Training Log Archive: JayXC

Unpack.

Event: ROC - Webster Park [2012 Series #2]
 

Bike leg continued.

C • Tough Race 3

After 13 hours on the bike in the dark Team UNE arrived at the Greenwood Lake Paddle-O section as the sun was coming up. Another quick transition and they set out for a very enjoyable paddle with sit-on top kayaks tied together for 5 optional points along the way finishing it up around 7:30am.

Heading into the last trekking section of the race along the Appalachian Trail the team felt they needed to clear the 3 optional points in the section to gain the 5 bonus points available to still be in the running for a podium position. Despite running the entire section with reckless abandon (and gaining a new perspective on how fast some thru hikers travel) the team arrived at the finish 11 minutes too late and suffered a 5 point penalty moving them down to 5th in the overall standings.

Looking back I don't think this course was clearable in 36 hours...We made that realization 1 CP too late and should never have gone after the optional island CP.

Event: NYARA The Longest Day
 

The Longest Day, May 19-20th, 2012
This past weekend Team Untamed New England (Angela Schnuerch, Erik Grimm, and Jason Urckfitz) traveled to the Lower Hudson Valley area of NY for The Longest Day, NYARA’s annual 24 hour adventure race. This year’s format was described as “a linear/point-to-point format on a Rogaine/Score-O course” with the race organizers staging our bikes and paddle gear around the course for us during the event.
After a reasonable 7:00am sign-in and map distribution the team poured over the course info and maps to determine the best route/strategy and packed the team gear bin prior to the 9:15am bus ride to the start. This was no easy task as there was over 8 maps to review containing 17 mandatory and 51 optional points as well as multiple bonuses available for clearing sections to consider. According to the race organizers the course was considered clearable which factored into our route selection.



All photos borrowed from "Extreme" Prestige Worldwide Photography's Longest Day NYARA album. Thanks for the pics!

The race began on foot at the Schunemunk Mountain trail system for 2 mandatory and 5 optional points. After a short prologue teams scattered into the woods with expected title contenders Untamed New England, Goals ARA, NYARA and Calleva choosing the north route while Team SOG and Rev3 headed south. The terrain was very rugged with tricky bushwacking, rock scrambling and some decent trails thrown in for good measure. One particular highlight for this section besides the outstanding views was the huge Rattlesnake coiled up and rattling on the trail as we ran by, yikes! The temps began to rise throughout the afternoon taking its toll on many but with sharp navigation and a conservative pace Team UNE cleared the section for the 5 bonus points and making it into transition with the leaders around 3:30pm.



Fortunately CP 1 wasn't at the top of this bridge but hidden up a nearby tree.

A quick transition to bikes and they headed out to the Goose Pond State Park Bike-O section for 3 mandatory and 5 optional points on great network of trails. It’s at this point with strict time limits looming they realized there was no way anyone was going to clear the course. The team made their first strategic move of the race, opting to skip the Sterling Forest Foot-O section and headed straight to the next bike-O section for 2 more mandatory and 5 optional points including a nice 3 mile Hike-a-Bike section up to a fire tower and a screaming, frigid ride back down on the service road. The team cleared this section as well, earning another 5 bonus points.

Pack, travel to the race.

River Loop

No warm-up. Swam in lane 4 after kicking out the trouble-makers.
4x25 scull
9x75- 1-3 fr on 1:15, 4-6 ba on 1:20, 7-9 IM on 1:20.
8x50 kick, no fins. Odds flutter, evens dolphin
200 br as kick/swim x 50.
6x150 fr e/m/h working on toe point during flip on 2:45
4x25 fly on :40, 6x50 fr on :45
4x25 fly on :40 then ran out of time.

EZ ride to Dryer Road and back with Ang

Harloff-Cheese Factory-W.Bloomfield