Training Log Archive: Slice

Event: Salomon Raid the Hammer 25K Adventure Run
 

Great day out at Raid the Hammer! I was lucky enough to get asked to race with The Griz and TVP, and so needless to say, we already had a winning combination right off the bat. I hadn't been feeling my usual self on my running legs since coming back from a two week beer-swilling, ass-sitting vacation on the Colorado river, and I'd also caught a tenacious bug down there that was impacting my lungs. I was pretty worried about keeping up to these guys during what was supposed to be a grueling uphill course! Unfortunately for TVP, because I felt weak I wused out and decided to only carry 500mls of fluids and I passed on another 500ml to him. Griz had the same sort of idea, and so poor TVP started off the race with a pretty heavy pack! All three of us struggled with the very quick start and were just trying to keep pace with the surrounding teams. Griz is so quick with the map that all I could during the entire race was just generally follow along so far as to know what part of the course we were on, and how long it might be 'till the next CP.
We started with the south loop of the first map, and finally hit map #2 in 2nd or 3rd place overall. The run down Sydenham and through Dundas was quick, with all teams maintaining their position, however, I noticed that we were making a steady gain on them all. Going into the 3rd map we made some great decisions, and Griz was smooth as butter with the nav, and so we were ahead of the rest by the time we pulled into the matrix. Griz did 10A, I did 10B and 10C, and TVP did 10D. I got back to the gatehouse first, looked for the "flag" and then realized that I needed to look at the number on the post. Then I sat back and waited for the others as Trip Le Team arrived on the scene and appeared to pull their hair out as they looked for the "punch". Hee hee. We managed to take off shortly before they figured out the post thing, and then they were back with us up the Headwaters trail on the way to CP12.
Walk the line was beautifully executed by our fearless leader, but it certainly set our legs up for a world of hurt in the last bunch of climbing on the advanced section.
The Griz made the advanced section seem like a piece of cake as we seamlessly flowed from one CP to the next. We took a direct beeline across to the finish from CP20 so we could do a few last minute mud puddle dives and bring our runners home covered in black muck.
Since I have a deep-rooted fear of having a team pass me within 500m of any finish line, I always try to imagine that there is a team right on my tail in order to avoid a sloppy finish while in the lead. The whole way up that last hill to the finish I just kept saying that we had to keep pushing, there was a team right behind us, they can see us, etc, and I'm not so sure the boys appreciated this visual. I'm pretty sure we all felt like we were going to explode at this point!
Griz is a beautiful navigator, and I really think this win belongs to him. After a while he gave me the honour of carrying the dibbler, and I also got to contribute by helping TVP make sure the crew was fed and hydrated. Oh, I also got to cop a couple feels as I help Griz up some of the slippery leaf-strewn slopes.
Thanks again to all of the GHO folks for another great race!!

C • Congrats!! 13

A little pre-raid leg spin. I thought of doing 1000 vertical metres, but figured I'd save that for tomorrow.

C • Only 1km? 1

C • congrats Liza. Just saw the... 4

C • How did it feel? 4