What I have learnt from my first proper race

On Saturday I was nervous.

* Did I have the fitness required to do this?
* Was I going to stay on my mountain bike?
* How on earth do you read a map fixed to your handle bars whilst trying to stay on your bike as you cycle down at dirt track?
* Were we ever going to get off the start line if securing a starting position involved solving a logic puzzle? Let’s face it, our practice attempts so far at solving ‘very easy’ internet riddles hadn’t been going well.

The lead-up
As we approached the bustling transition area to drop our bikes off I could have sworn everybody looked really fit and confident. Having Senna there as familiar face was a relief and her encouraging words definitely helped calm the nerves. Her comment about it being a flat course probably did the trick.

There were people milling everywhere at HQ and as first timers it was a little daunting. However some familiar faces and a focus on our planning helped keep us calm.


Strategy
The challenge to sort out the starting packs was thankfully not a logic puzzle, however it involved a beep test. Kerry put up her hand as our team representative and she put in a valiant effort trying to score us a few minutes.

She pulled out early, which we were thankful for, as a physical challenge could really drain you before you even began. And at this point we can see a perfect example of how strategic thinking can work for you.

A number of teams chose not to participate in the beep test. We all started only 6 minutes after the leaders, yet were the only starting pack to be given the valuable and time saving hint that we could cross the creek very near control 13 (the only other obvious ford nearby was off limits). Whilst the crossing involved hoisting our bikes on our shoulders and balancing vicariously down a steep embankment and over logs, we probably gained 6 minutes. And the crossing was not obvious, so without the hint we probably wouldn’t have found it.


Navigation
I know I’m not bad with a map. Actually if I’m going to be honest, for the fact my flatmate calls them my pacifier (give her a map and she’ll shut up), I love maps and I know I am pretty good at reading them.

So it was with excitement (yes I am sad) that I sat down to get my first good look at the course. Most of my previous navigating has been done in a Rogaine situation, which involves the whole team is traipsing through the bush with a compass, map and general sense of direction.

In adventure racing there is only one map, which translates to one navigator, and it was natural that the job should fall to me. Without that backup of another teammate providing re-assurance on decisions I was feeling the pressure to ‘get it right’.

My first real test as lone navigator came within 30 seconds of the start. There were two tracks close together, and I knew from experience it was going to be very easy to hit the wrong one. I stated ‘if the track turns 90 degrees to the left as soon as we hit it, we’re off course’. Sure enough the track went left, however every team around us also confidently went left? So I doubted myself. Thankfully one other team faulted as I was having an internal discussion with myself about what decision to make, which prompted me to turn our team around.

I was right, and going with my intuition put us ahead of just about every other team in our starting group. It gave me the confidence to lead the team and to run our own race.

Thankfully the majority of my nav skills were right on the money, with the exception of control 9. But we won’t rehash those 5 minutes of aimless wandering today.

Nor will we talk much about my appalling display of nav skills on the way back to Brisbane. Needless to point out, when the sign says ‘Old Gateway Freeway, City’, and you are planning to head that way, it is best you turn off otherwise you may end up on an unnecessary trip in bumper-to-bumper traffic over the Gateway Bridge.


War wounds and being prepared
I was going to buy some form of gaiters (leg protectors) the day before the race, but forgot.

I am a bridesmaid, in a knee length dress, for a wedding next week and I don’t think the bride is going to be happy. Whilst on one of the foot legs I decided to take us on a shortcut which involved ‘bush bashing’ through the undergrowth. Needless to say that without protection my legs are not looking pretty at the moment and some serious product is going to be required to hide the wounds for the wedding photos.

We are getting pretty sorted with equipment, but this demonstrates that being prepared can definitely save some anguish (and vanity issues).

This can be demonstrated in an incident involving Taryn and her left ankle. There is a minimum mandatory requirement of first aid in each team, but on top of the list I also threw in strapping tape. Having ‘done’ a few limb parts before I knew how invaluable immobilising an injury is.

With the assistance of the strapping tape, and a passing physio, Taryn was back up and running like a trooper within minutes.

There was only one other notable incident during the race, which involved Kerry and a bike stack on the way to control 8. Unfortunately I was taking the lead, therefore missed it, however a team coming through from behind said it was worthy of a good show. She now has two beautiful bruises as living proof.


Nutrition
Just a quick note leading on from my previous blog, gels are an acquired taste and you do get use to them. A fact I am thankful for as they are definitely the most convenient way of refuelling.


Competition
I have never been a competitive type. My father, on the other hand, use to take it to the extreme so I have always figured it skipped a generation.

However I found myself getting a little keen to push our boundaries during the race, particularly when I knew the other female Phoenix team was not that far ahead. This wasn’t our game plan so I had to reel my competitive thoughts in.

Since then however I have analysed numerous times how and when we could have performed better during the race (let’s still not speak about control 9).

The problem with a race like TEVA is that no matter how fast your team is, your position in the race can tumble dramatically with just one bad nav call or a display of stupidity while trying to complete a challenge.

We came 5th out of 14 female teams, so our first effort is definitely not something to be scorned at. And we were within 30 minutes of a podium position so perhaps next time……..


The reward
I have known Senna for a while now, and she had been pushing me to try TEVA for some time. Her words were ‘it’s not that hard, you can do it!’ but I struggled to believe her. Well she was right, so Senna, thanks for your perseverance with me!

I had so much fun.

I spent the whole race pumped, perhaps even a tad over-excited. We didn’t stop for 5 ½ hours, yet I don’t actually recall suffering once (perhaps in part due to the absence of hills).

For a number of teams there was a competitive edge to the event, but this didn’t stop people being friendly and helpful. Random strangers helped each other at various checkpoints, jokes and good will was shared between passing teams, and overall there was such a positive vibe throughout the whole event.

During a challenge while transitioning through HQ a random stranger came up to see if he could offer us some guidance on instructions (we must have looked a tad perplexed). It wasn’t until later I found out he was part of the winning team who had completed the race in under 3 hours.

I can confidently speak on behalf of Taryn when I say that we would rank up there as one of the most enthusiastic teams on the course that day. And our self congratulatory words to each other on the last leg are best left for our ears only, lest people think we are a little strange.

While I was going to St Ives

Mel and I had tried, the week earlier, to prepare for the likelihood of mental challenges. I’d found some logic problems online and we tested ourselves on the way to and from the mini-rogaine. Our efforts had been pretty pathetic though, even with the ‘very easy’ category, so we weren’t sure what to expect from the challenges in Teva. Happily, they weren’t so tough and Kerry was always quick to take up the challenge.

Some of the challenges involved testing memory and recall of films and television shows from audio grabs, solving a Rubix cube in four minutes and recognising logos of race sponsors.

Others were physical, like manoeuvring a Segway around an obstacle course (these are amazing machines-they make less impact on the environment than an individual walking), racing against a too-energetic kid and constructing a shelter that could keep the three of us dry in rain and high winds.

Candice’s leaf blower

The shelter challenge was one of the major ones in the race and it was the challenge that had Candice powering-up. At the beginning of the race, we had been given a cryptic puzzle about a predicted storm from the east. It had me baffled throughout the race as well as a little concerned that my poor lateral thinking skills would hamper our efforts. But, all became clear as we came back HQ for the final legs of the race.

An orienteering challenge required us to plan a route that would allow us to collect enough points to buy equipment to build our shelter. We decided that a large tarp, polls, tent pegs and a mallet would build us a good shelter, along with the string we had brought along with us (the joining instructions had directed us to bring something we could use to build something with).

We set to building our shelter, which needed to be strong enough to withstand wind and rain from the east, and big enough to keep the three of us dry. Once we were in the shelter we had to keep a candle burning while Candice powered-up the leaf blower and another volunteer turned the hose on us, together assailing our shelter with the predicted storm.

It goes without saying that we stayed dry and kept the candle alight – so intrepid of us!

The finishing line

After the challenge sequence back at HQ, we had one final mountain bike leg to complete. Kerry had been keeping pace all day, but at this point she hit a wall. Mel and I were pleased that she spoke up and chose to sit out the last leg.

Mel and I took off toward the last few controls, on a buzz from the whole experience and how close we were to finishing. We crossed the line after about five and a half hours of racing and both felt the biggest sense of achievement.

t

Off and racing

At 8.36am on Sunday, we were officially off and racing in the Teva Adventure Series. Well, perhaps not racing, more like jogging in that staccato way you have when you're caught in a pack.

Mel was the navigator and Kerry and I were on lookout and support duty. The first leg of the race was on foot (ha - read that again, slowly) and although my memory is a little hazy, I know Mel's intuitive navigating saved us time from the outset.

I also know there was a lot of crashing through scrub. Ruddy lantana - grrr!

We picked up our bikes at the fourth control and set off at speed, welcoming the breeze. It was already hot and the day was still so young.

I love my bike

I had such a blast on the bike legs! There's something so liberating about cycling fast.

Even so, it was on the first bike leg that I came off, twisting my ankle. I ran on to the control, but on the way back made the decision to speak up and take time to strap it.

As we were sitting down to figure out where to start (switching your brain from race mode to first aid mode is not a quick thing), another competitor stopped and offered her help, explaining that she was a physio.

She held her whole team up to help me, but they didn't blink an eye. Just another reminder that adventure racing is really about people and team spirit.

So much, so fast, so fun

So much happened during the race that I find it difficult to remember the details and the order of things, but the flashbacks are vivid.

Sandy tracks, boggy trails, and fast, flat stretches.

Taking bearings, back tracking (not much, mind you), crashing through bush and splashing through creeks.

Red and white controls, the happy beep of the timing chip.

Clumps of other competitors, happy exchanges and well wishes from strangers.

More lantana, more sandy track and that hot, hot sun.

People, smiles, lots of water, electrolytes and gels!

The gels certainly kept us firing. It was easy to tell when they’d hit, because I suddenly needed to tell everyone how awesome the day was. It probably drove Mel and Kerry crazy, but it was only the truth – the day rocked!

In the next installment: brain teasers, Candice's leafblower and crossing the finish line.

Preparations and people

I've already said how awesome Teva was, but 24 hours before it, I was not feeling so confident.

A shaky start

The day before the race, I was very nervous. In fact, I'd been nervous since Monday. I was worried that I would hold the team back or, worse yet, not enjoy the experience.

But, there it was - that was the whole point - this journey was supposed to be fun and full of laughs.

An early dinner with family (big bowl of pasta!) helped me relax and I got home in time to organise my gear before going to bed. By the time I hit the sack, I definitely felt ready to have a good time.

The day dawns

The day started very early.

My alarm startled me awake at 4am. By 5am I was collecting Mel and Candice and, about an hour later, we were meeting up with Kerry at the services near the Bribie Island turn off. I was starting to get pretty excited.

The event was held at Beerwah, near Australia Zoo. A week earlier, In2Adventure had sent out joining instructions that explained we were to first drop our bikes and then head back to Race HQ to register and prepare.

For me, driving up to the bike drop-off zone was when it all felt real. There were so many teams arriving and so many cars, bikes and people that I was reminded of cities like Amsterdam and Hanoi.

Senna and Susan from Adventure Seekers were among the officials helping to herd bikes and people at the drop-off area. Grabbing a few minutes to chat with them added to my excitement.

Gear and more gear

Back at Race HQ, we found a patch of ground and dumped our gear. Hydration packs full of food, water, compasses, tyre tubes and repair kits. Esky and extra water. Map board and container full of essentials like pens, highlighters, suncream and a change of clothes - just in case.

With our signed indemnity waiver in hand, Mel, Kerry and I lined up at the registration tent, where we received our race packs, bibs, map, course instructions, control card and timing chip.

We read through the instructions, planning our route and noting controls that could prove tricky. We had just enough time to make a loo stop, apply more suncream and get our packs on our backs before heading over for the first challenge and race briefing.

The starting line

The first challenge was a beep test, designed to stagger the teams at the start. Kerry stepped up as our representative and kept pace with everyone, but Mel and I were pleased when she decided to stop before she used up much-needed energy. As it turned out, our group of teams started just six minutes after the first group - in our opinion, not worth exhausting yourself for.

The race briefing followed, including updates on the course information and track conditions, reminders about safety and race rules. Importantly, the briefing also included clues that would help us in upcoming challenges.

I was stoked to see the friendly faces of the Phoenix Adventure team, as we milled around the start line. In the short time we had to chat, it seemed everyone was pumped for the race.

It was awesome to know some of the other people on the course. In fact, the camaraderie among the competitors was something that kept coming back to me throughout the day.

To be continued...

Teva, teva, teva!!!

We had an absolute blast, today!

Teva was fun from beginning to end. There will be more stories on the blog in the next few days, but here are a few photos of us, before the race started.

I have to make a special mention of Candice, who joined Mel, Kerry and I at the event, as one of the much appreciated and necessary volunteers. She spent six hours in the sun, operating a leaf blower (will be explained in forthcoming blog - I promise) and still had a smile on her face at the end.

t

Mel, keeping us on the straight and narrow - navigator extraodinaire!!

Kerry slapping on the SPF30+. The temperature was about 30 degrees celsius - in winter!

Me. What a poser, huh.

First Flight of the Phoenix team photo

It's all about the carbs

Leading on from Taryn’s previous blog, I too have been spending some quality time checking out food labels.

Having recently exposed to the world of race nutrition, I am looking at food labels in a totally different light. Gone are the days of focusing on low fat & high protein options, instead, welcome back carbs!

I love that term ‘carb loading’, particularly when it involves a nice big plate of pasta (and washed down with a glass of red) the night prior to a race.

Again, the range and variety of products produced specifically for physical racing is impressive, not in the least my new discovery, the gel. I have seen these before and I now understand how beneficial they can be. Unfortunately no amount of prior knowledge could prepare me for the actual experience of having one though.

Everybody raves about gels, but no one has actually been that vocal about the rather unpleasant experience of digesting them. It was disgusting! It was like eating vaguely flavoured (try strawberry banana) goo that sticks in your throat and gives almost an involuntary gag reflex. Water is mandatory to help get it down.

I had my first gel during last week’s Rogaine, and while the overall experience was somewhat unpleasant, it was a great energy boost, so I am hoping that with perseverance it becomes an acquired taste.

Mel

Warning: hi-carb content may offend

I lost hours in the grocery store this morning, reading the nutritional information panels on almost everything I picked up.

This, in itself, is not unusual for me. What is strange is that I was looking for high carbohydrate content products. Suffice it to say, Tony Ferguson would have been having conniptions.

I've been thinking a lot about race nutrition this week because my digestive system struggled after Sunday's race - all because it wimps out with foods like bread and muesli.

Last week, I packed some of the food that I can eat - the kind with 'no dairy, no gluten, no point' emblazoned across the packaging. I'd also taken a risk and included some muesli bars. They didn't agree with me.

(Of course, I shouldn't have then had the bread roll at the bbq - but it was a bbq for pete's sake. You've got to have bread rolls).

Obviously, all the food you take has to have high energy value. Apparently you need to eat about 1 gram of carbohydrate for every kilogram of body weight, each hour of racing. Hence, my close attention this morning, to carbohydrate values.

Aside from taking the right stuff, the act of eating is not a simple thing during a race, for so many reasons. If you're eating properly then you're probably having something every 20 minutes and it has to be easy to eat and readily accessible.

Imagine trying to down a muesli bar while you're paddling a kayak (though Erin made it look easy), or scoff trail mix while you're peddling at 15 km per hour (or thereabouts - I was going to say 20 km per hour, but that would have been wildly ambitious of me). All the while you need to be keeping pace with your team and staying on course.

Thankfully, there are loads of products on the market that give you energy, protein, electrolytes and whatever else you need, in one quick snappy burst. I've picked up a few things to trial at tomorrow's rogaine, including some gels that are supposed to be easier to eat on the run. I'm hoping I can find the perfect potion!

t

The first test - I mean race

We had our first ever adventure race on Sunday morning as part of our intro training. 6km of kayaking, 3km on foot and 20km of cycling may not be the toughest challenge ever, but to the uninitiated it was a good effort.

Our teams were picked randomly (hello team Wayne, Alana and Mel) and it turned out to be a pretty even matching. We had Taryn and her team breathing down our necks for most of the race which is a pretty good motivator to keep going.

We started with a 3km paddle upstream with a couple of controls along the way. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were paddling with the current which helped speed our leg up.
My teammate, Alana, grew up around the area we were running in so we had some great local knowledge to guide us. We collected the foot controls backwards and this decision turned out to be a godsend in relation to the hills of the area.

We were first back to the canoes and set off at a cracking pace. Unfortunately it was only at this time we realised we were against the current on the way back – not good when your upper body strength is zilch and you have already exhausted your arms on the way there. Needless to say it was a very, very, very long way back.

Alana had a mishap kayaking close to a pontoon and ended up in the water. Whilst assisting her getting the kayak righted I gave thanks to the fact it wasn’t me swimming. Unfortunately I didn’t learn by her mistake and copied her style a short while later. Therefore, just like Taryn, I got a taste (literally) of the Brisbane River and its pungent qualities.

At this stage in the race I would like to send out a huge thanks to the makers of Tupperware for providing such airtight/water tight containers. When I heard my mobile ring some time later during the mountain biking leg I knew that beautiful piece of kitchen brilliance had come through the goods and kept my phone dry! Definitely something to add to any good equipment list.

We hit the bikes with a small lead but this alternated with Taryn’s team through the suburbs. My mountain biking confidence got a little shaky as the pressure to keep up speed sent me off track a few times. Obviously something I need work on in future.

Tiredness started to kick in and a wrong turn and unobserved map features lost us valuable time. We made it back to HQ shortly after Taryn and Co, only to be given a cryptic clue and sent out on foot for one last control.

Our saving grace came in the form of the other team forgetting their control card, and while they backtracked to get it we were able to sail past (ok, it was more like a groaning, moaning putt past) and keep our lead for the final leg.

We were victorious, even if only by small margin. But it really didn’t matter who won or lost as it was all about the journey. Our fellow course members were fabulous as everybody was so welcoming and friendly, and there was a real feeling of camaraderie by the end of the week.

Many thanks to Andy for running such a fun, inspirational and beneficial course. And bring on Teva next weekend!!

Mel

Oh look, another hill

For those of you who don't know Brisbane well, our western suburbs are very hilly. It was over those hills that we had to run and cycle as part of the urban adventure race that marked the end of the Introduction to Adventure Racing, run by Phoenix Adventure.

In teams of three, we completed course legs of kayaking, trail running and mountain biking, interspersed with team challenges.

I kicked things off well for my team by taking a dip in the Brisbane River on my way into the kayak. I'm sure my soggy shoes were what slowed me down on the run leg (hehe).

I thought things would improve with the mountain biking leg because I had mostly dried out by then and I'd had such a successful session on the bike the previous day. But, no. The gears on my bike did I-don't-know-what so that I couldn't get into the lowest gear for the hills, of which there are a lot in Brisbane's western suburbs, as I may have mentioned.

Even so, we finished without injury and placed third - podium position, as they say. It's just unfortunate that there were only three teams in the race.

It goes without saying that I absolutely loved every second of it!!

I got through the five hours with a smile on my face and am still keen for the Teva Adventure Series in two weeks.

All of the advice we were given during the course made sense on the day. For instance, on the return kayak leg I found myself getting really irritable and had resorted to swearing at the wind or the current when I couldn't keep my kayak straight. It was at that point that I realised I probably needed to eat and my shirtiness could be in part explained by low sugar. Eating at regular intervals, especially if you're not hungry, is so important. If you wait until you're hungry, it's too late.

Another thing I learned during the race is how much your mental attitude can affect your performance. The swim I took in the river at the start of the race took some of my confidence and enthusiasm, and later, when I didn't live up to my own expectactions of being able to keep up with my team, I had to take time to refocus by reminding myself of what I had achieved in a short space of time and how I had tackled the challenges.

You know, I'm so bloody proud of myself. I woke up early this morning and my first thought was 'I can't believe I've done it'. During the race there were times when I grimaced at the sight of another hill, but once I reached the top I recovered quickly and could tackle the next one. I would make every downhill ride count, coasting it at top speed to get momentum for the inevitable uphill, but also for the sheer thrill of the speed. To be fair, the hills of Brisbane's western suburbs are good for that.

Now, I must congratulate Mel and her team, who came first and nailed every control along the way. It was a sterling effort! I'm sure she'll share her story soon.

In the meantime, I'm going to start prepping for the mini-rogaine we are doing this weekend - another chance to improve my map reading and navigation skills.

t

Getting in to gear

I have started researching adventure racing and related disciplines, and what exists blows me away. The more you research, read and talk to people, the more you realise that there is a massive culture of very fit people out there.

A prime example is this morning on the way to kayaking training. I’m not generally out on the streets at 5.15am, so was amazed by the number of cyclists on the road. And I’m not talking about the casual Saturday peddler, but the serious, hard core, fully kitted enthusiast.

And that’s just road cycling. The mountain biking scene is astounding. From what I can ascertain so far, there is downhill, long distance, relays, and cycle-gaining just to name some. I have an appreciation of the organisation involved in setting and organising any sort of event so the list of races I have stumbled on is astounding.

All of this investigation is not helping my fitness situation. I am struggling on the running and hate any sort of uphill riding with a passion.

I’m not at the stage (or discipline level) yet whereby I am willing to attack my aerobic levels myself. I am displaying that all too common skill of finding every plausible excuse to not take myself off for that jog or bike ride.

I am trying to tackle this challenge by obligating myself to as much physical activity as possible that involves others. I won’t let people down, unless completely unavoidable, so when I agree to get up early, catch up after work or meet at lunch to partake in exercise I will be there. I also practice this approach in my social endeavours, so if anyone wants to meet at the pub I won’t let you down unless completely unavoidable!

Taryn and I are currently midway through a week long adventure race training course, and I am loving everything we tackle. I am getting excited about our first real race on the 23rd of August, which is part of the Teva series.

Taryn and I had a discussion last night about our individual goals and what we hope to achieve out of racing, and as usual we were on a pretty similar page. As our skills improve we may take on a more competitive edge, but our initial goal is not to come in a specify place, but just to c…… finish.

M

Gently does it

I woke at 4am this morning, without the aid of an alarm - I think I subconsciously urged myself to wake up early so I wouldn't miss the kayaking session at Indooroopilly Canoe Club.

It was a beautiful time of the morning. The moon was still out (and mostly full, having only started to wane yesterday) when I left my flat an hour later. The sun was just rising as we carried our kayaks down to the river. It was such a lovely way to start the day.

Of course, the espresso I had at home before I left was an equally good way to start the day.

I've been kayaking a few times, but usually in two-person, ocean kayaks that are incredibly sturdy and sit much heavier in the water. The single-person craft we had today were really light and manoeuvrable, by comparison.

Even so, or maybe as a result, it surprised me how difficult it was to keep the kayak straight, or straight-ish. It took me half of the session to realise that subtlety was needed. The analogy I volunteered to Mel (who didn't really need the advice, by the way) was that it was like dating. You have to keep your paddling gentle and give each movement time to have effect before you take the next.

A bit of a clumsy analogy, perhaps, but keeping it in mind helped me get back to the pontoon with some kind of grace and rhythm.

t

Tips and tricks

I'm loving this course. The strength and agility session on Tuesday night was a useful reminder that the terrain won't be what I'm used to. We did an exercise that involved leaping in a zigzag between markers - a useful skill, we were told, for rock hopping.

Judging by my performance, I will spend a lot of the race in soggy shoes.

Trail running this morning, drove home a few things for me. The first is teamwork. Andy reminded us to keep an eye on our team mates' position and call out trail conditions to give them warning. My problem will be deciding quickly how to describe a thing so everyone else will understand it perfectly - is it a stick or a branch? A branch or a root?

The other lesson I took away from it was remembering to use my core - it becomes really important for balance on the downhill.

Tonight's session was one I had been looking forward to the most. We went abseiling at Kangaroo Point. It was fantastic!! I was a little fearful at the beginning of each descent, because as the cliff drops away out of sight your natural instinct is get back to level ground. But, deep breathing and not looking down got me over that initial feeling - and the edge.

The rest of the trip down the cliff was cruisy. It's amazing how much control you have of your speed just by tightening and loosening the grip of one hand. The session was run by Susan from Adventure Seekers. She made us feel safe and at ease very quickly. To my thinking, that's exactly what you need when you're about to fall backward off a cliff.

Navigation, kayaking, team building and mountain biking are all to come, then the race on Sunday.

t

Now it feels real

Life has been pretty busy for Melissa and I - so much so that the blog has been neglected. The brief update from me is that I am now the proud owner of a spunky mountain bike. When I figure out how to post photos, I'll show it off. I have to say a huge thank you to Jeff Smith for finding it for me and delivering it. Check out his cool podcasts at www.powerfit.net.au

We've taken the bikes out for a couple of rides around Gap Creek. They've been huge fun, with some small moments of fear (at least on my part) as I hit a corner too fast or focused too much on the rock I'd been trying to avoid, with the obvious consequences.

I have bruises and scrapes to show for my efforts. I'm kind of proud of them, though also quite grateful that it's winter and I can keep them covered - white skin bruises ugly.

But moving on to the news du jour (or whatever 'night' is in french). We went to the introductory session of our adventure racing course. It's run through Phoenix Adventure and it will introduce us to the skills and disciplines that are core to the sport, such as trail running, kayaking, abseiling, navigation and mountain biking.

The session tonight was really interesting. The trainer/facilitator Andy, took us through the gear we'll need and some basics of race nutrition. It all gets serious tomorrow night with a strength and agility session.

I'll try to keep a commentary running over the next week. There are going to be some excellent experiences and I'm so looking forward to putting it all into practice with the mini-race on Sunday. My only concern is the navigation session - Melissa, you might be wishing for a different team mate that day!!

t