Training Log Archive: Sid

Event: Fronteir Adventure Racing - Adventure Challenge
 

FAR Huntsville FAR race. Silence Beckons takes to the field for the first time as a natural all 50+ team with TD, PR and Sid. Somewhat frustrating, but overall a good day as SB came home and finished a long race!

The FAR Hunstville race has great significance to the SB core as 2 years ago they took DC into this race to get A/R off his checklist. That race was also too long and bordering on dangerous as half the field came in after dusk without bike lights. SB was the 4th team in when the cutoff closed but FAR kept changing and finally dropped the cutoff to our disadvantage.

Anyway, SB started out slowly and with dignity as befits an ancient A/R team but started to pass team in the Harp Lake Road confusion. The control was in the wrong spot though fitting the description. No sure if map or placement issue.

Back on the bikes I reminisce of past lives as a sledder. TD and I are retired sledders, part of a large group that rented a cottage out of the Oxtongue Lake area for the snowmobile season. The Big East River crossing and Dyer's Memorial trail are all favourites. CP 2 was on a new section of trail since we were last in the area. It was a bit confusing after the CP and it may have been quicker to back track to the road but a virgin sled trail and the arboreal forest was too much for temptation. Staying left would bring us to old D120B but "Y" gave doubts to SB as bike tracks could be seen going the other way. However, as in the last Huntsville race, SB knows experienced teams, the Tree Huggers, are ahead leading the way. (Last race it was Hammer.) The team comes out to Dave Zietsma (we thought he was racing) at the main trail junction and heads to CP3 and the TA. A team meets us at the intersection having run the road. The debate is whether they were ahead or behind at CP2. Ian remembers them as passing SB on Hidden Lake Road but the CP1 mix-up may have scrambled standings. Back on the trail run last year in reverse, SB soon gets to CP3 for the trek. 2 years ago DC had a cathartic moment on one of these hills. Ian asks how he is doing after 30 km for stony gravelly snowmobile trials. DC replies "F____ S_____". TD soon realizes DC has followed my advice and not begin eating or drinking enough and is near bonking. Gatorade and food, and he is fine again.

SB discusses routes for the trek to the rapids CP$. I want to take the trail for an easy access point but the others prefer the direct route through a water bog. The compromise is to take the trial to a hilltop for a bearing of 92 to the control using a swamp, hills and streams as catching features. SB hits the stream and confluence of the Big East River and makes a slight navigation error thinking the control is south. There are a series of streams and we are on the south edge, the control near the north. Standing midstream it is realized the river shape is not accurate for the first assumption and north we go soon hitting the CP at the top of the rapids. Many teams are around.

SB struggles across the stream. PR in particular takes a deeper route but enjoys a casual swim. TD has the best idea using a stick for balance. It is decided to check for the southerly sled trail in the instructions but after 150 m the decision turns to climbing the steep bank for an easterly trek. The snowmobile trail shows up soon but is rationalized that at the worst SB will hit the river if it is followed in the direction bearing. SB clears the mucky section and comes up behind an all male team. TD leads the way in a run passed this team but they soon get embarrassed and run us down. A long haul up the trail to the bridge crossing brings SB to CP5 and the TA for the canoe section.

With a major thruster damaged, the talk was of canoe positioning. It is decided to go PR, TD with the sore shoulder and myself. The canoe started out with a wide section narrowing to the first portage. The portage was about 400m but there was no indication on the instructions. PR & I carried the boat on our shoulders with TD hauling the many paddles. We had taken 2 canoe paddles in addition to the kayak paddles as white water was imminent. It got pretty frothy quicker than expected and soon we were running over gravel bars, rocks and Class 0 waters. The water was too slow to see many pillows so we would miss the major ones and hit minor ones. Two small portages lead to a class 1 runnable section. SB was caught be a few times but the Sherpas were passed when they took an oxbow section instead of going right. At the class 1, our old buds from Esprit were coaching but the boat in front of us spill and 2 others took the wring line. With TD coaching, SB ran the rapids well, passing 3 teams. Being on the water for over 2 hours now, SB realizes this section is much longer than though. The canoe has about 5 inches of water in the bottom and the captain calls for the bailer but an extensive search can not find it. It appears it was lost at the 3rd potage or during the rapids. TD is getting cold and stiff in the middle but SB just has to pull to the TA about 4 km further down stream. Reaching the TA, SB is in the company of 3 other teams, the Sherpas being one. All are quite cold as the water is not as warm as Lawrence suggested. AH of the Sherpas is quite cold with a space blanket on. TD has no feeling in her fingers. The group realizes the only solution is to get biking. All have been shortcutted home, though the advanced bike sections looks better. There is also mention of the cut off being extended, shadows of the 2005 race. SB and the Sherpas head out back over the Big East River to Williamsport. The road section does not seem right but CP7 is soon reached and the last bike section towards the airport and the finish. The trail starts off reasonable but gets worse. At a corner we find two girls being assaulted by black flies and CP8. From here it gets nasty, long muddy hills rutted with ATV tracks that are difficult to ride. TD remarks that this likely is worse than the advanced bike sections. I agree from our sledding experience. The trail on the advance ends at Billy Bear road and is a straight forward 15 km ride to the Deehurst. The "short cut" is half the distance or more but unrideable, muddy uphills and swampy bottom sections. I try to ride one puddle but do a knee plant on the far bank. Coming down what seems like the hundredth muddy hill, highway #60 can clearly be heard as a trail junction is reached. The way is clearly to the right for the airport though left is an obvious short cut. SB goes right though there are no bike tracks and soon reaches 30m of beaver washout. The team goes up to mid chest in the fetid water on crossing. No bike tracks on the other side!! Everyone ahead has taken the incorrect route though if the cut off is passed, it does not matter. Over another hill is the airport and it is quick ride to the highway. The Sherpas just pass as SB figures out the direction as the airport road is not on the map. Another all male passes from behind and race the Sherpas home. SB follows at the senior pace, arriving at the finish line at 7:10. PR heads home as the rest go for showers and return at 10 pm to collect the gear bags.

Silence Beckons has completed the course in a respectable time. All agree though, that the course was too long for the 6 hour cut off for all but elite teams. There is not enough navigation for SB to use that skill to their advantage. As the 2005 race was similarly too long, one has to wonder FAR's design thoughts. It seems races are being set for elite mountain bikers rather than skilled but less athletic types looking for an outdoors adventure. It is also disappointing when the results come out as SB's times for last 3 controls have been lost. Current rank is 23 out of 32 but likely should be 10th if you consider accurate route choice, 18th out of the other shortcutted teams or NR if the original race platform was used.

Great race for an all over 50 year old team!!

C • DC? 3

GHO training at Kern Cliff Park by Sudden. Nice trail run. Tried to use thumb compass but terrain navigation was much easier.

Actually won a game for an change though personally had a rough one giving up mre than a few break aways

Warm up for core workout.

Emphasis on core today. Did 50 at least of every imaginable ab work out. Seemed relatively strong for skipping core now and then.

C • Hard Core 2

Lots of balance work but was having a lot of trouble on Bossus ball.

Event: Tri City Urban Adventure Run
 

The Tri City Adventure Race: Nice day for this new event. Fast urban race with a nice sprint around Waterloo Park then over to the University for a run around the old haunts. Wanted to run past V2 but TD preferred the sedate route. Then up Columbia and over the the field for the Star. Back over Columbia, down Ring Road to the University overpass and back to the park. Second GHO Masters COED team, 6th out of 12 overall. Nice event put on by Nick, Giles, Andrea, Val and the Stars. The Stars have very nice raceshirts.

C • comments 1

Was going to do a light warm up for weights but the Sabres Ranger game when into overtimes and Steve Nash was going for the NBA assist record. Rangers won in 2 overtimes and PHX wiped the Lakers so Steve sat out the 4th quarter. Reduced level as legs were tired after Tri City.

Did max sets with reps of 10 to 20. Variable strength after running and cycling.

Nice leg stretch after major workouts.