Training Log Archive: JayXC

Optional Zn 1 ride

When we arrived Ciele was just leaving. Given their direction of travel we figured they were electing to swim towards the first control. We TA’d and set out just minutes behind them but our route of choice went around the first lake on roads with just a short bushwhack to the control. Harps nailed it and we punched it just as Ciele was arriving. They punched it right behind us despite our best attempts at throwing them off it’s location. We attempted to thread the needle between two lakes for the next control and succeeded but ended up wrapping around the southern lake a little too far which took some time to figure out. Once back on track we hit the next control and found out we were over an hour behind., ouch. Despite flawless navigation to the next two control Ciele continued to put time on us and by the time we made it back to the TA we were over 2 hours behind.

We had a quick bowl of soup and then set off for the finish. Considering it would be just over two hours to get there we knew the race for Bob the Beaver was over. We passed a few short course teams along the way and kept the pace up enough to hopefully not get caught from behind by Beowolf and we were successful arriving at the finish as the 2nd place co-ed team. I’ve now finished as the 2nd co-ed team 3x at this race.

Thanks to Bob and team for another fun course and to my teammates for asking me to join them. It was awesome as usual.

Event: Ellicottville Adventure Run & Hike
 

Event: Wilderness Traverse 2019
 

Racing with Stoked Oats (returning champs) so no pressure.

A mix-up with the boat rentals meant all of the co-ed teams would end up paddling one Kevlar and one Royalex canoe which seemed the most equitable. We put Harps and I in the Kevlar and JVD and Hermes in the Royalex given JVD can crush a paddle. We lined up right before the only bridge in Dorset once Bob said go it was a bit of a cluster as everyone tried to avoid crashing into each other, the bridge pilons and a nearby dock. Half way across the first lake things settled down and we were third boat through the channel with JVD/Shannon right behind us.

The first portage was kind of long and a little confusing but Harps made the right call and we found ourselves as the first team into the second lake. It was nice to be ahead of the scrum which I was sure was occurring at the takeout behind us. The next few lakes and portages were awesome and things were going well. Eventually two (3) person-males teams caught up to us on a portage and put a gap on us in the next lake. We could not see any boats behind us but I was sure our lead wasn’t very large given the quality field assembled.

Just about the time my shoulders were getting uncomfortable on the carries we made it to the TA.

We transitioned to trekking shoes and were out of the TA in 9 minutes prior to the next team arriving. We had scouted an early route on an old logging road that would take us very close to the first trekking point which allowed us to run most of the way there. We soon found some company in the woods as we caught up to the first 2 all-male teams heading towards our first swim. We had scouted a suitable crossing while paddling through the area earlier in the day. The temps were warm and we were all looking forward to cooling off a little I think. The rest of the trekking went well and Harps led us into the next TA with no issues as the first team to arrive I think.

Another 9 minute TA and we were onto some rolling roads looking for a snowmobile trail which we found right where we expected it based on my odometer. We made a quick stop to top off a tire and then somehow missed our next turn and spent some time trying to re-connect. I’m still not sure how we missed it as my odometer was right on the rest of the day. In the process Beowolf managed to get ahead of us. Not much later we caught a glimpse of them on a long climb and we chased for the next 10k. Just as we were about to catch them Ciele came flying by us on a downhill. We all made it to the area of the next turn into the Nordic trail system together but some indecisiveness by the others let us get past and we made it into the next TA just ahead of the other co-ed two teams.

We TA’d into running shoes and lights for this next leg which as in the Nordic trails on an orienteering map. This seems to be becoming more common in AR and I like it. We crossed paths with Ciele at least once on the three-control loop but they were a little more efficient on their loop and beat us out of the bike drop by a few minutes.

The next bike leg was pretty simple from a route choice standpoint and we made pretty quick work of it. The one notable feature along the way was the giant washout of the road which we had to cross. There must have been a lot of rain in the area at some point. I seemed to be the only one who noticed the temps dropping along the way.

2x20 min Sweet (or Sweat) Spot

228W NP

7x (30 sec at 420W, 30 sec easy, 30 sec run)
10 min recovery then repeat again

C • Didn't take you long 3