Adventure Race 5:30:00 [5] 19.6 mi (16:50 / mi)
shoes: Duluth Jack Pine
Foot part of adventure race. First time at a national qualifier. Got the maps at 5:00am. You first had to plot the UTM points on your map. I finally finished at 6:45. Then you plotted race strategy and gear drop-off locations. With only 15 minutes I plotted an absurd strategy which I could not execute.
The only logical beginning was to start on bike - which I did. Part of the race was on a 55 mph narrow curvy road. I was fighting flashbacks the whole time on that road. I had to stop and pump up the back tire. Made the decision to grab the points south bound along the Sheltowee Trace. (Did this to get off the road). The next 14.8 Km's were along single track some easy some very technical. By the end of this I thought I had blistered my rear end. Turned out to be bruises. I wanted to push on to a TA in the area (3.5KM away) but had run out of water. The TA I had chosen was 15 KM. I was close enough to make it back to my tent and fill up with water there. My rear was really hurting decided to just drop the bike there and go on foot. When you drop your bike at home base you really have signed off of an adventure race like this since the points are so scattered. I traveled 19.6 KM's to get two checkpoints on foot. Learned a lot I now can plot UTM points even developed a faster plotting method for the last few. I will have to think hard about this one. It's under 3 hrs drive time to get here but the race is brutal due to the distances and the heat. I was cramping by the time I got into the finish. Also picked up a blister on my foot. (In the excitement and lack of time at the beginning I forgot to put on my Glide.)
Adventure Race 4:15:00 [5] 28.55 km (8:56 / km)
shoes: Brooks Cascadia 2015
Bike part of the adventure race - 13.75 KM paved roads & 14.8 KM single track.