Aspirations Over Limitations

Tis the time of the year when I start planning 2024 adventures.  There will be those that I will do again because of the fun factor, tradition, or redemption (PMBAR, Marji Gesick, Snake Creek Gap TT, War Daddy). As long as I put in the training, show up to the starting line, and my bike doesn't break, I will finish it.

The past couple of weeks, I had been thinking about an event that could top Marji Gesick on a single speed or the Death March Revival YoYo.

I wanted to find one that terrifies me.  Not in the scared I am going to die sort of way, but that puts me out of my comfort zone, where failure lurks around the corner, challenging both my physical and mental fortitude.  And then Lisa texted me Thanksgiving morning.

I answered her before I had the chance to process the enormity of this adventure, because I felt that if I let that question linger for longer than few minutes, the monkey in my brain would give me all sorts of reasons not to do it.

And so, I will be teaming up with one of our nation's best female adventure racer for the Warrior Sea To Sea Expedition Race in Florida in February of 2024. The race starts on the west coast and ends at Saint Augustine on the east coast, and according to the website, covers 300 miles. Jeff, the race director, is notorious for doing "Todd math," as last year's event covered 340 miles ... oh, brother!

Lisa Randall is a beast when it comes to adventure racing.  She has competed nationally on elite level teams as well as capturing the title of solo adventure racing champion the past two years.  Last March, I tagged along as her team mate at the Oak Mountain 10 Hour Adventure Race.  This was my first adventure race and it was so much fun.  But I didn't have to do any navigating.  It was amazing to see her in action!  How she was able to navigate while bushwhacking at significant speed as well as on the bike was mind-blowing!

During this year's race, there will be an orienteering relay section, where two members of each team (a team can be 2-4 people) will have to navigate alone. And I did not realize this until I started reading about the race details. This is the part that scares me!  I am a newbie to orienteering.  Yes, I was in the military, but any compass-type nav skills I learned 30 years ago were deleted from memory 28 years ago. 

My fear of failure is that I don't want to let Lisa down and look like a fool fumbling through the woods trying to find checkpoints.  I was hoping that I could be a great team member by being the best mule ever, while Lisa did the nav.  

But if the race doesn't challenge you, then what is the point of doing it?  So I have got two months to buckle down and figure this map and compass thing out.  The test shouldn't be too too hard, if I do the homework, right?  

Sometimes I wonder why Lisa asked me to do this, when there are other more capable adventure racers out there.  But, I am glad she did, I think.  She has been there to shove me into the deep end more than once, which has allowed me to grow as an athlete and as a person.

I just hope that, once on the other side of this adventure, I can look back and wonder why I was so worried.  Or perhaps that I should have been more concerned about the 75+ miles of trekking and 75+ miles of paddling.  And alligators ...😆

Dirty Duathlon

I have done this race four times now: twice solo and now twice as a duo, with me doing the bike portions.  For this edition, Lisa Randall, was going to do the 5k run in between the two 5.5 mile bike legs.  I must say I am absolutely amazed and inspired what Lisa is capable of.  Every year, despite doing a great portion of the course work prior (including leaf blowing the trails and signing them), along with her usual race director duties that seem to be non-stop the week of, she also manages to have the strength and time to do the race itself. Me, on the other hand, gets to take it easy leading up to the event, and still struggles with the high intensity effort that comes with this course. 

The race takes place at Rope Mill park in Woodstock, Georgia.  The course consists of biking the Mill Trails, running the Explorer trails, and then finishing it up with another bike on the Avalanche Trails.

After having no rain in the month prior, it rained, the day before, the night before, and the morning of.  I have not ridden in the mud, save for Gravel Worlds, all year.  And Gravel Worlds was essentially just holding a straight line, while this course was twisty turny.  

Lisa signed us up in the Coed Expert category, which allows either male/female or female/female.  We would be up against Lisa's daughter Jayden and her teammate who runs high school cross country, as well as some other fast kids.  Good Lord, what was she thinking?!?  

It was a drizzly 50 degrees at the start.  Lisa repeatedly reminded each wave to take it easy going across the bridge to enter the single track.  My wave consisted of my division as well as the duo Expert Men.  Needless to say, I was the LAST to enter the single track.  My mind was telling my body go, go, go!  But my body was saying WTF?!?  It hadn't gone 0 to 60 all year, so the legs and lungs were on fire!

I slowly watched the leaders get out of eyesight.  I struggled up that first 0.3mile climb.  It wasn't until I was about halfway through this lap, that my legs finally came around.  They actually felt better when I was able to stand and hammer up a climb as opposed to seated pedaling.  Towards the end, I was able to catch back up and pass two in my wave.

I bombed back down to the transition area, dismounted, ran through the creek, and tagged Lisa.  Jayden looked like she had been there awhile; her heart rate probably had already settled back down.  I slowly cooled down, but tried to keep the legs ready with some squats and high knees.

Lisa set a blistering pace and came through, as she predicted, 26 minutes later.  She had passed Kim Moore and gave me some breathing room.  I was not sure what place we were in at that moment, but thinking 4th or 5th.  I took off toward the Avalanche Trail.  Some yea-hoo got all stupid next to me, about taking me out as we approached the single track.  I slowed up and let him on by;  should not have done that, as it made me struggle up the slippery rocks and almost did not clean that hard left switchback.

That first climb up Avalanche was a grunt!  But at least now, my rain/mud skills were there and it did not feel as slick here. Even the roots were not bad.  I went as hard as I could, knowing Kevin Crowe, Kim's team mate, would be looking to mow me down.  About two thirds of the way through I caught a glimpse of him.  And at that point I was NOT feeling good; the legs were filled with lead.  I could hear him gaining and was hoping he would just put me out of my misery.  He finally caught up to me with about a mile to go.  Well, shit!  Now I had to at least try to stay ahead of him.  My rear wheel slipped on a tricky rooty climb, causing me to dab, and Kevin to dismount.

I managed to get a gap on him and gave one last big push, legs screaming and lungs burning.  Just ... get ... to ... the ... descent!  The rooty section just before that I had bobbled on during the pre ride, I cleaned it with perfection!  I saw the turn onto the descent and sent it!

I hit the finishing arch, with just 4 seconds to spare.  Lisa told me we got third!  Hallelujah!  I believe my new mantra is "will not stop."  I was glad to have dug deep and gave a final kick to the finish, whereas just prior to that, I was almost willing to slow down and just let Kevin make the pass.

Jayden and her team mate laid down a fast time and took first!  That kid has turned into a skilled little demon on wheels.