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2001 Mark Twain
Adventure Race |
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After watching the annual Eco-Challenge on USA
Networks, we decided that 2001 would be the year that we finally try our
hand in adventure racing. We searched the web for races that were not too
far away and discovered the Mark Twain in Brownbranch, MO. Everyone was
excited and began to plan our race strategy. Since none of our equipment
was ideal for racing, Mark decided to buy a new bike for himself. Big
Mistake - while test riding a Trek 4500, he wiped out, broke his arm and
dislocated his elbow.
Although he did purchase the new bike, we
were now short a teammate and had to find a replacement before the race on
June 9, 2001. We had no luck in finding someone that was willing to race,
so I contacted the race organizers. They put us in contact with some
people on their waiting list and we soon had a fourth again. Although, as
it turns out we did not meet Rod until about 15 minutes before race
time.
Erica, Matt, and I arrived the night before the race and set
up camp. A small tent city had sprung up in a field near the river, which
was now serving as race headquarters. We weren't sure what to expect from
the competition, since this was our first race. But we got the impression
that many teams were quite serious about the race when our tent-neighbors
informed us that they would be going to bed at 8:30 and would need
relative silence. By the time we went to sleep around 11:00, we could
still hear them tossing around in their tent because they couldn't
sleep.
We awoke around 5:30 and made our way to the HQ shelter to
receive our race packet, which included maps, course descriptions and race
numbers. We readied our gear and laid out a race plan - primarily to get
out front early. By 6:30, we were beginning to worry that our new teammate
was a no-show for the 7:00 race. He showed up around 6:45, but had missed
the mandatory team meeting, in which the race directors explained the race
rules. (IMPORTANT FACT)
The race was to begin with a 2.5 mile out
& back run. When the gun went off, it was a mad dash for over 300
racers (84 Teams), with the first mile entirely uphill. We held our own in
the top 1/3 of the pack until the turnaround. Erica is a great downhill
runner, so we started to move up after the turn around. By the time we
were back to HQ and the canoes, we were in 8th place. We hopped in the
boats and tried to get out of the crowd. Fortunately, we were ahead of the
main pack, in which there were dozens of boats trying launch at the same
time, resulting in many dumped canoes.
We really cruised on the
12-mile canoe leg, moving up to seventh place and putting a lot of
distance between us and the teams behind us. The water was really low and
we had to get out and push pretty often. We used that as an opportunity to
make up some time, by running with the boat in those instances.
We
hit the next checkpoint, refilled our water packs and headed up the road
on a 7.5-mile run. Some nagging training injuries kept us from running the
whole way continuously, but we were running more than most teams. We
passed a couple of teams and got passed by one. We got to the next checkpoint
in 6th and began mystery event #1. It was a 20-question
trivia quiz with questions about Missouri Conservation, canoeing and
orienteering. If we got better than 80% correct, we could skip the ensuing
obstacle course. Of course, we got a 95% and skipped the obstacle course.
(We were the first team to do so.) That put us into 5th place heading into
the orienteering section.
A forest ranger was distributing maps of
the oriented section and explaining the rules of this section -
primarily, "do not cross any fences onto private property". Our new
teammate missed this statement. We headed out for the first orienteering
check point about 1/2 mile away. Due to our inexperience, we missed the
checkpoint by about 100 meters. However, we could not see the checkpoint,
since it was over the top of the hill. We fanned out along the fence we
had come to in order to look for the check point. Unfortunately, Rod
stepped through a hole in the fence for about 10 seconds before we could
call him back. We spotted the checkpoint and proceeded. At that point (in
5th place) we were informed that the 10 second indiscretion had gotten us
a DQ. We wasted about 20 minutes discussing the DQ with race officials and
were passed by 3 teams.
We were determined to complete the race,
even if unranked. Although, our competitive edge faded quickly. We took
the direct routes the remainder of the 5-mile, briar infested orienteering
course.
We set out on the 16-mile bike section, and our only goal
was finishing the race. Over gravel roads, trails and rock stairs that no one
could possibly ride up, we continued. A flat tire cost us several
more positions. We finally reached the finish line in what would have been
15th place - just over 10 hours.
This was not the best run race,
but we will likely return this year because of the location and relatively
reasonable entry fee. |
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2001 Berryman Adventure
Race |
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We arrived at the Bass River Resort around 4 pm on
Friday to set-up camp and check in for the race, which was to begin
sometime Saturday morning. Upon arriving we were given a schedule of
events leading up to the race:
· 7:00 p.m. Dinner
· 8:00 p.m. Mandatory Meeting
· 9:00 p.m. Safety Meeting
· 1:00 a.m. RACE START!!
Yes, a
1:00 start time. After setting up camp, we tried to catch a short nap, but
had no luck as other teams were arriving and noisily setting up their own
camps. We had been up since 6:00 a.m, and we would not be sleeping before
the race started - D'oh! We attended the spaghetti dinner & the
meetings. We received the checkpoint coordinates for the 100 mile race at
the 9:00 meeting. This being our first race in which we had to plot our
own maps, it took us a couple of hours to finish the process. We kicked
back for about an hour in our support crew’s cabin before returning to
camp to load our packs. The campground and race HQ was covered in a dense
fog and race time temperatures were in the 30s.
The Trek – 30
miles
As in our previous race, we wanted to get out front early on
and try to stay there. The first checkpoint (Checkpoint A) was about 3
miles away, via gravel roads and wooded trails. We ran the majority of the
first few miles, along with one other team. We believe we reached the
first checkpoint in 2nd place, although we cannot verify that as it was an
unmanned CP. (1 of every 2 checkpoints would be manned) We elected to take
the less direct, but clearly marked route to CP B and when we arrived we
had dropped to 6th place. We maintained this position through the next few
checkpoints. We were sticking to our plan of eating as a group at 30
minute intervals throughout the race. However, by this time our Snickers
and Power Bars were quite hard from the cold. This made them difficult to
choke down on the run, so the Nutri Grain bars & Oatmeal Cream Pies
were going quickly.
When we reached the area of the 5th CP, which
was off the trails and at the bottom of a drainage ravine, there was
already one team in the area looking for the CP flag, as well as us and
about 3 teams close behind us. At one point, there were 20-25 people
within 100 feet of each other – all looking for the flag. Mark located it
first and we quietly exited the area. We had gone maybe 200 feet when
someone from another team yelled “HERE IT IS!” What a genius. All the
other teams made a mad dash for the flag and we high-tailed it out of the
area to lose the crowd. After about a mile, we had left behind all of
those teams, and we could see another team up ahead.
We came to a
creek crossing and found the team ahead of us just sitting there. I
suspect they were unsure they were on the right course, because once we
began wading through the creek they did the same. They left us behind –
for the time being. The sun was coming up and we really had no idea what
place we were in. We weren’t doing any running by this time, but we tried
to keep a steady pace – pulling each other along on the uphills. We
reached the next manned checkpoint at a road crossing and learned we were
in 5th place – about 40 minutes out of the lead. We wasted about 30
minutes looking for one of the upcoming CPs, only to realize we were not
even in the right area. That cost us a few places and we began to get
discouraged. We ran a little after that to try and regain our position.
The final trekking checkpoint was not on a marked trail and our only clue
other than the coordinates we plotted was that it was on a saddle. It took
us about 10 minutes in the area before we found the CP. We became more
discouraged, as we thought our chance for a win had disappeared. However,
as we hit the gravel road and began our final 3 mile trek toward the canoe
launch, we saw teams backtracking. They had completely missed the last CP.
Maybe we weren’t doing so bad.
The Canoe – 20 miles
We
arrived at the canoe launch at about 11:00 a.m in 7th place. Three teams
had launched their boats within the 30 minutes before us. We quickly
caught and passed two of those teams. The first half of the 20 mile canoe
leg was filled with portages and fancy steering due to fallen trees. We
reached the Hwy 8 bridge after about 3 hours in the water; we judged this
to be about the halfway point. At that point, our support crew was there
to tell us we were in 5th place – about 10 minutes out of 4th. By now we
were having some difficulties, as one of our boats had a small leak. The
extra effort necessary to paddle that canoe was taking its toll and made
it difficult for us to stay together. However, we held our position until
we reached race HQ at about 5:30 p.m.
The Transition
Once
back at camp, we quickly tried to repack our gear and prepare for the bike
leg that was yet to come. We also grabbed some snacks prepared by our
support crew and changed clothes. After six hours in the river in
temperatures in the 50s & 60s, we were quite chilled. We also learned
that a member of the 2nd place team was unable to continue and that they
had withdrawn from the race. With our lights, Gear, food, and water all
packed we headed out on our bikes. We were the third team to leave the
transition area.
The Bike – 45 miles
We were determined
to reach as many checkpoints as possible before dark, as this would give
us a distinct advantage over the teams behind us. As it turned out, we
were able to reach two CPs before darkness set in and left us cruising
down some of Missouri’s roughest single track with little light. None of
us had any experience mountain biking at night. We methodically clicked
off the next few CPs without seeing another team. After several miles, we
began seeing headlights in the distance behind us, and we knew the fourth
place team was gaining ground. As we began descending down the side of the
hill toward the Brazil Creek Campground CP, we had a significant drop-off to our left and a hill immediately to the right. My pedal dug into the
hill and the bike came to a quick stop. I went over handlebars and
fortunately hit dirt and not rock. I saw stars, but the bike seemed
alright and we took off immediately. A half mile later, we started down
some switchbacks leading to the creek and the CP. Wham – another wipeout
for me. This time it was a large rock in the trail that I did not see in
the dark. This time I hit rock and, as I later found, got some significant
gashes to the legs. More importantly, I had smashed the headlamp on my
bike. We weren’t delayed more than 1 minute, but as we mounted up we were
passed and dropped back to 4th place.
It was obvious that we were
now beginning to feel the effects of sleep deprivation and fatigue. The
folks at the CP were very nice and offered encouragement, as well as a can
of Red Bull. The energy drink was a welcome site, as we had now been awake
for 40+ hours. We hit another unmanned CP and checked our map for the
route to the next. You may remember that the CPs were labeled by letters.
Naturally we proceeded to next CP alphabetically. However, when we got
there the volunteers told us that we had gone to the wrong CP. The race
instructions did not go through the CPs alphabetically! Deflated, we
trudged back the way we had come to get back on course for the correct CP.
It was now almost midnight and the Red Bull had worn off. We were
beginning to fall asleep on the bikes. Erica, Mark and I were having hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation. This was truly the
most surreal feeling I have ever experienced. At one point I saw a van
full of army recruits in full fatigues parked in the middle of the woods.
Having ridden this trail before, we knew we were about to enter a 7-mile
stretch of treacherous switchbacks. We stopped for a break at the next CP
and began discussing the possibility of bailing out of the race. We
decided to bail with just 5 CPs left, based on our inability to stay awake
and a projected 5 hours remaining to finish the race. This decision left
us with a 10 mile ride down the gravel roads back to race HQ. We had more
hallucination and more naps on the bike all the way back.
Looking
back, I now know that dropping out was a mistake. Unfortunately, some of
us were not thinking logically at the time. Were we in that situation
again, we would sleep an hour or so and then continue on. Had we done
this, we would have still posted a top 5 finish (only 5 of 25 teams
finished). Furthermore, because of the high dropout rate, race officials
cut the last 2 CPs off of the course, meaning we were only 3 CPs short of
the finish.
Aside from a few kinks, I think this was great race.
Our thanks go out to Keith Lay, his wife, and all the volunteers for
putting on such a fun event. We will back in ’02!!!
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2002 Memphis Tri Club
Adventure Race |
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Pre-Race
We arrived
at the Meeman-Shelby State Park at approximately 6:30 a.m. for the 8:00
a.m. race. After signing in
and picking up our race numbers, we began setting up our spot within the
transition area. We would not
be receiving the course instructions or maps until the race began, so once
we got the transition area set up we had some time to kill. As we sized up the competition, it
became obvious that the majority of the teams competing were all
male. Race time approached,
and the race officials gave some final instructions before asking that all
teams report to the transition area.
The Run
Race packets
were passed out to team captains shortly after 8:00, and the race was
on. The first task at hand
would be to plot the 17 checkpoints on the topo map that we were
given. Since we had only
plotted our own maps once before, we were not as quick as some of the
other teams. However, it was
obvious that some teams elected to plot only their first few points before
heading out onto the course.
After about 20 minutes, with maps completed and packs on, Erica,
Matt and I headed out of the transition. Of 27 teams, I estimate that we
were about 20th to leave transition.
The first checkpoint was about 2 miles away via paved roads. The course to the first point was
pre-determined by race officials.
About a mile into the run, we began meeting the lead teams as they
retraced their route. (CP2 was back at transition.) We held our position through the
first checkpoint and then back to the transition area. A few teams behind us had
bushwhacked back from CP1 and gained some time on us. The entrance to the transition was
blocked by a 9 foot wall that had to be scaled.
The Bike #1
From CP2 we
mounted our bikes and headed for CP3 about 3 miles away. All biking was on paved or gravel
roads. We easily spotted CP3
just off the road, since 3 other teams were standing right near it. We headed toward CP4, which looked
to be about a mile away. As
we approached the turnoff that led to the CP, we headed down a steep
hill. Matt braked hard as we
neared the turn off, hit some gravel, and took a nosedive into the
pavement. After a short delay
to examine man and machine, we were back on our way. CP4 was a manned CP that required
a gear check and a mystery event.
I did the gear check, while Erica and Matt began building a fire
with pine needles. Once their
fire burned through the string suspended above, we were headed back to
CP5, which was back at transition. We went over the wall again and into
transition to prepare for the orienteering.
The Orienteering
We
bushwhacked about a mile through the woods before crossing a road and
heading down into a ravine.
We climbed up the other side, and after about 5 minutes, spotted
CP6. We had found the CP
pretty quickly and we saw some other teams that looked unsure of their
whereabouts, so we were feeling pretty confident. You should never feel confident
when you are a novice at orienteering. This lesson was well learned on
CP7. After following a trail
to creek about ½ mile away, we headed up a drainage to where we thought we
would find CP7. While we had
plotted the point correctly, we had chosen the wrong drainage and ended up
on the wrong hill. After
searching for about an hour, we headed toward a road so that we could
identify our position and take another shot at the CP. Erica spotted the flag before we
reached the road and saved us a good deal of time. We walked up the main road about a
half mile before bushwhacking due south for CP8. Once in the area, we found the CP
within about 5 minutes. CP9
was at transition, so we hustled back to find another mystery event
awaiting us. This one
required us to relay enough sand to fill a 5-gallon bucket, using only the
items we were carrying. With
Erica using the dry-bag we had brought for the canoe, Matt using a plastic
poncho, and me using our space blanket, we filled the bucket in one
trip. We then climbed the
wall and readied our bikes for another round.
The Bike #2
CP10 was a
mile away and just off the road - but hidden in a sink hole. We found it quickly, as we had
plotted it perfectly. CP11
and CP12 were right next to a paved bike trail and barely required us to
slow down. We passed about
three teams during this stretch.
The Canoe??
CP13 was at
the boat dock where we were to venture out on Poplar Tree Lake in our
canoe. But, where are the canoes?
There were no canoes on this day. We were paddling a Johnboat. Out to the main channel and 3/4 of
a mile up a cove we found CP14.
As we turned back toward the main channel, girth of the boat began
to take its toll. This thing
was not easy to paddle, especially with an odd number of paddlers. Across the main channel and 1/2
mile up another cove was CP15.
Two other teams were in hot pursuit as we left the checkpoint
destined for CP16 back at the boat dock. We finally got some rhythm going
on the way back and reached the dock just in front of the other
teams. After another gear
check we climbed on our bikes and started home.
The Bike #3
It was about
a 5-mile ride back to transition.
We pushed pretty hard most of the way, retracing the route we had
taken to the lake. We kept an
eye out for teams challenging from behind, but cruised into transition
with no one in sight. We
climbed the wall one last time into the transition area and then began the
final obstacle course.
Climbing over, under and through about 20 obstacles, we completed
the course and reached the finish line in 7 hours 28 minutes. Eighteen of the 27 teams completed
the course. We finished in
11th place overall and 4th place among other co-ed
teams.
This was a fun event and the organizers from Memphis Tri Club were very
nice. Although a first-aid tent would have been a welcome addition after
the race, the event was well run, and we look forward to returning. My
only other suggestion for improvement would be for the organizers to make
this race 4-person team event. |
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