Several weeks ago, I received a message from my friend Kevin Manning asking me if I would be interested in being the third member of an adventure race team. I thought a few seconds, and said 'sure'!
I was contacted promptly by Josh Braun(team captain) and he introduced himself and our other teammate through FB. We started planning to meet and train. I rode and ran with Josh and Dylan(who ended up having to drop because of a hip flexor issue). I was really excited to be part of this team after meeting them in person. After hearing just a few weeks before the race that Dylan would have to drop, Josh and I both started trying to find a replacement. With two weeks before the race, Josh got in touch with a friend from his days at Lee University, Mike DeGeus. Although I know how to pronounce his last name and it does not sound like oose at the end...he quickly became DeGoose to me. "DeGoose is Loose!" I had one mtb training slot with Josh and our former teammate Dylan at ESNP, one training slot with Josh on canoe out near Nashville, and one mtb training slot with DeGoose at Lookout Mtn. trails last Saturday after the R/C Greenway 5 mile. On the downhill return I had finally gotten more confident with the loose gravel and was trying to keep up...My brain was rattling it was so bumpy! I proceeded to hit a rock that I never saw coming, and slid to a sideways halt. Thanks DeGoose for not laughing hysterically...I probably would've after I'd done the obligatory "aww, are you okay" if it had been you. :) Mike and Josh had one paddle session together in Nashville and that was our extent of team training.
Race Day: As we all gathered around the map(course was around ROCK CREEK gorge:) for Josh to fill us in on the course and his thoughts, I realize that this is going to be tough. There are some pretty technical trails on the bike route and there are miles of paddling. Our team decided to get the passport by sending me on foot to the falls where the checkpoint was. We had decided to work the course counter clockwise so we'd finish with a nice long downhill on bike. My only race experience is with a few road running races and a several trails. I got a quick dose of education from the start line when I visually saw everyone's strategies and plans going every direction. Some ran for the bikes, only a handful of us ran for the passport without a bike. At the trail, although it was discussed over and over, the confusion of so many people on bike and foot got to me. I was to go get the passport and meet my teammates at a fork in the trail where they would bring my bike. I second guessed, but then went with a wrong(again!) decision, but corrected as quickly as I could. I had just wasted time and energy by climbing the wrong trail. I got on track and ended up losing about 15-20 minutes of expected time. :( I was toast! It was so hot, and I'd given all I had an more to make up for the infraction. When I got back to Mike and Josh and the bike we headed to another checkpoint. Pretty soon the trail started getting very technical and very steep. I had to get off the bike and walk it. At a few points Mike and Josh actually pushed my bike while I walked. In an adventure race you have to stay within 100 feet of each other, so my walking forced them to as well. It took me a while to recover from the run and Chilhowie Mtn ascent. By the top, I had refueled, recovered and was feeling so much better. As we looked at the trail for a 4 mile diversion I decided I would be faster on foot after seeing the technicality and uphill climb mixed with technicality...so the trail runner in me got to do what I love! The guys rode near me and we had a nice paced 4 mile jaunt. At this junction, we had seen Yoli, Brooke and their teams. It was Yoli's first time for an adventure race as well. We exchanged a "having fun?", "yes, of course!" and a 'deer in the headlight', 'what've we gotten ourselves into', wide eyed stare!
We then completed all of our checkpoints on the rest of the course. Through thicket, over creeks, near creeks, up hills, atop overlooks, down forest service roads, and up forest service roads. With next to the last bike checkpoint completed...we got the downhill of my lifetime(can't speak for the guys). My guess is that we had a 5-7 mile rocky descent. I was feeling great, but had seriously never ridden anything so rocky and downhill for so long. I actually was wishing for a climb just to get a break even if it meant walking. Thankfully though, I survived, brain somewhat intact, with a big ole smile on my face for finishing the course and for not crashing down the side of a mountain.:) Thanks Mike and Josh for your patience and help on the course!
Now, it was time for the paddle. Josh was the brains of the operation, I was the legs, and DeGoose was the arms. As we hit the water, there was no time to waste. We forfeited 2 of the upstream checkpoints for time sake, and because we had gotten all of the mtb route checkpoints. Thanks Josh, for your awesome navigation skills...no way we'd have been able to do that without you!! As we're going down the lake, I'm starting to realize very quickly that paddling is no joke... In my opinion we kept a great pace, good form, and synergy except the times my eyes wandered toward the gorgeous mountainous landscape we were paddling beside! :) Two minutes into it, my arms were burning...2 hours into it, my arms had been through the fire, and regeneration cycle many times. It was amazing to me though, that your body just gets used to what you throw at it. Near the end after we'd gotten the 2 water checkpoints downstream(thanks again Josh!), we had to hoof it for the camp. Mike, who'd kept a great pace all along, had now gone superhuman speed at Josh's request. I didn't know any of us had it left. We unfortunately paddled so quickly toward the finish, that we ran into another boat slightly as we were passing them for our sprint to the race director, Cathi Cannon, to give her our passport. Phew. Now to sit back, relax, and wait on results. There are 4 categories...Solo, Co-ed, All male, All female. Co-ed is considered the Elite division. We were 4th place in Co-ed division, and somewhere between 6-8th overall. I'm going to think that Elite division is more challenging because there has to be a woman on a team. This means hauling her, her bike, her shoes, and her baggage all over the course. In turn, she'll make sure you eat and drink, take pictures, and write about the adventure so you don't have to! :)
Thanks guys!!!!! I had an awesome time!!!
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