow.

Sons of Hermann Hall- blasted puzzle

Red Clue #1
Head to the Hall for the male offspring of German descent and solve the cypher.

This cypher is based on lines and letter. Follow the example below to decode the clue. Write the letters on the lines provided to complete the task! Hint: do not count spaces or punctuation.
Example: Dogs are really good at being friends;
cats are really good at being cranky.

1:3  1:15 1:18 1:19 1:31
G    o      a      t       s

2:6  2:16  2:25  2:29
R      o      c       k
___________________________
1:23    1:31    2:28
G        o          t

3:6     3:12     4:17     5:4
T        h         e          m

5:36     5:44     9:28     12:27
D        e            e          p

12:39    13:39    14:4    14:36     15:16
E          l              l          u           m

18:14       21:12      23:13    26:27     30:25
B             l              u            e            s

Sons of Hermann Hall was FAR and the puzzle was hard when you are tired and sweaty. We were able to finally figure out the substitution.

Trees

The pictographs spelled out our next clue.

Lettuce rock O UT
@ trees

Then we ran back to the beginning. Once we got to the parking lot there were people milling around, but no clear finish line. We followed people around with our clue sheets for a couple of minutes before finding someone to stamp our sheet. I am convince we would have placed better than 4th if we would have just know where to go. But 4th out of 50? 60? There was no way to tell. It was a fun race. There was a gap in time between our ending the race and the awarding of prizes. Since Dhriti lived close we had time to rest and shower before learning the order of things. We also participated in the tweet contest which Dhriti won.

@doctordhri Things that have come in handy today for the first time: my botany minor and my weenus. #deur14 #IAmAmeriCorps

The winners

Until next year Deep Ellum.....

Chakra Wedding Gift

When your dear friend asks you to do a reflection activity before their wedding, you know 

1. They did an AmeriCorps program. 

2. You had better come up with a pretty good reflection activity.

This was the case with my friend Dhriti (which if you are my friend on facebook is the tiny woman who is always doing crazy yoga challenges and community service adventures with me). Well, I agonized over the daunting task of coming up with quality reflection questions and a unique way to deliver them. For 8 months. Then one Saturday morning I was hit with a flash of brilliance. I could create a cool theme that fits within the circle of things we do together and also might mean something special. I created the 7-day Chakra reflection wedding gift/combo. About a year ago we participated in a Chakra workshop at our yoga studio. We learned about the 7 Chakras and their associations within the body. 7 Chakras, 7 days, 7 colors, 7 sets of reflection questions. And I decided to write the reflection questions on 7 scrolls, cause that seemed more adventurous and fun. The first day I had to do a card to explain what was about to happen. 

The Chakra Reflection Introduction

Dhri/Matt,

Welcome to the adventure that is you wedding gift from me. Many months ago Dhri asked me if I would put together a reflection for you as you get ready to get married. So this will serve as both. For the next 7 days you will receive 7 gifts and 7 scrolls. These will contain your reflection questions and will represent many traditions including my own. There will also be many shared memories. Please enjoy. This card is yellow because Dhri loves yellow. With Love, Lisa Ranee Tatum and on the back of the card I placed an Outstanding sticker as a Hoby reference. Hoby was one of the first volunteer experiences that Dhri and I shared.

Chakra reflection Scroll Day 1
Root/Base
Element: Earth
Color: Red
1. Honoring the luck of the Irish.
2. Lucky Hand Sanitizer- an homage to the one you carry around Dhri and to Matt's luck :)
3. Ginger root because of the root chakra

Gifts from Day 1

4. Dhri makes wonderful tea and uses ginger in it
5. A stone that represented the book "Stone Soup". For those who do not know the story of Stone Soup. It is about a village where every has limited food supplies. No one will share as they have so little. A guy comes to town and starts making "Stone Soup" by placing a stone in water and starting to cook. He grabs the curiosity of the town as the have never heard of such a thing. The guy says "This soup would be great with some onions" and the curious people from the town bring one item at a time to contribute until together the whole village has a combined meal from what each contributed. This "Stone Soup" model reflects the ideals that we have as AmeriCorps Alums. I added the names of the happy couple and the date of the wedding. Plus it is a pretty nice-looking stone.

Wedding Reflection question (all questions developed with the help of Jonathan Wallace)
What are 3 ways we are stronger together, than apart?


Chakra Reflection Scroll Day 2
Sacral/Spleen
Element: Water
Scent Jasmine
Your gift for today is an emergency water supply. As a disaster person I always want my friends to be safe. 
Wedding Reflection Question: If we could only have 5 foods (or ingredients) in our home for the rest of our lives, what mean(s) would we make together that satisfies us both?






So this day is a reflection on my profession as an Emergency Manager who tries to promote Disaster Preparedness and Safety as much as possible. I also got myself some extra water for my disaster supply kit at the same time since I was sure I did not have enough. I also provided some Jasmine incense to tie into the chakra theme.

Chakra Reflection Scroll Day 3
Solar Pexus
Element: Fire
A fire extinguisher that is required for Heritage Springs and your wedding. 

Wedding Reflection Question:
What are key events that led us to this point today?

Bonus: Irish Wedding Poem
Here's to the wings of love, may they never molt a feather,
Till your little shoes and my big boots are under the bed together. 

Part of the wedding ceremony includes fire and the venue for the wedding has one requirement and that is that anyone who will have fire must bring their own fire extinguisher. I found the wedding poem while I was doing research for this project in honor of Matt's heritage.








Chakra Reflection Scroll Day 4
Heart
Color: Green/Pink
Your gift is a yoga blanket and a sea shell and rose scented incense.
According to Native American tradition especially the Delaware tribe (mine), gifts include blankets and shells. 
And let's face it we love yoga. 
Wedding reflection questions: 
How will we serve one another as husband and wife?
How will we serve others as husband and wife?
How will we love one an other and others, with our money?




Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold, 
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place
To enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Dhri needed a yoga blanket, because really, who doesn't? I was really excited to bring in some Native American  traditions. The poem is especially relevant because it mentions warmth and reflects how Dhri and Matt met. There was a fire drill in their college dorm. Dhri left in her pjs and was immediately freezing. Matt had the forethought to grab his trench coat length jacket. He literally saved her from freezing and will continue to do so.






Chakra Reflection Scroll Day 5
Throat
Color: Blue
Element: Spirit/Air

Wedding Reflection Question:
How will we serve one another as husband and wife?
How will we serve others as husband and wife?

Matt and Dhriti's favorite movie together is Up. The beginning montage where the couple's love story is told quite beautifully with pictures is just perfect. I decided to give them their own starter kit for their life journey together (and I tied it to their home- like in the story). I also gave them a deck of cards as they have recently learned to play spades and in honor of the many game nights we have all had together (and will continue to have)












Chakra Reflection Scroll 
Day 6
Third Eye
Element: Electrical
Sense: Sight

Wedding Reflection Question:
What are 3 Values that are important to us? What values should be important to our marriage? What do we envision our community to look like?

Gifts for this day were in honor fully of Matt. He is a filmmaker that has an understanding of light that eludes and impresses me. I gave them a light bulb, a flashlight, and a laser pointer that their furry family members Bear and Knives (kittens) love to play with. I could not celebrate this without including them.

The Mason jar is a little joke that came about when we were planning the wedding and created a secret pin board on Pinterest. For a time, it seemed every other pin had a mason jar in it. I had to carry the joke forward and put that in there.

 Chakra Reflection Scroll Day 7
Crown
Color: Violet, White, Gold
Scent: Lavender

Out of the Volunteer Center bag a lotus flower is born. The birth of a friendship and a life we all celebrate together.

Wedding reflection question:
In 2064, when we are celebrating 50 years together, what one word or phrase, do we hope will describe our marriage?

This was the final day and while it didn't end with a bang, it was a full seven days of reflection, memory, and awesomeness.

This is my gift to the couple who means so much to me. I am honored to be included in the adventure that is their wedding.

The gifts gathered together