Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Event: Michigan Adventure Race: Epic Edition (8 hour)
 

Seven years, dozens of races, never better than second...today, all forty checkpoints, thirty seconds to spare, one overall win...euphoric

C • Sweet. Big congrats! 9

C • SWEET 1

Perhaps I was too casual..."It's only an eight hour race..." I showed up in jeans, then the briefing used much of time pre race, and then I was scrambling to get started...We planned to run hard from the gun to the put in to be at the front of the boat pack, but we missed the start by 15-30 seconds. And with varying amounts of suggested gear still in our vehicles. Oh no, no no no. So we were several teams back to hit TA1.

I almost grabbed Shane's canoe, as it's just a shinier version of mine, but I noticed the fancy paddle and what the heck? found our boat. Maria and I put in and figured Tizoc would be right behind...but he was back a bit. And then falling back further. We lily dipped, but he still wasn't catching up. Noo...I could see so many boats getting ahead. At least it will be good team training. Then I remember I had my WeGo teamlink tow rope in my pack. We stopped, hitched up Tizoc's rental 'yak, and then were able to at least roughly maintain pace with the back of the lead pack. Towing a kayak with the WeGo worked great, other than at punches when the odd other team would park between our boats. And Maria and I exuberantly left CP1 not realizing Tizoc hadn't boarded, so when he tried a deep reentry he tipped. Sorry, man.

I have always wanted to paddle a bit on the Grand so that was fun. I was very nervous though - there were a lot of boats ahead, and the nav on the balance of the course didn't look hard enough to slow folks down. I wanted to win, but were we even going to make top ten? Well, give 'er anyway.

At some point on the paddle or when the canoe was brought back the WeGo broke a bit, but I think I can fix it. Also I know how sort of how it's constructed now so maybe I will make a beefy canoe tow version.

#29 was the oddest point - do you get it early en route to the first o section, or after the second to last o section? My swag was after the 2nd was shorter, so we beelined for the o section via the other points.

We nearly overshot the first turn off point by the Cannonsburg SGA singletrack. We need a better signal for this than "GUYS IT'S THE FLAG HEY MAN COME BACK FLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG" as this may have helped a team that overshot it to backtrack.

Then the singletrack looked shorter than the road, so we took that. It worked well for us - we were only going 10-12, but it was shorter, much cooler (well shaded) and single the sand and skills limited speed, it was an aerobic recovery. So we did both optional singletrack sections.

At Cannonsburg Ski Area, we worked down to #7, then took a pretty straight line across the slopes to pick up the white loop trailhead. I think that worked well, it moved quick.

The baby trail at the ski area is kind of near my top end for comfort. Poor Maria had a few spills. My front tire slid out for a low slide. I tried to yank my foot off to get it down, but my foot stayed clip and by fortune or blessing the front tire came with my foot and when it hit the ground it hooked up and I didn't wipe out.

Mark really toyed with us - first bike o bingo came quick, then it was a monster gap to the next, then they were quick again.

I swear we followed the "This Way Be Easier" signs heading out, and yet we ended up in the skills park, which was scary so we cut back to the correct exit.

Maria took up the tow after the ski area. Finally, after installing my line dog leash in 2013, it would finally see some real use.

We only thought we passed a couple teams at this point, and we thought we were well back yet.

And yet we arrived at TA3 in third! I was surprised by happy. We were not too far behind the other teams. We jogged most of the way to the first with a two person male team. Then encountered the super solo, Mr. Orange (John) en route to the second.

Route to the 14 was only slightly confused by the extra trails, but we could see the marshes and ponds and that helped. Then to the 15, I purposely went to the wrong earlier reentrant as the AP for the correct second reentrant. We acquired Mr. Orange in the first wrong one ("What's a reentrant?" he asked). So we tried to shake him for the 16 NW of Pickerel Lake - he took the trail while we went high. Woods were open. But we didn't see the flag when we popped onto the reentrant, so we took it to the top. Tizoc thought about confirming, but I was certain this was it, so we ran back down and picked it up.

Swim from #17 was tempting, but swimming is slow and the bushwhack looked rough so we jogged it in. ~42 minutes is what the volunteers called out for a split. We had passed the other two teams, although Mr. Orange transitioned faster (cages instead of clips!) and left ahead of us. We strategized at this time that if we were still with Mr Orange at Peace Park, we would go in the opposite direction and rely on our experience and hope he bobbled.

At this point I'm starting to think the course is slightly longer than eight hours. But we must keep going - Mr Orange is ahead, the two male is not far behind.

We pick up 18 and take the paved trail rather than the dirt to 19. 19 was fun; I love running up creeks. Plus there was a free Hammer Gel in the creek, which I consumed later.

Maria unfortunately found barbed wire at 20, but has a fresh tetanus shot and will be okay.

We botched 21 - I didn't trust my distance eyeball and odometer, so we checked the first stream for a couple minutes before deciding it must be farther down the road. Debated routes to TA4, went east and down to 2 Mile rather than back up to 4 Mile.

Time to do work. Lots of teams had skipped some portion of the course, as there were a lot more bikes than Mr Orange's. We again had a little trouble with the trails before deciding "well there's the marsh either way". Hit that, crossed the marsh (I was expecting waist deep, but it was not much more than ankle). Bang into the next in a reentrant. Then I went conservative for 24 - it's a big spur, but there were two spurs. So we went to a trail / creek junction to make our bearing, then hit the spur and cruised up. Mr Orange was around somewhere so we tried to push up a bit. Got it, and then raced to get out of there, hoping that would give others the opportunity to pick the wrong spur.

Then my crappiest orienteering of the day looked like I was a pro - I wanted to jump between trails to 25, but easy walking pushed me waaaay off line...which wasn't terrible because of the trail as a catch, so we ended up tripping on 25. I'll take luck.

Mostly today the maps made unusually good sense so we went right to 26, not much trouble with the one on the creek, then just a minor quibble picking a good size but not quite right reentrant for...27? We had elected to take 30 by foot, looking close to the o course and too far to grab via bike. And with that we were out of there, after a brief pit stop (I knew I was due for one of those in a race).

Leaving TA4, we have heard Mr Orange has skipped one. But did he skip perfectly, and now has exactly enough time to clear the rest of the course? Oh no. We will have to go for the sweep. Or rather, we will pick up 29 and 31, go past the Finish, start a timer, dog it, and then use that as a baseline to figure out a must-depart time, and see what we could do.

Biking went okay. I gave some more tow. I was secretly hoping the tows would be ending as I was feeling the heat and getting tired. I didn't want to eat anything - the shot blocks and chews that are so tasty when fresh sounded awful. I need a food to eat when I don't want to eat. So used gels a bit here, which for the time being will fill that roll.

We didn't realize Dogwood went through after #31, so we were prepared to bushwhack through a county park but then it ended at Pettis, hooray.

Made it near the start finish, started and early timer, didn't push super hard (but probably too hard for timing purposes), and had it at almost exactly eight minutes back to the finish. Okay, we will shoot for 10-12 and go hard, no problem.

Man oh man...there was next to no time left, Pickerel was 42 minutes and much flatter....I don't know. Let's go though. Tizoc and I kept on our bike shoes for time. We charged south on trails, then found the big spur. Or at least a very big spur. That's gotta be it, eh? It's huge. Climb climb climb. Okay, that took very slightly too long. But it's mostly fast to the next CP. We go. And go.

Maria and Tizoc know we have to leave the 2nd CP after 15 minutes. We hit 15 minutes. I'm sure we are now at the soft tip top of the reentrant. "Just a little farther". "Okay, a few more seconds, but then we have to go."

I can see it now. This is the reentrant. The ridge and its spur are forming up nicely on my right. I can see the other side shaping up. We just glide down, it's here. But I can't see the flag yet.

Maria and Tizoc stop. "We have to go back!" "No, it's here! Ten more seconds!" I push as far as I can, they start screaming. "Come back!" But I know it's here. Finally, so close to acquiescing, I spot it. "Here here here! It's right here!" We are now between 60 and 90 seconds behind. Crap, it'll be tight. No backtracking, we either spike the last two or leave. Surely no one else can have them? This is a tough course.

We glide down the hill towards the next one. It's knoll, but I'm treating it like the end of a soft spur. I hope we didn't hit the spur too high. Then I finally spot an open meadowy small knoll. That's it, that's it. The team reminds me we are really, really short on time. I run ahead to confirm. "It's here!"

We will have a frantic exit. Crap, trails. Do they go the right way? Yes. Wait, no. We have to bushwhack. Team is tired, and we are back off trail. I can't figure out which spur is correct. We get back on a trail. Mark probably gave us an easy one, so it's in one of these two reentrants. Tizoc monitors the right; I the left. Finally, I spot it. Punch and full throttle to the lot down the hills. We have cleared the course, now we just have to finish. Victory shall be ours! I am giddy.

Here it is. No one else is ahead of us. We have an easy eight minute ride back to the finish, and ten minutes to do it. I will finally win an AR! Seven years!

We are rolling. 18 mph, perfect. I wonder if we should back off - we have two minutes, we are in first, no point in kiling ourselves. But I say nothing.

Then it happens. Tizoc's hamstrings cramp impossibly hard. He gets off his bike. He can't get back on. We have NO TIME for this. Can you get back on your bike? I cannot get back on mi bike. If you get back on your bike, I can tow you - you have to get back on your bike. I can't.

No non onononononononononononononononon

This is the worst bike ride of my AR life. We are right there. Right there. 1.5 miles to go.

I am a terrible person so I consider if I can ditch Tizoc. Maria and I are the two person team - we can go win. I'm sure he'd forgive us.

But then he can get on his bike. Okay. I pedal hard, but it's 10-11 mph - that is not enough. Maria, get back here and push Tizoc.

Tizoc finally recovers a little and can pedal with one leg. This gets us back over 15 mph and Maria creates a draft. Oh crap, this is waaay too tight, but I think maybe yes?

We get to the bend. We have 90 or 120 seconds, I think we can make it. Tizoc calls out to jump the curb near my truck. We only have 75-100m to the finish. We jump the curb, and his chain jams - he is done pedaling. "Tow me, my chain is locked!" We yell at Maria to go ahead, this will be the 99 foot rule to the max. I pedal hard, standing, straining, but it's 10 mph tops up that light grade.

And we make it, not too far behind Maria, with 30 seconds to spare. Oh boy. Never again that close, never again.

The waves of joy have lasted for two days now, I think. I am so happy. I float for the rest of the day, and am the last racer to leave, so enjoying the moment.

C • curb jumping while being towed 3

Event: Laramie Daze
 

Really didn't want to, but mowed out of consideration of the lawn obsessed neighbors.

Cabin Fever gets new name and venue.

http://www.nsfadventures.com/new/events

C • Frozen Beaver 6

Make up for yesterday. If I could stop sweating, I could get ready for work.

Meant to ride over to Island Lake, but work dragged a bit...even at my house! so I drove, figuring I could always pad it a bit.

We eased out to the east end of the main road, then pacelined with Cooper's coworker to the far end and back. Fun!

I originally planned to go hit a little singletrack and some gravel, but was enjoying the company so instead of breaking off, we just hit more hills and bombed some downhills. My bike does not want to break 40! Topped out at 39 something, which was a blast.

I acquired a dog at the one mile mark. I was scared at first, because loose country dogs often charge and bark. But he ran up, sniffed, and then escorted me around the block. He came in handy by the one especially aggressive dog on 137th. That dog charged off the porch, my new friend squared up, and that dog went back to his porch. Good boy!

Then I had a panic wondering if any of the three dogs were outside the in laws, so I tried to come up with a way to get ahead of my new friend so I could yell to get the dogs in, not knowing how they would interact, but luckily they were all inside.

My new friend trotted the mile back to his house afterwards - we saw him on a porch on the way to church.

C • Watch Dog 4

Cooldown, other than the sprint to the porch to check for my clan's loose dogs.