The 24 hr challenge

We pulled out of the race some 10 hours in. By the time we'd called it I was convinced I was never going to be able to achieve 24 hours.


Since then I've had time to digest the experience, as demonstrated by the long-awaited publishing of this blog entry, and to reassess my thinking.

When deciding to give the 24 hour Adventuregaine a go I never really gave full consideration to what was involved. The closest we have achieved is 5 ½ hrs in a Teva race, so not quite comparable.

I went in to the race with my usual embarrassing lack of training. This was due in part to a 5 week niggling bout of tonsillitis which I thought I'd kicked just prior to the race.

The extent of my preparation involved getting my gear out and packed 4 days prior, which really is quite impressive for me. I also quit my minimal intake of caffeine over a week out and happily loaded up on carbs the day prior. Note lack of actual physical training mention here.

On the morning of the race I was little nervous, but also excited. The excitement turned to fear and the adrenalin started building as the race start got nearer, particularly when organiser Liam mentioned the race starting with a large and unpleasant hill in his pre-race briefing.

The race

The first leg was on bikes, and we commenced the hellish goat track climb within a few minutes of setting off. The one (and only) benefit to this ride was an enjoyable downhill to the first transition and trek leg.

After the trek we were back on the bikes for road and track ride. We reached the kayak transition at around 4.30pm where we stopped briefly to refuel. Paddling started at the base of Wivenhoe Dam and included a 10km trip down the Brisbane River. We were able get in around an hour of daylight, before the banks all but disappeared in to a sea of darkness, save the moonlight and occasional house or camp light.

The night started to chill down while we were on the river, and by the end of the leg I knew the tonsillitis was fighting its way back.

We got in to our warm clothing and topped up on food before heading off on the next cycle leg. As we set off I was starting to get worried about my ability to continue and in hindsight I should have reassessed this at the transition.

Around 6km down the road I was starting to really flag. We came across Liam driving back from the next check point and after a quick discussion made the decision to pull out. There was really no way out of the course if we had continued on, but at that point we still had the opportunity to back track to the last transition and grab a ride back to HQ with the guys from Blackheart Adventure Racing.

We competed for around 10 hours, which is nothing to be ashamed about!

Maps – don't be fooled

The course was hard. The big map, which all bike legs were on, had topography lines of 35 metres. So decent elevations could easily end up not translating on to the map.

I discovered this when we rode a ridge line parallel to Wivenhoe Dam. I naively made the comment at the start that it should be relatively flat. I was so wrong. There were tough climbs in there that just didn't show up on the map. They involved a lot of pushing bikes up inclines, cursing and general unhappiness. However I felt vindicated about my behaviour when a couple of the top teams passed us on this section, as they were even pushing their bikes up the hill (note - faster than us) and commenting about 'this not being on the map'.

navigation

There was a lot of room for improvement in our navigation as on trek leg as we made a few errors that could easily have been avoided if we were on the ball a little more. I love the strategy around navigation and am still amazed at how much information can be found on a map. There are so many elements to look at, such as the lay of the land, tracks, directions, human structures etc.

There was a later section on the kayak leg where we demonstrated some savvier nav skills. We were able to work out roughly where we were on a rather long and unassuming section of the Brisbane River after dark by using house lights on top of the bank of the river and relating them to the tiny black dots representing 'structures' on the map.

I want to hone in my nav skills by making more of an effort to participate in to a couple of longer rogaines this year. For me, a 12 hour race would involve trekking rather than running, so you get more of a chance to take in your surrounds, appreciate the bush and prevent run-ins with spider webs. We live in such an amazing country, and living in the city you really tend to forget what's out there.

The joys of nature

I've always had a fear of spiders. As an example I will opt to go without bathing should an eight legged critter be in or near the shower. I'm so intimidated I can't even get close enough to relocate them should one threaten my happy existence.

When I lived alone my greatest fear above all else was to have to deal with a one. For some unexplained reason they really freak me out.

So the notion that I quite happily take off through the bush without any contact with the outside world save a pealess $2 whistle, and nothing more than a plastic A4 map holder for safety, is somewhat hard to explain.

I am very conscious that they are out there, but I somehow lock the thought away the majority of the time. However if I happen to walk in to a spider's web my female instinct kicks in and my reaction is very stereotypical. It involves a high pitched scream, a lightning quick retraction, and mad-person arm waving and leg flying. It happened a few times during the race so I hope it provided entertainment for Taryn.

She on the other hand had a nervous moment relating to some brown cows we came across on a bike leg. Some would think her fear is slightly more justified as an unhappy cow could probably do more harm than a small spider.

And so we continue…

I am keen to try another longer race, with more preparation of course!

We are talking about doing the 24 hour Fairy Bells race (the reduced Geocentric Hells Bells course) in October. We volunteered for this last time and agree that it should be achievable.

It's great to look back and see how far we've come in a fairly short space of time. I was really intimidated in our initial races as our fellow competitors looked so confident and experienced, which in hindsight was not necessarily the case. I look around now and realise that we can hold our own. We have some good skills behind us and don't look so amateurish – or clueless – any more.

We are still relative newcomers to the sport, however I think that through our enthusiasm and willingness to learn, we are starting to tackle the adventures with some solid knowledge behind us.

M

Back in the saddle

The team got back together for the first race of the Mountain Designs Adventure Race Australia series on 28 March. Candice, Mel and I haven't raced together since Teva Champs and it was great to be back at it.

The event was held in the Noosa hinterland and the scenery was spectacular. In one section of the trail, we rode across a creek that was shaded by a full canopy of leaves and had the remains of an old wooden bridge. It looked like some forgotten glade from a fairytale - well, that was the fleeting thought I had for the all-of-three-seconds that it took to sail through on my bike after letting go of the brakes on the wicked downhill that lead to the creek.

We competed in the Raw course, out of respect for our various injuries (past and present). I was delighted to get through it uninjured and feeling like I could have done double the distance. The navigation was easy and we had a canoe leg that put Mel's dragonboating experience to good use.

At the beginning of the month I had done Phoenix Adventure's navigation workshop, to get a better handle on that aspect of adventure racing. It made a difference because just looking at the map I could make more sense of the terrain, more quickly than I had been able to before.

The race was great fun and we caught up with all the usual suspects, as well as meeting plenty of new faces, all just as keen on adventure racing as we are.

We finished the race in good spirits and good time, and took the opportunity to get away early. It wasn't until the middle of the next week that Candice excitedly emailed Mel and I to share the amazing news that team An Adventure Beyond had won the female Raw category. What a buzz!

t

A tri with a twist

The next challenge for the Adventure Beyond team is Tre-X.

This race will be a little different for us, because it will be individual races, rather than a team event. But, I think we (being so bold as to speak for Mel and Candice) will find the variety a good challenge and will augment our adventure racing.

The off-road triathlons don't involve navigation, kayaking or challenges. Essentially, it's a tri with a twist. The swim legs are usually in dams or lakes, the bike legs are mtb courses and the runs are on trails.

(If you're interested in all the different sorts of racing available, check out the Phoenix Adventure newsletter, for an look at what's involved and upcoming events).

Tre-X prep

The first race of the Tre-X series is this weekend and some of our Intro2AR team mates are doing it. We're going to start with the second race, at the end of November, to give ourselves time to get injury-free and train.

I feel like I'll be up to the ride and considering the physio wants me to do the short course so I don't overdo it on the run, I feel like that will be fine too. That leaves the swim leg.

The swim leg is what I'm most concerned about at the moment. I haven't done any swimming since I lived in the UK, which is almost 9 years ago to the day. I think I've forgotten everything.

But, what I've learned the most over the last three months, is that you have to simply throw yourself in.

With that in mind, I set out today to get sorted with the right gear. The swimmers expedition turned out to be surprisingly quick and stress-free-although, Speedos and other brand names are made for people with no butt.

Even so, I now have a suitable costume, cap and goggles and will look the part walking toward the pool, though probably not once I'm in it.

t

Fairies in hell? Only in an adventure race

What an education this weekend has been!

We signed on to be event officials at this year's Hells Bells/Fairy Bells event, at Mooloolaba. It was a perfect opportunity to see how teams deal with overnight races.

The main thing I learned is that it's hard going. The second thing is that when you race, you get so focused that it takes a jackhammer to get through to you. But, what I was reminded of, was how addictive this whole sport is!

At the high ropes course, which was at the first transition area, I asked a lot of the competitors if they were enjoying the race, even though I know from my own experience that 'enjoyment' is isn't really a useful or accurate way to describe what you feel while you're in the race.

In past races, I remember asking myself why I had decided to do this crazy and exhausting thing. I felt alive and determined and happy, but enjoyment was not really the vibe while I was on the course. That came after I finished.

The rush of emotion at the end is some kind of crazy-it's that feeling that keeps me going back for more. The sheer thrill of it all.

So, to all the competitors who grimaced at me as I asked that inane question-I get it, really!

Anyhoo, here are some photos from the transition area we were at.


Fairy Bells competitors getting ready to start the high ropes course at control 9.

Candice with some of the volunteers who joined in the fun (l-r: Candice, Paul, Clint, Tom and Naomi).

Mel checking in a Hells Bells team at control 9.

Fairy Bells competitors on the high ropes course.

Teva - take 2

In any race someone has to come last.

And thankfully it wasn’t us.

The wooden spoon was however looking distinctly possible for a while.

Teva this time round
We didn’t go in to this race with quite the same enthusiasm. The first race had us jumping with nervous excitement, perhaps in part due to fear of the unknown (unknown if we would survive it). We had also recently completed the adventure racing training course which had us gee’d up for the challenge.

I think that second time round we knew we had the physical capability to finish, and were prepared to tackle anything that would be thrown at us. That anticipation was missing a little for me and I really hadn’t given the race too much thought. My training was rather lacklustre and that ability to come up with excuses to skip it was at its best.

Also, the following Sunday is the annual Brisbane to Gold Coast 100km fundraising bike ride, which roughly translates to 5 hrs straight on a bike saddle!! For some reason, perhaps being caught up in a moment of charitable compassion or just some stupid peer-pressure at the time, I registered for this event. Now I am a tad worried about my butt lasting the distance, and the concern with this challenge has overridden my Teva preparation.

The leadup to the starting hooter
I woke up Friday with a sore throat, achy joints and an unpleasant and uninvited cold. I wasn’t feeling too much better on Saturday but knew that Taryn and Candice were counting on me so took it very easy and dosed up on all of the required drugs.

I can’t say I was feeling that perky when the alarm at 4am on Sunday morning, however I think the thrill of the race masked some of my body’s misgivings. Whilst I physically survived the race quite well, I think the cold played havoc with my mental state. As Taryn, Candice, my flatmate Rod, and anyone else who knows me and saw me in form on the day can testify – I wasn’t quite there. I was saying wacky things and processing thought in a rather random and slightly disturbing manner.

The first, slightly disasterous leg
And it is to this state of mind that I blame a few of my navigation calls on the day, in particular the first control, which we’ll call ‘A’. I still can’t work out where I went wrong (which is killing me), but we ended up in going bush in a random spot for a while and it placed us at the bottom of the pack.

My brain was fuzzy, but to be truthful I also think I was a little cocky on my nav ability at the start of the race. Looking back I made stupid some fundamental decisions on which I should have known better. Anyhoo, let’s just hope I learn from mistakes.

Shortly after getting ourselves back on track we reached the kayaking leg which a twist. Three people, a two person kayak, an inflated tyre and 5 metres of rope in Taryn’s backpack (on instruction from the initial race notes). I’m sure you can work out the logistics, but I believe Candice enjoyed her leisurely tow across the lake.

On ya bike
After the longest running leg (well, not really, but for me it felt like an eternity) we finally reached the transistion area. My love for my bike and cycling is deepening. After the long and painful first couple of legs of the race, it was so good to be moving at speed with the wind through your hair (once it permeates your cap and helmet). I made another stupid navigation mistake, which I thankfully realised within a minute of calling, but otherwise all good.

bush bashing
Very soon we were off the bikes again for another trail leg. The word ‘orienteering’ had been bantered around a little at the start of the race, and it turns out they were referring to this leg. Whilst there were trails marked on the map, they were in effect non-existent and we had to navigate Rogaine-style around this part of the course.

We ran in to another team wondering aimlessly looking for control ‘C’. As we were also heading in that direction we teamed up for the search. The partnership lasted a couple of controls and definitely worked to both team’s advantage.

We provided the technical assistance and they provided the brawn by charging a path through the undergrowth of the pine forests. We came on to the challenging controls rather easily and it was on this leg that we caught up some time and overtook other teams.

It was back on the bikes again, this time back to HQ via a few controls. The riding so far had been fun, however it was on this leg that we really hit sand. Oh, and to my dismay a few hills. Ever tried riding up a moderate hill in loose sand? Challenge.

The sand got so bad a few times we had to walk our bikes through patches, as only the most experienced rider would be able to keep up the pace and control through it. We had to cross back over the highway, and as we were not allowed to physically cross the road, we were required to use ‘the tunnel’. The tunnel was only loosely described during the pre race briefing, they were definitely being cagey about it except to say that we would work it out.

Well the tunnel translates to a mankey boggy muddy lead-up to a dark scanky water-logged cement drain spanning the distance of Steve Irwin Way. There was a f’ing big feral spider manning the entrance (as a bit of an arachnephobic, I thank Candice for pointing this out), and we had to wade, crouched down, through knee length water to get through.

The final countdown
Back at HQ we had a couple of challenges, such as the ball catapult and those fun Segways again. The final leg was a run and swim and unfortunately Taryn and injured her knee back at the previous trail leg, and it was giving her too much grief to continue.

The run was pretty basic after another false start due to a very blonde nav decision. We finally reached the lake again only to find out that the final challenge involved rescuing a monkey.

We had to swim out, fully clothed and shoed, to a roving canoe, and yell in unison something about saving a monkey. This prompted a stuffed monkey to be thrown at us, which we then had to swim back to shore with and run back up to the finish line.

Finally, job done, in around 6 ¼ hours.

This race was definitely harder than the last, in part due to our lack of preparedness, and also a slightly tougher course. As it was the Teva ‘Champs’ race there were fewer challenges, less teams and a slightly more serious tone to the day.

In saying that, I still had a ball, it was so much fun.

Even if the jovialness wasn’t quite so prevalent this time, other teams were still friendly and helpful, the race incredibly well organised, and the overall sense of achievement still fantastic. My legs are again battered and bruised and my body is sore (there is a lot of moaning and groaning happening in the Happy House today). And I can’t wait to do it again!

M

Navel gazing at its worst

I've been reading some of our past posts and it amazes me how far we have come since making the decision to have a go at adventure racing.

Reading our posts about the Phoenix Adventure race brought back the excitement and anxiety that pumped through me as I tackled things I could not have dreamed trying a month or so earlier.

I remarked to Mel today, that it will be fun to arrive at Teva Champs with some experience under our belts. There's also a little bit of nostalgia for the enthusiasm that accompanies naivety.

I'm hoping that this next race will show me what ultimately drives me to keep doing it-the thing that survives the initial enthusiasm and keeps every experience alive and new.

I know that I love it for the atmosphere, the people that I meet, the incredible sense of achievement and knowing that comes with learning a new skill and, of course, the addictiveness of mountain biking. But, I suspect there's something more to it.

t