Training Log Archive: 'Bent

COC Middle distance, plus multiple warmups in the much-delayed start, and run to get the van after.

As for the actual race- don't ask. Worst ever.
I was in over my head in this terrain after no orienteering all season. I ran into the kindly RK, and ran with him for a bit. I might have eventually finished, but Bash and the Wadd Squad all had much earlier starts than me and I didn't want them to die of starvation after hugely delayed starts, so I bailed at 9. Fooey!

Easy jog to work with the Bulletdog.
Instead of my AM ride or weights, I was cleaning out my gear box, sterilizing water bladders and stuffing dry gear back into stuffsacks. It was enough of a challenge for today.

Easy jog home in the dark and the rain. I didn't need the workout, but hate burning gas for such a short commute.

Endurance Aventure Day 3-
Midnight start with a trail run, followed by a "marsh walk" which was on a trail. Bash was really hammering here. We'd brought our rafts in case the marsh was a lake, but only used them for a shorter adventure swim section. We'd lost Gazelle's SS Iron Lung, so we put 2 to a raft. Tiny and I have never been closer! We had a slow TA deflating and changing to drier clothes for a bike back. Probably should have swam and not changed.

Endurance Aventure Day 3- Last stage
A lo-o-ong bike leg today, that started with an epic 500M vertical climb up a steep rocky section. Even if you could ride, teams ahead were falling off and walking. Daniel the race organizer promised free beer to anyone who could ride the whole climb, and even the Olympic cyclist Lynn Bisette didn't collect I believe. Lots of big hills here, and fairly technical rocky descents which I loved. We made an unlucky route choice, and ended up backtracking up a mountain and losing 5 places near the end. A bushwhack in the middle of the bike leg went very well. Next we rode to a river crossing where they ziplined the bikes but we crossed with a safety rope in heavy current, then 3 of us had to paddle whitewater while Bash could ride the van. It started to pour, but there still was very little water. No clear channels, it was a boat shove-and-drag. We sent Tiny on ahead a bit when it was super-shallow, and eventually he decided to just run the road and meet us, as walking beside the boat on the slippery rocks in the rain was just dumb. The first 1km was hell, the next 4 very nasty, and the last 5 were fun for me and The Gazelle. We met Bash at the TA, but no Tiny! He'd ended up practically at the finish - long story. They closed the Adventure Swim, so we ran into town and met Tiny scrambling across the river just before the finish line.

This race was super-organized. Lots of safety on the course, every team got to hop on a podium as they finished with a bottle of sparkling cider. They made us all feel like heroes. Very tough physically, a very strong international field, and very high fun and safety factor. At the awards, every finshing team was up on the stage, presented with nice softshell jackets, even the TA crew.
We'll all get a DVD of the race too. These guys *really* know how to run a race!

I really liked racing with this team. We got along super-well, and used every AR teamwork trick in the book. We towed and pushed each other, took packs when teammates were sick or hurting, carried rafts and paddles for one another, gave teammates food and water, and our support crew were great!
We ended up 17/25, although we raced around 12th until the last leg. This race seems more about fun and less about results.