Training Log Archive: mayer22

Event: NAARS Championship
 

NAARS Championship
Toby got injured less than a week out so we (Julia and I) recruited Johnny M to fill in. He did a great job too punching all but 1 CP, being support on nav, and pushing the pace at the end.

The course was excellent with some great terrain and some interesting surprises (caves w/ maps). Quite a bit of strategy required to determine how teams attacked the course. Lots of controls. Night paddling. Sweet singletrack. And lots of short route decisions on the final bike leg. It all ended with a paddle. Only disappointment was boats in the canoes but mobile TA (boat) made up for some of it.

We were neck and neck with GOALS the entire race. Many times took different approaches (sometimes similar, sometimes completely different) but we kept executing at the same speed. Had a blast racing along side them.

After getting bussed to the start we had a fairly short foot-O at Stone Valley Recreation Area. Other than going up the wrong reentrant to the first CP as a result of unmapped trails along with just about every other team we had very clean nav. Ran alongside NYARA until they made a mistake and we peeled off just behind them.

Came into the TA first a few minutes ahead of GOALS and Rev3.

Started with a short climb and trail descent and then road ride to the next TA. Came across several construction zones.

Rerouted on course to take the longer, flatter paved road as opposed to the shorter gravel road. Assuming other teams took the gravel. It seems it was likely a wash but had me worried. Arrived at TA alone and heard GOALS riding in as we were running down the trail.

Trek was primarily to get us across the river without our bikes but there were some orienteering controls along the way likely to give them more time with the bikes.

Saw GOALS (and I think Rev3) behind a few times but we were able to get to the river and cross just before they arrived. Water felt good. Would have loved to stay longer.

Didn't even bother changing shoes for such a short and flat ride to the next foot section.

We were upset by this section at first because it was 6 points in a small (~100 acre) area after a super short bike. Why were we here. This is why. I was super pumped to see the cave entrance and the maps. Very cool part of the race.

GOALS caught us after we missed a turn in the second cave. Got back to TA just ahead of GOALS with Halfwaythere just arriving.

Bike down a major highway and then up a creek to the paddle put-in.

Pushed the pace on the bike. Our primary goal for the first section of the race (everything up until this point) was to get to the boats first. We were told there were boats ranging from 15'-17' at TA and given we were already at a disadvantage (3 people, 3 bikes, 2 canoes) we wanted to make sure we got the fastest boats. We did and were able to pick out the only two 17' (one was a Discvocery 179). GOALS arrived right behind us and picked up some Wenonahs which aren't too shabby either.

GOALS left just before us and we followed them to the first 2 CPs. They then took an alternate route and gathered some of the Allegrippis points using the boats. We motored on and dropped our boats at TA7 getting just AL8 along the way which was about 100m misplaced.

On our way to TA8, sans bikes, we spent 40-50 min looking for AL12. We were told prerace that this would be the hardest CP to spot. It was a PVC tube lying on the ground along a cliff. We got to the cliff and no CP in sight. Because we were told it was so hard to spot we didn't know if we couldn't find it or if it wasn't in the right place. We searched a bit and then texted RDs. When we found out who set the point we realized there was a good chance it was misplaced so Julia paddled back the way we came and spotted it easily only about 150m before the cliff. A bit surprised we didn't see it on the way in.

When we got to TA we told RD and he sent someone out to move the CP. Luckily no one else got delayed. We requested a 20min time credit because that was how long they told to us to look for misplaced CPs. Unfortunately we didn't know if it was misplaced or difficult to see which is why we searched so long. That cost us an extra 20-30 min and even more precious daylight.

Trek back to where we dropped our bikes collecting a few orienteering controls along the way. Accidentally ran right by a manned CP which we had to visit later on the bike instead.

Got back to our bikes and saw several teams and boats in TA including GOALS boats.

Set off right away collecting points that were placed strategically along the single track trails. Use a mix of trails and doubletrack roads to get around. Adjusted some of our planned route after getting some exposure to the trails and was able to reduce some of the climbing.

Got the two points GOALS got via boat on bike and then biked along the ridge to the foot points on the southern end.

My route comparison breakdown with GOALS:
Added our way
2 mi of trail
1 mi of DT 400ft descent
1 mi of DT 400ft ascent

Added GOALS way
100ft uphill shwack (and back down)
400ft uphill shwack (and back down)
0.5 mi paddle
1 mi of Road 100ft descent (independent of paddle point choice)
1 mi of Road 100ft ascent (independent of paddle point choice)

Looking back getting the lower point by boat only would have saved the 400ft uphill bike and 2 mi with a 100ft uphill shwack and .5 mi paddle.

Were hoping to get here in daylight but due to lost time earlier we only had a few minutes of it left. So we went CCW instead of CW to hit the harder nav sooner with a bit of daylight left but that meant adding in 2 steep climbs. Saw GOALS bikes sitting at the top of the 400ft climb. Wasn't positive of their route choice but figured they were essentially at the same spot we were.

Had a bit of trouble on the first CP. Shwacked when we could have taken an unmapped rd and then got confused where we were when we got back to the road for a bit.

We were out of water and had several miles before TA so we stopped at a house to fill up a little before the trails. Hit a few CPs encountering a porcupine on the trail.

After the last CP we had to go get the CP we missed earlier and saw GOALS heading towards the last CP. And then road down to the TA with them. After several hours, significant route differences that meant not traveling nearby, and delays experienced by both teams we were still neck and neck.

Loaded the bikes back into the boats and paddled across the lake right behind GOALS (thanks for lighting up the TA for us). Unloaded bikes and then set off for some more paddling CPs. Debated getting 2 controls on the next trek leg but decided against due to steep schwack and keeping a closer eye on GOALS.

The lake was flat and clear. The lack of speed boats was awesome. The clear night allowed us to use stars to navigate. A moon may have been better to see more terrain but we may have lost the stars.

At the first paddle CP GOALS tried to confuse us by not punching the CP (mission accomplished). We then were ahead of them guiding them to the next CP. Despite Jason not paddling they were moving a bit faster and arrived at the take out a couple minutes ahead. We trekked up to the TA together.