Training Log Archive: BashIn the 1 days ending Mar 31, 2009:
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Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 #
Note
Some final thoughts on the Rock & Ice Ultra... This event celebrates winter for its scenic beauty and variable weather conditions. It is a uniquely Canadian experience that attracts racers from around the world. Many of these people have impressive adventure resumes, and this race holds the same mystique for them as the Marathon des Sables and other exotic events they have done. Even for many Canadians, a trip to the sub-Arctic in March feels pretty exotic! We are lucky to have a race like this in our own back yard.
It's a well-organized event with a team of 50 volunteers and terrific sponsors who have already committed their (substantial) support for 2010. The race director Scott Smith wisely delegated some major responsibilities - safety patrols, logistics, base camp management, volunteer management, etc. - to some very competent people. Scott seemed to be everywhere, and he was always busy - boiling water at a remote checkpoint, greeting people at the finish line, coming into our tents to check on us, escorting the final racers into camp long after midnight, emptying the honey buckets (toilet bags), etc., etc. No job was too big or too small - he pitched in and did whatever was needed.
The safety team was fantastic, and the trails were well-marked. I'd had some worries about the potential for problems in severe conditions, but if I did the race again, I'd go into it with total confidence regarding safety, regardless of weather conditions.
Did I say "if I did the race again"? Hmm... I went into it intending to do the race once, then I'd move on to other marathon ski challenges, some of them in other countries. But we've both caught ourselves thinking about what we would do differently next time at the R&I, how we would pack, which event we would do, and so on. Say what? I had absolutely no interest in spoiling a nice ski by dragging a pulk along, which is the reason we chose the 3-day over the 6-day event. But now I find myself curious about how bad it could really be - so you never know.
The one thing this race *really* needs is more support from North Americans outside of Yellowknife. I competed in a category of 9 women, all of them locals except for me. It's a shame, because this event is world class, and it deserves more support from our adventure community. Winter is the perfect challenge for a Canadian adventurer!
It's a well-organized event with a team of 50 volunteers and terrific sponsors who have already committed their (substantial) support for 2010. The race director Scott Smith wisely delegated some major responsibilities - safety patrols, logistics, base camp management, volunteer management, etc. - to some very competent people. Scott seemed to be everywhere, and he was always busy - boiling water at a remote checkpoint, greeting people at the finish line, coming into our tents to check on us, escorting the final racers into camp long after midnight, emptying the honey buckets (toilet bags), etc., etc. No job was too big or too small - he pitched in and did whatever was needed.
The safety team was fantastic, and the trails were well-marked. I'd had some worries about the potential for problems in severe conditions, but if I did the race again, I'd go into it with total confidence regarding safety, regardless of weather conditions.
Did I say "if I did the race again"? Hmm... I went into it intending to do the race once, then I'd move on to other marathon ski challenges, some of them in other countries. But we've both caught ourselves thinking about what we would do differently next time at the R&I, how we would pack, which event we would do, and so on. Say what? I had absolutely no interest in spoiling a nice ski by dragging a pulk along, which is the reason we chose the 3-day over the 6-day event. But now I find myself curious about how bad it could really be - so you never know.
The one thing this race *really* needs is more support from North Americans outside of Yellowknife. I competed in a category of 9 women, all of them locals except for me. It's a shame, because this event is world class, and it deserves more support from our adventure community. Winter is the perfect challenge for a Canadian adventurer!
Mountain Biking (Trainer) 30:00
While watching the news.